It'd been days since the feast. Days since Loki spoke of his passion and desire. He'd seemed so willing. So sincere. But now… he was far too busy to be concerned with his little pet. Too preoccupied to spend any sort of time with her.
Of course there were moments when Nancy wasn't alone. When Loki returned to sleep or rose to dress in the morning. And then there were the other pets she was allowed to play with. The cats. Crea still had nothing to do with her, but Calder was friendly enough. The snakes. She was beginning to get used to their presence by now. Every once in a while, she'd spy one out of the corner of her eye as it slipped behind something.
And now she was allowed to go to the library. She'd gone once or twice on occasion, but it was still Loki's favorite room. As soon as he'd show up, she'd gather her papers and excuse herself, finding her way back to her gilded prison once again. She just couldn't stand being in that room with him. He always wanted to know what she was doing. Studying her like she was a bug under glass. She'd prefer the isolation of the suite to Loki's ever-watchful, looming presence.
It was on one of her trips to the library that Nancy decided to try out the golden bracelet still clamped around her wrist. She knew it was a paralysis bracelet, but she didn't quite know what it did. How it worked. Deep in her soul, she knew she was still a scientist. An explorer seeking knowledge and truth. She glanced down at the intricate engravings and watched the light glisten off the gold. There was only one way to try it. Curiosity finally got the best of her.
Nancy stopped at the intersection of two hallways. If she turned left, she'd find her way to the entrance of the grand treasure-trove of books. But, if she turned right… who knew what was behind unknown Asgardian doors? With a slight grin, Nancy turned right and started down the hall.
She knew she'd get in trouble for this. Probably get her library privileges revoked. But she had to know. Had to know how far Loki was willing to let her go.
Another corner, then another, and the bracelet still hadn't kicked in. Strange. He must be either too distracted to notice where she was, or he'd allowed her more freedom than she'd originally thought. One final corner, and suddenly Nancy stood before two, great golden doors. A guard stood on either side, protecting what lay within. The doors looked very much like the doors to Loki's room, but instead of intricate carvings of snakes, these doors were decorated with two giant birds sitting atop a massive tree. In awe of the splendor of the engraving, Nancy took a step closer.
As soon as her foot touched the ground, her body suddenly felt very heavy, as if gravity had increased exponentially under her feet. She couldn't move an inch. Her arms hung at her sides, her treasured papers slipping from her hands. She no longer had the strength to hold them. A small whimper escaped her throat, but opening her mouth to scream was too laborious a task.
So, instead, all poor Nancy could do was stand frozen to the spot, waiting for Loki to appear to unfreeze her and give her a good chastisement. Well, she'd wanted to know what the bracelet did. And she found out, too.
/
Loki had had enough of strategy meetings. Too many people had too many ideas about how he should run his kingdom. About how to address the people as equals. About how to find traitors. If advisers weren't traditionally insisted upon in Asgardian culture, he'd fire them all. The Warriors Three were the only semi-sane advisers in the room. It had taken a lot to get them on board, but in the end it had been worth it.
Six hours into the meeting, Loki began to drowse. If he could make it back to his room, at least someone would be entertaining. Instead, he listened to his eldest adviser drone on and on about some law or another concerning traitors to the crown. He could save them all the trouble and step outside the gates unaccompanied. He had never needed guards before, as he had learned long ago to take care of himself. He could outsmart even the wiliest criminal, and...
Loki sat up straight as the tingling sensation began at the base of his skull. Of course, his adviser took it as interest and spoke louder. Idiot. Loki conferred with the snakes, who had no idea where she had gone. Mortal girl. Stupid, mortal girl. Had she no sense of self-control? What if someone had attempted to take her from this place?
With a sigh, Loki fixed in on the signal from the bracelet. She was no doubt frightened and utterly still, as she should be. It took little effort to leave a clone in his place and teleport away. The bracelet would lead him straight to her.
Sure enough, he appeared before two ancient golden doors. Doors he knew all too well. With a heavy sigh, he turned to see his pet standing all alone, utterly silent, and paralyzed.
A soft whimper rose out of Nancy's throat when her master suddenly appeared in front of her. Her vocal cords barely had the strength to move. Yes, this definitely had been a bad idea. She would've tried to explain herself, that she was merely curious, but her body remained absolutely frozen. Unable to move and hardly even able to breathe. A living statue. She tried to move her limbs, but they remained just as still as the rest of her. She whimpered again.
Loki expelled a breath and took a step forward. Deftly, he reached for her wrist and lifted it to touch the bracelet. That should do it. His own magic to dispel the side effects.
Nancy gasped and stumbled forward as she was released from the spell. She collapsed against Loki, her muscles twitching and aching as they recovered from the spell. "Well…" she panted, still trying to overcome her shock, "It works. It definitely works." She knew he would be furious with her for what she did. She braced herself for his latest fit of rage.
"I did warn you, pet," Loki chastised. Not that she had ever heeded his warnings in the past, but this one time he had almost expected her to obey him without question. It just went to show how much he knew about taming a mortal.
Nancy looked up at him and blinked. He didn't scream. He didn't grab her and nearly shake the life out of her. For once… he was calm. Something must be horribly wrong with him. She took a step back and looked at him. "I just wanted to see what it did." she explained, "Are you upset?"
"Yes." Loki folded his hands behind his back. Very upset that she had once again defied him, but one thing rang clearer in his mind. "But rather more curious how you found the Treasure Vault."
"The Treasure Vault?" Nancy glanced around him, looking at the doors, then turned her attention back to him. She shrugged. "I was just wandering around, trying to see how far I could go before the bracelet stopped me." She looked at the doors again and nodded to them. "What's in there?"
Oh, this could be such fun. Her enjoyment always amused him, and he liked to taunt her about things she could not understand. "You will know what the Tesseract is, surely." Loki strode around her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Things even greater than that."
Nancy's eyes widened. She remembered how powerful the Tesseract was. How Earth had nearly fallen time and again because her foolish species thought they could contain and control the power. The thought that Asgard had relics much more powerful than the Tesseract thrilled her. Her heart beat fast in her chest, the humanity inside her lusting to see the great hoard within the sacred vault.
"Could we… could we go… see?" she stammered, "Please?" Nancy could only imagine what treasures lay inside. Alien relics from a time long ago, priceless jewels that must never be seen by mortal eyes. She had to go in. She just had to.
"Well, now." Loki circled back around to stand before her. "You haven't been a very obedient pet today. Is there any particular reason I should reward this bad behavior?"
Nancy blinked at his question, unsure what to answer. He was right, she had been disobedient. Blatantly disobedient. Why should she be allowed anything? She opened her mouth a couple times to speak, but only closed it again, unable to come up with a suitable answer.
With a huff, Nancy crossed her arms and stopped to think. Why should she be allowed entrance to the treasure room? Because she was a scientist, a researcher, and that room was full of all sorts of priceless cultural artifacts. Not to mention possibly scrolls of secret information – which allured to the spy in her and only fueled her desire to enter all the more.
Finally, she decided on an answer. "Because I just saved you from whatever boring task you were up to." Nancy challenged, "You've told me yourself how difficult ruling can be. And don't try to deny it. I've seen the way you look every night. Like you've had the life sucked right out of you. So, favor for favor. I saved you, you let me in."
Loki raised an eyebrow. Her bartering skills had improved since she arrived, but she didn't mean a word of what she said. He should know. "I think you only want in there to see what kind of science Asgard has over your precious Midgard." She should have known better than to test him. How many times did he have to reiterate it? He was not to be challenged.
Well, he wasn't exactly wrong. But he wasn't completely right, either. Who did he think he was to presume he knew what she wanted? If he'd done any sort of research on her and knew her as he thought he did, he'd know she was just as interested in the cultures behind the relics as the science. "What does it matter, what my purposes are?" she threw back, "We're both here now. We may as well go in." After so many months in his presence, she knew how to play this game. They played it often, and she was getting better… at least, she thought she was.
"Are you presuming to give orders, pet?" Loki smirked at her. He could just as soon deny her entrance as command the guards to open the doors.
Nancy sighed, relenting. "No. I'm sorry. I'm not. Could we please go in and see the old relics, master?" She gave him a winning smile, just for emphasis. "I really want to see them. Not to study them or touch them. I just want to look."
Loki studied her. If he said yes, she would assume he had caved to her demands. If he said no, he would deny himself the privilege of seeing the amazement in those perfect eyes. He relented with a huff. "Five minutes, understood? And you will never run away again to see how far the jewelry will allow."
"Understood." Nancy smiled, gloating in her victory, and walked to the doors. She turned to give him a genuine smile, truly appreciative of his kindness. "Thank you for this."
Loki rolled his eyes and waved to the guards, who opened the doors wide. He stepped in front of Nancy to enter first. If he was going to cave, he at least wanted to see the wonder on her face.
As they entered, Nancy followed close behind him, her face lit in amazement. The old relics all sat in their own crevices in the walls. Torches flickered softly here and there. At the far end of the chamber, light poured in from a hazy window, through little squares made by the iron lattice before it.
This place was so wonderful and mysterious. She could feel the energy and magic in the air. "What do they all do?" she whispered, smiling at Loki.
Loki glanced around. "Oh, various things. See into other realms. Most can be used as weapons. That sort of thing."
"Ooh." Nancy carefully paced from one item to the next, looking them all over, much like a guest in a grand museum, looking around in wonder. Finally, she stopped in front of a little, glowing blue box, sitting on a podium before the iron lattice. The blue of the top and sides swirled, the pattern forming crystals on the sides. Each side was framed in bronze, iron, and stone. "What does this one do?" There had to be a reason it was separated from the rest.
Loki swallowed. Of course she would pick that one. The only relic that he didn't want to speak about. He rolled his shoulders back. "The Jotuns used it to war with ice."
"Hm. The Jotuns… from Jotunheim? The realm of the…" Nancy stopped to remember the Norse Mythology she'd memorized. The stories of giant rock creatures held together with ice. They were supposedly the most feared creature in all the realms. And as tall as mountains. "Frost giants." Nancy turned to look at him. "Have you ever seen one? Are they really giants?"
Loki blinked. "Well, we wouldn't call then giants if they weren't, now would we?" How could she presume they would incorrectly name such monstrous creatures? For a woman with brains, she asked the strangest questions.
Nancy made a mocking noise, then moved to the next item, feeling somewhat insulted. How cruel he could turn. So quickly. "It's not like I know everything about this place." she mumbled, "You can't expect me to."
Loki sighed and softened ever so slightly. "No. I do not expect you to know everything. Frost Giants are a… sore subject. Best to be avoided."
Nancy turned and looked at him. He held so much hurt and pain in his eyes. She walked closer and slipped her hand into his. "Wanna talk about it? Why don't you like them?"
Loki glowered down at her. He glanced at the hand in his, then back to her face. Had she thought him jesting? This subject was more serious than the rest by far. "Best. To be. Avoided, pet."
Nancy shrugged and released him. "Fine." If he didn't want to talk, she wouldn't force him. She was just a little hurt he wouldn't talk to her about it. She stalked over to the Tesseract and gazed down at it, arms folded.
"You wouldn't want to know!" Loki called after her. If she didn't like it, so be it, but she would never want to know his true heritage.
"How do you know?!" Nancy snapped back, not even bothering to turn and look at him. It hurt so much more, knowing he thought she didn't want to know. That she didn't care. She did care. But he would never believe her. "I don't even know anything about them!" Finally, Nancy turned and glared at him, her hurt showing on her face, in her eyes. "What does it matter? You're probably just upset because your brother could fight off more of them than you, or something." she challenged.
Loki spun at her and advanced far enough to pin her against a wall. He slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her shoulders. "Don't," his eyes turned red and skin began to change, "ever say it doesn't matter. And never speak of Thor's opinions on the matter, either." By the time he finished his last sentence, his skin had changed to icy blue, and red eyes stared back at her from his Jotun form.
Nancy pressed herself back against the stone of the walls, completely frightened. She gazed in horror at his form, all words fleeing. She had no idea what he was going to do to her. Finally, after a moment, she found her voice. "Loki… please…" she whispered.
"You wanted to know what a Frost Giant was," Loki hissed. "Well, take a good look. I am a Frost Giant. The monster all Asgardians detest." He placed a cold hand higher on the wall just above her shoulder.
Nancy panted, still frightened, and slowly looked him over. His skin had turned a beautiful shade of blue, little rings and lines appearing here and there on his skin. She could feel the coolness of his form. It was as if she was standing in front of a refrigerator, the coolness of his breath causing goosebumps to rise on the back of her neck.
Finally, Nancy's gaze met his eyes. Red, yes. But still containing the same light she'd grown to adore. She lifted a hand to touch his cheek, but stopped before she touched his skin. The nearer she got, the more she could feel the temperature change. Deciding not to chance a nasty case of frost-bite, Nancy let her hand fall back to her side again. "You're not a monster."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, but it appears you are the only one who thinks so." Slowly, his coloring changed back. Back to the Loki he knew from the mirror. If she hadn't pushed him to anger, he would never have shown her. Self-loathing coated him like a second skin.
As soon as he was back to normal, Nancy threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You're not a monster." she whispered again, burying her face in his shoulder, "And never let anyone tell you that you are. You're beautiful, Loki. And I don't care what anyone else thinks."
Loki chuckled wryly. "I appreciate it." He let her hold him for a brief moment, then pried her arms off and took her hand in his. "Come. Let's get you back to my chambers, shall we?"
Nancy nodded and twined her fingers with his. "Good idea. I still have to finish analyzing the book I was reading."
"I know patronization when I hear it." Loki laughed at her and pulled her behind him out of the Treasure Vault. She had reacted better than he anticipated, but that was only a fraction of the darkness that laid dormant inside him.
