Kitty: Thank you, I try hard on the humor, its not a strong suit of mine, so it's a little more complex. So thanks :)
.Queen: Hello there :) well, I'm glad you appreciated the update, and I agree with you. Fortunately, we will have a little more action between the next few chapters. :D Thank you for the review.
Spottedivy: It is, it is. You shall see here. Thank you for both the compliment and the review, I certainly try hard to be good. It helps that I have a good beta to catch my grammatical errors and bounce ideas off of. :) Welcome aboard, and I will update when I can.
heroherondaletotherescue: Well thank you very much :D Your review made me smile. I'm so happy you're liking this story, I certainly do, so its nice to see when others do too. I hope you like where it goes as we go on, as I'm trying to make it as good as possible. :D Again, thank you.
lakessler: Haha :D I thank the site that there isn't one, I would be left with no reviews if there was I fear. :) I liked her too, I hope to have Frigga be a little more tangible as we go on. Well, here's a hint - first kiss is soon - but yes, that *is* the beauty of romcom... and I love Romcom. You know what else is magnificent about Romcom... you know that all that begins well will end well. So no tragedies here. :)
Michellejoy: Thank you so much :D I'm glad you like it.
theladyofthelost: thank you for the review, I will update next Saturday, as is my custom. Haha, well, you will find out soon enough :)
Katherine Winchester: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. if you ever don't, please let me know. :D
Hannahuff: Thank you so very much for your review :D omg, thank you so much. I really don't know what to say, but give my humble thanks, and widest of smiles. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and I look forward to hearing from you. :)
Guest: Well, she certainly helped a bit. The push will come a little later, though. But what Frigga has done will help them. :) Thank you for your review.
Sorry but this one will also be a cliffhanger - mostly because there was a little too many words to fit into one chapter. But no worries, the next one will be out within the next week or two, and Lizzie's story will be told. :) btw, you guys made me the happiest of writers the other night when I saw eight reviews within the first half-hour. Thank you so much, all of you, you make me very, very happy.
Happy reading.
Loki had heard Elizabeth return to her room, and against his better judgment, immediately concerned himself about her reasons. Was she simply back to get something? Or had Fandral upset her? Just the thought made his blood boil, and his anger kindle toward the egocentric Asgardian; although he knew that Elizabeth could defend herself via her powers toward him, he still regretted leaving her with him.
Now he stood at her door, his concern growing as she had yet to answer it. He knocked again, a little louder this time, and within seconds the door opened.
"Hey, Loki, what's up?" Lizzie asked.
"I heard you return... you don't usually return to your room so early." Loki replied simply.
Lizzie took a deep breath, about to start speaking – then stopped. She opened her mouth again. "Were you worried about me?" she asked.
"No." Loki replied quickly, a little too quickly in her opinion.
They stared at each other for a few more moments, her beginning to wonder if Frigga was right; after all, she had noticed how he mentioned what she usually did... did that mean that he was watching her? Her curiosity was now piqued, and she now wanted to know more about him than she originally did. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that Loki was speaking until he started saying her name.
"Elizabeth!"
"What? Yeah? Sorry. Woah, I spaced a bit, my apologies." she exclaimed. Loki huffed in agitation, miffed that she hadn't been paying attention to a word he said. "Care to repeat what you said?"
"Not particularly. If you weren't interested in knowing what I had to say in the first place, then why should I cater to your whims by repeating myself?" Loki retorted, his irritation obvious. Lizzie sighed, reaching her hand out to place the locked from Frigga on the dresser beside the door. "What is that?"
Lizzie stopped, surely there wasn't any harm in showing Loki what Frigga had given her? Perhaps he could even help her put it on, as she seemed to have a problem with the clasp. "Well, apparently your mom has been doing some checking up on me since she found out I existed... something about foresight, or something like that..." she trailed off, bringing the locket into view. "Its supposed to protect me?"
Loki's eyes widened when he saw the object in Elizabeth's small hands, instantly recognizing snakes and emerald. Now he understood why Frigga had sent him his ring, knowing that Elizabeth held its cousin – and that worried him. What had his mothe – the Queen seen that would cause for her to link the two of them for the future? He could only hope that the reason was not what he thought it was... but knew that it wasn't very likely.
"Loki?" Lizzie's voice cut in, her own worry suspended as she watched the flicker of emotions in his green eyes. He had recognized her new locket, that was for sure; but it was his concern, his worry, and his fear which made her worry in turn. His eyes finally snapped to hers, the fear still evident, but this time mingled with a strange resignation. "What is going on?"
Taking her hand in his, he picket the locket up and held it for a moment. The magic within, he knew would protect her – but he wondered if his mother had a reason for sending it that was beyond the young woman's safety. Surely Odin would not approve of what his wife had done, had he known it. And what was Frigga playing at? The locket he had created to be worn by a woman that he would be betrothed to, and he certainly was not betrothed to Elizabeth. "Frigga sent this to you." he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Did someone tell you what it does?"
"She said something about protecting me." Lizzie repeated her earlier statement. "In her letter..." she answered his unspoken question within his gaze. "She said that something about my future wasn't too healthy – well, that's paraphrased."
Loki nodded. "It does contain magic... my magic to be precise." he said, watching the brunette girl carefully. Her eyebrow rose in a silent inquiry to continue. "She somehow placed a large amount of my power within it, which somehow will be triggered when you are in danger. It's complex, I don't expect you to understand it."
"I understand what a trigger is, Loki." Lizzie snapped slightly, taking the locket back. "It's kinda redundant, don't you think? My abilities are more than capable of defending me when I'm in danger. You know that."
Loki shook his head, lifting his hand to show her his connected ring. "It's connected to me, Elizabeth. What it means is: when you are in danger, I will come to help you." he hissed. "Not that I understand why that would be any help to you, its not like I can –" he stopped, his eyes narrowing at the object. "Unless..."
"Unless?" Lizzie prompted, but Loki refused to continue. "Loki!"
"Silence, Elizabeth!" he suddenly snapped. "If I do not wish to tell you, than I shall not tell you!"
Her eyes narrowed at him, and she focused on trying to work the latch on the chain – a little angrier than she would have under normal circumstances. Was it so hard for him to simply tell her? She huffed, irritated that she couldn't even place it over her head when it was suddenly snatched from her. "Hey!"
"You have no idea how to work the latch because you were never meant to put it on." Loki informed her, quickly undoing that which he created and opening the chain for her.
"What does that mean?" Lizzie asked him, staying in the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest.
Loki sighed, she was a stubborn woman. "It means, my dear Elizabeth, that this chain was created by me so that it wouldn't be forced off of its wearer – more specifically, my wife." He felt a certain amount of gratification at Elizabeth's look of shock.
"Your... wife?" she spluttered. "You're married?"
"No." he retorted, trying to move the chain closer to her neck. "It would be for my wife to be." He suddenly regretted the words as she shrank back from him, as if repulsed by his insinuation. He wasn't sure why, but he felt pain at her sudden rejection, even if his statement had not meant anything. "I am sure that Frigga meant nothing by it, she would never force someone like you into her monster-of-a-son's presence."
Lizzie shook her head. "You're not a monster." she whispered quietly, moving closer. "Well, that is to say that I don't see you as a monster."
Loki ignored her words as she lifted her hair off her neck, turning around so that he could put the locket on for her. He hesitated for a moment, then lifting the necklace to her front, allowed the chain to come together at the nape of her neck. The two parts came together with a slight glow, the magic running down the chain, and making his own ring shine, as if assuring him that she was safe. However, instead of pulling away immediately, Loki let his fingertips brush against her neck, a strong desire to touch her being a bit too much to bear. He reasoned that it may have been the magic in their two objects influencing his mind, knowing that he had created them when he was young and idealistic – when he believed that some woman would marry him eventually.
She shivered, the contact from both the cold chain and his fingers making her blush; she needed to get her priorities straight, and being attracted to Loki couldn't possibly be good for her. But she couldn't pull away, reveling in the sensation which she hadn't felt in a long time. Just when she considered leaning back into him, allowing him to do as he wished, his fingers were gone, and he was across the hall, his back to her.
"What did Frigga's letter say?" he asked, his voice strained with emotion.
"Just what I already told you, plus a little extra which is really none of your business." she replied, walking out of the door and shutting it behind her, making sure the lock was in place. She stood with her back leaning against the door for a few moments, trying to argue with her emotions which told her to cross the hall, to make him look at her, and to demand answers of why he was suddenly bringing a feeling of want within her. "Shall we return to the others?" she finally said, clearing her throat in an attempt to avoid the tension between them. "I'm really curious about Lady Sif and Volstagg, they seem to be somewhat fun. Fandral took too much of my time when I was there, his stories are interesting enough I suppose." Loki grumbled under his breath in Old Norse, venting his frustrations in a way that she wouldn't know. "What was that?" she asked.
"None of your business." he spat back, his tone more venomous than hers had been as he stomped down the hall. Lizzie's steps stopped in the middle of the hallway, confused at his behavior. He spun around, "Well? Are you going to stand there like some kind of fool?"
"What is your problem?" she hissed, her hands on her hips. "Not that you aren't usually an ass, but this is more than usual. First you were all pseudo-nice, then you helped me with my locket, brushed your fingertips against my neck in a very... odd way, and now you're all mad! What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Well, I just thought you'd want to return to the illustrious Fandral and his stories – after all, I'm sure you find him quite fascinating." Loki snapped, surprised when Elizabeth's eyes showed hurt.
She marched up to him, craning her neck to look into his eyes at his height. "You're jealous." she mused aloud, her voice filled with surprise.
Loki scoffed. "Why should I be jealous over you? You raise yourself up too high, mortal." he hissed, but she simply shook her head.
"You don't mean that." she said quietly.
"I certainly do." he replied, dismayed when she chuckled. "You think you're worth my time?"
"Yes, actually, I do." his eyes widened at her statement.
"How dare-"
"Because I know that your touch was lacking in your disgust of my species." Lizzie interrupted. "Or rather, in your disgust of me."
"You repulse me." Loki said. "Why do you think I walked away? I was reminded of just how beneath me you are. You anger me in a way that I cannot explain, and do not particularly wish to indulge, lest I kill you."
She shook her head once again, her smaller hand reaching up to brush a piece of hair out of his eyes and behind his ear. His gaze softened, and he unwittingly leaned – ever so slightly – into her touch. "Not today I don't." she whispered, removing her hand, leaving him slightly still stunned. "I'll meet you in the library later, as you no doubt are heading in that direction, and wish to ignore dinner."
He blinked rapidly, trying to regain his anger toward her touching him, and feeling nothing there. What was she doing to him? A single touch from her was leaving him completely speechless, unable to reach into the bottomless pit of anger and fury toward her. Just a few weeks prior she had been his bane, and now he was leaning into her touch! Finally he found his fury, but it wasn't at her, it was at himself. Nodding curtly, he spun on his heel and entered the elevator. "Don't be late." he ordered her, punctuating ever syllable as the doors closed.
"I wouldn't dream of it." she replied, feeling a bit of triumph over what had just occurred. Turning, she went back down the hallway to the great room, groaning at the fact that she would have to deal with Fandral. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to deal with the irritating man.
On the other side of the coin, she knew that she would only have to deal with him for a few hours before she got to spend time with Loki.
The time seemed to go faster than Loki anticipated, and once more he wondered if the god of time was drunk – then remembered that there was no 'god of time' in Asgard. Perhaps that was the problem? He hadn't even finished the first ten chapters of the book he had been reading – one which Frigga had sent him – when Elizabeth walked in, a plate in her hands, filled with a food which had Loki's mouth watering.
"Considering you didn't join us for dinner, I thought that dinner should be brought to you." she said cheerfully, holding the plate out in front of him. He stared at it, critically scrutinizing the meal in front of him – mostly because the food was purple. "Are you going to keep staring at it, or are you going to actually trust me?"
"What is it?"
"Shepherds pie... with purple potatoes." Lizzie replied, not even bothering to keep the smirk off her face. Everyone had acted the same way with the meal, to see him act like it was poison was something which she had enjoyed seeing from the Avengers above. "Just try it."
Tentatively, Loki reached out his hand and took the plate, looking at her once more to see if she was going to give anything away which meant that it wasn't good. All he got, however, was an amused grin, her brown eyes watching him carefully. To his surprise, the food was actually quite good, even though it looked odd. He nodded, and giggling she went to pull a chair next to him and sat down.
"You should have seen Tony, he was swearing up and down how he wasn't going to eat anything that looked so pretty." she told him, pulling her legs under her. "They're just potatoes, in fact they're a little creamier, I think."
"Where did you learn to cook? From what I have seen of women of Midgard, they tend not to be able to handle such a task." Loki inquired.
"Seanmhathair." she answered. "You're referring to Jane, aren't you?"
He nodded, his eyes catching on the locket around her neck – it seemed strange for it to be there, and yet it looked perfect on her. He instantly scowled, since when did he find anything about her 'perfect'?
"I finally had a chance to talk to Sif... and Volstagg. Hogun was a bit silent." she said, trying to break the tension that was obvious between them. It wasn't working, she noted, as Loki said nothing in reply and finished his food in silence. "So who's going to start?" she asked.
Finally, he turned his gaze toward her. "Pardon?"
"You or me." she continued. "Stories, Loki. I'm talking about our pasts."
Loki sighed, placing his dirty plate on the table beside him, wondering – and not for the last time – why it was that he had agreed to this. "Very well, I will begin." he declared. "But interrupt me in any manner, and I shall not continue in any respect. I'm not like Fandral, I don't tolerate anyone cutting in."
Lizzie nodded, watching as his eyes suddenly darkened, his shoulders sagging as if an invisible weight was suddenly put on him. "Jarvis!" she called out to the AI. "Turn off the recordings, I want for Loki and I to have privacy."
"Miss Donovan, I've told you before that Mr. Stark has requested all of your talks with Prince Loki to be recorded." Jarvis replied, a condescending tone coloring its words.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Shut them off, or I'll shut you off, Jarvis." she warned lowly.
"I'm sorry Miss Donovan, but I'm afraid-" the disembodied voice suddenly halted, the silence somewhat deafening afterwards. Loki turned to Lizzie quizzically, wondering if there was anything her paralysis did not paralyze.
She looked back at him, her eyes filled with expectancy. "Now we won't be disturbed, and you don't have to worry about anyone knowing things you don't want them to know." she said.
Loki was stunned. The fact that she would go through the trouble of disabling the AI just so that he would not have to deal with the repercussions of the Avengers knowing his secrets endeared her even more to him; not since Frigga had he had any kind of a confidant, someone who he knew would not share his secrets. It was somewhat relieving.
"I suppose I can begin with my childhood, as it will give you a slight understanding of where I come from..."
After twenty minutes of convincing, Tony had finally managed to get Pepper to agree to a romantic evening. Everything was already laid, between the candles, to the champagne, to the rose petals which he overdid in the water – that, perhaps, he was beginning to regret doing. All he was missing was violins... but even that was being provided by Jarvis' hard drive.
"A little enthusiastic are we?" Pepper mused as she entered the room in her bathing suit, a sarong tied across her waist. "And its not even 9 o'clock."
"I thought we should start early." Tony replied from his place in the tub, a glass held between his fingers. "You never know who might decide to interrupt later."
Pepper laughed, sliding into the hot tub, and wading over to Tony. "Good point." she said, taking her glass from his hand and clinking them together. Tony smirked, leaning closer to Pepper to steal a kiss.
"Uh, Sir?" Jarvis' voice interrupted, the music suddenly stopping. Tony's eyes closed in irritation, and he could hear Pepper chuckle as she sipped from her glass.
"Jarvis, I told you no interruptions tonight." Tony growled, turning his head in the direction of the camera.
"My apologies, sir, but I thought you should know that Miss Donovan has just disabled the recording devices in the library." Jarvis replied.
Tony's eyes snapped open, his brow furrowing. "How the hell did she do that?"
"I suppose, sir, that it could be attributed to her power. Nevertheless, she is alone with Loki – and wants privacy." Jarvis said.
"Tell Legolas to get into the library immediately-"
"Leave them be, Jarvis." Pepper said at the same time. Tony's head whipped around to face her. "C'mon, Tony, you told me yourself that you and Darcy are trying to get them together."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I trust him with her safety yet!" Tony spluttered. Pepper leaned over and kissed him.
"Leave them be, Tony." she whispered against his lips. "Loki won't hurt her."
"How do you know?" Tony countered.
She smiled. "Because he's in love with her. He'd kill anyone who hurt her before he ever hurt her himself."
"Whatever gave you that idea? For all you know he-"
"Shh..." Pepper shushed him, placing a finger on his lips. "I just know. Besides, she'd knock him to the floor before he ever got around to hurting her – I mean, you did see the recording of them in the kitchen. That recording alone gave me all the evidence I needed regarding his feelings for her, even if he doesn't recognize it yet."
Moments ticked by, and Tony was sincerely wondering why Pepper was suddenly so adamant in allowing Loki so much leeway. Finally he sighed, "Alright, J, leave 'em be."
"Very good, sir. Have a nice evening." Jarvis replied, turning the music on once again and leaving both couples alone.
"... Thor has probably already informed you of my fall from the bifrost, correct?" Loki prompted Elizabeth. He had recapped all the simplistic stuff of his childhood within the first five minutes, and now realizing that if he continued he would have to bare his soul to her, was beginning to question his judgement.
"He said that you went to destroy Jotunheim, and he stopped you by destroying the rainbow bridge – which apparently is still in disrepair." she replied.
"Well, after he threw me from the bridge-"
"Ah, ah, ah..." Lizzie interrupted. "Don't lie, Loki. You let go."
"Who told you that?" he demanded, feeling only slightly irked that she was correcting him on his own story.
"Thor did. He said you let go of Odin's scepter." she answered, pulling her knees up to her chest. "So no 'tossing' off of anything. Just stick to facts."
Loki growled. "I most certainly did not! Do you think that I would want to fall into the void?" he snapped. "Besides, Elizabeth, I requested no interruptions."
Lizzie put her hands up in surrender. "Argue with Thor about that point, if you wish. I'll stay quiet, and let you two go rounds on what really happened." she said.
He nodded with a 'humph', and continued on. "I don't know how long I swirled in the void, unable to grasp at anything tangible or real. The pieces of the bifrost floated around me, but it often seemed as if there was no time there, no sense of purpose. It was all hurtling to nowhere, and I was sucked with it." he said, trying to shield himself from the pain of what followed. "I don't remember how, but I awoke in a cell. Cold, dark, bereft of all light or comfort and for some time I thought I was still in the void; I knew I was injured, not because I saw the wounds, but because I couldn't move in any capacity. There was no one there, no one to ease the silence, the loneliness I felt in the cell." he stopped talking, wondering why it was that he was telling her this. "Then, after some time had passed, I was introduced to my captor..."
A loud squeak awoke Loki from his stupor, a pale light filtering in to his left. He looked up, surprised that there was any form of life wherever he was, and hoping that it had only been a misunderstanding which caused for him to be where he was. A shadow covered the light, and Loki felt himself being lifted by his arms. He cried out, pain shooting through his body at an agonizing rate.
"C'mon, we don't have all day!" a voice gurgled from the shadow, and with a few more pulls, Loki was brought before it. "He's still alive, I see." the voice continued. "Look at me." Loki tried, but his head was spinning from dehydration, and overall fatigue. A six-fingered hand gripped his chin, lifting his gaze up, and in an instant, he was recoiling in horror at the creature before him. Its face was half-covered in a mask, the eyes hidden, and all he could see was the hideous mouth whose teeth crooked at every angle. The creature seemed to smile, although Loki would compare it more to a grimace. "Take him to the Master, I think he may take pleasure in knowing that the Asgardian survived." he said to the two creatures to Loki's sides.
The hands around his arms picked him up once more, hauling him off to another location.
Hallways, that was all he could see, his mind spinning still from questions unanswered. Where was he? How did he get here? Who was 'The Master'? And what were they going to do with him? Each question weighted heavily on his mind, and he suddenly missed home. Was Thor looking for him? He regretted what he had told his brother, regretted letting go-
"Wait a minute," Lizzie interrupted, earning a glare from Loki. "So you did know that you let go."
He stared at her, realizing what he had just said. He had known at the time, obvious by his recollection of the event. Why would he not have remembered it earlier? "I suppose so." he said softly.
"But you said that you were tossed." Lizzie continued. "Obviously you were wrong, you remembered incorrectly, or something happened that messed with your memory that caused for you to – today – say you were tossed, when you knew – then – that you were not." She finished, fiddling with the locket around her neck. "Alright, go on."
Loki swore in Norse, not liking her commanding tone.
Eventually he was brought before a large door of thick metal, fear seeping into his every pore. He was a prisoner, this he knew, but to 'whom' was what frightened him. The door opened, and he was taken inside, the darkness of the room once more reminding him of his cell. A large figure stood in the middle of the chamber, his back turned toward the newcomers as he hunched over – what looked like – a desk. Suddenly he turned, the speed of his movements making Loki nauseas.
"So, I see he survived." the large being said. "What is your name?"
Loki tried to speak, tried to stand, tried to be something other than the obvious weakling that he was at the moment – but failed, his body crumpling to the floor as the guards let him go when he tried to stand. The landing was hard on his injuries, and he felt a new wave of pain shoot through him, unconsciousness edging at his mind.
"Will you answer me?" the being inquired, obviously taking some kind of amusement in Loki's agony.
"L-" Loki tried, clearing his throat, despite its parched state. "Loki." he finally got out. "Of -" he coughed. "Asgard."
"Loki of Asgard." the being replied. "I can't say that I know of such a name, I have not been near Asgard in quite some time. And what are you doing here, Loki of Asgard?"
Loki once more tried to answer, but failed as his body convulsed into a coughing fit, unable to breathe. He felt magic surround him, the more serious wounds healing in a matter of moments. He looked up once more, his green eyes surveying the creature before him, his purple skin being something which he had never seen before. He tried to speak again, but could not.
"You seem to be having trouble." the creature said. "Allow me."
Before Loki could question what he meant by 'allow me' he felt a presence invade his mind with a painful entrance, the force of which nearly sending him once more into the spiral of darkness which threatened his vision. He couldn't hear it, but he knew somewhere in his subconscious that he was screaming in the pain of the forceful entry into his mind. He felt the creature rifle through his memories, each one playing out mentally.
'A son of Odin I see.' the creature's voice echoed in his head, the memories of Loki's last conversation with Odin coming up. 'Or are you?'
'I—I—I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night?'
'Laufey's son.' the creature echoed in his mind. 'Apparently I have been out of the nine realms for far too long.'
"GET OUT!" Loki yelled, using the little amount of magic he could access to push the being out of his mind. Finally there was peace in his thoughts, the headache that he felt beginning to settle down. He opened his eyes, trying to focus them on the being in front of him.
"An Asgardian, who really is a Jotun." the creature clicked his tongue. "Odin has truly made a mistake, hasn't he?"
Loki tried to calm his breathing, his heart beating so hard that he feared it would beat out of his chest, the sound of the thumping echoing in his ears, making him unable to hear what the creature said. Oh how he now wished he had never tried to destroy Jotunheim – or better yet, had never demanded an answer of Odin, or gone to Jotunheim with Thor. Where would he be now, had he never learned of his ancestry? Would be at home, greeting his brother after his return, celebrating the return of the crown-prince, and looking after Odin with Frigga? Would it have been different?
"I have a proposition for you." the creature's voice bellowed. "Which, if you agree – Laufeyson – you will have a pricey reward."
"I want no proposition from you." Loki hissed. "I am not to be bought with pretty words."
"You lost your kingdom, did you not. For a king of Asgard you were, until your brother tossed you off the bifrost. Then again, you weren't exactly wanted were you?" the being said.
Loki shook his head. "That does not matter."
"I can make you a king." the being replied. "I can bring you what you want."
"I want nothing from you – not even a kingdom." Loki retorted.
The creature cackled, the sound of it sending shivers down Loki's spine. "Ah, Loki Laufeyson, you lie to me. For if you wanted no kingdom, you would not have sent the destroyer to kill your brother – or set things up for your own father, or fathers, to die." he said. "You are the perfect person for this mission which I will send you."
"I will not obey you." Loki replied hotly. "I will not be told to kneel before anyone."
"Oh, I think you will." the creature replied, motioning to the guards, speaking something to them in a horrific language. "In the end," he suddenly started again at Loki. "Everyone bows to my will."
The guards once more grasped Loki's arms, and carried him out of the chamber, and down the hall in a different direction. Fear once more settled within him, and he passed into unconsciousness.
Loki wasn't even aware that he had stopped talking until Lizzie's hand touched his shoulder. He looked up, his green eyes meeting her brown, a sense of understanding within the chocolate orbs. She could see his fear still there, and she silently encouraged him to continue.
"After that meeting was when the tortures started." Loki eventually whispered, his eyes still boring into hers, looking for her to shun him – but all he could see was compassion, and feel it in her touch. He wanted to shirk from her, but instead, he let her continue to try to comfort him. "Thanos knew that there was one thing which truly hurt a Frost Giant: direct heat. I don't know how long he tortured me with it, each time healing me enough that I would still feel the pain, but not be in danger of harm. Every time he called me back to his chamber, offered me a chance to escape the pain if I got the Tesseract for him. I refused, and he once more sent me to the firepit."
"How did you withstand it?" she asked him, her voice cracking with emotion.
"I didn't, did I?" Loki retorted. "After a while, I was swayed to his side, and took him up on his offer. He was pleased and, once he made a permanent connection to my mind not very different than the one which I put on Hawkeye, he gave me a room with all the comforts I could want. He left me there for a week, I remember, allowing me to get comfortable, but reminding me that at any time he could take it from me once again. During that time, I was given the Chitauri Staff, and was taught how to use it. I was careful with my thoughts, hating the fact that I was being easily controlled by him, when I had been so careful never to be contorted to anyone's mind. I hid my true feelings, not that I think he cared regarding them anyway. He knew I hated the situation, but had agreed on terms of my life to do his bidding. With that in mind, I came to Midgard, hatred in my heart, and my mind twisted to a point of no return. You know the rest." he finished, hanging his head.
On the one hand, he could understand her compassion, knowing that she probably went through some type of pain which gave her her abilities; yet on the other hand, he thought she would hate him for giving in. He was sure that, had Thor been in the same situation, he would have fought until his own death, never compromising. But Loki was weak, and it only took physical pain to cause him to cave into the will of others.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lizzie touched his face, trying to bring him back to reality. He looked once more at her. "I told you you would regret knowing why I did what I did." he told her, pulling out of her grasp and walking away.
"You have no idea what's going on in my mind, Loki." Lizzie's voice came from behind him, closer than he would have expected. She came around to his side, her small hand turning him so he would look at her. "You think I think you a coward."
"Am I not?" Loki countered. "I so easily cowed to his wishes, a bit of pain being all it took to change my mind, my will. Were it Thor, he would have fought to the death, he would have-"
"Any man would break under a certain amount of torture. It doesn't make you a coward." she cut in. "Thanos knew exactly what would break you, he targeted it. I don't hate you for it, nor would I considering my past."
He stared at her, seeing pain in her eyes. "And what is your past that you are understanding to mine?" he asked softly.
She smiled ruefully. "You might want to sit down for this." she told him, moving back toward the chair. He followed her, sitting down in the chair beside hers.
well, there you are. Loki's story of his dealings with the Chitauri, and Thanos. Again, sorry for the cliffhanger, but I promise it will be out soon. :) In the meantime, please leave a review? Please? Pretty please?