Chapter 20

Maria woke with a smile on her face. She hummed in content as she stretched her spent but well rested body, reaching her arms over her head, twisting her body this way and that to loosen out her waist

Something stopped her as she suddenly realised just how much space she had to do this.

She frowned: "Thor?"

Silence.

Finally, she peeked her eyes open from their dreamy state and rolled over on her side, hoping to find the sleeping God of Thunder beside her. Her heart sank: the open sheet hanging off the bed was all that greeted her. She slumped in disappointment. She would have thought he'd be there. He often stayed with her until she woke up and after a night like last night… Maria had guessed he simply wouldn't want to leave.

She rolled over on her back and tried not to be too upset, staring at the ceiling. Where could he be? He normally didn't like leaving her side for anything. What would be so important he wouldn't even wait for her to wake, or rouse her to consciousness himself before he went? Maria tried not to be too suspicious, but it was still firmly on her mind as she tore herself from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans from the drawers. His hammer and cape were gone too, the chair once at the side of the bed now neatly backed against the wall. It was like he'd never been there at all. It was just… so odd, she thought, tugging a Black Veil Brides band shirt over her head.

She winced slightly as she smoothed the slightly clingy material down her body. Frowning slightly, she peeled the shirt back up her waist as her jaw dropped as she took in the bluing bruises that dotted her skin.

Damn, she thought, smoothing her clothes out again, wishing the same could be done as easily to her brow, Thor's got some grip. She was just closing the door of the room quietly behind her when she froze.

Thor had been agitated last night; that was why he'd accidentally hurt her. Maria's hand dropped numbly from the door knob to her side as her thoughts raced. Loki, she remembered. He'd gone to see his brother and it had upset him. What if, Maria gulped slightly, what if he'd gone back? It was the best idea she could think of in terms of where he might be and with every step she took further from her Godless room, the more the thought solidified.

She walked fast, having no clue as to where she was actually taking herself, though her heart thumped nervously in her chest. Was she really considering this? Walking into the room that held a man that was possibly trying to kill her just to see where Thor might be? If Thor was there, it might be even worse actually, she thought. She didn't really want to imagine his temper under whatever taunts his brother had thrown his way. He'd still been aggravated when he'd found Maria in the corridor; she dreaded to think what he must have been like in the chamber itself.

She didn't care. She was scared. She didn't want Thor to be there with him. She just didn't. She wanted him here, with her.

Maria was wrenched from her thoughts as she turned a corner and crashed.

"Whoa!"

A strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright before she could bounce back and drop to the floor in a less than graceful manner. For a second her heart leapt, instantly associating the warmth and largeness of the hands on her arms with Thor's. But then she blinked up, and between she spinning visions of the corridor she caught the blue eyes - not of her god – but of Steve Rogers.

She tried not to look too put out as he released her wrists and she stepped back, still slightly dizzy. She must have hit her head or something, she realised.

"Er… you okay?"

Maria glanced up, realising Rogers had been talking to her. She fixed a less than convincing smile on her face. "Yeah, fine. Sorry." Let me go, she willed in her head, legs already twitching in their haste to move on and find Thor.

To her frustration, Rogers and his frown stayed put. "You lost?" he asked. "The lab's just round the corner."

"No." she tried to keep her voice level. "I'm fine. Just…" she searched for the least suspicious thing she could think of. With yesterday's revelation she wouldn't put it past Rogers to think she was searching for some sort of hatch or window to jump from, her suicidal past no doubt fresh in her mind. "Wondering." Yeah, that'll do, she thought proudly, lingering on Roger's slightly disbelieving face for just half a second longer before her impatience won over and darted around him.

She could feel his eyes on her back and wished he would just move on. She didn't need a bunch of superheroes on her case. Not now.

Then a sudden truth hit her as her silent wish was granted and Roger's reluctant footsteps hit her ears. She froze, and spun around. "Wait!" He'd already disappeared around the corridor, but her call had him jumping back into view as if he'd been waiting for it. Maria ground her teeth into her lip, praying her gamble would pay off: "Er…" How could she phrase this in the least suspicious way? "Where are they keeping Loki?" her voice was tense and stiff, and she felt as if Rogers could see right through her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Just so I know. I don't want to stumble in there by accident, you know." She lied.

God, it sounded lame, she cursed in her head, just waiting for Rogers to turn and report her to Fury to have her locked in her room for her own good. She gnawed at her lip even more.

"Er…" Oh God, Maria groaned in her head apprehensively as Roger's frown deepened. "Yeah, I guess. He's just down there, second corridor to your right. I think it's the third door on the left."

Maria thought she'd forgotten to breathe as the directions were laid out to her, frozen with shock. He'd told her. He'd actually told her! … Geez, was he thick or something, Maria blurted in her head while in reality she fixed very real smile. She couldn't believe she'd gotten away with it!

"Thanks." She breathed, stepped back impatiently, smile still locked in place. One step closer to Thor. "I'll see you later."

She retreated steadily backwards down the corridor, eager to escape now that she had what she wanted. Still she couldn't make it even more obvious she was up to now good: she waited, smile holding, as Rogers reluctantly nodded and retraced his way around the corner with painfully slow speed. The moment he was gone though, Maria didn't care about who saw her. She turned and bolted as fast as her legs would carry her, following Roger's instructions to the letter – down the corridor, second turning to the right, until she was stood in front of the third door on the left side, breathing heavily.

Her nerves hit back. This looked right: the door had an unusually large gap between it and the ones beside it, implying an unusually large room within. Large enough to hold a god captive, Maria thought in her head. She pressed her palm against the futuristic door, no handle or anything, but a single pad on the wall beside it, and breathed. What would she find on the other side? She didn't even know what this Loki looked like!

She pressed her palm to the pad before she could scare herself away, jolting back in nothing but pure surprise when the door admitted her. She stared at the open doorway distrusting: seriously, she thought, taking a tentative step forward, the door sliding shut bluntly behind her, no restrictions what so ever? She couldn't deny she'd expected just a little bit of resistance from S.H.I.E.L.D, what with Loki wanting her dead and all.

Her eyes flew ahead as she remembered where she was. Her heart dropped – no Thor.

Just her and a glass cylinder in the centre of the room, within which a dark haired man dressed in well fitting black and green clothes smirked at her. Maria froze where she stood. Leave, her logical voice told her, Thor's not here. Move on. It's not a good idea to stick around this guy.

It made absolute sense – so why weren't her legs moving?

"Maria, isn't it?" the man – who was obviously Loki – said, a glint in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I don't think I am."

Maria tensed even more. She gulped, her throat suddenly impossibly dry as she drank in the god that was after her. How could this guy be Thor's brother? They were so different! Her mind would let her wonder any further that, clouded with slightly panic as she was all too aware of Loki's gaze on her. "How did you know"? She finally squeaked.

Idiot, the 'logic' voice scolded in her head. You just confirmed it!

Loki's lips curved into a grin. One Maria didn't especially like the look of. "I have yet to come across an agent who dresses so casually upon this vessel."

Maria glanced down at her jeans and band shirt with disbelief before darting her eyes back to her hunter. Even with the cage, she didn't trust him to be let out of her sight. "Where's Thor?" she blurted, the blood pounding in her ears.

"My idiotic brother?" Loki arched a calm eyebrow. "I know not. I have not seen him since last night. Did he not return to you after his visit? I assumed he would."

Maria could understand why Loki was the enemy. Every word that coursed from his mouth dripped with subtle dark intent. He knew! He knew Thor had gone to see her! He was smart – only making Maria more afraid of him. The glint in Loki's eyes told her he knew the answer to his question. He was just messing with her.

It was working.

"He did." She said, words tumbling from her mouth the moment they cropped up unchecked in her head. "What did you say to him?"

Loki's grin widened. "He didn't tell you?" the god tipped his head back and chuckled. "I should have known he wouldn't. I suppose he told you our conversation was trivial, brotherly chat. That it was unimportant. That it had nothing to do with you, yes?"

Maria gulped again. She didn't like how he seemed to know everything like this. "Something like that." She breathed, half terrified.

"Then he lied, for it had everything to do with you."

The breath seemed to freeze in Maria's lungs as Loki's words sunk in, and she raised her gaze to meet his: cold, icy green orbs. Merciless. Deadly. She gulped. Thor had essentially told her nothing last night and she knew he was holding back. But knowing just how much he'd held back, if the whole conversation really had revolved around her…

Then she remembered who she was talking to – she wouldn't put it past Loki to say anything to shake her up. Looking at his solid green eyes though, she didn't think he was lying to her.

Yet.

"Why did you come here?" Loki suddenly asked, drawing Maria's attention again. "Surely you did not come for this idle chat?"

Maria's gaze sharpened on Loki as the god ripped her from her cautious thoughts. Her mouth opened instantly, before she realised she had no answer. "I …I don't know." She finally stuttered. She knew why she'd come here in the first place, but as to why she was still here while Thor was no where to be seen… no, she could not explain that. Every fibre of her was screaming to turn, run and put as much distance between her and Loki as possible.

As it were, she still wasn't going anywhere.

"My brother is greatly fond of you." Loki grinned, stepping up closer to the glass edge. "He was most keen to defend you last night. You must be very proud, to have ensnared a prince of Asgard so resolutely."

"I didn't ensnare him." Maria snapped, eyes narrowing at the word, her fear temporarily pushed aside as Loki mocked her. Her and Thor. It felt like she was talking with Stark again for a moment. "He makes his own choices."

Loki chuckled, undeterred by her sharpness. "I see you are just as temperamental as he is."

Maria kept her mouth shut, trying to ignore the swell in her chest. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling: was it fear, anger, defensiveness, or some mixture of all three? She couldn't tell, and she was half glad of it. She didn't want to give Loki anything solid to manipulate her with. She just tried to keep her eyes hard and unreadable as she waited for Loki to play his next card.

"What do you think Thor said of his feelings towards you?" Loki's eyes gleamed, obviously enjoying himself.

Maria's gut twisted nervously. "I don't know."

"You don't know or you're afraid to know?" Maria kept silent, confirming the latter. Loki threw his head back and laughed. "Then you are truly made for each other if you are both so afraid of rejection! Yes-" Loki cut Maria off as she opened her mouth to protest, speaking quickly: "Thor is afraid of rejection else he would have told you of his true feelings last night, would he not? Yet he returns to your side and lies rather than reveal the true depths of his emotions to you."

She tried not to listen to him. She didn't know what was truth or lie. The things Loki said would have her crying in anguish and leaping for joy at the same time if she knew them to be true, but she knew better than to succumb to his word so mindlessly.

"What do you want from me?"

"What do I want?" Loki's smirk glimmered. "I wanted only to see your face so I could have a clearer picture in mind as to who it is I intend to kill. And what a pretty picture it is."

Maria's heart clenched as her fear won the battle against her other emotions, dominating shamelessly as it gleamed from her quickly widening eyes. Her knees felt weak: knowing someone wanted you dead was one thing, but hearing it from their mouth while they looked calmly into you eyes as they said it… that was something else entirely.

"I do not know what this organisation has told you about my intentions but I can assure you," Loki went on before Maria could catch her hitching breath. "I do plan to kill you, and I do not plan on being subtle about it."

Maria's heart was hammering in her chest as the words thundered in her head, Loki's final slow, tantalising steps up to the glass echoing in her ears.

"I intend to take you for myself." He sneered in a low, dangerous voice, eyes swirling with malice. Maria fought the gasp that lodged in her throat as her body started to tremble. "I intend to use you for my own devices."

Maria found herself staggering back at last, still hooked on the gods green eyes though, unable to tear herself away. Her head shook from side to side, tears of plain fear gathering in her wide, terrified gaze.

"I am going to draw the energy needed from every cell of your body. Slowly…"

Maria whimpered.

"Painfully …"

Loki's eyes glimmered, a deadly, sick smile curving his lips as he watched the woman's control break as the tears broke through their barriers.

"Every particle of your being burning like fire as it tears away from your soul, until you are begging me for death." His fists thudded into the glass, making Maria jump with a yelp. "And know this, mortal – your beloved Thor can do nothing to stop it."

Maria's back suddenly thudded hard into the uneven surface of the door though she felt too numb and too riveted on the God to turn and open it. Her eyes shone with uncontained panic, tears slipping thick, fast, and stealthily down her cheeks. It was his eyes – his merciless eyes would haunt her until her dying day. "Y-you're a monster!" She gasped breathlessly.

Loki flashed her a bright, toothy grin, dark gaze burning into hers. "Then it is the eyes of a monster that will be the last thing you see before I rip out your heart."