Loki reoriented himself to Paige's home and quickly stowed her musical trappings so that he might take them back to his fortress. It was then that he heard her tears. Tears of a broken heart. If anyone had harmed her, he'd...
Loki couldn't make it down the steps fast enough.
Paige heard his footsteps behind her and gave a heavy sigh. She stood, trying to wipe the tears from her face. And here I thought she'd missed me.
She turned toward the railing, gripping it until her knuckles turned white, and scowled at where her mother lay on the sofa. That's when she noticed a vase on a nearby table. Wilted daisies barely peeked out over the rim. Still hot with anger, Paige lifted a hand, telekinetically lifted the vase, and dumped both flowers and stale water over her mother.
Mrs. Barnett gasped and tumbled off of the sofa. She looked helplessly up at her daughter through her wet, stringy hair.
Paige let the vase drop close to her mother, letting it shatter into pieces. Mrs. Barnett jolted at the sudden noise and turned to see what had happened, neither noticing nor feeling that her hand was covered in shards of glass.
Just so you know, mom, I'm leaving! Paige shouted into her mother's fuzzy mind, so full of anger that she began signing the words as well. Not that it matters! She turned toward Loki and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder once again. Take me as far away from this place as you possibly can.
Loki looked down at the inebriated woman who was supposed to love her only daughter and sneered in disgust. As Paige had requested, he teleported them away. Away from the life that his telepath had led. The life she had supposedly loved, only now he knew better.
As soon as their feet landed in the next location, he smoothed the hair back from her eyes and studied them, assuring himself she was well. "You have not fallen to harm?" he asked earnestly. "You are uninjured?"
Paige smiled a little when she felt him lightly sweep her hair and remaining tears away from her eyes. I'm fine, my prince. She hugged him, wanting only to be held. I'm fine now. And thank you for that. It was beyond kind of you to let me say goodbye to her. If only she had been able to listen. Paige buried her face in the side of his neck and simply stood there, letting him hold her.
Loki didn't dare move. She was so still and so small and so... trusting. It had been far too long since one had trusted him enough to hold him. Most ran away at the slightest glimpse of his face. This girl, this mortal, this Paige was truly a beautifully unique specimen. To find trust for him so soon after he had taken her from her home was unfathomable.
He rested a hand on the back of her head and the other between her shoulder blades and allowed her a moment of silence.
Paige felt as he placed his hands on her head and back. She felt so safe in his strong arms. As she stood there, she began to remember the life she'd left behind.
"Why would they help you" Drake had asked her, "What do you want Mr. Stark to do for you? Build you a helmet like his? What about a ton foil hat? Will he make you one of those? I can do that, Paige."
"I'm sorry, Paige," Her boss had told her. "You have to work in the back. It would be too difficult to have you work at the front desk. There's plenty of behind-the-scenes work to do in the back, though. Sending emails, taping codes on the books. I'm sure you understand."
"Paige, put those down!" Her mother had scolded her as Paige telekinetically multi-tasked while making dinner one night. "No more of your magic tricks! Your grandmother is coming for dinner, and I don't want you scaring her. Don't do things like that in the house. Actually, don't do things like that period. It's... wrong. And try to stay out of people's heads, too."
"You know what I like about you, Paige?" Bruileo had taunted as he forced his way into her home on the island. "You can't scream."
Paige closed her eyes tighter as the memories washed over her in waves. But, now, the past couldn't hurt her anymore. She felt the strong embrace of the only one who ever understood her. The one whose heart and mind were so much like her own.
"I want to help you," Her prince had spoken into her mind. "You want to know why you are this way, do you not? Allow me to assist you."
"I only wish to help." He had told her on another occasion. "To show you the true extent of your great power. You are, after all, far mightier than you know."
Paige pulled away from him a little, only enough to look into his eyes. Eyes that told of all the pain he, too, had experienced, and all the hurts those he loved had caused him. Eyes that showed her his soul and could look into her own.
Without thinking, Paige kissed him.
/
Half an hour later, Demetri arrived in front of Stark Tower. He took a deep breath as he heard his door open. He simply sat there.
"Is everything alright, sir?" the driver asked.
"I am not looking forward to speaking to old rivals about old mistakes." Without another word, Demetri grabbed his cane from his belt, unfolded it, stepped out of the car, and walked up to the front door of the tower. He pressed the button on the speaker. "JARVIS, this is Demetri Avril. I need to speak to Anthony... regarding Ms. Barnett."
/
"Sir, there's someone here to see you," JARVIS interrupted the scene in Thor's room.
"Hey, yo! Not the time!" Tony silenced him. "Villainous stuff afoot, angry superheroes. Shut it, J."
"What do you mean 'his magic is stronger'?" Steve asked, always the logical one. "Is that even a thing?"
Drake immediately turned away from the door and leaned against a nearby wall. "He has Paige and he's grown stronger?" He shook his head and ran his hand back through his hair, "What can we do now?"
Thor finally stood. "We find a way to outsmart him. It has to be done, I know this for certain. We smashed his invasion of Earth, we can surely protect a girl from his schemes."
/
Demetri stood outside the front doors, a little miffed that Anthony wouldn't let him in. he pushed the button on the speaker again. "JARVIS, I don't care if he's pouting. Tell him it's about Paige. …If you don't let me in, I'll hack you. You know I will."
/
"Sir," JARVIS interrupted again, "it's Demetrius Avril and I'm afraid he's insisting."
Drake's eyes widened as he heard who had arrived.
"Well, crap." Tony pulsed his fingers and turned for the door. "J, tell him I'll be done in a minute. And remind him I can out-hack him a million to one if he even tries to upset you, okay?"
"Of course, sir."
Brooke turned to Drake as Tony disappeared. "Demetrius?"
"Demetri. My friend and boss. Also rival of Stark Industries." He winced, thinking of how he was getting ready to be a guinea pig again. "This will not end well."
"Bad?" Brooke asked.
Steve scratched his head. "Wait. Demetri? Isn't he the guy who Tony rants about when he's on the news?"
Thor still seemed too upset to lend much to the conversation.
Drake nodded. "Yeah, they aren't exactly friends."
/
Demetri was getting ready to push the button on the speaker again when he heard the clunking of metal coming from inside.
"Well," he chuckled as the doors slid open, "if it isn't Anthony Stark in the flesh. I mean, I'm sure there's flesh in there somewhere. Come on, old friend. I know we're rivals, but isn't this a bit much? What can I do to you? I'm just a blind man." He smirked, knowing he was definitely playing at his rival's nerves.
"For your information, Radar," Tony stressed, "I was already dressed for the occasion. I've had a busy day. And you're only getting in here if you promise not to hack or steal anything."
Demetri scowled behind his sunglasses at the old nickname. "Ooh, name calling. We are having a bad day, aren't we? And how could you ever think so lowly of me, Tony?" His voice was laced with sarcasm. "I would never." He suddenly turned serious again. "There are more pressing matters than our rivalry. I have information about Paige. Drake told me The Avengers are working to bring her back safe, and I have an idea as to why Loki kidnapped her. I would like to speak to you privately in one of your conference rooms."
Tony finally opened the door and allowed Demetri in. "I don't think the two of us in complete privacy is such a good idea, even if it is about the missing girl. Thor should be in on this, it is his brother after all. Oh, and the crazy chick. She is surprisingly helpful. Cap could sit in, I guess, but he wouldn't understand a word. We're still working on movies from the '70s. You okay if the big guy and the little woman sit in?" Of course, it wasn't really an option.
Demetri sighed heavily. "I suppose the others can come. But, only if you promise that no harm will come to me and that everything that is said will stay in the room. I have made a lot of mistakes, Tony, and my company hasn't always been as honest as it is now."
He followed Tony into the elevator and soon stepped out onto the top floor. He took a second to scan his surroundings, slowly moving his head from side to side. Then, he took a couple hesitant steps forward, clicking his tongue as he went. Another scan of the room, and he put his cane away.
"Drake, there you are." He walked directly towards him and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You didn't tell them, did you?"
"No," Drake sighed. "I didn't tell them."
"Good. Then we will face this pain together." Demetri turned and looked toward Tony. "Lead the way."
/
Kitania grabbed a fork and peeled off a giant bite of cake before someone told her not to. "Um, friend isn't really... a term I would use." She stuffed the bite into her mouth and tried not to shrivel back into herself. This lady looked like she was on a mission, and she sounded a little frightening.
Dr. Sara laughed at the sight of the poor girl stuffing cake in her mouth. She quickly opened a cabinet door, pulled out a plate, and grabbed a spatula out of a container on the counter. "Child, you don't have to eat the whole thing in one bite." Her voice was sweet and motherly. "Here, how about a plate?"
She set the plate down and shrugged out of her coat. "SIDNES, where did my son run off to this time?"
"He said he was going to speak with Mr. Anthony Stark."
Dr. Sara sighed heavily. "Oh, no. What about this time?"
"He said it was an urgent matter. He received a call earlier from Master Drake, stating that Miss Paige was kidnapped. He feared that it was because of the implants and went-"
"That's enough!" Dr. Sara shouted, silencing the computerized voice.
"My apologies, madam," SID finally responded after a pause. "I did not think I was giving any information away."
"That'll be all, SIDNES."
A musical chime announced that SIDNES had gone into sleep mode.
"I'm sorry about him," Dr. Sara said, looking over at Kitania. "He's still a work in progress."
Kitania eyed the plate and thought about eating one piece at a time. But, chocolate. She disregarded the instruction Mrs. Avril had given and instead took smaller bites of the giant, delicious goodness on the platter before her.
"I don't mind him so much," she confessed. "It's nice to have someone to talk to, no matter how messed up they are."
"Hm." Dr. Sara sat down across from Kitania. "So, why are you here if you're not friends with my son?"
"Um," Kitania sank onto a seat and felt her posture shift to hide her from the outside world. "He offered. I didn't really have a safe place to stay. Reasons."
"Oh." Dr. Sara smiled at her. "My son has good judgment. He would not let you stay here if he did not trust you. Did he show you your room?"
Kitania shook her head. "He kinda dropped me and left. I didn't want to go too far, in case he got mad."
"Oh, he wouldn't get mad!" Dr. Sara laughed. "Come, and I'll show you your room."
Dr. Sara stood and led Kitania down a hall and into the spare bedroom. It was large, with the room design consisting of only the colors black and white. "Sorry for the simple designs. This is Demetri's place, and he doesn't care much for décor. With his ARGUS glasses on, he can see shadows. I think that's why he likes black and white. It allows him to see. Make yourself at home, child." With that, Dr. Sara turned and walked back out to the kitchen.
Kitania took in the furnishings she had never dreamed possible and gulped. This guy was, like, super rich. "Yeah. It's... it's fine," she mumbled to no one in particular. Her anxiety threatened to overpower her again, and she felt the light in her hands as it brightened due to her intense emotion. "SID? SID, please come back online."
"I am here, Miss Kitania," SID announced over the speakers. "Is there something you require?"
Kitania thought about what she had been about to request and decided a blind guy probably didn't have a piano. So she changed to her secondary idea.
"Play Fur Elise by Ludwig von Beethoven," she instructed as she leapt onto the bed and sat Indian-style. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and poised her fingers as though she could create a piano keyboard from thin air. It was better than nothing, and Fur Elise always helped her work out her anxiety. Or anger. Or any emotion, really, except sadness and loneliness. She waited for the music to begin.
Then her glowing hands hammered the melody out onto air like her life depended on it.
"Miss Kitania," SID interrupted, the music still playing in the background, "there is a keyboard piano in Master Demetri's room. You are not allowed to go in there, but perhaps Dr. Sara would get it for you."
Kitania nodded as she finished out the song and felt her hands dim to look regular again. A keyboard was better than nothing. Although, she much preferred at least a baby grand. Ivory always sounded better than mechanized.
"Would... um, would you ask her for me?" Kitania curled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Such a large, spacious room made her feel so small and unimportant. Besides, SID was definitely more used to talking to the intimidating Russian scientist than she was.
"I will do my best."
Within moments, SID interrupted Dr. Sara in the kitchen. She was laying special cloth gloves out on the kitchen table.
"Dr. Sara, Miss Kitania would like to know if she has permission to play Master Demetri's keyboard piano."
"She just got here. I'm not having her snoop around in my son's room."
"She wants to know if you'll get it for her."
"If she wants it, tell her to come ask me herself. She has legs."
"Of course, madam."
SID came over the speakers in Kitania's room again. "Miss Kitania, Dr. Sara wants you to ask her yourself. She says you are a very able-bodied person, and wishes for you to go to the kitchen to speak with her."
Kitania felt the last notes drip into her soul and she smiled. Okay. She could do this. SID said the good doctor was going to play hardball, so she could ask. Really. She wasn't that timid. Okay, so she could overcome her fear this time.
She somehow managed to propel herself to the kitchen, where she assumed the doctor would still be. She wasn't wrong. "Um... SID said... that is, if you wouldn't mind... um... sometimes... usually... playing the piano calms my nerves and SID said Demetri had a keyboard, which I guess is close enough but I don't want to go snooping and I really don't wanna make anyone around here angry so can I borrow the keyboard and would you get for me?" all her words came gushing out in one giant, run-on sentence so fast that she had to cross her fingers and hope that Mrs. Avril wouldn't make her repeat every last word.
Dr. Sara broke out laughing. "Take a breath, child!" she laughed. "Of course I'll get it for you. But, you must promise to be careful with it."
Dr. Sara stood and went into Demetri's room, leaving his door open behind her. Despite his blindness, his room was nothing but computer screens and tech.
"Here." Dr. Sara brought out the keyboard and took it to Kitania's room. "Have fun! If you need anything, let either me or SIDNES know." With that, she made her way back to the kitchen to continue organizing the special gloves.