Dystopia by Jeuxmungandr

Chapter 6: Welcome to Loki-Land, the most magical place on …oh, hell.

It took time for her return to her senses are accumulating everything that had just happened. She didn't even know when the guards had forced her back into the room, or when Loki had stopped his evil monologue, but apparently, it all already happened. Furthermore, it didn't take long for it to follow when Jane's scientist mind began filling in the details of her newly found information. Okay Jane, she thought to herself. Facts. One, you are in a new extraterrestrial environment that could be anywhere in the cosmos. Most likely, it looks far enough to not even be close to Earth. Two, your house-guests are a bunch of clones made by Loki, who is- an egotistical and dangerous madmen. However, note; it is unknown whether or not they have all his powers or can think for themselves. She sighed. Something to put on the back burner. Three, they are "led" by Loki, which involving previous facts cannot be good and there are many of them.

She bit her lip processing that. Why? Why would he want so many of himself? Why himself? Was it an intimidation factor in regards to his enemies? No, that was what his illusions were for. There was no need to go out of his way for physical copies. So… what was? What would warrant having so many physical bodies? Ability to interact? To think on multiple levels? To offer different opinions? Jane practically snorted with a hidden laugh—surely not. To Loki, there was only one opinion that did matter, and it belonged to one person (tch, three guess who… Jane thought sarcastically) Okay, so obviously intellect was out as well. Seriously, was was so good about having insane numbers of multiple bodes besides that carried tasks on a physical level that incorporated…

That's when there was a glitch in Jane's mind. It was rare, but it happened. Only when it often made her frustrated or depressed, this one was different. It came from one word that filled in everything and answered everything.

Strength…

This wasn't an intimidation factor. Not one bit. There was one only one reason he would do this. This was for hostile purposes.

It made perfect sense. He had a history for starting war, whether it was myth featured in literature (ragnarok) or fact (New York). Why didn't she see this earlier?

She began shaking. Now knowing what this meant, she began thinking what it meant for her, and everyone and everything else? Was Earth in danger? Were the Avengers? Was Thor in danger? Everything began spinning at a faster rate. Jane was almost seeing double.

Was that the reason why Loki captured her? It was convenient. Thor would tear apart the galaxy looking for her, she knew it, but without him on Earth, it was completely defenseless! Jane started to inhale rapidly, to the point where she felt faint. Sure the Avengers could hold their ground, but Thor was the anchor of their strength and the backbone of their victory? Was this the idea? Was she a decoy?

She was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't even realize that had one point, she had burst into the room next door and grabbed the edges of the marble sink, until her breathing steadied and she looked up to see her own reflection in a very furnished mirror.

She released an uneasy smirk after acknowledging this. It was courteous enough of Loki that he left her in a room with a washroom. Though entertaining as it was, this was… unusual.

Washroom, she had thought? More like a private roman bathhouse. There were potted plants with beautiful flowers, precious stones implanted in very expensive granite and marble designs, and smells and aromas so sensuous and pleasing that they alone were probably responsible for easing Jane's nerves. She raised an eyebrow. Why would Loki go to so much trouble for her comfort? Maybe it wasn't just her, and this was just the norms for Lokiland, Lokiworld or whatever the hell his personal realm was. That had to be it. Perhaps it would stoke his ego to know that he was a "river" to his people and cared for their every need and then some. The steam and warmth in the room suddenly made Jane shiver slightly. She took note that she had perspired a great deal and didn't even want to know how long it had been since she got here how much she must have reeked. Rather than have Loki use and her uncared for hygiene as a lower class species who couldn't even take care of itself, she reached for the faucet and let it poor. Fine, Loki, she thought. If you are going to provide me with this spa-treatment, expect it to be used.

Folding her dirty clothes neatly besides the sink, she let herself sink into the water, and let out a sigh. Damn, despite everything she had processed mentally, the way her tingled and the rush of pleasure just felt amazing. She let out a sigh, sunk into the top completely, then slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling. She smirked. Painted- ceiling. Was there anything he didn't spare as far as luxury in this compound? She relaxed somewhat. Well, at least it wasn't Loki giving Adam life—though Michelangelo would have still surely attempted to murder the painter (There can only be one! -Darcy would have said in jest) for besting him in his skill ten times over.

The painting depicted a beautiful forest/meadow/glade untouched by human hands, with flowers beautiful lakes, lotus buds, green leaves and animals of various types wandering around in harmony. There were ruins in the background, that Jane recognized from a trip to Europe from her early college years. She shook her head in displeasure and thought, Only Loki would see Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumph as part of a ruined civilization.

Though it wasn't as bad as it could have been (such as Loki standing proudly over his subjects with Thor's head impaled on a spear) it was enough to ruin her previously relaxing experience and she decided to remove herself from the bath. Perhaps if she was lucky maybe the bedsheets lacked embroidery designs of Loki's regime, but wouldn't be surprised if they did. None the less, it wasn't going to stop her from hiding under them until she was rescued.

As she reached for her partially dirty shirt, she suddenly heard shuffling coming from the window that allowed for the steam passthrough. It was a particular sound that she realized she was quite familiar with upon hearing it—a first here.

"What the hell are you doing? We are missing our only window!"

"This is so wrong! He's gonna kill us when he finds out what we are doing!"

"Fool! This may be the only time we ever see a naked woman in our entire lives!"

She knew it alright. It was the sound of everything wrong from seventh grade and everything wrong that followed afterward with the male chromosome. Don had taught her something after all.

"Couldn't we just ask her? Maybe she wont mind?"

"So she can tell him later? Seriously are you so daft? "

Look! He's obviously not onboard, step aside!"

Jane rolled her eyes, then as if on impulse, chose that moment to incorporate one of the defining moves she had learned in woman's self defense class. Slugging the hatch of the window, it came undone instantly and the culprit came tumbling down.

"Damn it! She caught him!"

"Go! Run!"

Apparently his accomplices chose this peeping-tom as a sacrifice, cause she could hear them retreating through the air duct system, leaving this little boy alone.

Wait, boy?

She passed in putting her shirt over her navel, and took a closer look at her mysterious assailant.

It was a boy. More like a child. Somewhere between ten and thirteen years of age. Obviously another clone based on the color of the hair and complexion. He lay cowering on the ground, holding his hands over his head, pleading at five words a second, "I am- so sorry! I told them I didn't want to be a part of it! But I was the only one granted access to the suite and—"

Jane shifted slightly, having expected a lot of things to happen from the moment she released the vent, but this was certainly not one of them. "Hey, um…"

"—I told them no several times! But they threatened me and—"

Jane continued to attempt, "Kid—?"

"Of course I would have still said otherwise, but I'm a class zero and they are class two, and—"

A headache was beginning to set in. Class zero? Class two? What the heck did this kid mean? However, the way the kid was prattling on (and did he just increase his rate), nothing was going to get accomplished any time soon. As the kid continued to gab, she shook her head, grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and shook him. "Hey! Hey! Hey!"

The kid stopped yammering immediately, but still continued to sob without eye contact. Taking advantage of her opening, she intervened, "I get it, kid! Peer pressure! It's fine! Well, not exactly… but its a learning process. It's part of life! It's cool."

The sobs began to slow down slightly, and when the kid's breathing ease, he looked directly into her eyes. As Jane looked into those green irises, clearly untested by anything cruel in the world, she was nothing short of stunned. This kid… was a Loki clone? How could that be? His eyes held so much fear, anxiety and loneliness… even under a guise or some form of deception, Loki would never seven show the faintest touch of any of these elements.

This clone… was literally just…an innocent little boy.

The boy continued to sniff, and his lip curled slightly, looking like he was going to to cry again. Jane took that moment to reach for a sheet of disposable toiletry and handed it to the clone. He looked at her oddly. Jane shook her head, took a deep breath and explained, through with a hard, but passive tone, "Look…. I want you to calm down, dry those eyes, go into the room next door and close the door." The boy hiccuped slightly and glanced up at the air duct either longing or in desperation. Like those boys were going to come back and save him. That's when something occurred to Jane.

"But I want you to wait there." she added. " I don't want you to leave." The kid looked at her and swallowed. She continued, "I don't blame you, I won't rat on you, but I do want you to fess up. Understand?"

He continued to regard her with some form of perplexity, not sure that he knew where Jane was going with this. However, when he realized he wasn't going to be immediately dealt with (or at least that was the feeling Jane got), he slowly reached for the tissue, hesitated but gave a tiny nod. Jane nodded back, stood up and tightened her towel around her, "Okay. Give me two minutes."

The boy slowly got his feet, wobbled slightly and started to make his way into Jane's bedroom. When he looked like he was going to faint, Jane put a hand on his shoulder and said, "It'll be okay. I'll be right there." When the kid had safely passed through the threshold, she closed the door, and slowly locked it. She listened slightly, and could hear the kid breathing on the other side. She then pressed herself against the wall and allowed herself to exhale.

This… was very awkward. Here she was, catering to a junior pervert, who was also a duplicate of a man she really hated. What in the bloody hell was "wrong" with her. Was she really going crazy that she just catered to an enemy? Was that it? Well, in her defense there was just something so benign about him that she couldn't have allowed herself to become nasty. She never screamed at a kid before, she wasn't planning too now. She shook her head. No Jane, she reassured herself. Not it. Whatever warranted her reasons for handling this, it was a now golden opportunity. Meeting with this kid would allow her to get some answers. She could possibly find out why she was here and what Loki was planning. A smile suddenly lit Jane's features. In addition, if this boy could sneak into her room without Loki knowing, maybe he was her ticket out of here. Steeling herself, she reached for the rest of her apparel and sighed to herself, resigning herself to her new mission. "Okay…"

To be continued…

Yeah, I've been MIA. Almost finished acquiring my BFA, so I haven't had time to write. And yes. Yes. I "so" wanted to incorporate Kid Loki into one of my fan fictions. Though indirectly so, he is here. It is done. Tah-tah! (till the very long next time)