I'm actually speechless. How has this story been out for less than a week and the response I've been getting, well, is unreal.
Your enthusiasm inspires me. I can safely say though I have the entire story planned out, and it is quite epic. Also, another warning, this story is rated M for a reason... not particularly this chapter, but in the future, graphic sexual scenes will occur. Thought I should give a friendly reminder.
And now, enjoy!
"What do you mean he 'just left'," Tony Stark pestered, his eyes watching intently as the girl thrashed about.
Rebecca pursed her lips and crossed her arms defiantly,"Are you kidding me, Stark? One moment he was in the room, and the next he was not. HE LEFT." Rebecca flailed her arm out to point to the giant, gaping hole in her wall,"Is that NOT more apparent?"
Her tone showed complete and utter annoyance. About an hour after the incident with Loki, Stark had arrived with the whole crew. You had Captain America throwing debris around into one corner with Clint and Natasha. You had Bruce Banner looking for any sort of Gamma-Ray residues, and then you had Tony Stark, sitting on the destroyed bed with Pepper, now conscious and patched up on her head. Thor was still no where on Earth, probably organizing a quick intergalactic man hunt before coming back here.
The Editor was not having her cup of tea with all of these interrogations. The last thing she enjoyed was being questioned by others, especially by someone who doesn't understand the concept of,'leaving.' Loki just left. That's all it was to it. Vanished. And yet Stark believed there was something 'more'.
Rebecca paced back and fourth, pivoting on her heels. She took a few moments to herself, feeling the eyes of Stark bore into her. Rebecca then hissed,"I don't know what else to tell you."
"Stop pacing, you'll open up your wound," Pepper remarked, pointing quickly at Rebecca's hip. It currently had a large white pad over it, which was the sole solution after Banner spent 20 minutes picking out small pieces of wood lodged and infecting the wound. Rebecca snorted, stopping in her tracks.
Stark sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees,"Well what did he say, then?"
"He said that-" Rebecca froze, as if her tongue became numb and unable to finish her sentence.
Her breath no longer managed to fill her lungs and complete what would be a random spout of the mouth. Her mind, too, halted in its daily functions. What Loki said. What he said to her? Why? Why. What did he say to her?
No, not what he said... What he did. Those eyes. Those lost, saddened eyes. If Rebecca remembered anything it was that childish desperation that flashed through his face, begging her to tell him answers she didn't have. To help him. He was an enemy, yes. But the past affects the future. What happened in his past to make him look at her in that way with those deep pools of despair? In that moment, he truly wanted to know why. Why did she cause him pain without even inflicting a wound?
His face told a story. Nothing was shielded. He was an open book after that exterior, demonic layer was broken into millions of sparkling shards. The Editor wasn't sure how she did it, but she knew she did manage to shatter his outer persona, somehow. He did blame her for it too. Loki hated her in that moment.
She hated herself in that moment.
True suffering. Eternal, true, inescapable suffering harvested in a single tragic soul. A misunderstood figure that will forever haunt her with those grieving eyes...
"Rebecca?"
Instantly, the girl snapped out of it as she glanced over to Pepper. "I-" How to say all of that... But to say it? Was it worth it? Rebecca contemplated the idea, but knew for some reason, it was a moment that should never be spoken of again. She was going to protect Loki's pride and she didn't know why.
Confidently, Rebecca stated,"He called me a blemish."
Suddenly, she heard Dr. Banner snort in laughter as he examined a nearby part of the ground. Rebecca sent him a glare, only for him to keep working with a grin on his face. "A blemish," Stark pursued, appearing intrigued and amused as a smile brushed his lips.
"Yes. A blemish."
"You know, that would be a good superhero name for y-" Stark managed to get out before Pepper sent a small punch into his arm. He shot a look a her, before they both smirked. Rebecca stood there, almost smiling at the two. But she didn't, she was pissed. Still, they were perfect. Pepper simply finished 'their' statement with endearing eyes,"Thank you, Becca."
"Of course."
Rebecca returned to the office the next morning after sleeping on the couch. Only a small part of the house was destroyed, because her room happened to be near the windows and allowed for easy access. The living area; however, severed as a manageable spot of refuge until the time came.
In the office itself, she was throwing quite the tirade. Back in the board room, she roared,"You're giving me this high-school leveled crap!"
The articles were sprawled across the oak table. Rebecca's red dress clung tightly to her perfect body, matched with a black blazer. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her brown eyes stared down the members around her. Once again, these people managed to give her articles that lacked detail and quality. They were infuriating to Rebecca because the last thing she needed to care about was a bunch of idiots who failed to produce good pieces of work.
"Ms. Lawrence, please... We are working under such short notice and-"
"Short notice? Short notice my ass, Baldwin. You've had two days to write a decent article but you're afraid? Afraid of who?" Rebecca sneered, her ruby lipstick tantalizing despite her animalistic actions.
The woman glared at the members for several moments before she began to move around the table,"I would be terrified of your boss and for your jobs. Not some alien. You're afraid they'll kill you?" Rebecca paused, now at opposite and unoccupied end of the table,"Because I will eat your heart in the marketplace before they lay a finger on you."
She could see the board members stiffen at the threat. They knew their boss to be a hard-ass, but something seemed to tick her off more than usual. Their boss was furious about something out of their control, and here they were testing what little patience she had. Therefore they ,mutually and silently, decided just take whatever anger she throws and hope for the best. Something was not right here, and they were terrified for whoever was the source for this rage.
The door slammed shut.
The aggravated woman made her way through her crystal office, her heels pounding against the pristine tiles. She threw her black blazer across one of the sofas before making her way to her desk. There, she plopped down on the large seat and just exhaled deeply. Her eyes fell shut for a few moments of silence. Complete silence. No interrogations, no people. No noise. Silence.
Why was she so angry all of the time?
More so these past few days, but normally, she was well, angry. It took all of her strength to not turn all of those men's clothing into sand and have them run out of the office humiliated. It took all of her energy to simply contain her energy. She really had no control. And that was terrifying.
Terrifying to not know whether or not she was going to cause the entire building to transmute into air. Terrifying to know that with a flick of her wrist, she could kill thousands upon thousands in a 'flash flood'. Terrifying to know, that in the midst of all of this unknown, uncontrolled power, she completely lost herself.
You surrender to that white light no matter how much you attempt to fight it. It takes you... controls you... engulfs you...
Goddamn it.
Rebecca hadn't used those abilities in months until last night. She was on a streak, and she was even determined to beat the Hulk at this game of avoiding super abilities. These powers... they were overwhelming. They were uncontrollable. That is why experimentation at Stark Towers came to an end. Rebecca was too exposed too fast and it often led to various rooms shifting and melting. One time, she transformed an entire room into lava and destroyed a good 4 levels. Stark, at that point, gave experimentation a rest. There was no use in terminating his property over an ability that hadn't fully fermented yet.
Anger, in some ways, seemed to shroud her sense of doubt. It made her feel as if she were in control. It was an illusion. It gave her something else to think about than that beautiful, pure white light that would sooth her. It was addicting. The power, well, was addicting.
The woman let her guard down, placing her face into her hands and simply pretending as if nothing else existed. She breathed. She let the silence of the room calm her, relax her. Her mind began to remove the stress, the emotions... as if she were, in fact, the last person on earth.
"Ms. Lawrence?" A voice buzzed in on the intercom. The editor snapped up from her position. Her eyes were wet, glistening with tears,"Speaking." How was she sounding composed? She didn't know.
"A Mr. Stark is here to see you. Should I send him up?"
"No."
Pause.
"He is insisting and threatened to blow up the building, ma'am," the voice said again.
"Always with the extremities," Rebecca growled to herself, before reluctantly responding,"Send him up." The woman clicked a button by her desk, unlocking the door to her office as she stood. Her body moved towards the large open window that served as the office's back wall, overlooking Manhattan. She stood there, staring off into the distance. She wanted to get lost in the endless rows of buildings before dealing with Mr. Sass-of-Steel. She didn't want to deal with another person, just silence itself.
The last bit of tears now left her eyes, discarded by a swipe of the hand. All traces of weakness were gone.
The door to her office opened and shut.
"You know, you could just call me instead of making a visit," Rebecca began. "Don't you have other things to-" Her body turned around. She expected to see jeans and a t-shirt, but she found something else, "do." A man in full dressed suit. His attire was paired with a long green and gold scarf, complimenting his bright green eyes and his black, slicked back hair.
"You," Rebecca whispered, her face displaying complete shock. Her heart thumped. It fell, tumbling down into her stomach in a familiar plunge,"Loki."
The god grinned,"Me. Yes."
Rebecca, looking rather stunned at this point confirmed once again,"Right."
Loki was in her office. He was just watching her, his formal attire looking very human, but alien all the same. He then simply pointed to one of the seats in front of the desk and asked,"May I?" Without a response, Loki took a seat, and Rebecca sunk to her own chair, slowly, cautiously. Her eyes never left the cheshire-like face, never even blinking. What was he doing at the New York Times headquarters? Of course, she would let Stark come up here, but if she knew it was Loki well, it wasn't an encounter she planned on having for the second time. She never planned on seeing this face again. She shifted eyes away to stare at the many papers on her desk in an attempt to seem normal. Her heart was pounding in opposition.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," Loki stated, his face showing none of the vulnerability it did last night. It was strong, guarded. It was mischievous. It knew exactly what it wanted. Loki was once more in control of his emotions, his ideas. Rebecca carefully collected her words, her response.
"Actually, I was wondering when you were leaving," Rebecca replied cooly, her eyes flickering up to meet his,"This is no place for tea and crumpets."
"Oh I assure you, I bring nothing of the sort," Loki chimed, keeping his beautiful eyes locked onto hers. He was clearly up to something devious, the words playing on the edge of his tongue,"but I do bring something of your interest."
Rebecca now kept her vision focused on the man before her, studying his current persona. He wasn't dressed to attack, but that didn't mean he wouldn't go all god-like on her and try and slit her throat. "Do you?"
"Yes. Very much down your alley, I suppose," Loki spoke, slowly standing up from his seat. He moved around behind the desk and to the window that Rebecca was gazing out of moments ago. Rebecca swiveled in her chair to face him, before answering,"I hope you know now I have no interest in whatever you're trying to bargain. And truthfully, who are you to offer anything? As far as I'm concerned, you are an escaped convict with some pissy feud with your brother and-"
Before she knew it, it happened. The energy in the room shifted into one of deadly proportions. Loki was hovering over her, his hands clasping both of the armrests as he leaned forward. His breath tickled her face as his eyes bore into hers. The proximity between their faces was dangerously close, but it was not sexual. "Don't defy me," His voice was twisted, like a snake slithering, wrapping its thick coils continuously around her neck.
Rebecca sucked in a deep breath. She wouldn't be surprised if this man sprouted fangs and dug them into her skin, injecting infamous poison and sucking her soul dry. But, she had to remain strong,"Is this any way to make a proposal?"
She felt his glare pierce her, but she didn't falter. "Your eyes are dark," Loki commented, his face never shifting away from hers. They watched each other for a few moments, Loki searching her orbs for something. What was the significance of her eyes? All she could do was find herself getting lost in his emerald pools of... No. This was his trick. Rebecca could feel her anger boil before she spoke,"You need to get off me."
Loki cocked his head a bit, before removing himself from her personal bubble. He moved around back to the front of the desk and into the lounge, before saying,"You do understand why I am here."
Rebecca tilted her head, fixing herself in her seat,"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Loki, now by the couches, simply turned around to face Rebecca,"Peculiar, isn't it? Stranger and stranger." What was he talking about? Rebecca stood up from her seat and moved around in front of her desk. She leaned back on the edge, crossing her heels and arms. Her eyes just followed his movements, watching.
"If I were to tell you a concept so simple, you'd understand. Your intelligence is quite impressive; you run a company that exposes the disgusting truth about humanity in all its fake glory," Loki spoke. His feet lead him over to one of the various bookshelves, his hands clasped behind his back as he searched the various array of book titles. Rebecca didn't answer; she was observing. Loki reached forward and plucked a novel from the shelf,"And yet you find yourself enamored with darkest of literature in an attempt to pity your own race." The novel he was holding was Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera. It was a novel based on an chorus girl and the deformed man who manages to fall in love with her. He then stalks her, teaches her to become a star, and then wallows in darkness.
The god, still holding the novel in his hand, began to look at the shelves once more,"Your race, regardless, is the deformity of the galaxy."
Suddenly, he felt the book snatched from his hand and his body pushed backwards. Rebecca had stepped right in front of him by using her shoulder to shove him backwards, Phantom of the Opera in her hand, and replaced it on the shelf. Loki grinned, as Rebecca turned around,"Are you done slandering the human race?"
"No, I find it impossible to relinquish such statements that so accurately describe what you all are," Loki remarked, watching Rebecca react. Her face was cool, but he could see the anger make its way to her eyes. Then, she re-took her seat in silence. Her hands interlocked, her elbows resting on the desk, and her lips parted,"You're a piece of work. You see everything so construed."
Rebecca saw Loki's eyes intently watching her, as if her reactions were purely amusing. Everyone told him he was mad- he was used to that. Regardless, his presence was bothering her. Might as well get him out. The Editor then added,"But I digress... Why the fuck are you here? You come to my office to lecture me on your ideology? You'd be a shitty Jehovah's Witness." The woman then picked up a pen from her desk,"This is a waste of both of our time. Show yourself the way out." Her head then dropped down to the office folder before her. She opened it up and began to write. She stayed like this for a good, 5 seconds, before she heard Loki's velvety voice.
"Come with me."
Rebecca's pen stopped moving. She glanced up from her work and wondered if her hears deceived her,"Excuse me."
Loki clapped his hands together, walking closer to the desk,"My proposal is simply for you to come with me."
Rebecca felt horrible at this point, because her reaction to his statement was completely out of line. Out of no where, the girl let out a cackling laugh as if this entire,'keep a straight face game' was just a joke between two friends. "You are really something, kiddo," Rebecca chortled, shaking her head as she quickly went back to her work.
Still standing, Loki just stared at her. She really didn't think he was serious? Well, out of all things, yes, he wanted her to come with him. Many reasons entailing this choice, but really all coming down to one thing. He couldn't have someone who had that ability to weaken him wandering freely. He couldn't have anyone who showed any bit of true power against him living. He'd kill her upon entry to his layer. Or, perhaps he'd torture her as she did to him last night.
But, when no movement occurred, Rebecca glanced up again to see Loki there. Waiting. Rebecca's eyes widened, her mouth gaping. She shut her lips tightly before bluntly saying,"Oh. You were serious."
"Completely. I speak the truth."
"Right," Rebecca replied disbelievingly.
"And your answer?"
This man was not her cup of tea. He waltzed into her office, practically preformed his rehearsed evil villain speech about the disgusting human race, and then asked for her partnership? What sort of fucked up alien was this? Did he really think he was being logical? In fact, it was rude. Very rude. What did he expect her answer to be? He practically spoke about humans as if they were dirt beneath a large boot. It was insulting, and Rebecca wasn't going to have it.
Rebecca threw her pen down on the table, before she snapped,"Well thank you, Loki, for making my day interesting. You can go now." She gave him a icy, harsh glare that sent shivers down one's spin. She then spun her chair around to face the window, dismissing him. She was done with this. Rebecca didn't care if he was a god; he royally pissed her off today. Rebecca was only two mili-seconds away from unleashing her full rage on this man. It was not her day. When she never heard the office door open and shut, she heard him speak again. "Control. You want that more than anything."
Pause. Rebecca didn't move in her seat. In fact, she felt her body seize up. The woman couldn't help but be curious,"I'm listening."
"You forget that while you may think me evil and cruel, all of it stems from intelligence. And, we both have a common goal."
She hesitated, before her body stood up, her breath slow, her heart thumping,"Is that it?"
"Not quite," Loki replied,"I can help you control this power, more so than Iron Man could ever do. I can teach you more knowledge about ancient magic from novels of other planets and stars. I can show you your truest and fullest form."
There was silence. Rebecca didn't respond for a good 6 or so seconds, before he heard her hiss,"You may leave."
Loki looked perplexed as the woman turned around to meet his gaze. What did she say? He didn't move, but let her eyes fully make contact with his own. She stared at him long and hard before sneering,"You speak English. Leave."
"You say this to a god?" Loki chortled, cocking his head almost dangerously.
"I say this to a rat in my office," Rebecca spat,"and I'm not afraid to chop off his tail."
"I'm afraid my tail is too legendary for you to even touch," Loki responded, flashing his white grin before continuing,"Meet me on the roof, here, in 36 hours time. If you do accept my offer, I will show you wonders beyond your comprehension."
Ugh. Just stop. I love sass. I love writing sass. Please read and review! Your reviews out of late make me open up Word and write more.
Thank you all so much for reading!
