DAY 5
Darcy's muscles hurt. She wakes up on the sofa, her neck at a funny angle and her muscles aching from dragging dead bodies into the woods last night. She groans, hearing her muscles crack as she stands up. Loki's door is wide open- he's probably gone for his mysterious morning walks, she thinks. He'd fixed the furniture and tidied up, at least.
The sunlight hurts her eyes and she looks down at herself, disgusted.
She's worn clothes maybe two days in a row, but five days is pushing it for her personal hygiene. Now she gets showers, but still has to wear the dirty clothes she had bled over and sweat through, whilst Loki comes out wearing crisp, fresh clothes that even smell pretty good for a dude.
Darcy considers asking him, but decides it's high time she did something by herself. After a quick shower, she barges into Loki's empty room, picking the lock with her hairclip (as soon as it clicked open she jumped up in celebration).
She strikes gold in the wooden drawers beside his bed. Some weird collection of different coloured v neck tunics, along with trousers made of both woven cloth and leather. She takes one of each and tries them on curiously, leaving the stuff that looked like a cape alone. She half wonders where his proper armour is. He'd kill her for this later, but she is literally drooling over fresh clothes, and she doubts he'd let her drop into a mall to go shopping anytime soon.
It takes her two tries to get into the trousers. He is pretty skinny and terribly tall, she guesses, but they're oddly stretchy, and the green tunic fits perfectly, only a little tight around the chest. She's used to it, though—all the clothes she buys are not exactly accommodating. She quickly redoes the dressing on her arm with the bandage she finds in the First Aid kit, cringing when she sees the scar underneath.
Overall, she's pretty pleased with herself, and sits herself down on the armchair, digging out the trashy porn novel she'd found in the living room cabinet. It was an interesting read the second time round, but she didn't know whether it was because she had nothing better to do or because it was legitimately interesting. She swings her legs over the side of the armchair, making herself comfortable, wondering who even owns this cabin.
She is just reaching the part in her book where the handsome millionaire declares his love for the Mary-Sue main character when Loki slams the door open. His gaze flicks to her, then away as he enters.
"Are those my-"
"Yup."
"Did you get them from-"
"Yeah."
She waits for the anger, but is surprised when she hears no protest. No way would Loki turn down a chance to yell at her for something. Maybe he'd gotten past the 'give a shit' phase entirely.
Darcy's eyes light up when she sees the brown bag in his grasp.
"Is that breakfast?" She says excitedly.
"Breakfast." He confirms and throws it toward her. "Greasy Midgardian food."
"Mm." Darcy bites into the bacon sandwich he's got her and moans in appreciation. "Thanks."
"What's that?" He gestures to the book in her lap.
"Uh, just a stupid novel I found. It's really bad." She says, her mouth full of food.
He looks disgusted with her manners and reaches out and plucks the book from her.
"Hey!"
"'… his hands clasp my hips. He sets a punishing rhythm - in, out, and he reaches around-'"
She blushes as he looks at the book with confusion, then to her as if she'd written a smutty novel. The words did sound a lot better with his eloquent tone, and even in his confusion, she must admit, his voice was a little bit hot.
"You ever thought of doing audiobooks?" Darcy takes another bite of her sandwich. "I reckon you'd sell a few."
Loki throws the book down as if it has stung him, and rolls his eyes. "Not the profession I had in mind."
"Hey! You lost my place!" She swings her legs from the armrest and grabs the book from the coffee table. "What is your profession anyway? Evil mastermind?"
"Very funny."
"But what-"
Darcy's question is interrupted by a shrill ring. She looks around, confused as the sounds seem to have no traceable location. Space phone?
Loki looks exasperated as he traces a circle in the air in front of them both. "Thor's magic is ridiculous. He can't even summon a communication device. I have to complete it."
"My magic is perfectly fine, Loki." Thor growls from the screen.
Darcy is happy to see both Jane and Thor on the screen, even if they do look pretty tired and stressed out. She feels kinda guilty about sitting here, sleeping and reading trashy porn novels when they're obviously out looking for her, but then realises the outcome for her if they don't get the sceptre in time. She tries to stay out of shot, letting Loki talk, but realises she's not exactly sure what they can see. Loki paces in front of the screen impatiently.
"Have you called me to tell me good news, brother?"
Thor grimaces at this. "Where is Darcy?"
Oh, so she is out of shot. She is about to move closer when Loki reaches out and tilts the screen toward her.
She gives a feeble wave.
"Is she- is she wearing your clothes?" Thor asks, incredulously.
"She stole them from my room."
Loki doesn't sound annoyed, but rather amused at this fact, and she makes a mental note to ask him why she hasn't been berated for that yet. Darcy scoffs.
"I did not steal. I borrowed."
"Just like you didn't steal my food the other night?" Loki scowls at her. It is true- she may have taken a few of his fries, but she did just bury a body in the woods. Hungry work.
"That wasn't even-"
"-Oh, because you were hungry? You Midgardians are eating machines-"
"Are you calling me fat? Because-"
"Uh, guys?" Jane interrupts.
"What?" Loki and Darcy say in unison.
"Are we interrupting an argument or do you want to hear what we have?"
Loki's eyes light up, and he takes a seat next to Darcy. "You have the sceptre?"
Thor looks uneasy. "No. But we know where it is. Can we exchange the location for Darcy's life? It seems a fair swap, brother. We have tried everything."
"Short of going in there and stealing it, you mean." Loki snaps back. A blade materialises in his hand, and he pushes it to Darcy's throat. She gasps at the cold metal, but more at the surprise that Loki was still following through on his threats. She accepts the fact that Loki wouldn't change his plan, but still wishes that all those cosy talks and saving lives, etcetera, had changed his outlook a little. Loki pushes a little too hard, and blood beads on her throat. Darcy holds her breath in horror.
Thor looks distressed at Darcy's shock, his tone more urgent.
"We have tried that. I have been held in SHIELD's interrogation rooms for the last two days. They wanted to know why I was in a restricted area. I had to-"
"If you, the mighty Thor, cannot reach it, it is beyond my abilities entirely. You have two days left."
"Loki, we cannot-"
Loki snaps shut the oval- it folds into itself until it has disappeared entirely. Darcy's hand goes to her throat, where a tiny cut has been made.
"That wasn't fair- they know where it is!"
"That does not help me, Darcy." Loki says angrily and marching off.
Back in New Mexico, Jane and Thor look back through the video they have recorded of their chat with Loki.
"It looks like… wooden walls?"
"A cabin? Like a log cabin?"
"That could be anywhere in Midgard, Jane."
Jane huffs and collapses in a heap on the sofa. Her voice is muffled from the pillows.
"We can't figure out anything. We've been looking for days. I'm exhausted."
"It was strange though." Thor runs a hand through knotted hair as Jane looks up.
"What was?"
"My brother."
"How? He's insane. That's strange enough."
Thor sits next to Jane and puts a comforting hand on hers. "I think we need not worry about Darcy's wellbeing at the current moment-"
Jane sits up and looks at Thor angrily. "-How can you say that, so she's not-"
"-No. I would never dream of it. Though… It seems as though she is not being mistreated. She is no longer being bullied by Loki, or so it seems- the argument they were having-"
"-It was light-hearted, sorta jokey, right? I wondered about that. And the clothes thing."
Thor smiles widely. "I believe Darcy is playing a better game at the moment. She is ensuring her release more soundly than our work."
"You got Battleships?" Darcy's face lights up like it's Christmas.
Loki throws the box at her feet. "You are being downright insufferable, so I thought a distraction from the tedium may help."
"You're right about the tedium." She sits cross-legged on the rug and pats the space opposite her. "C'mon, I'll teach you how to play. It's 2 player."
"I know how to play."
"Huh? How?"
"I read the instructions, idiot." He picks up the instructions pamphlet and gives her a gentle tap on the head with it.
"Look at you, learning Midgardian culture. If we had the internet, or even a computer-"
"-No."
"Fine." Darcy shrugs and sets up her ships on the board.
They play the first game in silence, but halfway through the second, Darcy plucks up the courage to ask a question she's been bottling up for a while now.
"Loki?"
"Mm. E3."
"Hit. C2? Um, if Jane and Thor don't get the sceptre, will you ask for Thor's protection like we said, or… you know, carry out the… deal?"
"Miss. E4."
"Hit. B1." He doesn't answer. "Loki?"
"Miss… I don't know, Darcy. Leaving without the sceptre after killing you would be very unsatisfactory, but I cannot break the terms I agreed on. E5."
"You've sunk it." Darcy mulls over his answer. "How?"
"What do you mean, 'how'?"
"I mean, how would you, you know, kill me?"
"You're a morbid little thing." Loki fidgets uncomfortably. "Perhaps, for the life you saved, a life is owed."
"You did say I saved your life." Darcy milks this fact and looks down at her board, feeling his gaze on her.
"You helped save my life. Not the same thing, but still, I may owe you. My mother would honour something to that nature."
"What is she like, your mom?" Darcy asks, Battleships long forgotten.
"She's loving, kind- a woman I can trust entirely." Loki's words seem like a speech rehearsed.
"That's strong, coming from you."
Loki sighs. "She trusts me. She taught me everything I know, and tries to steer me in the path of goodness. If she were on the bridge that day, I would not have jumped."
"She sounds awesome." Darcy fiddles with a toy ship, wanting to crush it in her hand.
"She is." Loki sounds sure of this fact. "What is your mother like? She must've been quite the woman to raise a tenacious woman like yourself."
"Tenacious. I like it." Darcy laughed. "No, my mom was pretty much absent for most of my life- minus the whole kidnapping incident in New Jersey. That was our one and only day out in years. My dad raised me. He passed away a year before you and Thor turned up and trashed Puerto."
"Sorry to hear that."
Darcy shrugs. "He was a good guy. With no family left, and only Jane and Thor to give a damn about me, I don't think your plan to mail my dead body would affect many people."
Loki looks taken aback by this. "Your life's worth isn't lessened by the number of family members you have left."
"I know." Darcy grins. "You do come out with some interesting stuff when you're not being a dick to humanity."
"Being alive for a few hundred years will give you a simpler look on life."
"You mean value of life." Darcy raises her eyebrows.
Loki shrugs. "Some individuals are worth more than others."
"What?"
"You have it here, no? A ruler, a human who stands at the top of the hierarchy, shouting down orders to his subordinates? Ensuring his rules are followed? His life is worth the most, correct?"
"Um, no. One, he's a president. Elected by the people, for the people. He can't do a damn thing until a majority agrees." Darcy abandons the game completely and slams down the lid on her side. "Two, how can you even say that lives are worth more? A life is a life."
"And that is why I kidnapped you." Loki slams his side down, too. "Jane Foster and my brother would never fight this valiantly for a complete stranger. To them, your life is worth more. More than mine, more than some strange mortal's!"
"Don't kid yourself. You weren't even meant to kidnap me!"
"I wish I hadn't!" He yells in the heat of the argument without thinking, then stops himself. Even Darcy doesn't have an immediate response until she finally breaks the silence.
"You could always…"
"Oh stop it." Loki says, resigned. "You know why I cannot release you. You know why I cannot run to my brother for help."
"I know." She sounds about as resigned as he does. "I don't even want them to give you the sceptre. It means everyone will die, regardless. I'd die for that." She sighs as she sees him rise and slam shut his bedroom door.
Darcy drags herself off of the rug and sets up the sofa, where she has comfortably slept since Loki let her out of her restraints. She decides to sleep in Loki's clothes- it would be a joy to wake up feeling refreshed and actually clean-ish for once. As soon as her head hits the scratchy pillow, she's fast asleep.
That night, Loki lies awake, trying to force himself to imagine the knife at Darcy's throat piercing her porcelain skin, cutting deeper until her gurgles are silenced. He pictures it over and over, trying to get some sort of satisfaction from the imagined images. But instead, he opens his eyes each time feeling repulsed and horrified.
As he closes his eyes for the last time to sleep, he realises that there's no way he could harm Darcy Lewis. He really wishes he had just kept her tied to the pipe and silenced- she'd used her words to sway him, to council him in a way his mother could never achieve. He realises that he hates her- but not enough to kill her. Did he even hate her at this point, he wonders?