Adira awoke on a warm bed body spotted with bruises, aching only slightly. She could hear power tools in use and heavy boots colliding with the floors. She could vaguely remember trucks in high speed chase, the grip of a man keeping her in place and the sight of a building imploding. The question was for her, where was she?
Turning her head she saw Barton sitting in a chair across from her watching her, his bow and quiver ready by his side.
"You've been unconscious for a few hours." He said noticing her awakening.
"Where am I?" She grunted. "And why am I in this glass container?"
"It's an underground lab. And this is your prison where you'll be kept at all times." He said.
"Why am I in here?"
"Loki doesn't want you to go near the Tesseract. It's better if you stay in here."
"Loki... You mean Loki of Asgard?" He nodded his head. She remembered reading about him in her old mythology books. "And you're here because?..."
"He wanted me to keep a close eye on you."
"I thought you saw better from a distance?"
"His orders."
"Why are you following his orders in the first place? Barton what the hell is going on? Why are you-" Just then a man in black and great leather strolled in with a sneer plaster across his smug face.
"Barton I want you to see what Dr. Selvig needs for the next part of the mission." Barton obediently nods his head getting up taking his bow and arrow with him. As Barton leaves Loki turns his attention to the flustered adult who was slowly scooting into the corner of her bed.
"There is no need to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid, just... cautious."
"Of what, if I may ask."
"Of you... What did you Agent Barton and Dr. Selvig?"
"I simply expanded their minds allowing them to see their true potential." He smirked.
"And I suppose you want to do the same to me?"
"You possess information the others do not have. If you corporate and tell me, no harm shall be committed to you."
"What information could you possibly seek from me?"
"You hold extreme importance to SHIELD. I have been told the director has protected you since you were a mere infant even though you weren't his to care for. He has a very specific purpose for you I only ask for you to tell me what it is."
"No," She said bravely. "I have an oath to my agency, one I will never break. You can try to crack me but you'll never succeeded."
His smile grew more dangerous. "I could make you reveal your darkest fear, tell your most buried secret and make you kneel before me as your King and God!" He declared. She however removed the fear from her face and did not bat an eyelash showing him she was not afraid of his threat.
"You are a bully with corrupt ambitions. There is nothing you can say or do that would make me obey you." Adira said bravely. She smiled slightly as she saw rage and confusion grow in his bright green eyes. He stepped closer to her bed, stretching out his scepter her smile quickly disappeared.
"Never underestimate my power." He smirked. "You will see me as your King, and you will reveal all your agencies secrets." The glowing scepter now centimeters from her chest. His eyes fixated on hers. "Even if it's against your will." The tip of his scepter touched her chest. She sat motionless on the bed, thinking no different than before.
He looked perplexed staring at his scepter He tried again to no avail, she still felt no different.
He turned his gaze to her, she stared into his eyes just as confused as him. What's happening? Or ,I guess, not happening. Loki then turned around and left her sitting on her bed, flustered, without a word.
Loki didn't know what to make of the odd girl, Adira. Why did my scepter not work! It had never failed him, especially not against a Midgardian. It should not have failed! What am I supposed to do now about her? He felt the rage inside him swell inside him like a blimp. He needed to talk to Barton again, he must know more about her something that could give him insight on her purpose. He approached Barton who was polishing his arrows. Loki cleared his throat causing Barton to look up.
Barton examined him closely. looking puzzled. "Is something wrong?"
"What else can you tell me about Adira?"
"I have already told you before all I-"
"You have only told me her name, and her importance to your agency. You must know more."
"There's not much I can tell except she's very clever, never been one to give up which has made her strong, then again you have to be with all she's been through."
"What has she been through?"
"Well living with a spy isn't exactly easy. They moved a lot, wherever Fury was needed for his next also had to keep her secret because," Barton stopped. "I actually don't know why Adira never really told me. I think it was to keep her safe."
"Keep her safe from what?"
"From potential threats, Fury's enemies. And it worked for a while until one day, when she was about 10 and Fury was gone, Adira was kidnapped... She was almost dead when he had found them. 'Beaten to a bloody pulp.' 'Shouldn't have survived,' is what she had explained. That's when Fury decided to start training her and Leala for combat."
"Who's Leala?"
"Her adopted sister, they found her while in Europe. Homeless, malnourished... no family. They took her in, fed and clothed her, she become Adira's blood sister." He stopped talking and continued polishing his arrows. "She's special, Loki. There's something about her, something SHIELD can use. Something so secret they won't tell me or anyone else." Loki let the words sink into his mind while he remembered the girl's daring eyes, the way they stared into his as she refused to give in to his power. She was different in a different way, which made her special. He left Barton without another word.
Loki wandered through the damp dark tunnels, far away from all the commotion. He found the perfect spot where he could not see or hear anyone and sat down in his usual meditating position. He love the sound of silence, it gave his mind space to think freely. He thought about his plan to take over Midgard, reviewing his plan over and over to make sure no cracks were visible. Everything was coming together.
There, however, was one thing that nagged at him. Adira. Why was she so important to SHIELD? How could she with stand his powers? 'She's special, Loki,' 'Beaten to a bloody pulp' 'she shouldn't have survived' 'she's very clever, and strong.' '...you can try to crack me, but you'll never succeed.'
I cannot break her, but maybe I don't have to. I could get her to open up for me. but how? Controlling her mind is no longer an option and I do not wish to hurt her.
What makes her so different, you've never had any problem killing, so why can't you damage her? He mocked himself.
There's something about her I do not know yet, she's not like the other Midgardians. Harming her will do nothing to gain knowledge, it will only cause more rebellion.
Tired of his thoughts he stood up and walked back to the commotion of the lab where his thoughts would be drowned. As he entered he saw Adira laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling lost in her own thoughts.
Has it really come to this? He asked himself as approached her glass prison.