Chapter FOUR
The ESCAPE
The silence was suffocating.
Natasha drew in stuttering breaths, and she stood up, hands curling into fists at her side. "Loki, I'm going to ask you a very important question: Would you like to escape?"
She sees Loki freeze. She can practically see the gears turning in his mind, the pros and cons. "Loki," she repeated softly, and the ex-god turned around, eyes wide with something akin to fear and doubt written all over his features. Loki whispered "Is this…is this some kind of game you Midgardians play? Some scheme to lure me into a trap?"
Somehow, when Natasha opens her mouth to articulate the lie forming in her mind, her heart wrenches and her palms grow sweaty. Why did she suddenly feel like she was lying to a child? Telling the poor kid that the monster will go away but the monster still loomed on top of him?
"No, Loki. I want you out of here, you don't deserve this pain."
Loki drew in a breath Natasha didn't even know he was holding, a shocked expression replacing his doubtful one. Natasha took a step backward. "I'm going to get what we need. I promise I'll come back, alright?" Loki murmured "How do I know I can trust you?" The agent pressed a palm against the glass that trapped Loki, saying "I'll come back."
Natasha walked away slowly, entering the elevator and punching her floor's button. Once she was there, she swiftly entered her room and changed into her usual suit. Grabbing the pre-packed escape bag, she stuffed her guns and smaller artillery in the pockets, and added knives and whatnot in her belt. Finally, she slipped on her boots and wore the comm in her ear. It wasn't noticeable and it was camouflaged greatly by her hair. She ran out of her room, but she saw a shadow near the couch in the middle of the floor.
Clint.
"Tasha, what are you doing up?" Clint asked, a small smile forming on his face. Natasha cursed in her head and said "Fury called me for a debriefing. New mission, I think." The archer frowned and said "What about us?" She tried to keep her voice from wavering, and she said "It's just for me. I think I'm being sent to Russia or someplace remote. Again. You know how this works, Clint." Clint nodded, his eyebrow arched in unhidden suspicion, and Natasha hoped he bought he lie.
She walked away and almost froze when Clint whispered, "Good luck."
Natasha couldn't take it. She turned around and gave Clint a big hug, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Clint jumped slightly and asked, "Tasha, something wrong?" Natasha pulled away, clearing her throat. She walked away and entered the elevator, punching the button to Loki's floor.
When the metal doors opened, she could see Loki, emerald eyes nervous, but when they caught sight of Natasha, they relaxed slightly. She gave a curt nod, and walked over to the controls room, punching codes and button into the computer that will shut down the surveillance cameras in the floor. Natasha smiles almost bitterly. The only people who knew of this mission was Fury, Natasha herself and Tony Stark's AI, JARVIS. "JARVIS, this is Agent Romanoff. System Override Protocol number 314. I repeat, System Override Protocol number 314." It was a weird code for JARVIS to understand that the surveillance is supposed to be shut off everywhere in the tower, and the surveillance from five hours ago would play back and loop. Taking extra precautions, they programmed a CGI database into JARVIS' system, so when the Agents smelled something funny, the program would instantly alter the tapes to make it look like it was live feed using CGI.
Finally, she tapped on the buttons that would open Loki's cage. The last button was pressed, and finally, the situation became more real.
The glass slowly descended, and Natasha stood in front of the entire thing, watching everything unfold before her. The glass completely gave away, sinking down through panels that were almost unseen, and finally, Loki stood up. He was doubtful. His movements were slow and unsure. Natasha allowed herself a small smile, as she outstretched her hand, a sign for Loki to walk towards her.
Fear filtered her heart and pumped into her veins. She knew how unpredictable and wild Loki could get, and even as a mortal, maybe he'd have a few tricks up his sleeve.
But the god took tentative steps forward, and placed his hand hesitantly into hers, the slight sounds of his boots stopping. The silence became dense, more suffocating.
Then, everything became clearer. Every blurred line and angle became sharp.
Loki, who was struggling to keep himself from panicking, the endless possibilities of deceit and betrayal going through the gears of his mind, put his faith into Natasha. Natasha was successful in getting Loki to believe this was all part of her wild dreams of escape with a villain. Natasha lied and used her words that used to fail against Loki's to get him to trust her, when all his life he was a lie.
Like a Siren of the old Greek Myths, Natasha had morphed her form to become a hero, to become his saviour.
Loki had fallen for the trap.
Natasha pulled on Loki's arm, leading him into the elevator and pressed the button to the garage. They travelled down in silence, Natasha trying to push the sudden guilt away. The doors opened and they were standing in the multitude of cars, and only one stood out. Of course, the one that SHIELD put in there. They got in the black mini-van, and Natasha slammed the doors shut after pulling the ex-god in. She slammed on the pedal and drove through the metal of the garage's gate, entering into the world of darkness, empty pavements and bright streetlights.
They had escaped.