Chapter 18

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

Thank you truly to everyone who has favorited and commented on this story. It means so much to me, and it helps me to keep doing what I love, which is writing. I'm sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy this chapter as a few more things are finally revealed. Even as a writer I am never truly sure where these two characters will take me, but it's an amazing experience writing it and sharing it with you all, so thank you.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

For a moment, Loki simply stared at her.

There was no sound in the desert, no wind blowing. The silence was deafening, the sky now clear and bright. He could feel the warmth of the sun above on his skin.

And still Darcy lay there, collapsed on her side barely out of his reach. He'd felt more than heard the thud of her head hitting the earth as she'd fallen. She wasn't moving, but the steady rise and fall of her chest assured him she was still breathing.

Why hadn't she disappeared? Why wasn't she waking up?

Glancing all around him, struggling with the chains at his back, he searched for any signs of the shadow yet found none.

His eyes turned back to Darcy then, studying her lying on the sand beside him. So still and silent, so unlike her. He fought with the magic still flowing strongly within him, trying to wish her away or send her away like he had before, but it wasn't working.

The magic was still there, glowing inside him like an ember, but it didn't seem to affect her.

He tested it out, shaking the earth around him as he fought to dislodge his chains. They loosened as he made the ground shift beneath them, but would not break free.

And before the shadows returned came the voice:

"I can sense you…"

The same sickly, weak voice Thanos had used to speak to him when he'd been buried in the darkness clawing to get out. He'd had no choice but to listen to it then, but he refused to pay it any attention now.

"She is drawing me closer…." The voice sounded elated, a dark glee echoing around Loki. A sick panic shook through him as he glanced at Darcy. Somehow Thanos knew about her, but how much did he know? Could he harm her as she was now?

He needed to wake her, needed to wake himself and free them both from this dream. But he remained trapped.

"So weak, so easily used by you…. Keep drawing her closer to me, let me find you…"

He clenched his hands into fists as he glanced at the shadows that had returned, swarming around him from all sides and nearing Darcy where she lay helpless beside him. He couldn't let them touch her.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the magic that leaked out of him. The flame that had been so bright when she'd kissed him had died back to a faint wisp, and he drew everything he could from it, shooting white light out and clearing the shadows away from her.

"Keep pulling her in…"

"Never!" He shouted at the shadows, throwing every last bit of strength and power he had out around them, fighting to keep them both safe.

Yet all too soon, the flame died down to nothing and darkness swarmed around them.

His vision went black to the sound of his own screams.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

Ralph Elton had only been on the job a few months, but he'd yet to meet the all-important Fury he'd heard whispers about.

Of course, he'd met his immediate supervisor at SHIELD, along with most of the Avengers and staff of their New Mexico base, but cooped up as he was in the control room for the infamous Loki's prison, he didn't exactly get out much. So it was with a certain degree of awkwardness that he picked up the secure comm line and called the man himself.

He'd said to call in an emergency, and this definitely qualified as an emergency.

"We have a situation."

Fury was stoic and succinct as Ralph relayed what was happening, saying he was on his way and cutting the call short before Ralph could give him all the information. Not that it mattered. Since he was on base, no doubt he'd be here in a matter of minutes and see for himself what was going on.

Things were getting out of hand, fast, and Ralph had no idea what to do.

He only hoped Fury could think of something before things got too out of control.

The faint beep of the first entranceway sounded over the speaker system, alerting Ralph and his team of a person approaching the highly secure vault that was the control room and observation deck looking out onto the dark Asgardian's glass prison.

Fury's ID and credentials flashed on a large screen to his left as Ralph OKed his entry.

Ralph was one of only 4 people granted full access to this room. Not even Fury, the boss of his boss, was allowed access without his approval. SHIELD had been through every single record and piece of data available on Ralph through his entire life before they'd questioned him, followed him, and vetted him in order to approve him for his current position.

Because twenty years working as a technology expert for the CIA in covert ops wasn't enough of a recommendation for the position. He'd practically grown up covering and uncovering black sites for the US government. But this was a whole different game.

Looking down at the prison below, he studied the Asgardian Loki sleeping soundly on the padded floor cushions. The second entranceway gate beeping made him jump, the events of the last few nights putting him on edge.

He knew how to deal with terrorists, anarchists, and mobs. He had no idea about interplanetary monsters and magic.

Clearing Fury's entry, he stepped away from the window to greet the man as he stepped in through the secured steel doors that locked them away in their control room.

"Tell me exactly what's going on."

Ralph guided him over to the computers that controlled the reinforced glass cage. Tony Stark himself had helped to design and integrate the technology that held Loki's cage together, making it impenetrable, or so he'd said.

And they had believed it, up until a little less than a month ago.

"The spikes keep happening. We're not sure where the power's coming from but he's pushing against the locks on his cage and they nearly came apart last night. Tonight…"

Ralph motioned to the cage below then the glaring red numbers jumping up on the screen in front of Fury.

The man himself said nothing, studying the readings before he looked down at Loki's unconscious form.

At this very moment for all intents and purposes, his cage was unlocked.

"His magic is growing in power as he sleeps."

Uncomfortable discussing a topic he knew so little about, Ralph nodded. If anyone had told him a year ago he'd be working for superheroes dealing with magic and gods… well, it wouldn't have gone well.

"Yesterday did it return to normal when he woke?"

"Yes. It doesn't appear he was aware of it."

"Then keep him contained the best you can, and keep an eye on him. Let's hope it goes back to normal the next time he wakes up."

"And if it doesn't… what do we do?"

Fury leveled an unreadable stare at him. The man was fearsome when he wanted to be.

"We hope."

That didn't sound encouraging. If it couldn't hold him, then they were all screwed. First and foremost his captors, Ralph knew with a dreaded certainty.

"Has she been back?" Fury's voice brought him out of his thoughts back to the present moment.

Ralph turned back to the log they'd been keeping of Darcy's visits. Originally the isolated stairwell had been designed as a place for Fury to interact with Loki, a place to observe him that kept him far enough away from the cage that the seals remained completely safe. But then she'd appeared.

They hadn't known what to make of it, and Fury had told them to back off and refrain from interfering. He'd even made them shut off the comms so they couldn't hear the conversation. But everything had been recorded, and always sent directly to him.

"She was here earlier in the day but not for long. Looked pretty upset with him when she left."

"And nothing since?"

His tone was tense. The footage was always sent to him right away; he'd probably viewed it before coming down here. By his tone it didn't sound good.

"Nothing."

Fury looked down at Loki, silent and completely stoic. It was impossible to tell what was going through his mind, which made Ralph feel even more uneasy in a situation so completely unfamiliar to him. He'd do his best to maintain control, but how much could he do when these things were so completely out of his grasp?

"I'll send Tony down to take a look at this. The second anything changes, I want to know. Get an update from Lars. Now."

Ralph pulled up the comm lines and alerted the bodyguard. It didn't take him long to check in. Fury picked up the line in the headset as soon as he answered.

"Is she with you?"

He couldn't hear the rest of the conversation but guessed it wasn't going well when Fury uttered a sharp "On my way", tossed him the headset, then stalked out.

As if the night couldn't get any better.

With a heavy sigh, Ralph went back to work.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

By the time Fury reached Darcy's room Lars was waiting for him.

"I checked in on her when you called. She went to bed and she hasn't left the room since. Everything looks fine."

"Did you look at her? Actually see her?"

Guilt ran through Lars as he shook his head no. Fury stomped forward into her private quarters without so much as a knock, Lars keeping up with long strides following him. He was used to getting close to his charges in his line of work, but he didn't see how she'd be in danger curled up in bed in her room.

Except, as they stepped in and pulled back the pile of covers, his stomach dropped as he found it empty.

She wasn't there.

"Search the base." Fury was talking into his phone, sending out an alert throughout every floor of their base as Lars followed him out to the hallway.

"Maybe she went to get a snack, or she's in the office…."

Fury said nothing, stalking out of the residence halls and down towards the research area. Lars stuck to his heels, helpless to do anything else. Fury led them down a long set of hallways and control rooms, into a small corridor he'd never been to before. Midstride, Fury stopped at the buzz of his phone, doing a 180 and heading to the labs as he listened to the speaker Lars couldn't hear.

Lars' breath was caught in his throat. She'd been his charge, and he'd failed to keep an eye on her. He hadn't expected she'd slip out in the night, should have been more alert and aware… but where could she have gone? It wasn't as though harm could come to her on the base. Was it?

Recognizing Jane's research lab, Lars felt calmer as they both stepped in to find her fast asleep at her desk, alone and unharmed.

Fury's intense focus seemed to calm slightly when his eye fell on the sight of her.

The relief only lasted a second before everything went black.

Alerts beeped on Fury's phone at his waist, lighting up the room. The backup generator was quick, but not quick enough.

When it kicked in and the lights flickered back on, the two of them glanced back at Darcy. Fury's rough inhale echoed the sharp concern and guilt that flooded instantly through Lars.

There were burns on her face and along her arms on the desk, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

The lights flickered again, sudden darkness and light casting shadows across her form.

When everything stilled, they studied her again.

There wasn't a scratch on her. She lay on the wooden workspace surrounded by piles of papers, no sign of the burns they'd glimpsed a moment before. Lars knew Fury had seen them too; the look in his eye when they'd turned to each other had spoken volumes. But her skin was as pale and clear as before, not a mark on her to be seen.

The room was eerily quiet. Fury stepped away and pulled out his phone, dealing with half a dozen other emergencies as Lars took a step closer to the desk to study her.

She was well known around the base. Friendly to everyone and with a fun, snarky sense of humor, she seemed to put everyone at ease. Seeing her so still was unsettling. Something felt off.

It wasn't until he caught himself staring at her that he realized she'd stopped breathing.

"Shit. Call the medics." He didn't even think about the fact that he'd just given an order to his boss as he stepped up to place two fingers at her neck. She still had a pulse.

"Already on their way. Keep me updated."

Fury was out in a flash before Lars could say another word. Unable to do anything else, he tilted her back in her chair, preparing to breathe precious air into her lungs until the medic team on site could show up. He didn't have the chance as they barged in the door at that exact moment and pushed him out of the way.

Instantly they had a mask over her face, pushing air into her lungs as they worked to move her out from the chair onto the stretcher they'd brought with them.

Lars was helpless to do anything but stand close as they transported her several floors down to the medical bay. After a flurry of activity with them running all kinds of tests, things calmed and he was left to sit next to her as she slept.

As far as anyone could tell, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.

He only hoped she would wake up.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

At first, Darcy simply felt tired.

Her shoulders were so heavy, her head such a weight on her neck that she wanted nothing more than to collapse in a heap and rest for weeks. She'd never felt such exhaustion in all of her life.

Then, the darkness came.

It was sudden and enveloping. She couldn't run to escape it. She had no sense of direction, no idea which way to go, until it was too late. It was all around her.

And it was deafening. More than simple blackness, it was a void.

There was no light, no sound. She couldn't hear herself scream. As she stood up and walked, it was like walking on a treadmill, forever going forward and never making any progress. It felt like what had been hours but surely couldn't have been more than a few minutes.

Where the hell was she?

She had to still be asleep. Which had to mean Loki was somewhere nearby. Wasn't he?

Her hand rose to touch her lips; she still felt his warmth there. Warm, despite his cold demeanor. She almost wanted to smile but she was too afraid. The voice she'd heard in her nightmares haunted her. He'd said she was vulnerable here, and now she was trapped on top of it.

If only she could wake herself up. She tried blinking, pinching herself, jumping, anything she could think of. Horrible silence surrounded her, the dark remaining solid and thick at all sides.

When she shouted his name, she felt choked. Not a sound left her lips. It pushed her panic up higher.

She touched her hand to her face; at least she could still feel that. Her hands ghosted back to her lips. She tried to focus on the advice he'd given her. It gave her something to focus on aside from the horror of her situation. Before, she was pretty sure he'd helped her get out before the darkness came.

Now, she had no idea what the hell to do.

Was escape even possible?

Oh god…. The sickening thought, that she could slip into this world, asleep, and be stuck here forever, ran through her mind. Like a sick, twisted version of sleeping beauty. Except she had no prince to wake her up.

Hell no. She was no damsel, and she was not taking a nap until the hero showed up.

She was finding a way out of here. No matter what.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/+/

A sharp scream echoed against the glass walls as Loki came awake with a start.

He fought to catch his breath. The scream had been his own, tortured and suffering. But he was no longer in the dream. He was safe. Or as safe as possible, in the prison they'd built for him.

Thanos was coming. It might be soon, or it might not, but he would fight and do whatever he could to find Loki again, to take what he felt Loki owed him. The price he'd paid to escape the torturous darkness he'd thrown himself into.

In a cold sweat, heart still racing with adrenaline, he could admit Darcy was right. He'd wanted to punish Thor, and he'd wanted to win over him, and he'd had enough of the life he'd lived. But he hadn't truly wanted to die.

At least, not until after he'd jumped off the bifrost.

The darkness and the torture had changed everything. It had changed his inconsequential pain and jealousy from before into cruelty and a vicious thirst for revenge that would have accomplished nothing.

He had wanted to punish; he'd only succeeded at punishing himself.

Pulling himself up to stand, he found his legs shaky, knees worn from kneeling too long. The dream was still wearing off. He could still feel the heat of the sand, the pain at his back, and the pull of the chains on his wrists.

Yet there were still no scars or burns.

The shadows had bound and choked him until he'd been forced awake, gasping for breath. Had they woken Darcy too?

Or had she been hurt once more?

His hand rose to his lips. The bond, the feeling of closeness was still there, along with the softness of her lips against his. A sick, twisted feeling sat in his gut.

It took him a moment to recognize it as guilt.

Because of him, she could lay suffering somewhere. Regardless of his thoughts on her or her comrades, she did not deserve Thanos.

Yet somehow, he'd led him right to her.

The fury and rage that always burned beneath the surface sparked with guilt; he punched the glass wall with a vicious shout. The raw, blunt pain on his knuckles felt right, he savored it.

"That is hardly going to help."

Fierce eyes shot up to the balcony, her balcony, to see Fury standing above him.

His enemy, and his only way out.