Light started filling in and Tori began seeing shadows and shapes. It took multiple minutes to be able to see again.
"What the heck happened?" Fury yelled at her just awoken form.
Tori immediately rose from the medical cot she laid in.
"You want to know what happened? Huh? I'll tell you! This plan was never going to work, I risked my life! And now psycho is engaged in our little game, he can't resist a challenge and I have presented him one thanks to your stupid-" Tori's screaming was interrupted by a beeping news update on the tv.
Everyone turned and looked at it.
"Tony.. Turn it up." He grabbed the remote and did so.
Tori felt her face being drained of all it's life as she saw a picture of herself appear on the screen.
"There is an international reward for this woman if anyone finds her. Her name is Victoria Black, she has brown ombréd hair, and blue eyes. She is twenty two years of age, and is five feet, four inches of height. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D and has an amazing temper. The first to give her to the King will be rewarded with one hundred thousand dollars." The news reporter said and then the news alert ceased the screen.
The glass of water she had been holding shattered into her hands but she didn't flinch. The words echoed in her mind over and over.
"H-how did they.. Know all that?"
Fury's expression went dark and grim.
"There was.. a security breach.. this morning and we had no idea who did it but now.." He stumbled in a hushed voice.
"Loki." Steve concluded aloud.
For the first time in her life, Tori's expression was full of fear. "I can't even think of going anywhere
outside of here now that everyone is prowling for their case prize. And I've known Loki long enough to know he isn't about to give up, I may have just started a cat and mouse game that I may not win." She shouted releasing all the anger that welled up inside her.
"It is true, my brother has always been one of determination." Thor added.
All the Avengers watched in silence at Tori. Her eyes were piercing and her nostrils flared, they followed her gaze to the container of cheese puffs. Within a second it was flung against the wall and was on fire.
"Tori.. Don't get hasty now.. This can be easily solved."
She didn't listen, her glare went to the door and everyone watched as it flew forwards not even slightly effected by the hinges. It landed on the ground, multiple feet from the medical room. Tori stormed out and went into her private office.
Her first action was to grab her collection of throwing knives. But this time she felt the need to full on throw them not just sit and throw so she moved the desk with her eyes.
Tori threw the knives, one by one, doing gymnastic tricks as she did so. Her aim never missed the man that irritated her the most. She stared at the picture as her anger slowly died down. Looking at the camera in the room she raised her driver's finger for all to see.
"Remarkable."
Tori stopped dead in her tracks. She stared straight ahead trying to convince herself otherwise on who had said that.
"You are correct Miss Black, no need to be convinced otherwise."
She turned around to give Loki a mocking grin.
"You always knew of my whereabouts, didn't you?" Tori questioned him but part of her already knew the answer.
"You are right about that as well."
"Hey Tori! Are you alright? I saw you were pretty angry back ther-" Steve asked but paused at the sight before him. "You! Stay away from her!" Tori watched Steve, carefully avoiding Loki's gaze as she saw him hit the panic button on his uniform belt.
Tori looked at the wall and used her stare to activate the shut down mode. Red lights flashed and the room became a cage of metal.
Loki walked over to her and brushed the back of his palm against her cheek. Her entire body shivered at his cold touch and just like that he was gone.
-:::-
"Fury! He knows where our base is and we led him right to it! We should of taken her somewhere else."
"Where else could she go Rogers? Huh? We have nothing left, nothing! Everything that is left of SHIELD is here and only here." Fury stated trying to prove a point as he called the aggressive girl down to the control room.
-:::-
"Anger management class? Are you kidding me? I don't need them!"
"Everyone seems to disagree with the claim you made Tori. Please just take them, you can use the anger you keep inside to strengthen your abilities."
Tori looked at them both, clearly puzzled on her next move in the game of chess. She studied the directer and the star spangled man.
"I will attend in hopes to make me more concealed. I let my anger get the best of me which is one of the reasons why the mission failed. I take some of the blame for that but it would have been nice to know he can read my mind. I can manipulate objects but with that power alone he can effortless outsmart me because he will always be one step ahead." She spat at them.
"You are dismissed." Fury responded.
-:::-
Tori walked back to her room hoping she can finally achieve some peace in her mind. As she continued walking she noticed Steve's steady gaze, Tori always knew he liked her. Half the guys in SHEILD did but he wasn't like most of the other guys. She knew it would never work.
Her heels came to a halt and she looked in his direction and walked towards him. When she reached the confused man, Tori cupped his face and kissed him, winked and carried on back to her room.
-:::-
"Dinner will be in thirty minutes on the top floor." A guard informed Tori, every since the incident there were four guards outside her door, ready to attack on a moment's notice.
Tori pulled out her laptop and stared at the wall. All she could think about were his out of this world eyes, they were emerald but a tint of dark to them. Loki simply disgusted her to the core but his eyes were burned into her soul.
She scrolled over to The SHIELD database file and clicked in it. Tori knew Fury was going to be pissed but she thought it was necessary.
She found the file under Loki's name and opened it, her eyes widened at the information before her. She watched all of the videos of what he did before his rule over Earth.
"He can manipulate himself? And teleport?" She whispered to herself in disbelief. Shaking her head, her hand ran up along side her stressed face and slowly massaged it.
"Victoria! Get off our files! They are not yours to go through!" She heard Fury's angry voice boom at her as the door swing open.
"Fury, I can do whatever I want! My safety is threatened because of you! I'd at least like to know what I'm up against." Tori screamed back.
Without speaking another word, he walked out and gestured the guards to escort her to dinner.
-:::-
"What's for dinner?" Tori asked the Mighty God of Thunder.
"We are having.. Uh chili, that's what it's called."
Tori smiled at him, he was quite charming when he wanted to be.
She felt bad for him, not long after his brother had won Jane wouldn't talk to him because he never returned to her. He tried to tell her what happened but she wouldn't listen. So they were no longer in love.
"Please sit everyone. I dedicate this dinner to Tori, for all that we've put her through."
She rolled her eyes at Tony, but left behind a sarcastic grin.
"But you all know we have some things to discuss." He continued.
"Like what?"
"Our next moves on Loki. We can't just sit around and do nothing, especially since he's on Tori's tail."
Her vision shifted to the fork in front of her. She lifted it and bent it in mid air as if it were a bendie straw.
"You all do not understand, it is a challenge he craves, he has no interest in me. There's no way that he would be attracted to a mortal."
Tori watched all of the Avengers' eyes widen at something behind her. She glared at the three flower arrangements at the table and everyone watched as they caught a flame. Tori turned around and faced him, not faltering at her pain striking stare. She knew it wouldn't work on him but she'd keep it going.
"What are you doing here?" She asked threw gritted teeth.
Steve, Tony, Natasha, Clint and Thor stood up and walked to Tori's side.
Loki smirked at the sight before him, mischief danced through his eyes.
"Loki please, let her-" Thor said before being interrupted.
"Silence!"
The sudden raise of his voice caught them off guard. But Tori saw her perfect opportunity..
She glared at him making sure he didn't see it and just as she had done before, he fell to the ground as he experienced pure pain. Tori looked at the table for a brief second and it went flying across the room at Loki. As soon as he got control over his own mind, he stopped the table with his hand.
"Clever, you are." He whispered while he walked towards her. "But let's get down to the real reason I am here."
"Well? What is it Reindeer Games?" Tony snickered at his own joke.
"I am here to threaten you." He walked forwards some more with his hands behind his back. "I have your base surrounded by many Chitauri troops so there are no means of escape. However I am not here to attack your freaks.. At least not yet. I am prepared to bomb your base with you all in it and if you survive I will ensure that your death is slow and painful. But.. there is of course a way to avoid such violence." He paused and stared at Tori with a sinister smirk. "If you hand over the girl, I'll be on my way."
"Nonsense!" Fury yelled at him.
"I will return in twenty four hours to hear your final decision but my army shall remain outside so I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Loki disappeared into thin air and they all shook when they heard the war cries of the Chitauri outside their base to confirm what he told them.
-:::-
Tori walked to her room not saying another word. When she reached it she locked her door and slid down the backside of it.
Right as she was getting ready to sleep she saw a letter on her pillow. It was a fancy card paper with emerald ink. The words froze the blood that ran through her veins.
Mine