Wow, guys, I am soooo sorry that it has taken me FOREVER to post! I've been crazy busy since moving back home, but I promise I'll be better about updating Blackheart from now on! Here's the long awaited chapter 9! Since you had to wait so long, this chapter is extra long. Yay! Please review, favorite, or follow! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this story so far. Thank you for your patience!
Ch. 9
—Loki—
"Fadrielindë." The whisper leaves my lips before I can stop it. The pure hatred in her eyes. The genuine fear on her face as I pulled the switch. How could I? I feel as though I am in a trance. One of my men escorts me to a plane waiting on the falling helicarrier. But all I can see is Fadrielindë plummeting down to the Earth over and over. I bury my face in my hands, squeezing my eyes shut. I knew this was going to happen—it had to. I could not afford the distraction. But…how could I have done that to her? Trusting, loving, strong Fadrielindë. It is almost as if someone took over my body and flipped the switch for me—made the decision for me. But deep within my soul, I know it was all me. And, damn, it is hard to accept. How high up were we? Could she have survived that? I flinch as though an invisible knife has stabbed me right in my heart. If she is dead…I cannot even think about the possibility. Not only would I lose the only person who could ever care for me—I am sure she does not now—but all the lives she was supposed to save while fulfilling the prophecy would be lost as well. I shake my head, filled with despair. How could I? is all I can think, repeating over and over in my head. I take a deep breath and try to regain my composure. None of this is over yet. It is just the beginning. I must put aside my feelings until the deed is done. Only then can I confront my demons and put them to rest. Until then, I must remain focused on what is commanded of me. Fadrielindë will never forgive me—I know this. But perhaps, once this is all over, she will understand and give me another chance. I squeeze my eyes shut once more, forcing all my worries to the back of my mind and bringing forth my appointed duties. Once the war is won and I stand victorious over Earth, only then will I be free.
—Fadrielindë—
I am in Skyrim, in Windhelm, but something is…off. A suffocating darkness surrounds me and—by Talos—the sky! The sky has turned blood red. Ebony black clouds—as black as death—swirl menacingly in the sky. A heavy thick fog settles upon the land. I cannot see in front of me. Soft voices mutter all around me, hissing threats at me with their shrill whispers. Glowing crimson eyes form before me, thousands of eyes, surrounding me. Whirling around, I try to summon the Mace and flames, but I cannot move. Smoke fills the air. Coughing, I try to reach out to fight the eyes. I feel a cold hand grip my wrist, pulling me into the fog, into the eyes. I try to break free, but more hands pull me into the mist. I scream as everything disappears.
Semiconscious, I open my eyes groggily to find myself in a hospital bed. My entire body is in pain. It hurts to even breathe. My eyes slip in and out of focus. Suddenly, I see someone standing at the corner of the room. Who is that? I struggle to focus on the figure, but my eyes won't respond. The figure comes closer to my bedside, and I try to move away. I jerk my arm and a sharp pain rips through my whole body. I gasp in pain.
"Fadrielindë," the figure says in despair, reaching for my hand. He takes my hand in both of his. "I am so sorry." The last thing I see before I slip back into unconsciousness is Loki's face.
.
I wake up once more, but this time I am fully awake. I am surprised to see Tony sitting in a chair next to my bed, asleep.
"Tony?" I croak. He jumps back to consciousness and nearly leaps out of his chair.
"Hey! You're finally awake!" He grins. I reach up and rub my eyes, trying to ignore the throb in my arm.
"How long was I out?" I ask, my voice a bit raspy.
"Three days," he replies matter-of-factly, handing me a glass of water. "How do you feel?" He looks me up and down. "No offense, but you look like hell."
"Wow, thanks," I reply, using sarcasm for the first time. It feels weird to use Earth slang. I take the glass and sigh in relief as the cold water rushes down my dry throat. "What is my diagnosis?" Tony strides over to a whiteboard and starts reading off a long list.
"Fractured wrist, fractured arm, concussion, sprained ankle, and seven broken ribs," he says, ticking them off on his fingers. "Not to mention, about four hundred gashes and bruises." I widen my eyes. "I was just kidding about the cuts and bruises…but you do have a lot." Sighing, I sit up and wince.
"Ow." Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to remove myself from feeling the pain. I hear Tony walk back over to me.
"Hey, uh, you probably shouldn't try to get up," he says, concerned.
"Oh, in my pocket." I had almost forgotten.
"What's in your pocket?" Tony asks. I open my eyes.
"I have a big purple stone in the pocket by my ankle. Can you give it to me?" I ask.
"Okay…" He reaches into the pocket and triumphantly holds up a soul gem. "Is this it?"
"Yes!" I reach out for it. Tony starts to hand it to me, then stops.
"What is it?" he asks, examining the stone.
"It's a soul gem," I say impatiently. "Give it to me!"
"Hmm." Tony hands me the gem. Taking in my hands, I crack it open and sigh in relief as I absorb the draugr overlord soul. It is not a dragon soul, but it should be sufficient to stifle the pain a bit. "What the hell?! What did you just do?" Tony shouts in alarm. I smile, already feeling the pain somewhat fade. The sharp shooting pain turns into a dull throb.
"I absorbed the soul that was being held in the soul gem," I reply. Tony's face is blank.
"How can you absorb a soul?" he asks.
"It is a very long story. I will wait and tell everyone at once." I gaze around the empty room. "By the way, where is everyone?"
"They're all in the main hanger." Tony examines me. "We are coming up with a new plan." I swing my legs over the bedside and stand up. I almost fall, but Tony puts his arm out to stop me. "What are you doing?!"
"I am going to help them come up with a plan," I say, limping towards the door. Tony looks like he is going to stop me, but then reconsiders, knowing how stubborn I am even though we have not even known each other very long.
"Okay," he opens the door and walks into the hallway. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asks. I nod, concentrating on walking to the door.
"Yes, I will be fine," I reply. He rolls his eyes.
"You look like you're dead," he says bluntly.
"Well, I'm not."
.
It takes us, well me, ten minutes to get to the main hangar. When I enter, I see Thor, Natasha, Fury, Steve, and Barton sitting around a table. Barton?!
"Agent Barton?!" I say in surprise. Everyone looks over to me and gasps. Natasha springs out of her chair.
"Fadriel! Why are you up?" she asks in concern. I shrug, still trying to figure out why Agent Barton is here.
"I'm fine," I say, waving my hand at her. Limping over to Barton, I ask, "What are you doing here?" He has dark circles under his eyes…which aren't blue anymore…
"It's okay, Fadriel," Natasha reassures me. "Barton is on our side." I look at her incredulously.
"But he was working with Loki…" I say, confused. Barton shakes his head.
"Loki used his scepter to turn me into a mindless henchman," he says angrily.
"What?" I gasp, looking at the others for verification. Steve nods slowly.
"Why are you out of bed?" he asks, changing the subject. I wave my hand again.
"I'm fine," I say, limping over to an empty chair. With much difficulty, I manage to sit down. Tony sits down next to me.
"You really should be in bed," he says quietly. I shake my head discreetly.
"So, what is the plan?" I ask everyone. No one says anything. They all have odd expressions. "Wait…" I look at Fury. "What happened?" Fury swallows.
"Agent Coulson is dead," he says, his voice empty. Ah, yes. I had almost forgotten. All the events leading up to now had been buried by my subconscious and were now resurfacing. No one speaks. A heavy silence hangs over us. My mouth opens, but I don't know what to say. I remember Loki stabbing Coulson with the scepter as I watched helplessly in the cell. My eyes narrow. After a long silence, I finally speak.
"So, what are we going to do?" I ask. No response. Everyone blankly stares straight ahead, unmoving. Growing tired of being ignored, I repeat my question. "What are we going to do?" I ask louder. Steve sighs.
"We don't know, Fadriel. There's nothing we can do. Loki is unstoppable," he says.
"No, we can stop him if we have a good plan," I reply sharply. When no one says anything, I burst out. "We can't just give up! There is no hope for us to beat Loki if we don't even try! And I don't know about you, but I would love to see him fail. He has hurt every single one of us, and we can't let him succeed." When no one speaks I sigh, frustrated. "The fate of the entire world of Tamriel lies on my shoulders. Do you know how impossible that seems? I'm supposed to save the world, it's all up to me, no one else. The fate of your world is at stake and you want to give up because Loki killed one of your friends. Do you know how people have been killed because of me? I know it seems like the end of the world, and I know I am being harsh, but believe me, life goes on…but only if you try. We have to defeat Loki. You can't let your world fall to dust. So, I'll ask again. What are we going to do?" I suddenly realize that I am standing up. Everyone is gazing at me in awe or in offense, I cannot tell which. Steve suddenly speaks up.
"You're right, Fadriel." He turns to the rest of the group. "We can't let Loki destroy our world." He gazes at each one of us. "I have an idea, but we all need to work together to make it work."
.
One day later, we are still trying to work on a foolproof plan to defeat Loki. Crowded around the map, everyone pitches in possible ideas. At one point, Tony bursts out with a random question.
"So, what are you, Fadriel?" he asks bluntly. I turn from the map laying on the table to face him.
"You already asked me, remember? I am half elven," I reply, distracted. I see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye as I join the others back at the map.
"No, I mean, how did you absorb a soul? And how did you push us all back with just your voice?" he asks, referring to the incident in the forest. That feels like forever ago. The others look up from the map and gaze at me inquiringly.
"We've been wondering the same thing," Natasha says, as everyone nods in agreement. I hesitate. Should I tell them everything? Thor smiles at me reassuringly.
"If you tell us how your powers work, we can use them against Loki," Steve adds. I sigh softly. After a long pause, I decide to tell them.
"Fine," I say. Tony's face brightens. "But it will be easier to show you," I add before anyone interrupts. Steve looks at me, furrowing his brow.
"Show us?" he asks, confused. "How?" I smile slightly.
"You will see," I reply. Stepping over to an empty area behind the table, I gesture for them to come over. "Everyone sit in a circle," I instruct, sitting down on the ground, with a bit of difficulty I might add. The soul has numbed the pain somewhat, but I definitely still feel some of it—actually a lot of it. Once everyone is seated, I find myself between Thor and Tony.
"Should we start chanting now?" Tony teases. I elbow him.
"Everyone join hands," I order them. Thor's hand grabs mine and Tony follows suit a bit reluctantly. I wait for everyone's hands to be intertwined before I go on. "Alright. This is going to seem a bit strange."
"It already does," Tony mutters. I elbow him again, a little harder. "Ow!"
"What are you going to do?" Steve asks loudly.
"I am going to project my memories into your minds. It is easier than telling you everything," I explain. Barton cringes a bit at the thought of me entering his mind. "It's okay," I reassure him. "You can stop at any moment. All you do is open your eyes and focus on something else." I gaze around at everyone. They all look a bit nervous. Except for Tony.
"So you're a psychic?" he asks. I ignore him.
"Everyone close your eyes." Once everyone's eyes are closed, I focus on the memory of Helgen. Just like I showed Loki. My concentration is broken for a second. I clear my mind of everything but the memory and start to project it into Thor and Tony's minds. I use their connections to project the memory into Natasha and Barton's minds, and use those connections to project it into Steve and Fury's minds. I feel my energy draining already, but I focus harder. The memory is clearly projected into everyone's minds now, and I find myself once more in Helgen, about to be executed. I look around me and see everyone in my memory.
"Wow," Tony gasps in awe. I play the memory until Alduin is gone. I show them how I found out I was the Dovahkiin and part of my training at High Hrothgar. My concentration slips a little as more energy leaves me, and I accidentally show them a memory of the Dark Brotherhood. It is the memory of how I found out I was the Listener.
I am hiding in the Night Mother's coffin. Everything is black, but I can hear Cicero looking for me. All of a sudden, a raspy voice starts whispering in my mind. I cannot let them see that I am an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood. I think, trying to stop the memory.
"The time has come. Tell him the words he has been waiting for all these years. Darkness rises when silence dies," the Night Mother hisses. The memory spirals away, but is replaced by another. We are in the Emperor's chambers. Oh no, this is when I assassinated the Emperor!
.
"And, once more, I prove Commander Maro the fool." The Emperor stands in front of my past self. She dressed in the Dark Brotherhood armor, clutching the Mace. The Emperor continues. "I told him you can't stop the Dark Brotherhood. Never could." He strides closer to me. My past self just stands there. "Come now, don't be shy. You haven't come this far just to stand there gawking." The Emperor waits for me to speak. My past self is surprised at the Emperor's calmness.
"You were…expecting me?" she asks, lowering the Mace slightly.
"But of course. You and I have a date with destiny. But so it is with assassins and emperors, hmm? Yes, I must die. And you must deliver the blow. It is simply the way it is. But I wonder…would you suffer an old man a few more words before the deed is done?" The Emperor pauses, waiting for her response.
"I am listening," my past self replies. I try to stop the memory from projecting, but I am not strong enough to stop it. The Emperor smiles softly and continues to speak.
"I thank you for your courtesy. You will kill me, and I have accepted that fate. But regardless of your path through life, I sense in you a certain…ambition," the Emperor says, eyeing me curiously. "So I ask of you a favor. An old man's dying wish." He pauses. She nods slightly, agreeing to his favor. "While there are many who would see me dead, there is one who set the machine in motion. This person whomever he or she may be must be punished for they treachery. Once you have been rewarded for my assassination, I want you to kill the very person who ordered it. Would you do me this kindness?" The Emperor stops again, waiting for the past me to respond.
"I will…consider your request," she says. She grips the Mace in her hand.
"Thank you. Now, on to the business at hand I suppose, hmm?" The Emperor calmly stands in front of her and waits. "Well? I won't fight you, so we may as well get this over with." I strain to stop the memory, but I cannot. I am not strong enough. It was foolish of me to show them all at once. I cringe as I watch my past self raise the Mace and strike the Emperor. He falls to the ground, dead. I hear someone gasp, and I turn to see who, but my vision blurs.
.
We are standing in the basement of the abandoned house in Markarth. Molag Bal, the Lord of Domination has caught my past self in a spike cage. The deep booming voice of Molag Bal rings throughout the basement.
"Fool! Did you think Molag Bal, the Lord of Domination, would so easily reward you?" he taunts. My past self grabs the spiked bars of the cage, trying to find a way out. "What do you see from that little cage? Speak!" My past self clears her throat and replies defiantly.
"A mace. It's rusted," her voice rings out, referring to the ancient mace lying on the alter before her.
"Rusted. Dry. There was a time when this mace dripped with the blood of the feeble and the worthless. But a Daedric Lord has his enemies, and my rival Boethiah had her priest desecrate it. Left it here to decay. Until you came," Molag Bal trails off. My past self swallows, but remains brave.
"I never wanted to help you. Let me go!" she demands. Suddenly, the spikes retract, freeing her.
"Fine. I offered you a reward. You'll get the freedom your kind enjoys so much," Molag Bal's voice drips with venom. "But Boethiah's priest is imprisoned as well. But not by me," he adds. "He is hurt. Suffering. Save him. Let him perform his rites one more time. And when he does, I will be waiting for him." The memory swirls and flashes before us. My past self finds the priest and tries to convince him back to come back to Markarth.
"Rescue? No one knew where I was, when I was taken. Who sent you?" Logrolf asks suspiciously. My past self is frustrated; she is trying to save him!
"Molag Bal," she replies. Logrolg's eyes widen at the name.
"So. The King of Corruption sends his messenger to challenge me. Very well," he says.
"I am not his—" my past self tries to say. Logrolf interrupts her.
"I will meet with Molag Bal, and I will venerate his altar in Boethiah's name, as I did before. Cut me loose, minion of the Hated One. I need to get to Markarth." My past self cuts him free, but tries to tell him Molag Bal's plan. Logrolf does not listen; he just continues traveling to Markarth. The memory flashes forward. We are in the basement of the Markarth house again, but this time Logrolf has been caught in the spiked cage. Logrolf is cowering in the cage, but still speaks arrogantly.
"Molag Bal. you think you can best Boethiah's faithful? I have won this contest before!" he shouts, his voice trembling. Molag Bal laughs menacingly.
"Ah. but I have my own champion this time, Logrolf," Molag Bal sneers. My past self gasps, realizing he is talking about her.
"No, I am not—" She is interrupted.
"What? You!" Logrolf glares at me through the bars of the cage.
"Mortal. I give you my mace, in all its rusted spitefulness. Crush the spirit from Logrolf's bones. Make him bend to me," Molag Bal orders. My past self watches in awe as the Mace leaves the alter and places itself in her hand. She turns around and finds the doorway barred. There is no escape. With no other choice, she raises the Mace and strikes Logrolf, hard. She looks up at the alter.
"Is that all you can do? Again!" Molag Bal laughs. My past self, tears filling her eyes, whispers to Logrolf as she strikes him over and over.
"I am sorry," she whispers. Logrolf falls to the ground, dead. Molag Bal revives him, ready for another beating.
"You mortals and your weak, frail, pathetic bodies," Molag Bal laughs. "Try it again, mortal!" Molag Bal shouts. With renewed determination in her eyes, my past self beats Logrolf again. Finally, he bends before Molag Bal.
"No more, no more!" he cries.
"You bend to me?" Molag Bal demands.
"Yes!"
"You pledge your soul to me?"
"Yes!"
"You forsake the weak and pitiful Boethiah?"
"Yes!" Logrolf is hysterical. Molag Bal's menacing laugh fills the basement.
"You're mine now, Logrolf," he hisses. My past self stands behind the cage trembling with anger and disgust. "Kill him!" Molag Bal orders her. With no other option, she raises the Mace over her head and kills Logrolf in one blow. Silence falls over the basement.
"The Mace of Molag Bal! I give you its true power, mortal." The Mace rises from her hand and glows green. "When your enemies lie broken and bloody before you, know that I will be watching. Now, I have a soul in Oblivion that needs claiming. Take care of the house while I'm gone," Molag Bal drawls. With an evil laugh, his voice leaves the air, leaving my past self clutching the Mace in disbelief. The memory fades and another surfaces.
.
Now we are at Sovngarde. My past self is standing in front of Alduin. Bits of the memory flash before us. Alduin's booming voice. My rapid descent. Everything swirls around us and I find that we are standing in an underground bunker. I spot my past self sitting on a hospital bed…next to Loki. My past self is laughing at something Loki said.
"What about you?" she asks. "Have you ever been in a relationship?" Oh no. No, not this. I watch as the past Loki chuckles.
"Nothing serious, just a few childhood romances. If you can even call them that." He gazes into my past self's eyes. I try to stop the memory from playing, but it is out of my control. I am too weak. I concentrate so hard, my head spins with the effort. I can feel myself begin to lose consciousness. No. I focus harder. I cannot see anything; everything is spinning. I see the outlines of Thor and Natasha watching my memory unfold. Feeling my nose starting to bleed with the effort, I keep on trying to stop the memory. Finally, everything cuts to black just as Loki leans into my past self.
Panting, I open my eyes to find myself on the ground. My vision is blurry; I cannot make my eyes focus.
"Fadrielindë!" Thor's voice interrupts my concentration. I feel his hands on my shoulders. He rolls me over to my back. I blink, trying to focus. Groaning, I fling my arm over my eyes.
"I am so sorry, everyone. I should not have tried to bring you all in at once," I say, hoping they won't mention the other memories.
I lost control, I tell Thor silently. It is strange. Of all the people to trust, I find myself trusting Thor the most. Perhaps it is because he is the only one who understands what I am going through.
You should have waited until your strength returned to you. Thor wrinkles his brow, concerned. I look around and see everyone beginning to stand up. I touch my nose and find my finger covered in blood. I open my mouth, ready to defend myself.
"You're an assassin?" Steve starts, his voice condescending. I shake my head quickly.
"That was not what it looked like—" I begin. Steve raises his eyebrows and interrupts me.
"You sure looked like an assassin when you killed the Emperor in cold blood," he argues. I open my mouth to defend myself again, but Tony speaks.
"Darkness rises when silence dies?" Tony says, quoting the Night Mother. "What the hell was that?"
"No, that was—" I am interrupted again by Steve.
"And this Molag Bal? You murdered a priest just because some evil prince told you to?" Steve says in disgust.
"We deserve to know the whole truth, Fadriel," Tony chimes in. Before anyone can interrupt me again, I shout.
"Yes! Okay, fine. You want the whole truth? Here it is. I am the Listener of a guild of assassins. I did assassinate the Emperor. And, yes, I did kill Logrolf for Molag Bal." I look at each one of them. "While I'm at it, I may as well tell you everything. I am also the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild. That's right, a guild of thieves. Also, I still use the Mace of Molag Bal. And assassinating the Emperor is not the only assassination I have done. I have killed hundreds of innocent people, and hundreds of innocent people have died defending me. I may have done some awful things, but you have no right to judge me. What I've done in my past is my business; it has nothing to do with defeating Loki." I pause, waiting for a response. Steve sighs.
"You should have told us," he complains. I hold up my hands.
"If I had, you would be having the same reaction as you are now," I point out. I look Steve in the eye. "Yes, I am the Dovahkiin, and yes, I am supposed to save the world. I admit, I had a few bumps and distractions along the way. I have found my path now. I know I am destined for good, and I try every single day to right every wrong I have committed in my life. We have all made mistakes, but do they not define who we are today?" Steve considers this. "I am not sorry that I kept this from all of you, but you must know that I am different now," I continue. "You must believe me when I say that I will do everything it takes to stop Loki." Thor nods.
"I believe you, Fadriel." He pats me on the shoulder. I smile at him graciously.
"Thank you," I reply. Natasha smiles at me, silently agreeing with Thor. Fury steps up.
"How do we know you won't turn on us?" he demands. I shake my head.
"You do not have to pretend you didn't see it," I say slowly, referring to the memory of Loki and me. There is a long pause. "Loki tried to kill me after convincing me that he loved me. If that isn't a good enough incentive, then, by Talos, I don't know what is." Fury considers this, nodding. After a long silence, Tony speaks up.
"Well, now that we know you are a magical elf ninja assassin, we can tweak the plan a bit," he says casually, striding back over to the table. I watch as the others slowly begin to follow him. I limp back to the table and stand next to him.
"Thank you," I mutter. He just grins, beginning to talk about the plan once more, as if the interruption never happened.