Melanie stands still, staring at the man she used to love through the shielded glass. She doesn't know how long she's been standing there, watching him. She doesn't understand why she feels so conflicted inside. Capturing him was the right thing to do. He deserved it. But why did she feel like it wasn't?
"Contemplating whether or not to kill him? Because I definitely am," Natasha says casually as she strolls up next Melanie.
Melanie says nothing back as she stares through the glass. Melanie was almost a whole head taller than Natasha and having them stand side by side made their height difference stand out.
"He's refusing to talk to anyone but you," Natasha speaks again.
"I don't want to talk to him," Melanie whispers back as if she was afraid to hear her own voice.
"Is something wrong?"
Melanie folds her arms across her chest and forces a smile.
"No. Just make him pay."
Natasha sighs. "The last two times we've had him held up in a cell he's managed to break out. I don't know if I trust Fury's logic on locking him up again."
"As long as I'm here he'll stay."
Natasha raises her eyebrow in question.
"He's here for me. He's right where he wants to be."
An interrogating specialist walks into the room but Loki makes no movement. His wrists are cuffed to the table and his head is bowed to the ground. Melanie can't hear what the man is saying but he gives him no response.
"He's like this to everyone," Natasha comments.
They both watch in silence. The interrogator starts to get irritated when suddenly he storms around the table and yanks Loki's head back with his hair. He pulls out a knife and holds it to Loki's throat. Melanie jumps in shock.
"No! Stop!" she seems to gasp out as she runs around to the entrance of the room.
Natasha yells after her but she's already running. Melanie bursts into the room, her eyes wild.
"What the hell are you doing?" she exclaims, out of breath.
As soon as Loki sees her he smiles. "I knew you would come to my rescue."
She glares at him.
"Agent Walker, you are interrupting-" the man starts but she cuts him off.
"Putting a knife to his throat is not going to make him talk!"
Natasha runs in behind, assessing the situation.
"Oh really? Then what will?" he snaps.
Melanie sighs, hesitating. "Me."
Loki's smile widens.
"I'm not sure that's the best idea."
"No," Natasha cuts in. "It's not, but it's the only way he's going to talk. Let's go officer, leave them alone."
The man hesitates before shoving Loki's head down and walking out of the room with Natasha. Melanie waits till the door is slammed behind them.
"I must say, you make a stunning rescue."
She glares. "I don't have time for your bullshit right now. You won't talk to them? Then answer me. What is the real reason why you're here?"
He frowns in confusion. "I already told you why."
"You were lying."
"Oh, so you don't trust me?"
She scoffs. "I don't think we are the trusting type."
He smiles again. "Well then you'll just have to believe me because that's all I have to tell you."
"Fine. But until you decide to tell the truth, you'll never see me again and I'll let them do whatever they want to you. I don't care."
"I'll tell you if you let me see my son."
She freezes, her whole body becoming rigid.
"He is not your son," she mutters through gritted teeth.
She takes a step toward the table. "You weren't there when I had him. You weren't there when he almost died in my arms. He doesn't know his father and he never will. That child is the only thing that came out of us being together and I am not going to let you ruin that like you did me."
Loki stands suddenly, braking the restraints off his wrists. "You think I didn't want to be there for you? I'm sorry, love, but no one decided that telling me I had a son was important enough."
"It's your owned damned fault you selfish idiot! If you weren't so caught up in your psychotic thirst for power maybe you could have been there, maybe you could have been happy! But you don't let yourself be because you can't think about other people before yourself!"
"So what now?" he yells. They're both yelling now. He's moved so he's standing right in front of her. "Are you just going to yell at me and tell me I'm a monster for the things I do? Well surprise! I already knew that! And if you think I'm going to change just for you then you've become the selfish idiot!"
She's so upset she's gasping for breath. "I hate you."
"There's no one who hates me more than myself," he growls before taking her face in his hands and shoving his lips against hers.
She kisses him hard, their hands grabbing at each other, holding on to anything they can. He picks her up quickly, his mouth hastily traveling across ever inch of her neck and lips. He sets her down on the table, pressing himself firmly against her. Her heart is pounding and her head is fuzzy but she can't think rationally. His hands are everywhere and she can't process a single coherent thought.
He's pulling down her pants, ripping away at the cloth underneath. She grabbing at his pants, trying to undo the tie as fast as she can. His lips crash into hers as he enters her. She gasps in pain and pleasure. Her nails dig into the back of his neck as he pounds into her, over and over. He grunts as he thrusts and she cries out in pleasure. She's getting close, she can feel it. Her toes curl as her body convulses. Stars shoot behind her eyes and she screams. He finishes soon after gasping and shaking.
"Fuck," she whispers as she holds onto him tightly.
They hold each other until their breathing slows.
"I've been spared from your presence for too long, love," he whispers after a while.
She pulls away from him and quickly pulls up her pants. His are already done up before she can look.
"I think you're the one who's going to explain why you broke out of those cuffs," she says lamely as she combs through her hair with her fingers.
Loki smiles wickedly as she turns and walks out of the room.
Melanie quickly leaves as the air around her seems to become suddenly suffocating. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel as if someone was taking her heart and suddenly crushing it?
She doesn't know where her feet are taking her. Somehow she ends up on the roof, the wind whipping her hair violently around her face. She reaches the ledge and hoists herself up onto it. The drop is several hundred feet below her. The rush of adrenaline fills her whole body as she teeters on the edge.
"Go ahead, jump. But if you think it's going to fix anything, you're wrong."
Melanie whips around in surprise, only to be greeted by herself. A darker version of Melanie Walker stood a few feet away from her, peering up at her with a smirk on her face. She looked like the person she was before SHIELD saved her. Her hair was long with soft girls, her eyes dark, almost black, and her body was more filled out with muscle.
"What the?" Melanie breathed in shock.
"What? Did you think you could just shut me out forever?" she responded sharply.
Melanie gives her a puzzled look.
She rolls her eyes and waves her down. "Come on, get away from the ledge. We can talk civilly. I may be mad that you just fucked the man I hate but I am not your enemy, trust me."
Melanie stares for a moment before climbing down gingerly.
"That's better. Now come closer so I can see what you've done to my face."
Melanie takes a step forward. The other Melanie grabs her cheeks and pulls at them as she inspects her.
"Dear God, you're getting old. You look almost dead. He fucked you looking like that? I thought a time away from all this would do you some good. Now I realize all it did was make you old. Christ."
"Who are you and what do you want?" Melanie finally spits.
Her doppelganger smiles. "Remember that voice in your head you hated so much?"
"Impossible."
"Actually quite possible, and it may be, Melanie, that you are quite possibly losing your mind. I mean if this is how you need to face your conscience thoughts, me appearing is a good way to do it!"
"You mean you're just a figment of my imagination?"
She shrugs. "Sure. I am just the other half of you that you try to hide from everyone else. I am your true nature."
"True nature?"
She laughs darkly. "Oh yes. The Melanie Walker you profess yourself to be is not the real Melanie Walker. You're rotten to the core, Missy! Unfortunately the only one who can see that is our dear friend, Loki. No wonder he was attracted to you. You didn't think it was your looks, did you?"
"Shut up!" Melanie snaps angrily.
"Darkness attracts darkness, what can I say?"
"Leave me alone," Melanie growls, shoving past her and heading for the door back inside.
The doppelganger appears in front of her again, blocking her way. Melanie skids to a stop.
"The power is still inside you, Melanie. It hasn't left. I know where it is. I know how to access it. You just have to let me."
Melanie shoves by her again, trying to ignore her. She follows, grabbing at her arm.
"They can't protect you, Melanie. They can't protect your son!"
Melanie stops short. The doppelganger walks around so she is standing right in front of her.
"No one can protect your son. Only you can. You are more powerful than anyone on this Earth. If you let me access your powers you will never have to worry about your son being in danger ever again."
There's a long silence before she responds.
"The last time I used my powers, both my husband and my son were murdered. I will not make that mistake again."
Melanie shoves her out of the way for last time as she opens the door and steps inside the building.
It's her storming into the lab that startles Bruce. Tony sits at the computer, a grin on his face.
"How'd your interrogation go? I saw that it went quite well."
Melanie flushes in anger. Bruce looks confused.
"Don't worry," Tony says quickly, "I switched the cameras so you'd have some privacy. I am the only one who saw."
"I don't even want to know," Bruce says quietly, returning back to his work.
"So," she forces out with a smile, "You coming along on the necklace?"
Tony shrugs. "There's not much I can do with it. There's nothing in it. It's all in you."
"I told you," the doppleganger spits as she suddenly appears behind Tony.
Melanie clenches her jaw and tries to ignore it.
"Are you okay?" Tony asks.
"Fine," she spits through gritted teeth. "Can I put it on?"
Tony tosses her the necklace.
"Putting it on won't change anything," she says as she puts a hand on Tony's chair.
She feels her muscles tighten. She puts the necklace over her head and closes her eyes. She tries to feel her power, to remember how she used to conjure it. There's nothing. Sighing, she opens her eyes.
"Maybe I'm not trying hard enough."
"I'm sure that's not the case," Bruce points out. "You never really needed it before, so why now? I think it's all mental. You have a wall built up in your head that as of right now, you don't know how to tear down. I think it's coming down in bits and pieces. Ever since Loki has come back you've changed. Perhaps he's the one to take it down."
The other Melanie smiles. "Let me help you. He may be right about Loki, but only I can tear down the wall completely."
Melanie tosses the necklace back to Tony.
"I think I'm going to go lay down now," she murmurs before heading out of the room.
She doesn't make it far before she blacks out.
Sorry it's been so long! College makes me busy! Next chapter probably won't be up till christmas :p hope you enjoyed it!