Eris' POV

That night, after a tour of the base and getting to know the Avengers a little better, I lay tossing and turning on my cot. I couldn't sleep-I didn't know if Loki was doing okay or not, if he'd been given a harsher punishment than he'd let on when we last saw each other. The thought made me feel sick and uneasy. I didn't want anyone to hurt him, what if-

"Eris..."

An unmistakable voice called. I shot up in my bed with a gasp, my eyes darting around the dark lab. I knew there were cameras on me and that I was constantly being observed so I tried to downplay my panic. I lay back in my bed and whispered,

"Loki?"

I hoped that my voice was too quiet for the cameras to pick up.

"You can hear me, little one?"

He asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yes!"

I replied as quietly as I could.

"You needn't speak aloud, just talk to me in your head and I will hear you."

He told me, his voice kind as ever.

"Okay."

I thought.

"Good girl."

He praised, making me smile again.

"How are you, considering?"

I inquired awkwardly. I mean, he was serving a prison sentence so he couldn't be too happy.

"I'm alright. My cell isn't as horrid as I had anticipated. And I'm much better now that I'm talking to you."

He answered. I thought it was funny how we were both, essentially, in prison cells of our own.

"Mine isn't too bad either, the blankets are kinda scratchy though."

I said, turning on my side restlessly.

"What do you mean, 'yours isn't too bad'?"

Loki demanded, his tone becoming angry. My heart sank a little.

"Remember how I told that I'm sick?"

I inquired, nervous about how he would react to what had happened to me.

"Yes?"

He pressed, expectantly. I hesitated for a second.

"Well, S.H.I.E.L.D came and got me so they could cure me."

I half lied. I didn't want him stressing out about what had really happened, and I didn't want him knowing that I was...a monster.

"Cure you?"

He scoffed.

"Those people are only going to use you to their advantage, when you're no longer of use to them, they will set you aside. I am a perfect example of that."

He said bitterly.

"Loki, you know you aren't a monster don't you? I understand why you feel that way, but they have no right to treat you any different."

I tried to convince him.

"Well, Asgardians have always been terrified of the Frost Giants. It doesn't matter how much they claimed to love me, I will always be the monster parents tell their children about at night."

He continued, he words like venom.

"You're perfect to me, Loki."

I said aloud, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes.

"And that's all I'll ever need. But you have to get out of there. I promise you, no good will come of you being there."

He tried to get me to realize his point but I refused. What if these people really could help me learn to control my curse? Even if they didn't, at least they'd be protecting the world from me.

"Eris, to them, you are no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until they might have use of you. They will betray you."

His voice became louder in my head and I winced.

"Not everyone it like that, Loki! Besides, it's better if I'm here anyway...it'll keep everyone else safe."

I raised my own voice but it became more reserved at the end.

"Safe? Safe from what?"

Loki asked, his voice low with bubbling rage.

"Safe from me!"

I shouted and immediately covered my mouth at the out burst. The lights flickered on and Bruce rushed to my side with a look of concern on his face.

"Eris, are you alright?"

He asked, kneeling down next to me. I sat up and nodded.

"Yes, just...a bad dream."

I lied smoothly. Loki's silver-tongue had rubbed off on me in the time that we spent together.(That didn't sound perverted at all) Dr. Banner rubbed my back soothingly and I forced a smile.

"You really don't have to worry about me."

I assured him.

"What do you mean safe from you, Eris?"

Loki asked, his voice suspicious.

"Loki...I need to go to sleep...maybe we'll talk about it another time, okay?"

I said tiredly, and I really was tired.

"But-"

"No, I don't want to talk about it right now, I have to go. Goodnight, Loki."

I lay back down as Dr. Banner walked away and turned off the light before leaving the lab. I heard Loki sigh.

"Goodnight, Eris."

He replied in a pout that made me smile before closing my eyes and drifting off into sleep.

The next morning it was crunch time, we were finally getting down to business. Bruce and his fellow scientist placed me in a special case that would gauge the temperatures I reached and keep everyone else safe in case things got out of control. They would be testing my abilities, seeing what set it off, if I could control it and use it to my advantage, if I could wield it.

"Okay, Eris. I need you to get into an emotional state like on Friday to get the fire going. Do you think you can do that?"

Dr. Banner asked. I nodded and Tony gave me a thumbs up, making me smile. All of the Avengers that weren't busy came to watch and support me. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind before trying to fill it with horrible things. I thought of the pain and unbearable heat I felt last time, I thought about how scared I was, how I thought I might die from it. I thought of the horror on my mothers face, the panic in her voice as she tried to come closer to me, the hurt I felt knowing I would never see my only friend again. I thought about how much I hated myself for killing my mother and father, how I didn't deserve their love, I thought of how horrible it would be if these people in front of me...betrayed me like Loki had been betrayed. At first, I thought I was just imagining the heat burning in my core and all over my body. But when I opened my eyes, I was again engulfed in blue flames and I actually felt...proud. I grinned at the people watching me.

"I did it!"

I laughed, so happy that I actually did something right.

"Good job, Sparky."

Tony praised with a grin.

"Now, I want you to try and take it down a notch, at least bring down the temperature."

Bruce said into the microphone and his voice boomed in on the speaker inside the special case. I nodded and took a deep breath. I started thinking of all things cold, things that put fire out. It sounds stupid but I had to try everything. I thought of good things, happy things, all of the smiles that people had given me, the smiles I had given others. The fun times I had with Loki, the love I felt for my mother, for Jane and my friend. I was doing this for them, to keep them safe, to see them again. The pressure and heat like before began to ebb away at these thoughts. I kept going, thinking of the things I lived for, like the rain and feeling safe. Before my very eyes, the flames began to get smaller and change in color, turning an orangish red color.

"You're doing fantastic, Eris. Keep going."

Steve said from his spot next to Tony. I watched in wonder as my hands slowly lost their flames, then my arms and eventually my head and torso. I was so happy, I hadn't hurt anyone this time! For once, I did a good job. When the last of the fire was gone, everyone cheered and Bruce opened the case for me to come out. I ran out with a proud smile on my face and Steve hoisted me up into his arms with a matching grin.

"Way to go, little lady!"

He held up his hand for a high five and I smacked my smaller hand against his large one. Tony came over and ruffled my hair with Dr. Banner not far behind with a pat on the back.

"Proud of you, Sparky."

He chuckled. I was starting to like the nickname now, it fit, even if it sounded a little derogatory. Director Fury stepped into view, I hadn't noticed him watching in the back.

"Good work."

He told me with a smirk. Praise from Fury, I could tell, was near impossible to come by. I smiled.

"Thank you."

I murmured. After our little celebration, I practiced over and over again with getting the fire under control. Next they wanted to test if I could bend and use the element I was given. That was an entirely different task, they wanted me to start from the bottom with red and orange fire instead of the almost untamable blue fire that usually consumed me. We tried for days to start from nothing but I couldn't manage to get the hang of it. Three nights later, after a long and fruitless day of effort, I plopped down onto my bed. I was exhausted and frustrated that I had made no progress. I was starting to worry about Loki again, he hadn't spoken to me since my first night at S.H.I.E.L.D. Just on the verge of sleep, my eyes snapped open.

"Hello darling."

He greeted, his voice like velvet. I smiled brightly.

"Hello, Loki."

I said back, snugging back into my cot.

"How's prison?"

He laughed, making me smirk a little.

"It's actually great, today I was able to control my fever and get it down to a decent temperature. I really think they can help me."

I told him happily.

"Well, I'm glad you're making progress Eris."

He replied. I smiled.

"How are you?"

I asked.

"Bored, there is absolutely nothing to do in this pen! They won't even let me have books to read."

He growled, I could practically see his face scrunching up in distaste.

"That's not very nice of them."

I pouted, feeling bad for my friend. There was a long period of silence and I broke it suddenly.

"You're my friend right?"

I said rather abruptly.

"Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

He sounded like he couldn't believe I had actually asked that.

"Well...Do you love me?"

I wasn't even sure what possessed me to ask such a question. There was another pregnant pause before Loki spoke again.

"I'm not sure what it is to love someone...so I can't say..."

He replied thoughtfully. My heart broke a little at his words but I just insisted to brush it off.

"It's okay. I do, that's how I know I love you."

I said cheerily. It was true, he was really one of the only people I had left in my life that I trusted.

"You'd be the first."

He mumbled, rather bitterly. I frowned a little.

"But I won't be the last. Someone as perfect as you is bound to run into someone that'll love you."

Was all I could say before my heavy lidded eyes shut closed.