AN: Another Vice Update! Just a few things you may want to know about this chapter and the story to come. I know many of my early readers have not been reading the re-write, but you may want to read this bit if you're still interested in the sequel, as there will be notable changes.
For those of you who have read Vice before, you will notice some pretty notable changes in this chapter.
1. For one, I have completely removed Malory and Alex's "origin story". This was a hard decision to make, but trust me, I have my the original Vice, this re-write is only going to be thirty-five chapters and an epilogue.
2. There will be no mention of Port Arthur at all. Nothing.
3. I will be writing a small interim story which will introduce themes for the sequel Wayward Sons. This interim story will be called Mind the Gap, and for those of you who were in London with me in July, you will know of it as Alex and Loki go to London. Either way, it will be angst ridden, smutty and full of Londoney goodness. Setting this particular part of the story in London, rather than Port Arthur, also allows me to run slightly along the same lines as Thor 2.
4.I will not be posting any of Wayward Sons until after mid November, as it will be addressing much of the content present within Thor: The Dark World. While it cannot be entirely canon (because I've created my own timeline here), I want there to be correlations. I also realise that while I'm lucky enough to be seeing Thor 2 next Wednesday, folks in the US and elsewhere will not get it until much later. This will give me ample time to replan Wayward Sons and start writing it up... by hand.
5. I can't wait!It is my goal to have all of the Vice re-write finished by the time I see Thor 2... so expect lots of updates, people
Chapter Twenty-Six
There is a Devil Haunts Thee
Nothing
It was such a simple word: yet beneath the tone and inflection, the two syllables held a multitude of meaning. As Loki observed Alexandra's retreating back, this swamp of meaning haunted him. NothingCould she mean it? Her tone held the word in shackles of finality, yet her eyes had flashed with something else – was it doubt? If there was nothing Loki could do to appease her, did he have anything left to strive for? Had his entire existence become latched to the emotional attachment of this tiny little mortal: this flash in time? Perhaps it was she who was nothing? How could he love a creature that would crumble and rot before his eyes, while he remained forever youthful? How could he love someone so... fleeting? Or maybe it was the brevity of her existence that appealed. Like the bud of jasmine she had clutched between her fingers, her own beauty was just as temporary, and made more intense because of it?
Absorbed by his musing, Loki did not notice the tall, shrouded figure enter the courtyard. This was particularly surprising considering that Thor had never been a creature of stealth.
"You ought to leave her be, brother."
Loki glanced up, green eyes meeting pale blue. "Would you leave her alone, if she were your precious Jane?" Perhaps there was a little too much venom in his words. Loki did not allow himself to care.
"I have never-" Thor's sentence shattered, the muttered sounds only to be replaced by Loki's cold, humourless laugh.
"What, brother? Ravaged her? Taken her against her will? No, the mighty Thor would never do anything like that! That creature he calls a brother, on the other hand..."
"You were not always like this, brother. What has happened to you?"
Loki rolled his eyes. How many times would he and his brother replay the same conversation? How long would he be subjected to the disappointment of those he once called family? "Life, brother."
Thor frowned, or perhaps the furrowed brow equalled confusion. Loki, even after ten centuries, could not quite decipher Thor's limited range of facial expressions. "You were starting to improve... Agent Beckett-"
"It would be unwise for you to continue that sentence, Thor. As for Alexandra, well, as the Midgardians would put it, I fucked that up." Loki turned on his heel, heading toward the less-than-comforting warmth of the palace. There was little point in wasting his 'free time' in the location he endured his punishment, after all. "She is free to go back to her precious Malory."
Thor followed, his footfalls regaining their usual heaviness. "Lucas Malory? As far as I am aware she finds him most displeasing. As do most who encounter him."
Loki found his interest peaked. "You know him?"
"He is the man overseeing the development of your prison, Loki." The words spilled from Thor's mouth with such ease, that Loki suspected his brother did not particularly care that the information he diverged was of a classified nature.
"My loathing increases the more I hear of him."
Was that a smile that curled Thor's lips? "I would keep that to yourself, brother. Malory will be arriving here tomorrow. He has questions for you."
"And he honestly expects me to answer them?"
"Malory expects many things."
oOoOoOo
By the time Alex entered the observatory the following morning, a handful of Avengers had already assembled within. It was expected that the Avengers be part of the party, yet all of them looked as unwilling to be there as Alex felt.
"Alex! About fucking time!"
Tony's voice was, as usual, obnoxiously loud. His long tanned fingers clutched a giant tankard of what she could only assume was Asgardian ale. Unless he had somehow smuggled in a cache of coffee she did not know about.
Tony did not allow her time to reply, instead gesturing to Heimdall. "I've been trying to convince the BFG here to divert the bi-frost. You know, to Jotunheim or something. Not really sure he's buying it."
Heimdall merely frowned, causing Stark to cock an eyebrow.
"Laugh a minute, this guy. Bet he's the life of the party."
"My duties do not allow me to engage in frivolities."
Heimdall's baritone caught the Midgardians off-guard. The guardian was rarely vocal. Tony's response was soon swallowed up by a low rumbling deep within the observatory. Blue shards of light spilled from the centre, lighting the chamber in a blinding haze. The light soon disappeared, replaced now with a singular figure clutching a roller case.
"Alexandra. It has been too long." Malory's voice was dripping with slime. "How is my favourite little recruit?"
Behind Malory's back, Tony made a gagging gesture. Alex smirked.
"I am well, thank you sir. How about you?"
Malory filled the chamber with his low, false laugh. "I was better before I got on the bi-frost thing. You would have thought these Asgardians would have developed a more sophisticated way to travel."
The dark haired bureaucrat headed toward the exit, not acknowledging Thor, the Avengers or Heimdall. Had it been anyone else, Alex may have gently reminded him of polite custom. As it was Malory, she took secret pleasure in the fact that he was ruffling feathers already. Perhaps he would be so appalling that Odin would banish him within hours.
One could only hope.
The group shuffled across the Rainbow Bridge in complete silence. Malory seemed to take little interest in what he was seeing. The Rainbow Bridge seemed only an inconvenience, the city a gaudy smattering of gold. Of course, Malory's idea of sophistication was monoliths of steel, concrete and glass.
"Well, isn't this quaint?" Malory smirked as they entered Loki's courtyard, dark eyes grazing the prisoner. Leaving the group, he strode across the grass, lips curling a little as the wet blades left tiny droplets upon his glistening shoes. Alex could not help but feel somewhat perturbed by the hatred in Loki's green eyes as they fell upon the approaching man. His stance straightened, as though even tied and silenced he wished Malory to know he was the better man.
Which he was, a disturbing thought at best. If a psychopath bent on world domination had more redeemable features than her boss, which said a great deal about Malory.
"So this is him then?" Malory scoffed; grabbing Loki's hair and wrenching it, so that the prisoner could do nothing more than meet his gaze. Alex watched Thor grow tense, yet he remained still. Defending his brother now, during his public punishment, would not bode well for him. Malory let the hair go. "Looks like a fucking girl. Hard to believe this pretty boy almost enslaved the world."
Loki's chains rattled as he clenched his fists, knuckles white.
Malory ignored him. "What's with the stitches?"
"My brother has a silver tongue," Thor finally interjected.
Malory laughed. "Since when has a tongue ever hurt anyone? Seems a bit medieval if you ask me. What's the point in having a prisoner, if you can't even interrogate him, eh, Alex?"
Alex managed to smear a fake smile onto her lips, which disappeared as soon as Malory's back was turned. As the Avengers led her boss into the citadel, Alex shot Loki a look which she hoped was sympathetic. Loki merely scowled, the movement of his lips causing fresh streams of blood to trickle down his pale chin.
oOoOoOo
"Do you honestly expect me to answer your questions, mortal?"
Loki sneered at his interrogator. The hated Malory sat before him, legs spread wide, as though trying to emulate Loki's usual mode of sitting. He recognised the chamber, a small windowless hovel branching off from the kitchens. During times of great harvest, it often held excess stores. Now there was nothing but two chairs, a few of those devices the Midgardian's called 'cameras' and yards of heavy chain. Loki almost yearned for Malory to come closer, so he could wrap one of his chains around the mortal's long tanned neck...
Malory cocked a dark eyebrow. "That is up to you."
"That does not even make sense. If the mortals wanted me to talk, perhaps they should have sent an interrogator with something between his ears."
"I am here because I want to be here, not because I was sent. I work for myself."
"Once again, you divulge unnecessary information." Loki cocked his head, smirking. "Does working for yourself make you feel like more of a man? Perhaps having those with actual skill under your command makes you feel like there's something between your legs, mortal, but I am not im-"
Loki struggled with his final word, his cheek momentarily struck numb by Malory's palm. The man was quick, he would give him that much.
"You say I am as though a maiden, yet you hit like a fresh faced virgin," he finally drawled, stretching his jaw. "Even Alexandra lays a better blow than you."
Malory chuckled. "Yes, she's a fiery little thing isn't she?"
Loki could almost hear the cogs ticking away in the tanned man's head.
"What a minute, Alex hit you?"
She's done more than that. Loki fought back the grin threatening to spill across his lips. "I have given her reason to on occasion."
"Have you given her any information?"
"No," Loki replied, his tone bored. "Nor have I told my brother, my mother, my father or your precious Avengers. If I won't even tell those I have an inkling of respect for, what makes you think I will tell you anything?"
"I have other ways to coerce information out of you."
This time Loki did grin. "You hit like a woman and I have known horses more proficient in the art of interrogation. Apart from boring me with your inane prattle, what other ways do you have?"
"You will soon find out."
"I suppose that was an attempt at being mysterious? I am terribly threatened." Loki's voice lowered now, filling with pure venom. "You did not come here to get answers; you came here because you like being involved. You want to be the big man. I'll tell you what, mortal. Undo these chains and I'll show you what a real man is."
oOoOoOo
The interrogation had been useless, as Alex suspected it would. Malory may have excelled at hiring those proficient at interrogation, but his own abilities were average at best. She knew full well his true purpose for being there was to keep an eye on her. He loathed the fact Fury had kept her there for the year. Idly, she wondered how long Malory had campaigned to gain access to the bi-frost.
It seemed like hours before she left Stark's chambers, her eyes weary from focusing on the plethora of tiny screens littering the room. The mood of the observers was a peculiar one. While most of them were not particularly fond of Loki, they took perverse pleasure as the God of Mischief massacred Malory with his silver tongue.
The lesser of two evils, perhaps?
Her chambers still seemed empty without Loki's assorted bric-a-brac. She almost missed the gleam of his ceremonial armour in the candlelight; the smell of leather and sex; his long, hard body pressed against hers as she slept.
No.
Slipping out of her uniform, Alex threw on a pair of ancient boy leg shorts and an oversized t-shirt. While she preferred sleeping in the Asgardian silk, the idea of wearing such a sheer item with Malory on the loose made her queasy. She had just squeezed a sizeable blob of toothpaste onto her toothbrush when someone entered her quarters.
She did not need to be a genius to figure out who it was. Even Loki had knocked. Malory swept into the bathroom, leaning against the golden door frame. He had removed his jacket and tie, a glimpse of tanned chest evident through the shard of unbuttoned shirt.
"You've lost weight."
Alex raised both eyebrows; shoving the toothbrush into her mouth and starting to brush. Malory continued.
"I like it. You always were a little plump. Even during training." Moving from his position at the doorway, Malory slipped behind her, slowly lifting the bottom of her shirt, fingertips running across the exposed flesh. Alex wriggled away, spitting the toothpaste in the sink.
"Please don't Lucas."
The fingers returned, this time clutching her hips tightly. His groin was pressed against her rump, arousal evident. Instinctually, Alex thrust her elbow back, a basic trick taught to her by Sif. Malory fell away.
"You stupid little whore! You could at least be grateful."
"Grateful?"
"If it weren't for me, you would never have come to your precious Asgard," Malory continued to clutch his hip. Obviously her blow was harder than she anticipated. "You owe me."
"I don't."
"I told you before I can break you, Alexandra. And I will, if you continue this." He waved his hands in her general direction. "I don't know what this shit is all about, but it will stop."
Alex bit her lip. "You have no control over me."
"No control? You stupid cunt." Malory's fake laugh was cold now. "My control brought you here, and it will take you away. You're coming back to Australia with me. In two days."
"Two days?"
"Fury has cleared it." Malory spat the name, before straightening his shirt. "I'll let you get away with this now, Alexandra, but once we are at Geraldine I expect you to show your gratitude." His face was now mere millimetres from hers. "Or I will see to it that you never get a job in the public service, anywhere, again."
Malory departed, leaving Alex standing stock still in her bathroom, the toothbrush still poking from her fingers. Minty foam oozed down the stick of plastic onto her wrist, but she barely noticed. All she could think about were Malory's words.
Two days.
Did the Avengers know about this? Thor? Odin?
Two days.
She thought she still had months. Months of training with Sif, parties with the Warriors Three. Months to find some kind of peace with Loki.
But two days?
Dropping the brush into the sink, she squirted achingly hot water onto her now sticky hands. The pain barely registered, nor did the fact she had a smear of toothpaste on her cheek. All that mattered was getting out of her quarters... as quickly as possible...
oOoOoOo
Her feet led her in a direction that she had never yet traversed, yet somehow knew the way. The hall widened, flame buckets increasing in size and splendour. Ornate tapestries hung from the walls, depicting scenes of royal prowess. Impressive ceremonial carvings topped each of the doors. Feathers for Thor. Horns for...
Alex hesitated before the huge ornate double doors. The cedar was worn with years of use, yet had more beauty in every grain then any metal she had ever seen. She wondered what his chambers were like. Warm, inviting, bursting with the furs of the beasts he had slain? Alex doubted it. She suspected there would be books. Many books.
Her knuckles barely reached the wood before the doors creaked open. Loki was naked, but for a soft green towel draped low on his waist.
"Alexandra, what are you doing here?" His tone was not displeased, merely surprised.
"May I come in?"
Loki stepped aside, opening the door wider to allow her access. She had not been incorrect in regards to the books. There was barely an inch of wall space that did not have a bookshelf perched against it, or a pile of books precariously trailing up its surface like haphazard creepers of knowledge. The bed was huge, twice the size of her own, adorned simply with a red coverlet and golden curtains. A fire crackled half-heartedly in the hearth.
"Why are you here?"
"He's taking me back, Loki." She did not know what possessed her to say it, but the words seemed to fall from her lips. "In two days. He-"
Loki closed the doors, stepping toward her. "Did he touch you?"
Alex lifted the bottom of her shirt, showing off the slight bruising Malory's fingers had left on her hips. Loki snarled.
"Intimately?"
Alex shook her head. "I elbowed him."
Loki did not laugh, rather, taking her hand in his. "He will not touch you again."
"I don't really know how you're going to achieve that, Loki." She lifted her hand, fingers now entwined with his. "I said the same thing about you, and look at us now."
"Alex-"
"I don't want to talk about it," she murmured. "We will have to, in time, but not now." Tentatively, she inched closer, drawing herself up on tiptoes. Her lips brushed against his, soft, innocent, as naive as a first kiss. Loki's fingers tightened around hers, his lips pressing harder. She did not fight as his tongue brushed against closed teeth. They fell upon the green-clad bed with a soft plod, fingers exploring, tongues entwined.
"You are mine Alexandra," he breathed against her lips.
"No, you are mine."
"Yours."