Chapter Thirty-Four
The Meaning of Pain
Tempting though it was to remain within the haven of the bedroom, both Loki and Alex realised that this would eventually rouse suspicion. Neither was foolish enough to believe that Malory had allowed them complete privacy. Whether it was a planted audio device or a hidden camera, there was little doubt that Malory knew exactly what they were doing. Should Alex fail to extract any information from Loki, no doubt this evidence would come to light in the most unseemly of manners.
It was for this reason that both now found themselves seated at Loki's table, a cool tumbler of water perched on the steel surface before them. Slowly, without thought, Alex tapped her fingertips upon untouched paper of her clipboard.
"Thor claims you were under the control of an... individual... named Thanos. What can you tell us about him?"
Loki nearly smirked at the officious tone of her voice. No doubt the little mortal was attempting to separate their previous activities from the arduous task of what awaited. Briefly, he pondered whether the truth was enough. He was the god of lies. Perhaps he should embellish the tale here and there, make himself more of a hero? But what use would that be? No one cared if Loki struggled against Thanos' hold. All they cared was that he remained incarcerated in this hole for the rest of his life.
In other words: for an eternity.
"Very little," came his slow response. "Thanos never made himself known to me. We communicated through his – assistant – a creature I knew of only as 'The Other'." He watched fascinated as she unleashed a flood of tiny black letters upon the page, the scrape of the pen the only noise permeating the silence.
"And what of 'The Other'?"
"As far as I am aware, 'The Other' was Chitauri, or a species closely related to them. He would not tell me if Thanos was the same, though I suspect not. They referred to him as their Master."
Alex nodded. This is as far as Loki had ever told her. He had elaborated a little further with his brother, but not much. Sometimes he wondered if these memories were simply mere fabrications, scenes of torture to reflect his inner turmoil about discovering his true parentage. He had arrived at the cesspit the Chitauri called home a broken man, a mass of wet clay destined to be reshaped.
"What happened when you fell off the Rainbow Bridge?"
"I fell. And then I stopped. The event horizon that was created upon the destruction of the bi-frost took me I know not where. I was taken by the Chitauri, who are distrusting of outsiders. They had not heard of Asgard, or Jotunheim, or Midgard. But they could feel the energy of the Tesseract upon me."
The pen stilled, Alex's gaze meeting his. "How is that possible? You never came close to the Tesseract."
Loki merely smiled. "The energy of the Tesseract saturated this world. It still does. It glows in the water we drink." He tipped his glass. "The air we breathe. My brother returned from his foray reeking of its power and this transferred to me." It was now his expression darkened. "At first I was reluctant to reveal the location of Midgard, because to do so would be to sacrifice Asgard. I felt that the Chitauri were lackeys for something far more powerful. But even I can only take so much..."
"They tortured you."
"Torture is not exactly a word I would use to describe what they did. No inch of flesh, bone or sinew escaped their knives, their nails. The Chitauri may not be intellectuals, but they are proficient in the art of administering pain. After a time, my body had been pulled apart and reassembled so many times I lost count. My past seemed a distant memory, even though it had only been a few months. The whisperings of 'The Other' soon seemed to me to be reason. My allegiances started to falter.
"It was several months before they sent me to Earth the first time. It was solely reconnaissance work. I found out where the Tesseract was being kept, and returned with what I considered to be good news. That was the first night that I was not tortured. Over time they convinced me that to aid them was to aid my own cause. That Midgard was mine for the taking, and would be mine should I give them the Tesseract. I believe you know the rest."
"And should it be discovered that you are aiding us?"
Loki cocked an eyebrow. "The moment my brother took me into custody, the moment I failed, Thanos would have come for me. It may take months or even years, but they will come. Wherever I am will be in danger."
"Can you tell us what to expect?"
"Thanos will arrive with forces far greater than the Chitauri. In my time there, I discovered that they were just one race under his control. He wants the Tesseract, desperately. It will be unlike anything you have experienced before. Bringing me here was a mistake."
"Why couldn't you tell Agent Malory of this?"
"That man does not deserve my words."
Alex cocked an eyebrow. "Fair enough."
oOoOoOo
To say Malory was displeased about the intelligence collected was a severe understatement. "So you're telling me he was nothing more than a lackey?"
"Loki wouldn't approve of the term, but yes."
Malory placed his coffee mug on the surface of the table harder than was necessary, sending a small wave of hot liquid cascading onto the wood. The room was relatively silent; even Fury – depicted on the screen above Malory's head – was utterly silent. An odd mixture of emotions permeated the room. On the one hand, everyone had hoped that Loki would provide more information than he had. The fear was palpable. Surely bringing Loki to Geraldine only put Midgard in further danger? Yet if Thanos was as power hungry as Loki stated, he would likely enslave Midgard anyway. Strangely enough, the idea of the Earth being under the tyrannical rule of a gold-horned god with a kneeling fixation started to seem a little less repugnant.
Yet there were two people around the table that felt something else. Not pity, but intense horror and sadness. Loki would never appreciate their pity. To accept it would be a weakness he was incapable of accepting. Alex and Thor knew this, and chose to keep it entirely to themselves.
The group dissipated quickly, muttering among themselves. Alex joined the exodus, before Malory's voice called her back into the room's depths.
"Are you sure this is all he said?" Malory clutched the clipboard between tanned fingers; eyes dark.
"Every word."
"You are a lousy liar, Alexandra."
"It is a good thing I am not lying then, isn't it sir?"
Malory sneered. "I do not appreciate your tone." Swallowing the last of his coffee, he removed himself from the chair. Alex was almost surprised when all he did was hand her a small USB drive.
"I thought you might like to see this," Malory's sneer morphed into a cruel smirk. "It is thoroughly entertaining viewing, I must say."
The tiny lump of plastic suddenly felt like lead in her hands.
"You may be an awful liar, Alexandra. But I am not. Did you seriously believe that the room was without any observation? I bet your boy knew. He probably loved the idea that you were being watched. Kinky fuck." Malory leant closer. "Destroy this all you like, Alexandra. I have copies. Oh so many copies.
"You see, I thought I might give you a chance. You get some really good information out of our prisoner, and I forget this ever happened. But like usual, you did not deliver the goods. You are fucked, my little ingénue, and I don't mean in the literal sense."
Alex's eyes did not leave his back until Malory was well and truly out of the room. She should have known. She should have resisted, been more careful. Why would Malory ever allow her so much freedom? Slowly she let the USB stick drop to the concrete floor, crushing it beneath her heel.
She did not need to watch it.
She already knew it was her downfall.