THREE
Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Can you hear me?
Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths can I ever go back
Falling inside the black
Falling inside, falling inside the black
- "Falling Inside The Black," Skillet
Loki was watching, and waiting, and listening. He took in every word spoken, analyzing and dissecting them, but spoke none. He watched the movements of the people outside, searching for a weak-willed person that he could use.
He waited for an opportunity to escape.
The head agent, Coulson, frequently came in to talk to the doctors.
And just now, he had heard whispers in the hallway, and seen a young woman's face looking through the window of his door. Coulson had noticed and immediately left. He could hear them talking somewhere close by, but failed to comprehend what they were saying.
His train of thought was interrupted as the door opened and the young woman who had looked through the door and Coulson walked in.
His first impression of the woman was her eyes. They were piercing gray that seemed to analyze and assess every portion of his soul. Her hair was brown and long, braided back neatly, reaching to the small of her back. She wore a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in dark blue, but carried no weapon.
He scanned her, quickly, seeing if her mind was weak, and was astounded when he hit an impenetrable wall, as it were, around her entire mind. It was the strongest mind that he had felt so far.
He regarded her in a different light and wondered why her mind was so sealed off.
Coulson said to Loki, "This is Agent Cooper."
When Loki did not respond, he said, "I'll leave you two alone," and walked out of the room.
The young woman pulled out her phone and hit a few buttons.
"Yes, it's me. We just finished talking. Three minutes, and I counted at least five times."
The person on the other end laughed and said something indistinct.
"Yeah, definitely. I'll see how many more I can get before I have to leave. Bye, Tasha."
She put her phone away, still grinning.
"Sorry about that," she said. "A couple of my friends have a bet going on how many times I can make Coulson uncomfortable within a certain period of time."
She smirked and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I think Clint underestimates me."
Loki just looked at her.
"Oh, I'm Alana, by the way. Please don't call me Agent Cooper. It's so… weird."
She made a face.
"I don't know if Coulson's told you this, but I'm the one you're going to be staying with. Well, I say 'staying with', Coulson says 'guarded by'."
Loki said nothing. It was not surprising that government agents would be guarding him. He had expected that.
What he hadn't expected was one young woman.
She couldn't be much more than twenty-one.
Either Coulson underestimated him, or there was something else going on.
"What's your name?" she asked.
There was a pause, and then he said reluctantly, "I am Loki."
"Like the Norse god?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes. Exactly like the Norse god."
She smiled.
There was a pause, and then she asked, "Is it really true that you have an eight-legged horse for a kid?"
Loki sat up straight in his bed, a look of horror on his face.
"Sleipnir? You mortals think he is my child? That is revolting!"
Alana laughed. "Sorry. And… would that be a no on the giant wolf as well?"
Loki sank back into the pillows and covered his face with his hands. "Thor," he mumbled, "it must have been Thor. It had to have been Thor…"
"Why would Thor do that?" Alana asked curiously. At Loki's inquisitive look, she said dismissively, "Yeah, I know who Thor is, big angry thunder guy, but why? Seems kinda immature."
Loki smirked a bit at her description of Thor.
"He's – " Loki was about to say my brother, then remembered his true parentage and his brow darkened. "- a person I know."
Alana saw his change of mood and said nothing.
They sat in silence for a while, then Alana said, "I have to go now, but Coulson will probably want me to tell you this, in case you get any… ideas."
Loki narrowed his eyes.
Alana stood up. "You may be the god of mischief, but be assured that I am completely capable of taking you down at any given moment. You might think that because I'm a woman, or young, that I can be taken advantage of. Then, you wouldn't be only wrong, you'd be dead, too. Many, many people have underestimated me. I urge you to not make the same mistake."
She smiled brightly and walked out of the room.