Lieutenant - Daughter of the Captain

Chapter 12.0 - Scepter

Loki sat, unmoving in the seat of the jet and watched the girl intently. He felt an unnatural energy surrounding her. She wasn't easily manipulated by the Scepter.

He compared the human's instinctual nature, their curiosity, the way they scramble for solutions to what they consider difficulties made them susceptible to suggestion.

However, this one was different. She was self-sufficient, and lacked the gullibility of most children. She lacked the trust, and seemed to operate solely on instinct, intelligence, and her own developed intuition.

You are correct

The ragged, wretched voice infiltrated his mind once more. He cringed and leaned his back against the seat, but he did not fight it.

He could not fight it.

She is the key to your success...

It hissed once more, and Loki urged the voice to explain to him how to use the child, it wasn't long before it responded.

Use the Scepter...

Loki felt the cool metal in his palm as the voice continued.

She was made...she was manufactured...

She can be...manipulated...in ways the others can not

As quickly as it came, the presence in his mind faded to near nothing.

He opened his eyes, just in time to witness the girl stir in her unconscious state.

She opened her eyes to meet his crazed grin from where she lay sprawled awkwardly across two seats. She froze, every muscle in her body tense and alert.

"Hello there," He whispered, watching her sit up slowly. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. He waited patiently.

She met his eyes again, and decided not to anger him just yet. She'd be polite. For now.

"Hello," Her tone was stern, and formal. She didn't feel the need to put on a front when he could obviously use his mind-manipulating abilities to see through her facade.

His smile widened, he was delighted by her clearly temporary cooperation.

"I do hope you enjoyed your rest, I'm glad you're feeling...cooperative," He drawled in his melodic accent. She sat straight and looked him in the eye.

"How long I intend to stay cooperative depends on how forthcoming you are with your intentions," She responded, feeling herself smile ingenuinely as he chuckled.

"My only intention is to guide to into a higher form of yourself," He explained, watcher her smile fall as she deciphered his meaning.

"You don't mean controlling me," She starts, "Otherwise you would've done so in the first place..." she paused, and he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"How do you plan on doing it?" She asks, and though it's not what he expected her to ask, he's not surprised.

"With this, of course."

She follows his eyes to the elegant Scepter in his hand, and the glowing blue gem set in the end of it.

She sighs, looking away.

"Why?" She asks without looking at him. She can feel his eyes move to her, almost like he's examining her for new information.

"Isn't it obvious?" He states, gaining her eye contact once more. He smiles, "Why not?"

A tremor runs down her spine as the Scepter begins to glow. It's power flows into her, exploring every aspect of her body and leaving behind a hot and prickly sensation. It was as if everywhere it touched was burned by cinnamon whiskey.

Most would find such pain uncomfortable, but to her it was an oddly pleasant feeling, though she would never admit it to the god.

That is, until it made it's way up her body and flooded into her mind.

It was a fog of yellow light that took over her vision, and an otherworldly hiss that deafened her. She was oblivious to the outside world.

Her muscles twitched, then seized as it tested her strength. The burning intensified, and she felt a cry rip from her throat, though she could not hear it.

Instead, she begun to hear Loki's voice.

Master of lies...

Creator of chaos...

Living in a constant state...

...of deception...

"...no..." She hadn't meant to dissagree. She hadn't meant to speak at all.

Pretending...feigning even the slightest emotion...

"...no..." They burning ached in her skull as if it were trying to escape.

You are nothing like them...you are unnatural...

She didn't feel the strength to speak, so she listened and tried to find feeling in her body once more.

You were not conceived nor loved...you were not bred nor carried...

She knew the truth of his words. She had always known.

You felt nothing...you feel nothing...

The emotional burden of his words should've brought tears to her eyes...

You know the truth of your condition, child...

She feels her head nod vaguely.

You react, your body knows what is expected...

But you know the truth...

"...yes..." She breathes, weakly, still unable to hear the sound of her own voice. Still staring blankly into the yellow fog, still listening to the hissing accompany Loki's words.

Admit your fracture, child...

She doesn't even have to think about the words before she's speaking them.

"I feel nothing..."

Loki smiles, watching the girl breathe heavily where she fell on the floor, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling but glowing the familiarly unnatural blue of the Scepter's power.

He kneels down, leaning to whisper to her.

"From this moment on..." he paused, smiling once more and pressing the tip of the Scepter to her small chest, "You feel everything,"

She gasps and chokes on the cold air. It's as if she is being thrust back into her body as her senses come back to her all at once, along with an unfamiliar tight feeling in her chest.

She gazes weakly at the god as she adjusts to her vision, the outside world seeming quiet compared to the state she had been in.

"...what...did you...do...?" She gasps out, her breaths short and ragged.

He only smiles with something resembling pity, putting a finger to his lips and watching her slowly drift unconscious once more.

*********

I'm sorry for the cliffhanger and the very short chapter but I had originally intended for this ti be a double update, but the next chapter is going to be extremely important, and so I'm working really hard to get it right.

I really wanted this chapter to have an impact so I ended this one here and started the next so you could all enjoy them accordingly :D

Pleaseeeee don't forget to comment and vote if you're enjoying the story!!!!

Sincerely,
C.B.K.