Science and Magick (LokixOC)

Chapter Eleven

Bruce and Zoë had been working in the lab for several hours, well what seemed like several hours but in fact the entire day had passed by as if it were nothing. Bruce had asked to see some of her research while Zoë attempted to track Barnes. There was a part of her that was hesitant, there was no guarantee that she could trust him, but if she couldn't trust the one scientist that she truly idolised then what hope was there for anyone else she needed to work with? So she gave him the flash drive from her pocket and the passcodes to the files containing the relevant information. Only after making him swear not to share any of the information or codes with anyone.

"This is incredible, I've never seen results like this without any administration of radiation" Bruce finally said.

Zoë looked up from the screen she was reading and nodded "Neither had I, it seems the serum bonded with the energy from the tesseract that had been awakened in me when I touched it during the attack two years ago and they both amplified each other" she explained.

Bruce frowned then and took his glasses off. "Wait wait wait, you were here? You were physically here in this building when Loki used the tesseract to open that portal?" He asked.

Zoë nodded "Well technically I was on this building, on the roof but-" she stopped midway through her sentence when she realised what he said "Loki?" She asked.

"Oh right, he's this god. Absolutely insane" he began to explain "he stole the tesseract from SHIELD and controlled a lot of people to help him build that machine. Including Hawkeye. Killed 80 people in two days, summoned an entire alien army and almost got the entire island of Manhattan nuked" he finished.

Zoë shook her head, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, it couldn't be. The Loki she knew would never do anything like that. Wouldn't he? She didn't even know him. But she did! She knew him better than she knew anyone in this world. They were connected. She felt her breaths becoming shallow and she shook her head again, she was going to have a panic attack "Please excuse me" she said hastily, standing up and taking quick steps towards the door "I need some air" she added.

Her pace quickened until she was sprinting through the halls to the stairwell. The roof, she was closer to it than the entrance and she could get some fresh air up there. Or maybe she just wanted to see it again, to put herself back there. Either way she skipped up the stairs, taking two or three steps at a time in attempt to get to her destination quicker. She burst through the door and onto the gravely ground, wrapping her arms around herself while trying to stop hyperventilating.

She couldn't stop it, it just didn't make sense. She couldn't believe what she had been told. It wasn't real, she refused to believe it. They were wrong, they had to be.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she sank to her knees, the cold night air whipping her hair back. Then suddenly she felt that tug. She knew exactly what it was this time.

"Loki?" She asked between sobs.

He instantly wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly "I'm here, pet" he whispered softly to her "it's okay, I'm here" he said again.

Zoë gripped his shirt in her hands, holding onto him as if her life depended on it while she cried into his shoulder "They're lying!" She cried "They have to be!"

Loki stroked her hair lovingly "Who's lying, darling? What happened?" He asked. The woman could only shake her head, she was far too worked up to say anything else. Loki recognised this and held her tighter, pressing soft kisses on the side of her head in attempt to sooth her.

This is why she couldn't believe what Bruce said, her Loki was so gentle. So good.

Eventually her tears slowed and she was able to breathe normally again. "They told me you were here. You used the tesseract to open that portal" she finally whispered.