The Reluctant Hero

The Set-Up - Chapter 4

      When I open my eyes, it's always like waking from a long dream. I blink for a long time not only to clear my eyes but to try and clear my fuzzy brain. I look around and try to take in my surroundings. The familiar beeps of medical machines monitoring me fill the room. I've awakened to this scene several times, though I have no idea how many times since they take most of my memories.

     Dejavu. This felt like Dejavu. I swear this just happened. Didn't it? That doesn't make sense though. I've often woken up in this scenario but this room and details are so familiar. I try to remember but my head hurts. Before I can try to sort things out, my handler walks in. I know his face. My expression stoic, I give him my full attention and wait for his words as I've been trained. He looks at me oddly and doesn't speak. He seems confused. 

     Something is bothering me about this. A nagging feeling something is wrong but I can't pinpoint what. Finally, he speaks. "Mission Report?"

     I start to answer him, but I realize I can't remember the mission. I can't remember the last thing I did. My headache increases as I try to remember. He looks impatient. I don't want punishment. I really can't remember.

     "Mission Report!" he demands. I feel the panic creeping in. There's not much worse than your mind being blank, except perhaps bearing their wrath when you don't comply. I can hear the machines increase with my heart rate. Crap. They are going to think I'm withholding information. A memory of a woman with red hair flashes. Pain. I remember the pain. I see glimpses of Falcon firing on us. My head hurts so much I close my eyes to block out the light. My wrists are restrained to the bed, but that's not uncommon. I groan as I try to remember.

     He slaps me and white explosions of pain flash in my eyes. I feel like vomiting. "Report!"

     "I can't remember. We...we were pursued. I acquired the samples. The Avengers...they came."

     I dry heave but manage to keep control. I look at him again and his expression is almost like concern. My brain flashes an image of his face, covered in blood laying on the ground. There's the problem. He's dead. I think he's dead. Then who is this? Was I captured? 

     My expression must have given me away because the imposter quickly walked up to me and injected something into my neck. The last thought I had before passing out, was at least I wouldn't feel my headache for a while.

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     Loki looks at the woman's now peaceful form and stalks out of the fake set of the hospital room to the control room Stark is monitoring. He removes the illusion of the woman's handler and said, "Your farce isn't working. Far be it for me to discourage a good set of torture but I thought that was a crime for one of your self-proclaimed heroes. You are harming her more with this ruse."

     "Well perhaps if you have a better idea, enlighten me horn head! I'm recreating something she's familiar with and you are projecting a familiar face so she doesn't clam up. I've repaired the neurons I can while she's resting but I don't know how to pull out memories they've buried deeper than Captian Kidd's treasure. We know from experience just talking to her and explaining things doesn't work. They've been conditioned for that," Tony says rubbing his neck exasperated. 

     "Perhaps instead of trying to get her to talk to her captors and controllers as we've done these couple of weeks, we need to get her to talk to a compatriot."

     "Barnes already told us she wouldn't know him. They didn't cross paths in Hydra."

     "I'm thinking someone more famous. Someone she doesn't have to actually know, to know," he said smugly. 

     "I think I get what you're saying, and I see where you're going with this but even if we can set a good scene, why would she talk to you? I mean she was just their puppet. What would be believable that she'd be thrown with you and talk?"

     "Oh, I'll come up with something. Anything is better than running this madness over and over. I grow weary of these useless games and my patience is wearing thin. Why not let the God of Mischief take a crack at it?"

     Tony was skeptical, but Loki had a point. In the last two weeks, they'd only managed to get her to remember those vague details of her last mission or for her to catch on and just stare blankly at nothing. Perhaps the king of lies would be better suited for this and if that didn't work, they could still try explaining things to her and see what happened. They had nothing to lose but time. 

     "Fine. Let's go figure out how you want to do this. I'm warning you though, if this is another of your plots, even your brother won't be able to save you. Got it?"

     Loki tilted his head up at the threat and grinned. This Midguardian had spunk. It was amusing. For now. "I understand," he answered deviously.