Sinbound: Variants

Part 10

I walk up to the glass of the variant's cage. On my way there I had kept my demonic appearance, plus the horns and wings. I want to show this girl that we are the same thing. I slam my hand on the glass and yell, "Hey!"

She turns around, jumping at the sudden sound of my fist and my yell. She looks like hell. Her eyes look sunken in and dark, and her hair is all frizzy and messed up. Her lips are dry and cracked, and I can tell she's been scratching at her wrists in order to get out of the cuffs we put on her.

"What do you want?" She asks, her voice hoarse and raw.

"What do you?" I ask, lowering my hand.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She says, picking herself up and walking towards me. 

"You were there that day in New York after the fall of Asgard. Surely you saw me..."

"I did. You looked... not yourself."

I scoff at her. "Yeah, and you are?"

"I'm the sane side of you. Look at us right now. Who looks normal, and who looks like fucking Maleficent?"

"Bold talk for someone who looks like shit." I say, arching my eyebrow in a judgmental expression. She sneers at me, looking down at the dry blood that cracks when she moves her wrists.

"You think you have everything. You have Loki, you have power, you have respect. But do you not have any fucking dignity left?" She narrows her eyes at me.

"What are you talking about? Of course I do. It's you locked inside this cage and not me, isn't it?"

"Isn't it?" She echoes me, a creepy smile spreading across her lips.

I back away a step or two. I've never seen myself this deranged, even on my worst days. "I'll ask you again, what do you want?"

"I want my life back. You took everything from me!"

"I am you! Look, we can play reindeer games all day if you want, but if you want the life I have, then be obedient for once in your life and give me my magic back!" I plea, getting angry.

"It's not that simple!"

"Why the fuck not!?" I yell at her, coming back up and punching the glass. 

"Oh... you don't want to do that." She says, smiling again and wiggling her finger at me. "Don't break that glass, Ayca."

"Why isn't it that simple?" I ask again, but she doesn't answer. "TELL ME!" I scream, but she just backs away, turns around and sits cross legged again. "Ugh, you fucking bitch!" I say, taking in my wings and horns to return to my human self again.

"Takes one to know one." The variant sneers. I walk away and back down the hallway, collapsing on a couch in an empty room. I thought I was alone until a hear someone speak to me.

"She's a treat, no?" I sit up, startled by the voice.

"Where the hell did you come from?" I ask Bucky, who's sitting dead still in a chair across the room.

"Brooklyn." 

"No, I mean... ugh, never mind." I say, laying back down on the couch. "I thought I could reason with her. Get through to her somehow."

"Sometimes your alter ego won't listen to reason."

"Won't, or can't?"

"You know, they warned me about your impulse control."

"Excuse you?" I ask, sitting up. "Who warned you?"

"Romanoff and Stark. But I wouldn't worry about that doll," He says, his face changing from serious to slightly charming, "Seems like everyone around here has their fair share of control issues."