Beautiful Chaos

{part three | chapter five}

Loki was awake now, sprawled out and tangled in his silken sheets. He stared at the ceiling above his bed, focusing all of his energy on remembering. Remembering what? His dream... She had been there, hadn't she? Lilith... they had spoken, as they always did. Was it different this time? Had something changed? The god brought a hand to his lips, fingertips barely grazing across the soft skin of his mouth. Something had happened. Something different. Why couldn't he remember? Her voice had sounded different to him. Too smooth, too musical. She looked so real, but so otherworldly. Something was wrong... Was she slipping away from him? No, no she couldn't be. He wouldn't let her. He would remember. He would hold onto her for as long as he could, for letting her slip away would be Loki's undoing.

🥀🥀🥀

Three days later, Lilith was sitting on the couch at the foot of her bed with Wanda. They were watching a movie and eating Chinese take out, trying their best to keep their minds off of the Accords. Tony, Rhodey, and Vision had signed the accords already and Clint claimed he was retired. Lilith and Wanda had decided not to sign and were forced to stay home at the compound, ordering in and watching Disney movies to distract themselves. 

The seventeen- and nineteen-year-olds were under the constant watch of Vision. Tony's orders. They had found out two nights ago that they weren't allowed to leave when he and Lilith were in the kitchen. They were making paprikash, a Sokovian dish, to try lifting Wanda's spirits. Wanda told them they were missing an ingredient and the girls had tried to go to the grocery store to get it. Vision wouldn't let them. 

During their time under house arrest, the girls had tried being productive. Lilith helped Wanda with her online high-school courses and Wanda helped Lilith clean the living area of the compound, cook, and train. 

So far, the distractions had worked, and as long as they didn't try to leave, Vision stayed out of their business.

Lilith's phone dinged with a text from Steve: Funeral's over, Nat and Sam say hi.

Lilith frowned slightly and typed a quick but thoughtful reply: I say hi back. I'm sorry, Steve. I love you bunches.

Thank you. I love you too, Lils. 

Lilith sighed and tossed her phone back on the bed behind them, "Poor Steve. He loved her so much... She was all he had when he came out of the ice."

"It's terrible, really," Wanda agreed. There was a moment of silence between them.

"He's not going to sign, you know. Neither is Sam."

"Good. Those Accords are ridiculous." They turned their attention back to the animated movie. The girls spent the rest of the night was spent tossing and turning, before they finally decided to head to the kitchen to cook up a midnight "snack". They waited anxiously for the phone to ring or for vision to tell them that they were being forced to sign the Accords, that claiming they were retired wasn't good enough. They were eating spagghetti and meatballs in Lilith's room, watching 'Tomorrowland'  around five in the morning when Lilith's phone dinged again. It was from Sam.

Turn on the news. Now. Lilith's brow creased as she reached for the remote. 

"What are you-"

"Oh my god..." The newscaster spoke calmly and clearly and Lilith listened intently.

"A bomb hidden inside a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than seventy people have been injured. At least twelve are dead including including Wakanda's king T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes... The Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent-" Wanda clicked off the television.