Lies of Silver, Heart of Gold ~§~ Bucky Barnes

-006-

"I'm almost sure your phone got destroyed in the P.E.G.A.S.U.S. collapse," the director assumes. "I'll ask Stark if he has one he can get you."

Fury leaves the room, and Carina jumps slightly when the door locks behind him with a click.

"Don't worry, Miss Lewis. It's just a precaution," J.A.R.V.I.S. explains. "I'll unlock it when Mr. Fury returns."

Carina sighs with relief at the AI's reassurance and starts stuffing French fries and a hamburger in her mouth with content. She ends up clearing her tray within minutes. Just when she is ready to start thinking of what to say to Darcy, she sees movement in her peripheral vision. She turns to it only to see her former attacker staring right at her. Carina tries to scream, but no sound comes out.

"Oh darling, screaming is pointless. And besides, that stupid voice in the walls can't see or hear me, so maybe we can have a little conversation," Loki says from the chair in the corner.

Carina glares at the figure in front of her. She scrunches her nose in rage and squints her eyes at Loki, which only results in his face appearing confused.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asks.

"Uh— nothing," she says, trying to brush off the failed attempt at intimidation. "What do you want?"

"Information," he replies bluntly. "I would love to know how all this—" he pauses and gestures toward the right half of her body. "—happened, as well as what happened to my lovely scepter. And if you comply, maybe I'll give you something in return."

A dull ringing starts in her ears, but vanishes just as quickly as it came. She blinks away the feeling and ignores it.

"And what the hell do you have to give me? Last I heard, you were being carted off to an eternal prison back on Asgard," she chides, her voice growing slightly angrier.

"You'll have to give me the information I want in order to find out," he says, smirking. Her eardrums ring again, still just as briefly as before.

Carina sighs. Does she really want to bargain with the man who used her for his own benefit? Who held her brain captive for three days and made her build a contraption so he could rule Earth?

Does she have a choice?

"Fine. I'm not really sure how my leg broke," she begins. "I'm assuming I fell off the roof onto the balcony, where I woke up, and landed on my leg. Apparently the doctors had to break it a second time in order to set it properly because it had healed so fast." Carina glances down at her hand and stretches her fingers, wincing as it sends small jolts of pain up her arm. "As for this," she continues as she lifts her entire right hand, "I got struck by lightning."

"Oh? Really now? Interesting," he mutters. "And my scepter? What has become of it?"

"I've been unconscious for three days, plus the three that I was stuck with you, so I can only assume that S.H.I.E.L.D. has it," she answers, silent rage still embedded in her voice. "Now tell me, what do you have to give me?"

"Information for information, right? By the way, that bit about my scepter was a little vague," he comments. "Anyway, it's kind of obvious by the still faint glowing under your skin that you touched the scepter's jewel. I'm guessing you have powers already?"

"No—" she starts, but Loki interrupts her.

"I wasn't done, pet. Based on what you told me, accelerated healing is one of your newfound abilities," he guesses.

Carina leans towards Loki, attempting to read his expression to see if there's more than he's telling her, but she doesn't notice.

"And right now you're trying to figure out if I'm lying, and I have the answer for you: I'm not," he answers.