The Shapeshifter | Loki Fanfic

Part 9

Familiar boot stomps on the floor woke her up from yet another nightmare, only she knew she was about to live a nightmare awake.

The man didn't bother to speak, just picked up the chain attached to her collar and tugged, forcing her to shakily stand up on all four paws.

She could barely stand—let alone attempt to fight back and escape from this place that was most definitely not SHIELD. How this group accomplished this kidnapping under Fury's nose was unknown to her but she attempted to store information until she was rescued.

If she was rescued.

Every person she came in contact with wore tactical gear with a patch sown in. It seemed to be a picture of some kind of skull octopus—or a hydra, since they called out "Hail Hydra" as a form of greeting to each other.

A whimper escaped her as the man strapped her down on a table, the shackles painfully cold against her skin. The same dark-skinned man in a white coat she had seen everyday mumbled nonsense to himself while poking her with needles. Each one caused a shock of electricity that had her jolting on the table.

It was hard to keep track of the days she had been kept there but it seemed to be about two weeks. Every day was another form of torture meant to destroy her.

Pretending to be strong was hopeless at that point. She had no energy to conceal the screams that ripped out of her.

"I do truly apologize, I wish you would just give in, you would feel no more pain."

Sometimes she really wanted to give in, but she held on. Held on harder than she has ever done.

"No," she cried, but she wasn't sure any noises actually came out.

"Bring the torch." He sighed, like it pained him to torture her.

———

I sat in the laboratory searching through the computer with Stark. It had taken a little while to figure out how to use it, but after I did it was easy.

"Loki come here," I turned my head to Stark, who leaned back in his chair, looking at his computer. I stood up and walked over, "What is this?"

"Those are Hydra bases."

I gave him a confused look, "Wasn't Hydra defeated years ago?"

"I guess not."

"And you think Cassie is there?"

Stark nodded, "It has to be one of these." He then pulled up security footage from a month ago. "But I found this video..."

A truck, one that looked very similar to the one Cassie was taken in, drove up to a building and stopped. The back of the truck was blocked from the view of the camera, but you could clearly see two men pulling a white scrap of fur into the building.

"Raise the volume," I ordered. He gave me a weird look, but listened and played it again.

"N-no no stop!" Cassie shrieked.

The two men cackled, "The Avengers- they'll- they'll find me!"

"Because they care about you now?" One of the men said in a baby voice, clearly sarcastic. "They think you're safe with SHEILD."

The men pulled her in while she screamed, "Help! HELP! Someone help!!"

The video ended and I frowned. That was clearly her.

"Friday, tell everyone to go to the living area. We're going to get Cassie," Stark said, standing up and leaving the room with a determined expression.

I felt the pressure on my chest—that I hardly realized was there because I had gotten so used to it—lessen. We found her. I knew I would not leave again until I was sure she was out and safe in my arms.

I made a promise to myself that I would keep her safe in the future. I just hoped I could keep it.

———

Cassie shot her snout up from the bucket, trying to reach air. The man pulled her up and out of the water right in time before she would have drowned. Her ears stung and her vision was blurry.

"Will you change back?"

Cassie gave a weak growl, "Never." Like she said every time they asked her.

The man sighed, "Take her back to her cell."

The other man held a taser out to her, ready to zap her if she did anything, but she just led him to her cell, and sat down in it. The man quickly closed the door, letting out a sigh of relief. He quickly left and Cassie was alone once more.

It was slowly getting harder to keep up hope that the Avengers would save her. She was just so...tired. Cassie sighed, curling up and going to sleep. Sleep was the only time she could feel ok. When she wasn't having nightmares—which wasn't often that they left her alone—she was relaxed as she slept.

Cassie has tried over and over again to shift to a different animal and escape, but the collar around her neck now made it so she couldn't shift or use any magic. The only way she could shift, would be to give in and join them. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.

———

I paced the ship as it flew. We were headed to the Hydra base where Cassie was kept with a handful of the Avengers. I just couldn't sit still. It felt like it was taking forever to get there.

"Reindeer Games, for fuck's sake, stop pacing! You're stressing me out too," Stark grumbled.

I scowled at him. He should be stressed. When I got there I would release my fury on those agents. They would regret ever touching her.

I held up my hands to him, "Will you just take these off so I'm not useless here?"

Stark scoffed, "As if. Those are staying on. I still can't trust you."

I sighed, brushing a hand through my hair, frustrated.

"You can give it to him for a certain amount of time, then have them turn on," Black Widow suggested.

Stark turned to glare at him, "I still don't trust him."

"Man of iron, please just give my brother his magic for this mission," Thor joined in.

Stark sighed and nodded, and I gave a grateful look to Thor, who smiled back at me. As we landed Stark said, "Friday, unlock Rudolf's power restricters until we make it back to the ship. Probably less than an hour."

The AI listened to him, and the dampeners were turned off. I flexed my wrists, sighing in relief. When they were turned on, it felt as if a part of me was missing and it felt amazing to have it back.

At any other time I would have escaped right then and there, but I needed to get Cassie back. I had a feeling I would regret not taking the chance now.

Clint was watching me like a hawk as if he expected me to teleport away any second. But to be fair, I would too.