✔𝚨 𝚸𝛐𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

Chapter 23

I lost who I was,
forgot myself in the hands of someone
who didn't know how to treat me.
I'm slowly undoing their devastations,
unfolding my corners and picking up the pieces
that were chiselled away.

I lost who I was,
or maybe a better word is misplaced.
because I found myself again and
 this time -
like a glistening shell found
hidden in the sand -
I am placing myself
in my hands
and never letting go

"An impressive cage, but not built, I think, for me." Loki's voice sounded over the speakers from the cell they had put him in. He had already scoped out the cameras and were looking directly into them, knowing they would be watching from the bridge.

"A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to protect you?" There was a slight jerk of her head. That last jab was meant for her. Melora pushed away from her seat around the table, shaking her head as she walked up to Thor who looked deep in thought.

"How's Frigga and Odin?" She asked, leaning up against a railing there, and Thor cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Why would you care? You left Asgard behind," he scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, chin turned upwards.

"There was someone here I cared about," she said, taken aback by the hostility he was showing. She had thought he would be more understanding.

"And that warrants turning your back on everything? You left – without a word, nothing," Thor said, glaring at her and she furrowed her eyebrows stepping down.

"Have you even tried to understand what it was like?" She asked, letting out a huff as she raised her voice. "I was born with the only purpose of marrying you or your brother! But he did nothing but lie to me! Manipulate me and make me believe I was crazy for not liking it."

Natasha and Steve were piqued by her words, neither of them ever getting the full story and not in this capacity. This was probably closer than they would ever get. Melora knew Thor wasn't good with emotion, but it should be clear to him why she decided to leave.

"He made me lose all the faith I had, and then made me think I was crazy for not having any," she said, backing slightly down and not wanting to draw any more attention to herself than she already had. "He told me I was a childish fool so I did the childish thing and left. Sorry."

There was nothing but contempt in her voice, and it was clear that she was far from sorry. Thor did uncross his arms, and Melora angrily walked back to the table, sitting down in her seat once again and staring out into nothing with arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Well, he grows on you, doesn't he?" Dr Banner asked, standing slightly hunched over and wanting to break the awkward tension now in the air.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve said, warily watching her as she took out a tiny seed and started rolling it between her fingers. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri," Thor said and Melora looked up, letting out a heavy breath. Of course, it was the damn Chitauri. "They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth, in return, I suspect for the tesseract."

"An army," Steve slowly nodded. "From outer space."

"So, he's building another portal," Dr Banner stated, taking off his glasses and gesturing with them. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."