Captured Lightning (An Avengers / Loki Fanfiction)

The Fight

"I'm not in the mood for games," I growled, narrowing my eyes at the demi-god. Fury had left us to 'sort out our differences' and it wasn't going smoothly. We stood awkwardly in the middle of the training room, unsure as to how to advance our work relationship.

"We're here to do a job, let's just do our best to tolerate each other and nothing else," I snapped.

"Suits me, Potts" he grinned, "But just for future reference, I'd prefer you didn't wear that coat. It's too patriotic for my liking."

"Ohhh, fine then! If it bothers you so much..." I tore Steve's leather jacket from my shoulders and threw it to the floor.

He chuckled as he looked over my body.

"What?" I spat, glaring at his grinning face.

"I see why you were wearing it. You look like a common harlot dressed like that," he chuckled with bemused features.

The growl that slipped from my mouth even frightened me.

"Talk to me like that again, Laufeyson, and I'll make sure you regret it"

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Ohh I doubt that!"

Before I could control myself, I leapt forward, grabbing his leather vest and swinging around to bring my fist into contact with his nose.

He chuckled, obviously not feeling the pain I was hoping to reap on him.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked, stretching his arms as I ripped the gloves from my hands.

I leapt forward again, bringing my bare digits to his neck.

He didn't flinch.

I concentrated. Turning to the highest voltage I could manage without turning into airborne electricity.

He flinched slightly, but had no further reaction. This made no sense! If I'd done this to anyone else, I'd have killed them in a heartbeat.

But he wasn't human.

And this wasn't working.

In one swift movement, he grabbed my arm and flung me onto the floor.

I raised my hand forward and concentrated hard, but before I could aim an electric beam at him, fifty Loki's appeared around me.

"You've got your work cut out for you, Potts" fifty Loki's cooed.

I climbed to my feet, and with both hands conducted all fifty Loki's high into the air.

I thrust my hands rapidly to the left, ramming all fifty into the left wall. With a loud thump, forty-nine disappeared, leaving the real Loki dangling high above.

"Electricity..." he mused from his hanging position, "Unreliable and temperamental. Blocking energy was one of the first things my mother taught me."

I glared, hoping that somehow looks really could kill.

"Being the 'brother' of the god of thunder was probably an incentive?" I sneered.

"Of course it was, Pet."

I was absolutely positive we'd kill each other.

"You have no humanity left in you," I shouted.

"That's the difference between you and I" he marveled, throwing me a look of disgust. "At least I am willing to accept my lacking of. You grapple your way through life, desperate to prove everyone of you're humility, when you are no better than I"

Angry tears formed in my eyes.

"You may think you're past is forgotten, Potts. But don't be so sure. I know what happened in 1998, even if SHIELD doesn't."

My sharp intake of breath was enough to encourage him.

"You'd do well to grovel at my feet, mortal. Do you think Fury would have you on the team if he knew?"

A crowd had gathered in the viewing room. I flinched. I didn't want them to hear this. There were things in the past that were better left untouched.

I could see Barton and Romanoff eyeing each other.

"Our pasts always catch up with us in the end" he cooed softly.

With tears in my eyes, I flicked my fingers forward and collided Loki with the ceiling with a whack. I could see Steve through the glass; he didn't seem impressed by my situation.

My thoughts of Steve were enough to warrant a loss of attention on Loki.

With a loud crack, I was thrown against the far wall with the force of a wrecking ball. I winced as my back made contact with the concrete.

When my eyes came into focus again, he wasn't hovering near the ceiling anymore. He was crouched low, with a glowing blue ball of energy held in his hand.

"Thank you for charging my power. You're my personal battery in a way, Potts."

I stood slowly, trying to assess whether I'd broken anything.

He wasn't finished with me though.

He raised both hands and closed his eyes in concentration.

I let out a scream of shock. My brain felt as if acid was being tipped over it. I grasped my hair, trying anything to stop the pain. Another scream escaped my mouth. I was burning. I could feel his presence in my thoughts.

My palms and knees were flat against the ground.

Past images flashed before my eyes as he flicked through my memories like pages of a book. My childhood, Frigga visitng, the accident, my father dying, running away from home, Pepper, my new life in New York, the Avengers.

I gasped for air.

I couldn't take anymore.

The murder, blood covered hands, the slums, my mangled body, the smell of gasoline, running, bullets, the desert, children crying, and Tony Stark.

The secrets of my past.

I didn't want to relive those moments. I screamed a mangled shout for help.

The sound of crashing glass filled the air.

The burning evaporated instantly.

I looked up through blurry eyes and saw two figures, one with a red billowing cape and hammer, and the other a shield. A disconcerted Loki was at their feet.

Then everything was black.

......

White light.

The humming of the infirmary room.

A stiff sensation in my back.

I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly to bring the room into focus.

Steve was beside me.

"Hey there, how are you feeling Rose?"

"Sore," I admitted, "What happened?"

"Loki had you screaming in pain on the training room floor" his eyes glazed over, "I didn't know what to do. It looked like he was torturing you. Thor and I had to tackle him to the ground. Fury's not pleased.

"You were unconscious for four hours. One more move like that, and Thor says he'll take him back to the Asgard prison for good. Thor spoke to him for a good three hours."

There was a knocking on the infirmary door, and Thor appeared.

"I've spoken to my brother," he murmured. "He has something to say. Would you be polite enough to allow him? I know he neither deserves your kindness or forgiveness, yet he still feels he needs to speak to you."

"Let him in," I murmured against my better judgment.