Broken Beyond Repair

Chapter 2

As soon as Tony's under her spell, Wanda runs up to her friend, grabbing hold of the bars that separate them. He stares at her, his eyes wide with fear, but behind them, she can feel the warmth, the familiarity, even if he doesn't show it. He's relieved to have her here. She knows he is.

"Loki, you must come quickly," Wanda tells him, her voice quiet and rushed. "They are going to tear this building apart. I do not want you caught in the rubble."

Loki doesn't move. She doesn't expect him to. She'd already known this would be much more difficult than a simple directive. She pulls the lock off the door and swings it toward her, then swiftly moves out of its path so she can open it in its entirety.

"Loki, come," she insists. "Pietro and I, we will help you. But you must come quickly, before you're found."

Once again, he remains still. When he doesn't come toward her, she crawls toward him instead, down on her hands and knees to squeeze into his little room. His gaze never strays from her face, and the fear never leaves his eyes. She can only imagine how terrifying this must be to him. SHIELD has never kept him informed as they have Wanda and Pietro. He must be so confused. There's so much happening, and he almost certainly doesn't understand.

She reaches out to him, her arm moving slowly through the space between them so as not to startle him. Her hand cups his face and she gently brushes her thumb over his cheek. Loki's eyes flutter closed, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"This one is new," she says quietly. The dark bruising across his cheek isn't, but the gash that lies on it wasn't there the last time she saw him. She's careful not to touch it, instead letting her fingers hover over it as she gently caresses his face. "It's alright," she whispers. "We will protect you. But I need you to listen to me."

A light breeze blows her hair aside, and she knows before she looks that her brother's arrived by her side. She lowers her hand from her friend's cheek, and though he does not react, she can feel his longing, his desire for her touch. It's a rare occurrence, a gentle touch. In any other situation, she would give him wants he craves, but with the Avengers making their way through the building, every moment spent sitting here is a gamble on their lives.

"He will not come," Wanda tells her brother.

"Did you expect any different?" Pietro asks. He gestures for Wanda to move, and she does just that, crawling backward out of Loki's room to give Pietro a way in. He crawls in and wraps his arms around their friend. "Do not worry. We will take you someplace safe." He scoops him up in his arms and carefully pulls him out of his room. As soon as Pietro's stood up, he takes off, hiding just within view and watching Wanda expectantly.

Wanda quickly closes the door, ensuring the bars are all intact before she follows her brother. It seems they have good timing, because it's very shortly after that when Tony wakes up from his little scarlet dream.

It's always interesting to watch people readjust as her power leaves them. She watches as he regains his composure, speaking into his earpiece as he looks around. He approaches Loki's room, eyeing it cautiously, and Wanda glances at her brother warily. What does Tony Stark want with their friend?

Tony turns around, and, after a comment to his allies through his earpiece, he heads for the scepter. Pietro shoots her a look, silently telling her to do something, but she holds up a hand to stop him. Tony grabs the scepter, pulling it from its stand with a firm tug, and then he's off, presumably on track to meet up with his friends and celebrate their supposed victory.

"You're just going to let them take it?" Pietro hisses.

Wanda just smiles.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Pietro tells her.

All she says is, "I do."

She reaches a hand out, resting it on Loki's forehead. He looks over at her, and she gently brushes through his hair with her fingers. It doesn't help much. His hair is tangled beyond repair. She'd known it from the moment they first met. Still, it's never stopped her from trying. He seems to enjoy it as long as she doesn't pull too hard.

"Where can we go?" Pietro asks.

Wanda shakes her head helplessly. She can't remember the last time she was off the premises. She doesn't know what kinds of places surround them, what safe havens they may stumble upon. She just hopes they find one. She can't imagine that Loki enjoys traveling. He'll doubtlessly want to settle down someplace soon.

The twins both sigh, a quiet sound in an otherwise silent room, and they start walking. They don't know where they'll end up, but as long as it's not at the other end of an Avenger's weapon, it doesn't matter. They'll make do with whatever they find. They'll regroup, they'll let Loki recover from all the stresses of the day, and once they've gathered themselves, they'll watch the Avengers burn.