Glorious Purpose

Chapter Three

Steve was panicking. He felt a strong need to protect this poor little girl and now he has failed her by losing her. He didn't know why he wanted to protect her so bad, other than obligation, but he needed to know that she was safe. What if that was her dying?

He ran out of the interrogation room, heading for where he knew Tony would be: the laboratory. The entire way he was trying to calm himself down, telling himself that Reinette was okay. Reinette was fine. She just disappeared to get away from a situation that caused her to panic. She'll be back.

Then why was he going to Tony to have him use his tech to try to find her?

"Tony!" Steve shouted as soon as he got to the lab. "You've gotta help me, I lost the kid."

Tony looked up at Steve incredulously. "What do you mean you lost her?! We just got her, Cap!"

Steve huffed in annoyance, fidgeting a little as he was losing his cool. He was supposed to be the calm one. The strategist. Now he's losing his cool for some kid he found at a HYDRA base? What was going on? "I know we just got her, Stark. She was panicking!"

"I told you that interrogating her-"

"That wasn't what caused it!" Steve snapped, throwing his arms up in the air. "She's got a past with Bucky, Tony. A bad one." Tony snorted, thinking about how Reinette and him have that in common. "Don't. Start. She was panicking because I mentioned him, I didn't know she would react that way! And then she spoke-"

"She said she was mute."

"Telepathically! God, would you let me get a word out? Just use your tech, see if you can locate anywhere recently that had a massive fire. She was burning up before she disappeared."

With that, Tony got to searching on every database he could. Every satellite, including his own, trying to trace where heat signatures had gone up tremendously.

Reinette reappeared in a strange room with black all over the walls. She was still panicking and still on fire, and now she was panicking even more due to being in a strange room when she was literally just in the interrogation room with Steve. What is happening to me?

She was still holding on, scared to let out the inferno within her. She closed her eyes tight, her arms wrapped around herself in an effort to physically force herself to conceal it. Don't let it win. You're okay, Reinette. You've been through worse. Just MAKE IT STOP.

"Lady Reinette," a voice behind her startled her, causing her to whip around and throw a fireball at the source of the voice. Luckily, the man who said her name dodged it and held his hands up in surrender. Loki? "I am trying to aid you. Listen to my voice, Lady Reinette. Close your eyes, and just listen."

Reinette had no idea how she was suddenly with Loki, but she nodded and closed her eyes again. She held her breath, too scared that if she breathed the wrong way she would accidentally let go and hurt Loki.

"Breathe, first of all," Loki demanded her gently. "You cannot keep the inferno inside of you. It's going to come out one way or another. I am going to teleport the both of us somewhere safe, somewhere where you can let go. Then I will teach you how to store your power until the right time."

"Won't I hurt you?" Reinette struggled to ask telepathically. It was taking everything from her to hold onto her powers. "I don't want to hurt you. I can't- and what if this safe place still has people around? What if-"

"Do not think of the what ifs. Just trust me, and give me your hand," Loki held out a hand to her, but Reinette couldn't stop the inferno on her hand. She shook her head, not wanting to burn him. "Do not worry, Lady, I have a shield on my hand." She hesitated but quickly put her hand in his, a warm tingly sensation going up her arm. It's just the fire, not because of him.

Suddenly the two of them were in a desert. Reinette watched a green shield cover Loki as her powers suddenly took over and fire burst through her limbs. It didn't burn her of course, but it still hurt. The raw energy pouring out of her was painful, tears were streaking down her cheeks as she silently screamed in pain.

What Reinette didn't know was that she was screaming inside her mind and projecting it to any living being within a 20 mile radius of her. Loki fell to his knees holding his hands over his ears tightly while maintaining his shield, although he knew it wouldn't do anything since she was screaming into his mind. His eyes watered a little as that was the loudest transmission he had ever heard.

Suddenly all was quiet and the flames disappeared. Loki let down his shields as he collapsed completely to the ground, his head pounding and ears ringing. What in the nine realms? He looked over at Reinette and worry was immediately etched onto his features as he saw that she was laying in an unconscious heap on the desert sand.

He stood up eventually when his head wasn't pounding as bad and walked over to the powerful girl. He knelt down beside her and checked her pulse, a sigh of relief releasing from within him as he felt her steady heartbeat. He grabbed her hand and with the wave of his hand, teleported the pair to Stark Tower again.

-

The pair of troublemakers appeared in the living room, Loki holding onto an unconscious Reinette. As soon as the pair arrived, all eyes turned onto the two of them, worry etched across their faces.

"We've been looking for Reinette everywhere! Where did you find her? How did you find her?" Steve breathed a sigh of relief once he saw Reinette's steady breathing. "What happened?"

Loki waited for the bombardment of questions to cease, an irritated look on his features. "If you are finished, I will gladly answer any of your questions." The room went silent, so he continued, "I could sense Lady Reinette's powers overtaking her as she was being questioned. I knew it was either let her blow up the whole building or take her to a safe place where she could let go of her powers. She is frightened, and from what I can tell, her powers are still very new to her. At least the fire, that is. With such a powerful element at her disposal, I do believe we should be careful not to upset her for the time being. Captain," Loki's eyes turned towards Steve, "I understand that you wish to interrogate Lady Reinette further. Might I suggest waiting a day or two for her to settle in? She must feel safe with all of us in order for her to talk to us without panicking as she did today. I do not believe we want a repeat of that."

Everyone looked down for a moment, none of them saying it, but they all agreed with Loki. It made sense that Reinette would need a while to cope with everything she has been through. "She gets two days, that's it." Steve settled, the closest thing anyone would do to admitting that Loki was right.

The Trickster God didn't mind though. He knew that none of the Avengers, save for his brother, would ever put their trust into him. He had become the monster that they feared and he was only here to make amends for his actions. He understood that it was a terrible thing, attempting to take over New York. He felt bad anytime he would walk the streets and parents would pull their kids to the other side of the street, not that he could blame any of them. He would probably do the same thing if he were in their shoes.

"Where shall I take Reinette?" The god wanted to no longer take part in a conversation that he obviously was only welcomed into by force. "Does she have her own bed chambers?"

Tony nodded and walked over to the Trickster, a wave of his hand telling Loki to follow him. Tony led Loki to where Reinette's bedroom was, opening the door so that Loki could place her down gently on the bed. Reinette's breathing was slow and steady, just the slightest hint of a snore escaping her. She looked so peaceful and angelic.

"C'mon, Reindeer Games, let's leave her to rest," Tony's hand was placed hesitantly on Loki's shoulder. Loki nodded and moved some of Reinette's hair out of her face before standing straight again and walking out of her room. He went across the hall to his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., let me know when Reinette wakes up," Tony mumbled before leaving Reinette's room as well, leaving the poor girl to rest.