Time Unchanging

Chapter 31

*TW: Drugging, SA*

This chapter is not as graphic as the last, showing only small parts of the triggers mentioned.

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Eva clung to Nat. God, the Widow loved the pills she was giving the blond. Stolen from SHIELD, who had them due to their unethical nature and hidden from the world, Nat was putting them to good use on the new super soldier. Yet, here she was, a 5'5" woman clinging to the redhead in fear. All she needed was another month, and Steve's Eva would be gone. Nat's good girl would be all that remained. Her Eva.

"Natty?" the blond asked, tears in her voice.

Thinking fast, Nat said, "I'll take care of it, but I need to make sure you stay here."

The Widow pointed to the bed. Eva began crying even as she ran obediently to follow orders. No matter how she protested, the super soldier could not go against what Nat dictated.

"But I was good!" Eva said, moving her hands and feet into position for Nat to cuff to the bed. "Please! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"This is for your own good," Nat said harshly, finishing up by gagging Eva, who tried to "test" if she could escape. "Look how pretty you are, tied up and at my mercy." She caressed Eva's face before her hand moved down to grip the tender flesh of the blond's breast, earning a cry of pleasure-pain. "When I deal with the problem, I will have to come play with you like this."

However, her hand never left the super soldier's body, wanting a preview of what she was envisioning in her head.

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Elsewhere, Thor ran through the corridors, saying, "Loki! Where are you? Come out! I am in no mood for your games!"

Did he dare hope? Did Loki believe it was really his brother? After all this time and watching-

Taking a chance, Loki said, "You came? Thor! Brother! I am here!"

Thor broke the door down and stopped in the middle of the room, looking at the state his brother was in before asking, "What trick is this? Why are you in a cage? And what is on your neck?"

Tears of joy came to Loki's face. He didn't care if it was a hallucination. If it was, it meant he would have some kind of escape. He laughed even as he wept. Thor had never seen Loki like this. Perhaps it was not as the alert had stated. Maybe the God of Mischief was asking for aid.

At that moment, a dark-haired man in a black coat came in. Loki didn't personally know him, but Eva did. Bucky stopped short of entering the room, recognizing what had happened in the one-plus year his friend had been kidnapped.

"You have no idea how..." Loki said, not moving from his mat. "I never-" Then he remembered where he was, why they lured the Avengers to them, and sadly, what the emotions would bring if SHE found out. Before he could stop himself, he said something Thor rarely heard, and it only showed the torment his brother had suffered. "Sorry." He saw the look of sadness in the Thunder God's eyes and shook his head. "I'll explain everything, but we need to get Eva. Who knows what she's enduring."

Whatever held Bucky trapped at the door was thrown off as he stomped up to the bars and glared at Loki as he said, "Don't call her that! Only those she-"

He stopped. He suffered with her, ran through the soldier's mind as shock registered on his face. He watched as Loki stood up, the look of one trying to hide any pain from others overtaking the god's features. Pain, emotion, and any type of relationship the captors would use against their victims. What had Eva and Loki been forced to watch? Do? Become? Bucky felt a need to protect Loki, seeing himself when he escaped HYDRA. They had to get to Eva.

Trying to put on a hard face, Loki said, "I mean no harm to the Avengers. I want to help my friend finally escape."

It was true, Eva had only been there a week longer than he had, but Loki had to put her first. She had been the main target of a psychopath. He had landed at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bucky looked over the once-feared man. Eva came first. It was because of her they had come to the "safe" house in the first place.

"Fine," Bucky replied, "but try anything, and I'll end you myself."

The soldier knew it was an empty threat. Loki gave a nod. It spoke volumes to the two men outside the cell, more than the god knew. It told them the collar shut off his powers, and he could no longer tell if anyone was lying. That was how Nat had gained the upper hand on him.

Thor used Mjollnir and broke open the door. Loki's bare feet slapped against the concrete as he ran through the safe house. He had to find Eva. The rooms changed randomly, depending on HER mood that day. As he searched, he grabbed some things that confused the two men following him. There seemed to have no reason for why he needed them, other than a pair of shoes and keys. Though, Bucky did question the syringe with a gold liquid inside.

After five minutes, they found Steve, also just arriving at a door. He saw Loki and got his shield ready. Loki stopped five feet from him. Bucky stopped Thor the same distance behind, seeing how the raven-haired god stiffened at being closed in.

"What is he doing here?" Steve demanded.

"To help," Loki replied, trying to fight his fear and the trap his mind was setting. "Allow me."

Bucky motioned for Steve to move back. Confused, Steve moved back at the same pace as Loki. After unlocking the door, Steve moved past the god, who shrunk back, leaning against the door frame. His knuckles were white as he gripped the metal as if waiting. Bucky set his metal hand on Loki's shoulder, knowing that the lack of flesh actually helped in this situation. That's all it took for Loki to start to return to the task at hand and run into the room without looking at the men with him.

They ran and caught up with Steve as he opened the doors. They all stopped dead when they entered a bedroom-like setting. Eva struggled to break free, though Loki knew that if she were at full strength, the blond woman could easily destroy the bindings.

"Evelyn!" Steve called out.

For a brief moment, he was reminded of when he saw Bucky again for the first time. There was no recognition in Eva's green eyes. It sent anger through him. At the same time, Nat seemed to be moving in fast forward, grabbing a gun as she stood and pointing it at Captain America.

"How did you-" she began but then saw the pale god behind Steve. "Loki."

She couldn't give a moment to think of how he had done it as Steve growled, "I should have known you were part of this." He didn't fully trust Loki to not have a hand in Eva's torment. "Let her go, Nat."

"I saved her." She held the gun more firmly when Steve took a step forward. "She's mine."

Loki couldn't hold in his pain and anger another second and yelled, "Is that what you call it? You tortured and brainwashed her! I had to listen to her suffer! You made her your glorified sex toy!"

Devastation washed through the three men. Steve knew then that Loki had also endured some abuse alongside Eva. Steve fought the tears that threatened to fall, Bucky looked horrified that his past had been repeated on Loki and Eva, and Thor removed a tear that had started to cascade down his cheek

Nat reiterated, "She is mine now. You can't have her."