The Spark That Never Dies Part: Three

Chapter Nine

"Yelena! Oh my god, Yelena."

Natasha's voice was dulled in your ears, but she got her out of the suit and into your assassin's arms.

Safe.

You held out for as long as you could, but the blood loss paired with whatever that man gave you made it all too much, and now that you knew your daughter was back with Natasha, you let unconsciousness take you for about the third time in a couple of days.

When you woke up, you were in your own bed back at the cabin, your home, and you sat up, looking around. It was the same, had everything you and Natasha shared, photos, clothes, furniture to hold said things, and the memories etched into the walls, but there was something off. You looked down at yourself, seeing the bandages over where you had been shot and wondered how long you've been out because surely you had needed surgery after all that.

It's a miracle you're alive in general.

But there was still something wrong, something in the air that told you this wasn't right, but maybe it wasn't a terrible dream for once or maybe this was just because you're still in surgery. You looked for your phone but couldn't find it and that's when you noticed something that was hanging off the bedpost the morning Natasha left for her mission was missing.

She'd scold you for being so careless as to leave it out in the open for Yelena to find and question, but you were too sleepy to remember that morning. Plus, whenever she left for her missions, you'd usually end up crashing on the couch or Yelena would ask you to sleep in a fort or tent with her outside under the stars, so it was more out of sight out of mind.

But not right now.

Your fingers ghosted over where the item would've been and the whole room shifted, almost like it disappeared under the wrong touch, making you jerk your hand back in realization.

"Loki." You whispered and a slow clap started from near the doorway, making you snap your attention to it.

"What did I forget, hm?" He mused with raised eyebrows, eyeing where you reached out, "Dream catcher of some sorts? Maybe an article of clothing?"

"Handcuffs." You smirked and he widened his eyes before looking amused.

"Promiscuous." He nodded approvingly.

"So, what is this?" You asked, getting out of bed, and he put a hand up to stop you, "What're you doing here and why is this all a trick?"

"Thor asked me to come," He rolled his eyes at the mere thought of doing his brother a favor, "Something about not wanting to freak you out."

"Freak me out?" You furrowed your eyebrows, looking around in a slight panic, and the worst was already coming to mind, "Consider me freaked. Now, where's Natasha and Yelena?"

"Safe." He assured, the word taking you back to that cold room where you let yourself go when you knew they'd be okay.

Then you eyed the trickster carefully, wondering why this charade had to be put up in the first place, trying not to freak you out, if everything was okay, and then you realized.

"Am I...dying?"

He pursed his lips and you let your eyes flutter closed, giving it all a small, accepting nod.

"Y/n-"

"No, it's okay," You shook your head with a sad smile, opening your eyes again, "Because they're safe, like you said, and I'm trusting you," You pointed an accusatory finger at him with a teasing look and he smiled lightly, "So, it's okay. That was the point, get Yelena out and back to us – or Nat, whatever it takes."

He folded his hands in front of him, bowing his head slightly, and then turned to leave.

"Stay in this room," He advised with warning lacing his tone as he barely glanced over his shoulder, "If you walk out, you might not like what you find."

"Naked Gary Busey?" You smirked and he chuckled before vanishing.

You sighed deeply, plopping back down on the bed, and taking your time to look around.

Well, if this was the last place you'd go before your forever sleep, it could be worse.

You got up after a few minutes and strolled around, running your hands over everything you could, smiling sadly at the memories you made, but more because of the ones you wouldn't get to. When you got to the window, you peered out, and realized why he didn't want you to leave.

You saw yourself, a younger version – maybe four years old, playing in what looked like the park next to your old apartment, and messing around with the discarded toys other kids left behind.

You squinted, not remembering this, and then watched as you hid your hands behind your back when your mother shouted for you to come in for dinner.

You were giggling, like a small child would with such a big secret, and then turned around, doing something in your hands before spinning back to face the house. You now had a hamster in your hands and your own, real, adult ones, went over your mouth as you continued to watch.

"Ma, look!" Your younger self shouted, holding the hamster up like on the Lion King with Simba, "I found a hamster!"

You started running towards the house in excitement when she didn't hear you, but then tripped on a rock and before you could drop the little creature, he vanished into thin air. You looked down at your hands in disappointment and sadness before you peered up into the window where you now stood with anger flashing across your little face.

You stepped back, not even sure what you just saw, and then sat down when the backs of your knees hit the bed.

"What the hell?" You whispered into the air, wondering if you had been wrong about this all along.

"You never stood a chance against Hydra." Loki's voice came from the doorway again, but your eyes were still darting across the floor in front of you.

"What is this place?"

"They took you because you were born with something else and your parents knew it," He ignored your question and your breathing picked up, your blood starting to boil underneath your skin, "They might've given you the gifts you had, or have," He chuckled and you glared over at him, "But you were born with a type of...well, let's just say I know the type."

"I've never done illusions." You gritted between your teeth.

"No," He shook his head firmly with a frown, "But you could read minds and had an active one yourself at a young age," He quirked an eyebrow challengingly, but when you didn't object, he continued, "You buried that inside yourself, ashamed of how you used it to get what you wanted or to make it, so you never got told no, knowing the answer before you uttered the question."

"I don't use that side of my powers because it's manipulative and invasive." You insisted.

"Never thought to use it on the Black Widow before?"

"Thought about it, but I'd never do it."

"You were born with that," He pointed towards you sternly, "And the hamster, the tricks, illusions, what ever you prefer to label them, they're all just for yourself."

"Why're you doing this?"

"I told you, Thor -"

"Bullshit!" You yelled, putting your hands up and throwing a purple sphere his way, but it just passed through him.

Your chest was heaving as you looked down at your hands in a panic, but when you peered back up at the smug looking trickster, you felt regretful and lost.

"You could never truly abandon that part of yourself."

"You're not Loki," Your eyes were glowing now, your faded purple hair was becoming darker, and he seemed to be frightened as he watched you, but then his face fell to a familiar one you've seen before, "...Wanda?"