Monstrous (Avengers Fanfic)

Chapter 17

Previously:

"I give you my word as Lilanne Endora Cecilia Rosanna that I will stay by your side and defend you against any and all foes we might face. May my word be my life. Together we stand and together we fall."

Her words hung heavy in the air, and no-one said anything as Loki stood placidly staring at her as she licked her palm and then his, her saliva spreading her healing ability to him temporarily.

Her eyes were alight with happiness at the promise that she had made, and at the joy she could feel coming from Loki through their new, barely perceivable bond.

But joy was not the only thing that lit her eyes. As she looked up into Loki's eyes, he stared back down into swirling pools of molten gold.

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Short a time as she had known Loki, to Lila, it felt much longer.

Long enough perhaps, for love to grow. Compassion it started, affection it became, the beginnings of a very tentative love it now was. At least, that's what Lila thought the funny warm feeling in her stomach was, that which had her eyes alight with a golden hue.

It wasn't like she had been given much of a chance to experience it before now.

As Loki looked down at her, feeling her - dare he say it - love, through the bond they now shared, he felt conflicted.

He wanted so much to be worthy of her love and devotion, to be worthy of the promise she had made him.

Because that's what is was, a promise.

But was he? A small voice in the back of his mind whispered venomous words.

You're not worthy, the voice scoffed. Look at what you've done, at all of the people you've killed and the minds you've enslaved.

How could she love a monster like you?

Loki pulled his hands out of hers and stepped back. Hurt and confusion flashed through her eyes and their bond.

"What..."

"Why did you do that?" Loki barely whispered, but Lila heard him clearly.

She frowned, confused at the surging emotions she felt radiating from him. "You know why I did it Loki."

"I'm a monster. You've bound yourself to a monster." He could not meet her eyes, those viscous words nagging at him, eating away at his very soul.

In a flash Lila had his head in her hands, her grip gentle but firm as she made him look at her. "We've been through this Loki, you're not a monster. Being different doesn't make you a monster, it simply makes you unique."

Hypocrite. Her mind whispered, referring to her earlier demonstration of how 'monstrous' she was.

Loki gripped her hands between his, phantom ridges from his true form plaguing him. "These hands have been coated in the blood of innocents. Can you truthfully say I'm not a monster?"

"No, Loki! You must have had a reason. Tell me why, why did you kill those people? The truth."

He frowned and shook his head once, then simply smiled like she hadn't spoken.

Loki smiled at her. It was a smile of mischief and compassion, a smile just for her. But something wasn't right.

It was his eyes. He may have been smiling her special smile, but it was wrong.

Because Loki's eyes were green.

The smile had turned menacing with a hint of insanity that was not there before. "Because it was fun." He purred.

Lila's eyes had turned the green that Loki's eyes were supposed to be, betraying her fear.

"You're not my Loki."

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"You're not my Loki."

Nightcrawler, who had teleported back to the conference room to give them some semblance of privacy, suddenly found himself in the grip of one very panicked Clint.

No words needed, Kurt teleported them both.

They appeared a deck above where they were supposed to end up.

"What's wrong?!"

"I-I don't know. I cannot even teleport into the cell-room let alone the cell itself. Something is blocking me."

Clint turned on his heel and took off running. If he just ran fast enough...

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"Not quite darling. But I'll tell you something, he is screaming in my head right now like you wouldn't believe. "Don't hurt her!" " He mocked.

Grinning sinisterly, he cackled, electric blue eyes shining with a maniacal glint. "Oh, but I don't need to. You've bound yourself to me, remember? "May my word be my life", if I recall correctly."

Lila gasped as he roughly grabbed her arm. "Oh no."

"Oh yes."

Lila pulled but it was futile, she couldn't hurt him. "What have you done with Loki?"

"Oh he's in here, but he's not in control. Hasn't been since before he met you, but now I'm back, and I'm back with a bang."

As if on cue, an explosion rang out.

"There goes engine one. Looks like it's time to go." Loki gripped her arm tighter as she pulled frantically.

"No!" Lila cried.

"Sorry little dragon, you follow my orders now. You have no choice."

Lila grasped her head in pain, becoming agonising the more she tried to fight Loki.

The door to the cell-room slid open and Clint came barrelling through it. He stopped with just enough time to look up at Lila's pained expression and her silent sorry as Loki teleported them away.