The Asgardian Outcast {Book I}

Chapter 35

(Loki's PoV)

I sat there in shock about what Diana had been thinking about. She had been to worried to even notice me reading her mind. Did she really mean everything she said? I sat there awaiting an answer for my previous question but I didn't get one. But  I could hardly even focus on my old question now that I had read her thoughts. I noticed how her breathing was no longer as heavy, so hopefully she was fine. But I wasn't positive. We sat there in silence once more and I couldn't help but wonder about what she had thought. I was surprised to see her not upset that I had used my Frost Giant powers on her, and now her thoughts surprised me. I don't know why I was starting to care about what she thought, but I was. But now I know she cared about what I thought.

"Loki, I didn't hurt you, did I?"  she asked me as she continued to stare at the ground. She wouldn't make eye contact with me, and I could tell she wasn't sure if she wanted that answer or not.

"No, you didn't hurt me," I told her. I just barely see her take a small sigh of relief. She continued to stare at the ground, and occasionally I would see her look at her hand then at me.

'I was an idiot, I should have stayed back on Earth and none of this would have happened. I wouldn't be in this pain, and neither would anyone else. No wonder Odin wanted me down there, at least when I'm there I don't nearly kill anyone, and at least down there I would be so far from my family I probably wouldn't think about it.' Diana thought to herself. At this point I was almost certain that she knew I was reading her thoughts and she just didn't care.

"You do realize you would still think about this, no matter how far away you were from it," I told her. My question had caught her off guard and she hesitated before answering.

"I know, but I rather lie to myself," she told me while still not making eye contact.

"Why would you want to lie to yourself, you said yourself you didn't want to go back to a place where your always lied to," I asked her.

"Well the lies don't hurt as bad as the truth does," she said with the tiniest voice crack.

"Well the lies start to hurt after a while," I told her. She went to answer but stopped herself.

"I know, but....it's hard for me to face the truth," she eventually responded.

"And what truth would that be?" I asked her. I wanted to hear just what truth startled her the most. Was it that she couldn't face the truth that she was dangerous, or the truth about how she would never be able to go back to find her sister, at least not as long Odin was there.

"The truth that I could have killed you," she said. I sat there in shock for a moment. I know I had read her thoughts, but I wasn't sure if she was serious. She looked up at me and only then did I notice the incredibly feint tear stains that where on her face. My shocked expression must have been noticed by her because she asked me a question.

"Why is that so surprising to you?" she asked me.  

"Well it's because...," I began but stopped myself. I didn't want to say why, even though I knew the answer.

"It's ok, you don't have to answer," she told me.

(Tony's PoV)

The rest of the Avengers and I where all sitting together in one room talking about Diana. Tiana was there with us too.

"Tiana how long do you think it will be until the darkness grows strong enough that nothing can hold it back?" Bruce asked.

"Well there is always a way to hold it back, but her emotions are connected with the darkness. If she gets to angry or sad the darkness will grow based off of her pain. So as long as something is keeping her from being angry or sad she should be fine," Tiana answered.

"So how did you think he did it?" Steve asked. The question surprised us all, but mostly Thor.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Well he had to do it somehow, its not like he just wanted it to stop so it did," Steve said.

"How he did it is a good question, but a better question is why did he do it?" Natasha added. We all exchanged looks.

"Another question I have, is why is the darkness so strong in her? Couldn't have there been a way to hold it back and prevent all of this from happening?" Natasha asked. I noticed Tiana cringe and I think everyone else noticed too.

"The truth is, I could have prevented all this from happening," Tiana said as she hung her head.

"What do you mean you could have stopped it?" Thor asked her. She hesitated before answering and I wished I could read her thoughts. I could tell she was trying to use her words carefully but I didn't understand why at this point.

"What I mean is I'm the main reason the darkness in her is growing stronger," Tiana began. She explained to us nearly everything that she had done to her sister, even though some of those things hadn't been intentional.  I was shocked to realize these where the kind of things Diana had been learning about.

"Tiana, you know this isn't all your fault. Diana was born with the power and even if you had been there for her more this still could have happened," Clint said.

"I know, but I just can't help but I think that this was my fault," she said with a sigh. We all talked a little more until we decided we were all tired.

(Thor's PoV)

As the rest of the Avengers headed off to their rooms, Tiana stopped me before I left.

"Thor why do you think he helped Diana?" she asked me. Tiana had known Loki was the one to try and steal Diana's powers so she was just surprised as anyone else to realize it was him to stopped the darkness. 

"Well it would appear that he cares for Diana, or the other reason is that he wants to try taking her power again. But for the Diana's sake I hope he is doing this for the first reason," I told her.

"If he wanted to take her power he could have done it when the darkness was trying to take over a few minutes ago. Sense her power was exposed then it would have been easiest for him to take it then, and he knows that. That's why he tried to make her angry back on Midgard," Tiana said as she walked away. I headed toward my room when my mother stopped me.

"Thor, I wanted to talk to you," she said as she walked up to me.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"I just wanted to thank you," she told me.

"For what?" I asked in return.

"For taking Loki with you to find Diana, if he hadn't been there she might have lost to the darkness tonight," she told me.

"Your welcome, but don't thank me. Loki went with her out of his own free will. When I confronted Diana before she ran off again I had no idea that Loki had been with her," I told her. She simply nodded as she walked to her room, and I went to mine.

(Diana's PoV)

I was still awake in my tent while I thought about everything that had just happened. It had all happened so fast yet it felt like it was going so slow to me. I was so tired and I needed rest after the pain I had just went through but I was honestly to nervous to fall back asleep. I didn't want to have another nightmare like that, and I didn't want the pain to come back. I starred at the ground and I thought about what the voice said.

'What would happen if I let it win? Would the pain have really gone away? No, don't think like that, letting it win would just cause more pain than you just felt. Just don't think about, don't think about it,' I thought to myself. I tried not to blink because I was so tired that as soon as I closed my eyes I would fall asleep. I really didn't want to fall asleep but I knew I would have to eventually. I kept thinking about what the voice said and I couldn't stop.

'Ugh, stop thinking about it!! Thinking about it Is just what it wants you to do, just don't think about it. Just don't think about it,' I thought to myself.