TOXIC ~ STEVE ROGERS [1]

Chapter Twenty Four

Everything was in place, and I stood by the door, just like Loki has told me. I was to wait, wait for the right moment and then I would move. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. He was incredible, so smart and handsome and ambitious. He was everything I could have wanted.

Stop. Don't do this. Get him out of your head.

I ignored the voice in my head, the rational one, the one who was still me. I watched Loki in his glass cell, pacing with a haughty look on his face. The ship had stopped shaking, a sign I  assumed meant that the Hulk was back to being Bruce, or worse. 

I heard running in the hallway next to the detention room. That was my cue. I moved to the control panel, and placed my hand over the button, hovering.

Thor burst into the detention room, his feet skidding on the ground. The glass door to the cell opened, and Thor only had to glance at me to assume I had opened it.

"NO!" Thor yelled, charging at Loki as he crouched in defense. I could see Thor's muscles tensed as he prepared to slam into Loki, only to fall through the facade and into the cell. The false Loki dissipated. I pushed down on the button, and the glass door to the cell closed smoothly.

The real Loki came up from the shadows, moving in front of me. He paused in front of the door, while Thor turned around, enraged.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki sneered at him. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a SHEILD soldier stand guard in the shadows.
Thor's eyes locked onto me, me I stared at him, my face void of emotion.

"Lift your magic Loki! Let go of her mind, she is only a child!" Thor pleaded, his fist banging on the glass. My spine tingled.
Loki turned around briefly and smiled at me. I smiled back. He turned to Thor again.

"I have a special place for Keight in my new kingdom, brother. A very important place," he said. "It is a pity you won't be able to see it."

Thor roared with anger, and slammed his hammer into the glass cell. I jumped, a cracks spread across the glass. Loki smiled and travelled over to the control panel where the button sat waiting.

"Walsh? What is going on?" Fury yelled at me from in my earpiece. Thor seemed to hear it too, and watched in horror as I dropped my earpiece to the ground and stamped on it, crushing it to dust.

"The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" Loki mocked.
Suddenly, the soldier in the shadows dropped like a fly, and in his place stood Agent Coulson, a huge, inconveniently large gun in his arms. It was pointed at Loki.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and my hands twisted into fists. 

How dare he threaten my Loki? My master?

HE IS NOT YOUR MASTER!!!

The voices in my head battled against each other as things unfolded.

"Move away, please," Coulson said to Loki, gesturing with the gun. Loki put his hands in the air in mock defeat. It was only I that saw the glimmer around his body as a copy was made. I raised my hand, my fingertips glowing green. Loki grinned. Coulson's eyes flickered onto me.

"Miss Walsh, put your hand down and tell me what the hell is going on," Coulson demanded. I smiled, and it must have been creepy because Coulson grimaced.

"I serve Loki. He's promised me I can rule. He's believed in me, instead of treating me like an object. He is my master." My head burned with conflicting thoughts as I spoke, but the part of me under Loki's spell won.

Loki was grinning at Coulson, but Coulson seemed unfazed.
"You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

I saw it coming. It was easy to predict what was about to happen. I'd seen Loki make copy of himself.
But it still didn't prepare me for the act itself.

Coulson gasped.
Loki's scepter protruded from his chest, and Loki stood behind him, grinning manically. Thor roared in anger from inside the cell. Coulson looked straight at me, and his eyes were filled with pity, not anger.
Loki sent Coulson against the wall, where he slumped. While Loki moved to the control panel, a war raged in my head. A small voice in me was screaming, crying, begging my muscles to reach out and help Coulson because he was dying and it was my fault, all my fault.

But the other part, the one who worshipped Loki, who would die for him because he was so undeniably perfect, shut the other voice out and set my heart in stone.

I watched Coulson's life drain away, and I did nothing.
And the worst part?
I didn't feel a thing.

Loki looked at Thor one last time. Thor stared, forever hopeful, but it did nothing. Loki punched down on the button, and sent the glass cell spiralling down out of the bottom of the ship, wind blowing my hair into my face.

"You're gonna lose." Loki spun around and looked at Coulson, whose face was white as a sheet.

"Am I?" Loki questioned, amused.

"It's in your nature," Coulson said, breathing fast. Loki smirked.

"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky, and I have one of the most powerful beings on Earth on my side," he nodded at me. "Wheres my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction," Coulson replied. Loki smiled, his eyes glittering.

"I don't think I-" Loki didnt get a chance to finish because Coulson pulled the trigger on the huge gun that still sat his his arms. Loki flew backwards into the wall and fell on his face. Coulson smiled.

"Oh, so that's what it does."

I stared at Coulson as Loki stood up, his face red with anger and rage.

"Finish him," he ordered me. Fear clutched my heart.

Obey him.

One side of my head urged me on.

Don't listen to him. THIS IS MURDER.

So I compromised.

"He's dying anyway. To kill him now would be merciful. And I don't show mercy," I said coldly. Loki's eyes glowed with pride.

"Oh I knew I was right to get you," he said, his fingertips brushing my chin.

I felt goosebumps on my skin, and I didn't know if I loved it or hated it.

There wasn't any guilt in me yet, but Loki's spell wasn't as trustworthy as he thought.
His spell was breaking.
And soon so would I.

Authors Note
Hate me yet?