Marvel At What Could've Happened

Chapter 4

Loki woke up the next morning with a crick in his neck and wondering for a brief moment where he was. He remembered quickly and fell back onto the bed with a groan. He glanced at a small clock next to the bed. 7:19 am. He pushed himself to his feet and stretched. He realized he was still in his clothes from yesterday. Did he have any clothes here?

He went over to the closet and opened it. There were, in fact, clothes. However, none of it was anything he would ever wear voluntarily. Bland-colored shirts and pants made of cotton-y material were hanging in neat rows. Loki sighed and looked down at his own clothes. He begrudgingly pulled off what he was wearing and slipped into a pair of black pants and a grey tee shirt. They were clean, at least.

At 7:30 on the dot, a little door opened in the wall by the main door and presented Loki with breakfast. He raised his eyebrows and approached the food tentatively. There was a breakfast sandwich, some sliced of fruit, and a glass of orange juice.

"This is better than Asgard already," he said out loud. He took the tray with the food and silverware, and sat down at the desk. Loki took a bite of the sandwich. Is this how humans treat their prisoners? The food tasted amazing. But then again, Stark probably couldn't bear to buy anything less than the best, apparently including food.

When he was finished eating, Loki put the tray back in the little door and it took his dirty dishes away. Then he stood and stared around, promptly realizing that he had absolutely nothing to do. He flicked his wrists, but no blades appeared in his hands. He had no magic and no entertainment. How was Stark blocking his magic? This was going to be a long few . . . Weeks? Months? Years? How long was he being kept here, anyways?

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Steve Rogers decided he really wanted to talk to Loki without Stark around. With Tony was there, nothing but sass and arguments ensued. Steve had never seen two people so similar, yet so different. After breakfast and a short workout, he snuck down the cargo elevator and to Loki's room. He placed his hand on the scanner and the door slid open. He went in and it closed behind him. Loki was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Bored?"

"You have no idea," Loki replied without looking at him.

"Oh yeah?'

"Yes. I have nothing to do. There is nothing in this room that I don't absolutely need. No entertainment. Tell Stark to bring me something," Loki said, infuriated.

"I'm sure I can arrange something," Steve said dryly. "But maybe it's part of your punishment, to just sit down here in silence." Loki couldn't tell if Steve was joking or not.

"Is it not punishment enough to be stuck in a single room for odin-knows-how long?" Loki said angrily. "Even a book would help my situation, Captain."

"I'll see what I can do." Steve paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Loki, I've seen so many different sides of you in about two days. Are any of them real?"

"And why would you be interested in that?"

"Maybe I want to know if we're imprisoning a psychopath or a misunderstood soul. I just can't figure you out."

"Which is perfectly fine with me. Try none of the above," Loki said evasively.

"Fine. You don't like me, I get it." Steve sighed, annoyed. "What was I to expect?"