Lost in the Mirror (Avengers Fan Fiction)

[ 12 ]

Delaney stared at the box labeled 0-8-4-191. She hadn't touched that one since Hill had given it to her yesterday. She was scared to look inside it. The first box was about her family and her brief life before being taken by HYDRA. It was small and didn't hold much information.

0-8-4 was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s code for an object of unknown origin. Delaney had never known of a person to be an 0-8-4. Those kind of things were usually weapons and air crafts that posed a threat to civilian life. Delaney jumped at the sound of the door closing. It was Loki. She quickly wiped her cheeks and sniffled.

"You haven't left this room since yesterday."

"I don't want to leave." Delaney shook her head gently. "I'll get looks from everyone and I-I am not ready for that."

Loki nodded his head and placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of her.

"Thank you so much, Loki." Delaney gave him a soft smile. "But I have this weird thing where I can't drink just plain coffee—,"

"You have to have a ton of sugar." He cut her off. "I know."

Delaney crinkled her brows together, cocking her head to the side just slightly.

"Your friend, Williams, told me to give it to you."

"Oh. Okay." Delaney nodded her head.

"What's in that box?" Loki moved to sit beside her as Delaney took a sip of her coffee.

"I don't know. I haven't opened it. I'm afraid to." She muttered, gripping the cup in her hands tightly. "Does that.... ball of tension of-I don't know.... bad feelings in your stomach ever go away?"

Her eyes flickered up to meet Loki's. He solemnly shook his head, looking down at the coffee table in front of him and Delaney.

"It just gets pushed aside."

She brushed the stray tears from her cheeks and took a shaky deep breath.

"I feel like crap."

"Is Hill really making you leave because of what those morons did?" Loki asked her softly.

"Yeah. I don't-I don't want to leave the Compound, Loki."

"Maybe if you told her you would quit if you were forced to leave, she'd let you stay." Loki wanted her to stay here at the Compound. She was one of the only people he disliked least.

"I don't know, Loki. I mean, she's my boss so I can't give her that ultimatum."

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"She lied to you, Delaney. You can't possibly still have trust in her."

Delaney shrugged her shoulders gently.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps its secrets for a reason."

"You are unbelievably naive."

She said nothing. His words held truth. Her fingers reached out to touch the box in front of her but she stood up suddenly and shook her head, running both hands through her hair.

"What-What could be in there, Loki?"

"I have no idea." He admitted.

Delaney stopped walking once she was all the way across the room and turned to face the box. Her eyes flickered over to Loki, who was silently watching her.

"I hate this." The words were nearly silent whispers that escaped her lips.

•*•*•

It was late into the night when Steve found himself up and pacing the halls of the Compound. Delaney hadn't come out of her office in two days and she had only agreed to see Loki.