When S.H.I.E.L.D. genetically modifies a young girl, injecting her with the DNA of the infamous god of mischief, Thor calls upon an unexpected ally for help.
***
(an ivoryconfessions novel)
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
recommended song: Long & Lost by Florence + The Machine
-
Loki watched as the young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent lay across the very bed that he once slept in those many months ago. Standing there in the same room returned all of his memories of New York, the chaos, and the mayhem that he had brought. Though he didn't regret it, he did notice the harm the results of his almost takeover had caused. What happened to this girl being one of them.
As he watched the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, he couldn't help but place two fingers to her wrist, feeling for a pulse. Every hour, he would do so, ensuring that she was still breathing, no matter how shallow it was. She was doing alright on her own, though the longer she stayed asleep, the worse off she became.
Loki watched days turn into a week, and soon enough, he found himself concerned for the small mortal. Each time, he would scold himself for feeling such a way, proceeding to relive the villainous story that was his life. But something always brought him back. He blamed it on their telepathic link, how he would speak to her from the outside world, reaching into her mind and slowly working her towards awakening. Each day they would talk. It was rather a visit, one that she seemed to look forward to. He never told her who he was, but he learned new things about her, like her name, Cora. Whenever he would ask about the experiment, she would be confused. It didn't take long for him to figure out that she didn't know anything about it.
Thor visited a few times that week, checking in to make sure his brother was taking good care of her. Much to his surprise, he discovered that Loki had seemed to grow quite fond of Cora, much more than he ever expected. Thor would watch him sit at her bedside for hours. Once he found out they were communicating, he found peace in the fact that Loki was finally making a connection with another human being, even if they now shared parts of the same DNA.
As Loki now sat quietly beside her, his fingers gently caressing her silky brown hair, he became aware of Thor's looming presence behind him. Parting Cora's mind for a moment, he opened his eyes, turning to face his brother.
"What can I do for you?"
"Oh, nothing." Thor shook his head as he entered the room. "I was just checking in. How's she doing?"
"She's trying hard to remember." Loki sighed, glancing back down at Cora. "She has a human strength like nothing I've ever seen before."
"She's fighting. That's good news, Loki. Why do you look so distraught?"
"My DNA is rejecting her body. No matter how hard she fights to accept it, I fear it won't be enough."
"How much longer does she have?"
"A couple of days, maybe. A week at the most."
"Can't you wake her?" Thor pressed, coming closer to examine Cora's lifeless form.
"It would be incredibly damaging." Loki shook his head. "Waking is something she must do on her own."
"So there's absolutely nothing you can do?"
"I'm going to keep trying to work with her, but at this moment, it's become a battle against time."
"I refuse to let our efforts go to waste, brother." Thor huffed, seating himself on the foot of the bed. "I took a big risk breaking her out and leaving her in your care."
"What?" Loki snapped, his eyes darkening. "You think I'm a danger to her?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will if they ever found out."
"I won't harm her. She has a part of me inside of her that only I know how to control. Sooner or later they would need my help."
"Help from you would be a long shot, Loki. You know that."
"What I did in New York is no excuse for doing what they've done to her." Loki sighed, brushing back a piece of fallen hair from Cora's face. "She will never be able to live the life she deserves because of me."
"Loki, this isn't your fault-" Thor began, but Loki cut him off.
"If she dies on my watch, it is!" The god of mischief snarled.
Thor was taken aback at the intensity of Loki's voice. Standing from the foot of the bed, he watched the heightened emotion dance in the irises of his brother's eyes.
"Loki..." Thor whispered, his eyes searching Loki's face. "Do you care for her?"
"Of course not, you big oaf!" Loki growled harshly. "I only want my powers back. I could care less about the girl."
Instead of responding, Thor's eyes widened as he stood transfixed, staring somewhere behind Loki. The god of mischief cocked his head curiously before turning to his side, instantly spotting an empty bed.
"Cora?" He gasped, getting to his feet and finding her pinned in a corner across the room.
"She's awake." Thor spoke quietly.
Cora stood with her hands pressed firmly against the wall, her body shifted away as if to shield herself from their view. She almost trembled as her eyes met Loki's, a very noticeable movement taken in by the two gods. As Loki took a step towards her, she lurched, cowering even closer to the wall.
"Cora, dear, there's no need to be afraid." Loki spoke softly.
"Y-you." Cora's words were barley audible.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Y-you took over New York."
-
I hope you all enjoyed! Don't forget to follow my Instagram (@ivoryconfessions) to see new promos for all of my books and find out about the next chapters before they're posted! Love you all! xx lavender baby 💋
