Loki X Reader: Iophilia

Prologue

May 10th, 2004

The cool evening breeze left many pedestrians to wrap their coats a bit tighter around themselves as they quickly walked around time-square. Each hurrying to their location; Tourists to their hotels, drunks to their little cramped apartments and students back to their dorms. It was very late. Late evening and early morning collided into the same meaning. Everyone was high on sleep deprivation. That's why no one bothered to look up.

On the roof of an almost vacant building stood a young woman smoking, what she thought, would be her last cigarette. A lightheaded feeling lingered around as she threw her head back a bit. The stimulants tinkered around her head as she lowered the cigarette and took a deep breath through her teeth. It felt calming, comforting almost. She let out a shaky breath. She put the white part back at her mouth and took a big hit. The head rush she immediately got felt great. Her body temperature went up making her smile in comfort, ignoring the little tingle in the back of her throat before blowing the smoke back into the crisp air.

She dropped the bud of the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it before walking to the edge of the roof. She looked down. The ground seemed so far away, yet so close. 'Would it hurt?' she thought and looked around her. Maybe someone would come and she would have to back off the edge. 'Of course, it's gonna hurt,' She took a deep breath in. The eighteen-year-old girl slowly let her left foot dangle off the edge and as if it was a pool, she let herself fall.

She thought she was dead. She should have been. But the next thing she knew, a bright light shined right into her eyes. Someone was holding her eye open and blinding her with a sharp light. She moaned in pain as she tried to stand up but felt her body deny her that service. She felt limp and couldn't even see anything, everything was blurry and too light for her. Her ears rung loudly making her mind a mish-mash of thoughts and sounds. Suddenly the ringing of her ears was disturbed by a voice.

"You took a massive hit, I'm not gonna lie," She tried to frown but couldn't. "It's a miracle that you're okay," they commented. She tried to respond but ended up mumbling something inaudible. "I am going to get you back on your legs," The voice reassured. They sounded sly and untrustworthy. "But everything comes at a price," they said. "You'll pay that price soon enough,"

The girl's fingers slightly moved as if she was trying to wake up from sleep paralysis. A hand covered her fingers. She gasped as the hand pushed down, making her realize that all of her bones were broken or fractured. "My name is Professor Payton," The man introduced himself as he pushed further down on her hand. He smiled. "Does it hurt?" He asked the girl as she softly moaned in pain. "Cooperate when I'm done with your treatment and you will never have to feel so helpless ever again," He told her with a disgusting grin splattered on his face. He pushed one last time before stepping away from the crusty old bed she laid on. Hooked onto multiple medical pieces of equipment and wanting to die of agony, she drifted into a fever dream.

Months of excruciatingly painful treatment passed and the girl could not only move again but walk and talk like a regular person. That's when the method of payment fell onto the table. The professor explained it crystal clear. "Hydra needs a new member," He told her as he injected her with her last dosage. He had told her who Hydra was and what their motives were. Their end goal. Sick, sleepless and exhausted, the girl listened and comprehended. "A person so smart that the enemy won't see it coming from two inches away," He continued and pulled the needle out of her bruises arm. "A hacker, a spy, an all in one shampoo and conditioner," They looked at each other. "You don't have anything to live for," He grinned at the weak woman. "They're going to treat you to evolve into a superhuman,"

He walked away to throw away the used needle. "Are you familiar with Captain America?" He asked her. "Somewhat," She mumbled and hugged herself. "I hope you know how he got his inhumane powers," He sighed and sat down in his swivel chair. "Somewhat," She repeated a bit softer. "That's exactly what's going to happen to you," He chuckled which made her uncomfortable and scared. 

"Well," He abruptly said. "If you don't die in the process, of course,"