Turning Gears [Loki x OC] //DISCONTINUED\\

Four

Cap broke the news to Aspen fairly quickly after they landed and returned to the tower. He sat her down with a mug of hot tea and talked to her slowly, like a parent would tell their child they were not angry, just disappointed. It would be a lie if she said she did not cry at least once. The idea of living on a daily basis with Loki was terrifying to her. She did not know what he would be capable of, or be like on a neutral basis. She now understood that his actions were not his own, but some part of him had to of at least wanted what the mind control was giving. Otherwise, would the control have been so effective? 

SHIELD's plan for rehabilitating Loki was fairly simple. Have him lead a normal life confined to the tower to humble him. It didn't seem like it would work on a god as stubborn as him, but someone had to try. Odin didn't want him anywhere near Asgard, and that Aspen understood completely. The kicker was this, though; it was a combined thought of idiocy that they believed him working as Aspen's assistant would be the best option. It would give him a job to do, and he could see how brilliant Midgardians actually were. Aspen was completely unsure of that fact, but despite hours of yelling at anyone who would listen she knew it all was on deaf ears. She eventually gave in to what they requested of her, deciding there was nothing to be done.

It took a few months for them to get Loki off the helicarrier. Aspen, Thor, and Tony all worked together to create bracelets that would inhibit Loki's magic. They were subtle, very inconspicuous to look at. They combined Asgardian magic, Midgardian technology, and some fashion sense. No one who looked at Loki would know what he lost. The bracelets attached to his wrist, only able to be taken off by a series of code entries only Aspen knew. They sat on his skin and absorbed all magic and dissipated it through several magic tricks Thor provided. Thus, Loki was now just your everyday Midgardian with a tinge of extended life. 

The next step was converting Aspen's floor to accommodate him. Her floor wasn't quite the top, but it was high enough that when you looked out the wall-to-wall windows you could see the entire city. Her lab took up most of the space, and a bedroom, along with a small sitting room. She didn't need much, just space to work. Unfortunately, she lost some of that space for Tony to build a second bedroom. They all thought it was a good idea to keep him near her, she thought it was terrible. Then again, everything about this was terrible to her. She was even kind enough to fill several bookshelves with tomes from Asgard (thanks to Thor's generosity), and some Midgardian books she thought he would enjoy. If he was going to be stuck with her, she might as well make it at least a little comfortable. 

When the day for him to move to the tower came, it was like a hurricane of madness all around Aspen. It was the buttcrack of dawn when everyone was hauled to the helicarrier, their individual skills needed in case Loki tried anything. There was a hearty group of agents joining them as well. When the army of deadly people arrived in the hold, Loki looked equally surprised and exhausted. He knew what was happening. Aspen made sure someone communicated with him so he wouldn't get scared and lash out. She just wanted to make this easier on both of them so they could adjust to this whole new thing easier.

"Okay, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it," Fury said from a speaker in the console room, getting ready to unlock the cage holding Loki. "Loki, I'm sure you know what is going on. Aspen is going to be waiting at the entrance to affix your devices. You will keep your hands extended from your body, and not move an inch until they are affixed. Do you understand?"

Loki only nodded, eyeing every person in the room. He knew he was trapped, there were way too many people to take on at once. They thought this out well. Numbers were his weakness. He considered grabbing the woman they called Aspen and using her as a hostage to escape, but she held what would be his end. One wrong move and she would end it before it began. He had no choice but to follow along with the absurdity. 

"Aspen, are you ready?" Fury asked as she stood shifting from foot to foot, anxious that she was the one doing this. She was shaking with nerves. This should not of been her job. She just made the damn things, she didn't need to attach them either. 

"Yeah, get it over with," she finally said after a pregnant silence among the people. She felt the eyes of 19 well trained people on her back. She was safe. She had to of been. 

It only took a minute for the sound of pressurized air being released and the door swung open. Loki held his arms out towards her, an angry look on his face. He hated being trapped, and she knew it. Despite her head telling her to turn the other way and sprint far away, she took the three steps forward towards him. "Hi," she muttered worthlessly, grabbing his left wrist first. She pulled the bracelet out of her back pocket and snapped it around his pale wrist. His skin was soft and cool under her touch. She produced a screwdriver out of another pocket and tightened it so it would stay flush against his skin. Then, finally, she entered a long series of codes to lock it where it was until the series was entered again. As she worked on this, and then his next wrist, she felt him watching her. He was silent as a statue, itching to try something, anything, before she finished her job. But it would be the death of him. So he stood still, and let his magic drain from deep within him. It left him feeling hollow. 

Finally, she dropped his wrists and stepped out of the way for SHIELD agents to cuff him and even muzzle him. She felt guilty for the muzzle, it was wholly unnecessary. He may of been the God of Mischief and Lies but there wasn't much he could do with it with Aspen's work clasped on his wrists. Nevertheless, they dragged him out of his cell and into another with Aspen in tow. 

There was a deep, unsettling feeling of dread in her gut. She had this sense that everything from today forward was about to drastically change. She couldn't tell whether it was a good or bad change. That was what unsettled her most. The unknown.