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Darcy stared up at the overcast sky, slack jawed at the flashy exit Thor and Jane had just made. And, if she was completely honest, slightly envious that she didn’t get to join them. Partially because it would help her avoid getting arrested.
She looked behind her and saw the police rush around in chaos. Ian slipped away from the officer detaining him by the car and hurried over to Darcy. “What do we do now?”
She scanned the area, relieved no one seemed to be paying attention to them. “23 skidoo.”
“23 what?”
Darcy rolled her eyes. She smacked Jane’s scientific doodad against Ian’s chest for him to take. “I mean let’s get the hell out of here.”
She ran off towards the exit where Jane and she first saw Thor standing. Ian followed close behind, easily keeping up due to his longer strides. Each block they passed only helped to remind Darcy how Ian threw the car keys into the mystical abyss. She made sure to remind him of that fact as well, repeatedly. She stopped at the crosswalk when she spotted two officers talking across the street. One looked her way, then said something to his partner.
“We need to split up. Meet me back at the lab.” Darcy took off down the side street before he could argue. She wondered if she ever told him the address for the lab, but Darcy shrugged it off. He’d figure it out. If not, she’d find herself another intern.
Evening started to fall. She put her coat back on, even though it was still a little damp. She turned a corner and saw two men and a woman in black suits. The woman raised her hand up to the side of her face and began talking. It might have been a Bluetooth device, or it might be an agent contacting SHIELD for backup. Darcy took off down an alley, not waiting around to find out. She should at least be a paid intern if they expected her to sit in an interrogation cell for a few days.
She picked up the pace when she saw a sign for the Underground across the street. That would take her right to Jane’s. She just had to get out of the alley she was cutting through. The sign for the Underground got closer and closer, until suddenly it wasn’t. Her feet skidded to a stop before she ran into a faintly glowing wall of yellow light. Past it appeared to be a darkened stone walkway and brightly lit cells. Darcy reached out her hand, unsure if it was solid or not.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Darcy froze upon hearing the cultured male voice. The accent sounded similar to those she’d been hearing in London, but not exactly the same. “It will leave a nasty burn.” She turned around and felt like the floor just dropped out from beneath her feet.
Even without his ridiculous horned helmet, she recognized him in an instant. Loki reclined on a posh looking bed with one arm behind his head. His fingers toyed with a small cup in his other hand for a moment before setting it down. He sat up and stood, all with an unhurried grace. A smirk formed as he dragged his gaze leisurely down her body and back up. “You are an unexpected treat. A bit too much clothing for a concubine, but that will hardly matter in a moment.”
Darcy decided right then, if she ever saw Jane again, she was insisting on a salary with hazard pay because dealing with Thor’s one-fry-short-of-a-Happy-Meal brother was not part of her job description. “If you think I’m letting you get anywhere near my lady bits, then you need to medicate on some of the stuff Erik’s taking. Which is all your fault, by the way.”
Loki tilted his head to the side. “Erik?” After a moment of thought, his face brightened as realization struck. “Ah, Selvig. Tell me, how is the good doctor? I wouldn’t have succeeded in such a short span of time without his steadfast dedication to my cause.”
“Succeeded? This is your definition of succeeded?” Darcy threw her arms out around her, motioning to his sparse cell.
Loki shrugged. “A temporary setback, I assure you.” He stepped over towards a small side table with a decanter of wine.
Darcy walked over to the other side of the brightly lit cell, staying out of grabbing distance. She kept a cautious eye on Loki while she perused her surroundings. It didn’t take long. Besides some fine furniture, the wine, and a mirror with a wash basin, the only form of entertainment seemed to be a collection of books in the far corner. “After the crap you pulled, I assumed you’d be chained up in a dark dungeon somewhere, complete with rats and dripping water.”
“Not all worlds are so barbaric as yours.” Loki poured himself a glass of red wine.
“Then explain digging someone’s eyeball out of their head.”
A long chuckle burst from Loki’s mouth. He turned and smiled over the rim of his glass as he took a long sip. “I’d offer you a glass, but I only have the one. Unless you’d like to share?” He held the wineglass out for her.
Darcy snorted and crossed her arms. “No thanks. You’re a couple thousand years old. I can’t imagine what kind of diseases you’ve picked up over that time.”
“The last person to speak to me so brazenly, I tossed him out a window.”
Darcy shrugged, hoping it covered up some of her shaking. “I don’t think you want to kill me.”
“What makes you so confident in regards to what I want?” Loki set his glass down harder than necessary.
Darcy hoped she wasn’t mistaken in calling his bluff. “Speaking from experience, I can recognize the signs of severe boredom.”
“And you think your wit and charm will stay my hand alone?” Loki approached her with long, slow strides. She backed up until he crowded her against the white wall. She forced herself to keep eye contact.
“I did a stint in juvie when I was younger. I know what it’s like only having four walls to stare at everyday. Even an annoying distraction is still a distraction.”
Loki flicked his eyes down her body, as if sizing her up. He made a noncommittal noise. “They probably wouldn’t bother to remove your body until the stench became unbearable. You’re not worth the trouble.” Loki turned and walked back to the side table to retrieve his half-finished drink.
An explosion rocked the ground. The lights flickered briefly. Darcy crouched and covered her head, thinking everything might collapse around her. “The hell was that?” Darcy looked towards Loki and narrowed her gaze.
Loki rolled his eyes. “As much as everyone enjoys laying blame at my feet, I am not responsible for every chaotic mishap.” He approached the glowing wall as close as possible and looked for the cause of commotion.
Pained shouts and clanging metal erupted. Darcy cautiously stepped closer to get a glimpse of the riot. She could see a large beast like creature systematically opening all the adjacent prison cells. Darcy paled when it approached the one with Loki and her. Loki held his erect stance and eyed the creature. When the creature slowly paced in front of the cell, Loki matched it stride for stride. It took Darcy a moment to realize Loki was intentionally placing his body in the line of sight to block the creature from seeing her.
The horned beast snorted and backed away, probably realizing Loki was one prisoner more trouble than he’s worth.
“I suggest taking the stairs on the left,” Loki said. The creature turned to look at Loki, before leaving the recommended way.
“Why would you help that thing?” Darcy asked. Loki turned and cocked his eyebrow. “Aren’t there people you care about up there? Family and friends?”
“I care for no one unless I benefit from their misfortune.”
Darcy frowned and stared him down. “That’s bullshit.”
“I tire of your incessant harping.” Loki reached his arm out to strangle her neck. Darcy yelped and ducked, rushing to the glowing wall.
On the other side, a familiar face caught her eye. She recognized Thor’s blond Errol Flynn-looking friend. “Fandral!” Darcy waved her arms and jumped, trying to get his attention.
A hand wrapped around her mouth, silencing her. Another arm wrapped tightly around her arms and waist. Her whole body lifted with ease, as if her weight was no issue. She struggled against Loki as he dragged her away towards the back wall. A brief, green light flared, and she saw the form of Loki casually viewing the violence outside. Fandral looked up and eyed Loki’s double with suspicious scrutiny. Darcy struggled with more intensity despite the steely hold on her.
“He can’t see you,” Loki said softly in her ear. She felt her hairs stand on end with the combination of his warm breath on her neck and the implication of his words. Her chest heaved against his solid form as she tried to gulp in breaths of air behind his palm. An enemy swung a sword at Fandral’s head. Darcy’s body sagged against Loki’s as she watched her chance of freedom engage in battle, leaving their range of sight.
Loki waited a few moments, before loosening his hold. The illusion of himself disappeared. Darcy pulled away and refused to look at him. She needed to get out of there. She waved her arms around the general area she originally appeared.
“What in the name of Yggdrasil are you doing?”
“Like I’d tell you.” She couldn’t tell him even if she wanted to. She had no idea how or why she made a guest appearance during Loki’s life sentence. She just hoped it wasn’t a one-way trip. She backed up against the opposite wall and sprinted towards the spot she appeared at. She tried walking all over the cell waving her arms, doing her best to ignore Loki’s constant curious gaze. She went back to trying her sprint technique again, and tripped over a shoe. A soft, green slipper to be exact. Darcy never met a more pampered princess in all her life. “How the hell did you get all this crap in here?”
“Pardon?” His tone turned colder in an instant. Darcy had enough experience to recognize when she stumbled upon a touchy subject.
“All the furniture and books and stuff. None of the other cells have anything.” Darcy pointed and looked towards the empty cells, but she quickly turned away from the gruesome sight of fighting and dying occurring only a couple feet away from her.
Loki looked down at the chair and glided his hand over the ornate wooden back. “My...Frigga furnished my surroundings.”
She remembered that name from the mythology book she read when they first met Thor. “That’s your mom, right?” Loki didn’t respond, but he might not have heard her. He looked lost in thought. “She must be an amazing woman. You’re lucky.” Darcy picked up one of the books. She couldn’t read the language on the cover, but it looked old and worn. She screeched when Loki grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip. “How’d you move so fast?”
“Lucky?” Loki growled the word as if it was the most offensive insult he could be called. “You dare to describe me as lucky?”
“Yes!” Darcy tried to pull her arm back but it wouldn’t budge. She could see her imminent death being played out in his eyes, so she relied on her best skill, speaking without a filter. “You’re lucky you have a brother who loves you and fought to bring you home alive. You tried to kill Thor and take over a world like some prima donna, and your mom still gives a damn about you to supply all these posh comforts. It’s called unconditional love, dumbass. And no, not everyone is lucky enough to have it.”
She felt tears prick her eyes. Loki stared down at her unflinching and unmoved. Then he blinked, and a crease formed between his brows. He slowly lightened his grip, but tugged her closer. “Who are you?” Darcy swallowed hard. She didn't want to tell him. It could endanger Jane and Erik and even her new intern. The corners of his lips curled up. “I will find out eventually, one way or another.”
Loki licked his wine-stained lips. His gaze flickered down to hers and stayed there. As he leaned in closer, that was about the time her brain short circuited. She realized he intended to kiss her.
Darcy jerked, taking a step back and stumbled over her own feet. She grunted when her ass and elbows crashed against the concrete ground. Loud background noises of car horns and idle chatter replaced the sounds of battle. She looked up and saw the darkened alleyway she ran through earlier. She stared in front of her, expecting Loki to materialize any moment. When he didn’t, she grabbed a crushed soda can near her and threw it. It sailed a few feet before skidding along the ground.
She released the long breath she’d been holding. She felt a light weight on her chest. She looked down and saw she still clutched the book. She hoped Loki didn’t have a personal attachment to this one. She got up and brushed herself off. She needed to get back and contact someone. She needed something to do to distract her. A part of her wanted to forget that Loki wanted to kiss her. The other part of her, she planned to have a long, stern talk with later about the dangers of alien super villains. As she walked towards the Underground, she wondered if he’d really make good on his promise and find out who she was.