The Barriere
Scenario Sketch : Collapsing environment, bridge between two worlds is held by a thin line. Nothing but mere seconds are left before the passage shuts down in front of them.
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"We gotta move, princess." Steve Rogers slightly raised his voice as he sped up his pace moving through the corridors. He used his shield to guard both him and the girl he travelled with from the down-falling rocks and debris.
"How much further?" she panted. Breathing became harder as the oxygen supply decreased by the second. They were being locked in. And every breath could be their last. Which meant running. Lots of it.
"There's a light at the end of the tunnel. And I don't mean it in the metaphorical sense of dying." Steve smirked down at the girl. Alivia, as she was called, couldn't help but smirk back up at the Captain. She had been aware of his ability. It wasn't his remarkable strength, speed, agility, stamina or even his regenerative abilities. It was, more than anything, his ability to remain brave in situations that others would succumb to. He'd be brave not to prove so, but in a way to comfort the people around him. The girl respected him deeply for it.
"Would you look at that." He exhaled. The two of them had made it through and now stood face to face with the bridge that held the only passage to a possible escape. It was falling apart. Fast. And a barrier was in their way, keeping them from reaching it.
Alivia peered through her lashes and saw the remaining members of their team waiting. "Captain" she smiles at Steve. "The others, they made it!" One of her legs stepped forward, but as she scanned the figures standing on the opposite side, one particular person seemed to be missing.
"What are we waiting for?" Steve took a step back and by doing so launched himself forward and made it past the barrier. Alivia stood frozen as she watched the Captain safely land on the other side of the bridge. Upon realizing she hadn't followed him, he turns and frowns at her.
"Hurry, the bridge will not hold much longer!" Thor called. She saw him wave his hammer up in the air to give her a clear view of where to land. The girl opened her mouth, ready to protest, to tell them she had to go back, to save him, but was silenced as the ground underneath her feet began to shake violently. "Alivia!" Steve called.
The girl rose back to her feet. "I'm not leaving without him!" she called back.
Another violent stir had caused her to lose balance completely. She wasn't going to leave anyone behind, especially...
"Alivia..."
At the sound of his voice her head pops up immediately. Just behind the faded filter of the barrier stood the six foot two tall God of mischief. He held his hand open for her. Waiting for her. Loki's eyes held nothing but concern. The girl gritted her teeth as she attempted to stand. "Swiftly!" Thor bellowed.
She took a deep breath and launched in the air and fell through the barrier with ease. Two strong arms made their way to her waist and made sure she landed securely. "Thank you, Thor." she breathed before stepping out of his grip. Alivia made her way to the lean man who, surprisingly, now held his back to the girl.
"Loki?" she softly asked as her hand reached out to touch his shoulder. Her fingers were left to hover, to touch nothing but the air and her arm dropped instantly. The man that had stood in front of her seconds ago vanished. He disappeared the second she blinked. "He's not here. He didn't make it." she whispered. Her gaze shifted past the barrier. Against the opening of the tunnel she saw a figure sitting, its back leaning against one of the walls. His shoulders slumped.
"We had forgotten that the barrier only allowed human-... like creatures to pass through." Thor's voice grew softer as he spoke. To the girl's surprise Loki was smiling. "You knew you wouldn't be able to come back?" she walked towards the edge of the bridge, the end of the barrier.
Loki stared straight ahead of him, oblivious of the collapsing environment surrounding him. "Look at me!" Alivia ordered him. Demanded him. His gaze shifted towards her. He had hoped to evade this particular conversation. That she'd simply pass on and forget that he, too, was here. But the girl cared too damn much.
"Why did you pretend to be here, on this side?" her voice was stern. Loki's smile widened. Foolish girl, he thought. Could she really be this naive? "Would you have jumped knowing I remained here?" On the opposite side?" Loki tilted his head slightly. Alivia swallowed. "It's the pause that betrays you." he stated. Through the barrier the girl could feel the ground move on the other side. "It's best if we leave, princess." Steve had put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off her. "How would you ever come to decide that for me!? Are you truly that selfish!?"
"Selfish?" Loki's eyes widened as he rose to the ground. He made it seem effortless to stand on shaking floors. Despite the violent stirrings. "If I were to choose between slaughtering all of Asgard or to deteriorate in your eyes, I'd gladly diminish of those worms. I'd have pleasure in the chaos. I might enjoy myself." The man moved closer to Alivia, leaning towards the barrier. "Enough Loki!" Thor called.
Steve made another attempt to get the girl to move away. Another failed attempt. "Your point?" he sighs, agitated. Realizing he'd have to get answers first, before he'd be able to get everyone away from here safely. Almost.. everyone.
"Ah, the point." Loki smirked. His nose now almost brushed against the barrier. "If it were you in my current position, Captain, and I were to be in yours, I'd simply kill you. If that's all it took to get her away from here, to get her safe. I'd kill you in a heartbeat." Loki stared into the girl's eyes. Her mouth had taken the shape of an 'o'.
"Do not think I'd feel remorse. In the end, I'd be the one to keep her alive. So as a matter of fact, selfish might indeed be the correct term." Loki held a face-splitting grin as he stared at the girl. She had no more words for him. He nodded slightly and gazed at the man standing beside her.
"Captain." he stated. "Brother." As he gazed at Thor.
The grounds rumbled once more. "Alivia, we have need to leave. Now." Thor demanded. Loki's gaze once more shifted towards the girl, but his body was facing Rogers. "Have you no last words?" Not that there's anything new to be told. After all, you've known I'm selfish. Haven't you?" his gaze darkened.
"What is he talking about?" Steve demanded. Loki smirked. "She is yet to find out." he whispered. "One of the marvelous side-effects of passing a barrier such as these is that all spells, tricks and doings of magic lose their power.
"You compelled her?" Thor's voice rose. "Easy brother. Not everything is fixed by violence. I chose the use of words." Loki looked at each of the figures standing in front of him, smirked and walked back to the tunnel. "I'd bid you farewell, but that would define me being lost." he stopped walking.
"I know you'll be thinking of me when those spells wear off." Loki's figure disappeared in the shadow of the tunnel.