Chapter 2
It was many hours later. Loki was still in the cell. He had searched it several times and found nothing. They had taken the knife he had taken from Nebula.
The door opened. Nebula and The Maw walked through.
“Come with us.” The Maw said as Nebula handcuffed Loki. Loki knew what was next: torture.
The Maw led Loki down the halls of the ship and they came to a little room off of what looked like the main power and propulsion systems. Loki was startled by how bare it was. There was a control panel off to the right, and a door. It was small. It had a handle that had to be latched and unlatched when opened or closed. It looked like a door you would find in a woodstove. Loki tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Nebula shoved him forward.
“He’s all yours, Maw.”
The Maw raised a dismissive hand and Nebula left. Loki watched him as he fiddled with a few controls on the panel. He looked up at Loki.
“The engines that power this ship produces a massive amount of heat. We’ve had quite a bit of trouble channeling it and discharging it. One of my inventions has been this.” He gestured fluidly to the door, “It’s a simple device. A chamber, locked from the outside, just large enough to hold a humanoid. Or, a whole humanoid... I simply remove the heat absorbent barrier, and the excess heat from the engines heats up the box.” He paused and messed with a few more switches on the panel, “The sides of the box become untouchable. The perspiration from the humanoid trapped inside causes the air to become humid. I can keep you in for longer because, well, you don’t need oxygen. If you were human, I would need to give you air to keep you alive. But, most conveniently, that’s not necessary.” He waited for Loki’s response. Loki looked at the box, then at the Maw. He laughed,
“Your master, with all his ambition, with all his proclaimed strength… this is the best torture device he can come up with?”
The Maw continued to smile serenely at Loki.
“My Lord Thanos has nothing to do with this. He charged me with the task of showing you the beauty of salvation.”
“And your method is torture?”
“Loki of Asgard, you may claim to be of Odin’s blood but there is something strange about you. Your body temperature is extremely low.”
Loki tried to seem as if he didn’t understand. The Maw continued,
“This is an experiment. Are you more susceptible to heat than most beings? I am excited to find out.”
They stood there for a moment, waiting. The Maw smiled and raised his hand.
Loki was violently wrenched to the floor by some unknown force. He was dragged along the ground by… the handcuffs! The handcuffs latched around his wrists were forcing him towards the oven. The door opened of its own power and by the handcuffs, Loki was forced inside. Just before he was completely inside he caught glimpse of the Maw, grinning. He was doing this.
Then the door closed, and it was pitch dark. Loki was curled up in a small box. He couldn’t adjust himself, couldn’t move. That was bad enough. But then the metallic box began to heat up…