Chapter 13
By the time that Loki and Pepper returned to Stark tower, Cerys was locked in the cell. The walls were tinted a bright, sickly turquoise, and she was laying on a bench—asleep, as far as Loki could tell.
Standing cross-armed and in silence, he’d been watching her through one of the digital screens protruding in the air. Meanwhile, the others stood behind him, fighting off the sleep that was creeping over them all. All but Loki were still in their sleepwear, succumbing to the tire that swept over them collectively. As gods, Loki and Thor were more robust, but the stress of the night had kept them all exhausted, while they went over what little information they had.
“She’s neither,” Pepper answered Stark’s inquiry, as to whether Nisha was a telepath or telekinetic. “I mean, I guess the latter’s pretty close, but… she’s also something else. One point of contact with a person is all she needs to take over. She gets their genetic profile, and that’s it.”
“What do you mean ‘genetic profile?’” Stark asked.
“Basically, she just needs to touch you once to code herself into your DNA. Become a part of you.”
“And how long does that last?” Thor asked.
Loki shifted, his chin slipping from his fingers as he looked over his shoulder—awaiting her response. The woman was silent, though he could her the strained sigh fluttering from her nostrils. “I don’t know,” she finally murmured. “It’s… like a virus.”
“…And we have no cure?” Stark added darkly.
Loki pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes on the screen as he kept his breath steady. A virus without a cure. His face was still, but Loki knew that the same thoughts were barreling through all their minds—if nothing was done, how long could Cerys fight this off before the woman would take her over unexpectedly? What could they do to prevent that inevitable outcome?
“What about Cerys?” Loki chimed in.
“What about her?”
“She held that creature at bay, perhaps we could train her to hold up a wall constantly.”
Thor shook his head. “And what if she lets go? Just once? I can think of moments where she’d forget to keep that in mind.”
Loki considered it for a moment. “Let me talk to her. Let’s see how far she’s gone before we decide what she can and cannot do.”
“And what if that doesn’t work?”
“We’ll go in together,” Pepper interjected, almost immediately—as though she didn’t want to consider the idea of not having a plan. “Loki and I. Together. We’ve got to assess first, figure out the rest after.”
Loki nodded—his only response.
There was no argument as Pepper strode toward him, and he stepped off to the side before following after her. He glanced back over his shoulder once, seeing Thor and Stark turning back to the screen. It was their turn to watch.
***
It was dark and silent in the hallway as Loki and Pepper strode toward Cerys’ door. The quiet was only broken by the sound of their footsteps echoing slightly against the walls, reverberating down the lengthy hall, just one story below the penthouse. Pepper curved slightly to the left, heading toward a door, and Loki waited behind her as she laid her hand onto a scanner.
It flickered green before the door slid open, revealing a turquoise room, and Pepper barely hesitated before striding inside. Loki kept his breath steady as he sauntered after her—needing only to remind himself once that there was no immediate danger to fret over. Cerys was secure, and for all intents and purposes, she was safe for the time being. He could relax.
Still, that knowledge alone didn’t stop his hands from flinching briefly into loosened fists at the sight of her. She looked different—he hadn’t seen her hair splayed over her face so wildly in the screen. And with her arms laying limply against the bench, she looked much more dead in person.
Loki stopped by the door, tilting his head slightly as he looked for signs of movement. There was only one that he could find, which came as she opened her eyes at the sound of Pepper’s approach.
They were a bright, green hue, glowing as they shifted hauntingly toward the woman.
“Hmm,” she hummed briefly, though she didn’t move. Loki kept his face taut, all senses alive and alert as he observed the exchange—purging all hints of tire and sleeplessness. Cerys’ eyes were locked on Pepper as she shifted her head back.
“I’ve come to talk,” Pepper said sternly, standing before her.
“To whom?” Cerys—Nisha—answered with an unsettling chuckle. She paid no mind to Loki as she sat up slowly. “I jest, of course—there’s only me in here.”
“I don’t think so.”
Loki’s eyes flickered to Pepper. Her composure continued to impress him, to the point of being unclear whether she was truly afraid for Cerys’ life—or her own—in that moment. He might’ve even questioned whether she cared for Cerys at all, judging by the harsh tone of her voice.
Cerys’s eyes hardened. “You might as well get used to it, sweetheart. There will only ever be me.”
“Yeah… No, I don’t think that’s true.” Pepper paced in front of her. “See, here’s what I’m thinking… I’m thinking you’re rational, and that you’re doing this for a reason.”
“Well observed,” she crooned mockingly.
Pepper’s face remained unfazed. “And there’s only one reason why A.I.M would recruit something like you. Arms dealers, scientists… It’s the same reason they wanted Cerys—you know what I’m talking about.”
Cerys feigned a look of shock. “Do I?”
Loki’s patience with her tone was wearing thin, and he rolled his eyes to the side.
“You do…” Pepper sneered slightly. “…want the tesseract.”
Loki flinched, looking back at Pepper.
He’d forgotten about that infernal device—how they brought it back to Earth after Asgard was destroyed. How it was a bargaining chip for Loki’s presumed freedom, without the benefit of S.H.I.E.L.D agents following him around those first couple of weeks.
“And the fact that A.I.M’s been going after people like Cerys,” Pepper went on. “And you, means you know where we’ve hidden it. And who has access to it. People who’ll die before giving it up,” Loki raised a brow, observing as Pepper turned pointedly to the side, with a contemplative look on her face. “And even more than that, the fact that A.I.M wants Cerys dead—instead of alive, to spy on us—means only one thing. They have what they want from you, and she’s a threat… To you.”
Cerys grinned, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ve really spent the past few hours thinking this over, haven’t you?” Pepper didn’t react. “Well, you’ve missed one important detail.” She leaned forward, sneering amusedly. “You can’t keep her in here forever. And since you know what I am, you must know that I don’t fail.” At Pepper’s demonstrative silence, Cerys leaned back and shrugged. “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow—but one day, I will finish the job. And poor, poor little dancing Cerys will die.”
A satisfied smile ghosted the woman’s lips, and silence permeated the air as both women glared at each other.
Finally Loki stepped forward, laying a hand on Pepper’s shoulder. She turned reluctantly, as though she wasn’t finished formulating a response, and he watched her eyes slice to the back the room—reeling with thoughts and simmering angrily. She was reluctant to move, but eventually stalked back toward the door, leaning on the threshold as Loki approached Cerys.
Her green eyes floated to him, and Cerys grinned as her features contorted a bit—eyes rolling backward as her limbs shuddered uncomfortably. Loki’s limbs were becoming harder to keep lax, tensing more with every moment he spent observing how this woman violated Cerys’ body and mind. Her cheerful demeanor, her loving grin, the strength in her eyes—it had faded to the back, leaving a vile cruelness to greet him with a sharp exhale, as he sat at the edge of the bench.
“Wooh… Odinson,” she hissed, his name rolling off her tongue, and tilted her head questioningly. “What did you do to this one?”
Pain and guilt beat through Loki’s chest, but he ignored it—he had to, for what he was going to attempt. Instead, he thought of her smile. Her sweet embrace. He thought of all the moments that cumulated in his heart, and how she’d burrowed into it before he got the chance to tell her no.
“Cerys,” Loki said with a terrible softness. She stilled, her upturned lips faltering a bit. “I know you’re in there, I know you can hear me.”
“Of course she can hear you,” the woman retorted mockingly.
He kept his face taut—expressionless—as he went on, “I need you to come out for me, if you can… Show me, if you can do it.”
Cerys’ lips pressed into a thin smile, but the glow did not subside from her eyes. “Sorry,” she crooned. “I’m here to stay, darling.”
Loki paused, and then exhaled wryly. “Not if I kill you.”
She seemed unaffected—amused, even, by the notion. Loki kept still as she laughed. “You can’t kill me. You can’t even come close to me sweetheart, not in your wildest dreams.” She waved a hand through the air. “What do you think is faster? My thought, or your blade?”
“I’m willing to test it.”
Cerys laughed, still brimming with amusement at the notion. “Go right ahead. Kill me. Rip me to shreds until I’m no longer recognizable, I’ve no qualms with it—I do prefer this woman’s body so much more…”
Loki stiffened. “What?”
Her eyes rolled to him. “What, you really think this is my first body? Or even my second? Or third? I can’t be killed, darling.”
Loki quickly shoved the panic down, feigning disinterest in her story as he cocked his head wryly. “And yet, you’ve tried oh so hard to kill our darling Cerys—I believe you may just fear that she will kill you if you don’t.” The glimmer of darkness in the woman’s expression goaded him on. “Now imagine that—a battle of the minds. A contest of control. Wouldn’t that be an interesting fight.”
The woman shrugged. “I’ll simply kill her before she gets the chance to try.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will-”
“No,” his voice dropped menacingly low as he glared into Cerys’ eyes, pushing his voice through that green barrier—where he knew she was listening. “You’re without the chance, darling. Because I’m here, and I’ll never let you have so much as a taste of one.”
“You’re nothing, Odinson,” she sneered, leaning forward as the the shadow of a grin haunted her feature. “To me—to her.”
“Perhaps,” he breathed out. “Perhaps I am,” he reached up and brushed his fingers along her face, shifting as though he could kiss her. She remained frozen, showing no reaction at the forwardness, and his voice grew soft—soft, but intent. “But you will understand that this is a woman I love. And I will spend eternity with her in this cell, if I have to.”
Loki hardly realized that he’d also covered her hand, until it flinched under his loose grasp. His eyes flickered down to it briefly, while Cerys’ face remained taut and expressionless—utterly unmoving. He looked back up at her, only to find a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face. The green in her eyes did not abate as she turned away, closing her eyes. Loki trailed over her tight neck muscles, watching as tension rippled through her sweeping jawline. Even in this state, she was just so beautiful.
Curls tumbled over the sides of her face, falling away as she relaxed and looked back at him. Loki’s eyes widened at the sight of glossy wetness layering over her still-glowing irises—tears brimming over the bottom rims as she stared blankly at him. “Valiant effort. And an expected one, I sense—but… I’m still here,” she hissed with a smile.
Her hand was suddenly pulled from his, and Loki stood from the bench as she laughed mockingly. He stalked toward the door, passing Pepper on the way out, who stared wide-eyed as he trailed around her. The door closed behind them, and Pepper jogged up to his side.
“You say it now—now of all times, Loki!?”
“Was there a better time for it?” he growled annoyed.
She paused, and didn’t answer.
Loki’s purposeful stride nearly skidded to a stop when they were back at the doorway to the penthouse. There, standing around the screen, were Stark, Thor, and those other two from S.H.I.E.L.D—Agents Romanoff and Barton. Barton gave Loki a glowering look as he approached slowly, practically tearing his gaze away to keep from bursting.
“What are you two doing here?”
“Finally,” Pepper murmured frustratedly as she passed by him. “Did you guys figure anything out?”
“Did you?” Arms crossed, Agent Romanoff tilted her head—indicating her intent to learn their answer first.
“No.”
“…Then I guess we did,” she said, unfurling her hands to reveal a syringe.
Pepper’s eyes dropped down to it, and her voice fell low with suspicion. “What’s that?”
“It’s a serum,” the woman explained. “That’ll change Cerys’ genetic profile.”
The room went silent.
“What?” Loki breathed out, and the agent looked at him.
“The problem is that Cerys has come in contact with the Telekinetic,” she murmured smoothly. “Her genes are compromised, so… we can change them. Break the bond.”
More silence.
“What’ll it do to her?” Pepper whispered.
“It’ll make her other genes—her siren ones—express themselves more.”
“And what will that change?” Thor chimed in solemnly, studying his comrade with a heavy brow.
“We can’t really know. Lots of things might change. Her abilities, her lifespan, her appearance…”
“It can’t be,” Thor shook his head. “What if we kill the creature that’s possessing her?”
“We can’t,” Loki answered sullenly. “Assuming any of us could even get close to do her, she’ll simply take Cerys’ body as her own.”
Silence again.
“Maybe…” Pepper whispered. “…we should sleep on it, see if there’s anything else we can think of in the morning…”
“There’s nothing else,” Barton replied. “This is the only way.”
“I want to sleep on it.”
“Time’s running out-”
“SLEEP ON IT!” Pepper finally exclaimed tearfully—somehow retaining all her commanding assertion in her voice. “We won’t make any decisions now, we’re all sleep deprived, so we might make a bad decision. We’re going to sleep on it!”
Arguing was of no use—everyone seemed to understand that, judging by the exchanged glances around the room. And without a valid alternative, no one had much of anything else to offer. Agents Barton and Romanoff were quick to hand the serum off to Thor, before exiting the building. The others acquiesced, and Thor passed the serum to Stark, who set it down on one of the stands beside the nearest couch.
“Come on,” he said, walking back over to Pepper. “Let’s get some sleep.”
They watched as Stark led the woman to the hall. Thor turned back to Loki and sighed, “Perhaps we ought to do the same, brother.”
He shook his head. “I need to think on things.”
“If you’d like to share your thoughts-”
“Just go,” Loki interjected sullenly, his voice a bit more tight than he’d intended. Still, there was no room for guilt in his chest, and Thor gave him a knowing look before turning away—as though he’d anticipated Loki’s clipped response.
“I will think further on it before sleep."
Loki watched as he too, disappeared down the hall. Slowly, he sauntered toward the counter. The lights flickered off one by one as he trailed his fingers over the control panel, leaving him alone in the dark. Only the light of the screen illuminated his sharp features, and he looked at the image of Cerys—having laid back down in the position she’d been in before.
Loki reeled through the conversation again and again over the next hour. Over it, through it, down all the different avenues of thought that branched from it—anything to find to an alternative solution. There couldn’t have been something that the agents had missed, could there? They, of all people, would have known if there was something else.
The others loved Cerys. None more than Loki, to his mind, but they did—they must have feared the backlash they would face. The hatred that she would feel toward them, knowing that they made this decision for her.
But…
If it would save her life, if it would ensure her freedom from this creature living inside her… Loki could spare more of the hate she already felt for him.
He pivoted sharply, stalking purposefully to the table. With a fell movement, he snatched the serum off the table, and made for the front door.