Darcy Ex Machina
Jane hides the dagger behind her back, hoping that he hadn't seen it with the darkness that was surrounding them. She sees Loki's grin widen and he gives a few steps towards her reaching for the light switch, the sudden brightness blinds her briefly as her eyes get used to the light and she gives a few steps back when she notices how close to her he is, fingers gripping tightly the dagger.
"Miss Selvig" Loki starts, "Were you going somewhere?"
She glances at the door behind him and then at him, "I was going to look for some water" she answers, being thankful that her voice doesn’t break, "The room felt too warm"
Loki raises an eyebrow, but still offers her a smile, "I imagined you would be used to the cold climate from you birth place"
Jane nods, "Indeed"
The man glances around the room as if he is looking for something – more like someone – and then his gaze falls on Jane again. A chill runs down her spine, and she feels the sweat on her back and nape it's ice cold. He narrows her eyes as if he suspects something, and Jane curses mentally for being so transparent, for the blush on her cheeks and the thin layer of sweat covering her.
She manages to clear her throat, "Is there any reason why you are here so late?"
Loki wrinkles his nose, as if he didn't like the tone she used.
"Sir" Jane adds for what is worth.
Loki flicks his tongue against his teeth, "I was leaving my library when I heard you pacing" he starts, "I was wondering why would you be up so late after how tired you looked”
Jane looks at her feet, "I apologise"
He waves a hand, "I figured we should have a conversation sooner rather than later anyways"
Jane frowns, lifting her gaze. Loki starts pacing around the room calmly, not in any way predatory but it still makes Jane uncomfortable, like she is being observed despite Loki keeping his gaze down.
"I was having a pleasant exchange with your... Companion"
Jane tenses but manages to recover quickly, "That so"
Loki hums.
"I was explaining him about your situation" Jane frowns, "You were promised for marriage to my brother Thor, were you not?" He asks turning to her.
"Y- yes" Jane stammers, not understanding where he was going.
"But since he's dead now, it falls on me to take care of you" Loki says, the cold smile back on his face.
Jane feels him invade her personal space and she starts moving away from him slowly.
"I don't expect anything from-"
"You will be silent when I speak" The man says, his tone so sharp that makes Jane flinch, "Understood?"
She can picture clearly how her knuckles turn white when she tightens her grip around the handle of the dagger hidden behind her back. There is something other than the flash of anger in Loki's green eyes, as he walks towards her until he is pinning her against the bed post. Jane feels her heart pounding violently against her ribcage.
"I said... Understood?"
The alcohol in his breath make her feel nauseous, though it might be the nerves, but she manages to nod.
"We should continue this conversation" Jane says, and it comes out as a shaky whisper, "In the morn-""
Jane isn't able to finish the sentence as Loki's hand circles her neck, her head banging against the wooden bed post, "You don't tell me what to do" he sneers.
She shakes violently, no longer pretending that she isn't scared.
"You are- you’re hurting m- me"
Loki then says, and chuckles darkly, “Darling, there won’t be any conversation in the morning”
Jane frowns, is like he’s having a whole different conversation.
“Did he really think I would want to keep you around?” He laughs, and then goes serious again, “Pierce told me to do with you as I pleased, keep you around like he did"
Her heart stops at the mention of Pierce. And she looks at Loki with wide eyes.
“But I wouldn’t want to touch you knowing that brute already has”
Jane can feel the tears start falling from her eyes, "Ple- please"
"Oh, come on" Loki chuckles darkly, “You can beg better than that”
"No! Let- let me go!" She starts squirming from his grip, kicking his groin, Loki groans giving a step back, "Help! Darcy! Darcy!"
Loki grips her throat again and pins her against the bed post, "Hydra has been planning this for decades! Erik Selvig almost destroyed us!” smacks her face hard, making her go quiet.
Jane feels her left cheek burn, and there is a metallic taste in her mouth, blood starting to pour out of her split lip. She closes her eyes at the mention of her father. It’s like Loki knew him. Loki chuckles lowly loosing the grip from her throat and Jane’s knees fail under her weight and she falls on the floor. The dagger falls unnoticed as Jane starts coughing and gasping for air.
"Scream all you want" He chuckles lowly, "No one can hear you!" He shouts, proving his point.
Jane sobs loudly, feeling weak, powerless and alone, and knowing that the halls were empty and maybe the rest of the house too. Loki smirks when he notices she is scared, grabs her by the back of her neck to pull her to her feet again. Jane steps on the dagger, and she takes a few breath as she tries to slide it closer to her. Just a little bit closer.
"Did Pierce know- know who I was?" She asks, "When I was taken to Aida"
He scans her face, "Not your face" Jane scowls, "Your father always made sure to hide you from his sight"
Loki's hands are cold and shaky, and she can see his green eyes are wide, "He told me I needed to do what’s necessary, that I needed to take care of Thor like he took care of Erik”
“You killed your own brother” Jane’s bottom lip trembles, “And your father too”
He narrows his eyes at her but doesn’t correct her.
“You should have seen his face when I asked him what had he done with Erik's daughter” Jane takes a few gasps of breath
Loki sighs heavily.
“He sent Russo to kill you but of course it didn’t work, boy’s too messed up” He clicks his tongue, “And fucking ugly, too”
Her mind travels to that day, and she remembers Bucky saying Russo would never try to kill someone just because. He had orders, Zola’s orders.
“I decided to take care of it myself”
Jane’s throat is sore and his eyes are stinging with tears.
“You know,” He says, “She didn’t tell me about you for weeks”
Loki leans in and she can see his pupils are blown, it reminds Jane of Russo’s look of insanity. Before he can say anything else, she knees him in the groin with force and pushes him away when he groans. With one swift movement she picks up the dagger and unsheats it, but Loki recovers quickly and he pounces over her reaching for it, circling her wrist tightly. Jane is pinned against the mattress, but she doesn’t let go of the dagger, scratching Loki’s face with her other hand, kicking as hard as she can to try to push him off her. Loki groans as her nails dig into his face so deep he starts to bleed, and pins both of her hands over her head with one of his hands while the other one tightens around her neck.
Loki growls, “You fucking bitch!”
“Fuck. You” Jane grits out.
Loki’s eye widen in anger and he grips her wrist so tight that Jane is unable to keep them close any longer. She lets go of the dagger finally, but thankfully Loki’s hand looses the grip on her throat, Jane looks at him, not ready to beg for her life but knowing that she would never be able to win a fight for it. He’s going to kill her. All movement stops all of sudden, the only sound heard for a few seconds is her heavy breathing, Loki didn’t even break a sweat, but his face is scratched and covered in blood.
And then the air is filled by Loki’s spine chilling laugh.
“It was you who killed Zola?"
She’s still unable to breath properly with his knee on top of her chest. He rolls his eyes and moves the dagger infront of her face, Jane doesn’t look at it, instead glaring at him, but then he grips her jaw forcing her to look at the handle of the dagger.
“No” he says, eyes flickering with realisation, “It was him” his smirk widens, “Your Bucky” He spits the name as if it was poison in his mouth.
Jane’s eye go wide. Loki knew. He knew every lie they told, he knew who he was and where he came from the moment they step foot in The Cinders, maybe even before the Shadow Men were indeed following them. He had used Darcy and she had unknowingly brought them to the lions den.
“Oh, poor Jane” Loki says, the dagger almost sinking into her left cheek, “Your home gone, daddy’s gone, you saviour is gone…” a sob escaped Jane and she shuts her eyes tightly, “It’s a shame I have to ruin such a pretty face”
As the blade of the dagger sinks she bites down a scream. Her tears stinging her eyes, and she is almost as tired of crying as she is of struggling. Her throat burns, her muscles are sore, and her nails dig into her palms as she tries to wake up from the nightmare she feels trapped in. And then the door is being slammed open, and Loki turns with a fulminating glare directed at the intruders.
“Get the fuck off her!”
Loki is being pushed of off her when she opens her eyes, and then Darcy enters her line of sight before pulling her up from the bed to hug her tightly. Jane takes a few breaths in before she returns the embrace, gripping her shoulders for her not to let go just yet, and when she looks behind her she sees Bucky grabbing Loki by the neck and pinning him against the floor, diving his fist into his skull. Jane looks away, pulling herself away from Darcy’s arms to look at her in the face.
“You tried to warn me” Jane says, remembering Darcy telling her to wait until the morning for her.
Darcy nods looking at her cheek, and her eyes go glassy.
"He- he was" Jane swallows tightly.
“It’s a thin cut, but it's bleeding a lot” She reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a handkerchief pressing it softly against the cut.
“Are you alright?”
Both women turn to Bucky, who is panting heavily while his eyes are glued to Jane. Jane sighs relieved at the sight of him. Darcy stands from the bed, walking towards Loki and kicking him despite him being already unconscious. Jane stands from the bed as Bucky walks towards her, he is unsure to touch her for a second but it passes rapidly and he pulls her in for a hug. Jane fists his shirt pulling him closer, taking a shaky breath in.
“I’m sorry” Bucky whispers against her hair, “Jane, I’m so sorry”
Jane pulls back and takes a look at him, as if looking for any sign he was hurt or if he was real.
“I didn’t mean any of it” He continues, “At the dock, what I-“
“It was my fault” Darcy says behind them, “I didn’t think he cared but… I was wrong”
Jane doesn’t care. All she cares about is that they are all together.
“Put this on” Darcy says, giving Jane a par of jeans and a shirt.
Only then she realises both Bucky and Darcy are wearing different clothes. Jane doesn’t ask anymore questions, and Bucky turns his back on her when she glances at him, before she takes off her pajamas and starts dressing as fast as she can. She sees Bucky reach for the dagger, and Darcy steps out of the bathroom with Jane’s satchel in one hand and the gun in the other.
“Where did you get this?” Darcy asks, holding the gun up.
Bucky takes it from her hands, “It’s mine” he says, “Do you really have a plan?”
Darcy nods. Bucky holds Jane’s hand tightly before they leave the room.
They are panting heavily when they finally stop running.
Jane and Darcy are trying to catch their breath, while Bucky looks around for any sign of someone following them. They encountered two men patrolling before they reached… wherever the hell they are but the hadn’t been caught. Bucky looks around him, they are in the barn house Darcy mentioned, it looks like it had been abandoned for a while now but there are two vehicles that look clean. He glances at Darcy, who is looking outside. There is no movement, she had told them that Loki didn’t like having strangers in the house so the staff – the very few people there was – slept in the smaller cottage about two hundred feet away from them blocking their sight of the mansion.
Darcy walks towards one of the cars, and kneels down, patting under it for something. Seconds later she stands up and dusts off her jeans, a key in her hands. She begins to explain that both cars had been wired and were untraceable now, they had something called Stealth mode. Once they left they were not going to be followed. There is food for weeks long travel, and enough for the three of them if they took both cars, and a purifier to make salt water or dirty water clean and drinkable. Bucky sees her open a medical kit – packed with bandages, gloves, vials of medicine, syringes and what look like surgical supplies – and reach for gauze, opening a bottle and wetting it with it.
“I have to go back” Darcy says suddenly, and walks towards Jane with the gauze in her hands.
“What?” Jane scowls, “No way, you-“ Darcy puts the gauze on Jane’s cheek and she winces.
“I gotta get something from the studio room”
Jane looks at him over her shoulder, and then turns again to the other woman. Darcy tells her to hold it up to her cheek for a few minutes and then goes back to the car and closes the kit, coming back with a bag.
“Darcy we are not-”
“Jane” Darcy looks at her, “There are things going on that I’m part of” she walks towards her, “If I don’t do this…”
“Is this about Hydra?” Jane asks, “My father was working for them… Right?”
He swallows, and Darcy glances at him before she looks back at Jane and nods, an apologetic look in her eyes. Darcy tells Jane that there is something for her in the glove compartment and that the person who told her about Hydra gave it to her, everything she needed to know was there, and if she had any questions she would answer them.
“I can leave without-“
“I’ll go with you”
Darcy and Jane turn to Bucky.
“The most dangerous place right now is inside that house” Bucky cuts her off, “If you stay here and wait-“
“We will be right back” Darcy puts her hands on Jane’s shoulders.
Jane’s eyes are glassy and her bottom lip trembles. She circles Darcy’s wrist before pulling her in for a tight hug. Darcy whispers an I love you and kisses the top of her head reaching for a bag on the car. She takes a deep breath in turning to Bucky afterwards.
“Let’s go”
Bucky walks up to Jane and puts the gun in her hands. She hesitates in taking it but ultimately does so and he pulls her in to kiss her forehead.
“I’ll be right back” He promises.
When they reach the study room, Darcy pulls out a device from the bag on her shoulder and starts walking around the room. Bucky guards the door, feeling more tense as he counts mentally how long until the sun goes out. He wishes he had bought the gun just in case, but Darcy assured him the house would be empty. He cracks his knuckles a few times and rubs his hands together impatiently. Darcy searches around the room, moving chairs and throwing books from the shelves not caring if she leaves a mess.
“How long did you know about Jane coming?”
Darcy glances at him but continues her task, “Since you left Glassmere”
He looks at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
“I found an old radio in the maid’s cottage”
Darcy tells him that she communicated with the people left in Glassmere by radio, and that Letitia had answered one. After that sent coded messages for weeks back and forward, then she received one from Catalean which Jane had sent. She stays quiet, and Bucky wants to ask further, but then he sees the wall behind the desk has a new portrait hung.
“What exactly are you looking for?”
Darcy sighs and ignores him.
Bucky glances outside before he walks towards the desk, and removes the frame.
“Something like this?”
It’s small, and doesn’t look like it could hold too many things inside. Whatever Darcy needed, had to be there. If she could open the safe to begin with. Darcy turns to him and sees it.
“Son of a...”
She pushes pass him and presses a few buttons in the device in her hands, it starts clicking like a timer and when she moves it closer to the safe, it sticks to it like a magnet. A kind of countdown begins and then it stops showing a series of numbers before the safe pops open. Darcy reaches inside and starts rummaging its content, when she doesn’t seem to find what she’s looking for, she starts throwing out everything. There is a few papers that look important, a watch and a gun too, similar to the one Bucky carries. Darcy makes a noise and pulls out something. It’s small and shinny, a necklace with a gold chain.
He purses his lips, “Is that what we came here for?” He asks, “Jewellery”
“I told Loki to keep it here, near his computers” Darcy says.
Bucky licks his lips and looks at the pendant again. Darcy twists it in her hands carefully, and the pendant opens.
“A chip?” Bucky asks, frowning at the small square in her palm.
“It copied all the information from Loki’s computer dive once he left it next to it, it’s our tickets to Maraud” Darcy says, Bucky stares at it before Darcy puts it back inside the pendant, she puts it in her pocket and then looks at him, “Can you hear that?”
Bucky lifts his gaze, “Hear what?“
An alarm.
Their gazes meet, Darcy's eyes are widen in panic.
"Jane"
They both run out of the room. The lights are still off but outside there was a lot of movement, he couldn't see them but he could hear the heavy steps from the Shadow Men as they all were alerted. The alarm is deafening as they approach the back door of the house. She wasn't counting on the house having an alarm like that and he didn't know what set it off, but he could tell she was anxious as she pulled him in a different direction when they hear voices from the one they were going to.
“They must be in the house!”
Darcy freezes at the sound of Loki’s voice. And Bucky grabs her arm pulling her towards him.
“And where the fuck is Hela!?”
He hears steps moving towards them and he leans against the wall. Darcy is panting heavily, not only from running but because she’s terrified.
“Not according to plan?” He asks quietly.
Darcy swallows tightly, “I should have killed him” she says, “I had the chance and-“
He shakes his head, “You wouldn’t have been able to”
Three men pass by them running, Shadow Men, and Bucky stares in shock at the rifles they were holding. Darcy nudges his shoulder.
"The kitchen has a door for the staff, if we go out there we would have to round the house to find the parking lots"
It comes out in an overflow of words but Bucky understands well, and he nods at Darcy before she starts running to the where the kitchen was. Jane must be waiting in the car for them, and maybe she had panicked too when the alarm went off. Outside he could hear the men yelling to look for intruders, and Bucky becomes anxious too, and he realises they were not going to be able to leave without bumping into at least one of the guards. They were swarming the house, and they must also be surveilling outside.
Darcy pulls from his arm, and they finally reach the kitchen. Darcy signs relieved as she reaches for the door.
A gun cocks.
“Don’t move”
Someone turns the kitchen lights on.
“Hands up”
Bucky glances at Darcy as he rises his hand, and Darcy nods tightly before she does too. His heart is beating a hundred miles an hour and he feels not only anger but impotence. They were so close. The man starts walking towards them at a cautious pace, and Bucky looks at the rifle in his hands, then at the door behind them. So close. The Shadow Man shouts at the other ‘soldiers’, and then orders them to put their hands on the nearest wall. Darcy looks at him with pleading eyes, and he feels the adrenaline rush through his body as he waits for the man to be at arms reach. He grits his jaw and counts up to four before he turns around, reaching for the barrel of the rifle and pushing it upwards.
Darcy shirks as the gun goes off, leaving holes in the ceiling, at the same time he smashed an elbow into the side of the man’s skull, the soft spot high on the temple. He falls heavy like a stone a second later and Bucky kicks the rifle away. He winces when he feels a soreness in his hand and when he looks at it, he sees the flesh in his hand is burned.
“The barrel was hot”
When he turns he finds Darcy gripping the kitchen counter. His eyes glance down at her abdomen, where she is pressing her right hand and blood is pouring out. His eyes go wide and he moves towards her.
“I should have moved” She chuckles, putting a hand on his shoulder for stability.
“The shots came from the kitchen!”
Bucky looks at the entrance.
“Let’s go"
He throws Darcy’s left arm around his neck and lifts her from the floor, placing one arm around the bend in her knees and the other behind her back. Darcy grips his shirt, wincing at the movement, but he carries her with little effort outside. They make it to the cottage a few meter far from the mansion, and he can see the Shadow Men getting the staff out of the house in a single line. Darcy is breathing harshly against his neck and he walks behind the house, finally having the barn in sight.
“Put me- Put me down” Darcy says breathlessly.
Bucky puts her down slowly, and Darcy grips her side wincing. He kneels next to her, glancing at the line of people walking away with two men, while the rest entered the house. He licks his lips and reaches for Darcy’s hand.
“Let me see”
Darcy’s breath hitches as she starts moving her hand away. Bucky grimaces at the blood pouring out, and he looks at Darcy before he leans in to inspect it closer.
The bullet didn’t go through.
“It’s still inside” Darcy says, and he lifts his gaze towards her, “It’s a Whistle bullet”
Bucky frowns, not knowing what she means. He hears crashing inside the cottage and looks in that direction, then looks at Darcy again.
“Jane- She could get it out” He takes a sharp breath in, “She-
“It wouldn’t… Matter” Darcy shakes her head, “Whistle bullets fragment inside” Bucky scowls, “each fragment is a traceable”
Bucky grits his jaw, and he starts pulling from her arm.
“You have to go”
“Not without you” He replies firmly, breathing harsh through his nose.
“You have to go”
And she is struggling to breathe. Bucky shuts his eyes, he’s tired, his throat feels tight and his hand is burning, and Jane’s sister is dying infront of him when they were so close to escaping. Darcy hooks a finger under his chin and makes him look at her. She reaches for his hand and puts the necklace in his palm, closing it tightly afterwards. He shakes his head, there had to be something else he could do.
"Millions depend on it" Darcy swallows tightly, "You and Jane depend on it"
Bucky looks at her, there are tears streaming down her face. But she didn’t look scare, or angry about the situation as much as he felt. She made up her mind already, she made a choice and there was nothing he could do or say to make her change her mind.
"You have to drive east to get to the limits of the colony" She starts, "Once you are out, say these words to the panel"
"I can’t leave you here”
He tries anyways. But it comes out weakly, he’s defeated and he knows.
"You say this words exactly, soldier" she says sharply.
He’s not a soldier, he wants to say, it was just a stupid name people called him for amusement. Bucky licks his lips and nod.
"Sirius, Talitah, Algol, Rigel"
Bucky repeats them in his head and nods. Darcy pulls him towards her and hugs him tightly. He wraps his arms around her and thanks her. When they pull back she nods.
"Tell her..."
I would give my life for Jane.
"I'll tell her you kept your promise" He says.
Her eyes welled with tears, her lips forming a smile. He takes a deep breath and stands up, when he finally turns to leave Darcy calls his name.
“Jane” She says, “She’s more fragile than she seems”
And he isn’t sure he agrees, but remains quiet.
“She needs your protection… And your love” She takes a few shallow breaths.
He nods, “She has me”
Before he leaves, he glances back at her, and she looks... Grateful, relieved. And he grips the necklace in his hands before putting it in his pocket. They have to go.