hi hi hi hi! :D

Sorry for the slight delay, I was (and technically still am) at film camp. 

Have a good day, and hope you like the chapter!
Edit: Me

~Songs~

Sirens- Cher Lloyd (not the words, but I don't know, the mood of the song I guess haha)

The Trial of Loki- Thor, the Dark World

Chapter Ten

~Thea's POV~

"LOKI YOU BASTARD!" I scream my first words to him in five months, nearly smacking Loki across the face (he dodges it) before throwing my arms around him.

"I see you haven't changed a bit," Loki's chuckle seems far away. 

"Can I please kill you for scaring me to death?" I ask, my voice muffled, as my head is buried in his chest. 

"Oh, you really haven't changed a bit." I feel his hand on my hair, and hear the smile in his voice.  Then, just as quickly, he pushes me away from him, "Now why aren't you asleep?" 

He gives me back the dagger as I mutter, "I can't." 

Loki doesn't seem to be curious as to why, although I am pretty sure he already knows. "Ah. Well, it seems as if Tony and Thor wish to have a word with-"

"Thor's here?" I ask, jerking my head up. 

"Of course he's here, you little simpleton." As I open my mouth, he adds, "Leah, however, is not. In lieu of recent events, we have found it more prudent to keep her safely on Asgard. Seeing as you got yourself tangled up in something much larger as you." He pauses to narrow his eyes at me. "Again." 

"I am not apologizing." 

"Of course you're not, when have you uttered an apology in your life?"

"Well I'm sorry I didn't get to slap you in the face, does that count?" I ask sweetly.

He gives me a dangerous and turns away with a swish of his cape, vindictively putting me into mind of a giant green bat. Before he leaves the room, he adds, "Follow me. Now." 

I stick my tongue out at his receding back.

Grabbing my dagger and phone and following him out of my room, I close the door behind me. "Where are we going?"

"Upstairs," says Loki shortly, not breaking those long strides of his that force me to have to practically lope after him. 

"Thanks for your helpful information," I say sarcastically. 

He apparently doesn't deem this necessary to reply to and the rest of the way would have been silent if I hadn't peppered him with questions about Asgard and Leah. I know he hates it when I ask too many questions, and my face grows smugger and smugger as he grows more and more annoyed.

"Thea, may I ask you something?" says Loki, interrupting me, "Could you for once close your mouth and keep it that way until you die?"

"That's not very nice," I say innocently. "Now as I was saying, have you, or have you not found anyone to date on Asgard?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about," says Loki coldly, "Nor do I care." 

"Okay, are you in love with anyone?" I ask, trying to put the question in Asgardian lingo and feeling very satisfied when Loki tosses me a look of utter loathing. 

"The only thing I am in love with," says Loki as we walk down a long hallway that I recognize as one of the two conference halls, "Is some sort of invention that would glue your jaws together." 

"Ooo, is that a thing?" I ask, faking enthusiasm. "If so, I want one to give to you." 

I giggle as Loki swings his arm around, trying to get a hit at me, but I easily dodge the poor attempt; he was probably just making a point. 

"You're cranky," I say cheerfully. "I guess you haven't changed much either." 

Loki snorts, reminding me of an enraged bull that's just waiting to impale anything in its path. "Thea, darling," the 'darling' is very sarcastic, "I am now regretting volunteering to fetch you from your room." 

"You volunteered?" I gasp. "Wow, I feel so honored, so privileged that the great and noble Loki would deem me important enough to go fetch. This is-"

Loki pushes me rather roughly into a room on the right side of the hall, throwing off my balance. "Stop being so push- Thor!" 

Thor is standing at the back of what appears to be a two-bed room, with what I recognize as bullet-proof walls and no windows. He's with Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Kyle. Thor laughs as he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug. "Thea, it's splendid to see you again! I've missed you." 

"I've missed you too," I say, accentuating the 'you' as I glare at Loki. He glares right back. 

"And before you ask," says Thor with a soft smile, "Leah is doing very well. She is in the capable hands of Sif at the moment."

I do not care for Sif much at all, but it's not like she's evil or anything. "Um, thanks," I say, not knowing what I'm supposed to say. 

"You're probably wondering what you've doing here," continues Thor. When I shrug, he continues, "I've reviewed your situation. Heimdall has been watching over you ever since he told me what had transpired between you and that creature. Unfortunately, we have gotten word that Videl may or may not attempt to kidnap you to seal his threat. Perhaps not," He adds quickly, upon seeing my blanched face, "But we are merely taking the necessary cautions as we prepare to leave for Asgard. Heimdall knows of a way to reach Myrinea; I have heard of her in past dealings with the other worlds, and I suspect she may be able to help us."

"So...what am I doing here again?" I ask, looking around the plain bedroom and beginning to get a good idea.

Tony cuts in, "Mr. Vamp might strike at any time, if he's planning on doing it, of course, we don't know. You're going to be sleeping in the company of others for now, one person. Just in case."

I feel pale again. "No, no, no," I say hurriedly, "No, that can't be an option." 

"Why's that?"

"I...I..." I stammer, "I'll keep everyone awake. I don't sleep well, I can't do this. I'll be fine in-"

"Thea, none of us are going to be getting any sleep right now anyway," says Steve, "Not all of us need that much sleep anyway. "We're staying in Stark tower for another week before we head on to Asgard, to get ready and for Thor to work things out with his dad. Then, we're going on to Asgard to get this over with." 

"Okay," I say in a tiny voice. 

"I'm staying with you tonight," says Natasha brightly, not seeing tired at all even though it's around three in the morning. "It'll be fun!" 

"Yeah," I say dully, leaning against the wall, "Loads of fun." 

*

The next morning, after another sleepless night- I had tried not to wake Natasha as best I could, but I know she was awake- I very tiredly eat breakfast as most of everyone talks about the journey to Asgard. I'm happy to go; this way, I can at least see Leah again. 

"Come with me." 

I jump, spilling juice on my shirt as I do so. Loki is regarding me with an air of impatience. 

"I've been enjoying you not bossing me around for five months," I mutter, but I get off the barstool regardless, "What do you want?" 

Loki doesn't say a word until we get into one of the training rooms, with the boxing rings removed. 

"Oh no," I groan.
"Oh yes," smirks Loki. "Now you're not going to be fighting any. You're going to be resisting me."

"Pardon me?" 

Loki grasps the air, and his scepter appears in his hand. 

"Oh no," I groan again. "No, why, why are we doing this?"

Loki looks pleased with himself that I'm annoyed. "You see, Thea, the Velah can use a means of mind control. I believe, once again, that people say this is called compelling."

"What?" I squeak, "How do we know that Videl didn't use it on me?"

"We don't for sure, but I rather doubt it. This form of compelling is tricky; it's short-lived, and it's obvious that it's been done, unless Videl would have finished that loophole. Perhaps he used your mind, or the minds of others to send that code to you, to transport you to his lair."

"Well if it's short-lived and obvious, why is that a problem?" 

"Use your brain, Thea. What if Videl used you for a short time? To kill someone and pass it off as your work?" 

I shut my mouth.

"That's what I thought. Now you've already demonstrated that you can, if you try hard enough, go against my influence, but I did not use all of my power. This time..." he smirks, "This time, I believe that you will do anything I ask." 

"Um..." I say, having a very very bad feeling about this all. "Please don't make me do anything embarrassing!" 

"Oh Thea," says Loki, his smile widening, "I would never dare." 

The scepter hits my arm, and I feel a stirring energy inside of me. My vision goes slightly blurry; I can hear only one thing, Jump on the table.

"No..." I murmur. "N-"

JUMP.

A terrific bang, and I feel my vision clear. As I was trying to stop myself from jumping on the table, I hit the wood and go crashing to the floor. 

"Owey..." I groan, getting to my feet. "Oh...you're horrid."

Loki is laughing hard, as if this were the funniest thing in the world. "Ah Thea, this I have missed." 

"What?" I ask, stalking up to him, trying to ignore the slight limp from the pain. "You've enjoyed mocking me?" 

"Oh yes," he says with a smile. "That I have missed."

Before I can say another word, the scepter is back on my body, the same peace, the same calming  , soothing feeling is upon me. 

Bow down to me. Kneel..

"Oh, no, no, no," I mutter,  between flashes of visions, of the Imeldi, of Jack lying dead, "Oh please, please don't."

Kneel. Before. Me.

I fall to the ground, my head touching it, bowing before him. I try to grab the scepter that is before me, but as I do, I scream and fall back, the pain too excruciating. 

"Thea?" 

"This is your fault," I sob, my mind fully conscious. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" 

"Get up," snarls Loki, hauling me to my feet, "I'm sorry that it hurts, Thea, but you need to learn how to prepare yourself against this! What do you want to do? Strangle Natasha? Torture Kyle? Murder Jack?"

"Please don't make me..." I cry, "Please?"

Loki ignores me, and I feel the scepter again. 

Kill me.

A vision of Videl, his fangs leering at me menacingly.

Kill...Loki...

"No!" I exclaim, "No, please don't, please don't-"

The owl, the blood, the bodies.

Mom. Daddy. 

KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!

Their bodies on the ground. 

"NO!" I shriek, and I feel myself collapse on they round, sobbing with the utter pain of resisting.  I shriek again as Loki pulls myself to my feet once more. "NO, please don't make me, please, please, please don't make me, Loki." 

"Thea, this is important. Do you honestly think I would make you do this if it weren't?"

"YES." 

"Oh, Thea, please, try to see some sense," he grabs me when I try to break free from his grip. "For once in your life, listen!" 

"Did you know it was going to hurt?" I howl at him, pulling against him as hard as possible, but still not as strong as him. 

"Of course I did," Loki snaps, "Videl's power is based off of fear. You are seeing whatever you fear most!" The scepter comes closer. 

"No, no, no, NO LOKI PLEASE!" 

"Kitten, keep trying!" he growls, "This is necessary!" 

"NO, Loki, NO, it hurts, please, please, please!" The pain is horrible, and it's coming from Loki, which is what makes it worse. 

But he ignores me, pressing the scepter back onto my body, making me resist him, again and again. I keep crying, sobbing for him to stop, begging. But he doesn't listen to me. 

*

Later, an hour later, I stagger to my feet. 

"Run along, kitten," says Loki, his face drawn. "Go lie down or whatever you petty humans do for- THEA!" 

I slap him across the face, hard. 

"How dare you," he spits at me. My blow has drawn a few drops of blood from his face. "How dare you, you insolent child, I am trying to help you!" 

"No!" I scream. "How dare you!" Tears are running down my face, "You...you made me...you made me remember! My parents! Everything! The Imeldi, you made me remember!"

"Thea..."

"NO NO NO NO! You're a bastard! I was fine without you, and then you had to come and ruin everything like you always do!" 

"Thea." 

"I don't need you Loki!" I scream. "Just...just get out! I don't need you..." 

As I push past him, he grabs my arm and whirls me around, so that our faces are close, his green eyes boring into mine. 

"Yes," he says quietly, "Yes, you do need me." 

"No..." I sob, as Loki holds me close to him, as flashes of so many nightmares go through me, my arms shaking. 

"Hush now, says Loki quietly, stroking my hair. "That's my brave girl." 

"I hate...you..." I cry.

"I know," he chuckles, "I know." 

See, he can't even be in the story for a chapter without causing trouble, lol :D 

Please VOTE and COMMENT!
Also, I have a video that I'm making about the Three Tasks, a sort of montage to one of my favorite songs which I will be putting up a little later in the book. 

LOVE YOU! <3

~sierra d.