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Chapter Eleven

~Thea's POV~

As soon as Loki releases me, I run, grabbing my phone as I do so. I'm so thankful that Jack answers the phone on second ring.

"Hey, Thea, what's up? I'm telling you, I'm going to beg Dad to let me out of-"

"Jack, Jack!" I say hurriedly, interrupting him as I go in my room and lock the door behind me. "Where can I hide?"

"What do you mean, where can you hide?" demands Jack, "Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Um, I'm in my room," I struggle to keep my voice under control. "I just need...somewhere to hide..."

There's a pause. 

"What did Loki do?"

"What?" I squeak, "I didn't say anything-"

"You didn't have to. What did he do?"

"Ugh, Jack!" 

"C'mon, Thea, or I'm going to get a tardy to English, and do you really want me to fail everything?"

I groan again, but eventually tell him exactly what Loki did, "He...he...tortured me with my memories," I finish, "He told me it would make me stronger."

"Stupid git," says Jack, and I hear the sounds of sinks; he must have hidden in the bathroom or something to skip class, "But he's probably got a point."

"Jack!" I'm shocked. Of all of us, Jack has the most hatred towards Loki, with Kyle coming in at a close second. By saying this, it's making it clear that Jack has my best interest at heart, and a basis of our strong friendship. 

"I mean, he's probably doing it for your own good. But of course you don't want to go through that again," he adds kindly, "So if you want to hide from him for an entire week"

"Not an entire week but just whenever nobody else is with me."

"They told me about the sleeping arrangements. What happens when Loki's assigned to watch over you when you sleep?"

I do a quick headcount, "There's enough so that Loki might not be assigned, and honestly, I doubt anyone trusts him enough for that. But even if it did happen, Loki wouldn't do it at night." I hope, I add too myself. 

"Um, I'm really not trying to be a prat," says Jack, "But like I was saying, what if this saves your life or something? Or someone else's?"

I instantly feel guilty, then say in a much stronger voice than I know, "I've resisted well enough. The resisting is what hurts. Oh, please Jack, c'mon, help me out!" 

"Does anyone else know what's going on?" 

"I sort of bolted in here. But I saw Steve and Sam walk by the room a few times, and I was sort of..." I stammer, "I wasn't quiet."

"Oh." Jack's voice has hardened, "Well, I think I've got a place. Do you mind small?"

"The smaller the better," I say bravely, "That's the last place Loki would look." 

*

I don't get a chance to find out what the place is until after lunch the next day. Happily, Loki and Thor have temporarily returned to Asgard for the afternoon, accompanied by Tony and Natasha, which gives me plenty of opportunity. My only, opportunity, actually, because I have a feeling that after Loki gets back, he's going to be looking for me.

Since both Tony and Natasha, the nosiest humans in the building are both gone, this practically gives me free reign of the building.
The location of my little hidey-hole is on the basement level, designated by storage and garages. There's actually one more level below me, but Jack says its a very obvious and crowded area. 

The beauty of the largeness of Stark tower is just that: it's huge. I meander down behind some cars and into a hallway, a storage hallway for tires and old stuffed car seats. 

The second to last compartment is unlocked, thanks to Jack the day before. It's very tight, and low, but it's large enough so that I can lie down comfortably, and sit up. 

Smirking, I lie down and take out my book. It will be up to Jack to tell me when it is safe to surface. 

*

~Nobody's POV~

Thor, Loki, Tony, and Natasha get back to Stark tower only a little before Jack does. In that twenty minute time window, Loki realizes that Thea is gone. Flinging her (empty) bedroom door closed, he stalks down the corridor, shouting her name even though he knows she won't listen, even if she can see him. 

"Where is Thea?" he asks Tony, who is with Bruce working in a lab, a different one than the portal. 

"Not a clue," says Tony, not even looking up. "Why, do you need to torture her again?"

Suddenly, Loki has grabbed Tony's throat, causing him to drop the screwdriver. "I am not torturing her," snarls Loki.

"Really?" wheezes Tony. "Because I didn't think that's what the screams sounded like." 

"Never. Say. I. Am. Torturing. Her." Loki throws Tony against the working table. "Now where is she?" 

Bruce answers, seeing as Tony is still stumbling to her feet, "We don't know, Loki. You might want to check with Kyle, or even Jack when he gets-"

"Jack!" 

Loki is out the door before Bruce and Tony can say anything else. Loki is furious, his fists clenched. He knows that he is, in essence, torturing Thea to try to save her life. But what is torturing Loki are the images in his head. 

The underground cell. 

Her blood on the ground. 

Kafrandi laughing.

Thea screaming. 

Loki clenches his teeth as he recalls more of the girl's cries of pain, this time because of him. But then, he remembers the Velah, the Velah that will kill her if he doesn't do anything about it. 

A very frustrated Loki slams his fist into the wall, then curses loudly as he draws blood from his veins. 

*

Jack barely has time to get into the building before Loki grabs him. "Where is she? Where is Thea?!" 

"What?" asks Jack innocently. 

"Don't play games with me boy!" exclaims Loki. "I know you know!" 

"Of course I do! But do you think I'm actually going to tell you? You tortured her!"

"To save her life!"

"Is that the only way?!" exclaims Jack, "To torture her?"

"It won't hurt her if she get's stronger!" yells Loki. "Don't you see, Jack? This is the only way!" 

Jack laughs, "I will not be telling you anything."

"Oh yes," says Loki, and his scepter appears in his hand, "You are." 

*

Thea shrieks shrilly as the door opens with a bang and Loki kneels down. 

"Get out of there," says Loki shortly. 

"No!"

"I said," Loki says as Thea digs her feet into the ground to try to resist him, but he drags her out anyway, "Get out!" 

"Loki, please, please..." she sobs, struggling hysterically against him. "Please don't, don't make me do it again! I'm sorry, I just can't, I...please don't make me!"

"If you do not-"

"Loki, I CAN'T!" 

"Thea!"

"Please!" 

"THEA LISTEN TO ME!" 

He has pushed her up against the wall, his furious face near her anguished one. She bites her lip to try and stop the tears, but they fall regardless. 

"Loki..." she stutters, "Loki, why... please, I'm begging you-"

"I'm not going to make you do it again," says Loki quietly.

"Wh...what?" 

Loki uses his thumb to wipe away some of the tear drops from her cheek. "I'm not going to make you do it again."

"Wh...what?"

"Must I always repeat myself around you kitten?" Loki teases gently, squeezing her gently as she begins to calm down. 

"Why?" she whispers. 

Loki didn't want to answer this question, but he knows he has no choice. "Because...because I can no longer hear your screams, particularly if they are due to my actions." 

Her brow furrows. "Really?"

His mouth twitches. "Yes." 

"Wait..." she says, "What about Videl? Will I be able to... wait, how did you even know I was here?" 

"Ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies, Thea." 

Thea is silent for a few seconds. "Um. Okay...thank you."

He snorts, "You're not welcome. Now let's please get out of here before we get blamed for one of Stark's menacing contraptions." 

"Loki?" 

"Hm?" he asks as she follows him back up towards Stark Tower. 

"Why does this always happen to me?"

"Simply, Thea," says Loki with a smirk, "Simply because it is your bumbling nature to get landed in the middle of trouble."

"I knew it couldn't last." she mutters, "You were being nice to me for five minutes. It had to be a record." 

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