Loki and Black Widow

[Question]

According to some humans, the feeling of falling through the air is very enjoyable. They even bothered making it a recreational activity. Naturally, they had a means to slow themselves down before they splattered against the pavement and only fell from a reasonable height but all and all, it was the feeling of rapidly plummeted that most humans enjoyed. Skydiving, they called it. Loki, however, decided he did not like skydiving so much. Perhaps it was the roar of the wind in his ears or the way his torn, battered clothes whipped around and flapped loudly. Or perhaps it had absolutely nothing to do with the fall and instead had to do with the fact that his pale skin was covered in wounds that would have killed a human and his entire body was coated in a thick layer blood. His blood. He had lost track of the days spent in the tiny, windowless room, enduring whatever punishments his captors felt like giving him. A faint trace of what had once been a smile appeared on the god's face. Many time, he had desired to simply end the suffering. But even that was too good for him. But now, if nothing else, he could end the suffering. Falling from such a height had to be enough to kill a god, yes? Humans though them immortal but they could die. It was just incredibly hard to do so. And splattering against the Earth was probably one of the least painful ways to go, at least after what he had endured. Provided the fall did actually kill him.

Had he been able to stop himself from falling and drag the broken shell of his body to somewhere to lay low and lick his wounds, Loki would of. But his magic was depleted and he could hardly move, let alone stop gravity from affecting him. So the god relaxed his muscles as best he could and closed his eyes. He couldn't do anything to stop it so he simply allowed himself to fall. The tremendous force of striking the ground that occurred moments later was mostly unfelt by the god as his body had shut down almost immediately and caused him to fall unconscious. But he would certainly feel it later on when he woke up.

[newmommy1993]

Natalia was in her backyard, practicing her high kicks. She had briefly took off her bracelets and left them inside. It had been a good long while since Loki and his army had caused them any trouble, and the Avengers were taking a good, long break. So far, Nick hadn't called the, in for anything, much less came searching for them,. She was in yoga pants, they were easier for her to work and practice in, and her sports bra. When she got to thinking about that, Natalia got to thinking about Clint. There for awhile, she had a thing for him, but they decided it was best to just remain friends.

Now, over a year later, she was still single, lonely, and to herself. Natalia went inside to get her a glass of water. She took a large gulp, but almost choked on the water as she heard a loud thud outside her home and a small rumble. Putting the glass down, she grabbed for her two bracelets and put them on each wrist before walking slowly towards her door. She opened it and pushed the door the rest of the way open and poked her head out. She noticed a body laying flat on the ground. Natalia walked over to the still figure and sighed, rolling her eyes realizing who it was.

She picked up Loki's body, by his arms, and dragged him inside, trying to be as careful as possible. With little difficulty, she got him onto her couch. Now, she just had to wait until he woke up to find out why the hell he was back on Earth.

[Question]

When he finally awoke, Loki was greeted by a wave of pain. Actually, it felt more like a tsunami of pain. Alive then, and worse than before. Several things had to be broken and something was making it hard to breathe. How many broken limbs did that make it? Whatever the number, he knew it would make it so he couldn't go find a dark cave to hide in. Wait, where was he anyway? He slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he focused on the ceiling above. Indoors. Someone had picked him up from his crash site. Deciding his right arm was good enough to move, he adjusted it slightly then started to lift himself up off the couch. Before he even managed to get an inch off the couch, however, pain flared up in his chest. He collapsed back down on the couch, incredibly dizzy with an uncomfortable feeling in his throat. It felt like he had to cough but he couldn't. His lips had literally been stitched shut but not by the Chitauri. No, his lips had actually been sealed by the Asgardians while he had been in their custody. He had gradually grown used to the silence but it did make several things more complicated. Coughing, for example, was impossible. Or at least it wasn't comfortable.

[newmommy1993]

Natalia was cutting up some green peppers and onions to throw in her pot of chili when she spotted him moving. She sat the knife down, leaning on the counter as she watched his movements. When she had brought him in and on her couch, she noticed his mouth was stitched shut. She sure as hell couldn't get information out of him if he couldn't talk. Natalia straightened up when he tried to sit up, but it ended in failure. Sighing, she took the knife and walked over to him. "Stay still." She demanded, holding his head still with her hands. "This will hurt only a lot." Natalia said, giving him a smile as she put the knife to one corner of his mouth and sliced it across, removing all the stitches. "Drink this." She said, picking up a glass of water and handing it to him before she went to rinse off the knife and finish cutting up the vegetables.

After she finished cutting up the food, she tossed them in with her chili and turned it down to simmer. She then walked over, only standing a few inches away from her enemy. "Loki. So nice to see you.. again. Did they get tired of you as well?" She asked, leaning against the island, part of her kitchen. She still didn't like Loki, especially from everything he had done in the past.

[Question]

Loki's eyes widened when a red haired woman walked over, carrying a knife. But it wasn't just the knife she was holding that alarmed him. No, he recognized her. It seemed like an eternity ago but the faces of all of the Avengers had burned itself into his brain. When she drew closer to him, he flinched away silently, unable to produce any proper noise. He had gone from Asgard to the Chitauri and now had fallen right into the hands of an Avenger. Would she kill him now or call in her fellows so they could all get revenge for his dealings over a year ago. Judging from the knife she was holding and the way she was gripping his head still, it was probably the first one. He tensed up and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for her to bring the knife down on his skull. Instead, he felt the knife against his lips for a moment before he heard several snaps.

His eyes opened after a moment and he paused before raising a hand to his mouth. The stitches that had binded his lips together had all been severed. He didn't open his mouth, however, nor did he drink the water. He wouldn't die of starvation or dehydration otherwise he would have done so already. He was incredibly hungry and thirsty but the groanings of his stomach had long died out and the pain helped block out the pangs of hunger and thirst that occasionally struck him. Although, if nothing else, the lack of food at at least made the god extraordinarily skinny and weak. The clothes he wore that had once fit very snuggly now hung in loose tatters off of his shoulders. But he didn't drink, nor did he open his mouth at all.

His eyes flickered over to the red-haired woman as she approached again. Had he been approached a year ago, he probably would have replied with a sarcastic retort or at least given her a rather evil glare. But instead, a pained look crossed over his features. He turned his head away from her since it was the only part of his body he could move around without extreme pain. Asgard. So the Avengers did not know of his kidnapping. It was just as well since he didn't deserve their pity. He didn't deserve anyone's pity. That was just one of the many lessons that had been drilled into his brain over the past year. He could still hear the Chitauri chattering at him while punching him, cutting him, doing anything they could to inflict pain on him. Their words haunted him and made his head spin. He closed his eyes and trembled at the memories of the tortures that had never stopped once.

[newmommy1993]

She shook her head, her bright red curls bouncing with her. Her hair had grown significantly in the past year. Was he just purposefully ignoring her? "Look, I know you don't necessarily have to drink to keep hydrated or whatever, but it would help with the taste." She said, going to stir her chili. "I'm going to change real quick. Don't move." She said as she placed the lid back on the chili and went into her small bedroom. Her house wasn't anything fancy, just something any ordinary person lived in. A simple brick home with two bedrooms, one which she used as a guest bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and a living room. Simple, comfortable furniture, again nothing fancy.

She made good money at her job, but she didn't like showing it off. She closed her bedroom door and took off her yoga clothes and put on a black top, town jeans rolled up at the end, and black wedges. She pulled her hair back up in a ponytail and went back to where Loki was on her couch. "Ready to talk yet?" She asked sitting on the chair diagonal from Loki.

[Question]

Don't move. The command was simple enough and easy enough to follow, especially considering the magnitude of his wounds. He couldn't sit up, let alone walk around. Hell, breathing was hard at this point. But he tried anyway, having decided that staying near an Avenger was not the safest thing for him. He needed solitude now. Somewhere he could flee and escape the rage of his former captors when they found he was missing. Besides, the fact she was an Avenger was even worse. In fact, she might kick his ass worse than the Chitauri.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the god's eyes widened in alarm. The need to flee overtook him as he tried to force himself off the couch. The result was him crashing to the floor, pain covering his body like a sheet. Biting back the urge to cry out in pain, Loki tried to drag himself across the floor in search of a place to hide before the woman came back. He managed to make it behind the couch before he collapsed again and curled up in a ball, protecting his vital organs with his legs and his head with his arms. He could hear the woman coming back now but, just like he had been for over a year, Loki was completely silent. Instead he remained behind the couch, curled up in a ball like a feeble child.

[newmommy1993]

As she sat down and looked towards the couch, Loki wasn't even there. Frowning, she stood back up and looked around, but found him behind the couch. "C'mon." She said, offering her hand out to help him. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you, unless you try something that gives me reason too." She said. Her phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. Frowning, she went over to answer it. Fine, let him do whatever. He can leave, and be eaten alive by the real world. She answered her phone, not bothering to look at the caller I.D. "Hello?" She said over the receiver.

"Natalia, so nice to hear from you after a year." Natalia sighed and leaned against the counter. "Nick, ditto." She said, keeping her eyes on the couch, waiting for Loki to come out from hiding. "How have you been?" He asked. "Good, I guess." She replied. "Great, well I've got some news. We've been keeping an eye on this for awhile, and, well, let's just say its not good news." He said. Natalia could hear rustling of papers in the background. "The Chitauri are coming here. Apparently, they are after something they wish to have returned. They will harm or kill anyone who tries to stop them or stands in their way." Natalia was silent for a minute, she went back behind the couch, staring at Loki.

"Do you happen to know what they're after?" She asked. A brief pause before Nick spoke. "I'm not sure, but we have a guess. Loki." He said. Natalia nodded and stared at Loki.

[Question]

Loki flinched away from her touch, shivering all the while. His brain whisked him back to the days of torture he had to endure. Even when she left to go answer her ringing phone, he remained on the floor, curled up int he fetal position. Caught up in the past, he felt his breath catch in his throat and closed his eyes, trying to dismiss the terrible memories. But they lingered and grew stronger, gradually taking over until he could hear his own agonized screams and the laughing chitters of the Chitauri. A small moan escaped from his lips as he held his head, trying to get rid of the thoughts.

Gradually, the memories retreated and Loki regained control of himself. He was aware of someone watching him and looked up, his gaze meeting Natalia. He hesitated then lowered his head back down, completely exhausted. He focused on leveling his breathing and fighting against the pain that filled his body. His breathing was very ragged and quick, as if he was a fish that had just been pulled out of the ocean.

[newmommy1993]

She figured the second Nick told her about the future invasion, it had to have something to do with Loki. She hung up and knelled down so she was facing Loki in the eyes. "Look, you're perfectly capable of speaking now. We have a situation, and believe it or not, we're going to need you're help, but first you need to be healed, and better, and I can help you. I'm not going to hurt you, but if you truly want to, then leave." She got up and opened the door, in case he wanted to truly leave.

Natalia didn't see why. She was trying to offer her help and condolences to him. Did he want her to apologize? For what? He should be owing them, after all he had done before. He killed a member of their team, a very valued member. Tony was devastated about it, they were close. Instead of bothering with it anymore, she went to stir her chili, adding a little more crushed red pepper for that extra flavor it added, waiting on Loki's decision.