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bakerstreet2015-05-20 07:43 pm
sockdere) wrote in bakerstreet2015-05-20 07:43 pm
ʙᴏᴛʜ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟʟ
 Of all the places in this world, there's nowhere worse you could be than where you are now. You're in hell - metaphorically or literally - and laying down and just dying seems more and more like the valid action to take. But you can't go any lower and death could be a no escape. There's only one thing keeping you from being a jaded, broken husk: you've fallen in love with someone who shares this fate. It's a love so different than the norm, that only those who've known this desolation can fathom. Perhaps they give you hope, they're an innocent worth keeping safe, they showed you unexpected kindness, or they're simply something to cling to. No matter what, you'll protect them and you wouldn't dream of leaving this place without them. They will leave, though... ...even if you don't. ☣ ＣＯＭＭＥＮＴ． ＩＮＦＯ． ＰＲＥＦＥＲＥＮＣＥＳ． ☣ ＲＥＰＬＹ ＴＯ ＯＴＨＥＲＳ． ☣ ＴＨＲＥＡＤ. ＣＡＰＴＵＲＥＤ → For a crime you committed or not, you're in a prison. |
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[Steve finally looked back and gave Loki a once over. The handcuffs would imply that Loki was still a prisoner, but now that he's working for HYDRA Steve didn't see a need for them anymore. Despite all of Steve's asking, Loki had never given a reason for what he'd been doing. As the days went on, it was harder and harder to find an excuse.
If he'd really did change, then how could he continue doing what he was doing for so long?
Maybe it was all an act and Steve was an idiot for falling for it when everyone else had warned him. Maybe he should escape regardless of the consequences. No, despite everything, he couldn't risk Loki getting hurt. Even if he had turned his back on The Avengers and everything they stood for, Steve couldn't bring himself to put Loki's life at risk. ]
You can stop pretending to be their prisoner now.
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[He wouldn't deny it. Once uncuffed and on a mission, Loki could stop being Hydra's prisoner so quickly they wouldn't have a clue where he'd gone off to. How they knew this would work so well troubled him, but they were constantly reminded that Steve would keep him from running alone.]
As could you.
[It was an interesting thought, what would happen if Steve ran. Loki assumed they must have threatened his life in such an event, but would they go through with that? Almost certainly not. He was too useful to them.]
In fact I highly recommend-
[But before he could finish his sentence, the door opened and a few agents came to lead him from Steve's room. They must have suspected he was going to say something unauthorized and acted quickly.]
Until next time! [Loki called back before the door slammed shut behind him. Well, perhaps Steve would get the idea.]
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Steve turned around and searched Loki's face for a hint of what that could mean. If there was still any hint that the person he trusted more than anyone was still in there.
He stood up, but the guards quickly came in and stepped between them before he could reach the Asgardian.
Loki was trying to tell him something. Did he know? Did know about the threats they made? Was the same threat made to him? There was a part of Steve that wanted to believe it. It wanted to believe that Loki wasn't doing all of this on his own, but then all logic had said otherwise. But if there was one shred of hope, Steve would hold on to it.
He approached the metal bars as they slammed shut and he watched Loki's retreating form as he was flanked by the two guards. If he was really working for them, then why would they watch his every move? No, he had to be forced into what he was doing. That could be the only explanation. Why else would they keep them separated like this? ]
I'm not leaving without you! [The words echoed down the hallway and Steve could only hope that they reached Loki.]
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He actually winched slightly when Steve shouted to him as he was escorted down the hall. No, no, no, what an idiotic thing to say! Now Hydra would be watching them even more carefully.
Loki didn't respond to those words, whatever irritation they may have caused. That man was far too good for him, for anyone. He needed to get out of here while there was still a chance, and Loki promised himself he'd get the message across better next time.]
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If there was anything left of the man he cared for, then he'd need to come up with a plan to get them both out. When he saw Loki the next time, he'd be ready. Maybe he'd come up with a hint, or something.
The small desk in the cell wasn't much, but it had papers and pencils. They had probably put it in on the off chance that Steve agreed to cooperate with them. Maybe they thought he'd help with tactical strategy. No, he wasn't going to help, but he decided to draw something. Maybe a message of sorts, maybe it was a subtle hint that would let Loki know that he still trusted him. It was a relatively simple picture he did of the Avengers. It wasn't absolutely perfect, but it was something he managed with the few pens they had provided.
Fortunately green was a color they had given to him. When he finally got to Loki, he picked up the green pen and carefully sketched out every detail of the Asgardian he could bring to mind.
When he had finally finished, it was already the early hours of the morning. He'd leave the drawing out in plain sight. Maybe Loki would take notice of it and HYDRA would think nothing of it. Captain America was just missing his friends after all. ]
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He'd been going on nearly endless missions with very little time to rest, undoubtedly as an attempt to get the most use from him in the field while the opportunity still presented. While his Jotun biology ensured he didn't require nearly as much sleep as a human, he still had limits. They were being tested quite strenuously.
If his sorcery wasn't contained, Loki would have hidden the dark circles under his eyes. As he was, there was no hiding anything so the best he could do was wear a mask of indifference as he stepped into the room.
A mask that melted almost immediately when he caught sight of the drawing Steve had done. The Avengers, with Loki included. It only took him a moment to realize he'd been drawn in an outfit that resembled his earlier ensemble more than what he'd taken to wearing with them on missions once he'd joined. Before he enjoyed some green in his uniform, now he refused to wear anything but black.
It had become something of an inside joke between them. Steve liked when he wore green and would present him with something green before a mission, which Loki would always reject. If this wasn't some sort of hint, then he didn't know what was.]
You've been drawing? Hm. I don't wear green on missions anymore. I always wear black.
[Hydra would likely think he meant what he wore on their missions. Steve would hopefully pick up on the reference to the Avengers instead.]
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He forced himself to pretend that he hadn't noticed. Or that he didn't care.
He also forced himself not to smile and feign indifference when Loki brought up the drawing. Good, hopefully his message was getting across. Hopefully HYDRA wouldn't catch on.]
I noticed. [He looked down at the drawing, forcing himself from making eye contact with Loki.] I think you look a lot better in green but that's not my call anymore.
[It never was his call, but he'd pretend that it was.]
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If so, it was a relief to hear. For once Steve was doing a better job remaining indifferent than Loki, though Hydra might consider that a result of his exhaustion.]
No, not anymore. [He smiled thinly and looked away from the drawing. No need to draw too much attention to it.]
Are you well? [He seemed to be. The fact that Hydra kept up with their end of the bargain was the only reason any of these mission continued. Loki still feared the day they'd give up on that.]
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I bet you took a beating today. They didn't even show me what you did today. [Take that as his way of asking how Loki was doing. They were wearing him down to nothing and Steve couldn't let that happen. He just hoped he'd have enough time to figure out how to get them both out before Loki was worn down to nothing.]
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[If they didn't show Steve, then they probably didn't want him discussing it. Loki wasn't sure why not, really. The people he fought were soldiers from another nation, though he wasn't told which one. Hydra rarely told him anything before sending him on missions, and he didn't see any reason to ask. Who he fought wouldn't change their current situation.]
You should draw somewhere else. You might have a better perspective.
[It was the closest he could get to leave without being pulled out of the cell right away. Even then he saw the agents inching closer, prepared to extract him at any moment.
They should know better. Loki wasn't going to attempt an escape without his magic or any weapons. It would be suicide and he'd get Steve killed.]
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Why would I when I've got everything I need right here? [He looked up to Loki. Hope that he'd take the hint that no matter what happened, he wasn't leaving without him.
He wanted to reach out and touch him. Maybe show a gesture that he cared. That they'd eventually find a way out of here. But he couldn't risk it. This was one of the few times they might be on the same page. ]
Maybe you should take a break. [That was Steve's hint that Loki should leave without him or stop doing whatever HYDRA was forcing him to do. He glanced at the guards who still inched closer, but didn't say anything just yet.]
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[But whatever else Loki intended to say was cut off by the agents deciding enough was enough. They weren't stupid, and it was becoming quickly apparent that Steve and Loki were trying to plan something without talking about it directly.
It had been safer when it seemed the Captain was angry with their alien subject. Now it really didn't seem that way.
The higher ups made the decision to stop sending Loki on missions. They kept him in his cell all day, hands bound, and only visited to inject him with various concoctions that either knocked him unconscious or made him feel otherwise awful. Sometimes they took x-rays of him, or drew his blood. Only a fool wouldn't realize his was being used as some sort of science experiment at that point.
They didn't let him visit Steve anymore. Why bother when they could keep him contained at all times? No one thought he was escaping bound and unarmed like he was, and they were right. He couldn't leave without the other Avenger, especially not like this. And as Loki sat on the cot that was his bed, he hoped Steve wouldn't do something foolish.]
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[ Steve stood, but the guards were in between them and holding him back as the others take Loki away. He pulled against them, but he didn't bother attacking. Not when they had Loki in their hands. Not when Loki was so worn down. Steve wouldn't risk putting his life in danger.
When Loki was finally gone, the guards had closed in, chained him down, and beat him. He was down for a few hours, but his wounds eventually healed.
After that, there was minimal contact with anyone. Outside of the few guards posted by his cell, nobody had interacted with him. Loki had stopped showing up to check on him and the monitors were now blank. It made sense. Just when they had figured out how to communicate with one another, they were separated.
But as the days went on, Steve's concern only grew. Any questions he'd ask about Loki were met with either silence or a gun pointed in his direction. He would pace around the room, rattle bars, and glance up at a blank monitor.
He had to get out.
So one night while the guards were switching out, Steve pulled the drawer out from the small desk they had given him, and like a shield, he used it to ram the lock. The drawer shattered but the lock busted. Of course, the alarms were set off, but he knew that would happen.
It didn't matter anyways, he had to find Loki. ]
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He'd never heard this alarm before, and wondered if someone was attacking the compound. The other Avengers? Loki didn't want to be too hopeful that a rescue might be underway, but given the level of activity he could hear that might very well be the case.
The other option, that Steve might have escaped, seemed less likely. The idiot was resistant to this suggestions that he flee, though his prolonged failure to visit could have changed his mind. Still, probably not.
For the thousandth time he tried to free himself from the cuffs around his wrists, let out a frustrated hiss, and paced around his cell instead. There wasn't much he could do but wait and see. The bars were too strong for him to bust through, the lock well out of reach.]
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....At least he hoped he still was. For all he knew, Loki could be dead.
But eventually he'd made his way past guards, throwing them off and knocking them out. It wasn't too long before he found another corridor that lead to a cell very much like his own. The only thing that was different was what was inside.]
Loki! [He called out to the Asgardian.
He was still alive, thank God.]
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[He didn't even bother to finish, eyes already wandering back to the lock on the cell door. Steve was already here, so there really was no use trying to shoo him away, however irritating it was that he'd put himself in this sort of danger instead of just leaving.]
-Never mind. Can you open the door?
[If they were both free, there might be a way to open Loki's cuffs and then it would only be a matter of masking them in invisibility until they could sneak out properly. Such a small obstacle, yet so little time... the sound of boots was getting louder every passing moment.]
You'll have to act quickly!
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I've got it. Just stand back.
[He backed up and then rammed the door with his body. The door shuttered against its hinges and there was a loud creak. It hurt more without the drawer, but without his SHIELD or anything else, he had no choice. He backed up again and rammed into it, this time groaning when he felt something crack.
He'd be fine. He'd heal.
The door creaked again, and maybe it only need another push or two. Any second they'd be out, and they'd be free. He backed up again and prepared to ram into the door again.
The sound of guns clicking nearby stopped him from going forward.
He let out a breath and slowly put his hands up in surrender. His blue eyes looked at Loki who he had just failed.]
I'm sorry.
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[Loki wasn't sure what he should have expected, but Steve slamming his body into the bars wasn't it. He stood back a few paces, mouth hanging open slightly as he considered telling him to stop or not. In the end he let him go on, even after hearing that crack. They were out of time.
Unfortunately, Steve wasn't fast enough even with his speedy efforts.
Loki cursed audibly when the Hydra agents surrounded him and raised their weapons. They ended up opening the cell and tossing Steve in with him with a warning that any further escape attempts would be punished harshly.
And then they left. Loki knew they'd be checking in with their superiors about what to do next. He feared Steve might have to pay for what he'd done, and this time inwardly cursed his inability to be helpful at all in this situation.]
You were supposed to leave! [He rounded on Steve, but his distress was too obvious to allow any intimidation to shine through.] With you gone, I could have escaped during a mission. Don't you see? [Though he knew what Steve would say. How could he have known when Loki was on a mission? Still... he should have left.]
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He looked up at Loki when he rounded on him. No matter what Loki did, he couldn't intimidate Steve. Not anymore. Steve knew him too well. ]
I'm not leaving without you. [He grit out the words as he shifted.] And do you think they'd send you out on a mission like that?
[Loki looked terrible. He looked exhausted and worn down, and Steve couldn't think of a time when he'd seen him like this before.]
They haven't sent you on one in a while, have they?
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[Loki sighed loudly before sinking to the floor beside Steve. He was absolutely exhausted even without the missions thanks to the tests and experiments Hydra put him through, but he wasn't sure how much he wanted to divulge. If Steve was going to injure himself trying to free him without knowing, would he do something even more idiotic if he did?]
They've been occupying me with other matters.
[Slowly, he rested his head on the other man's good shoulder. It was the only gesture of affection he was allowing himself for now, even though he doubted it mattered at that point. A stupid move or not, Loki was relieved to have Steve with him. If there was any chance of escaping on their own, they would be much better off together.]
Your arm. How badly is it injured?
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[ Steve gave Loki a long look when he mentioned 'other matters.' He didn't know exactly what that meant but he knew it wasn't something Loki would willingly volunteer himself for. Still, he didn't say anything. They were finally together again. Who knew how long they had until they were separated?
He let his head fall against Loki's in a simple return of affection. If it were yup to him, he'd gather the Asgardian into his arms and good him tight. Unfortunately his injury prevented him from doing so.
He gave an experimental flex of his shoulder and winced.]
It'll heal.
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[That was a laugh. Nobody called Loki noble, even if he had been putting his efforts to better use lately by helping the Avengers rather than fighting them. What he'd done here? He'd helped Hydra because he couldn't bear to see his boyfriend hurt or killed.
And then he smiled slightly, stilled amused by the term 'boyfriend.' Now probably wasn't the time to think about terminology, and yet. It might be the time to do whatever he could while they were both still breathing.]
I have sheets if you need to bind it. I don't know how long they're planning to keep you in here.
[This must be their way of saying we know what you're up to and we're letting you know we know. Loki made a promise to do whatever he could to bargain for Steve's life. They still needed his cooperation, didn't they?]
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[Maybe noble wasn't the best word to describe Loki, but it kind of fit? He'd had definitely changed over the time they'd been together. It was only a few months that they had been together but Steve had seen Loki change for the better. Even if Steve would have preferred Loki to have saved himself, the fact that he was here had proven just how much he had changed.
He looked over at where the sheets were on the bed. It wasn't actually very far at all, but after everything, they seemed like they were a million miles away. He was exhausted, injured, and he didn't want to move away from his lover. At least not yet. ]
I'll bind it in a minute. They've got a long way to walk, anyways.
[Not very long, but long enough for Steve to at least catch his breath. Not long enough for his shoulder to heal, though.]
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[It was more of a statement than a question, spoken quietly as though he was worried he'd give Steve a new angle to consider what has happened and change his mind. Loki had been quite concerned that Steve would hold a grudge against him for helping Hydra in order to protect him, but here was some more hope that wasn't the case. Everyone had to have something they believed in, that was worth fighting for. Here on Midgard, that was Steve. Loki wouldn't risk him even if it meant helping the enemy.]
That's fine. I can help you when you're ready.
[He hoped there would be enough time. If agents came to drag Steve away again he didn't know if he'd be able to allow it, and that would undoubtedly end in bloodshed. Perhaps they would be intelligent enough to leave Steve here this time... it wouldn't affect his willingness to cooperate.
If they showed they were willing to be good prisoners for now, maybe it would happen.]
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[No, Steve didn't like that Loki had done any of that for his sake. In fact, it was almost disappointing that because of him, Loki was willing to do whatever it took to keep him alive. But all of that was HYDRA's fault, not the Asgardian's.
They'd talk about it eventually. Whenever they got out of here. If they ever got out of here. Steve liked to have optimism. He liked to hold on to hope, but here in this cell with the both of them injured and exhausted, it was hard to hold on to that hope.
He shifted a bit and glanced over at Loki. He wasn't doing well at all. Whatever HYDRA was doing, was affecting him horribly, and there was nothing either of them could do about it. He pulled his hand away from his shoulder, wincing when he felt the pain spike. He then let his hand touch Loki's arm.]
How bad do you feel?
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