Utter Darkness

Where the hell was Jane? Darcy got up, went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and her hair. Morning routines finished, she headed out to the kitchen to make some coffee. Jane was hunched over the table scribbling away like a mad woman, with one hand fisted in her hair. Darcy waited for the coffee to finish and poured Jane a cup. Jane could be a real grouch without her morning joe. Sliding the cup in front of her, Darcy began to wonder if the woman had slept at all. “Jane?”

Jane didn’t look up, she just continued with her calculations. “Yeah, yeah just a few more minutes. No coffee. You know if I drink it this late at night I’ll never get any sleep.” She wrote a few more numbers, glanced up to the top of her page and grinned in triumph.

“Um, hello. It’s not late it’s early you’re not going to get any sleep anyway.”

“What?” Jane looked up in surprise, “Oh my god, well at least it was a productive night. I finished that stubborn algorithm that I’ve been fighting for the last three days. Now I’ll be able to use the new equipment Tony and I created.” She yawned and gave Darcy a weary smile. “How about you? Any weird dreams about a dark void and creepy stitched up guys?” She gratefully began sipping at the hot coffee.

“Nope, just regular dreams about guys with sexy British accents with a little side of bondage.” Darcy winked and pulled out a box of cereal. “Hungry?”

Jane laughed. “Yeah I guess. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t come to bed last night, with dreams like that you might have gotten a little gropey-feely with me.” She stood and stretched her cramped back. As she worked out the kinks in her sore muscles, she stepped around Darcy and pulled the milk out of the fridge. Darcy put out the bowls and spoons and they sat down together. “Oh and by the way, TMI!” They broke out in laughter, and that was the last time Jane asked about the weirdness of Darcy’s dreams for a long time.

Both Stark and Steve grilled Darcy and Jane about Darcy’s dreams off and on again, for the next couple of weeks. Darcy was always careful about her answers, not too far from the truth so it would be easy to remember what she had told them. Jane stayed in her apartment for about a week and when nothing seemed to be happening, Steve and Stark finally backed off.

She continued to have the dreams though, and her dream visits fell into a regular pattern. At first, she would try to guess his name, though usually that didn’t last long. She never even seemed to get close, and her inability to figure it out seemed to annoy him. They would trade playful insults, she was glad to find someone who could match her in sarcasm. She always brought him a bottle of water and she would give him drinks from it periodically. He told her vague stories of his childhood and she told him of the inanities of her life, her childhood, the silly things she did as a rebellious teen, and her time in college. She was careful though, the fact that he had been a criminal at one time did not escape her. She never spoke of the names of her co-workers, or of where she worked specifically.

On her third dream visit after she had removed the stitches, she noticed the stars. They talked about it, and it seemed the number of stars doubled after each time she visited. Within a week, there were more than she felt like counting, though he informed her, the number continued to double. Though the stars were numerous, they were quite distant and provided very little light. By the end of the second week, the light was dim but she could see his outline. It was like looking through the dark in her apartment, enough light to make things somewhat visible but only just. He was tall, probably well over six foot, and very lean. His hair was black, tangled, and fell to about his shoulders. He wore what looked like LARPing clothes, like straight out of a renaissance fair. A white tunic laced all the way up to his throat, what looked like black leather pants, and black boots. His skin was different; it was dark, the color didn’t look human (though it was hard to tell in the dark) and he was scarred, like one of the tribal people on National Geographic. His bone structure was enviable, if he had a little more meat on his bones. As it was, he was painfully thin. She offered to bring him food but neither of them was certain how food might affect him in his emaciated state. They talked a bit more that visit and shortly before she left, he asked her again about the bolt cutters. She gave him the same response as she always did, that she’d think about it and she said goodbye as she felt herself waking up. She sat up in bed that morning and realized that if she could see him then he could see her. She usually only wore a tank top and boy short panties to bed. Well, that was going to have to change.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Merciful Odin, the woman was a torment, a pleasant torment, but a pain in the ass nonetheless. He shook his head; he was even picking up some of her speech patterns. She seemed reluctant to touch him, she did so only as much as she had to help him drink. She continued to visit him, and they were slowly learning more about each other though she only seemed wont to share trivial banalities. The stars multiplied after each of her visits and when she arrived the last time, he was surprised to see she wore very little clothing. She was short; standing beside him the top of her head would likely barely reach his shoulder. Her dark hair was thick and wavy, her eyes bright and expressive. There was not quite enough light to see the colors but he thought perhaps her eyes might be blue. She was vibrant and full of life. She was sarcastic and completely unafraid of him. She always brought him water and it was a welcome relief. They debated about the meaning of the stars and the reasons behind her presence. They never came to any real solutions but the banter was enjoyable. She was intriguing. Her reluctance to touch him disappointed him. Her gentle touch upon his cheek was…

Damn, he was waxing poetic about some foolish Midgardian mortal. Her lifespan would be but a few more decades and then she would fade away. She was young now but, he did the numbers in his head, she had been visiting him every few months for almost ten years now. Though that didn't seem right... He shook his head, he needed to focus on how to make her bring the bolt cutters. His magic had been bound and he had no idea how to leave this confinement. Did Odin know of her presence? Would the All-Father have permitted her help otherwise? If the girl did bring the bolt cutters, would the release of his hands return the use of his magic? If Odin did not know he would likely not approve, would she be in danger from the All-Father's wrath? So many questions and not nearly enough answers…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She hurried through her day anxious to return to bed and to visit him again. She debated about what to sleep in; it took her nearly as long to pick out pj’s as it would normally take to get ready for a date. She shook her head, this was ridiculous. He was just a guy she visited in her dreams. Her dream guy… Tall, dark, and snarky, the bad boy… Oh hell.

What if it was really all in her mind, what if it was all a big cosmic joke? Ha ha ha no alien criminal, Darcy’s the loser waiting in a prom dress on her front porch for the asshole quarterback who never showed, again.

He was real, He Is Real!!! She pulled on her comfortable yoga pants and a simple long sleeve t-shirt. He was real, and he was not her date, he was a convicted criminal serving disproportionately long sentence for his crimes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The number of stars had doubled yet again, and now she could truly see him. He was blue. Okay so that was different, she knew she was staring but she couldn’t help herself. Alien and all that, but the blue surprised her, like Megamind or the aliens from Avatar, or an honest to god Smurf. He was blue. “Hi,” she whispered.

“What, why are you looking at me like that?” he growled, her stare was unnerving.

Holy crap his eyes were blood red, not just the whites, but his whole eye, pupil, iris, and everything. “Umm, you’re blue. It’s not a problem or anything it just surprised me.” She rambled quietly.

He tried to turn away from her as he grumbled in some guttural language, she was pretty sure that the grumbles were alien curses.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, it doesn’t bother me.or anything. I’ve watched plenty of movies about aliens with different colored skin it just surprised me that’s all.” She gently laid her hand on his cheek to make him turn towards her. “Hey really, it doesn’t matter.” She insisted.

“Do not touch me,” he demanded. She pulled back immediately with a hurt look. “I am a monster.” He turned away from her again, anger tearing through him, he shouted at void. “You could not even leave me this one mercy? You have stripped me of everything, my magic, my title, my place in any world but this void, and you take even this? I have nothing you have taken even my diginity. I am but the monster you created me to become! Damn you Odi…” His throat seized up and he struggled in his rage. He choked, and gagged, and fought. He could see the girl watching him, her eyes wide with concern. Her compassion only infuriated him further.

She watched as he raged at his jailers. His reactions reveled so much. The blue must be native to the second planet he talked about and he must not usually look like that. So what? She frowned, he was raging like a great big blue toddler, “Hey!” she shouted, trying to get his attention. He continued to fight and rage against the restraints and against his own closed up throat. She grew tired of his tantrum, opened the water, and flicked some of it at his face. He turned on her and she was glad he was still bound. At the moment he looked every bit the monster he claimed to be. “Hey, you know what? This isn’t getting you anywhere. You’re going to end up choking on your own tongue if you don’t calm the fuck down!” she ordered.

His eyes grew wide and as the water dripped down his face, some of the fight drained out of him. She carefully approached him and gave him a drink of the water to help calm his aching throat.

“Look, I don’t know what your problem with being blue is. It’s a nice shade and truth be told blue has always been one of my favorite colors." She used the end of her sleeve to wipe the water off of his face. "I get that you don’t like looking like that but that’s not really a reason to have an overgrown temper tantrum. I mean you’re what like four thousand years old, right? You’re a little old to be acting like a toddler.” She glared at him, but he seemed to be calming down. “Do you want to talk about it?” He glared right back at her. “Okay whatever, Mr. Grumpy-butt.” She was quiet as she thought about how her mom used to deal with her little brother when he had a tantrum. A huge smile lit up her face as she remembered her favorite way her mom used to get her brother out of the worst of his bad moods.

His expression changed quickly from stubborn sulky pout to wary and a bit unsure as she moved closer to him with a large toothy smile.

“I think someone needs a hug,” she said in a singsong voice. He flailed a bit as he tried to pull away from her, but she caught him anyway. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. He thrashed around for a little while making small noises of protest, and finally grew still. Very still, he held himself in a rigid way as she continued to hug him. She could hear his heart thudding away in his chest and his rapid breathing. His tunic was thin and his skin was so cold. She curled around him as much as his stiff posture would allow. She drew in a deep breath, he smelled like leather, and wood smoke, and something that reminded her of cold, snowy days.

He was silent and unyielding, as if he’d never been hugged just for the sake of being hugged. She tried to pour all of her compassion into the hug. This was a guy who hadn’t felt cared for in a very long time. Three thousand, two hundred fifty years was a really long time to be alone. He had been punished because he went crazy but that kind of solitude was enough to drive the most normal person nuts. The more she thought about it, the more it began to bother her. He had been brought as a baby to a different world, raised to think the people of his home world were monsters, and then when he turned into a ‘monster’ the very people he was raised with turned on him. There was no negating the terrible things he had done but he had been punished for it. He needed someone to care for him, to be his advocate.

As she held him, she did something she hadn’t done in ages. She began to pray, to whatever deity was out there, to whomever held the universe together. She prayed that his sanity would hold together, that he would understand that she was there for him and that she could truly be the one he needed in this crazy time in his life. Slowly his heartbeat seemed to even out, his breathing became even and steady, and his body seemed to relax. She began to wonder if he’d fallen asleep. She looked up to see him gazing down at her, looking so lost, so vulnerable it brought tears to her eyes.

Who was this woman? To see him lost to madness and yet rather than cower away in fear she reached out to him in compassion. There was such genuine care in her expression; the tears in her eyes were nearly his undoing. “My lady,” his voice wavered and he cleared his throat. “My lady it seems I will forever be apologizing to you. My outburst was terrible and uncalled for, and I thank you for your tenderness.” She smiled at him through the tears and laid her hand upon his cheek.

Her voiced cracked as she whispered, “You needed it, and I’m more than happy to help. Please don’t worry about the blue,” He flinched a bit. “I think it’s a really nice color. And by the way, I think you’re way too good looking to be considered a monster.” He blinked in astonishment. She gasped and pulled away from him suddenly. “Ohmygosh! It hurts you when I touch you. Are you alright, no wonder you tried to pull away. And you were so stiff, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, I am so sorry. Are you okay I really didn’t mean to…”

“I am fine,” he laughed a bit. “Really my lady if I had been in any true pain I would have let you know.” He laughed softly.

She crossed her arms and mock glared at him, “You’re laughing at me.”

“No, not really, it’s just in all of this, when I have behaved so abominably, your concern is my welfare. It would have been understandable for you to pull away and desire to never come near me again, yet you choose to reach out and show compassion.” He took a deep breath. “I have not explained this before. Yes, your touch pains me,” She had a terrible wounded look on her face. “It hurts at first. It’s as if all of my nerve endings were deadened by the years of being unused. At first touch, they seem on fire and as they begin to become used to sensation again, your touch comforts and soothes.” She relaxed and smiled at him.

“I’m glad, that I can help you, I just wish I knew your name.” She laid her hand on his cheek again and stared up into his eyes. “I will figure out your name, I promise. It’s almost time for me to go. I am so glad it’s the weekend. I’m going to spend all day making up a list of names and when I come back tonight I’m going to figure out your name.” She grinned widely expecting his smile in response, but he seemed lost in his thoughts like Jane did sometimes when she was working on a particularly difficult equation. “Hey, did you hear me?”

His voice was strange as he looked at her oddly. “Did you say tonight?”

“Umm, yeah, I’ve been coming here every night for about six weeks. Why what’s going on?”

“It’s only been six weeks for you?”

“Yeah that’s what I just said.” She felt the subtle shiver that ran up her spine that she’d come to associate with waking up. “Hey, it’s all good! I’ll see you tonight!” she said brightly as she disappeared.

He stared off in the distance and thought back, As Odin had readied the spell to cast him in to the void Frigga had said something about time… what was it? She had leaned close… she was whispering about how much she loved him, how not to lose his mind in the blackness, to not let the darkness consume him from the inside or the outside, but there was also something about time. In the moment he was so angry he ignored her. Odin was casting a spell and he was trying to figure out how to undo it. Odin’s spell would place a clock in his mind so he would know every minute of his imprisonment. But what had Frigga said? His mind raced as he struggled to remember. The clock in his mind seemed to tick ever louder and he felt overwhelmed by the sound. He screamed until he was hoarse into the empty space surrounding him.

“Time runs differently in the void, there is no equation to match the time spent there with the time spent here. Trust your instincts, my beloved son.”

Notes