No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

“My name is Leah, although that’s not important. What’s important is the hunt, my prize is an elusive Asgardian prince named Loki. I’m freezing to the bones, this damn rain hasn’t stopped in hours, I heard a rumor he was going to come to this bar tonight, but as usual, I’m out of luck, no sign of Loki and I can’t feel my fingers anymore.”

A lonesome figure stands against a wall, waiting in the dark, she looks out of place; too pretty compared to the beggars that crawl around, too shabby for a hooker and way to naïve for a cop. Her long hair is soaking wet like the rest of her. Some regulars tried to pick her up, but her fierce look once too close to her meant business and around this neighborhood you don’t mess with someone else’s business.

With a sigh of utter defeat her watch has come to an end, at least for tonight as she walks back to her motel she’s left alone with her thoughts.

“What are you doing? Seeking him night after night… you are a housewife for goodness sake! No … I’m not any more, no more house, no more wife, remember?”

The pain in her chest as she reminds herself all that is lost is too much to bare “And now you’re going to make yourself cry, that’s just great! I need a drink”

At last she reaches the stairs that led to her room, no one would miss her if she didn’t return, but at least that meant there’s no one there to see her cry or drink, both of which will have to wait. She’s too numb so she walks directly to the bathroom; a hot shower is all that’s on her mind right now.
If she saw herself in the mirror, she wouldn’t recognize herself, her slightly chubby figure had transformed into a lean almost skinny one, the spark that had lived in her eyes has died with them, cold numb blue eyes framed by dark patches has replaced them.

As the hot water warmed her body her defenses melted away, as the dull pain in her chest returned silent tears began to pour out until she couldn’t silence them anymore. There she stayed sitting on the bathtub floor holding her knees as if her life depended on it until she was too exhausted to cry anymore.

“Happy now?” She admonished herself mentally –“That served no use, now you are just too exhausted. Just as well, maybe that will help me get some sleep on an empty stomach, besides the only place I can find him is in my dreams.”

Ironically, she had started dreaming of Loki a few weeks after she started looking for him, almost every night he visited her, and she looked eagerly forward to see him. “He is just a figment of my imagination, she used to tell herself, or my subconscious trying to tell me something; either way I might as well enjoy the ride.”

As she dried her hair and put on her nightgown she kept quietly pensive, she was pretty much broke, all her savings practically spent, and if she planned on keeping on with her search there weren’t many options for a woman like her to get money fast, well the truth is only one, but she dreaded the idea.

“Maybe Loki will have an idea!” she sadly joked to herself as she turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

It seemed she only had been asleep for a couple of minutes when a voice awoke her …
Well, you seem to be doing a very poor job at taking care of yourself, little pet. She knew who the voice belonged to before she opened her eyes.

—Loki! — She practically jumped into his arms.
—You seem awfully glad to see me, what have you done this time? —He scolded her as he wrapped her in his arms.
—Nothing …. Yet – she answered “Damn subconscious thoughts!”
—Yet? That doesn’t sound good. Now little one tell me what’s on your mind̶
— I don’t want to think about it, forget it, and kiss me, she answered as she made a small pout.
He laughed at her antics –That’s not going to work, I’m not that easily distracted.—
—Come on! Can’t I deal with this in the morning? When you are gone ….? I have nothing but my dreams. Why spoil them? – She looked both angry and sad as she pulled away from him.
—If I’m a figment of your imagination or your subconscious as you constantly claim, then I see no harm in you telling me what’s wrong. —He answered her
—Fine! —She sighed in annoyance –I’m broke that’s what’s wrong. And I’m afraid I only have one choice to get more money.—
—Steal it? – Loki asked in hope
—Of course not, I have no idea of how to do it, and according to my dreams I’m pretty skilled in other areas .— As the words came out of her mouth, she realized just what she had just said and blushed dark red.
—You can’t possibly mean …— Loki snapped at her
̶Yes, I do. And I don’t want to talk about it. —Leah interrupted him.
—You can’t! I won’t let you! — Loki yelled
̶You are just a dream! And I will do whatever I have to do to find the real you! —She screamed back as her tears threatened to pour out of her eyes.
— What if I told you that these aren’t dreams? — Loki softly told her almost as if saying the words hurt him.
—What do you mean? These are dreams! I’ve been looking for you for over eight months now. These are dreams! This is my mind trying to stop me from going crazy! —
— No, it’s not. —Loki insisted a very serious and concerned look on his face.
— Why are you being so cruel? These are dreams! They have to be! – For a moment she doubted her resolve, what if he was right? No, he couldn’t be, there had to be a way to prove him wrong. Without a second thought, she went to her drawers and after a moment she pulled out a pair of scissors.
— I’ll prove to you this is a dream! —As she said the words she sliced the palm of her hand.
— No! —Loki ran to her side. He had been too slow to react, as he held her in his arms, he could tell she was in shock, staring at her wounded hand as she mumbled –It can’t be, it can’t be, it can’t be …—Tears were pouring free now as she desperately tried to make sense of what Loki had said.
Suddenly none of it mattered as SHIELD agents broke into the room –I’m sorry – was Loki´s last words before he teleported away leaving Leah behind.
—Damn it, we lost him! I told you Coulson, we should have waited until Thor arrived! — A tall, dark man wearing an eye patch yelled to a middle aged man in a suit.
—I couldn’t sir; we were already risking her too much. —The man replied as he bandaged Leah’s hand with a towel –Are you ok? – But Leah didn’t seem to have heard him she kept mumbling to herself –It was a dream, I thought it was a dream, why did he do it? – as she spoke the last words she looked directly into Agent Coulson´s eyes looking for an answer she knew he didn’t have.
—I don’t know – he answered, feeling sorry for her, they had used her as bait – But maybe we can help you find out why …—He tried to sound more confident than how he felt. As he helped her up, Thor arrived.
—Leah! Are you hurt? If Loki did this to you I will make sure he pays for it—Thor voiced as he looked at the white towel that Coulson had wrapped around her hand which was now soaked with blood.
—Thor?! – Leah answered in surprise – No, it wasn’t Loki, please it wasn’t him … I …—in a second the world went black; luckily Coulson caught her as she fainted.
—I demand to know what happened – Thor told Coulson as soon as the medical team had taken Leah to the medical ward on the hellicarrier.
—I’m not really sure either Thor, Leah is the only one that can fill in the blanks, but I can show you the recording the surveillance team made tonight.

Notes