King Loki

Chapter 20
In the midst of her snooping, Cephera became entranced by the images of the runes. They were not simply there for looks, this she was sure of, but what did they do? Protection was a certainty, but surely this many didn't constitute just protection.
So focused on her thoughts she failed to pay attention to the door and hadn't heard Loki enter. She wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there watching her examining the parchment, but when she looked up she jumped.
"I didn't...," she began to say but stopped. He knew very well she hadn't known he was there. That was the whole point.
"Find anything of interest?" He asked her, his arms casually crossed with that same irritating, yet handsome smile playing across his lips.
Cephera was too stunned to speak. Even if he had just walked in it was clear by the parchment spread wide open beneath her hands just what she'd been doing in his absence. There was no lying her way out of it, not that lying was her strong suit anyhow.
"Yes. A few things." She replied instead, taking the only route available. She straightened up but was unable to stop herself from feeling tense.
"Would you like to ask about them?" He asked her. Cephera wondered what sort of game he was playing now. Why wasn't he angry? Had he hoped she'd look around?
"These runes, what are they?" She asked not hesitating to take him up on his offer.
"They offer protection to the Spire. Some protect the outside from being forcibly penetrated and others keep the servants from stepping past the boundaries." He titled his head, sizing her up. "Now it's my turn." He declared strolling from one end of the room to his dresser where he poured himself a glass of wine.
"Your turn?" She asked, confused.
"A question for a question." He smirked and Cephera felt her spirits drop. She knew there had to be a catch. "What happened for you to 'accidentally' release Steve Rogers? I've asked him but his memories seem fuzzy. Take care to avoid lying." He sat down in the gilded chair at his table.
Cephera had a few days to contemplate the information they'd acquired and how to handle it. However, she had many options and she hadn't chosen which to take. Now it seemed she had no choice but to choose quickly. She almost wished she'd stayed in her room longer.
"We were under heavy attack," she began biting her lip. Myself and the Mr. Rogers made it inside where we came in contact with the girl with the powers. She was strong, much more so than I'd anticipated. Her power it isn't like magic, it's some different energy I've never touched before." Cephera continued, delaying her answer. Buying herself time to decide for sure.
"Yes, and I'm aware she got away." Loki said crossing one long leg over the other. "Continue," he waved his glass at her.
"Yes, she escaped, but she talked to us for a moment and she said something that Steve was adamant about telling you. When we were retreating I grabbed hold of him to caution against telling you right away. I've seen how you get when they come back on a failed mission, sometimes you jump quickly on opportunities but this one..., this one needs to be taken with care." Cephera inhaled deeply. She couldn't lie, it would get her nowhere.
"And what information was that?" Loki placed his glass down, still mostly full. He shifted his position and leaned forward, his expression becoming serious.
"The girl works for a man she called Strucker." Cephera saw the surprise sweep over the Kings face before he stood and crossed the room to look out the window. "You remember him then?" She asked daring to approach him.
"I do. I thought him an ally." Loki admitted. He didn't look at her nor budge when she was stood at his side.
"The Captian once saw Strucker and Dr. Whitehall speaking together in a friendly manner. He was worried they might be in this together." Cephera said trying to gauge Loki's reaction, but failing.
"Dr. Whitehall wouldn't do that. It's doubtful he knows about this." Loki passed off the thought like a poorly executed rumour, but Cephera could see the possible truth in it.
"Really? How much do you know about HYDRA? As Lana you once told me that HYDRA had been another facet within SHIELD. How much do you really know about them?" Cephera looked him directly in the eyes when he finally turned to look at her.
"That's about as much as I know. Apparently not even SHIELD knew about them. They were secretly hiding among the SHIELD corporation." Loki frowned and his brow knotted.
"How can you be sure they aren't just bidding there time among your people? Inside your Spire." The question moved him, she could tell. There was a shift in his expression.
Cephera found herself grabbing hold of his hand when he made a move to leave the room. "What are you going to do?" Her question sounded more like a demand. His hand remained open under her grip, the skin contact made her heart begin to thump harder, faster.
"To find out more about HYDRA." He replied.
"And how will you do that? You can't just corner one of them and ask." Cephera felt unnerved by his change of pace. This was what she hoped to avoid. If he jumped on this and made an enemy of these people now, he'd have even less to work with regarding an army. Not to mention if they were plotting against the King it was hard to tell just how deep HYDRA already had their claws.
"Stark will no doubt have answers." Loki pulled his hand from her, intent on leaving.
"And you think he'll tell you everything? Let me do it." She insisted.
"And why should I bestow any trust on a woman whose already betrayed me by releasing one of my best men who could have easily taken off and joined my enemies? The woman who blames me for her current life. The one whose friends I use to blackmail her with and who snooped through my belongings." Loki turned, his eyes searing into her own. A lump formed in the back of her throat and she swallowed against the nerves that began to flutter around in her belly.
"Because I am asking for a second chance. I'm not a warrior. I don't rely on brute strength and force to get what I want. I won't go out in the battlefield again, but I can be useful in other ways." Cephera thought briefly to what Tony had said about bedding the King for information and quickly shut the thought out.
Now was not the time to be thinking that and she wouldn't use her body in that matter anyhow, no matter how attracted she was to Loki.
He looked her over, studying her it would seem. "I'll grant this second chance, but beware that I will not tolerate another betrayal." Loki gestured for her to leave his room ahead of him and she did. She went straight to Tony's room where, once again, Loki let her in and left her alone with her friend.
XxX
"A second visit so soon?" Tony remarked in mock surprise. "Have you, perhaps, gotten down and dirty after all?" Cephera was not amused by Tony's probing.
"No. Put it out of your mind Tony, it's not happening." Cephera sighed. "I'm here for information." She added.
"So no storytime about how my friend was secretly an alien." Tony frowned.
"Another time," Cephera rolled her eyes.
"So you're here for him." Tony pointed out, tapping a pencil to his bottom lip in thought.
"I'm here for all of us." Cephera corrected. "Before things go more South than they already have, I need to know everything you know about HYDRA." Tony's head perked up.
"You mean Loki's ass-kissers?" Cephera didn't honor that with a reply. Tony sat in his chair, rolled it with a single push to his desktop computer, and with a few clicks an image popped up in the middle of the room.
Cephera couldn't read everything at once before it changed to another directory. "I always knew there was something off about SHIELD." Tony told her, expanding the image. "Here's what we know. HYDRA was an organization that was founded back in Cap's days, led, at that time, by the Red Skull."
"As far as anyone knew HYDRA was disbanded, defeated back when Cap. took out their leader, but they hadn't gone anywhere. Somehow they made it within the ranks of a newly founded SHIELD. No one knew this until Loki and his army came along and took over." Tony was flipping through any footage he had available and news articles from others states during the time frame.
"When SHIELD came together in an attempt to defeat Loki and take back the small amount of Earth he'd managed to claim at that time, HYDRA revealed themselves, turned on SHIELD and killed a lot of people they once called allies. They then defected to Loki's side claiming loyalty, kissing his ass and gaining rapport for their deed." The images disappeared. "This is the man you think is our hope for a future. The man who rewards those who turn on their allies."
"It's either him or HYDRA." Cephera insisted.
"He is HYDRA. They work for him." Tony shook his head at her. "Look Pipsqueak, I want to see this place returned to some sort of normal too, but I'm not willing to ally myself with scum to do it."
"I think he's learning to change though." Cephera frowned. There was a small voice nagging at her that Tony had a point, a point she didn't want to accept.
"Find Dr. Banner. I hate to say it, but I'm willing to throw my chips in SHIELD's corner over Loki's. That man is trouble. He will be the death of us all, I know a failure when I see it." Tony stood and put a hand to Cephera's shoulder in comfort.
Cephera stood with her eyes cast to the floor wondering if Tony was right.

Notes