Thor, "Power Trip" Loki/Darcy, part 21 of "Mischief and Tasers"
Fandom: Thor (movie-verse)
Title: Power Trip
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Loki, Darcy, Loki/Darcy, Jane Foster, mention of Thor and OCs
Word Count: 2,706
Spoilers/Warnings: post-Thor movie, some bad language, some violence, implied sexual situations, and implied non-con
Notes: Written for the "#043 - the ogre injured" prompt for 100_fairytales. Part 21 of my Mischief and Tasers Loki/Darcy serialization. The previous part is here. The first part is here.
Other URLS: AO3 | FFnet
Summary: Loki returns to Darcy in a surprising state.
Mischief and Tasers
Chapter Twenty-one: Power Trip
Darcy blinked open her sore eyes at the sound of her famous “Run the World” ring-tone. She didn't know how long it had been since Loki had left her, but it suddenly dawned on her that Darcy still had work with Jane that day and she was definitely missing it.
Her eyes widened and she jumped up from her spot in the bathroom and rushed to her phone. She had just barely picked it up and answered it before it went to voice mail.
“Darcy, Darcy are you okay? You didn't oversleep, did you?” It was Jane's frantic voice.
Darcy responded with a raspy “No” and then sniffled. Jane was concerned immediately and asked what was wrong.
“Sorry, I'll be on my way to the site now. I had...a fight with my ...friend, but he's gone now.”
“What sort of fight? He didn't hurt you?” Jane inquired worriedly, and Darcy knew that if she asked, Jane would be at her side in a minute. Darcy inhaled a calm breath.
“No, it wasn't physical. It was just...forget about it. I'm sorry I'm late for work. I'll clean up and head out there,” Darcy said, wondering if Jane would even miss her.
“Actually, it's okay. Fury sent me home today, so you don't need to come in,” Jane said, and Darcy felt a tremendous anxiety lift from her. “Who would have thought, but Coulson located Stark, and he flew in today to upgrade the software. He's adding more firepower, basically, to boost the CPU usage to finally stabilize the artificial wormhole. He's also going over my calculations to see if he can add anything to speed the process along,” she explained, and Darcy answered several times with grunt of affirmation, still grateful that her internship with Jane may not be totally screwed just yet.
“So, we're not needed today at the site?” she confirmed, and Jane agreed.
“Yeah, so take it easy today. Eat some chocolate, and if you need some company and a new tub of chocolate ice cream, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks,” Darcy mumbled, and she sighed again. “To be totally honest, I may not be in the mood for ice cream. Vodka may be more my thing today. Too bad Erik is still in New York.”
“Right, but he's flying out tomorrow. Darcy,” Jane said, and Darcy could sense the elation in her voice. “We're almost there. We're this close to bringing Thor back.”
“How long?” she asked, feeling moved by Jane's excitement. Darcy still wondered, even now, what Thor would think about his brother on Earth sneaking around ahead of him.
“Soonest a week, and if we have any minor setbacks, as early as two,” Jane said.
“Awesome,” Darcy said. “I definitely want to be front and center when Thor returns.”
“You will, well, behind S.H.I.E.L.D, of course,” Jane said.
“And you,” Darcy teased. “Don't tell me you're not going to tackle some S.H.I.E.L.D agents and dive into the big guy.”
Jane laughed. “You know me well.” She paused and before she ended the call, Jane told her, “I'm glad you're alright. I mean, you sound alright, like your usual self. I'm glad your friend didn't hurt you too badly.”
“Yeah,” Darcy said, her voice dropping, but she was lying to herself. “Me too.”
When Jane ended the call, Darcy looked around the kitchen where she retrieved her phone and noticed the breakfast Loki had made her was still there - cold, of course, but still looking good despite that he'd made it hours ago.
Her stomach groaned at the sight of it, and she knew the banana she'd had wasn't enough. In the spirit of not wasting food, Darcy gathered the cold breakfast, put it all on a plate and nuked it in the microwave. She savored the bacon first, then the eggs, and when she cleaned the plate, she felt a little guilty for kicking Loki out like that.
Though she still knew in her heart she did the right thing.
There was no way someone like him could reciprocate the feelings of someone like her. It was reality, and throwing him out was cutting her losses early. Hell, it still hurt, and she already missed his smug, arrogant face, and she almost wished he had seen the smile on her face when she ate his meal anyway.
But if Thor was almost on his way, perhaps this was her one and only way of helping Loki get away, and maybe she was helping Thor too, in a way, by severing her ties with Loki.
Who am I kidding? She asked herself. She was only helping herself. She didn't want the heartbreak, and she certainly didn't want to choose between Thor and Loki. It was like choosing between Satan and God, wasn't it?
Darcy shuddered at the comparison and warmed up the last cup of cold coffee in the microwave. She went back into her bedroom, put her pajamas back on and found a Harry Potter marathon on TV. She frowned at the TV, instantly reminded of Loki's powers and his spell on her. Too lazy to turn the channel and get invested in something else, Darcy continued watching until she fell asleep.
.xxxxx.
The next day, Darcy got another call from Jane that Tony Stark needed at least two more days to upgrade the S.H.I.E.L.D computers and comb through her research.
Darcy was annoyed, hoping work would help her get lost in menial tasks than get stuck in morose thoughts about Loki, and if Darcy could have handled her treatment of him somewhat differently.
Instead, she busied herself with cleaning her apartment, catching up with friends on Facebook, and illegally downloading a bunch of new songs - sad songs that she immediately blasted on her computer as she tore through the house cleaning every dirty inch.
When the floors were clean enough to eat on, she jumped in for a quick shower and decided to give Jane a call and ask her out to the bar. It was five o'clock already and though she was proud of her clean house, Darcy was bored - especially without Loki around to mock and tease her.
Man, she hated missing him this much. She really did love him, didn't she? Yes, he filled a big hole in her life, and yes, she wanted to do dirty, unspeakable things to him.
But she couldn't.
Still annoyed and depressed, Darcy decided to wear the sluttiest dress she owned to the bar that night with Jane, and she didn't care if she hooked up with some brain-dead redneck in town, she wanted to hook up - to forget, and maybe to get some free drinks. Why should she have to spend her money and S.H.I.E.L.D's money in her misery? She was pretty, had big boobs, she should get something out of that equation, shouldn't she?
Within this string of thoughts and ego-boosts, Darcy had slipped into her black dress, put on her makeup, and was changing up purses before she headed out the door. She made it halfway through her living room before she stopped in her tracks and saw the uninvited guest.
She swallowed hard, sure her eyes would bug out of her head. “Loki?”
Normally, after kicking someone out only for them to return, Darcy would lay into them and kick them right the hell out again, giving them a few choice words on their way out.
But she couldn't do that now, not with the pained state he was in. Loki staggered, barely able to stand on his feet. He seemed to be radiating greenish-white power, and he was sweating a lot, with rivers of it dripping down his forehead and nose. He struggled to speak, and he put his hand up.
“Darcy,” he said, and though she knew he'd never come out and ask for her help, or anyone's for that matter, it was clear why he had returned. Darcy tried to rush toward him, but he shook his head and continued to ward her off with his hand. Darcy felt a strange invisible power hold her body back. She couldn't move her legs or arms, and she wondered if she could even move her muscles to speak.
Was this power his? It was extremely strong, and fear shuddered involuntarily through her body when she realized the scope of Loki's potential.
“I have come to claim that favor from you,” he said raggedly, his tone raw and coarse. She could hardly believe it was still his voice. He seemed so different, so rough and immense despite what she knew of him.
She quickly knew the favor he meant. He had spared that boy's life at her plea, and now he was reclaiming her end of the bargain. Bewildered yet entranced, she waited for his next words. She nodded once. If it meant helping him, she would do that anyway.
“You don't need to ask...I'll help you,” she said, and she saw him shake his head vehemently.
“You don't understand,” he said, and she gaped as she met his eyes, dilated and puffy. A sheen of sweat gleamed in the artificial lighting in her room on the bags under his eyes. He staggered forward again, coming toward her. Darcy stood still, feeling the power that was holding her back waning.
“I need you to take some of this,” he said, his hand coming toward hers. “I took too much,” he explained.
“Too much what?” she asked dumbly.
Despite the pain he was obviously in, he managed to smirk mischievously. “You will see. Do not worry, my dear, it will not harm you as it has me. I will only give you the excess. You may feel a bit strange for a few days, but it would be better if you took it on than me. I may not...be able to control myself if I keep it all.”
“I still don't...” Darcy shook her head, and instinctively she began to step back as he came toward her, his eyes fixated darkly on hers, grinning like a cartoon villain as he came upon her. He overtook her, and she squealed when she felt a burning heat on her arm. She looked down, and he had grasped her so hard there was a mark. It wasn't a bruise; his hand was burning her arm! She turned back to him, aghast.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, but his eyes began to close after the connection, and soon, the burning subsided, and Darcy sprang forward, catching Loki as he fell unconscious against her.
“Holy crap!” she said instantly, and she pulled Loki's body against hers as she managed to heft him over to the couch.
“How did I...?” She couldn't believe it herself, but she carried Loki and all his heavy armor to the couch as if he weighed nothing at all. She positioned him on the couch to let him sleep, and she stood back and gazed down at him with wonder. She turned to her arm, and where there should be a burn mark was completely flawless. She gasped, and suddenly she had a weird idea.
Darcy ran to the bathroom, scared and excited at what Loki had done to her. What had he meant by excess? And what was that crazy connection they had before he'd toppled onto her?
Darcy looked herself over in the mirror, and weirdly enough, she turned her attention to the gross blemish she had furiously covered with make-up not twenty minutes ago. It was completely gone.
“Freaky!” she exclaimed, and she dropped her gaze down to the make-up tools on her bathroom counter and picked up a small pair of scissors. She bit her lip and had a wild, probably stupid theory.
Quickly, she pricked her thumb with the point of the scissors and watch the blood bubble on the tip, and then suddenly...it had dried up and the prick was gone - instantly healed.
“Holy crap, what did he do to me!” She paced around the bathroom a bit, trying to hold herself together.
Did Loki just give me superpowers? Darcy asked herself, and though that would be really cool, she was sure when it came to Loki, things always came with … side effects.
“Shit,” she said, and she ran back to him, but he was still asleep in his own sweat-drenched clothes. First, she shook him. “What the hell did you do to me? Wake up, you stupid ass!” She shook him a few more times and slapped his face, but Loki was out cold. She considered bringing her taser, but felt it'd be counterproductive in the long run.
“Argh!” she said, and when it was obvious healing had been the only side effect from her freaky connection to Loki, she took a deep breath and prayed that it was the only thing that was going to happen to her.
She hoped that he was right and she could handle it, but that didn't mean when he woke up she'd wouldn't lay into him on what he'd done to her.
Staring down at him, Darcy chewed a finger before she decided to help him out of his sweaty clothes and alleviate some of the stress they were causing him. Once his armor was off and he wore nothing but black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt, his breathing seemed steadier and he was starting to cool off. She put a hand to his forehead, which felt cool, like she remembered his skin feeling the last time she'd touched his face.
She swallowed hard when she remembered that last time, and how she had forced a kiss upon him before she threw him out.
The whole incident seemed moot at this point. Loki had come back, and she wondered if he had no one else to turn to in this world. He was doing everything alone, that was obvious enough. So, when he was injured from doing whatever he'd done to himself, he'd come back to her, Darcy Lewis, and she couldn't help the amount of pride that she felt from realizing that.
Shifting his body on the couch, Darcy sat against the arm and laid him over her lap. She ran her fingers through his damp black hair, studying his sleeping face. He looked so vulnerable to her right now, and she felt even more privileged in being entrusted with such a sight. She caressed a finger down his jawline and sighed.
He was beautiful - even more beautiful when he was sleeping.
Damn it, she thought. Now things were even worse.
It was an understatement when Darcy felt a pinch lurch in her belly, and a layer of sweat had formed on her own forehead. Her mouth went dry, and suddenly she heard a piercing sound overtake her brain. She clutched her hands over her ears to drown out the loud sound, and she screamed.
Feeling movement in her lap, Loki's eyes sprang open from the commotion. Darcy howled in agony as the loud piercing sound caved around her. She couldn't stop.
She felt something warm and wet fall down her lips from her nose, and she wondered if she was crying. But it was blood - her blood, and it had dripped onto Loki's face.
He jumped from her lap and clutched her in his arms protectively as the piercing screech faded, and Darcy's screams turned into sobs.
Loki rocked her gently against him as she fell into a gray haze. Her vision blurred, and she felt a warm cloth sop up the blood from her nose. She turned to him, unable to see him clearly as her surroundings began to plunge into muzziness.
Before she fell into his lap from exhaustion, she whined softly to him, “What did you do to me?”
Part Twenty-two
Title: Power Trip
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Loki, Darcy, Loki/Darcy, Jane Foster, mention of Thor and OCs
Word Count: 2,706
Spoilers/Warnings: post-Thor movie, some bad language, some violence, implied sexual situations, and implied non-con
Notes: Written for the "#043 - the ogre injured" prompt for 100_fairytales. Part 21 of my Mischief and Tasers Loki/Darcy serialization. The previous part is here. The first part is here.
Other URLS: AO3 | FFnet
Summary: Loki returns to Darcy in a surprising state.
Mischief and Tasers
Chapter Twenty-one: Power Trip
Darcy blinked open her sore eyes at the sound of her famous “Run the World” ring-tone. She didn't know how long it had been since Loki had left her, but it suddenly dawned on her that Darcy still had work with Jane that day and she was definitely missing it.
Her eyes widened and she jumped up from her spot in the bathroom and rushed to her phone. She had just barely picked it up and answered it before it went to voice mail.
“Darcy, Darcy are you okay? You didn't oversleep, did you?” It was Jane's frantic voice.
Darcy responded with a raspy “No” and then sniffled. Jane was concerned immediately and asked what was wrong.
“Sorry, I'll be on my way to the site now. I had...a fight with my ...friend, but he's gone now.”
“What sort of fight? He didn't hurt you?” Jane inquired worriedly, and Darcy knew that if she asked, Jane would be at her side in a minute. Darcy inhaled a calm breath.
“No, it wasn't physical. It was just...forget about it. I'm sorry I'm late for work. I'll clean up and head out there,” Darcy said, wondering if Jane would even miss her.
“Actually, it's okay. Fury sent me home today, so you don't need to come in,” Jane said, and Darcy felt a tremendous anxiety lift from her. “Who would have thought, but Coulson located Stark, and he flew in today to upgrade the software. He's adding more firepower, basically, to boost the CPU usage to finally stabilize the artificial wormhole. He's also going over my calculations to see if he can add anything to speed the process along,” she explained, and Darcy answered several times with grunt of affirmation, still grateful that her internship with Jane may not be totally screwed just yet.
“So, we're not needed today at the site?” she confirmed, and Jane agreed.
“Yeah, so take it easy today. Eat some chocolate, and if you need some company and a new tub of chocolate ice cream, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks,” Darcy mumbled, and she sighed again. “To be totally honest, I may not be in the mood for ice cream. Vodka may be more my thing today. Too bad Erik is still in New York.”
“Right, but he's flying out tomorrow. Darcy,” Jane said, and Darcy could sense the elation in her voice. “We're almost there. We're this close to bringing Thor back.”
“How long?” she asked, feeling moved by Jane's excitement. Darcy still wondered, even now, what Thor would think about his brother on Earth sneaking around ahead of him.
“Soonest a week, and if we have any minor setbacks, as early as two,” Jane said.
“Awesome,” Darcy said. “I definitely want to be front and center when Thor returns.”
“You will, well, behind S.H.I.E.L.D, of course,” Jane said.
“And you,” Darcy teased. “Don't tell me you're not going to tackle some S.H.I.E.L.D agents and dive into the big guy.”
Jane laughed. “You know me well.” She paused and before she ended the call, Jane told her, “I'm glad you're alright. I mean, you sound alright, like your usual self. I'm glad your friend didn't hurt you too badly.”
“Yeah,” Darcy said, her voice dropping, but she was lying to herself. “Me too.”
When Jane ended the call, Darcy looked around the kitchen where she retrieved her phone and noticed the breakfast Loki had made her was still there - cold, of course, but still looking good despite that he'd made it hours ago.
Her stomach groaned at the sight of it, and she knew the banana she'd had wasn't enough. In the spirit of not wasting food, Darcy gathered the cold breakfast, put it all on a plate and nuked it in the microwave. She savored the bacon first, then the eggs, and when she cleaned the plate, she felt a little guilty for kicking Loki out like that.
Though she still knew in her heart she did the right thing.
There was no way someone like him could reciprocate the feelings of someone like her. It was reality, and throwing him out was cutting her losses early. Hell, it still hurt, and she already missed his smug, arrogant face, and she almost wished he had seen the smile on her face when she ate his meal anyway.
But if Thor was almost on his way, perhaps this was her one and only way of helping Loki get away, and maybe she was helping Thor too, in a way, by severing her ties with Loki.
Who am I kidding? She asked herself. She was only helping herself. She didn't want the heartbreak, and she certainly didn't want to choose between Thor and Loki. It was like choosing between Satan and God, wasn't it?
Darcy shuddered at the comparison and warmed up the last cup of cold coffee in the microwave. She went back into her bedroom, put her pajamas back on and found a Harry Potter marathon on TV. She frowned at the TV, instantly reminded of Loki's powers and his spell on her. Too lazy to turn the channel and get invested in something else, Darcy continued watching until she fell asleep.
.xxxxx.
The next day, Darcy got another call from Jane that Tony Stark needed at least two more days to upgrade the S.H.I.E.L.D computers and comb through her research.
Darcy was annoyed, hoping work would help her get lost in menial tasks than get stuck in morose thoughts about Loki, and if Darcy could have handled her treatment of him somewhat differently.
Instead, she busied herself with cleaning her apartment, catching up with friends on Facebook, and illegally downloading a bunch of new songs - sad songs that she immediately blasted on her computer as she tore through the house cleaning every dirty inch.
When the floors were clean enough to eat on, she jumped in for a quick shower and decided to give Jane a call and ask her out to the bar. It was five o'clock already and though she was proud of her clean house, Darcy was bored - especially without Loki around to mock and tease her.
Man, she hated missing him this much. She really did love him, didn't she? Yes, he filled a big hole in her life, and yes, she wanted to do dirty, unspeakable things to him.
But she couldn't.
Still annoyed and depressed, Darcy decided to wear the sluttiest dress she owned to the bar that night with Jane, and she didn't care if she hooked up with some brain-dead redneck in town, she wanted to hook up - to forget, and maybe to get some free drinks. Why should she have to spend her money and S.H.I.E.L.D's money in her misery? She was pretty, had big boobs, she should get something out of that equation, shouldn't she?
Within this string of thoughts and ego-boosts, Darcy had slipped into her black dress, put on her makeup, and was changing up purses before she headed out the door. She made it halfway through her living room before she stopped in her tracks and saw the uninvited guest.
She swallowed hard, sure her eyes would bug out of her head. “Loki?”
Normally, after kicking someone out only for them to return, Darcy would lay into them and kick them right the hell out again, giving them a few choice words on their way out.
But she couldn't do that now, not with the pained state he was in. Loki staggered, barely able to stand on his feet. He seemed to be radiating greenish-white power, and he was sweating a lot, with rivers of it dripping down his forehead and nose. He struggled to speak, and he put his hand up.
“Darcy,” he said, and though she knew he'd never come out and ask for her help, or anyone's for that matter, it was clear why he had returned. Darcy tried to rush toward him, but he shook his head and continued to ward her off with his hand. Darcy felt a strange invisible power hold her body back. She couldn't move her legs or arms, and she wondered if she could even move her muscles to speak.
Was this power his? It was extremely strong, and fear shuddered involuntarily through her body when she realized the scope of Loki's potential.
“I have come to claim that favor from you,” he said raggedly, his tone raw and coarse. She could hardly believe it was still his voice. He seemed so different, so rough and immense despite what she knew of him.
She quickly knew the favor he meant. He had spared that boy's life at her plea, and now he was reclaiming her end of the bargain. Bewildered yet entranced, she waited for his next words. She nodded once. If it meant helping him, she would do that anyway.
“You don't need to ask...I'll help you,” she said, and she saw him shake his head vehemently.
“You don't understand,” he said, and she gaped as she met his eyes, dilated and puffy. A sheen of sweat gleamed in the artificial lighting in her room on the bags under his eyes. He staggered forward again, coming toward her. Darcy stood still, feeling the power that was holding her back waning.
“I need you to take some of this,” he said, his hand coming toward hers. “I took too much,” he explained.
“Too much what?” she asked dumbly.
Despite the pain he was obviously in, he managed to smirk mischievously. “You will see. Do not worry, my dear, it will not harm you as it has me. I will only give you the excess. You may feel a bit strange for a few days, but it would be better if you took it on than me. I may not...be able to control myself if I keep it all.”
“I still don't...” Darcy shook her head, and instinctively she began to step back as he came toward her, his eyes fixated darkly on hers, grinning like a cartoon villain as he came upon her. He overtook her, and she squealed when she felt a burning heat on her arm. She looked down, and he had grasped her so hard there was a mark. It wasn't a bruise; his hand was burning her arm! She turned back to him, aghast.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, but his eyes began to close after the connection, and soon, the burning subsided, and Darcy sprang forward, catching Loki as he fell unconscious against her.
“Holy crap!” she said instantly, and she pulled Loki's body against hers as she managed to heft him over to the couch.
“How did I...?” She couldn't believe it herself, but she carried Loki and all his heavy armor to the couch as if he weighed nothing at all. She positioned him on the couch to let him sleep, and she stood back and gazed down at him with wonder. She turned to her arm, and where there should be a burn mark was completely flawless. She gasped, and suddenly she had a weird idea.
Darcy ran to the bathroom, scared and excited at what Loki had done to her. What had he meant by excess? And what was that crazy connection they had before he'd toppled onto her?
Darcy looked herself over in the mirror, and weirdly enough, she turned her attention to the gross blemish she had furiously covered with make-up not twenty minutes ago. It was completely gone.
“Freaky!” she exclaimed, and she dropped her gaze down to the make-up tools on her bathroom counter and picked up a small pair of scissors. She bit her lip and had a wild, probably stupid theory.
Quickly, she pricked her thumb with the point of the scissors and watch the blood bubble on the tip, and then suddenly...it had dried up and the prick was gone - instantly healed.
“Holy crap, what did he do to me!” She paced around the bathroom a bit, trying to hold herself together.
Did Loki just give me superpowers? Darcy asked herself, and though that would be really cool, she was sure when it came to Loki, things always came with … side effects.
“Shit,” she said, and she ran back to him, but he was still asleep in his own sweat-drenched clothes. First, she shook him. “What the hell did you do to me? Wake up, you stupid ass!” She shook him a few more times and slapped his face, but Loki was out cold. She considered bringing her taser, but felt it'd be counterproductive in the long run.
“Argh!” she said, and when it was obvious healing had been the only side effect from her freaky connection to Loki, she took a deep breath and prayed that it was the only thing that was going to happen to her.
She hoped that he was right and she could handle it, but that didn't mean when he woke up she'd wouldn't lay into him on what he'd done to her.
Staring down at him, Darcy chewed a finger before she decided to help him out of his sweaty clothes and alleviate some of the stress they were causing him. Once his armor was off and he wore nothing but black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt, his breathing seemed steadier and he was starting to cool off. She put a hand to his forehead, which felt cool, like she remembered his skin feeling the last time she'd touched his face.
She swallowed hard when she remembered that last time, and how she had forced a kiss upon him before she threw him out.
The whole incident seemed moot at this point. Loki had come back, and she wondered if he had no one else to turn to in this world. He was doing everything alone, that was obvious enough. So, when he was injured from doing whatever he'd done to himself, he'd come back to her, Darcy Lewis, and she couldn't help the amount of pride that she felt from realizing that.
Shifting his body on the couch, Darcy sat against the arm and laid him over her lap. She ran her fingers through his damp black hair, studying his sleeping face. He looked so vulnerable to her right now, and she felt even more privileged in being entrusted with such a sight. She caressed a finger down his jawline and sighed.
He was beautiful - even more beautiful when he was sleeping.
Damn it, she thought. Now things were even worse.
It was an understatement when Darcy felt a pinch lurch in her belly, and a layer of sweat had formed on her own forehead. Her mouth went dry, and suddenly she heard a piercing sound overtake her brain. She clutched her hands over her ears to drown out the loud sound, and she screamed.
Feeling movement in her lap, Loki's eyes sprang open from the commotion. Darcy howled in agony as the loud piercing sound caved around her. She couldn't stop.
She felt something warm and wet fall down her lips from her nose, and she wondered if she was crying. But it was blood - her blood, and it had dripped onto Loki's face.
He jumped from her lap and clutched her in his arms protectively as the piercing screech faded, and Darcy's screams turned into sobs.
Loki rocked her gently against him as she fell into a gray haze. Her vision blurred, and she felt a warm cloth sop up the blood from her nose. She turned to him, unable to see him clearly as her surroundings began to plunge into muzziness.
Before she fell into his lap from exhaustion, she whined softly to him, “What did you do to me?”
Part Twenty-two