In The Shadows | Loki

MUST YOU ALWAYS CAUSE TROUBLES?

The first time I tug on the bond, I feel nothing, and I'm not sure if Loki did either. I can't help but wonder if this would do anything, or if I was even doing it right. I frown, focusing on the magic and tugging harder. A sharp pain hits, but I'm not sure who it's coming from. Me, or Loki. I tug once more, and the pain becomes so bad that I can't breathe, and I have to let go of the bond. 
        "Ophelia?" Kurt's voice is filled with worry as I take in a few deep breaths, trying to force the pain away. "What's wrong?" 
        "My Plan A isn't working out like I hoped." I murmur, touching lightly over where the bond was. "And I really don't want to reveal plan B until I know more." Kurt frowns.
        "But there is a plan?" He asks, and I nod.  A loud clang echoes throughout the room, and every mutant in the room turns. The thick metal door opens. Two large men with bulging muscles walk into the room wearing scrubs of all things. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it. They move directly towards my cell, and the little girl sitting next to me, Milly, sprints back into Kurt's cell, slipping through the bars. 
        The male nurse trolls unlock my cell door, and I sigh. "I'm going to take a guess and say you're taking me to play out your nefarious plans?" I ask, not bothering to move. 
        "Stand up." The bigger of the two orders. I raise an eyebrow.
        "And if I don't want too?" I counter, watching his nostrils flare with anger. 
        "Sweetheart, you don't have your abilities. Come with us before we need to use force." The other one replies. I let out a long breath, getting to my feet.
        "I get it, you gave me the cure. I don't have my mutant abilities anymore." I begin, looking between the two of them. "But you seem to forget that you kidnapped an Avenger-"
        "Who doesn't have her abilities." The second cuts me off. 
        "Are you kidding me?" I ask. "Why does everyone think mutants are useless without their powers?" The bigger of the two start towards me, and I sigh. "I trained with the Black Widow." He reaches out for me, and I grab his wrist, twisting his arm with a sickening snap before driving my knee into his abdomen. He grunts, and I grab the back of his shirt and throw him forward, slamming his head into the wall. He hits the floor with a groan, and I turn to the second man. His stance has gone stiff, and he's watching my every movement. "I think this is when you call for backup." 
        "You aren't going to attack me?" He asks, hands forming into fists. 
        "I am, I'm just waiting for you to call for someone. Give this place a chance." I reply with a small shrug. The man hesitantly reaches for the com in his ear, pressing it lightly.
        "I need backup in the cells. Subject 024 is-" 
        "That's enough." I murmur, taking two steps forward to just sucker punch him in the nose. He grunts in pain and bends, and I grab his shoulder to pull him down farther so I can ram my knee up into his stomach. I slam my elbow down on his back as the breath leaves his lungs, sending him to the floor. Neither of my attacks were enough to knock either man unconscious, but they were enough to surprise and knock the wind out of both of them. 
        "Must you always cause trouble?" Kurt asks. I shrug as more men file into the room, several weapons raised and pointed at me. 
        "Calm yourself boys, I'll go along without a fight now. These two were rather rude." One of the guns motions me forward, and I step out of my cell. Two hands grab my wrists, pulling them roughly behind my back while placing me in handcuffs. Relatively simple to break out of, but I doubted I needed too. Kurt had been here for over a month and he didn't look in terrible shape. Whatever they were doing, it wasn't hurting us mutants too terribly.
         I'm lead out of the cell room, down a long hallway. There were doors on either side, nothing to distinguish them from each other, and gray walls in between. We turn into what looks like a lab, the stark white and antiseptic smell hitting me first. There's a small table in the middle, counters and cabinets along the walls. I can see test tubes and colanders, needles and microscopes. Not to mention the fifty other devices I couldn't name to save my life.
        Along the back counter were a few more men in scrubs, as well as a shorter woman and man in labcoats, neither really paying attention to me being escorted in. The rough hands unlock my handcuffs, and the man attached to them nodded toward the table. "Get up there and sit."
        "Aye, Aye, Cap." I mutter, moving forward to sit. It's only when I'm up on the table does the woman in the lab coat look up. She frowns at my entourage.
        "What happened to Harel and Smith?" She asks, looking to the largest man for an answer.
        "Subject 024 attacked them. They're currently taking a moment to recover." He answers, voice gruff.
        "You think they'd be able to take a hit, dealing with mutants." I comment with a small hum, getting the woman's attention. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow, eyes darting over me.
        "You'd think." She agrees, turning to her coworker. The man hands her a needle, and she moves towards me without hesitation. "Arm, please." I'm a little surprised by her politeness, holding out my arm. "You all can go. She won't be hurting me." The biggest man sighs, ready to contradict her, and she gives him a look. "Go. Wait outside the door or something. I can't have you all distracting me from my work, or something will go wrong. Then you have to deal with-"
        "I've got it." He mutters, motioning to the men behind him to go. He reluctantly leaves, sending a glare towards the woman before heading out. She rolls her eyes before moving her attention back to me and my still outstretched arm. She holds my wrist lightly, checking my veins for a moment. I see her eyes dart up to mine before she looks back down. 
        "They seem to think filling you with the cure will help with the tasks they set me on." She mutters, shaking her head. 
        "To be fair, they wouldn't have gotten me without it. I'm actually surprised they got me with it, if I'm being honest." I reply honestly, not missing the slightly startled look she gives me at my calm answer.
        "As am I. These lackeys aren't the smartest." She murmurs. 
        "Lackeys? Are you the brains behind this marvelous situation? Are you the one I have to thank for my abduction?" I ask curiously as she sticks me with the needle, drawing my blood. She snorts at that, pulling the needle out.
        "I'm as much of a prisoner here as you are." She replies, moving back towards the counter. I slide off the table. "Did you hit the two men hard at least?" 
        "They were both on the floor." I admit, and she snorts again. "As much of a prisoner as me?" She lets out a long breath at my question, glancing at her colleagues. None of them speak up, and she turns a little. 
        "They've got a sniper on my wife." She admits. "She thinks I'm on a business trip." She turns back to the counter, putting a drop of my blood on a microscope slide. I see the man set a comforting hand on her back before turning back to his own work. I glance towards the door as I let the information swirl through my thoughts. 
        "Can I ask what they're doing here?" The woman shrugs.
        "They're attempting and unfortunately succeeding in taking mutant abilities from DNA to harness them." She replies. "They want yours for obvious reasons. They're selling them off to the highest bidder, as well as doing other things I'm not privy to." She glances at my arm. "I'm trying to make sure no harm comes to you all but..." Her eyes dart towards the door. "I can only control things from here." I let out a long breath, nodding.
        "Well, you all have an ally here now."