ARCHANGEL (Marvel Fanfiction)

Chapter 17. Give This Man His Reward

After making sure the hostages were unharmed, Elizabeth waited in the van with Loki sitting beside her. She looked outside from the window silently, not saying a word since she got in.

The Avengers were talking with the authorities, explaining about what happened. It's weird that they told her to wait in the van, when she was the reason why this attack happened.

She remembered the face of the mother and the child, looking at her wings with awe when she walked to them.

"What's your name, Miss?" the mother asked.

"It's Elizabeth, Ma'am," she smiled and stroked the little girl's head. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

She nodded and went closer to her, touching her wings. "Do you have a nickname?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. The girl pointed at the Avengers from afar. "Iron Man, Captain America.. You?"

"Oh, I don't think they have taken me in to the superhero club yet," she whispered in her ears and they laughed together.

Sadly, not all of them treated her well. One of the hostages, a man in mid 30s, spitted and cursed.

"Damned superheroes and inhumans! Always putting everyone's lives in danger!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Criminals! They should be put behind bars!"

"Ungrateful, insolent, dull creature," Loki growled. Elizabeth had to grab his arm to stop him from confronting that man. Her father had warned her that not everyone will be all smiles when they saw her. Some might react unpleasantly, perhaps to the point where they want to actually hurt her.

The van's door was suddenly thrown open. It snapped her back to reality. Natasha went in first, followed by Tony and Steve.

"Got anything?" Elizabeth asked as Natasha sat beside her.

"No. They swallowed the cyanide pill as soon as we got them."

Elizabeth nodded. One of Hydra's basic protocols.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"Physically? Yes. Mentally? Not very much," she let out a small laugh. "It really sucks to know that I'm still in their grip, after all this time. How stupid of me to think that I was free."

She tried to hide her fear and worries. Hydra wouldn't be able to get to her as long as The Avengers were around, she convinced herself.

She looked up to their faces, all were staring at her with pity. She cleared her voice.

"Well, don't you want to give some kind of reward to this man for his heroic act today?" She put her hand under Loki's chin.

They looked at each other, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"You did do an honorable deed today, Loki." Steve rested his arms on his belt, narrowing his eyebrows as if he didn't like saying that. Loki grinned.

"We will discuss it with everyone later," he decided.

"What did you tell the police and reporters?" said Elizabeth.

"We only told them that Hydra men is targeting one of ours," said Tony. "Don't worry, we didn't tell them that you were Hydra."

Elizabeth mumbled a thank you, and then pretended to be interested in her foot.

***

Steve assembled the available Avengers, including Tony, Natasha, Dr. Banner, and Thor, who was just returned to the headquarters to check on Loki. Elizabeth also tagged along.

"Oh, I'm so proud of him, my little brother," Thor smiled so widely that his mouth reached his ears.

"What do you think is the proper reward for him?" Steve asked the team.

"Freedom," Thor said, "It's only right to give him his freedom back."

The whole team shouted no to him, silencing him down.

"It's too risky and dangerous," Stark said.

"Although.." Dr. Banner raised his arm, "I do have an access to an advanced tech that damps superhuman abilities. It is used in superhuman prisons."

"Fine, that's tolerable," Natasha agreed.

"And we should limit his freedom. He is only permitted to wander in S.H.I.E.L.D's headquarters. Not a step to the outside world." Stark added. The others nodded in agreement.

"It's decided, then. Let's bring the good news to him." Steve walked out from the room, followed by everyone else.

***

"Congratulations, you've got a tiny piece of our trust," Stark exclaimed as they entered Loki's room. Loki looked up from his cell.

"Why, how very generous," he didn't look very thrilled. Elizabeth and the Avengers walked down to meet him face-to-face.

Elizabeth smiled at Loki, preparing to wave her hand and say hello, but Loki didn't look at her at all.

"Tomorrow, you will be out of this cell. But you must use a device that damps your powers, so you will be very human," Dr. Banner explained to him, "and you can only walk around in this building. No going out, you hear me? If you take even one step.."

"Let me guess. You'll kill me?" he cut Dr. Banner in the middle of his sentence. The doctor crossed his arm.

"If I have to." He looked challengingly at Loki.

"Now, now. I want to say that you have made me proud, brother," Thor smiled and put a hand on the glass surface. "We will enjoy walking around this boring building together tomorrow."

Thor turned around and walked up the stairs, and the others left as well. Elizabeth looked at Loki for one last time, very disappointed because he didn't even take a glance at her.

Why..? Was she the only one feeling different about him after what happened yesterday?