#sif is not going cold turkey

[whitherwanderer]

30 // amity

Breath slow. Eyes open. Hands steady, for once. It was nice not to feel how much of her strength she’d lost and still be able to aim straight.

When was the last time she did this? When was the last time she did this and felt something good?

She squared her posture, pulled her arm back tight, and stared down the first bottle she’d perched on a rock. She took her time. She felt through herself, the wind, the savory calm. And when she was ready, it wasn't a matter of letting go in the way she was used to. Instead, she gripped tight. She squeezed the trigger.

Her arms jerked, but she held herself steady. It wasn’t as loud as she remembered, though the shot rang through the desert and scared the nearby birds into flight or silence. And her target? Sif’s heart nearly burst into flames in her chest when all she could see of it were glittering shards of brown glass littering the dirt. But she pulled a deep breath. Then another. Measured. Composed. For a beat.

Her boot came down hard into the gravel and her arms went up in the air, barking a laugh at herself as she pulled the weapon—this hard-won trophy, a symbol that she wasn’t a failure but merely changed—close to her chest to feel the heat off of it. “Gods, damn it. Finally,” she sighed, an irrepressible smile on her lips.

If only she had more than a precious few bullets, she might have fired off another round or two, become more familiar with the weapon, built her confidence and learned her limits. But this? This small, long-sought victory was enough for now. Enough to assure her that she could still be good for something. That he alone wouldn't have to bear the responsibility of protecting them both.

Spinner would have Her way of turning her fortunes tomorrow, Sif wagered, but today? Today was hers.

She settled down in the shade of the ironwood under which they’d made camp and set the weapon aside in favor of a flask, lifting it to the heavens in thanks before bringing it to her lips. As a bitter taste flooded her tongue, she was given pause, then huffed to herself.

A battle-in-progress that she was fighting on a quieter front. Tea.

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Vital Signs, Pt16

Word Count: 2288 Tags: @to-pick-ourselves-up-7 @outside-the-government, @jimfromsales, @donnaintx, @enterprisewriting @supermoonpanda @rayleyanns @sistasarah-sallysaidso

Loki was standing looking out a window with his hands cuffed behind his back. They were pretty fancy handcuffs, and I figured they were probably some kind of magical. I highly suspected a pair of standard issue handcuffs wouldn’t hold him. I turned back to the guard.

“I need the cuffs off,” I ordered. He looked confused.

“But –“

“I can hardly give him a medical assessment with his arms restrained behind his back. And he can’t go through the MRI like that,” I argued.

“I’ll have to get Thor.” The guard sounded dubious. I rolled my eyes.

“Then go get him,” I sighed and looked back to Loki. He had turned to face me, bemusement in his eyes. He also had some sort of muzzle on. The guard was whispering into his radio, and sounded like he was losing whatever argument he was having. I stalked over to him, grabbed his comm and spoke loudly and clearly into it.

“I need Loki out of the cuffs and the muzzle needs to come off too. NOW,” I snapped. Moments later Thor entered the room. I glanced out the window and noticed the sky was clouding over. An arc of lightning shot across the sky. Typical.

Thor entered the room. His presence was impressive. He was taller than Steve, and broader than Steve, and blonder than Steve, and just a whole lot more person than Steve. Obtrusive in a way. In a delicious eye-candy way, but still obtrusive. He glared at me. I raised an eyebrow and pointed at the window.

“Cut the theatrics, Thunderpants. I don’t care how much it pisses you off, you agreed to allow this assessment, and I can’t do it with your brother trussed up like a turkey.” I was cranky. The sky lightened and started clearing. It would suck to have your feelings be so transparent. Loki looked somewhat amused at the way I spoke to his brother.

“I do not think it safe, Lady Doctor,” he argued.

“So stick around. You can drop your plus-10 hammer of immobility on him if he tries anything,” I countered.

“My plus what?” My pop culture reference was obviously lost on him.

“Your hammer. I seem to recall you being the only person who can lift the damn thing. If Loki tries anything, put it on his chest,” I spoke slowly. A smile spread across his face and he slapped my shoulder. I nearly fell over. Dude was strong.

“I understand. When we were children, I took great delight in doing just as you’ve said when we fought,” Thor chuckled. He approached Loki and unshackled him. Loki rubbed his jaw when the muzzle was removed. I tossed a paper gown at him.

“Put this on.” I turned my back.

“I think not,” he responded. I spun around and before I even realized what I was doing, had punched him in the face. His head snapped back and his nose started to bleed. His eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed with rage. Thor started laughing.

“Put the fucking gown on,” I snapped and turned away.

“You and the Lady Sif would get on quite well, I would think, Lady Doctor.” Thor’s laugh was, unsurprisingly, thunderous. I tapped my foot impatiently.

“I am ready, Doctor.” Loki’s voice was flat. I turned and fought a bad case of the giggles. Paper gowns were so humbling, even for the most average of humans, but seeing this demi-god reduced to bare feet and a light blue crinkly wrap was almost too much. My mood improved. I pointed to the assessment table.

“Hop up.” I quickly ran over the same assessment as the previous time I’d assessed him, but this time, I knew to ask for him to switch into his Jotun appearance for a secondary assessment. It still puzzled and fascinated me how the shape-shifting could alter his physiology. Thor stood to one side, acting disinterested until Loki took on the appearance of a Frost Giant. Then he couldn’t look away.

“You seem bothered by this form, brother.” Loki met Thor’s gaze.

“It never ceases to surprise me,” Thor responded. I drew some more blood samples. Unsurprisingly, Loki was so cool as a Frost Giant that I was getting goosebumps just from standing near him. I cursed myself for wearing a thin t-shirt.

“You can change back,” I murmured. Loki smirked.

“And if I don’t want to? The view is,” he paused, “titillating.” I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes. Pig.

“Just change back,” I snapped. He complied. I walked over to the far side of the room, and peeked into the MRI suite to make sure it was empty.

“I need you to come into this room and lay on the cot.” I motioned toward the MRI machine. Loki walked over and looked puzzled.

“What manner of machine is this?” He asked.

“It’s a magnetic resonance imager. It’s the machine that takes the pictures of your insides. Lay down. I hope you aren’t bothered by confined spaces. I’m going to do two sets of scans, and you can’t move during them. I will let you know when I need you to change into your Jotun form again.” I strapped him onto the board and gestured to Thor to follow me into the viewing room.

“Should I not stay with him?” Thor asked. I met his gaze.

“That’s a giant magnet. You are wearing armour. I’m not saying you’d get sucked into the machine with him, but I’m not willing to take the risk. Sit.” I pointed to a chair right at the door into the MRI chamber. I set the machine to run, and spoke through the microphone at Loki.

“If you need out of the machine for any reason, just say so. The machine has a microphone, so I’ll be able to hear you.”

“I do not fear small caves, Doctor.” Loki was contemptuous.

“Have it your way then.” I flipped the machine on and started the scan. MRIs take forever. Thor was like an oversized child. He fidgeted and wiggled in his chair, clearly bored. I looked into the room. Loki was staying still. I didn’t trust him to not pull shenanigans.

“How much longer will this take?” Thor was swinging the hammer back and forth under the chair like a pendulum.

“This scan will be another five minutes or so. The next one will take as long. Hey, Loki is a master of illusion, right?” I asked. Thor nodded.

“He can be in many places all at once.”

“So how do we know we got the right copy?” I asked.

“The illusions are non-corporeal. Had you tried to strap an illusory Loki to the bed, your hands would have slipped through him.” Thor waved his hand in front of himself to demonstrate.

“Oh, that’s creepy.” I finished the first scan, and decided I should check on Loki in the chamber. I pulled back the cot and met his gaze. He looked irritated.

“That was insufferably long,” he complained.

“And it’s going to be the same length this time. I just need you to be in your Jotun form.”

“The previous time you assessed me, you had said you would let me know what differences you found in my physiology. I have many questions,” Loki stated.

“Yeah, well, that was before you killed my friend and leveled half my city. I don’t feel quite so obliging anymore.” I turned on my heel and stalked back to the control booth. I waited until I could see that Loki had taken on the blue of his Frost Giant heritage and ran the machine again. Thor was staring at the ceiling, groaning. I tossed a magazine at him.

“Here. Entertain yourself. ADD much?”

“I know not what that means. I am not accustomed to such waiting.” He flipped through the magazine, a look of horror spreading across his face, “Do women here really dress so immodestly?” He held up a photo spread of a bunch of move stars in bikinis. I laughed.

“Really? I thought you were like, a Viking god?”

“Well, yes, the Vikings thought we were gods,” he admitted.

“The Vikings who pillaged, raided and raped their way across Europe,” I clarified.

“As was the way of war then, yes,” he agreed.

“And you think a woman in a bikini is scandalous?” I asked. He looked puzzled.

“I never knew a Viking woman to dress in so little. She would have frozen to death.” He was so confused.

“I guess I just thought all the Valkyries in Valhalla would be scantily clad sex-kittens,” I shrugged. Thor’s booming laugh filled the room.

“No, Lady Doctor, the shield maidens of Valhalla are warriors, and rightly armoured. These scraps would not guard against any injury!” He chuckled. I felt a little stupid. Then again, I could name every bone in the hand, which I doubted Thor could. Different areas of expertise.

The MRI started counting down its completion. I sent Loki and Thor back into the assessment room while I looked over the initial scans and frowned. Fury stepped in from the hallway. I should have known he would be lurking.

“Well?”

“So far, I don’t see anything significant, but I’m going to need some time to go over the scans more thoroughly.” I collected the printouts and headed back to the assessment room. Loki and Thor were locked in an epic stare-off. Ugh. Brothers.

“Are we finished, Doctor?” Loki asked. I nodded.

“You can get dressed. I have some questions, but no more hands on stuff.”

“Pity. I so wanted your hands all over me,” he smirked. I rolled my eyes. Thor bristled.

“Loki! You know she belongs to another,” he barked. Loki shrugged.

“But I am a god, brother. And what woman wouldn’t want that?” Without embarrassment, he began to get dressed in front of me. I turned my back. He was evil, but he did have the body of a god.

“Uh, this one.” I informed him over my shoulder, “Did you know, Loki, that early Christians modeled their Satan after you? Women, we’re funny. We love a bad boy. Most of us, however, draw the line at the devil incarnate.” I turned back around, hoping he was fully clothed. He was pulling his top on. He stalked over to me, and put his hand on my arm. I met his angry, green eyes.

“Is not your devil the god of fire? And yet ice runs through my veins. I think your Satan is not so similar to me.” His hand was ice cold against my skin. I yanked my arm away. It tingled and I rubbed where he’d been touching to regain circulation. His touch had been enough to leave frostbite in the shape of his hand on me.

“You’ve given me frostbite, you asshole.” I rubbed at my arm a little more aggressively.

“I have marked you, as you marked me,” he gestured to his bruised nose, “In lesser societies, we would be considered wed now.” I turned my gaze to his brother.

“Is he always like this? Or is this because his awesome plan to rule the world was thwarted?” I asked, still rubbing my arm.

“Unfortunately, Lady Doctor, I think he has grown fond of you.” Thor looked a little disturbed. I whirled back to Loki, who was glaring at Thor.

“Well, I have a boyfriend. I think you’ve met him. Carries a big shield with a giant star on it.” I picked up his chart and pointed at the assessment table, “Now sit.” I ran through the rest of the questions, and while Loki tried to be difficult, Thor was happy to supply as many answers as he could to fill in the silent gaps Loki was leaving. I scribbled notes as quickly as I could.

“So, can you be killed?” I asked. I thought it was a legitimate question, and probably something SHIELD needed to know. Loki and Thor exchanged a meaningful look.

“Yes. We are more resilient, and stronger. But with enough injury we can die,” Thor admitted.

“And your life span?”

“Thousands of Midgardian years,” Loki responded.

“So you’re not actually a god,” I stated. Loki had the greatest poker face in the world, but it showed a slight crack at the statement. Thor nodded.

“No. It would be difficult for a Midgardian to kill us, but it could happen,” he said. I smiled at Loki.

“Good to know. Such a shame you can’t leave your brother for weapons testing, Thor.” I made more notes, “One last question.”

“There are no words to convey my gratitude at that.” If the increased weight of Loki’s sarcasm was any indication, he was more than finished with the interrogation.

“How old are you, Loki?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” he shrugged. I looked at Thor. Thor nodded.

“Truly, Midgardian years pass differently than those in Asgard. I would guess we are both hundreds, if not thousands of Midgardian years old.”

“And we will both live that long again after you are dead,” Loki snapped. He rose and held his hands out to Thor. Thor looked surprised, and looked back to me.

“I’m done. Take him home.” I finished scribbling notes in the chart, and watched as Thor locked the handcuffs around his wrists. He was about to muzzle Loki again when he stepped toward me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“I could have soothed your burns, Doctor,” he breathed. A shiver ran down my spine, and goosebumps flared along me skin. He smiled as he stood back up, “You aren’t so unaffected by me, are you?”

I couldn’t help myself. I punched him in the face again.