🥀 19 🥀

A/N: TW at bottom of page to avoid spoilers.

~♡~

1 week later

"Jesus Christ Nat, I thought you said you were going easy on me?" Lyla groans as she gets up from the mat on the floor as her redheaded friend smirks down at her, cracking her neck.

"I am Ly! Bear in mind I've been coming here for about three years now, you're still a newbie." Nat winks as she lightly taps her friend on the shoulder mischievously.

Lyla looks around at where a few people are watching their technique.

She never knew Nat was such a badass at fighting, I guess they'd never been in a situation where she'd needed to know.

Although when everything had gone down with her ex-boyfriend Nat had threatened many injuries, she didn't realise up until now that she was definitely capable of inflicting them. And how weak she herself was.

"Good job Nat." The owner walked closer after having watched the girls carefully.

Nat beams a smile as Lyla smooths down her workout clothes from the fight.

"Thanks Drax." She fist bumps him as the huge wall of muscled man grabs Lyla's hands, repositioning and kicking out her legs.

"You're not utilising your centre of gravity correctly. Again, but this time I'll spar with you." He says as he takes over from where Nat was standing, giving Lyla more instructions as he walks through punches and kicks slowly with Lyla first.

"What's the story behind your nickname anyway?" Lyla asks as she tries to catch her breath at the spinning kick she's trying to master, unsuccessfully.

She'd been here every day for near enough the last seven days and although she was a little better, compared to these people she was no where near close enough to defend herself.

The bald, ripped man in front of her grinned. "It all stems back to my days as an axe-thrower. They used to nickname me Dr Axe because I hit the bullseye every damn time. It eventually got put together and shortened." He chuckled and his deep laugh boomed throughout the gym.

Lyla smirked. She liked this guy. She knew Loki knew him personally, god knows how, she didn't want to know the details. But he was the right amount of patient and pushy. Although sometimes his sense of humour was a little off.

"Could get a man, right between the eyes. Ha Ha!" He continues as some other guys around the gym joined in.

Nat shakes her head at Lyla, laughing herself.

"So Lady of Loki's, we need to work on your roundhouse. You're small but that doesn't matter. Not when you know how to use your body properly. Not everyone can be as fine a specimen of a being as I am." Drax continued as he bent down to hold up some punching bags on his hands for Lyla to kick.

"I'm just not made like you guys, I'll never be able to defend myself." Lyla says sadly as she bends down, her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"When I first started I was shit Ly." Nat mentions from the side as she took a swig of her water. "Keep going, you're already getting better."

Lyla huffs a sigh, feeling like she'll never get there but determined to try. She's so tired, she's never worked out so much in her life. She just wants to lie down.

"Lyla. I want you to imagine that this target here is someone who has hurt you in life. Someone who did you wrong. You need to channel your pain and energy into your body, but in a controlled manner. Imagine their face, the way their voice sounds, the way they smelt. Use it." Drax suddenly said very seriously.

Lyla's face dropped as her heart began to race, and not just from being out of breath. Nat stepped forward to intervene, but Lyla holds her hand up to let her know it was okay.

"Take it easy D." Nat says quietly from the side, but Drax keeps going.

"Loki wanted you trained up quick. So, let's use whatever pain you're carrying around. There has to be something right? Something you can use to release all that adrenaline and anger?" Drax muttered as he saw Lyla's face shift.

Her body was in pain, her hair was clinging to the back of her neck in sweat, but suddenly those evil brown eyes came back into her mind, the feel of his hands on her arms, pushing her into the room, the sound of the door slamming shut, trapping her in.

The scent of alcohol on his breath after he'd come back from drinking, the flared nostrils that warned her pain was about to hit her in some form or another. Lyla felt herself go dizzy as her chest constricted. Her vision tunnels as she stares down the target in front of her.

"Okay, maybe enough for today." Nat begins again, going to walk forward but Drax gives her a look this time that lets her know he's doing this on purpose.

"You're pathetic, weak, embarassing."

Lyla shakes her head, trying to get rid of the voice.

"You are nothing, you hear me? Nothing!"

His voice echoes loudly in her head before a sharp ringing takes over.

Lyla screams from her stomach as she lunges forward, perfectly swivelling her hips and using her leg in the air as momentum to spin her round and jab the target with the heel of her foot, sharply. So sharp, even Drax has to re-balance himself, not expecting the force.

"You belong to me, and me only."

Lyla balls her hands into fists before she continues to punch hard. So hard, that she doesn't hear Drax telling her it's enough.

All she can feel is the poison in her veins, the fight or flight that's kicked in, and the feeling that she's going to die. She continues to scream as she beats and beats until she feels a crunch in her finger, and even then continues to punch.

Before she knows it, Nat's hand is on her shoulder, and the sound is coming back into her ears. That's when she notices a stray tear has slipped down her cheek.

Drax looks on at Lyla in shock as he finally lowers the bag, throwing it to the side and taking the tape off Lyla's hands to inspect the damage.

Lyla doesn't even notice him and Nat carefully ushering her to the side. Lyla feels numb, completely and utterly numb. She can't even remember the last five minutes, but pain is suddenly coming back to her, as are her surroundings.

"Fuck's sake, Ly, we're gonna have to take you to the hospital." Nat says lowly as she pulls out her phone and calls someone, moving off to the side.

Lyla's eyes scan slowly before they meet Drax's.

"I'm sorry little one, I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. Loki wants you to learn as quickly as you can. I did not realise you were going to try and break your own bones." Drax says laughing lightly as she finally looks down and sees one of her fingers bent funny, slowly going purple and raw knuckles.

And for some unknown reason, Lyla smiles.

~♤~

"Where is she?" Loki shouts at Clint as he waits outside the doors of the ER, smoking a cigarette calmly, one foot pressed against the wall behind him.

He straightens up when he sees his boss however, flicking the cigarette out.

"She's waiting Sir. We've not long got here. Romanoff's with her." Clint says as he gestures inside the main doors.

Loki had received a text from Clint that he'd had to bring Lyla to the emergency room, but that it was just a minor injury and nothing to worry about. Lyla had insisted that they didn't tell Loki, but Nat and Clint both knew that he wouldn't be happy if he found out on his own later on.

Nothing to worry about, was not a phrase that Loki likes when it comes to Lyla. Of course he was going to worry.

There was a sick fuck who was stalking her again after hurting her. The girl so innocent and sweet that she did extra hours at the library to help out her old friend, the girl that had insisted on moving out of his house as soon as her apartment was ready, much to Loki's disappointment, the girl that still can't accept lavish gifts, no matter how hard Loki tries. She was pure and innocent.

He'd also already received a message from Drax, letting him know it was an accident and he would waive the next month of his fees for Lyla's training. Loki didn't blame him, not really, but he was angry.

He was due to be teaching Lyla how to fire a gun tomorrow, taking Clint and Steve with him to help, at his own private gun range. Loki so desperately needed her safe. From his father, from her ex, from him...

Loki pushes the doors open so forcefully that the doors rattle on their hinges and the patients look up at the intrusion. He gave a tight lipped smile in apology, landing his gaze quickly on Nat who had looked up at the sound, but not Lyla.

She was deep in thought, sitting staring blankly at the wall with an ice pack around her hand. He nodded at Romanoff, who said something to Lyla quietly before walking up to him.

"She's already been triaged, they think it's just a simple finger fracture and bruised knuckles. She'll be fine, they're just waiting to bandage it up." Nat reassures but Loki looks back over at Lyla who is spaced out.

"How did this happen?" Loki demands as he clenches his fist.

He doesn't like the thought of her in any type of pain.

Nat chews her lips before shrugging.

"I don't know Loki, Drax was trying to get her to visualise the punching bag as someone she didn't like...next thing we know she's going full on Kill Bill, she wouldn't stop, it was like she was in a trance...or a memory." Nat adds the last part on quietly, crossing her arms over her brown leather jacket and looking back sadly to her friend, sighing.

"You found him yet?" She asks, looking back at Loki.

Loki swallows hard before giving one firm nod.

"I've been given everything on the man. We checked out his address on file but he's not there. We have eyes and ears everywhere, he's bound to show his slimy face soon." Loki spat, trying to control himself in this surrounding.

"She know?" Nat asks quietly, her eyebrows drawing together in worry.

Loki shook his head. "I'd like to keep it that way, I want to handle this for her." He muttered, desperate to get over to Lyla.

But he knew her friend was just looking out for her.

"So do I, but Loki, she's not going to like your way of handling things. She's not like you, or Thor, or Tony, or Hell, even me. She's one of the good ones." Nat whispered, shaking her head before looking at the floor.

"I know Natasha. But I know his name and face now. And it's not leaving my mind until I'm the one to take his life from him." Loki said solemnly.

Natasha nodded, no longer looking at Loki but turning to the doors.

"Clint's gonna give me a lift home now you're here. I'll catch you later." Nat says as she pats him lightly on the shoulder, beginning to walk out.

Loki watches her go before he strides over to Lyla who jumps slightly as he sits next to her.

"Hello Darling." He coos as he kisses her temple.

Lyla closes her eyes peacefully as she feels his presence next to her. Loki sighs as he gently picks up her injured hand, inspecting it for himself, hating to see any kind of mark on her...any kind he didn't leave anyway.

"My Dear, when I wanted you to learn how to fight I didn't mean at the expense of yourself." He muttered, trying to get a laugh out of Lyla but she didn't say anything.

Loki could tell she was shaken from whatever thoughts had entered her head earlier.

"Nat said you were encouraged to think of someone you didn't like...and that you might've blacked out a little." Loki tries gently as he wraps an arm around her shoulders over the plastic chairs in the waiting room.

Lyla blinks slowly before bringing her gaze up to Loki's.

She hums and nods a little, looking back down at her bruised hand.

"It's getting worse isn't it? The last week, I know how much you've thrown yourself into work and sorting out your apartment, but I see the tiredness around you eyes Pet." Loki notes sadly before a doctor calling for Lyla interrupts them.

Lyla looks at Loki quickly.

"I'm OK. Today was just a blip. I just got distracted and hurt myself. It's no big deal. We're still on for tomorrow right?" Lyla asks as she stands and begins moving towards the doctor.

Loki stands and places a hand on her lower back as he follows, nodding in agreement.

He had sent his people down every trail to find this vile human. And he knew he'd surface eventually, like the little weasel he was. Lyla had still not told Loki any details but that hadn't mattered, he'd found out sure enough, and he was waiting. Until then, his name was seared into his mind, like a brand and warning of what was to come. Each letter filled with hatred in his mind. Repeating over and over on his tongue.

Brock Rumlow.

---TW: Themes of DV