Chapter 13

The morning is spent pacing back and forth in my cell. At lunch, I look around to find that Other is gone, and so is Ronan and GM.

"They're fighting." Steve explains, and I hum in disassociation "The first fight is happening, as we speak. Peter said the first fight happens at lunch."

"You mean..." I lead off as I think of someone clubbing Loki in the head "Loki could be dying, right now?"

Stark shakes his head "He's too clever to die. There's no way he doesn't win this." he chops into his sloppy joe, before declaring "You should eat. It won't help to worry."

Suddenly, a Heimdall walks up to our table and whispers "Heard the other guards in the break room. Other won his round. I don't know if Loki has gone yet. He's about to fight. Do you want to watch?"

In an instant, I'm on my feet. I look to my table "I'll tell you what happens." they nod and I follow Heimdall.

As we slip into the observation room, just beside the showers, I find GM stares at the monitors. Heimdall leaves, instantly.

I step in, next to GM and ask "Why are you here?" he smirks and I frown "You get off on this, don't you?"

He nods, as two guards walk two prisoner into the dimly lite shower. After the guards slip off the bags over their heads, Loki whispers "Damn."

Ronan nods, before holding his hand to Loki "Let the best man win, friend. Don't go easy on me."

"I don't plan on it." Loki states, before looking to his feet, tiredly "You were supposed to get out, next year, right?"

Ronan scoffs "Yeah, I still plan on it." he nudges Loki "Whatever happens, no hard feelings?"

"None." Loki gives a weak smile, before looking to the guards "We're ready." Loki examines the room to find a plastic spoon on one side, and a detainment stick in the other.

"One." The guard announces as Loki readies himself to dart "Two." Ronan and Loki share a sorrowful look "Three." They give a whispered goodbye "Go!"

Loki darts forward the spoon, and Ronan grabs him by the ankle, to stop him from reaching it. Instantly, Loki kicks him in the face and scurrys to the spoon as Ronan turns to the night stick.

By the time Ronan turns around, Loki has managed to balance himself on top of one of the stall barriers "Come on out, Loki! There's no place to hide!"

Above Loki on the barrier, is a steel cage. One screw keeps it up. As Ronan checks the stalls, Loki unscrews the box with the spoon.

When he pulls out the screw, he tosses it across the room to distract Ronan. As Ronan starts to investigate, Loki moves the cage and pulls the lever to make the showers spray.

As steam fills the room, Loki crawls down and deposes of the spoon in the drain, before moving into the corner of a stall.

When Ronan steps closer to him, Loki turns and kicks him square in the face, sending him flying back. He hits his head on a hook, while half the guards cheer.

By the time the guards quiet down, Loki takes Ronan's head and shoulder and whispers something, before snapping his neck and dropping the corpse as the guards roar. He stares into the camera, murderously.

~

"He's alive." I state when I return to my cell. The four men look to me "Ronan's dead." I declare and they give an impressed look.

"So it'll be Loki and Other in the next round?" Vision and Stark nods "When will we know if he wins or not?"

Tony sighs, before explaining "We won't know, officially, until we see one of them." I give a concerned look, before he explains "He might win, but need to go to the infirmary. Other might win, but needs to go. Loki might kill Other, and become the guards bitch for however long."

I glare at him and Steve sighs "No need to be so grim, Tony."

"I'm just stating the facts." Tony insists, before looking to me "Was he injured in the first round?"

I shake my head, before explaining "He didn't even get hit. He was supplied with a plastic spoon, while Ronan had a night stick."

~

Later on that night, after lights out, I lay awake and stare up at the bunk above me. The thought of the fact that Other's cell is only a few of cells down, upsets me.

Some time after midnight, I hear a couple of guards walking down the pathway. Once they get closer, I hear rattling.

At first, I think they're going to walk past. The thought that it's Other, fills my head. But they stop.

I sit up, straight in bed, as I hear the chains be unlocked and removed. Finally, the cell door opens and they shove Loki in, before shutting it and leaving.

He looks at me blankly, before kicking off his shoes and crawling up the ladder. After a long moment, I lay back, knowing he doesn't want to talk.

Finally, he whispers "I killed a friend today." He sounds so numb about it, it almost breaks my heart.

"Loki, come down, please?" I whisper and he takes a moment, before crawling down and sitting on the edge of my bed "Watch your eyes."

When I turn on the flashlight, I raise it to examine his face. He's got a busted lip, a bruised chin, and a cut on his forehead.

He sighs, before dropping his hair and lifting his shirt to show a giant forming bruise on his side "It's not as bad as it looks."

With a sigh, I cut off the flashlight and take his hand in mine "Do you want to talk about Ronan?"

He shakes his head, before laying his head on my pillow. Silently, I turn and spoon him. He melts into me and falls asleep, exhaustedly.