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WARNING: intense death scenes

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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱: 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫

HYDRA Base

Siberia, Russia 2011

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A complete and utter wreck is the only way that Trickery could even begin to describe her day as being.

She had awoken from her slumber with a pounding headache and a revolting wave of nausea. The sensation was so overwhelming that she was forced to run over to her small toilet and empty the contents of her stomach into it.

She staggered back to her bed and laid down, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to will the pain away. Begging that the deep-rooted agony in her head would disappear. She was a prisoner to the pain. Left to helplessly struggle behind the bars of agony. The pain throbbed so violently around her skull that she wondered why it didn't just crack open. That honestly sounded much less painful than what she was currently enduring.

She couldn't even concentrate on a single thought. The entire world became detached as all she could focus on was the torture that consumed her mind. No longer could she hear the faint chattering of the guards that stood in the next hallway over. She didn't seem to register the flickering of the overhead light or the rush of cold air that entered her cell. No, she was completely engrossed in the pain.

It was so loud, so all-consuming, that she didn't even hear the sound of footsteps resonating down the hallway. She didn't even notice the guards until they slammed open the door to her cell, making her wince at the harsh noise.

Her ears began to fuzz with white noise, and she felt like she was drowning in the pain. One of the guard's mouth moved as he began to give Trickery instructions, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. It sounded like a jumbled mess of sounds that made up a language that she didn't know.

All she could do in response to the man's words was blink languidly and pray that he saw her internal torture. Hope that he could give her something to alleviate the pain.

But if the guards thought there was something wrong with her, they obviously didn't care. Both of the men wrapped their hands around her emaciated arms and dragged her from the cell, not giving her a second glance. She struggled to get both feet moving to match their pace, wobbling as her limbs were rendered into jelly.

Trickery was forced to squeeze her eyes shut as the contents of her stomach threatened to reach the surface once again. She wasn't sure if it was the sudden movement or the fact that she observed the be collapsing in on top of her. Or maybe it was a combination of both.

She eventually gave up with walking and let the guards drag her along the concrete hallway, heaving in small pants as a sweat began to build on her pale skin. She was too zoned out to feel the small cuts and grazes that adorned her knees or the spiteful looks that her fellow HYDRA soldiers gave her. She was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness and she prayed that her body would just give in.

She didn't know how long she had been hauled across the HYDRA base, but she was thankful when the guards finally came to a halt. Lifelessly, she dropped her head down to her chest as the guards tightened their grip on her frail arms.

A loud shout came from across the hallway but Trickery couldn't muster up the strength needed to open her eyes and see who it came from. "Hey!" A man called out. Mikael, Trickery thought but she wasn't quite sure as his voice was muffled by the ringing in her ears.

"What have you done to her?" Mikael snarled at the guards, not bothering to hide the rage overwhelming him as he gazed down at the state of Trickery. Anger seeped into his words as he noticed her constant wincing and her bloodied legs that left a trail of crimson blood on the floor.

"Nothing, хозяин / master. We found her this way." One of the guards responded cooly.

"Then why are you dragging her along like a sack of potatoes!" Mikael growled.

"She stopped walking." The guard stated, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.

"Look at her-," Mikael snarled. "-of course, she stopped walking! She looks like she will pass out at even given second."

Mikael sighed at the complete incompetence of his soldiers before glancing back down at Trickery in worry. He could tell that she was completely out of it and more than likely had no clue what was even going on around her.

But he knew that she was supposed to be sent on a mission to London. And judging by the state of her, there was no way that she would be able to complete it. She couldn't even walk on her own two feet, let alone dispose of an enemy.

But for once he wasn't the person sending her on the mission. No, it was the people higher than him that decreed that she was to exterminate her given targets. If he had his say, she would have gone straight into the doctor's office to have a full medical check. But unfortunately, there were people higher in HYDRA that wanted that task to be taken care of immediately.

"Get her on the plane and give her some medication. Hopefully, she will shape up before we land." He sighed, raising his gaze back up to the guards' in a heated glare.

"How strong, хозяин?"

"Very strong." Mikael answered. "Her body will burn through prescription drugs too quickly."

And with a nod of their heads, they were off.

The guards' dragged Trickery towards the quinjet, making sure they lifted her a little more off the ground to appease Mikael who watched on with a scowl. Unfortunately, the whole conversation went over Trickery who started to see the darkness ebb at the corners of her vision. 

Despite the fact that she had just woken up, she was exhausted. She was also tired, hungry. She couldn't stand the bone-dry feeling in her mouth and how it ached when she tried to swallow. She couldn't stand her stomach aches that were caused by pangs of hunger. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a proper meal.

But the guards didn't care. They just had a job to do.

So they brought her to the quinjet and dumped her inside the cabin. She was left in a small chair at the front of the plane while they went and ordered another soldier to go and fetch her meds. And that was there job done, so they left.

Trickery curled up into the chair, burying her face into the wall in a vain attempt to stop the flashing colorful spots that appeared in her vision. All she wanted was darkness. She craved it. Begging to seek some solace from the agony in a darkness that the bright lighting of the plane didn't allow. However, Trickery was too absorbed in her own torture that she didn't bother to see where she even was. She hadn't even realized that they were on the plane because she was too grateful for an end to being dragged along the ground like a rag doll.

She ignored the rumbling that came from the other soldiers making their way onto the plane. Not a single look was cast over her way either, but for a much different reason. The soldiers were all afraid of Trickery. She was an assassin that had powers beyond comprehension. There was no way they could ever match it with her. And they had heard of the stories about those who even stared at Trickery for too long. The punishment of treating Trickery poorly was typically decided by Mikael who was fiercely protective of the woman. Any transgression against her usually resulted in death. So they too kept their gazes downcast and made their ways to their seats.

But then the engines of the plane rumbled to life and something went off in Trickery's mind. It was like a switch had been flicked.

Her eyes immediately opened, revealing the frozen-over look that resembled the surface of a winter puddle, robbing her of her usual naivety. Her senses had been pushed into overload. She could hear every heartbeat, every footstep and every movement of any soldier within a fifty-foot radius.

The brain waves from all the people began to drown her. She was completely overwhelmed, suffocating under the overload of her senses. This was a feeling that she had never experienced before. Her powers had never been this volatile. And she couldn't cope with it.

So she screamed. 

Her eyes wide with horror, turning bright silver as she felt a wave of power being expelled from her body. Her mouth was rigid and open, her chalky face gaunt and immobile as the sound continued to escape past her lips. She felt her hands tug at her hair, her nails digging so deeply into her scalp that blood began to trickle down her hairline.

She wasn't sure how many heartbeats fell still. She wasn't sure how many brain waves had been silenced or how many lives she had taken. But it felt good. Letting the power go was relieving.

She didn't even have to focus on how to control herself. She just let it do whatever damage it desired. She just wanted it all to be silent. The plane, the cabin, HYDRA, and especially, her own mind. It all needed to be silenced.

Eventually, she stopped screaming, letting the tears fall freely down her face as she rocked herself back and forth. She did feel better. The pain had numbed slightly and her senses had dialed back down to usual but she still didn't feel right. She was still being rocked by the after-effects. Still being imprisoned by the pain.

Her entire body was shaking. Blood was oozing out of her wounds, both the self-inflicted ones from her recent outburst and the cuts that the guards gave her. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to give in to the darkness. But her body didn't grant her that wish.

Mikael, however, did.

It hadn't taken long for word of Trickery's carnage to reach his ears. Immediately he was up out of his chair and sprinting out of the office, charging towards Trickery and praying that she was not hurt. All he could think about was her. That was the only thought running through his mind. He didn't care if anyone else was hurt, or dead even. Trickery was all that mattered.

He pushed past the crowd that had congregated slightly away from the plane, glad that they were in the safe zone away from any of Trickery's attacks. Most of the soldiers turned and gave Mikael nervous looks as he ran towards the plane. They knew that if Trickery was still in an insane state that he would only be able to leave the plane in a body bag.

But Mikael didn't care. He just needed to make sure that Trickery was okay.

He didn't bother to slow down as he approached the entrance to the plane. The engines were still running which confused Mikael but he paid no mind as he sprinted up the ramp.

But nothing could have prepared him for what laid in front of his eyes.

Bloodied bodies littered the floor of the plane. The crimson liquid had escaped from any possible openings on their bodies. It fell from their eyes like tears and dripped from their mouths as if they were salivating. Just the sight of them led Mikael to conclude that they did not die a painless death. The irony stench filled the cabin, making Mikael screw his nose up in distaste.

He couldn't believe how many people laid dead in front of him. He guessed that there would be at least 15 to 20 people who had lost their lives in this cabin. 15 to 20 soldiers that had done nothing wrong other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But what worried him even more, was that there was no sign of his Trickery.

Turning his gaze away from the annihilation, he hurriedly stepped over the bodies and ventured further into the plane. It didn't take him long to hear the all to familiar sound of Trickery's sniffling which made him release the breath that he had been holding in.

He slowed his pace down and approached Trickery slowly, knowing that she was not in control of her powers at the moment. Even the sight of her sent worry cascading down his body. Trickery was curled up into her seat, shaking like a leaf as she buried her head into her hands.

Mikael slowly crept towards her, not wanting to scare her while she was in such a state. He knew that there was definitely something wrong and seeing the state that she was in proved that he was right. She didn't want to do this and that scared him tremendously because that meant that she wasn't in control.

But before he could get any closer, he heard her meek voice call out. "Please don't hurt me." She whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean it. I swear!"

"Trickery, look at me." He urged, bending down to his knees in front of Trickery who still sat in her chair with her head in her hands. "Darling, just look at me please."

Timidly, she began to raise her head up, not bothering to hide her puffy eyes or the tear stains that adorned her pale face. While she did that, she curled her hands into fists and began to dig her nails into her skin, trying to keep herself from ending another life.

"I would never hurt you, my love. I'm here to help." He reassured her, giving her a warm smile. "Will you let me help you?" He asked and Trickery paused before giving him a meek nod.

"Good girl. The first thing that I need you to do is to calm down. Can you do that for me?" He questioned and once again, Trickery gave him a small nod.

Carefully, Mikael reached out and wove his fingers in between hers. At first, she was surprised by the contact and she furrowed her brows in confusion. But then he guided her hand over to his chest and placed it above his heart.

"Can you feel my heartbeat?" He asked and she found herself nodding in confirmation. The rhythmic beating of his heart was easy to feel under his usual black ensemble. She could even faintly hear its thumps despite the ringing in her ears.

"Now, match yours to mine. Steady your breathing and focus on the beats." He murmured and Trickery did as he said. Her lips quivered as she breathed out through them, praying that the thumping in her head would cease if she did what Mikael said. She focused her attention on the cadenced thumps of his heart and she soon found that the pain in her body became easier to ignore.

"Good job, darling. Exactly like that." Mikael grinned, tightening his hold on her hand as he watched her body visibly relax. He could feel the almost palpable tension seeping from her body, allowing her mind to return to a semi-normal state.

But unfortunately, Trickery's reprieve did not last very long.

The sound of loud footsteps storming into the plane broke both Trickery and Mikael out of their moment. The sheer number of people caused the plane to shudder as they made their way over to the two who stood at the furthest end of the plane. 

Almost immediately Mikael was at his feet, standing protectively in front of Trickery who cowered back into the corner. She really did try to stop herself from trembling again but she found that she had no control of her body. The fear had returned at once again she became its prisoner as she had no power left to fight it.

"What are you doing! Get out!" Mikael ordered as the squad of HYDRA agents charged over towards them, guns raised and ready to fire. His frustration grew as the men ignored his orders and made a perimeter around the two. He didn't even have time to protest before they fired their guns at Trickery, small darts swiftly becoming embedded in her arms and chest.

And she immediately felt the effects of the chemicals that were seeping into her bloodstream. Her breathing slowed and her vision went hazy as she felt herself fall back into the seat of the chair. Her remaining strength had been stolen from her body as she felt her limbs being rendered immobile.

She faintly heard Mikael's seething voice call out to HYDRA agents as the darkness finally threatened to overpower her.

"Whose fucking idea was this?" He growled, eyeing the agents with pure rage. Trickery didn't manage to catch the agents' response to his question but the final thing she heard before she drifted into unconsciousness was Mikael's roar.

"You fucking imbeciles! I had it under control! What the fuck were you thinking!"

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Trickery wasn't sure how long that she had been trapped in solitude for. But to her, it had felt like forever.

She sat leaning against the dirty concrete wall of her cell, loosely pulling against the cold chains that bound her tired body against it. Almost instantly she felt pain run up her arms as the metal cut into her delicate skin. Her body still ached in protest with every movement that she made and her head spun when even made the slightest move from her spot.

The many hours of painful solitude had turned her mind even more against itself than what it had been previously. In the overwhelming darkness of the cell, she sat in paralyzing fear. She could no longer rely on her senses that had protected her from danger for many years. 

The silence of the cell was sending her insane. The lack of contact with the outside world left her with nothing to du but to turn to the comfort of her own mind. Admittedly, she knew that it wasn't a wise choice but she was left with no other option. Her mind sent her on a downwards spiral into pure mania and it left her to become the prey to her own monsters. She experienced every sort of hallucination that you could imagine and each one was as painful as the last.

But despite the pain, the hallucinations made her realize the root of her problems. Her own powers had turned on her. No longer was she the strong predator that HYDRA trained her to be. She was as weak as the targets that she was sent to kill. She had become the prey.

Trickery had prayed that she could return to the moment where she first woke up. Had she decided that she would get some help and see a doctor then perhaps she wouldn't be in this mess. But unfortunately, time travel wasn't one of her powers. Not that she could probably even use it while she was in this state anyway.

The leftover grogginess from her recent drugging was still fresh in her mind as she stared out of the barred window into the snowing Russian sky. This was the second or third time that they had to send Trickery back into unconsciousness because they didn't know what to do with her. Anytime they sent someone into the room, they left in a body bag. To be fair, it wasn't her fault. She didn't deliberately try to kill them. It just seemed like anytime someone came within a foot of her, her powers would react and try to protect her. It was as if her powers were acting like her immune system trying to fight off a virus.

She had deduced that everything in her body had been dialed to 11 and like a lightbulb, the excess of power caused her to blow. Now she was left reeling from the outburst. She no longer had the control that she used to over her illusions and she couldn't use her natural abilities like she did before. Whether they were gone for good or not was still unknown. 

Unfortunately for Trickery, she had just come out of another hallucination. Voices in her head screamed at her that she had gone insane. That she was completely deranged. They called her a monster and made her watch as the walls began to bleed. 

The crimson liquid continued to fill the cell until it reached just under her chin. The entire room darkened until it was just pitch black darkness contrasting against the scarlet blood. She could feel it close in around her, filling her with a deep dread. She was just waiting for the blood to rise over her head, waiting for it to overcome her. She was certain that she was going to drown in it but then it suddenly stopped.

Trickery was relieved to see the plain concrete room instead of the pool of blood and immediately lowered her head into her hands, pulling at the roots of her ratty hair. She ignored the pain that ran up her arms at the movement as she began to cry into the pads of her palms. She had had enough.  

"I am crazy. I am crazy. I am crazy." She muttered to herself as the tears fell down her grimy face. She could slowly feel herself teeter the line of sanity. The hallucinations made her begin to question the difference between reality and an illusion, neither of which seemed appealing to her at the moment. And the more that she fell victim to her own illusions, the more deranged she became.

And while she cried on the floor of the cell, questioning her existent, she failed to notice the foreign presence that stood to her right.

"Good day, Alexandra." The person called and Trickery immediately whipped her head around with a startled gasp. Ignoring the pain that flared in her body, she crawled away from the man and sought refuge in the opposite corner of the cell.

The man watched with a smirk as she let her fear control her. He could feel the power radiating from her body as it tried to attack him, trying to turn him into just another lifeless corpse. But he did not fall victim to her illusions like the many men before him. He stood tall and ignored her weak attempt at an attack.

The man had stark raven locks, extending down past his ears and resting lightly on his shoulders. His eyes held a certain ambiguity to them. Not only were they a color that she would describe as a mix of emerald and blue, but they held a level of confidence that shocked Trickery.

His dark clothes had stunning gold and green embellishments. The light shone off the gold accents and danced around the room, giving it a sort of liveliness that it didn't have before. However, Trickery wasn't overly fond of the jade cape that hung over his shoulders.

"I am going crazy." She muttered as she stared at the man who watched her with a taunting smirk. "I am crazy."  

"Quite the contrary actually, darling." He said as his thin lips pulled back into a grin. "You are saner than most people. Especially in this wing of HYDRA."

Once again, Trickery was left confused. At first, she thought that this man was just another figment of her illusion. She thought that he was here to terrify her and torture her psychologically. But he had this aura to him that made him fell too real. It made her question if what she was experiencing was true.

But if that was the case, then she had another question that desperately needed answering.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice slightly quivering as she spoke.

"Ouch, darling. You don't even know who I am?" He laughed sarcastically, raising a brow at her lack of confidence.

Shaking her head at his response, she began to deny that the man was real. "Oh my god, I am crazy." She murmured, clenching her hands tightly at her sides as she watched him with fearful eyes. She didn't even notice how firmly she had her hands enclosed because she was too busy praying that her mind would break its hold on her and her illusion of this man would disappear.

"Unclench those hands, Alexandra." The man ordered, screwing his nose up in distaste. "The smell of blood is quite revolting for our enhanced senses."

"And to answer your very foolish question that I must admit, I am quite insulted by."He continued, his face returning to its usual smirk. "My name is Loki. And I'm here to help."

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Hey guys!

I hope this long chapter makes up for my latish update once again! To be fair though, this chapter is over 4300 words which is a hella lot and takes a lot of time to write.

I'm going to try and keep this author's note short and sweet as I wanted to thank all you guys for getting Tricks to 11k reads! It was literally only 10 days ago that we hit 10k which is CRAZY!!!! And as I said last time, your votes, comments and reads literally mean the world to me as you guys are the only people that I do this for.

SO THANK YOU XXXX

And now onto the questions,

1. What did you think of this chapter?

2. Who is excited to see Loki in this story? (I am!)

3. What do you want to see happen with Loki in the next chapter?

4. Do you guys prefer when I write in past or present tense?

- Grace xx