[E D I T E D]

KILL YOUR MIND
❝life is simply a mix of mayhem and magnolias, so embrace this gentle riot and gather flowers along the way.❞

12. Traumatising Terrorisation

THOR ODINSON AND ELIZABETH TYLER rarely conversed after that. It seemed as though the god would have loved to have endlessly spoken to his niece but every time he came near, one of the other Avengers got in the way. Whether this were though strategic conversations or simply pushing the girl out of the room, her uncle never got close enough to tell her anything else concerning her father. Of course, she would not ask any of the other Avengers about it because then they'd know that Thor had spoken to her about her true heritage against their direct orders and her uncle would most likely get a punishment for doing so.

The only other thing that Elizabeth could think to ask wasn't actually a person. She'd spent a few nights wondering if knowing who her father was as big of a deal as she'd first thought it was before deciding that she didn't care who her father was, she simply wanted to know. She had tried to figure it out for herself using books surrounding the Nordic mythology that Thor originated from but there was no mention of a brother outside of 'Balder'. Balder, however, had been the God of purity and everything nice about the world so Elizabeth already knew that this was an impossibility. After all, the Avengers wouldn't have hidden her having a gracious father. Thus, after coming to the conclusion that there must have been a divergence from mythology and reality, she began to wonder on who to ask. That was when she knew who she could trust.

Jarvis, though a creation of Tony Stark, had taken a keen liking to the young teen. At first, the AI had been stern and even cold when addressing Elizabeth but after the night she told Steve Rogers everything about her past, the presence had become warm. Tony had loosely stated that the programming was based off of an old friend but never went into much detail, instead dismissing the topic shortly afterwards. Jarvis only truly liked a few people and it was hard to tell who it was until moments like these aroused. See, if told to keep a secret from the very person who created Jarvis' existence, Jarvis would have notified Stark immediately. Of course, the AI would tell its creator everything that was happening when that was what it'd been programmed to do but, for only a few select people who Jarvis thought were truly helping Tony, it would overlook their question and answer it without telling a soul.

Elizabeth only realised how fond the AI was of her until she had laid all her cards on the table.

❝Jarvis?❞

She'd asked one evening. It had been nearing her second month in the Tower when she'd finally gotten the guts to hit the nail on the head and she was starting to regret her decision as soon as she'd begun to carry out her plan.

❝Yes, Miss Tyler?❞

The disembodied voice had replied robotically. The response had been nearly instantaneous. Almost as though the AI had been watching the girl open and close her mouth for hours before hand. The rapidness of its response only caused Elizabeth to hesitate more. She wasn't sure if she was making the correct decision. Not only was she worried about the others finding out that Thor had told her everything they'd told him not to but, as well as that, she was worried she'd find something out that she wished she hadn't. She hated the fear of seeing something that would break her.

But the silence was becoming too daunting and Elizabeth Tyler hadn't survived her life by being cautious.

❝Do you tell Tony everything people ask of you?❞

The AI falters. The usual responses had taken only three seconds to process and begin to respond to but now, it was almost as though Jarvis was thinking. It was strange to think of how intelligent it was. That it could weight up its decisions and morals just like any other human would do naturally. It showed how truly wonderful all of Stark's creations truly were as well, but Elizabeth wasn't thinking about any of that. In the moment, the silence felt like it was crushing her windpipe and squashing her stomach into pieces.

❝I am programmed to inform Mr Stark of anything that concerns him. However, I am aware that not everything is important enough to tell Mr Stark and I'm also aware that he shouldn't be told everything that goes on inside the Tower.❞

Elizabeth smiles to herself. Jarvis was hinting towards the answer that she hoped it'd respond with. Of course, it wouldn't go out and tell her it'd keep her secret, but she trusted Jarvis enough to know that, unless she was asking something that'd endanger them all, it wouldn't go against its words.

❝Can you tell me everything you know about my father? He's Thor Odinson's brother? I tried to do the research myself, but I couldn't find a brother that fit the description and I'm wondering if the books didn't get everything correct.❞

❝Loki Laufeyson is unauthorised intel. After causing the Battle of New York, SHIELD has thought it best fit to keep everything known about him a secret. Secrets such as his location within the Tower, his afflictions against Earth and his true birth origin are prohibited for me to tell.❞

Loki, Elizabeth frowns warily, now that was a character that she had read about. The God of Mischief, a constant thorn in the God's side, and supposedly Odin's brother. It seemed typical that her father would be the villain, just bloody typical, and the information pertaining his previous world domination attempt didn't sound particularly thrilling either.

❝So, he's being kept in the Tower?❞

❝It would be unorthodox for me to release his location, Miss Tyler as you may feel unsafe by sleeping in a room nearby to a war criminal.❞

And that was all Jarvis would say but that was enough for Elizabeth. Loki Laufeyson - that was who her father was. A war criminal. Typical really. But none of that mattered to her, not a single detail mattered, apart from the fact that the man whom she'd wondered about her whole life was being kept just a few walls away. Is that why they had moved her here? God, Katherine would have loved this mystery. The younger of the two had always had a taste for a good old-fashioned dilemma.

Elizabeth missed her. A lot. Each time Steve Rogers returned to the tower; Elizabeth would come skidding in only to get the same negative response. It was like she had disappeared into thin air. She sent her hopes out to the world every night. Begging to someone, anyone who'd listen, to keep her dear companion safe whilst she could not. It pained her to not be able to do anything but she also trusted that Katherine was out there, somewhere, and would be eventually found.

Yet, she had a mystery to figure out.

Elizabeth Tyler had spent the evening alongside Steve Rogers. The pair had walked the entirety of the Tower whilst making pleasant conversation and sharing a bag of crisps. It was quaint of them to do so but each counterpart found themselves at ease whilst in the company of one another and Elizabeth enjoyed listening to Steve's war stories. Her favourite one thus far was one that detailed the man's explorations of the Alps whilst sabotaging Hydra bases alongside his closest companion. 'Bucky' was mentioned a lot in Steve's stories. His eyes always seemed to glaze over whilst mentioning the man. They'd been close friends, childhood best friends, and, from what Elizabeth could gather without rubbing salt on the open wound, Bucky was no longer around.

And, in return to being the only person who'd listen to Steve, Elizabeth asked questions about her uncle. Of course, Steve didn't know that she knew this, but he'd answered most of her questions. He supposed that since the pair had already met, it wouldn't hurt to answer a few of the girl's most burning curiosities.

But the sun began to lower, and Steve had walked Elizabeth back to her room. The man was never one for recklessness aside for when it was himself being the perpetrator. So, Elizabeth fell into a deep slumber rather quickly, the days weight lowering from her shoulders, and didn't have any memorable dreams. In fact, it was the best rest she could remember ever happening.

Elizabeth Tyler wet the bed. It was one of her worst secrets that no one actually knew, aside from Tony Stark. A licensed phycologist would be able to identify the urination as a side effect from the crushing nightmares due to her post traumatic stress disorder, the flashing images of being strapped to a dirty bed haunted her sleep and was nothing to be ashamed of. It had started the second week that she'd been in her room. She supposed it was because she finally felt safe enough to know that she wouldn't be tarnishing her only clothes, but it was deathly embarrassing. She'd woken up to sodden sheets and hadn't known what to do. Jarvis had contacted Tony immediately, upon noticing the girl's distress, and the man had flung her door open in panic, expecting to see something horrid at his AI's cryptic responses, but his eyes had softened at the sight of the girl. He'd balled her sheets up and given her a fresh set of pyjamas and taken the soiled items to be washed. He'd promised not to tell anyone, linking his pinkie finger with the suspicious girl's one, and sat next to her, uncharacteristically petting her hair, as she fell asleep once again. Elizabeth didn't wet the bed every night. It was even getting rarer in her two months at the Tower.

But her sleep was disturbed. It would have been a perfect night's rest if it wasn't for a particularly horrid encounter.

Elizabeth Tyler had found herself in a room she didn't recognise. She knew she was dreaming instantly and was in an observation area around a similar cell to what she'd had. It smelt pleasant, nothing in particular, but her heart tugged towards the empty cell. Remembering her uncle's words, she followed the tug of her heart and there she is, stood in the middle of the cell looking for someone aimlessly. Who she was looking for?  She did not know. But she feels them when they enter the cell. She doesn't hear their footsteps or hear their breath. She feels their presence pop out of nowhere.

So, she turns.

He stands there. Feet planted to the floor, green archaic cloth armour mixed with black, and stares at her for a while and it is silent. Just the two of them searching for the other in each other's eyes. His hair is gelled back harshly, green eyes softening slightly then hardening with a silver glaze, and he smirks. Elizabeth feels lightheaded just looking at the man and all the oxygen in the air seems to be gone.

❝Who are you?❞

She demands, voice guarded and emotionless, and the man just smirks wider. His whole presence was unnerving and conflicting. She felt safe. Just by being a few feet from him, she felt her muscles relax and her heart open. Yet, her blood was screaming. His eyes looked close to one of an insane person and his smile sent cold shivers flooding through her skin.

❝Oh, I think you know who I am.❞

They're both a few steps from one another. His hands are behind his back, wealthy childhood obviously, and his head tilts with curiosity ever so slightly. Just like Elizabeth's does when she's thinking heavily.

There's a pause. It's filled with a childlike confusion.

Elizabeth purses her lips, eyebrows scrunched, and shakes her head ever so slightly. The man just grins back.

❝You're Loki.❞

❝Indeed, I am, but you know that's not who I am to you❞

❝You're the man I've wondered about since I could even think. The man I always wanted to know.❞

His manic smile falters. His eyes soften again. His whole facade slips for just a moment but it's enough. It wasn't the answer he was expecting. No, Loki was expecting animosity, hate, even seething insults from the girl but instead, she just looked a tad bit broken. Only slightly. Just a hint of hidden hurt. He was the God of Lies, he knew when someone was lying, and Elizabeth Tyler was being one hundred percent honest.

He didn't really know how to respond.

He just did what he did best and pushed all feelings he felt away.

❝Did it hurt not to have a father?❞

He spits. Anger replacing any love he could feel towards the girl that he had once called his daughter.

❝It hurt not to have a family, yeah.❞

Elizabeth replies bluntly. Her voice breaks slightly at the end, her father's rage scaring the wits out of her. He scared her more than anyone else had ever done in her life. Her mother had shouted at her frequently when she was a child. Valium meant to calm her mother's anxiety, when it had been abused, had only seemed to evoke further paranoia and headaches which would leave her mother in a perpetuate state of aggravation. Yet even when her mother had thrown a hairdryer directly at her face in a fit of rage, barely dodging it fast enough for it to not smash into her skull, she had never experienced such terror before in her life.

❝Poor little whimpering Elizabeth - living life as a quivering fustilarian in bed with men five times your age.❞

He seethes.

Elizabeth's eyes water.

❝You knew?❞

She croaks out, heart aching.

❝Does it hurt, my dear?❞

He spits out

❝Does it hurt to know that I saw everything and did absolutely nothing?❞

And then Elizabeth wakes to Tony Stark shaking her awake, and wet sheets surrounding her legs. Numbly, she stands up and goes to the bathroom to change. Her bed is already remade, and she passes her old pyjamas to the billionaire. Once he comes back, she settles into bed and refuses to sleep again.

She just bursts out into harsh sobs and all Tony could do is cradle her in confusion.