The Light in the Darkness

It all happened so quickly, but you felt as though the ninety seconds took three hours to take place, everything went in slow motion. You had been reading the sample reports you had just tested when you heard a shout go out and a small canister rolled into the lab you had been working in, hitting off your foot before an explosion of white light, then came the darkness.

There was gun fire and yells around you, but you could see nothing, turning helplessly you fell to the ground when a bullet struck your shoulder blade from behind. The pain was horrific, and fear took over as you heard people coming into the room, breaking different items as they went. You did not move again until silence was all that surrounded you.

"Clear." A voice rang out, not too far away.

"Clear." Another voice called in return, this time; closer.

Fear took over, and you remained still, not recognising the voices, you were unsure if they were friend or for.

"We have a live one." A call went out from close to you. The next thing you knew, a hand pressed on the wound on your shoulder. "Agent have you any other wounds?" The voice asked.

You frowned for a moment, you knew that voice from somewhere. "Captain Rogers?" You tried to see if you could focus on the speaker, but you could not see anything.

"In the flesh." He confirmed as he assisted you to your feet.

You hissed with the pain in your shoulder. "What happened?"

"HYDRA, they wanted something in SHIELD's system. The gun fight was a distraction." You swallowed hard at the how the solider had stated you were alive, meaning the other scientists in the room were no longer so, you were grateful you could not see at that present time. "Can you walk unaided, I need to check for others?"

"I…" Looking around, the darkness remained.

"Hey Cap, you found someone, that's…" The unmistakable voice of Tony Stark alerted you to who had come. "Kiddo?" Your lip curled slightly in contempt at the childish nickname the billionaire had given you when he had met you first in the newly developed SHIELD Headquarters due to the fact that you looked far younger than your age. "Shit, you're hit and why are you looking…" He HeHestopped talking and you could sense him walking around you.

"What?" You looked around for him, unable to see anything.

"Your eyes."

"A flash bomb went off right next to me." You explained.

"Can you see anything?" Stark asked, his metal suit covered hands touching your eyebrow as he gently pulled the skin up.

"Not at the moment."

"It's too bright?" He wagered.

"No, it's all pitch dark actually." You did not need the gift of sight to sense the concern emanating from the genius. "What?"

"We are going to get you out of here, get that shoulder patched up and get something for your eyes. Cap, will you do the honours, we'll keep going through here?"

A moment later, you felt the large muscular torso of the super solider right next to you, placing your good arm around his neck before he placed his own arm around your waist. "Ready?" You nodded, worried about what you were not being told.

"So I extracted the bullet easily enough, it did not shatter the shoulder blade and seems somewhat blunt, so I can only assume it went through a wall or something before it lodged in your shoulder." Explained Dr Banner as you sat leaning forward over the side of a medical bay bed. Your shoulder was bandaged and you awaited the next test he had for you. "When you see something, let me know." He instructed. You nodded, and waited. After forty seconds, you were still waiting. "I'm going to need to ask you to lean back on the bed." He requested, his voice tight. With his assistance, you were able to lie back on it. "I am going to run another test now, it will see how your pupils react to light." So again you simply waited with you eyes open.

"Well Banner, what's the diagnosis?" You looked around in search of the cocky billionaire, forgetting for a moment that you would not be able to see him.

"Well…" The scientist procrastinated. "The pupils are completely clouded." He explained.

"I thought as much when I saw her earlier." You heard him walk around.

"The bodies recovered from the lab she was in all have the same damage, it may actually be why they did not realise she was still alive, her eyes are not reacting to any form of stimuli."

"What are you saying?" You asked, though you knew there was little need to.

"The flash bomb was not meant to temporarily blind you as they usually do, but to do so permanently. And it has succeeded. I'm sorry." His tone was apologetic but it mattered little, you were only able to focus on what he had said. You were blind.

X

"So how long am I forced to remain here?" Loki groused looking around the room he was supposed to residing in for his time on Midgard.

"Father thinks a decade or so here will suffice while a more suitable permanent residence is commissioned for you in the forests outside the main city back home for you, since you are adamant you do not wish to reside close to him, or indeed myself after this."

"Do cease trying to sugar coat it Thor, Odin is building a open air prison to throw me into the Hel away from his precious palace and people." Loki growled. "Why this particular place?" He looked around him. "The last being any Midgardian, much less these ones, wish to see is me, though the feeling is very much neutral it must be said."

"Because these are the beings you need to atone with. See it as an opportunity to grow, as I did." The older suggested. Loki scoffed and grumbled under his breath at the idea. "Lord Stark has been kind enough to permit you to remain in his dwelling, and you should be grateful for such, as there are a few that rather you were kept in a more secured facility."

"There is no describing my gratitude." Loki replied in a monotone with a false smile, signifying his sarcasm. Thor gave him a warning glance. "What would you wish for me to say? Do not be deluded into thinking I actually wish to be here Thor."

"A decade in not an overly long time Loki."

"It is to these deplorable creatures, and no doubt it will be as trying a time being stuck here amidst them." He groaned.

"You will see sooner or later Loki, they are not as simplistic as you think them to be." Thor stated. "I will leave you to get settled. There are floors that you will have access to, and others you cannot, you shall soon realised which is which." He explained. Loki only grunted in response.