Suppressing Fire

                                    

                                          
ANNA
                          
I walked off the jet, my hand firmly gripping Loki's bicep, dragging him along with me. He stumbled along sloppily and I narrowed my eyes and wondered if he was doing it on purpose to make my life harder. Fury and Hill met us on the deck of the helicarrier.
                          
"Nice work out there, Roarke." Fury praised me and I smiled.
                          
Maria put her hand on my arm awkwardly and I raised an eyebrow, physical contact wasn't really her thing. "You did good." She said simply.
                          
I nodded at her attempt at sentiment. "I tried." I sighed and gestured to the restrained God. "We have to keep him overnight."
                          
She nodded and the 'all business' Agent Hill was back. "Right." She called two soldiers over and they took him away, she followed them and I watched them all leave. I turned my head to the Director.
                          
"So," I started. "Who sent the nuke?"
                          
"That's classified." He said concisely as he turned and started walking off.
                          
I followed after him, we went inside and there were people everywhere. Some working on computers, others moving debris or other things around. "I know it wasn't you, I know it was those council people." I spoke low so only he could hear me.
                          
"Is that so?" He asked, uninterested.
                          
"Sir, this is a matter of serious business." I informed him.
                          
He stopped finally and turned back to face me. "Nothing is keeping you from speaking it seriously." He spoke cryptically, giving me a slight headache that I didn't appreciate at this moment but I knew he was being forced to speak this way. Was he being watched somehow? Like Loki? Or maybe he already knew my plans, to leave with the gods, to abandon earth.
                          
"I'm here to put in my notice for resignation." I said with all the confidence I could muster. He didn't even blink... Or wink or whatever. "Effective immediately." I added. "Like tomorrow." No reaction. "I'm going to go live with the Aliens!" I exclaimed. Nothing.
                          
"Make sure you send a postcard." He told me then turned again and went about his life.
                          
I was left speechless. I snapped out of it, though, when I saw people staring at me. "Don't you people have walls to fix?!" I yelled at them frustratedly. They jumped into action and I groaned and walked off. I went to the open kitchen/cafeteria, to look for something to eat. I was starving. I opened up the refrigerator and found a salad. I grabbed a bottled water and went to a small table in a dark corner in the back of the room to eat it in peace.
                          
I felt like crying, yelling, and laughing all at once. I put my head in my hands. I felt tears fall down my cheeks and I laughed, well that's two down. And I laughed again.
                          
"Hello." A familiar voice spoke across from me... Time to make it three for three.
                          
I lifted my head, not removing my hands from my face, and looked at the disowned prince through my red fingers. "What in the hell are you doing out of your cage?!" My voice rose with every word.
                          
He put his hands up in surrender. "Fret none. I am only projecting myself to you. My physical form rests in the cage." He smirked.
                          
"Oh great so people watching me will think I'm talking to myself!" I groaned  and covered my eyes again.
                          
"No one watches you, they wouldn't chance it. Their fear for you is too great."
                          
I scoffed. "Sure yeah, but what about you?" I wiped my tears and eyed him closely.
                          
He knew exactly what I meant. "Separation from my scepter has cleared my mind of the Other's influence."
                          
I tilted my head. "So everything you do now is all you?" I asked him doubtfully.
                          
"I am fully in control of my actions." He confirmed.
                          
"We'll see." I opened up my salad and began eating it.
                          
Loki watched my closely. "If you were hungry why not dine with your friends?"
                          
I grimaced at the thought. "They were going to eat meat, I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat meat."
                          
"That is... Peculiar." He noted.
                          
"Not really, my mom was the same, when you can actually communicate with animals and feel their pain you find it's easy not to eat them." I explained.
                          
"You are able to communicate with animals?" He asked, surprised.
                          
I nodded. "Uh, yeah. Didn't I tell you I can understand all languages, that includes animals."
                          
His face was thoughtful. "Can you understand this?" He asked in a foreign tongue.
                          
"Yes I can." I replied in the language.
                          
"And this one?" He raised an eyebrow.
                          
I nodded. "Yes."
                          
His eyes widened. "That is magnificent. What else can you do?" He asked me fervently, a wide grin on his face like a giddy school boy.
                          
I smiled shyly. I wasn't used to people being fascinated with my powers. Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. academy when I would try to show off everyone would just get freaked out, calling me a freak in return. That caused me to suppress my powers, I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. "Well, I can fly..... I can create fire I can also control it, along with water, earth, and air as you have somewhat witnessed already." I spoke quietly. His amazed expression told me to continue. "I can feel life, like I can tell there are one hundred and fifty..... -six people on this craft including you and me. Every living thing has its own life signature so I can tell them apart, and plants have a different type of signature than animals, and theirs are different from humans, and theirs are different from Asgardians." I looked at him again but went on. "Oh yeah and I can read auras. Different colors and where they are tell me how a person is feeling... And that's pretty much it." I ended with a sigh, feeling a little bad about ranting.
                          
There was a smile- not just a smirk- but a happy smile was on his pale face. "Such wonderful gifts you have been blessed with." He said breathlessly. My eyes widened. Gifts? I've never had someone describe them like that, powers? Enhanced Abilities? Yes. Never gifts. And blessed with them nonetheless. I feel like that's pushing it. They've caused me too many problems in my life to be a blessing. "What's the matter?" He asked, I didn't notice we had been staring at me.
                          
"Just an internal argument." I smiled and brushed it off.
                          
He turned his head away. "Keeping your problems internal is what's killing you." He noted.
                          
I had two options, admit he was right or get angry. I chose the latter. "Why don't you keep your mouth shut?!" I yelled at him. "You have no filter and that's what's killing you!"
                          
"I'm only stating an observation." He tried to justify himself.
                          
I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head, looking away from him. "Yeah, well me too!" I grit my teeth. "Why don't you just leave?! You're disturbing my peace and quiet, haven't you ruined my life enough? Go away!" I turned to face his direction again and found he was already gone. I frowned and ate my salad in solidarity. God damn gods who think they know everything.
                          
I finished the salad and threw away the container. I went to my room on the helicarrier and looked around and an idea hit me. Would I need anything to go to Asgard with? Well I didn't have much here in the first place. I took my backpack off the floor beside the bed and went over to the small closet and grabbed some clothes, I made sure to avoid anything with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on it. I went over to the shelf on the other side of the room and grabbed a few of my favorite books and stuffed them in the bag.
                          
I set the bag by the door and went to the bed, I didn't even realize how exhausted I was. I sluggishly removed my boots and my leather pants so I was left in a tank top and my boy-short underwear. I got under the blankets and shut my eyes but I couldn't fall asleep. A certain green eyed monster was haunting my thoughts-- and I wasn't talking about the Hulk. I groaned knowing why he was on my mind. I knew I was wrong when I yelled at him. I laid on my back and put my hands over my face again in frustration.
                          
"Loki?" I whispered but then cleared my throat. "Loki. I'm sorry." I apologized to the air and immediately felt better. I smiled softly and made myself comfortable in the bed. I was dozing off in no time. I could have sworn I heard someone whisper 'good night, Isabellianna' but it might just have been the start of a dream.