Suddenly things had switched, it would take twice as long to reach her with the bold numbers glaring back at me hauntingly. 446. 

And it ends on an uneven number and judging by the further doors leading down they dont stop. There are more. I let out a groan my hands balling into fists to fight the twitching irritation.

"Loki you there?" I heard the buzzing voice from a small device that was handed out to each of us before we left the hovering contraption. The voice sounded like Starks.

"yes" I grunted deciding to peer through the murky small squares of glass at the top of each door which thankfully was at my height. I walked and continued my conversation with Stark as I searched.

"There are far too many cells for me to look in on my own-"

"got it, back up is on the way reindeer games!" 

I rolled my eyes at his remark but said nothing when I heard softer boot thuds behind me, I turned slightly to ease the paranoia of it being an enemy only to be greeted by a redhead with pinched brows as she sped toward me.

"How far along have you checked back there?" She huffed out as I rose a brow, "I began at 446- I have not explored ahead but I have not seen behind 446 since I teleported at that exact cell"

She pursed her lips, nodded and paused, I turned to face her as she gave me a scrunched look before huffing out a sigh 

"Im going to take the ones you did beforehand but- I do hope it's you Loki, that finds her first, and make it quick" My eyes widened a fraction as the assassin made her way off in the opposite direction.

I forced the word out "why?" My voice echoed and she stopped before turning her head only slightly enough for me to see her stern side profile. "Because I believe you two have something special"

Was all she told me before communicating with someone on the other line to the piece in her ear. I wasn't left to ponder long as I heard a crash in one of the cells ahead.

I made quick work of stalking down the many halls, the one that had crashing only had a deranged bald patient who looked to be in his 60's. Time was ticking and with each step and thud of my boots, I was growing more and more aggravated that I had come no closer to seeing my mortal.

"Hey!" I stopped at the feminine voice and quickly stalked ahead where I heard the voice. I peered into the cell to see a brunette woman looking back at me. At first, I had thought it was her but my hope was diminished when the girl's features didn't match.

She squinted at me before cocking her head slightly "I know you from somewhere..." I let out an agitated noise and began to stalk away. She was wasting my time.

"WAIT! You're the one who helped Sparrow! You're that Loki guy!" 

I froze and turned back around, looking at her closer I realized she had an aura of familiarity to her but I could not pinpoint from where.

"please you gotta get me out of here, I was tricked by the leader-James, that fucking bastard- we dated but-"

"you look young. The leader is not a young man-"

She turned red and scuffled on her feet, her clothes were slightly torn but rather messy as though she had been thrown around a bit. "I-I know but I thought he loved me okay! just get me out of here, please? I know where Sparrow is!"

I narrowed my eyes at her before looking down the empty corridor. Who knew how many other cells were in this facility? could I even trust her? likely not.

But a dagger to her heart would easily put her out.

"how do you know Sparrow?"

"We are best friends! I got taken with her but the leader convinced me he loved me..." 

It finally clicked.

This was the same girl that I had seen in the video footage Stark brought up at the time we were searching for where Sparrow could have vanished to. 

She was the brunette that walked out with my unconscious Sparrow grinning like she'd won a prize.

I unlocked the door with a simple blow on an angle that left it swinging open. She let out a squeal and jumped at me her arms swinging around my neck as I tensed up every bone in my body refusing to do anything.

My mind whirling with the thought of crushing her right now.

But I kept my hold. Not yet.

"Take me to her. Now."

I left no room for arguing, she let go and nodded with a bright smile that to me, was laced with poison. 

I followed after her, hall after hall I grew worrisome. If she had the plan of deceiving me she would be setting me back hours of search. So I remembered the door I finished on in case I had to return.

580

"Here-she should be here" She came to a pause in front of a door identical to the others, I peered through the glass and narrowed my eyes at the large black form huddled into one of the corners.

My brows pinched and my breathing grew ragged as flames pit in my heart sizzling into a bonfire of anguish. I turned to face her as she rose a brow at me with an innocent look on her face like she did not comprehend my sudden change in mood.

"What did you hope to gain from this kind of trickery?" I snapped forcing her against the nearest wall my hands constricting around her arms as she trembled. "No no I'm not kidding! this is her cell!" she coughed from the impact giving me a strained look.

"tch, you mortals disgust me with your weak reason to succeed how idiotic must one be to try and fool a god?!" 

"Loki. Put the girl down." I glared at the sound of my brother's voice, she cowered beneath me as I ground my teeth together my hands tightening. A trick! all of this a stupid lie to set me off and now-I would never find her!

"Loki!"

I was yanked back and the brunette took off down the hall crying, I glared at Thor harshly and opened my mouth to yell when he clamped a hand over it and shook his head. "She was not lying brother."

I glared at him incredulously. What is this oaf on about now?

"see for yourself, Stark has found from the chip he had her get in her neck that this is her location" I tensed up and forcefully ripped his hand from my face. 

"Do not be so stupid she is not in there!" I argued and he simply glanced to the small window and made his way to the door. I shook my head my heavy breathing filling the silence before he smashed the lock.

The door opened with some force and the room was cramped and dark and smelt of mildew, ragged uneven breathing came from the dark figure in the back corner that was hunched and facing away from us both as I stepped in my curiosity getting the better of me.

I clenched my dagger in my fist. Perfect. This has set me back significantly on my search and after I kill whatever is hiding in this shadow that girl will be next-

I stopped when my foot caught a heavy bolt chain and echoed through the room. Following the chain, it leads to the figure still obscured by darkness.

From the angle I was on I could see its back rise and fall with uneven breathes and a low rumble sounded from it. I crouched and tugged the chain curiously. The figure shifted from the action.

Anger taking over my veins and body I harshly tugged the chain and the figure stumbled into the light. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of a large black panther, its ribcage very much visible and its body coated in a sleek black almost matted fur.

It heaved a weak groan before its shaking legs gave out and it fell to the floor with a thud, I could see the heavy chain was intertwined around its neck leaving it to dig into the exposed flesh. Such a powerful beast had been restrained and forced into such vulnerability. My dagger fell from my hand with a loud clatter.

Without thinking my legs carried me toward it and I crouched to its level, in this state the creature could barely bring any harm to a fly, let alone myself.

Its eyes were closed as I ran a hand absentmindedly over the soft yet slightly oily fur coating its face. Small cuts littered its skin where the fur refused to regrow. But nothing could prepare me for what happened next.

Its eyes opened with a soft flutter and two pupils dilated on me almost to the point where they absorbed all of the yellow.

Sparrow...