Title: Deviations
By: Metamorcy
Summary: Loki has been living on Midgard peacefully after his fall into the void, quickly adapting to the world around him. He had managed to successfully hide his abilities and identity from the Midgardians until one day he's forced to utilize his abilities during an attack. Where Iron Man just so happens to be on the scene.
Pairing: None, mostly bromance
Rating: T
A/N: This is one of those 'Loki falls to Midgard instead of Thanos' hands' fic but I've placed a few twists to this one to hopefully change it up. There is a chance that this might become a slash, but I'm not certain so far since it's too early to tell. So for right now, its small hints of slash, but nothing else.
Chapter 1
It was complete and total darkness. Loki took a deep breath as he tried to focus his eyes around him, but it was worth nothing. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know anything. Not in the void, not here. He had expected to die, to disappear, and become nothing more than a memory to everyone else. Loki had expected it, he had hoped for it. It was far better than remaining alive to face what had happened. Still, even with everything that happened, he unconsciously didn't want to die. Loki couldn't help it, he wanted to live, he wanted to exist. However, his longing of approval from his… from Odin was gone. It no longer existed, not anymore. So what now? Loki didn't have an answer to that. He just kept floating, his mind and body in suspension in the void.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to concentrate on his surroundings in hopes of escaping. He needed something out there he could pull himself towards, something he could use to escape the void. Opening his eyes up once more, the scene had changed into that of space, but he knew better. It was the void after all and the longer he remained here, the more his mind would waste away. He would lose awareness of himself, of who he is, of everything. He would become mad. The god of mischief could already feel the darkness creeping into his mind and soul, snatching up what it could.
Loki cursed vividly as his mind tried to push back the insanity that threatened to consume him. He needed to escape, he had to escape. Squeezing his eyes shut once more, he tried searching once again, pooling out his magic to search further.
And there he felt it.
A spark of life that he needed. It was a realm, one he could head to and evade drifting into madness. He didn't care what the realm was, he didn't care about anything. He just wanted to escape, he needed to. That was all that mattered. Grasping that thread desperately to hold himself steady, he pulled himself into the realm.
The clanking of heels against the tiled floor was the only sound that could be heard loudly in the library. It resonated within the large building, echoing throughout the confines, and disappeared momentarily when it reached the carpeted areas before it was back again. No one paid any attention as those at the tables in various positions around the building were either studying or reading for leisure, not wanting to be disturbed. In the far back of the building was a set of computers where those with library cards could access the internet for free, browsing the various sites for the same reasons as those reading.
Everything was quiet and the blowing of the air conditioner drowned out most of the small noises like the clicking of the keyboards or even the turning of a page. The sound of the heels continued on, heading towards the front of the building but suddenly paused. The woman they belonged to glanced towards the four desks that were in the entrance hall and turned towards one of the two receptionists (two of them empty) with a smile resting on her rosy lips. It was common knowledge that two of the receptionists arrived early in the morning to open the library around eight while two others joined the group later in the evening for the closing hour of twelve. The woman shifted her clothes lightly to reveal more of her cleavage as she went straight to the only male of the group, the one that appeared incredibly bored of his surroundings though it would flicker into interest as he viewed the item in his hands. The male was currently engulfed in a book, relaxed back into his chair, and his sharp green eyes peered over the words happily. His shoulder length black hair was styled back to keep it out of his eyes and the ends were curled upwards. With the casual business outfit matching his figure and youthful features perfectly, he stood out among the populace of the library and especially more so considering he was a worker.
If anything, the male is incredibly handsome and many of the female visitors couldn't help but come to him for even the most stupid of questions regardless of there being two receptionists that could respond. The woman stopped at the desk, her eyes looking over the male in front, and purposefully placed her hand on top of the counter to lift up her breast. "Excuse me, sir?"
The male, Loki, huffed gently in annoyance to himself as he peered up from the book he was currently reading towards the woman in front. He blinked curiously, trying to figure out what she wanted, which wasn't hard, before finally placing a bookmark into his book and putting it down onto the lower counter. He kept an expression of indifference and shifted forward in his chair to listen better. "Can I help you?"
The woman smiled softly, leaning forward as she stared directly into his emerald-colored eyes. "Yes, I was wondering if you have a certain book in stock. I tried looking for it on the bookcases, but it doesn't seem to be there."
The green eyed male narrowed his eyes slightly, but once he managed to get the title from the woman he turned towards the computer on his right. His fingers typed across the keyboard as he searched through the list of checked out books and found the one he was looking for within seconds. "Yes, it appears to have been checked out yesterday. I suggest either coming back later on the return date or do you want me to order the book for you? For the latter option, it will cost you."
"No, that's alright. I can always come back. Luckily, I don't need it for anything but pleasure."
Loki nodded his head towards that, gazing at the woman out of the corner of his eyes. He minimized the page on the computer for the time being, opening up some webpages he had been browsing through about an hour ago to research the mortal realm. "Well, that's good to hear. Then just come back around the return date and I'll see what I can do."
The woman looked a little put off by the sharp attitude Loki held and nodded her head before wandering off considering she had nothing else to say. It was clear that she had been hoping to strike up a long conversation with the male. This left Loki on his own once more, sitting undisturbed at the front desk of New York's public library. He glanced up to watch her leave before relaxing back into his chair and picking up his book to enjoy once more. He could see the other receptionist doing her own things on the computer while the third wandered in from the hallways after fixing the books and placing those that had been returned onto the shelves. The fourth one hadn't arrived yet and wouldn't until later in the evening. All in all, it was a simple job and one he didn't mind all that much considering his open access to the thousands of books and the internet.
Loki leaned back and for a moment, he thought back to how this all had come to be. He was a prince of Asgard yet if anyone he knew saw him now they'd discover a very funny sight. Closing his eyes, he thought back to when he had fallen into the void after releasing his grip on Gungnir and clearly remembered the images that had haunted him from that place. Though it had felt like days, he had only spent a few hours there, nothing more than that, and luckily, it was short enough to not drive him mad. The place knew how to mess with the mind after all. Still, when he managed to pull himself out of it, he had found himself in the land of the humans. It was nothing more than mere chance and he was grateful for it. Anything was better than wasting away in the void.
It had taken about three months to adjust to the realm and its people. It was a difficult task, one he wasn't all that certain about even now. But as luck had it, he had ended up falling into the hands of an elderly couple who lived in the suburban area of New York and had a young granddaughter they were taking care of. He was amazed that they had let him in so willingly, even more so when they hadn't really questioned his odd appearance, but the family had believed that he was some foreigner who didn't know anything. Loki might not be familiar with Midgard's ways, but he knew his clothes would stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd and he was grateful to the family for taking him in just like that.
From there, he tried to adjust to everything he could, absorbing everything in like a sponge. This world was so different and for some odd reason he enjoyed every moment of it. He loved the technology the humans had on their planet, fumbling with their phones, tablets, and many other devices he had managed to test out. He absolutely loved it. He had to learn through the granddaughter, who was more knowledgeable then the couple, but she never minded. Instead, she took great joy in teaching him everything she knew from the television devices to how to navigate the subway system. Of course, there was some she didn't know about like how to drive a car (considering her age) and cooking. The latter he picked up from the grandmother.
During those months, he blended in by trading his clothes for more usual ones and used his magic to make money appear before his eyes. It wasn't hard to create the paper bills, copying it from an example next to it, and spent it on items to help him adjust further. He of course gave some to the family as thanks for his staying, who tried to refuse until he forced it upon them. It was easy to bend their wills to his own, using his carefully crafted words to convince them. However, despite everything, he couldn't stay with the family for too long. He was a dangerous man with a long history and it would be obvious that sooner or later he would get found out either by the population or by Asgard. Using more of his magic, he created an identity for himself and placed it into the systems of the world while making the documents to help prove his so-called identity. It was quite simple and the computer systems fell into place with his magic effortlessly. Loki could only smirk in amusement.
After three months of staying with the family, he finally moved out on his own, heading into Manhattan to blend in. The city was large enough that no one would question his particular tastes. He got himself a small, comfortable apartment that would fit his needs and brought over all the stuff he had bought over the last three months. It was really all that he needed and the large population made it easier as no one would take a second look at him except for his appearance, which he found out was quite flattering to the humans. Soon after, he knew he had to find a job that would be a good cover since he couldn't keep making money appear out of nowhere without someone getting suspicious of his identity. That was where he found an opening at the public library and with his sharp tongue, landed himself the job instantly. It wasn't hard to convince the interviewer that he was the best option. With his growing skills with the technology and love for books, he would fit right in with the rest of the crew.
Which left him at his current position.
Three months into his job, he was quite isolated, but that was expected for someone who worked in such a hushed place. He didn't mind, he was simply hiding out until he was found or needed to disappear. Loki had never bothered with befriending the other co-workers and they didn't bother him either. However, that didn't mean they didn't respect him for what he did around the place. He took great enjoyment in organizing the books (something the rest of his co-workers hated) since he could find another novel that demanded his attention and if he was tired for the day, a small dose of magic would take care of the work. It was simple and he spent his days reading up on the world from physics to the stories the humans would weave out of nowhere.
"Hey, Lucien." Ah, his identity's name.
The Asgardian glanced up from his current novel to peer at one of the men before him. He grumbled slightly at the sight of the other, but managed to hold it down. "Yes, Matthew?" Loki stared at one of his co-workers, one of the more pestering types, and couldn't help but be annoyed. This one always had a tendency to lead him into trouble of some sort. "What do you want this time?"
Matthew was quite young, a college student from what Loki had learned when the man rambled nonsense, and leaned forward to look at the receptionist. He was one of the few who worked in the computer lab area and was probably one of the better workers. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to head out with me for lunch. It's almost time anyway and I found this great restaurant not too far away that sells really good Indian food. Do you want to come? I'll pay of course."
Loki grumbled, knowing the male before him was using one of his curiosities against him. If there was one other thing besides the technology he liked, it was the food. Apparently, the mortals knew how to craft some of the best kinds he had ever tasted and they were definitely up there in terms of food from Asgard. Biting down on his bottom lip, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to head out with the idiot to further explore the city. Sighing heavily, he stood up as he logged off the computer and walked around the desk after taking his wallet and cellphone out of the drawers. "Fine. I'll come, but it had better be good or I'll skin you alive."
"Yes, yes. I'm all too familiar with your threats at this point," Matthew just smiled, having grown familiar with Loki's comments after the three months of working together. He knew better than to bring the other to some horrible place, he still had the bruise the other had left behind three weeks ago. Though Loki hadn't directly caused it, Matthew knew it had been orchestrated by him. "I'm smart enough to not take you anywhere you don't like."
"Good, so you can learn." Loki alerted the other two receptionists about his lunch break before opening the doorz. He flinched at the sudden brightness of the sunlight, grumbling under his breath at the force before walking on, letting the human take the lead. His eyes caught sight of the various others who were around the area, walking either in business clothes or causal wear. It was a busy location and the cars continued to flood the streets despite the hour. Some places that served food of some sort began to fill up and Loki was tempted for a moment to make a pit stop at Starbucks for a coffee. 'Maybe on the way back…'
He barely listened as Matthew spoke in the background, blabbing about his school and his courses. Loki continued on, observing the areas closely. He was always curious about the various stores and services that littered the street, wanting nothing more than to head inside to see. He momentarily passed by a bakery shop, making a small note in the back of his mind to grab something on the way to his apartment after work. He absolutely adored the chocolate pastries there.
Out of the corner of his eye, about five streets down from the library, he spotted a strange ice-cream van pulling up to one side and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Glancing around, he found it odd that no one else had noticed it. Were humans really that stupid? That van screamed suspicious. Shaking his head, he pushed it out of his mind, knowing it wasn't his problem. He couldn't be held responsible for people's actions. However, just as he went past the van, believing that everything would be fine, he thought otherwise.
Bang!
Loki cursed vividly as the store beside him suddenly exploded, sending him along with ten others flying from the force of the blast. He crashed directly into the car behind him, creating a large dent in the car door and shattering the glass above. The shards fell over his entire body, cradling into his lap, and he listened as the whole world around him interrupted into chaos. Generally he relished in this sort of situation, loving to see the people panic, but not when he was a victim of it. He snapped open his eyes, ignoring the dull pain, and peered around him for his situation. The store that had blown up was on fire, the people inside obviously dead from the force if not the fire, and he glanced to his side. Then, there was another explosion followed by a third, this time it was the stores beside the first. He felt the wave of heat, but that was it. He was already pressed up against the car.
Cursing vividly in every language he knew, he glanced around for his companion and found Matthew lying on the floor. The rest of the victims were either in his position against a car or on the street and sidewalk. Most were already dead if not hanging on to their precious lives. "Damn…" His eyes watched as a large pool of blood began to appear around Matthew's side and knew the blast must have sent some glass into the abdomen.
"Everyone, get away from this street!"
Loki's mind cleared up enough to see a flash of red and gold fly by, landing in the center of the three stores. He recognized the person, who wouldn't if they'd watched the news? Iron Man. As the effects of the blast faded away, he stood up with little trouble, stretched his body like nothing had happened and made his way towards the student. His clothes were a little ragged, but the blast would have to do more than that to hurt someone like him. He could take multiple bullets from those human weapons with ease, and being slammed back against a car may have left him breathless, but it didn't hurt. His magic was already recovering whatever damage that may have occurred within seconds and he was left in the condition as if nothing had happened. Loki glanced up to see Iron Man fighting off a bunch of men with guns, setting off more explosions down the street. Ignoring everything, he dropped down onto his knees as he looked over the mortal. His fingers went over the wound, checking it over and spotted the problem. A large chunk of glass was lodged into the abdomen. 'It must have hit some organs and an artery at least.'
"Hey, you in the green shirt!" Loki blinked, snapping his head up to see Iron Man looking directly at him. He could see that the hero was still fighting off the men with his lasers, but was now standing between him and the men. It was clear the hero was trying to prevent the bullets from hitting him. "You need to get out of here! You're in the way!"
Loki huffed angrily, but didn't move, still accessing the dying human. "Foolish idiot! Don't focus on me! Take them out! I'll be fine!" And he wasn't lying. The bullets would just bounce off his skin. It was too thick for them to actually go through. He reached down to finger the skin around the wound, calculating how much time he had before the human died of blood loss.
Iron Man of course didn't believe him and remained in his position between the two. He was still winning the battle, destroying the men's weapons and incapacitating them so that they couldn't do anything else. Loki ignored the hero of this city and went through the thoughts of using magic without someone finding out. He cursed and shook his head. He would just have to hope to not get found out. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his bare hand around the shard of glass and yanked it out completely. The body against his fingers flinched at the pain and blood began to pool out quicker around his hands. Loki dug fingers deep into the wound as he placed pressure and began to mutter out various healing spells rapidly. He could feel the flesh on his fingers begin to stitch up and the blood flow slowing down to a halt. It wouldn't take long, it wasn't a horribly bad wound, and he had more than enough practice in the past with his idiotic brother. The glow of green from his flow of magic wasn't noticeable unless someone was watching and with the amount of chaos that was around, people would be trying to escape and survive.
"There, done…" Loki pulled his hands away from the now-healed wound and sighed in relief. As much as he disliked Matthew, it would be a pain if the other perished here. He watched as the college student's eyes fluttered open momentarily and looked at him with a glazed expression. It was clear he was drifting in and out of consciousness. "You owe me, Matthew. I expect to have a free lunch whenever we work together from now on."
Matthew didn't respond and fell back out into unconsciousness. Still, he would live, and that was all Loki cared for. Standing up, he reached down with one hand to drag the poor student out of the way and between some cars to keep him out of the fighting area. By then, Iron Man had already won and the police were arriving on the scene to help calm the situation. Of course, the chaos was already rampaging through the streets as people tried to run out of the way while others were trying to get in to get the best scoop. Loki peered around the area and sighed as he saw various ambulances making their way over to take care of the fallen. He could see some of the people were already dead, the blades of glass embedded into their chests or skulls. There were also those who had been in the stores, their bodies burning from the heat. It would be impossible to save them now. His eyes glanced towards the dent he had created against the car and grumbled, that was way too suspicious.
As he thought that, Iron Man was making his way towards his area and observing the situation. Loki ran a hand through his hair and slicked it back from where his bangs had fallen into his face, ruffling out the dirt and dust that had collected. He could see the men running around to take care of those that were done and when they came towards him, he waved them off. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt. Help those that are more serious."
The responders looked at him to see if it was true and nodded, carting off Matthew instead. Loki watched as the doors of the ambulance closed on his co-worker and drove off before finally stretching his body until he felt a pop, groaning under his breath. 'Guess lunch will be skipped today. Better head back to work to let them know what happened. If I'm lucky, I can get the rest of the day off with pay.'
Iron Man stepped around, ignoring the reporters, and opened his mask to see with his eyes instead of with a screen. Loki stood around the area and reached into his pocket to grab his cellphone, thinking that perhaps it was better to call instead. As he went through his list of contacts, he froze when Iron Man stopped beside him. Loki blinked and peered up at the other.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Loki stared at the other suspiciously, his finger hanging above the call button.
Tony Stark, the man behind the suit of armor, observed him carefully before giving a smirk. "So what's your little secret?"
The God of Mischief narrowed his eyes suddenly at that. "What are you talking about?"
Tony just chuckled. "I'm not stupid. I saw what happened and what you did. Don't worry. I'm the only one who knows since all the cameras in the area were taken out long before the attack. No one just gets up from an explosive blast like that without some injuries or heal someone like it was nothing."
Loki's eyes almost widened in surprise, keeping himself calm despite the situation he had found himself falling into. He sneered. "I don't know what you're talking about and I suggest you forget about it as well." With those words, he walked away evenly to show that he hadn't been affected. Tony would have followed him from behind if he suddenly wasn't flagged down by the reporters, giving Loki some time to vanish into the crowd. The sorcerer disappeared from the scene and reappeared in his apartment's bedroom, settling down onto the bed. Sighing heavily, he laid back against the sheets as he desired nothing more than to fall asleep after today's events. With that in mind, he finally pressed the call button of his cellphone to alert the library of what had happened.
Loki only hoped that the one person who had seen his powers would forget about him. Oh, how wrong he could be…
So I kinda skimmed over the six months since Loki's arrival to Midgard because I didn't really want to focus on that. They'll come through flashbacks instead. Those that have written these types of fics seem to drift off after a while or stop completely so I wanted to get more into the situations right away rather than wait for it.