Hey there! This is my very first Avenger's fanfiction and I'm incredibly excited about it! I'm still working on trying to get Loki's character just right...he's a tricky one! I would appreciate any reviews that you have to offer - feedback is the most helpful thing for me! I hope you enjoy the story as much as I know I'll enjoy writing it!
Just a Mischief Minor
Chapter One
Loki looked around, his upper lip curling as he observed the mortals walking around him.
After his little episode in New York, Thor had banished Loki to the worst place he could think of: graduate school. Jane Foster had told him stories about her experiences in graduate school, which had apparently caused him to believe Loki would suffer in such an environment.
Only Thor would consider higher education a punishment.
The environment of the school wasn't entirely unpleasant, Loki had to admit, but the people around him were unbearable. Each of them walked around with a pretentious air, completely unaware that they were in the presence of a god.
Honestly, didn't the leaders of the Earth inform the inhabitants of attacks and battles? Princeton was in New Jersey; a place Loki understood to be very close to New York City. Everyone should have recognized him immediately.
Rolling his eyes and releasing a heavy sigh, Loki strode to his first class of the day: ancient Roman history.
What an educator residing on Earth had to teach him on the subject, he couldn't imagine.
"Hi. I like your clothes. They're so non-conformist." A girl whispered to him as he sat in one of the cushioned chairs filling the lecture hall.
Loki's eyes narrowed as he looked at the smiling girl.
She was both unimpressive and unimportant as far as he could tell.
Wordlessly, he returned his gaze to the front of the room, where the professor was standing at the podium.
It seemed that the professor asserted all of the power in this classroom environment. He was standing while everyone else was seated. This was a clear expression of superiority.
Loki's jaw clenched and unclenched as he fought the urge to take the podium from the professor. He couldn't stand watching someone else cling to a power that wasn't rightfully theirs. It was like Thor's almost-coronation all over again.
He knew more than this foolish professor. That was for certain. He was also more powerful; both physically and mentally. Yet, if he even tried to take something that was rightfully his, those ridiculous Avengers that Thor cavorted with would be on his trail, ready to release the Hulk upon him once more.
He sunk down in his seat, glowering at the professor, who was stuttering through some incorrect account of history, using very poor diction for someone who was supposed to be of academic standing.
Finally, it was just too much for Loki to bear.
Standing up, he stared down the professor, who stared back in surprise.
"Excuse me, but I believe you are incorrect about every statement you have said throughout the entire hour. Have you any proof of these assumptions, or are you simply spreading ignorance to a younger population in order to hinder the future of Earth?"
The entire lecture hall broke out into anxious whispers as the professor gaped at Loki in surprise.
"Who do you think you are?" The professor finally questioned, seemingly insulted by Loki's comment.
Loki smirked, approaching the professor at his podium, glancing back at the rest of the lecture hall as he did so.
Yes, this was where he belonged. He was supposed to be at the front of the classroom, commanding the lesser minds, forming the ideas that would circulate through their weak brains for the rest of their miserable lives.
"I am Loki."
"Well, Low-Key, why do you think that I'm wrong? Did your undergraduate professors try to tell you different?" The professor questioned with a patronizing grin.
Loki sneered back at the professor.
"No, I have experienced some of these stories firsthand. For the sake of your comprehension skills, I will simplify my rationale for you. I have written down all of the dates you relayed to the lecture hall. Assuming that these dates are correct, which, of course, they are not, there would have been two living rulers of Rome at once. I understand the men might have lived at the same time, but there certainly would not have been a battle where they entered the field together. By the time Ciaos entered the military, Aelianus was too old and frail to even mount a horse." Loki glanced at the baffled professor before continuing, "Even putting this aside, the first time Ciaos encountered the Greek on the battle field, he was wearing a suit of armor with an inscription that would have roughly translated to 'long live the king'. It is a well-known fact that Ciaos was against Aelianus and would undoubtedly promote his own health over the former king's."
Loki grinned smugly at both the professor and the astonished lecture hall, waiting for them to relinquish all of the power in the room to him.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The professor growled ungraciously.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Leave this classroom."
Loki's eyebrows knit together in a mix of confusion and anger.
"You dare speak to the prince of Asgard with such hostility? I will choose when I enter and exit a room." He challenged.
The professor folded his arms across his chest.
"You have ten seconds before I call security."
Loki glowered at the man, weighing his options.
If security was called, S.H.I.E.L.D. would undoubtedly be informed that he was not behaving the way the average Earth dweller was. This would ruin any chances he might have had to return to Asgard in the near future, leaving him stranded in a world full of dim-witted beings he was not allowed to rule. If he obeyed the professor, he would be relinquishing the power he had just seized, disgracing him in front of the large lecture hall of students.
"I have decided that your class is not suited for my very particular standards. Academic credibility is something I value." Loki snarled, giving the professor a dark look before departing from the lecture hall, refusing to look over his shoulder as the students once again to whisper and shout behind him.
He exhaled heavily as he walked out of the academic building, looking around for any sign of Jane Foster.
She was a professor at the university and hopefully a more credible one at that. Thor had selected Princeton University in particular because of Jane's involvement in the school. His rationale was that his weak romantic interest would be able to keep the God of Mischief under control in his absence.
Right.
"Hey, you! Wait up!" He heard a woman's voice holler from behind him.
He ignored the voice, continuing to walk in the direction of Jane's office.
She was likely speaking to another student on the campus. If not, she would have to learn to address him properly before he would bother carrying out a conversation with her.
He dodged a hand seeking his shoulder, his eyes narrowing.
He didn't like people trying to sneak up on him.
Whirling around, he glowered at the young woman who had taken such extreme liberties.
"How dare you – "
His words were cut off as he examined the girl in front of him.
She was shorter than him, but taller than Jane Foster. She had dark brown hair with just a hint of red; a most unusual color, even for humans on Earth. Her eyes were Loki's favorite shade of green, matching his suit of armor perfectly. She carried herself extremely well for a woman residing on Earth; her head was held high and her shoulders were set back, unlike most of the people, who simply slumped their shoulders and stared down at the ground, walking with little to no dignity.
She was certainly pleasing to look at.
Her manners, on the other hand, were far from pleasing.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were one of those people who doesn't like to be touched. I just wanted to tell you, it was so cool how you stood up to Dr. Hamill back there. He's a total ass hat. I took him last semester and got a B because he didn't like the margins on my final paper. I was just waiting for an excuse to drop him, then you showed up and just fucking ruined him. It was great."
Loki stared at her curiously.
She wasn't exhibiting any signs of fear, which would have been the appropriate response to facing an enemy of the human race. Instead, she was approaching him as if he were her companion, her equal. How unusual.
"Don't tell me you're the shy type, you just called out one of the university's top professors in the middle of a lecture! I'm Tabby and you're Loki, right? Isn't that the name of the Nordic god of mischief? That's so awesome. I wish my parents named me after some trouble-making goddess. I'm sort of a history nerd, though I'm guessing you are, too."
"I am not named after the god of mischief, I am the god you speak of. I am Loki of Asgard, adopted son of Odin. If you intend to address me in the future, it would serve you well to remember that."
Tabby rolled her eyes, clearly not regarding Loki's warning.
"So, you think you're the god of mischief, now do you? That's a pretty hefty title. Are you sure you live up to it?"
"How dare you question me, you insolent girl," Loki snarled.
Tabby just laughed, to Loki's displeasure.
"Now you're speaking like a true god. Well, Mr. Mischief, if you're not too busy, I know some people who are looking to get into some real trouble tonight, if you're interested in joining us."
Loki's eyebrows shot up at the offer.
"Trouble of what nature?" He questioned.
Tabby shrugged.
"Breaking stuff, pissing off the police, smoking something or the other, maybe going to some parties, who knows? So, are you in? I would stay and talk about it longer, but I'm already ten minutes late for a date."
"Perhaps."
"Alright, cool. Here, let me give you my number." Tabby said, reaching out to take Loki's hand, holding an uncapped marker in her other hand.
Loki snatched his hand away before she even made contact with him.
"You are much too forward."
She laughed.
"That's not a very mischievous attitude. Just let me write my number down for you. You know, unless you're scared to get into a little bit of trouble."
Loki glowered at the girl as he stuck his hand out towards her.
It would be so simple for him to hurt her. He could have her kneeling at his feet, begging for mercy, with just a few swift movements. He had both the mental and physical capabilities. It was certainly a pleasing mental image; having this unruly, attractive woman at his disposal.
The idea of the Avengers confronting him about it, on the other hand, was not such a pleasing one.
Tabby quickly scribbled a number on Loki's palm, oblivious to the mental argument he was having with himself.
"I'll catch you later, Loki."
His eyes narrowed as he watched her leave.
She still did not address him the way a prince should be addressed.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned on his heel, returning his focus to his original mission: speaking to Jane.