Oh glorious quiet, welcoming darkness, damp soggy concrete beneath him. Days of perpetual torment, running, hiding, running some more, finally lowering his pride on its knees in an underground sewage system. He would have asked why but he already knew the answer to any question that might present its self. He deserved this, well maybe not the intensity of 'this's expanding equilibrium of orbiting chaos but for the most part 'this' was certainly warranted.
Why was he, Loki of Asgard, god of lies and mischief, cowering in a smelly hole? Well, for that we would need to start from the very beginning.
_
"Father, let me expla-"
"No Loki!" Odin's one good eye burned with malignant fury enough for two causing the wayward prince to pause in his tracks and purse his lips together. "I will hear no more of your lies and fanciful retellings of what I know to be truth." There was a hint, a great ebbing blossom of hurt for the barest of moments from the old king that turned his sons eyes away in shame. "Loki, Odinson, you have betrayed your king and opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!" There eyes connected again at the accusation, though the tricksters intent had never been more than playful when he allowed those frost giants entry to the palace. "You are unworthy of these realms. You are unworthy of your title." Odin was moving towards him, Loki's mirroring steps lesser in length as he moved backwards staving off the inevitable for a handful of seconds. "You are UNWORTHY… of the loved ones you have betrayed." The bifrost's revving motions were now near completion, a tug and pull inches behind the lie smith's back beginning to whip his clothing into a twirling frenzy. "I now take from you your power!" The all father's hands were upon his son, tearing his armour from him with little fuss or fight but plenty of scowling looks. "In the name of my father and his father before, I Odin, all father, cast you out!"
His father always did have a sense for the dramatic, on queue, as the king's final words departed his lips, Loki felt the telltale signs of the fully formed wormhole behind him and then was yanked backwards before a verbal comeback – the last word – could mount his tongue. Disorientated from the loss of energy, power, within him and burdened with a mixture of angry guilt at his father's extreme punishment was hardly enough to distract the outcast prince from righting himself mid flight. Feeling hard done by was an unworthy reason to land flat on your back wherever his father was sending him.
Of course it would be, his father's ever so favourite realm. Midgard.
"Are you alright?"
"Do not touch me." Loki hissed as a pandering woman raced towards where he stood unsteadily in the centre of an interesting pattern in the sand – well interesting to her as she was instantly caught up in its appearance and no longer concerned with the strangers well being.
Midgardians; more pest than sentient. Rolling his eyes at the display of over-excited scientific research, the god of mischief careened away from the trio flashing him peculiar glances and began walking with some swagger off into the desert night. Weakness consumed his body, his ears ringing with shock but his pride was big enough to hold him thirty feet above ground if needs be. However, even pride needed to take a nap once in a while and by mile eight of walking he found he had little choice but to stop and sit next to a dusty road.
What was he going to do on midgard, alone, without allies and disgustingly mortal from what he could tell? If only he had maintained a temple or religious following of sorts like many of the other gods. He could have gone to his disciples, lived like a king and treated this whole ordeal like a particularly dull vacation. Nothing to do about it now, he would just have to figure something out and find a way back into his father's good graces.
Oh what now?
"Que passo, friend?" A beat up looking car had stopped feet away from where the prince sat contemplating his existence. "Jumping the border or just taking a late night stroll in the desert?"
"I am not your friend." Loki huffed continuing to sit on the floor pouting.
"Si, I can tell." The slightly over weight driver was beginning to lose his patience, a good deed for the night not going as well as he predicted. "Do you need a ride into town or not? I ain't got all night."
Green orbs flashing dangerously, the prince stood and dusted his loose underclothes down with some vigour before turning his attention fully to the well-worn vehicle. What choice did he have by this point? Climbing into the passenger seat he shifted uncomfortably as his knees bumped against the dashboard before the driver grunted a slur of Spanish and adjusted it for him. Much better now he had legroom but the stench from the interior deterred any enjoyment of that.
"So where you from, friend?" The driver began shifting levers before the car started moving along the road once again.
"Asgard."
"That a place in Canada?"
"Why not." Loki sighed looking out of the window longingly.
As minutes ticked by into hours the pair sat in blissful silence with only the engine rattling in sickly fashion. The radio was broken, or so the driver informed him but that was of little interest to the god of mischief. Perhaps if he lay low for a while, explore a little of midgard as he did in his younger years he would be back to the palace the moment his father succumbed to his mother's pleas for leniency. He could hope so much.
An awkwardness suddenly made its self known as Loki frowned at a series of bangs and muffled yelling coming from the back of the car. The atmosphere changed, ice cold and prickly as the driver and he exchanged an all knowing look.
"You looking for work, friend?" The driver asked, his tone lower than previous and itching with danger.
"Perhaps." The prince replied stoically. "What does this 'work' entail?"
"I could use a friend in helping me deliver 'packages'." Dark brown eyes were glued on green despite the fact one of them was still driving down a desolate road at night. "Had to let the last guy go on account of him finding Jesus. You ain't got much love of Jesus do you, friend?"
"I have never met this Jesus."
"You're a funny guy, friend." The driver chuckled. "Know how to use a gun?"
"I have no need of midgardian weaponry."
"Si, sure. Like to get your hands dirty." He nodded respecting the old school style of his passenger. "I'm taking this 'package' down to some friends in Beaumont. If you do good we split the share twenty eighty. Then next delivery maybe we change it to forty sixty."
"Or we could start at forty sixty."
"We could, but we won't." There was a harshness to his tone, unyielding, lacking humour and uninterested in further debate on the matter. "This bitch is giving nothing but trouble since we took her. The tranquilisers keep wearing off, when I see the guy who sold me them he gonna wish he already dead." The driver grunted as the banging in the trunk started up again but soon changed his tune upon spotting a lonely motel's lights a little further down the road. "We'll pull in here for the night, friend."
As if he had a choice where or where not the boorish kidnapper was pulling into. Loki sighed deliberately long as the driver came to a halt in one of the many free parking spots then exited the car. The prince too took the chance to escape the stench worthy confines of the vehicle and stretch his legs as he walked languidly to the trunk. The banging had ceased but his acute hearing was still able to tell the occupant was panting quite heavily within.
"Room four." Loki turned in time to catch the keys thrown in his direction. "Take our package inside whilst I get us something to eat. And the name is Carlos, friend."
"If I must." The god of mischief huffed paying little mind to the retreating form of his new partner in crime.
Shifting the keys in his hand he selected the correct one and opened the trunk with little fuss. A rather surprised looking girl, barely more than a child, stared up at him bewildered by the sudden increase of light to her eyes. Before she could adjust further to her surroundings however, he had her thrown over his shoulder with ease and forcibly carried into the empty room four. What was he getting himself into? Trouble, what else.
There was an uncomfortable moment as he dropped the girl on the only bed in the room and came to realise the sleeping arrangements would be somewhat squashed – the captive realising this too and squirming in a panic stricken manner against her bonds. Gods knew what she thought was about to happen and he being one.
"Calm yourself. I would not degrade myself to such with a child." He rolled his eyes viciously at the unvoiced accusation before further glowering as the child attempted to speak through a gag he reluctantly lowered. "What?"
"Dad?" Her voice squeaked in response the second her tongue was free to move.
"You are mistaken, child." Though his lips moved and his vocal chords reacted instantaneously to further accusation his mind was already having a little calculation to the probability as he noted the same tone of green as his own eyes staring up at him in surprised horror.
"No, I've seen a photo of you with my mother before I was born."
"I know not your mother."
"I haven't even told you her name!"
"That is besides the point. I know not you, your mother or anything of your father." Loki swished a hand defiantly at the very air. "You are mistaken."
"I am not!" The precocious child certainly had his mirror image scowl. "Are you here to rescue me?"
"Here to rescue your little girl, friend?" The driver was back, having overheard enough to know when he was being duped. "I should have known you were trouble when I saw you on the road."
"This is all a misunderstanding, I assure you." Loki went straight to his charming smile placating voice hoping to resolve the situation before the angry looking man with the gun fired it at its intended direction between his eyes.
"Oh I'm sure." Carlos eyed his new employee with a murderous intent, waving his gun to signal the powerless god to begin walking backwards towards the bathroom – well this was oddly familiar.
"Now, now, friend. Let us not get carried away on the words of a child." Loki was thinking quickly, his back brushing against a closed door as he pondered just how mortal he was at the moment. "I know this child not, it is not of my blood and I have no interest in its-" A thud and groan from the drivers direction was all the incentive the prince needed to quit his play of fearful victim. "If you were my child you would have broken your bonds sooner."
"Is he dead?" The girl kicked the unconscious kidnapper eliciting a series of pained whines that startled her into hitting him with the lamp again. "Did I kill him?"
"If you keep hitting him with a blunt instrument you will." Loki cleared the room in two steps, removing the dangerous weapon from the child's hands and returning it to the bedside table reasonably unharmed.
"Are you taking me home now?"
"No." He was out the door all too painfully aware the spry legged miniature was stalking him.
"But dad-"
"I am not your father." Loki hissed as his feet brought him towards the reception area of the motel in hopes of finding some other poor creature to pawn his love child on. "Do not cry." Oh this was infuriating; tears before bedtime and upon closer examination of the reception room the owner was very much dead unless he was merely sleeping in a pool of his own blood. "Where is your mother?"
"Phoenix, near the university." The girl was suspicious of his sudden change of heart, even more so as he coaxed her away from the door before she had the chance to look within.
"Do you understand how the land vehicle works?"
"The car? No." They exchanged stares - one of deviousness and the other knowing. "… yes, but don't tell my mom."
"Your lies are safe with me."
Tossing the child the keys to the car, Loki backtracked back into room four grabbing the bag of goodies the kidnapper had dropped feeling somewhat depressed about having to actually steal in such a manner. As he casually lounged back into the cars passenger seat however, the gesture did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, as he had expected. Small fingers were in the bag plucking out a tin container and cracking open the seal to an approving 'mmm' as the child downed the contents wantonly before one handed backing the car from its spot and careening back onto the road somewhat erratically. Perhaps having the minor drive was not his best of plans but the practice would do her good.
"Do you know where we are going, child?"
"Lorraine, my names Lorraine." Lorraine peered over the top of the steering wheel at the road ahead occasionally sipping on her beverage. "And yeah, sort of I guess. Well, no. I'm looking for a road sign but it's kind of dark. We should have asked the motel owner for directions."
"Oh I believe he would have been of little help."
"Uh-huh." Placing her drink in a cup holder her hand was in the bag of goodies again, momentarily shifting her eyes from the road in order to remove a reese's crispy crunch and begin opening it with her teeth. "Mom's gonna be psyched to see you again."
"I am not your father."
"I didn't think you'd be quite as tall as you are." She paused to take a bite of possibly her first meal of the day. "Maybe I'll be tall too like a model."
"I am not… believe as you wish." Loki turned away from the girl, attempting to make himself comfortable. "I am going to sleep now. Try not to kill us."
"Sure thing dad."
As the night drew on into morning the wayward prince found sleep possible when overcome with exhaustion. The girl also discovered this despite her recent few days of drug induced continuous sleep and finally pulled over to the side of the road to crash out as the dawn broke. It was a peaceful moment disrupted only by a whining noise that prodded at the mischief-maker's subconscious until he sighed awake assuming the child was having some sort of post-traumatic nightmare from being kept in the trunk of a car.
Rolling over Loki looked at the drivers seat then frowned as he found it vacant. She could have gone to relieve herself though upon closer inspection she may have been kidnapped once more by Carlos whom was standing outside dragging a squirming Lorraine shaped humanoid at gunpoint. Oh dear, why him, all this heroic bravado was so not his style.
"Is this truly how you treat your women on midgard?" Loki was out of the car walking around the perimeter towards the still struggling kidnapper.
"Shut up!" Carlos was now waving the gun in the prince's direction as he fought to keep hold of the girl.
"Dad!"
"Let the girl go." Loki warned, lips pursed with a growing annoyance.
"I think not, friend." Carlos laughed at the request gesturing his gun downwards to indicate the dusty road. "Get on your knees and pray to your god."
"I am a god."
"I am not- ow you little bitch!" He yelped as the girl finally gave up on struggling and instead opted to break her captors index finger before receiving a knock to the head with the side of the man's gun.
Taking the opportunity of distraction the prince darted forward as the girl fell to the ground tossing a dagger he had handily concealed under his shirt. Not unexpectedly the tricksters weapon of choice struck home piercing the other man's gun holding hand though not before his opponent managed to get a shot off. Carlos was screaming, a broken finger on his left and a dagger poking through his right and all he had left was screaming and shock.
"Lorraine!" Loki was livid causing the girl to falter from running towards him but as he re-entered the car she felt compelled to jump back into the drivers seat and get the engine going again.
"Maybe I should run him over?"
"Do not bring murder into this, child." He spurred. "Drive!"
Without any further encouragement the girl put her foot on the gas and let the engine do the rest as they sped away from the squalling mess that was Carlos and whoever's car he had stolen to reach them through the night. Her breathing was ragged as if she were about to cry but too distracted by the road and periodically wiping blood from her nose to let it go any further. It was not until they were several miles away and coming up to some sort of national park that she even dared look away to the god sitting next to her.
"Dad?" She squeaked.
"What is it?"
"You're bleeding!" Her eyes were darting from the road to his arm on looping repeat, jaw dropped in panic at the realisation. "Did he shoot you? We need to get you to a hospital!
"No!" Livid Loki was back on the case though the child was little deterred this time.
"But you could die!"
"I said no! I will not subject myself to any further indignities. I am a god!"
"You're bleeding!"
"We have covered this, now drive!"
She really was crying this time, a horrid whining noise breaking through every gulp of air the girl raked in as she tried to concentrate on the road and not hit the cars in front. He rolled his eyes at the display of weakness, sure for the time being this was not his spawn at such softness of the heart. Despite himself, however, he found his lungs exhaling as his good arm draped across the child's shoulder in comforting.
"Dry your tears, all is well." He soothed with an added smile that seemed to placate his miniature driver to some degree. "How old are you, Lorraine?"
"Thirteen."
"Ah, a fine age. You have begun apprenticing?"
"What?" She shot him a glance of confusion.
"Apprentice to a weaver or some other noble ladies duty?"
"What?" He only continued to add to the weirdness she was now beginning to see her would-be father as.
"I have not been to midgard in some time, your ways escape me." He flailed his hand wincing at the extended movement and gripping his bleeding arm with a quiet hiss. "What is it you do at such an age here?"
"Uh… are you on drugs dad?"
"Not this day."
"You sound like you're on an acid trip." Lorraine chuckled uncomfortably. "I uh… do school. Everybody does school here till they're eighteen pretty much. Except…"
"Yes?"
"Well, I er… I'm sort of a genius." She began to turn an interesting shade of pink, obviously embarrassed to some degree by her disclosure.
"Are you now?"
"I'm studying at the University of Phoenix… for my doctorate in applied computer sciences."
"And this is a good skill for a lady?"
"I guess so?" She shrugged no longer daring to glance at the large man sitting next to her. "I could maybe take out any governments electronic security if I felt like it."
"I begin to see why you were stolen away." Loki sighed as the scales tipped in favour of this green eyed, skinny limbed, miscreant being his offspring once more.
Silence spread between them thick like butter as the engine thrummed vibrating the floor beneath them. He was aware of a fading sensation but thought little of it until he realised his vision was blurred and growing darker. How very mortal of him to pass out from such a minor wound. Of course the child had noticed at some point, going against his wishes and panic stricken headed for the nearest emergency facilities.
Some time later the fallen prince awoke in a dimly lit white room surrounded by irritating beeping noises that only added to his embarrassment. He was groggy from whatever chemicals the demons had flushed through his veins but at least he felt no pain. Exhaling his distaste, the god of mischief took in the room and its other occupant resting peacefully with her head braced against his good arm. He shifted slowly to dislodge her without waking and instantly began to unplug the various clips, stickers and needles placed around his body. Some of the monitors went silent whilst one decided to make a further annoying sound in continuous fashion. He groaned as a nurse came rushing in obviously having expected to find a dead patient then turned her fury on the man not long out of surgery getting out of his bed as if all was well.
"Do not fuss woman!" He was unsuccessfully trying to fend off the over anxious nurse fondling his barely covered body back towards the bed.
"Get back into bed before I call security and have them tie you to it!"
"You would not dare restrain a son of Odin!"
"Dad?" Lorraine was certainly awake now looking between the bickering pair.
"I told you not to bring me to a place such as this!" Loki scolded the dazed child.
"Don't you yell at her!" The nurse's fury rose exponentially until her cheeks were now an interesting shade of puce. "If it wasn't for your daughter you'd have died of blood loss hours ago!"
"BE GONE WOMAN!" He bellowed before his legs gave out on him causing him to collapse on his rear.
"See what you have done to yourself now Mister Goymour! Into bed, that's it. Now lay still whilst I fetch the doctor." The woman helped him up, depositing him onto the bed where he further slumped into the pillows and glowered at her retreating back.
"Intolerable wench!" The prince hissed before his attention turned furiously upon the grimacing child besides him. "How long have I been in this place?"
"Since yesterday afternoon." She squeaked and squirmed under the scrutiny of the god of mischief's too green eyes. "They took you into surgery to remove the bullet."
"They cut me open as if I were cattle!" His brow was now at maximum furrowing but still attempting to add more creases of indignity to the cause. "And who is this Mister Goymour!"
"They asked who I was and I said Lorraine Goymour and you're my dad so they wrote you down as Goymour too."
"I see." His tone softened though the timbre was still vexed. "I wish to leave this place. Find me my clothes."
"Okay."
Scuttling away like a disciplined child the girl ran from the room in search of quest items. With her departure, however, brought a new individual to the prince's humble abode as another woman with a long white coat entered with a sense for dramatics and tutting. Oh what now?
There was little the doctor could do; a patient refusing treatment was well within their rights and there was nothing she could do about it ethically. After several aggravating minutes of twisting, looping, debate the white-coated female departed the room leaving the man to get on with lay on the bed until he was able to get up and sign himself out of the hospital. He was feeling rather smug having just thwarted a highly educated mortal whilst still shaky from surgery and dulled by drugs. His tongue had not turned to lead as of yet though he soon wished it would if only to use it as a weapon against the next visitor to his room.
"Hello again, friend." Carlos invited himself in, pushing the door closed behind him. "Where's the girl?"
"I know not." He shrugged, genuine truth leaving his lips for once. "She is not in this room and as a patient I am informed I may not leave it."
"Cut the shit, friend." Carlos was in little mood for continuing dialogue, his brown eyes practically red. "You have some cojones coming after people like us. I know you're not the little bitches father, so who are you? Who you working for, friend?"
"Who told you I was not the child's father?"
"You think me stupid? I called in my colleagues, checked up on things and there is no father."
"There must be a father unless midgardian women have discovered a means to procreate without men."
"Si, si, you are, you aren't. It doesn't matter, friend." Carlos shrugged as he wafted a bandaged hand through the air before his focus returned with some added threat to the smug looking demi-god lying pale in his bed. "Just tell where the girl is before my colleagues get here and I tell them where to find you for some one to one, comprende?"
"Oh I comprehend better than you think puny mortal creature."
"Have it your way, friend."
There was a final exchange of warring stares before the kidnapper turned his back on the other man and left the room with a determined air. This was really a time to get his strength back and stop lounging around like some fragile weakling. Grunting with effort, Loki willed himself to stand and groaned sparingly at aches and pains beginning to reveal themselves now the painkillers in his system were dissipating. Midgardian medicine had much to learn, if he were on Asgard these wounds would be no more but also not have happened at all. As if on queue a triumphant looking child appeared in his doorway clutching clean smelling clothing to her chest.
"Found them in the laundry!"
"Pass them too me, quickly, we must leave now." He snatched at the folded clothing pulling his trousers on under his hospital gown first.
"What's happened?" Lorraine was curious and worried in the same instance at the prince's lip pursing expression.
"Our 'friend' just paid me a little visit."
"Oh…" She mirrored his lip squelching, whether a natural occurrence or just mimicry it certainly made him frown at the further similarities between them. "My mom's house isn't too far from here now. We can catch a bus there. She's gonna be so psyched to see you again and-"
"Lorraine, focus!" He snapped his fingers in front of her face to regain her attention, discarding the horrendous gown in place of his green tunic.
"Sorry dad."
"Let us depart this vicious place. It reeks of death in every odious corner."
She could not help but giggle at his words, following close behind the surprisingly sprite just-out-of-surgery asgardian. Of course, he knew not where he was going and soon had to rely on the more knowledgeable child to find there way out of the huge structure and preferably the back way to escape unwanted attention. Apparently someone else had come to the same conclusion as they began walking from the exit into a back alley, a car pulling in behind the pair causing the girl to begin panicking.
They picked up speed as the car stopped and the occupants stepped out of the vehicle with a menacing aura. Carlos's colleagues one had to assume and quite the assortment of skin headed ugliness they were. Not a word was uttered but plenty was said as Loki looked over his shoulder to deal the glaring bunch a dismissive eye roll. He was a god, how could they possibly think to win.
"I think we should run." Lorraine began jogging though it was basically the same speed as Loki's long legged strides.
"Running is for cowards."
"No, I think we should run, that's the bus we need at the stop." She was pointing ahead at a large vehicle coming to a halt at a stand not thirty feet away.
"Then run!" Loki took off into a sprint snatching up the startled girl under his good arm as the men behind stopped posturing and too gave chase.
A short distance for a six foot something god to undertake, even so, the men were close behind them and doing well to keep pace. Loki grunted in a mixture of tired fury and pain from his recently damaged arm as he rounded the bus finalising it's boarding of passengers. With a further startled squeak he deposited the girl on the boarding steps pushing her ahead of him further inside.
"Go!" He shouted turning just in time to have his fist collide with a pursuers face.
What was he doing? Being a hero was Thor's thing not Loki of Asgard's but here he was holding off four rather large midgardian's in order to give a girl he hardly knew chance enough to escape. It did not take long for the bus driver to see what was happening and shut his doors hitting the gas to speed away. Lorraine on the other hand was screaming and banging on the glass interior not having expected to find herself heading the last stretch home alone.
Despite there ordinarily scrawny strength, these four midgardians were certainly giving the prince a great deal of trouble. One was down for the count; even powerless an asgardian's fist to the face was not something worth trying. The other three were playing closer to their guns however, two attempting to subdue him whilst the third took a swing into his abdomen momentarily stunning the prince. Loki wheezed distractedly before his foot made contact with someone's knee and a lot of wailing ensued.
There was a further tussle, grips faltering and bodies cascading across the concrete long enough to give the mischief-maker chance enough to run. Oh he was hurting, groggy and tired too. What other choice did he have?
Running down another alleyway he cursed verdantly as he came to a blocked passage then peered down noticing a circular covering below him. Why not, could it get any worse? Yes, it probably could but for now he was going to make sure it did not keep progressing.
Lifting the covering, he sighed, before climbing inside the manhole and pulling the cover closed behind him. His body slumped onto the damp concrete below as he thought against the desire to begin wheezing. A couple of ribs were broken now he had the chance to catalogue his escalating number of injuries but hopefully the number would not increase.
Footsteps tapped and thudded over the covering above him, voices raised in angry, confused, query. He cared not what they were saying any longer, so long as they were happily distracted from either of their tasks; assaulting him and finding the girl. Hopefully she was far away by now, that great vehicle taking her back to her mother; whoever her mother was. His vision was beginning to blur again, a great aching tiredness overwhelming his senses as his breathing drowned out the sounds of scuffling above his head. When everything finally went quiet he had thought for a moment he were asleep and all of this but an unsavoury dream.
Light suddenly flooded his vision, burning his eyes as the wayward prince groaned and flung his arms above his head. They had found him after all.
"Brother?"
"Thor?" Loki jolted at the familiar voice dropping his arms to stare up at the mane of blond hair looking down at him within his safety hole.
"I have come to take you home, brother."