Asgard
"Why must you banish Loki from Asgard?" Frigga asked, her eyes full of sorrow. "Was it not enough that you banished Thor for what he did? Why couldn't you just have forgiven him?"
"Enough!" Odin threw his wife a warning glance. "Loki has overstepped his boundaries, and he needs to be taught a lesson!"
"But how can he when you've banished him to Midgard?" Frigga was beside herself; it was only Thor's hand on her shoulder that kept her anger in check.
"Loki will return to us once he finds something that is worth more than his own life," Odin replied, turning away from his wife and son.
"A sacrifice?" Thor had done the same thing a few months prior, when he offered his life to save the Midgardians – and Jane.
Odin nodded but said nothing more. Deep down he wished Loki understood his reasons. He had not given Loki the credit he deserved, that much was true. But he had done so because he wanted Loki to do things not because he wanted praise, but because he wanted to, out of the goodness of his heart.
Odin only hoped that Loki would realize that – and soon.
Midgard
Loki was amused.
Despite his earlier meeting with Thor and the All-Father, the Midgardian named Jamie Stark was actually very entertaining. He had almost forgotten that his lips had been sewn shut, which was invisible to all but Asgardians.
It further amused him that he had fallen on the sister of an Avenger, Tony Stark. Loki could see similarities between the siblings. Jamie was nearly as tall as her brother, but where Tony was buff and athletic, Jamie was slim. But they had the same cheekbones, the same dark hair (Jamie's was wavy), and the same impish smile.
Loki's first thought was that he could use Jamie to get to her brother, as revenge for disrupting his plans to rule Midgard.
What a delicious revenge this will be, Loki thought gleefully, as Jamie led him to one of the bedrooms on the second floor.
"I don't know if you want to change your clothes, but I've got some of my brother's stuff in here," Jamie said, opening a wooden cabinet. Loki could see rows of neatly pressed shirts and slacks, and he shook his head.
Jamie shrugged and placed her hands on her hips. "So, I'll let you get some rest then."
Loki nodded, holding up the pad where he had written: Thank you.
Jamie smiled a little. "You're welcome."
With that she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Loki immediately went to the adjoining bathroom. He studied his mouth in the mirror, noting the silver thread that zigzagged across his mouth.
He reached up and pressed his finger against the thread, wincing as a slice of pain shot across his mouth.
Loki knew better than to try and cut the thread. If he still had his magic he wouldn't have a problem with removing the Thread of Silence, but it seemed as if the All-Father had taken his magical abilities as well. Loki tested his theory by trying to transfigure the nearby trash bin into a serpent, but nothing happened.
Loki smiled wryly at his reflection in the mirror. While the Thread prevented him from speaking, it certainly didn't get in the way of eating and drinking.
Even the All Father wasn't that cruel.
Never mind. He still had his wits and cunning, and he was certain he could find a way out of this mess. Perhaps he could use Jamie for his own benefit; her brother would certainly do anything to keep her safe. Surely he could use such sentimentality for his own purposes.
Loki walked out of the bathroom and walked towards the cabinet. Upon closer inspection he saw that the clothes were far too big for his body, and he frowned.
Does she really intend to clothe me in such ill-fitting garments? Loki thought with a flash of irritation.
With a roll of his eyes, Loki took a pale gray shirt that had the logo of Stark Industries, as well as the smallest pair of jeans he could find. Loki took off the green shirt he was wearing and threw it on the floor.
Ill-fitting garments or no, the ones I have remind me of the All-Father, Loki thought bitterly. He was in the process of pulling down the tight slacks he was wearing when he heard a soft gasp behind him.
He turned. It was Jamie, who was staring at his nearly naked form in surprise.
"Oh my god, Tom! I'm so, so sorry!" Jamie turned away from him in embarrassment. "I just realized that Tony's clothes might be too big for you, so I got some from storage."
Loki smirked and pulled his slacks back on. He then walked towards Jamie and took the pile of clothes she was holding, his fingers briefly brushing hers. Jamie glanced at him, and then bit her lip nervously.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think you were already changing! God I am so stupid sometimes!" Jamie slapped her palm on her forehead. "Okay, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything, just knock on the door. I'm in the next room, so I'll be able to hear you."
Loki nodded to tell her that he understood, and then watched as she slipped out of the room, her face a bright crimson. Once the door closed behind her, Loki looked at the clothes that she had given him.
She had chosen a green plaid shirt, dark jeans, and a white tank. Loki had no idea of what Midgardians considered "fashionable," – and frankly, he didn't care – so he decided to trust her feminine instincts and got dressed.
Once he was done, he went outside and rapped on Jamie's door. A few seconds later she opened it, and Loki was able to glimpse several newspaper clippings that were taped on the wall, as well as a rather messy desk.
"Well, I guess my estimations were right," Jamie said, grinning. "Tony hated that shirt. He prefers red casual clothes, but I thought it would be nice to see him in anything else other than his usual getup."
Loki nodded, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.
Jamie checked her watch and then frowned. "Hmm. I wonder what's taking them so long. Normally they'd be here in ten minutes, and it's already been fifteen. Maybe I should-"
The rest of her sentence was interrupted by a massive boom, which shook the entire house. Jamie lost her balance and bumped into Loki, who caught her just in time.
"Oh. Thanks Tom," Jamie said, smiling at him. "But what the hell was that? Jade?"
"My sources detect some interdimensional activity, Jamie. I have sent a message to your brother."
Jamie nodded, frowning. "I thought my brother killed all of the Chitauri!"
The Other, Loki thought.
Jamie made her way back into the living area, Loki close on her heels. He knew that The Other was certainly displeased of his failure, and would have probably gone after him.
Loki grabbed Jamie's wrist and she turned to look at him.
"It's okay, I know what I'm doing," Jamie assured him, thinking that he was seeking comfort. "Just stay close, and I'll protect you."
How amusing, she actually thinks she can protect me and fight The Other. Unfortunately I cannot afford to lose my bargaining chip so early in the game.
A series of explosions further racked the house, as balls of fire rained down on the structure. Jamie was clearly unfazed, and she made her way to the small armory that had been fitted on the back of a bookshelf. From there she extracted a small plasma ray, one of her brother's creations.
"This way," she said, holding Loki's hand and pulling him towards a set of doors, which exploded when they were a few feet away from it. This blast sent them flying across the room, with Jamie landing painfully behind the couch, and Loki near the fireplace.
Amidst the smoke and rubble, a lone figure stepped out. It was wearing a heavy cloak that covered most of its features, save for the metallic braces that were fitted on the lower half of its face.
"Laufeyson," The Other hissed, moving towards Loki, who was visible. Loki scrambled to his feet and faced The Other, who laughed upon seeing the Thread. "So you have been sent here in exile, and as a powerless mute, no less. This makes my mission much easier."
It was then when Jamie popped up from behind the couch and used the ray to shoot plasma bolts at The Other.
"Run!" she shouted, and darted past The Other, which had stumbled due to the force of the plasma bolts. Jamie grabbed Loki's wrist and together they ran out of the kitchen and into the adjoining garage. "Jade!"
"Calling Tony Stark," Jade's voice came. Seconds later Jamie heard Tony's voice over the speakers, but it came out as slightly muffled.
"Jamie? Jamie, what-"
Another explosion rocked the house, throwing Jamie and Loki against the hood of a Jeep. The call terminated, and they both heard the sound of The Other walking towards them.
"Shit," Jamie uttered. "Get in the Jeep!"
Loki watched as Jamie opened the door and pulled herself onto the driver's seat; seconds later he copied her movements and slammed the passenger door closed. Jamie pushed the ignition button, which switched the Jeep's engine on.
Thank god for Tony's little quirks, Jamie thought, as she raised the parking brake and stomped on the accelerator. If I had to look for the keys we'd be in deep trouble.
The Jeep shot forward, smashing through the wooden garage door and out onto the fields. Loki, who wasn't prepared, nearly banged his head on the dashboard. He scowled at Jamie, who was too busy maneuvering the vehicle away from the house.
Behind them The Other stepped out and watched as the Jeep grew smaller and smaller. With a wave of its hand, The Other shot a blue flame that engulfed the country house. With a grunt, The Other slowly walked after the vehicle, its cloak rippling in the breeze.