Hey everyone! Wow...I was so surprised by the good feedback this got =D I'm so happy you all like it! Thank you so much to all of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this; I'm SOO grateful *throws cookies* It means soo much
Also, I realized that I spelled 'Chitauri' wrong...sorry about that =P I fixed it in this chapter =P
Now, ON TO MORE DEAGED LOKI! 8]
I don't own anything in here that's owned by Marvel =)
The Chitauri soldier walked the long, metal corridors of the battleship. A certain attitude of purposefullness laced heavy steps that echoed throughout the hall, causing fellow Chitauri to hide against the wall in fear. This was their second in command. The one with the power to take their very lives if he saw it fit. And something in his craggy, rocklike features relayed one message; something was not right. All the more reason to stay out of his way.
As he continued walking, the soldier took a separate corridor that led to a heavily armed, metal door. Not any metal known outside of this battleship, unusually hard and completely indestructable. But as he walked to it, the door materialized into a simple doorway, which led into a private chamber. He stopped at the doorway, inhaling and closing his eyes. A simple, brief moment of fear wracked his mind.
What will he say?
What if he takes it out on me?
It's not my fault.
The soldier shook it off immediately. He was Einarr the Scourge, second in command only to Thanos. Countless battles had been won on account of his formiddable battle strategy, and even more worlds had been conquered on his behalf. There was no room for fear. He immediately set his serpentine face and strode into the room, the door rematerializing into an impenetrable wall against the outer levels of the ship.
As soon as Einarr walked inside, a thronelike chair in front of countless controls wheeled around to face him. Here the second in commands nervousness returned. This was Thanos, his leader. Demanding respect and fear wherever he roamed, the captain had an intergalactic reputation for being especially brutal and cruel. And now the armour clad face was scrunched in irritation, forked tongue licking his rows of sharp teeth inside a snakelike mouth.
"What insolence has led you to disturb me in my private chambers, worm? I have much better things to attend too then a second in command who cannot run a simple ship."
The gravelly voice was a forced calm. Terror coursed through Einarrs veins. This did not bode well with the news he had brought with him.
"I apologize my lord. But my news cannot wait."
Thanos' lizardlike eyes blinked and he inhaled. Then motioning him to continue he sat back in his chair, folding his hands on his iron clad lap.
"The prisoner..." Einarr cleared his throat. "...the child...he...he has...escaped. We have searched the ship and we cannot find him. The guards assume he got caught in the wrinkle we ran into on our way too Jotunheim-"
"FOOL! IDIOT!"
The forced calm was immediately diminished as an uncontrolled, violent rage came upon Thanos. He shot up from his chair, drawing the glowing, silver sword at his side. Then, grabbing his second in command by the throat, he whipped the sword at Einarrs neck and whispered venomously in his ear.
"Give me a reason not to end your miserable life now. Your lesser Chitauri would revel in the promotion."
Einarrs mind began to race, trying desperately to find some sort of excuse to save his hide. But then, a small spark of hope lit in his coniving mind. Immediately he was calm.
"My lord. Have you forgotten? Wrinkles in the fabric of space are easily followed. We can have him back within the month."
Thanos' now red complexion transitioned back too his typical purple. He released Einarrs throat, granting the Chitauri a much needed gasp of air. The leader slowly made his way back to his chair and resumed his previous position, hands in lap.
"Perhaps you do still yet possess...some...use to me. Eh, Einarr?"
Einarr straightened up a bit. He would live another day yet.
"Instruct Eyulf to reroute our course back to Jotunheim. The child is an asset I am not willing to lose."
"That is...very impossible. Let's see, last time we saw Loki he was...I don't know, trying to destroy the world. And thirty."
Stark eyed Thor with an expression of utter disbelief and exhaustion. Not only was the sun coming up (an incessant reminder of the fact that it was now morning, and that he hadn't gotten any sleep), but he knew Pepper would call the second she found out that Tony had cancelled the interview on the Avengers building. And he did not in the least feel like explaining the past few hours.
"Deaging is not such a rare thing in the Nine Realms, Anthony. Many attempt to take their names out of the Book of Hel, if succeeding, resulting in being 'reborn' as a child. Even more common is simple..." Thor wracked his mind for a word the mortals would understand. "magic, as you would call it. But it isn't very often used on anyone but prisoners of war who have been through such terror, such...torture that they cannot take the memory of it. So they are transformed into a child, free to grow up without memory of the pain they went through."
Thor turned to the small child sleeping on the couch. His brow furrowed in puzzlement. Although he himself had never seen it done, deaging had been often studied by the two curioius Asgardians when they were but children. Loki had even learned the incantation to perform the deed, but had been foiled in attempt by Odin who didn't much appreciate his mother being subject to the curiosity of the young magician.
But even after the incident, the subject had been pursued by the young princes. Loki (who had always been the more "book friendly" of the two) soon lost interest, though, when numerous, secret attempts proved fruitless. So it was forgotten, giving way too battle strategy and weapons training.
Funny, how after all we've been through, it comes up again now...
But Thors nostalgia was broken when Tonys irritated voice wrenched its way into his consciousness.
"That's not possible. I've run tests on the possibility of deaging-"
"Actually..."
Everyone turned in surprise too Bruce, who had until now been forgotten in the surprise of Thors sudden revelation. His blue gray eyes looked on at the group with the guilt of a child being caught stealing cookies.
"SHEILD ran successful deaging tests on some plants and stuff. Sorry, Tony...they didn't want me to tell you..."
Starks eyes bugged out of his head. He soon found his typical suave and flashed an undeniably fake, forced smile.
"Anything...else...I should know?"
"Yeah. Pepper called and she's on her way back now."
Tonys face fell. Great. Just great. No interview. Angry girlfriend. Mystery kid apparently labeled deaged Loki. This day was turning out to be possibly one of the worst he had had in a long time. He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose.
"So what're we gonna do with the kid? This isn't exactly the best place for babysitting. And if it is Loki, he's technically an enemy of Earth and has to be handed over to the proper authorities. Aka Daddy."
Thor turned to Stark, eyes flashing fire. Even dispite his brothers recent villainous behavior, Thor still acted the protective big brother, and he wouldn't be parted from the younger when he was needed.
"If it is Loki, which it is, my father will not in the least appreciate having to inflict punishment upon a small child, whether he was an uncontrollable murderer or not. I am keeping him here, Man of Iron, whether you allow it or not."
"Do you even know how to take care of a kid? You're a prince, it's not like you have much qualification for babysitting."
"I am not going to sit upon him-"
"Who are you...?"
The fighting immediately stopped in light of the small voice behind them. Slowly they turned to see a little boy with big, green eyes gazing at them uncertainly. He remained lying down, seemingly too weak to sit up, and he was shaking slightly, with fear or fever the heroes didn't know which. But from being able to see him awake he looked about two or three.
Thor walked over to him slowly with an uncertainty of his own. If this wasn't his brother, authorities would be called and the whole ordeal would be over as soon as it was started. If it was...there was no safe place for the previously known bane of the nine realms.
The child backed up slightly, still unsure of the band of heroes. His dark brow furrowed, though a gash on his forehead kept him from expressing too much. This made him look more confused than anything and, all in all, completely and utterly adorable. He hugged the black and white blanket that Bruce had covered him with closer too his face so only his eyes could be seen.
Thor bent down eye level too him, resulting in the boy hiding his face completely. The demigod sighed and bent his head. Though he hated too admit it Tony had been right. He had no experience with children whatsoever. In truth they almost indimidated him in cause of the fact that he had almost no idea what to do with them. But if this was his brother...
"Loki...?"
The boy uncovered a vibrant green eye and gazed at the flaxen haired prince with intrigue.
"How do you know my name...?"
Tony groaned inwardly. So it was Loki. Nick was going to be beside himself.
Thor grinned slightly. This was going to be interesting to explain.
"Because I'm your brother, Thor."
Loki blinked and shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. Thor's my age. You're old."
Thor opened his mouth, closing it in a few seconds. He did this a few more times, resulting in causing himself to look very much like a fish. Steve, who had been silent for the past few minutes came to Thors rescue. Unlike the Asgardian, he did have some experience with children, coming from a neighbourhood where babysitting jobs came abundantly.
"Actually you're the same age. But-"
He was interrupted by a tornado of red hair and a business suit flying through the door in three inch heels. Pepper threw her bag on the floor and clomped over to Tony looking absolutely furious. His eyes grew wide and he made a last desperate attempt to hide behind Natasha, who rolled her eyes and stepped aside to leave the "man of iron' completely vulnerable.
"What. Were. You. THINKING? I have been organizing this stupid interview for MONTHS, Tony, MONTHS! You whined and complained about it nonstop and I finally, FINALLY got it. And now that I do finally get you your stupid interview you go off and decide to cancel on me. CANCEL! AFTER MONTHS! MONTHS! Of nonstop planning and working around scheduals, you CANCEL at the last minute. You're so STUPID!"
She then proceeded to pick up her bag and smack him with it multiple times.
"I don't think you've ever used the word stupid so many times in one lecture."
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE, ANTHONY EDWARD STARK! I WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS!"
"Aw c'mon Pepper, stop yelling. You're scaring the kid. I mean, seriously."
Pepper stopped hitting Tony with her purse in surprise.
"What kid...?"
Tony motioned to the couch, where Loki had long since recovered his head in light of all the yelling. Thor sat next on the edge with a hand on the small, covered shoulder taking in the sight with slight bemusement. Pepper walked over, redropping her purse on a silverware laden table and kneeling down next to the figure.
"Hey, sweetheart-"
"Please. Don't...call him sweetheart. That's wrong on so many levels."
Stark hid his face in his hand, turning beet red. Even though the "god of mischief" had been somehow transformed into a child, hearing his girlfriend call him 'sweetheart' was just too much for him. Pepper glanced back at him and sighed, standing back up and crossing her arms.
"Where did you even find him? And why is he even here? His parents are going to be worried about him..."
"His parents? Pepper." Tony took her arm and sat her down on a brown leather chair. "That kid, the boy you just called 'sweetheart'? Yeah, that's Loki. The "I almost destroyed New York with my alien army" Loki."
Pepper stared at him with her mouth slightly agape. Her already taut face tightened with irritation, and she stood up at his level.
"That's impossible."
"You wanna bet?"
Soooo that's it! I hope you enjoyed it, if there's anything you'd like to see in later chapters feel free to let me know I'm open to adding new fun stuff 8]
Also, I don't know how many of you knew this (I certainly didn't 8D), but Loki did actually get deaged in the Marvel comics! He got his name out of the Book of Hels, which is where I got that whole 'Book of Hels' part in this chapter =D I don't know...I found that really cool X3 *fangirl squee*