Chapter 4 – Smurf

Loki had wanted to study the creature cross weapon that Darcy had claimed but he knew he should consider himself lucky Fury had decided not to cage him. He, Thor, Jane and Darcy had been told to go back to the hotel they were staying at and that they would be taken to the other S.H.I.E.L.D facility in the morning. That didn't mean Loki was entirely off the hook. Both he and his brother had already noticed several agents failing at concealing themselves from the Asgardians as they kept an eye on the doubtedly changed man. It aggravated Loki who had nearly thrown a knife at one of them before his brother had put a calming hand on his shoulder obviously having noticed the madness in his eyes. It took all his willpower not to sneer and start a monologue how he had no need to submit to these lesser beings or desire their forgiveness.

This was when Darcy, who seemed to have a knack for knowing exactly when Loki needed to be distracted from his own internal battle, spoke up. She wondered casually if when he was done talking to Fury and studying the creature if Selvig would come join them at the hotel. Jane had commented that she doubted he would even think of sleeping that night knowing he was a bit like her when he had new information. Darcy then commented that they should bring him some breakfast in the morning before declaring that whether her current company liked it or not, they were eating at a restaurant that night after their hard day's work. In a less bold voice she added that Jane was paying.

That was how Loki wound up sitting in a restaurant listening to his brother tell outrageous stories of their adventures growing up. When encouraged, he would chime in with his own bit but mostly kept to the back with an easy smile on his face. His brother's laughter was oddly comforting if not familiar. He found it harder and harder to find the part of him that wanted to send everyone else in the building screaming before forcing them to kneel before him. None of them knew who he was, none of them feared him or distrusted him and despite his overpowering need to be acknowledged, respected and admired he couldn't help but find peace that he didn't have it right at this moment. The three people he was sitting with though Darcy and more so Jane this might not be the case, knew who he was and seemed to enjoy his presence. It was a nostalgic feeling that reminded him of nights with Thor, Sif and the warriors three after a day of conquest. Bitterly he knew that was unlikely to ever happen again. His old friends had never been that close to him and after what he'd done to Thor he had no doubt that they would never even consider him a friend again.

He realized that during his moment of brooding the conversation had shifted until eventually going quiet where Thor and Jane were exchanging glances that were all too easy to read. He glanced to Darcy who was trying her best to be polite about the particular tension at their side of the table before with an exaggerated sigh that Loki wanted to laugh at, she just decided to get it out of the way.

"Okay, okay. Jane pay for the food then you guys go take over our room." She said not being any type of subtle as she shovelled the rest of her dessert into her mouth wincing as the ice-cream gave her brain freeze. Once Loki would have pointedly looked the other way with a blush but years of knowing Fandral had all but destroyed his embarrassment about such things. Jane however looked to her assistant in mortified alarm. "Oh please. The people at the other side of the restaurant are talking about your sexual tension." She added with a teasing tone to her voice as Thor's shock was exchanged for laughter. Darcy's ability to say what she thought was at times, refreshing even if Jane complained about it.

"Are you sure?" Jane asked after paying the bill and grabbing her jacket and trying to look inconspicuous in her embarrassment. It was hard however when movement caused everyone to remember the two men dressed in weird clothing who they had watched openly for the first fifteen minutes of being there. While they lacked most of the metal of their armour and the capes, Thor and Loki still stood out like a sore thumb.

"I'm sure Jane. Honestly I'm amazed. I had a long distance relationship once and let me tell you, I never held out this long whenever we got a chance to meet up." Darcy told her friend who hid her blush behind a laugh as she quickly followed Thor out of the building.

"So are you still in this relationship?" Loki inquired mostly as a courtesy but also out of slight curiosity as he stood up having finished his meal. He had no idea where he planned to go however knowing that his room, adjoined to Jane and Darcy's would not be a safe zone from sounds he didn't want to hear no matter what Fandral had done to his tolerance.

"Nope. You applying for one?" Darcy asked with a sneaky smile on her face as she pulled on her jacket before fishing through her hand bag. Loki chose to reply to this only with an amused expression and a raised eyebrow. "Here" Darcy commented when she finally pulled out some of the paper that humans used as currency. "I'm going shopping and I can point you in the way of a clothing store for you and your brother. You guys need to look a little less…conspicuous." She commented after a moment before giving directions to the store. He didn't get a chance to thank her, for the money or her repeated attempts to show she was giving him a second chance as the minute he had taken the notes from her hand she had turned and left with purpose in her step. He stared absently after her wondering why he had the sudden urge to chase her down and ask if she wanted to help him pick out some clothing.

He didn't spend long shopping for new attire. For one he only had enough money for a few things for him and his brother. Secondly he had little passion for the activity in all honesty. This became unfortunate when he returned to his lodgings only to recall with a thud from the other room why he hadn't just returned immediately. He dropped the bag of clothes and quickly left, deciding to go out onto the rooftop. He was thankful that the only other people out there were the S.H.I.E.L.D agents that watched him wherever he went though that didn't mean their presence didn't annoy him but at least he wasn't stuck talking to some human who had also sought out the night air.

She had been joking when she asked if Loki was offering to be her next relationship material but considering the conversation she'd just had with Jane it shouldn't have surprised her so much when the two topics had collided in her brain. That was why she had fled the scene so quickly at the restaurant. The walk to the optometrist had been spent getting her head back into that less teenage girly response of flight when it came to getting attracted to someone. Loki wasn't the cut guy his brother was but he had his own charm. It was getting easier to see now that he was looking less like hell. Darcy was comfortable enough with herself to admit when she wouldn't mind getting together with someone and in spite of everyone's opinion that Loki was basically the devil, she could admit that if anything happened she wouldn't dislike it.

She was through thinking this over however by the time she'd replaced her glasses and bought a few new books with what was left of her money. She definitely should ask for a raise. She agreed with this even more when she made it back to the hotel much later and could still hear what she was suddenly regretting encouraging. Sighing she ended up heading for the roof deciding that it was as good as a bed to read on. She found she wasn't the only one who had sought refuge.

"How long have you been up here?" she asked when she spotted Loki leaning on the raised wall that circled the roof. He showed no surprise and Darcy felt he had known she was there before she had even stepped out much like when she had first met him.

"Not long after we finished dinner." He answered not even turning to look at her as she took a place beside him. It seemed she had caught him lost in one of his darker thoughts. She always felt uneasy when she noticed that furious tension about him.

"I'm surprised they don't have people here to keep an eye on you." She commented after a moment of uncomfortable silence. His response to that was a laugh, decidedly bitter as his eyes moved to a point on a nearby roof. If Darcy squinted she could see the man and she understood that he was probably one of many. She wondered if they had been following them since their return to the city.

"Thank you." He offered after a minute of silence and Darcy glanced to him in puzzlement. The expression he made at her gaze suggested he had been hoping she'd just understand why without him having to explain. He licked his lips, glancing to empty space for the words. "For…giving me a second chance." He added though his expression suggested he felt his words had fallen short. Darcy couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face in a teasing kind way.

"You're not so bad." She clarified looking down out at the city as her grin turned to a smirk. "Who can be scared of a smurf anyway?" she continued. She couldn't help but laugh when Loki raised his brow in a mixture of confusion and ridicule. No doubt he thought that being called a smurf wasn't her best attempt at an insult.

"What is a smurf anyway?" he gave in, asking as he took on an expression of frustrated confusion with the smallest hint of humour. Darcy laughed wishing she had the cartoon on demand or even the latest movie to show him exactly what he was being called.

"Well they're these little blue people that live in a secret village." She began explaining before breaking into a fit of giggles as Loki frowned at her. A part of him was obviously offended but there was still a smile on his face.

They remained on the rooftop for some time, going between silence and teasing. At one point Darcy even pulled out her phone to look up and show Loki some examples of what a smurf really was. She spoke about her drunken adventures before she'd taken the job with Jane and he told his favourite hunting stories when it came to his adventures with his brother which as one would expect, were the ones where he saved Thor from failure. It was late at night when they finally decided to head back to their rooms. They waited in the hallway for a moment listening before Loki checked his side. Thor had not returned so he offered his brother's bed to Darcy.

"Why thank you my good sir." She said with an amused curtsy forgetting that Loki's speech was Asgardian custom as opposed to him being playfully old fashioned. She kicked off her shoes and stripped as much as she dared, sacrificing a little comfort for dignity before climbing into the cosy hotel bed. Loki turned off the light and she listened quietly as he got into his own bed. Curiosity nagged at her and her tired mind caused her to no longer care if she might upset the once madman. "Hey, Loki…did you miss Thor?" For the longest time he didn't reply. The silence felt suffocating and Darcy not for the first time, thought she should have kept her mouth shut. Then she heard the smallest of sighs.

"I did…I hid it under my jealousy…it was even easier to ignore when Odin told me what I feared…when I realised I was…a monster." He began explaining, saying the last word so quietly that it was obvious he still believed it and that the pain of that conviction was tearing him apart. He was quiet for a long time obviously lost in his own head. Darcy licked her lips deciding that Loki was her friend too, that she was no longer talking to him for Thor's sake but for his.

"For the record, I don't think you're a monster. I've met a lot of men or seen a lot of men that people want to call monsters since we hit Thor with the car all that time ago…but you are definitely not one." She informed him with as much sincerity in her voice as she could muster. Loki may have replied but she was no longer awake by the time he did.

It had been difficult for him to fall asleep and he had been half tempted to wander aimlessly instead but recalling the agents that watched him he decided it best to just lie on that mattress, staring at her through the darkness. He would just get irritated if he placed himself amongst their overwhelming distrustful presence. So instead he had sat in his mixture of emotions. He was shocked by her words. He was a good enough liar to know when someone was using his own tricks on him and as such knew that she had been sincere. He had felt oddly proud and humbled at the same time that she did not consider him a fiend. Of course there was also the part of him that despised her kindness and tried to tell him that her opinion of him meant nothing, that she was just a worthless human to be crushed under his boot. He found his two halves warring at that until he had finally fallen to exhaustion.

He still woke early however and his mind instantly recalled the earlier thought pattern causing him to glance over to the girl. She had the oddest smile on her face in her sleep, her full lips showing light amusement and he wondered curiously what she was dreaming of.

Ignoring his interest, he decided that he was in a good enough mood to ignore the S.H.I.E.L.D agents and as such, with no shame or consideration for what would happen if Darcy awoke, changed into some of the clothing he bought the previous day. The jeans and casual dress shirt were comfortable enough, his movement easier than in his Asgardian attire although he wondered if he should keep it nearby for its use as armour.

He decided to worry about that later as he made his way down to the lobby where the hotel held a small café. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard his brother call out to him.

"What on Asgard are you wearing?" Thor questioned as Loki moved over to sit with his brother and Jane.

"Darcy commented that you and I need to stand out a little less. There's some for you back at our room." Loki explained feeling a small wave of joy when Jane offered him a friendly smile. He was half certain her sudden trust was more a result of her own happiness more than he was getting closer to others but he welcomed it none the less.

"Is she still asleep?" Foster inquired, looking at her phone which she had obviously just been using. Loki nodded knowing where this was going. "I'll wake her up so we can finish breakfast and get to the lab. Erik has some news for her." She explained before getting up from the table. Thor watched her leave with a content smile on his face.

"You seem to be in better spirits, brother." Thor commented, taking the opportunity to eat Jane's leftover breakfast since he had obviously finished his a while ago. Loki rolled his eyes at his brother's gluttonous ways shooting his darker look at the agents watching them.

"I'm making some progress in the whole "save myself from being a madman" endeavour." Loki offered light-heartedly which got a sincerely pleased laugh from his brother. Perhaps Odin had been right in sending them to Midgard.

Despite Darcy's insistence to sleep in Jane had forced her to come downstairs and join them for breakfast. Tired and foggy as she was she didn't have the self-control, not that she normally did, to stop a satisfied grin from spreading across her face when she noticed Loki was wearing normal clothes. She complimented him easily as he opened his arms in an odd seated bow. Thor decided his input at that point was that Loki and Darcy had been hanging around each other too much and that she was rubbing off on his brother. The joke for the rest of breakfast became that this meant Darcy would go crazy with desire for power and to rule the world. She said she was halfway there when she reminded everyone she was a Political Science major.

Thor decided her advice was good however and went back upstairs to change while Darcy ordered a takeaway breakfast for Erik. Soon enough they had all entered a black sedan and been taken to the other secret S.H.I.E.L.D facility. Darcy couldn't resist the jibe that the shadow government seemed to be making them and handing them out like buckets of popcorn.

"Should you really bring him into this compound?" Erik asked when the group of four entered one laboratory, escorted by a group of armed men and Fury himself.

"I'd like to have him where I can keep an eye on him." The agent clarified as an aggravated expression flashed across Loki's face, his earlier good mood drained in a heartbeat as he wished desperately that he'd done a better job of killing the superspy. His dark thoughts weren't lightened much by Darcy's rolled eyes but he appreciated she was as sick of their suspicion as he was.

"So, what's the news for me?" she piped up ignoring the dark looks this earned from the people who thought she was being rude to men who deserved respect. Loki admired that this didn't seem to faze her although like others, he began to question if it was bravery or ignorance.

"You get your crossbow back." Selvig commented, gesturing to a table where the wrist guard creature sat making a weird hiss noise at the scientists who had been trying to inspect it. "Even when we could get it to cooperate it simply refused to attach to anyone else's arm let alone fire for them." He explained talking to Jane and Fury about the more scientific aspects of what they had learned about the creature and how it worked which was very little. Darcy lost herself in a moment of glee and shrieked like an excited high school girl, running over to the creature. There was a strange bell like chime as it leapt eagerly into her arms before securing itself on her wrist like the scientists had been trying so desperately to get it to do.

"Is there anything like this on Asgard?" Jane asked curiously and both Loki and Thor shook their heads although Loki sensed it had something to do with the realm where the Tesseract had originated. The glowing blue of its "eyes" was far too similar.

"So it's going to need a name." Selvig commented. Everyone picked up on the fact he was referring to the creature as a species, not an individual. Everyone that is except Darcy who stroked beside its first eye, the one on its back, before glancing to Loki who had been the first to realise it was alive.

"Smurf." She said fondly. Loki stared in shock while everyone else gawked in confusion. One scientist even spoke up to say that was no name for an alien race. Darcy sighed and rolled her eyes. "That is specifically its name. I'm sure it has a proper name somewhere out there but this little guy is called Smurf. Isn't that right Smurfie?" she cooed affectionately. Loki was the only one to laugh.

((A/N: I'm glad you all like Smurf. I never planned for the weapon to be alive, it sort of just happened while I was writing and I was a bit apprehensive of how it would be responded to.))