Chapter 4

Gwen was able to get about three hours of work done before Loki came back in, a confused look on his face. She figured that he would read the first few books quickly, but she had hoped he would have been a bit slower than three hours.

"What is this drivel you have given me," Loki asked, his tone not hateful, but definitely confused, "A boy being a wizard and going to a wizarding school? None of this is even possible!"

"It's not about what is possible Loki," she began, "Instead of just reading the words, try to look deeper."

"This is pointless," he yelled at her, a vein popping out of his neck with the force of his anger, "I am a King! I am above this children's books' nonsense!"

"So you don't want to know what happens next," she asked, a mischievous smile on her lips as she stood up and walked over to the bookshelf to grab the next book, this one much thicker than the last three. Loki was stuck in the middle. He was indeed curious to see what would happen next, he just didn't understand what lesson she was trying to teach him. He didn't want to understand what she was trying to teach him. He didn't need to be taught anything! He already knew what there was to know. His mind was far superior to most of the Midagrdians that resided there. But the story touched his heart in many ways. He saw himself in so many of the characters that he wanted to know what became of their fates.

"No," he his hissed at her, dropping the books on her desk before leaving her office. Gwen sighed at his leave. She knew she wasn't cut out for this. She knew that he would be a lot of work, but he was so stubborn. He still thought that he was in control, but he was the farthest thing from it. It actually spurred her more to get him to see. To see that humans weren't so bad, and she hoped that the books would get to him in a way that no one would ever be able to. Just as they had done for so many other people. She always did like fixing broken things, and Loki was the epitome of broken. She sat back down at her desk, beginning to think of other things to show him Earth.

Later that night Gwen heard sounds coming from down stairs and saw Loki curled up in one of the chairs, the fourth book resting in his lap, him reading the pages intently. He would occasionally mumble to himself, making Gwen smile softly at the sight. Loki could feel her presence, but he was too immersed into the story to give any thought to it. He didn't know how to feel with these books yet, but as he flipped the last page he could feel them wriggling into his heart, and he didn't like it.

He did not want to be swayed so easily by such things, but he had begun to wish that he was in Harry's world. As complicated as it was, it was so much simpler than his own. Harry had people to love and care for him, he had friends that had become his family. Despite the hardships the boy was beginning to face, Loki longed for those instead of his own. He admired Hermione for her spirit and her intelligence. He felt a kindred spirit in Draco Malfoy and the Weasley twins. Their pranks made him smile, and Loki understood what it was like to constantly be surrounded by people beneath him as Draco is. But the one character that he saw himself the most in was Voldemort. The villain, the monster. That's who Loki was.

~0~0~

Gwen was able to spend the next day in relative peace, getting much of her work done finally. She knew exactly where to take Loki for a day out once he finished the books, giddiness entering her at the prospect of escaping her home for a day. With everything that had been happening, her mind needed a break.

"NO," Loki's loud roar echoes through out the house, a load slam following it. Gwen ran down the stairs, worry and fear etched on her face.

"What happened," she asked, striding quickly toward him, "What's wrong?"

"They're dead," Loki said calmly, his voice absent of any emotion. It scared her. She took another step towards him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off before turning around, "Do not touch me," he hissed into her face.

"Why did you give me these infernal books," he yelled at her. She stepped back, understanding his anger, it was somewhat understandable, "What were you trying to teach me? About loss? I already know about loss! I already know about hate, and fear!"

His words began to anger her. It traveled down her spine, heating her from the inside out, "What do you know about loss or hate or fear? Please enlighten me because all I ever seen is you throwing a child's tantrum over the fact that you didn't get what you wanted, and now people are dead because of it!"

"I was trying to claim what was mine," he yelled back, "The throne is my birthright, and it was snatched away from me!"

"You know nothing Loki," Gwen told him, her voice low and full of pain and anger. She turned around and walked back up the stairs, leaving him behind to watch her walk away. Loki wondered what made a woman look so broken and so angry. What could have happened in her life to make her so full of pain.

Gwen slowly closed her bedroom door, despite her anger and the need to slam it. She leaned up against it, tears filling her eyes as she slid down to the floor. Loki had followed behind her, coming to stand at her door. He had felt a twinge of guilt, he always felt a twinge of guilt, that sentiment that he detested so much, that reminded him that he did indeed feel things. But the guilt grew a little bit at the sound of her crying.

She didn't hate him, but she definitely didn't like him. It had been three days and she already felt at the end of her rope when it came to him. Even though he had been quiet for most of those days, when she did have a conversation with him it became an argument about how he had been slighted. How he was above it all and a king.

Loki shoved the guilt he felt down, anger sweeping through him. How dare she tell him what to think and what to feel pertaining to his situation. He had been abandoned mind and body by his family, and now he was stuck in a place he detested without even his magic to keep him company. He just had that woman for company, and she didn't even want to be it. She was forced, and she despised him for it. Loki growled out, stomping down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it as he left.

Gwen heard the slam, scrambling up to find him. She took a quick glance around, quickly realizing that he had left the house. She ran out to find him stomping down the road. She quickly caught up to him, anger darkening his features as she tried to stay in step with him.

"What are you doing Loki," she asked, panic clear in her voice. He snarled at her, making a quick glance at her but kept to his mission of going forward.

"I'm relieving you of your burden and leaving," he explained to her, his voice even, but she could hear a tinge of hurt colouring his tone.

"You can't just leave."

"And why can't I," he asked, coming to a stop in front of her, "I am obviously an encumbrance. You don't want me there, and I don't want to be there. So why don't I just make it easier for the both of us and leave."

"And where are you going to go? What are you going to do for food and shelter," Gwen asked, sighing when he went back to walking, "You need me."

"I need no one," he yelled into her face, making her reel back a bit, "I can survive on my own just as I had before. Do you think space was a walk in the garden?"

"No, but the streets can be unforgiving Loki," she said gently, grasping his hand into hers. Loki came to a stop, looking at their clasped hands, when he said nothing she continued on, "Just come back home."

He whipped his hand out of hers before moving in so close their chests touched. His hot breath his her face as he glared down at her, "I have no home. And if you ever touch me again, I will not hesitate to kill you." He had turned around again, but Gwen ignored his threat and placed her hand onto his shoulder.

The wind flew out of her as he swung his arm out, hitting her in the chest and knocking her back. She skidded on the ground, her breathing harsh as she stood up, her face dark as she looked back at him. She raised her head, looking down her nose at him, making his fury flare. He stepped towards her, raising his arm to punch her. He brought it down with force, but she knocked it away with a flourish before falling into a fighting stance.

"You mean to fight me," he asked, a sarcastic laugh leaving his lips, "Even without my magic I would destroy you. You are pathetic."

"Show me then," was all she said, her body tense and her arm aching deep in her bones from blocking his hit. He was strong, but she was smaller than him, giving her an advantage.

"Gladly," he replied, his voice low and almost sensual before lifting his arm up for another punch. He was fast, but without his magic he wasn't as fast as he usually was. He was caught off guard by her swift kick to his stomach.

He was knocked back, pain beginning to flare from the inside out, but he squashed it down as he swung his leg up, kicking her in the face. She didn't fall this time, but her head was knocked to the side, blood filling her mouth. She spat it out before he swung his leg up again, but she caught it in her hands, kicking him in the stomach again.

She dropped to the ground, swinging her legs out, making Loki crash to the ground hard. He grunted but quickly recovered, an impressed grin on his face, "You're better than I thought you would be." The patronizing tone made anger flush through her, but she trampled it, knowing that she had to remain collected if she were to beat him.

"Really," she began, her fists up to protect her face, "Because I expected more from you." Loki snarled before swinging his arm to come in for her stomach. She blocked it, kicking her leg into his own stomach. He shuffled back slightly, his muscles bunching as he steadied himself. More pain bloomed in his abdomen, but he pushed through it, coming at her with more fervor.

Gwen became confident, punching her arm out towards the side of his face. He blocked it with his forearm, a dark smirk on his face as she growled and swung out her other arm. He blocked it as well, lifting a brow in questioning before whipping his hands out to grab her arms. He held on tightly, kneeing her multiple times in the abdomen. Gwen grunted before grabbing onto his wrists and doing the same thing. Loki's hold on her arms loosened, allowing her to pull his body into the kick she shot out to his chest.

Loki landed on his bottom, unable to recover fast enough to stand back up, the fight beginning to wear on his body. Gwen straddled him, bringing her fist down onto his face. Blood began to pour out of Loki's nose as he rolled them over, him now on top. But just as he was about to do the same to her he was lifted off of her and thrown backwards.

Gwen gasped as she watched Loki fly into the air and land hard on the ground about twenty feet away. She looked up and saw the one and only Captain Steve Rogers looking down at her. She had never met him before, but she knew of him. Tony would never shut up about him, whether it was praise or condemnation.

"Are you ok ma'am," he asked courteously as he helped her to stand. She was too gob smacked to do anything but nod. She looked back at where Loki had landed, quickly walking over to him.

"Let me handle him ma'am," Steve told her in the ever gentlemanly tone, "He's dangerous."

"I do thank you for your concern Captain Rogers," Gwen replied, her tone slightly clipped, "But I know exactly what he is capable of and who he is. Who sent you here?"

"Tony Stark did," Steve explained, making Gwen's face turn dark, "He asked me to make sure that Loki didn't try anything."

"Of course he did," Gwen mumbled before looking down at Loki. A purple bruise was already taking up half his face, his nose finally stopped bleeding, but the blood had began to clump up around his nostril, the blood drying on his upper lip.

"Are you done yet Loki," Gwen asked, her hands landing on her hips, "Because I'll be happy to go another round with you if you want."

"Fine," he snapped at her, struggling to get up. His body was ragged after being tossed so hard, even worse then when that imbecile slammed him in Stark Tower. That thought still rubbed him the wrong way. Gwen moved to help him up, but he hissed at her, "Don't touch me. I can do it on my own."

"Either you let me help you up and back to my home," Gwen began, a stubborn fire lighting her eyes, "Or I'll have Cap here carry you back." He said nothing, but Gwen knew which decision he had made as she moved down to wrap an arm around his shoulder. He grumbled as he limped back with her and Steve to her home. Gwen had a triumphant smile on her face.