Disclaimer

Goodness, I'm afraid I don't own any of this stuff. If I did, I'd have a much more comfortable house.

"What is insanity, anyway? Is it when you scream and everyone else whispers, or is it when you fight for what's right, even when everyone else thinks your wrong?"

-Unknown

Chapter Six

Mord watched the rain fall with increasing irritation. Bad enough that his bus broke down in the middle of the desert and he'd had to walk out. He'd gutted the driver for the trouble, only to find out that the humans apparently took the lives of their fellows a little more seriously than his own species did. He'd been run ragged trying to avoid their so-called 'manhunt.' Later, he discovered he'd gotten turned around and somehow wound up going northwest instead of east.

He'd finally managed to catch another bus, only for it to reach the end of its route in Kentucky. The next bus was three days in coming. He'd hidden himself fairly well in a decrepit motel that had boasted a working air conditioner. He shouldn't have been surprised when that boast was not borne out by reality and he'd spent the three days wondering if he was going to melt in the heat.

Now, he was trapped in yet another no-name small town in the mountains. According to the locals, the bus couldn't continue on because the road ahead was washed out by the deluge of rain. It wasn't supposed to let up for another four days. He was tempted to resume his journey on foot, but he didn't want to lose yet more time wandering in the wilderness. Laufrey was no doubt already growing impatient.

They returned to Jane's lab, as she wanted to ask Alyssa for some suggestions on how to improve her equipment. She wanted to better detect portals and wormholes. Alyssa had a host of ideas, so Loki found himself standing outside the front of the dust covered building with his equally displaced brother.

After a few moments, he broke the silence. "Were you expecting them to get along this well?"

Thor shook his head. "Verily, while 'tis true that I wouldst wish Jane no less than a plethora of friendship, I had never – even in mine most wild and fantastical dreams – imagined that she wouldst find herself enjoying the company of thine companion."

Even having known his brother for years, it never ceased to amaze him how long a 'no' could get. He debated being insulted at the implied slight included in the statement. But, he decided that it wasn't worth it as he'd thought that Alyssa wouldn't like Jane, either. He also doubted that his brother even realized the insult was there. "I suppose that it's just because they have common interests and knowledge."

Thor settled on one of the lounge chairs with a sigh. Loki fought the urge to wince in sympathy as the much-abused piece of flimsy furniture creaked. He felt his ribs ache in remembrance of days gone by in the training yards of Asgard. "'Twould seem likely. I doubt that their acquaintanceship shall grow to a relationship of much import or even length."

Loki nodded in agreement and took the other lounge chair. At least it was relatively cool at this time of night. "I can't even pick an argument with you without risking the wrath of either your girl or mine. If Heimdall is watching, he's probably laughing hard enough to fall from the Bifrost."

Thor ran a possessive hand down Mjölnir's handle, with his face set into a frown. "While I dost – in verity – have so small a desire for combat with you as to amount to existing only in the fancy of a dreaming child, I also have neither doubt nor suspicion that thy statement dost not carry the weight of solid truth."

Loki snorted. And his family wondered why he thought so fast. Just determining if Thor was trying to agree with him or not was sometimes an exercise in mental acrobatics. His brother was the type to get his sentence started, then throw himself into it wholeheartedly until even he wasn't sure of where it was going or when it would end. At least Father saved it for the formal occasions.

He was fairly certain, though, that his brother had just agreed with him.

Alyssa glanced through the looked window at the two brothers, watching as Loki settled into the chair. "How long do you think we can safely leave them out there without them destroying something?"

Jane shrugged as she pulled open the casing to one of her machines. "Well, they managed to get along on Asgard for years before they got in a fight, right?"

Alyssa nodded and peered over the scientist's shoulder. "That's true, but I think Loki is feeling a bit cranky. Hm... You need to run a line from here to here. That will make the circuit more efficient. If you then attach a magnetic field detector here..."

It wasn't long before they forgot all about the boys.

Loki had observed his brother many times growing up. He'd never thought him as crazy as he did in this very moment. Thor was asleep, less than three feet from him, with no appreciable defense should he choose to attack. Unless, you counted Alyssa...

Loki frowned. Okay, so perhaps his brother wasn't stupid and just knew him far better than he'd thought. He had no desire to upset his lo... Alyssa, as he enjoyed sleeping next to and with her far too much. He settled more comfortably in the lounge chair as the sky began to lighten and debated joining his brother in sleep.

What is taking them so long?

Meanwhile, Alyssa and Jane were sitting at a table taking a break. Jane was recovering from coffee invading her sinuses. "Seriously? Tiny blue sheep?"

Alyssa grinned at her, enjoying the woman's reaction. Thor hadn't picked a bad mortal to hang around with. She was much more pleasant than Alyssa had expected her to be. True, she was a relative innocent, but she didn't have the pompousness that she'd pictured in any associate of the Thunder God. "Yep. And then, of course, he suggested that I 'deny any rumors' that they were designed by Stark." Alyssa's grin turned wicked. "Did you see the headline in the Daily Bugle?"

Jane nearly fell off of her chair laughing.

Loki woke up to a most amazing scent: coffee. It was less than an inch from his nose, if the intensity of the smell was anything to go by. Hm... Is that vanilla? It's not from the coffee... He let his eyes drift open and smirked at Alyssa's playful face hovering over him. He sat up and took the offered cup from her hand. "Did you two finish your work?"

She settled down next to his feet on the lounger and nodded. He let his gaze take in the scene around him. Jane was trying the same method to wake Thor, though it wasn't working. He could have told her that it would take more than that, but it was amusing to watch her frustration. "Jane needs to find a way to fabricate a few parts that aren't made here on Earth, and there is the actual wiring to be done. But, otherwise, her she can get her equipment as up to date as it can be with the local technology."

Thor twitched in his sleep and grunted as Jane shook his shoulder. He fought a smirk as the blonde started snoring. The mortal looked over at him. "Why won't he wake up?"

Loki's mirth won the battle and the smirk broke free. "It took the combined efforts of all four of his friends – and usually a bucket of water or three – to wake him at home. He's a very sound sleeper."

Alyssa grinned evilly, and a nervous coil tightened in his abdomen. That look didn't bode well. Of course, it was aimed at his brother instead of at him... Never mind, this might be fun. "Jane, you might want to take a few steps back."

The mortal did so, and Alyssa's hand twitched a little as she concentrated. Thor woke with a yell when he was impacted by very cold water. Loki could feel the chill from it, and he had to admit some small amount of amusement when his brother's skin took on a bluish tint almost immediately. He wondered if Alyssa had cooled it past the freezing point before it hit him. There did appear to be a bit of frost clinging to his hair and eyebrows.

Note to self – super cool the water next time I want to wake up my brother.

Thor glared at the two of them and then looked betrayed as Jane started giggling. Alyssa just laughed at him. "We did try to wake you nicely, but I couldn't just leave you out here to sleep all day." She gestured up at the sun. "You would have burned if we'd left it for much longer."

The chilled and soaked Thunder God had to concede the point.

When he arrived later that day, Erik Selvig was more than a little displeased to have the God of Mischief in their labs. He was even less pleased to see a mortal 'friend' of the Trickster. Alyssa felt that Loki was probably exhausting his self control for the next century by not doing anything to the man. She wouldn't have objected to blasting him off a rather large cliff at the moment, herself.

Almost the moment they'd introduced Loki to him, he'd dragged Jane into another room. He was all but yelling at her for bringing them here. It should have occurred to him that they'd be able to hear him, even with the door closed. He especially should have realized that the gods would. They were, after all, gods.

Loki was leaning against a table with a small frown on his face. Every now and then, he'd conjure a green fireball and let it hover over his hand. He'd stare at it for a few moments, letting it rotate and spark, before reabsorbing it. Alyssa had to wonder just how tempting it was to lob it into the next room. She knew she'd just cheer if he did.

Thor must have agreed with her assessment of Loki's mood, as he was watching his brother's actions carefully. Mjölnir was sitting on the floor between his feet, though his hand was never far from the handle. The only time he moved was when Alyssa walked between the two of them to refresh her coffee. At which point, he tilted his head to keep his eyes on Loki for as long as possible.

Having had enough of the tension and the not so thinly veiled insults she could hear from the next room, she stood up and went to join their argument. It didn't escape her notice that Selvig jumped slightly when she used a spell to blow the door open with a crash. No doubt he'd thought the lock would have been enough to keep her out. Hmph. Expects us to politely obey the locked door, even when he's behaving boorishly. Men. He should be glad I didn't knock it completely off its hinges.

He was standing between her and Jane, but was now turned to face the door. Jane was leaning back in a chair with a resigned expression. Alyssa doubted that this was the man's normal behavior, and she was through tolerating it. She rather liked Jane, but her mentor needed a spanking.

"Well, Professor Selvig, if you are through embarrassing everyone with your loud and lamentable defamation of both my character and Loki's, we can perhaps discuss exactly why Jane brought us here? Instead of standing around listening to your ranting about it?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he could launch into another tirade. "And, if you honestly think that we couldn't hear you, then you are sadly mistaken... Or, perhaps, you intended for your rudeness to be heard and the poor hospitality of Earth to be recognized across multiple galaxies?"

He sputtered for a second and then stopped. Alyssa nodded approvingly. Men can learn, if you smack them upside the head hard enough. "Now, how about we all have a nice cup of coffee and Jane can fill you in on the new insight she's gained in regards to both detecting and creating Einstein-Rosen Bridges?"

Selvig nodded after a second of irritated grumbling.

Loki fought amusement for the better part of their conversation with Selvig. In his opinion, Alyssa's commentary had been entirely appropriate - if a bit sharper than he'd expected. She usually had better control of her temper. Selvig had come back in the room resembling nothing more than a chastened child at the family picnic. He had yet to meet anyone's eyes, including Thor's.

He had the feeling that the mortal was stuck somewhere between horrified and terrified that he'd upset the Thunder God. Whether this was because he was afraid of losing some perceived friendship - or was worried about a potentially much closer relationship with Mjölnir - was up for debate. It was absolutely hilarious to watch him snap into absolute formality every time Alyssa said something that might even peripherally be aimed at him. He jumped up to refill their drinks before they were even halfway empty, and was determined to keep snacks of some type available. It's almost as if he thinks his life depends on it.

Loki resisted the urge to advise him that his suddenly perfect hospitality was too little, too late. He was well aware that he wasn't wanted. As it was, the false civility would have been setting his teeth on edge if he didn't find Selvig's behavior funny. It reminded him too much of his life in Asgard. Alyssa's hand found his under the table every now and then, providing both affection and comfort. At least someone wanted him here.

Jane had started off the conversation with a fairly reticent attitude, but had quickly forgotten everything else in the pure joy of discussing the newly available information. She'd sit there for a few minutes, raving about some theory that Alyssa had confirmed, disproved or modified. Then she'd jump up without warning, making everyone twitch at the sudden motion, as she practically dove for the whiteboard in an attempt to better illustrate her thought-processes.

He let his eyes land on Thor for a few moments. He was quieter than Loki had ever seen him, almost disapproving. His gaze kept vacillating between Selvig and Loki himself. If he'd had to guess, his brother was waiting for him to take some terrible revenge on the poor scientist. Not that he hadn't already, but it wouldn't be noticed for a while. Really, brother, give me some credit for subtlety.

Alyssa was apparently giving Jane her undivided attention, though Loki could feel her mind wander a bit as she reached the lower depths of boredom. It seemed that whatever the girl was talking about was old hat to his lover. Still, she was remaining polite and adding input where it was needed. Perhaps Selvig would learn some manners by example.

'Hope springs eternal,' indeed.

Alyssa had almost never been happier to get away from anyone. (Her father and a few obnoxious nobles were the only exceptions.) Admittedly, she enjoyed Jane's company. She could put up with Thor's Shakespearean formality. Hell, she even enjoyed the warmth of the desert. She just didn't want to deal with Erik Selvig any longer than she absolutely had to. She had no doubts that he'd have been nicer - and she probably would have enjoyed his company - if he hadn't so openly and rudely disapproved of Loki.

She'd wasn't about to tolerate such sanctimonious and asinine behavior from anyone. She'd put up with too much of it from her father over the years.

She tossed her purse down on the table, not caring that a half dozen things fell out of it. She just wanted... She needed violence. The rage she'd suppressed – first to blend in on Earth, then for Loki and finally for Jane's sake - was practically oozing out of her pores. She'd tamped down her darker nature for far too long and desperately needed an outlet.

Loki watched her pace furiously back and forth across the living room carpet. Pure rage swirled around her aura in spiky shades of flaming darkness. Magic - intertwined with the second energy field he'd learned was the Force – was coiling about her form like a hissing snake. Part of him wanted to ask if there was anything he could do. Part of him wanted to retreat to a minimum safe distance. He was fairly certain that the gates of Asgard might be far enough.

Finally, her head snapped to one side and he saw a tear form in reality. She stalked through it angrily. He had to hurry to follow, as it started to close almost the second she passed the threshold. He didn't want to know what would happen if it closed with him only partway through, but he didn't want to leave her alone, either. She might do something she'd regret later.

On the other side he found himself blinking at the volcanic land. For a second, he was certain that they were actually in Muspelheim, but there was no indication of fire giants. In fact, there was what appeared to be a defunct factory in the distance. Industry was not something that any giant was really interested in, so he had to concede he had no idea where he was.

Alyssa stalked further away and he started to trail after her. At least he did until she held up a hand to warn him off. He found a spot on a relatively cool rock and dabbed lightly at the sweat already starting to bead on his forehead. She stopped about three hundred feet away. Her hands spread and suddenly he could feel her rage even at this distance.

Lightning crackled across and around her as the already clouded sky darkened further. Geysers of flaming lava erupted at her feet and a dozen or so tornadoes formed between her and the horizon. The air went from dry and hot to an oily slickness, with an aftertaste of death and decay. He understood, with sudden clarity, that she was submerging herself fully into the dark side of her personality.

The tornadoes picked up the lava, becoming horrible funnels of flaming death. As the lava cooled, it turned into sharp, wind-borne blades of volcanic glass. There wasn't much wildlife here, but what little there was was quickly either incinerated in or slashed to tiny bits by her fury. The tornadoes receded and the sky slowly cleared, but he could still feel the rage inside of her. He had to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have stayed home.

Her voice was quiet, but carried clearly on the breeze caused by her actions. He didn't recognize the spell, but knew it couldn't be good if she was actually saying an incantation after what she'd done without this in mind, he examined the rock and decided it would provide adequate coverage of he reinforced it magically. He did so and ducked down behind to see what would happen.

Ice erupted from out from where she stood, freezing everything for several yards in front of her. A second later, the ice shattered into flying shards of deadly shrapnel. Of course, seeing as what it had blanketed was shattered as well, he was of the opinion he'd rather be next to that particular spell than in it. He was just glad he was behind her.

A gesture from her hands and acid rained down on the already devastated landscape.

Alyssa was starting to enjoy herself. Her casting was slowly fading from venting and turning into showing off. It had been a long time since she'd shown anyone what she could really do. Her big spells were normally useless in combat, as you could never ensure that you wouldn't accidentally subject an ally to 'friendly fire.' She'd rather missed finding an abandoned place to let loose.

She dispelled the acid and glanced behind her to see Loki behind a rock. A sensible precaution. She shot him a reassuring smile and turned back to her playground. Hm... Yes, that sounds good. With a twitch of her mind and a few motions she formed two gigantic stone golems – almost thirty feet tall – and then set them to wrestling each other. Just for fun, she created one shaped like 'no ordinary rabbit' and programmed it to attack the other two.

Loki had felt the anger slowly dissipating. The air was turning away from the sickening shadows and was more playful. The smile she'd sent him was the last cue he needed to approach. Though, he didn't think he'd ever seen a six foot tall rabbit golem before. "Why a rabbit?"

She glanced back at him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. If he was a bit hesitant about it, well... He didn't want to distract her into losing control over those things, now did he? "I'll have to show you Monty Python later... I'd forgotten how good it felt to throw a tantrum. I needed this."

He smiled a bit. This was... far beyond most tantrums he'd seen. But, if she wanted to liken her actions to that of a petulant child, he wasn't going to argue. His own childish behavior had had far more costly results at times. "You do realize I'll be holding you to a higher pranking standard, now that I know what you can do?" She leaned her head back against him and nodded with a smirk. "Good... Now, where are we?"

"The planet Mustafar. My father used it for one of his plots a long time ago. It's been mostly abandoned for years now and the few people are on the other side of the planet, so there's no harm in messing things up a bit." She tilted her head to look at him. "Did you want to contribute to the destruction?"

He shook his head. "I think I had enough fun watching you." He eyed the rabbit. It had finished destroying the other two golems and was now gnawing on what remained of a leg.

She noticed it as well and dispelled the enchantment. A rift opened next to them. "C'mon. I could really go for a beer right now."

They were watching television later when it occurred to her to ask, "Did you do anything to Selvig? Because, if not, I'm going to have to think of something. I would have earlier, but I didn't trust myself not to kill him."

Loki nodded, tearing his gaze away from the explosions to smirk at her. She could tell he was trying very hard to keep from laughing, as his chest was shaking slightly under her cheek. "He probably won't notice anything until tomorrow, though."

Erik Selvig rolled out of bed and into his bathroom with a groan. They'd been up late working on the modified equations suggested by that... Alyssa. He couldn't even bring himself to insult her in his head, now. He wasn't a sensitive – or whatever it was called – but even he'd been able to see the barely contained fury in her yesterday. Add in the potential for an angry Thor and well...

He finished relieving himself and went to flush, when he looked down. He froze in place for a moment and then let out a horrified scream. He backed away from the toilet, only for his legs to hit the outside of the tub. This threw off what little balance he had at the moment, and he went tumbling into it with the shower curtain – rod and all – landing on top of him.

His brain was frantically trying to catch up with reality, when the door flew open and both Jane and Thor rushed in. Jane was half dressed in a shirt and panties. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she'd really like to still be asleep. Thor was wearing boxers with dancing peppers on them and not much else, though he had Mjölnir in his hand.

They all froze, and Erik was glad that he'd straightened his boxers before looking in the toilet. This was embarrassing enough as it was. The only response he could make to Thor's questioning look was to point at the commode, an act that completely baffled Jane. The Thunderer just looked to see what the problem was.

"'Tis not so bad. I have seen, on many an occasion, Loki take his revenge in a far more unseemly and debilitating manner. Thou shouldst be thankful that he did merely alter the coloration of thy waste and not thy skin, or cause some other grievous infirmity."

Erik started to warn Jane off, but was too late. She'd looked. He could see her lips twitch. "I agree. I'm going to go get dressed... Um... You didn't break anything did you?"

Erik – with a hand from Thor – pulled himself out of the tub. "Only my dignity."

Note

The only reason you're getting this right now is because it's already typed. Normally, I would have gone through and re-edited it before posting, but I hurt myself yesterday. I have a three inch gash and some significant bruising on my back. Not deep enough for stitches, but... The muscles in the entire right side of my back are tense and aching, so sitting up to type is uncomfortable. It may be a few days before my next post, as I probably won't want to type for a bit.

Believe it or not, it happened when I literally fell over laughing at something my husband was telling me. I hit the TV table on the way down. At least I didn't bring the TV down on me. That would have hurt a lot worse. (Go ahead and laugh, I'm laughing about it, too!)

I have email on my phone, so I'll still get reviews and such. I'll reply when I can.