A/N: All the views, and the alerts, they're awesome! Thanks a ton! In this chapter we get a little action, but no answers. Still don't own anything but my imagination.
"I've got the footage from the attack sight," Tony said as Thor walked into one of the labs. He had managed to calm Pepper a little, and send her on her way to do some more work. He would be sleeping in a different room for a couple more nights though. "Do you know who these freaks are?"
Thor looked at the creatures on the screen and frowned a little, shaking his head. "Those I have never seen before. They almost look like a cross between Frost Giants and Fire Giants"
"That means almost nothing to me," Tony told him. "Maybe it proves that they're not of this world, but then that would mean that there could be another invasion." He tapped his fingers as he watched the screen. "I'll have to ask Sia," he paused a little, "and Loki when they're done talking. They were the one who encountered them hand to hand."
"I shall return to Asgard and see if I can't find any answers there," Thor offered. "My father or Hiemdall might be able to offer some answers to this."
"Would Odin help if he knew that Sia was involved? I mean doesn't she have to seek his approval or something to return?" Tony looked at the man before he left. He wasn't clear on the rules of gods or anything like that but he prided himself on learning quickly.
"He was not the one to banish her to Midgard, but an agreement is an agreement and he cannot bring her back until she finishes what she vowed." Thor explained briefly. "But she is still family, and he cannot ignore that she may be in danger."
"So, we're going to assume that they were after her?" It wasn't that he hadn't been thinking it, she was the only one that they had taken, but he had to try and think big picture.
"Whether they were after her specifically, or those not from Earth, it does not matter. It can be assumed that they will not like having lost what they searched for."
Sia wrapped her jacket around herself a little tighter as she walked out onto the balcony that night. She saw Loki standing there, looking out at the dark city with it's twinkling lights, no doubt thinking about how different it was from Asgard. She wrinkled her eyebrows a little when she thought that the air had gotten a little colder around them but shrugged it off.
"Loki?" She saw his head turn slightly at the call of his name. "Were you thinking about coming to sleep soon? It can get pretty cold out here, it is almost winter." She walked over next to him and looked out over the city too. "The snow that falls here, well, even a god can find it cold."
"I do not think that the cold will affect me much," he commented, and she thought she heard a hint of sadness in his voice. She opened her mouth to respond then remembered the conversation they had had earlier.
Sia turned to face him. "Can I see?" Loki looked at her this time, with a confused look. "I want to see the other you."
A look of recognition crossed his face and he started to shake his head. "i can't,... You shouldn't, it wouldn't... you wouldn't be able to touch me, not even Asgardians are immune to the touch of Jotun."
Sia thought then reached into her pockets and pulled a pair of leather gloves and put them on. She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. "There, that should help. Loki," she reached up and cupped his cheek. "Please, I need to-" She stopped she saw a blue tint started to spread over his face. His usually green eyes turned to a bright reddish orange and she blinked a little.
She tried not to pull away but could feel the cold under her glove. "I think that you're going to handle Winter just fine." She smiled softly at him, even though a shiver ran down her spine. Sia kept eye contact with him, knowing that this was something he would never show anyone else, at least not int his way. She wanted, needed, him to know that she was there for him, as they had through everything.
"There is one downside I can see to this though," she frowned a little and Loki furrowed his eyebrows, slowly changing back to his pale form. "I won't be able to do this." She leaned up and kissed him quickly. He smirked a little and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Loki pulled at the jacket, adjusting a little as he walked down the street with Pepper. She had cornered him after Sia was seized by Tony for some work, and he felt a little frightened to say no. He figured that it had something to do with her making sure that he wasn't going to lapse into some sort of evil plan.
"Miss Potts, I couldn't help but notice that I just stood there for that very important errand." Loki had followed Pepper into a large building and to several offices where she collected some signatures, and played nice with the people in charge. He felt that she was bringing him along so that she could watch him. Also Sia had mentioned that usually she was the one to accompany Pepper to meetings. "Was I a stand in for Sig-, um, Sia?" Sia, and Tony, had expressed that she would like it better if he and Thor used Sia.
"Very observant, Mr Eriks," Pepper said as she typed some stuff into her PDA. She also refused to call him by his first name, giving him the name that Sia used. "This little excursion also makes me feel a little better about staying in the Tower. I'm sure that you are aware that not everyone exactly trusts you."
"Painfully," Loki muttered.
"But we do trust Sia, and against my better judgement, I'm trusting her word, about you." Pepper poked a pen against Loki's chest as they stopped walking. "That does not mean that I like you, even remotely. You did try to take over Earth, kill the Avengers, you did-"
"Please Miss Potts," Loki tried to stop her dialogue. "I do not think that you would like to go into detail in the crowded streets..." He gestured around then stopped talking. Pepper blinked and looked around also. They were standing alone on the sidewalk, which did not happen in the middle of the day in Manhattan. "Might I actually suggest that we leave?"
"For once, I agree with you." Pepper nodded and they both started to walk down the sidewalk, back towards Stark Tower. As they turned the corner Pepper screamed and Loki clapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her back around the corner and out of sight. Around the corner was another group of the same creatures that Sia and Director Fury had run into a week ago.
"You should stay here, I shall only be a moment." Loki pushed her back behind him and against the building.
"What?" She hissed out. "Only be a moment for what?"
"I'm going to clear the path," Loki told her matter of factly. "I would not want you to get hurt." He walked away before she could respond and she didn't exactly want to bring any attention to herself by yelling.
As Loki turned the corner he snapped his fingers a little to feel the familiar spark of his magic. As the first creature turned to look at him, and call for his backup, Loki threw one of his green daggers, catching the creature in his chest and throwing him backwards. As the others started to fly at him Loki suddenly multiplied, throwing the creatures off.
There weren't nearly as many enemies to fight as last time but he found the scrimmage was not going as easily as he had expected. Two of the creatures blasted through half of his illusions and he was only able to keep about half of them back without a physical weapon of any kind. He had unfortunately gotten used to using a staff of some kind. He ducked under the swing of one creature only to be swept back, and into a building, by a set a wings. He shook his head a little and threw a few more energy daggers. He could tell that these creatures were created by magic, magic that was only found in a few of the Nine Realms. What scared him was that he recognized its user.
Pepper wanted to look, but Tony had over the years, warned her not to look where she couldn't see, it could take a head off. She was pretty sure that he was speaking from experience. But the sounds were making her ever more curious, and she didn't want to die because Loki failed, or because Loki had set her up. She was doubting the latter. Pepper jumped and let out a squeak when something grabbed her arm. It wasn't Loki, she didn't remember Loki having claws and skin as hot as a stove burner.
The creature growled at her and pulled her out from the doorway she had pushed herself in to. He eyes widened when the creature raised it's other hand to strike and she closed her eyes, ducking quickly, feeling the air above her head as she just missed the attack. Pepper suddenly fell to the ground as the hand holding her arm let go. Opening her eyes she saw Loki standing in front her, dagger posed in his hand to throw as the creature started to laugh.
"Loki Laufeyson, you will soon be powerless to stop it." Loki frowned, at several things really.
"It's Odinson," he couldn't help but correct the creature.
"Or Eriks, depending on who you're asking," Pepper muttered, although she was ignored.
"The years that your wife has spent in Midgard will be for naught, and I will have brought about the end for Asgard." Loki could now tell that the creature was being controlled by its maker. "My realm shall overflow, and I will be the one in charge." Loki growled and blasted the creature back with magic. It laughed and the magic holding it together started to fade. "Ragnarok, Loki." Loki stiffened as the creature disappeared.
"I am really wishing that I had brought the car this time," Pepper muttered and she pushed herself into a sitting position. Loki turned and took her hand to help her up. "I suppose that you have earned something today," Pepper brushed her skirt off. "And you'll probably earn some points with Tony."
"I suggest that we return to Tony sooner rather than later." She nodded and they started to walk again, Pepper a little closer to her protector.
"Although I'm not sure how he's going to take the news that you ruined some of his clothes."