Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to The Avengers or any of its associations.
They made their way through another ten Frost Giants before they braved going back to the surface. It was too dangerous to continue inside the tunnel and fight in the limited space. When they broke outside, they had to scramble and hide as a hoard of Frost Giants passed by them the next moment. When they were gone, Loki peered around the wall to get a look of the scene.
''Laufey,'' he said. ''He is there.''
Loki moved aside for them to see, and Natasha'a breath caught in her throat.
Laufey was perched on the spinx at the front of the Luxor, using it like a makeshift throne, with the front legs as his armrests and the head of it looming right above his own. It surprised Natasha that he was so out in the open, and this arrogance alarmed her. There were no other Frost Giants to be seen, no one to defend him were he to be attacked.
Something in front of the spinx caught her eye, and she stopped breathing altogether.
''What is it Nat?'' Clint asked her.
''The Casket,'' she said. They had been told of its appearance, of the glowing blue light and the storm rumbling within its confines. It appeared to be at the very base of the spinx, perched on a dais in front of Laufey like an invitation. But there was something off about it, something that didn't seem right.
''Yeah,'' Clint said, flashing a smile. ''Two birds with one stone.''
''It's a decoy,'' Natasha stated. She looked back at Loki, and Clint followed her gaze. It took him a moment to make the connection, and his eyes widened in shock.
''Are you-?'' Clint started, but Sif cut him off.
''Be careful of your words,'' she said, surprising them all by coming to Loki's defense. ''The implications you are about to make have grave consequences.''
''But the magic-'' he stumbled.
''The magic is similar. It does not mean that it is the same. Magic is prevalent in all of the realms,'' Sif sneered. ''Your words could start a war between our people. To imply that the house of Odin was dirtied with the presence of a Frost Giant would be the most gravest of insults.''
They were all silent for a long moment. When it passed, Clint turned away with a shrug of indifference, but Natasha continued to hesitate. Loki was looking to the floor, his face void of emotion, but his eyebrow was twisted slightly as if he were deep in thought. Natasha forced her gaze away to give him the space he needed, but her own thoughts were by no means calmed.
They entered the building across from the Luxor, and found a room with a window where they could observe Laufey and the fake Casket. They would camp there until they got the word from Director Fury to make their move.
Natasha was watching out the window, so focused that she did not feel Loki's eyes on her.
In truth, they had not left her since they had first entered the building. The place had been filled with humans when the Frost Giants first came, and now they were all dead and frozen in place.
Loki nor Sif cared for the mortals, but he saw Clint's expression fall slightly as he gazed out over all of the people. He thought when he looked to Natasha, he would see the same sadness for the fallen, but her face was completely void of emotion. It did not seem to be a mask or a defense mechanism, but pure apathy.
It had sent a tremor through him, of fear or surprise or disgust he did not know. Now as he gazed at her in the room, his expression was only blatantly curious. What had happened to this woman, that she did not care at all for her own people?
It fed his suspicion that she was not human, or not entirely human.
An especially loud crackle from the fire that Clint had started made Natasha turn from the window.
They had found a room with a fireplace, and she moved toward it to warm herself. Loki allowed his eyes to release her, and slowly laid back on the bed. The coverlet crackled slightly beneath him, which meant the ice was finally starting to melt. They would be able to dry the blankets by the fire and use them for the night.
''If that is not the Casket,'' Clint started suddenly. ''Then where is the real one?''
''The spinx is hollow,'' Natasha said. ''I would surmise that it's inside of it.''
''How do we get inside?'' Sif asked.
''Laufey is blocking the entrance,'' Natasha said, her lips drawn in a tight line.
They spent the rest of the day forming a plan of attack. By the time night fell, it was decided that Clint, Sif, and Loki would initially distract Laufey while Natasha slipped into the spinx. Loki would join her after, and the two would look for the Casket together. Since most of the Frost Giants appeared to be gone to fight, Clint and Sif would only have Laufey to deal with until the other two returned.
With the blankets dried, Natasha curled one around her shoulders and sat before the fire. Clint wrapped himself up and laid down on the floor next to her, falling asleep almost immediately. Sif laid on the other side of him, giving them her back.
When Natasha was sure Sif was asleep, she looked to Loki, who was sitting a few feet from herself. ''She does not like you, does she?''
Loki pressed his lips together, his eyes on the fire. After a few moments the tension in his lips relaxed, and a smile twitched at his lips. ''She resents me for events long passed.''
''What did you do to her?'' Natasha asked.
Loki looked away from the fire to her, frowning. ''I have no incentive to tell you.''
Natasha's eyes narrowed in response. ''I do not care enough to bargain.''
A sharp breath left Loki's lips, almost a laugh, and amusement laced his lips. ''My tale does not come with a hefty fee. Just some truth of your own.''
Natasha sighed. ''Alright.''
Loki licked his lips, and though it was an innocent gesture, a nervous one before he was to speak, it drew Natasha's attention to Loki's mouth. His lips were soft, elegantly peaked, and housed a tongue that was rumored to kill. It made her mind go to darker things, of places that she would want that tongue to venture.
Natasha looked away quickly, surprised at herself. Loki was watching her, his expression laced with confusion at whatever he had seen on her face. Instead of addressing it, he opened his mouth to answer her initial question.
''I was quite fond of Sif when I was younger, but she fancied another,'' Loki explained, with just the slightest bitterness edging his tone.
''Thor,'' Natasha surmised, and he nodded.
''She had this beautiful golden hair, the envy of every woman in Asgard. Together her and Thor were the epitome of perfection,'' Loki said. His eyes were far off as he spoke, and though he was looking at Natasha, she knew he was not seeing her. ''She was not fond of me even then, and often taunted me for my affections. She thought me weak, and my magic unwanted. I was no more relevant than Thor's own shadow. So I took my accursed magic and turned her golden hair as black as she claimed my soul to be.''
Loki's faced twitched into the barest smirk, and he was suddenly present again. ''She blames me for Thor's lost interest, but he has always been frivolous with the women in his bed.''
''You could change it back,'' Natasha stated. ''Maybe she would not despise you as much.''
Loki's lips pursed slightly, and his smile was almost condescending. ''But what would the lesson be in that?''
Natasha frowned, and her eyebrows furrowed together. ''Was it your lesson to teach?''
The amusement faded from Loki's face, and his jaw tensed slightly. Instead of letting the direction of their conversation continue further, he changed the subject. ''How can you heal as you do?''
Natasha shut down immediately. ''You said the price was not a hefty one.''
''I am not asking for your life, Agent Romanoff. Only a truth,'' he replied calmly. ''The Director Fury told us very little about you.''
''I am human.''
''You should not waste lies on a liar,'' he said, his face serious. ''The way you tricked Fandral into thinking you were harmless, it was apparent that part of your skill set lies in manipulation. I did not bother to lie to you, I would expect the same in return.''
''I did not lie,'' she persisted.
''But you are not telling the whole truth. Omission is its own kind of lie.''
She sighed, and looked back at the fire. ''I was originally from Russia. I was orphaned at a young age, and chosen by my government to take part in the Black Widow program. They altered us, changed us, controlled us. I am a science experiment.''
''Much like the man with stars and stripes?'' he asked her.
She looked at Loki, and there was a flicker of something in her eyes that he could not place. ''He volunteered. I did not.''
Loki said nothing, only pressed his lips into a hard line.
They sat in silence together for a long while, before Natasha laid down and went to sleep. Loki laid down soon after, but sleep evaded him. Instead he was plagued with thoughts of the Black Widow, of events long ago, and of the magic he saw today that was much too similar to comfort him.
It was all too soon when they heard a voice boom over their earpieces, and they all sat up with a jerk.
''Second team, it's time to make your move. Thor and the others made contact. The war has officially begun.''
Author's Note: Apparently I lied. I didn't mean to. But I promise some action in the next chapter. I just get so consumed in Natasha and Loki sometimes. I will update soon and make up for it. Please keep reading and review!
