Tenth Installment: It's Never That Easy
He turned his back on the man and headed back toward the cabin. "Have at 'im, princess."
Loki almost chuckled at the grin on Skaði's face. The Aether's eyes were more red than black, a sure sign of her glee. As Stark left, Loki put a hand on her shoulder. "Before you do anything to render him incapable of speech, dearest, I have a few more questions."
The man, who studiously avoided looking at Skaði, quickly met Loki's eyes. "Please," he gasped, "keep her away from me! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
Loki gave him a small smile. "What would you have done if you could not persuade me to come back to Vign?"
The man blanched and swallowed noisily, eyes darting in Skaði's general direction. "May . . . may we speak . . . alone? That creature is . . . it's insane."
Amused he'd downgraded her to 'it', Loki now turned his smile to Skaði. "Would you help Stark make breakfast, dearest? I'm certain he would butcher that carcass for you."
"All right," she said, seeming reluctant to leave him, "but if you need me, I'll be here faster than the duration between two heartbeats. Tell him that."
Not sure if her protectiveness annoyed him or not, Loki relayed the message and saw the man understood it. When she was gone, Loki settled himself cross-legged on the grass in front of the man. "Now, please answer my question." He kept his voice mild.
For the moment, at least, he was more curious than homicidal.
Swallowing again, the man struggled to sit up. Loki reached over and helped him, which earned him a pathetically grateful look. Loki wished he could heal the man's wounds. Overtures of compassion loosened lips more surely than threats. He almost smiled. In most cases, good-cop/bad-cop actually works. He would have to thank Skaði.
"How much do you want to know?" the man asked.
"Everything," Loki replied.
Seemingly plenty eager for the insane creature not to return, the man told Loki everything. The organization in Vign, which served as the governing body, that monitored, measured, and distributed energy. Their shock and delight when a man entered the city who actually had energy inside his body. Sending out their version of police, called enforcers, to bring this man in for 'questioning'. They were authorized to use force but not to kill.
They didn't want their prize damaged beyond repair.
Loki looked away, considering. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow himself to be studied and used like some lab rat. However . . .
"What methods would they use to examine the energy inside me?" he asked.
The man looked surprised to hear such a reasonable tone. "We have several, but the most basic is a sort of scanning device. It's non-invasive."
"And do you have ways of safely extracting this energy?" he further inquired.
No mistaking the hope that sparked in the man's eyes. "We do. Trust me, you're such a rare specimen, cooperating with us would ensure you were never harmed."
Loki gave the man a patronizing smile. "Comforting." He rested his hands on his knees. "I confess, I'm curious about this process. Have you a means of storing unnaturally high levels of energy?"
"Yes," the man said, but he said it slowly as if uncertain.
"Very well," Loki said, rising to his feet. The hesitation said that answer was only a partial truth, but he could discern that for himself in Vign. "I will go. Not today, and I have more questions, but I'm willing to listen. Are you well enough to make it back to the city on your own?"
The man blinked. "You're letting me go?"
"I believe that's what I just said."
The man heaved himself to his feet. "I'll be fine. Thank you for not letting it . . . her . . . kill me."
This time, Loki's smile was measured for gentleness. "Her actions were rash and poorly considered. I'm afraid where I'm concerned, she acts first and thinks never. If you need help, my friend can get you safely back to Vign. My other friend, not her."
He shook his head. "No. I can make it." He swallowed. "What . . . er, what's your name? I should tell them before you come."
"Loki," he answered.
"Would . . . it be possible for . . . her not to come?"
Now Loki's smile was a tad rueful. "I'm afraid not. She would never consent, and as I'm sure you saw, controlling her is nigh impossible."
Not, he thought with an amused shake of his head, that he wouldn't make a show of trying. It gave credence to the notion that she was insane. There were any number of reasons why that was a good thing. The man certainly believed him. He blanched the color of sour milk as he made his way from the clearing.
For a time, Loki didn't move. He sat quietly, listening to the breeze and birdsong. This was an interesting development, and he intended to make the most of it. Of course, the Aether acting on her own could complicate matters. They may act with more aggression, or they may act with more caution. Impossible to say.
Not that he had anything to fear. Neither of his two companions would allow anything to happen to him, should Loki be unable to control the situation. He had nothing to fear there, either. After all, he hadn't won over half the Nine with magical ability (though that had played a part, he thought with a soft snort). No, those victories he'd won using his most dangerous weapon.
His silver tongue.
o0o
"Are you sure this is a good idea, babe?"
Loki waited until Stark set him down and removed his suit before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Sweetness was needed right now rather than spite. "It may not be," he admitted, "but that is why you're here. You and Skaði will protect me. Won't you?"
A hint teasing. Stark grinned and planted a kiss between Loki's eyes. "Bet your cute ass I will."
Ignoring the inappropriate (but oddly endearing) flirting, Loki smoothed the front of his tunic. The clothing he wore was both elegant and simple, and the first thing out of Stark's mouth had been,
"You look like the hottest fucking prince in the multiverse."
The full-leg breeches and silk shirt were both ebony, as were the knee-high boots. The tunic, embroidered around the hem with silver, curving snakes was emerald green and fell to mid-thigh. It was belted at the waist with a black band bearing a simple silver buckle. At his side, Skaði was wearing a matching green smock with a wide black bow around the middle. Loki had fixed her hair in pigtails with sparkling green ribbon, giving her a completely innocent appearance.
It only drew attention to her blood-red eyes.
Stark's appearance was far more true to Midgard. His pants were black and so were his boots, but he wore a silk button down of a rich cobalt and a fine satin vest of ebony. He looked like a powerful businessman. It also drew undue attention to the pendant around his neck, magicked to instantly don his suit should he need it.
Loki still hadn't decided if that was a good or bad thing.
Skaði slid her hand into his, and Loki started walking toward the ostentatiously large building he'd noticed on his first jaunt into Vign. He suspected they would send someone to meet him, and he was right. There were two of them, and Loki knew at once they'd been chosen deliberately to appear non-threatening.
First, they were both women. Second, neither was visibly armed. Third, they were both just the slightest bit plump with round, appealing faces. Fourth, both wore soft linen dresses with tastefully small jewelry. Everything about them screamed, We're just kind, gentle women. We're not dangerous.
It gave Loki a small degree of pleasure that of his own small company he was also the one who looked the least threatening. He inclined his head. "Ladies. I assume you're my escort?"
They both smiled, returning the gesture. "We are. Thank you so much for agreeing to come, Loki. Our Director is very eager to speak with you. In all the time we've been monitoring and managing energy in Vign, we've never once encountered anyone as rare and special as you."
"I see they're trying to get you to lower your guard with flattery," Skaði mused.
An observation she'd learned to make after being with Loki, he thought with a controlled smile. "Do you think I've met my match, dearest?" he teased.
She tossed her long black hair. "Ha! These soft, fat fools will never know what hit them."
"We shouldn't judge their appearances, my darling," he chided gently. "They've been carefully constructed to look soft. For that very reason we may assume they're not."
"Hmph. Everything is soft before me."
"Including me, my love?" His eyes glittered as he glanced down at her.
She gave him a devious grin. "Except you. Never you."
"What about me?" Stark abruptly demanded, startling Loki.
He was getting better at communicating like this.
"Nope, you're not soft either!" Skaði chirped. "Well, except when it comes to our Loki. Then you're the biggest softie in the multiverse!"
Loki coughed softly to cover his desire to laugh.
The front entrance of the factory opened into a wide, welcoming foyer with off-white floors of a stone resembling marble. Pillars of the same stone had been carved into aesthetically-pleasing swirls. Fake (but tasteful) plants stood in stone pots which also had tasteful carvings of birds and flowers. There were several terminals with computer-like objects, and Loki suspected they were for the public's general use.
Rather like in a library.
And at the far end was a great desk manned by three people. They were all young, perhaps in their early twenties. Each wore a crisp suit and had little ear pieces undoubtedly for communication. The two plump ladies led Loki to the desk but didn't stop. One of them threw a casual wave to them.
"Please let Director Agre know we're on our way up."
Loki saw her nod and tap her ear piece.
"I really, really wish I could understand them," Stark muttered under his breath, leaning toward Loki.
"Patience, Anthony," Loki counseled, brushing his fingers over Stark's wrist. "All in good time."
Their escort took them to a contraption that looked exactly like an elevator except for its oval-like shape. Its walls were clear, and so were the walls of its shaft. As the capsule went up the building, Loki enjoyed the view down over the city. Skaði squeezed his hand and pointed to the various objects being powered by those blue orbs.
"Those things are everywhere. Do you think they'll give us some?"
Loki smiled faintly and didn't reply. His own thoughts wandered over different topics entirely. He'd given up on the idea of finding what he needed on this world. But it would be wonderful if what he needed was here after all. Then he could focus on healing and enjoying himself, not trying to find ways to survive.
The capsule stopped at floor 58. Loki idly wondered to what the other 57 floors were devoted. When the doors opened, the two escorts smiled at Loki and stepped out. He followed them, and Skaði again squeezed his hand. She felt less curious now and more alert, walking the tightrope between waiting and acting. For her, it was a very, very fine line.
The capsule opened into a wide hallway with a set of doors. Though he had no practical experience, Loki suspected they were for decontamination. That sparked all kinds of different curiosities. Energy could not be contaminated by other sources of energy except intentionally, so why would decontamination be necessary?
Clearly, Stark was having similar thoughts. His dark eyes darkened further.
"What's all this for?" he demanded, stepping in front of Loki to make him stop.
The two ladies looked to Loki.
Who smiled. "My companion is concerned about these rooms and their purpose."
"Ah, we call them de-energizing stations," one of them said. "There's a lot of energy floating around Vign, and various types of it. This way we can make sure we bring no variant types into any of the storage tanks."
Loki nodded. To Stark and Skaði, "Think of it as a grounding station, removing static electricity."
Stark clearly understood, and Skaði clearly didn't care. The five of them walked through the first door, and it closed. A couple lights flashed, then one of the two escorts waved her hand in front of a wall panel. The next door opened, and the process repeated in the next chamber. Then this door opened into a large, white anteroom.
Monitoring equipment blinked and whirred all over the place, huge screens with various moving graphs and charts. Enormous tanks filled with liquid, large blocks of growing crystal, even large contraptions Loki thought might be generators. His eyes stayed on the pale blue crystals.
Those are what I thought.
A tall woman in a white uniform strode toward them. Her black heels clicked sharply on the floor, her hair pulled back into a severe tail. She was a handsome woman, but her dark glasses and lack of makeup were clearly meant to make her look harsh and unsmiling.
"Loki," she said, offering the hand not holding a clipboard, "I am Director Mae Agre. Please call me Mae."
If she wanted to be hard, then Loki would be soft. He offered her a gentle smile and didn't squeeze her hand as firmly as he might normally. "Thank you for the kind reception, Madam Director. Especially after the overreaction of my little girl." He sent an indulgent smile down at Skaði, as if she was guilty of throwing a toy at four men instead of ruthlessly killing them.
The Director waved a well-manicured hand. Her nails were also black. "Let bygones be bygones. Please, come. We've set up a special station for -"
"Before that," Loki gently interrupted, "may I ask about these?" He pointed to the blue crystals.
"Certainly," she said. "What would you like to know?"
"Mostly, where you procured them," Loki replied, releasing Skaði's hand to move toward the nearest crystal.
Mae paced him but made no move to intercept or stop him. "They have always been here. They are the reason we built this city here."
"Mm," Loki said, reaching out. He could see the naked energy swirling within, but he had a feeling there was nothing to fear.
Indeed, the moment his palm touched the glassy surface, the energy reacted strongly. Loki's eyes fluttered shut at the feel of such familiar power.
"That feels like energy residing in the Nine," Skaði said.
"Yes, dearest," Loki confirmed. "These crystals are commonly found in Alfheim. How fascinating that they should be here, of all places. If we ever return, I would very much like to find the culprit behind this phenomenon. And unfortunately, it means I can't use them to drain the alien energy from my body. I need something not of the Nine."
Skaði trotted to his side and slipped her hand back into his. "I'll find what you need. I promise."
He gave her a soft and genuine smile. Then he looked back to Mae, finding her giving him a look of open curiosity. "I apologize. The way you've built around them is quite something. Growing crystals are wonderful energy conductors."
"The best we've found," the Director said, nodding once. "Now, if you'll come this way?"
This time, Loki went. Nearly everyone in the room paused in their work to watch him pass by, and he found himself amused by their wonder. Apparently, people here don't use magic.
The station Mae had mentioned was a comfortable-looking chair with a built-in foot rest. Various instruments were pointed at it, and dozens of wires were hooked up to it. A privacy partition had been erected to block out the rest of the anteroom, but Loki didn't care about that. He didn't wait for her prompting to sit.
Mae turned at once to the control panel. "Would you mind me asking, Loki, about your abilities? We have never encountered anyone who not only channels but also stores energy inside his own body."
"Have you not?" Loki said, idly curious. "Where I'm from, it's not such an uncommon occurrence. The level of ability depends on the individual, of course."
A soft red light flared from one of the instruments, fanning out in probably one hundred (or more) lines. A scanner, he knew, and it ran down his entire body. An image appeared on the screen, and Loki raised an eyebrow in surprise. The scanner depicted a surprisingly accurate image of the golden lines of power running through his veins. Normally, the lines would be green.
"Amazing," Mae said, voice absent as if talking to herself. "It's like the energy is as much a part of you as the veins carrying blood. I've never seen anything like it."
"Do you have any other storage vessels than these crystals?" Loki asked her, watching another scanner activate, this one from the left side instead of the front.
"No," she said, scribbling something on her clipboard. "We've never needed to."
"Where does the energy itself come from?" Stark asked abruptly.
Loki caught his eye. "Later. That's information I'd rather not share with these people."
Mae ignored the human. "How do you channel this energy, Loki?" she asked. "Do you need some sort of focusing agent?"
Not unless my own mind counts. "In a manner of speaking."
"This energy has almost ten times the charge of these crystals," she said, watching stats scroll across the screen. "This is absolutely amazing. I think it could power this entire city, a feat which normally takes twenty large crystals."
"I'm sure it could," Loki said, beginning to lose patience. "How do you transfer energy from one container to another?"
The Director reached down and smacked her palm against the control panel. "Why don't I just show you."