Chapter nine : Curious coincidence
Loki was quiet. He stayed by his brother's side, he was still asleep, stuck in a dreamless sleep. He was transfused, he looked peaceful. Loki was truly bored, and he had no faith in those healers. They were all very suspicious of his intentions and they did not even take care of the armor of Thor. He noticed their accusing glances, sometimes he remembered the tragic incident and the avengers. He briefly thought about the S.H.I.E.L.D and sighed.
"Maybe I should go away now ... But I still need him. Especially because ..."
- Loki!
He turned, this woman was very bizarre and annoyed him. What was her name?... Oh, yes. Darcy.
- I've found better clothes. More, casual you know.
- This is a three-piece suit?
- No ... I ...Theer's a coat, a shirt and ...
- It's not very distinguished.
- Order people to kneel before you, it's not very distinguished either.
She frowned and dropped the clothes.
- I do not know how to react, Darcy said slowly, you're a murderer anyway.
- Pretend I'm not.
Darcy froze and shuddered for a few seconds, then she watched Thor.
- He is looking a little better. The doctor told me he will wake up in the morning.
- It's you, then?
- Me? Darcy replied, putting a hand to her chest.
- Yes. The girl he's watching from the stars in the sky. You're the one he wants.
There was a deep disregard in his voice that Darcy noticed. She was embarrassed and hesitated to stop the conversation. She suddenly grabbed his bag to take a cheap sandwich with cheddar and salad.
- Me, are you serious? I would have bet on Jane !
- Jane...
- She'll come today, I'm surprised he didn't talk about her.
- So that's her name, Loki finished, crossing his arms.
He looked down at the clothes.
- I'll get dressed, he interrupted.
- Alright ...
Darcy was eating like a pig while Loki stood up. Then, the door opened. A small woman entered, she had wonderful hair. She was wearing a light scarf around her neck: she was breathless and had large eyes. Loki stopped walking. He looked at the woman for long seconds. Nothing happened, then stepped back. He recognized Dr. Selvig. The man retained a cry of horror.
- Darcy! he yelled, Darcy, why didn't you tell me before! Call the police now, the police, the S.H.I.E.L.D, asylum and firemen !
He pointed to him, Loki blinked and smiled.
- Erik Selvig... I think you wouldn't choose better words to express your pleasure to see me.
- What is he doing here? Erik roars.
- Calm down, said the woman who had just arrived.
She looked at Loki for a few seconds and slowly walked to the bed. She sat next to him.
- I just can't believe it ... It's him.
She put a hand against his forehead.
- I ... I really wanna slap him. All this time without a simple vital sign !
- At least, he came back, Darcy said, full mouth.
- It just seems all of you can't realize how this man is dangerous, added Erik Selvig.
He was trying to stay away from him, as far as possible !
- We do, Jane said, who knows. Maybe he did it...
- I do not know, Darcy cut, he looked ...
She swallowed and finished the sandwich.
- He seemed to worry about him when I found them.
- ...Mentally ill, hissed Erik Selvig.
Loki looked down.
- If I were not here to save your friend, he would have been dead now. A new evil will spread on Earth. And this time, be sure it is not me. I envy them...
- A new evil, replied Jane. What if our researches... Had a link with this?
- Oh no. No…
- What? asked Loki.
- Jane is working on a new phenomenon. Since Thor has left, she has worked everyday on many dimensions, quantum physics and energy oscillations, and bullshit like that.
Darcy dried her hands.
- Excellent idea, Dr. Selvig said, tell him about everything ! Don't you see he is lying ? He will kill us !
- I highly doubt this will happen, my dear Erik. Unfortunately.
- Really? And why?
- Because I lost my powers.
Jane looked at him. Selvig clapped his hands.
- Sublime, 'he said, he is the best liar in the universe!
- I'm serious.
He joined his hands.
- No matter what you are working on, know that something is coming. A deadly storm. Soldiers from the shadows... They will take everything in their path. And if you do not help us, you will all sink ...
He approached Jane. His heavy footsteps were clacking on the hospital floor.
- And if I have to hurt you, I will. Obviously.
He smiled and the young woman stopped breathing.
- I will do everything to save my brother.
- Because you need him for now, whispered Selvig.
Loki looked at him. He was still insane. Jane Foster looked down. She never wanted to notice that look again. He stepped back.
- You cannot imagine what I've done for him.
He watched the clothes he had to wear.
- I'm going to get dressed now.
He went to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Dr. Selvig ran a hand against the shoulder of Darcy.
- Don't protect him, he stressed, this man is crazy.
- I do not know...
- He has killed a hell of a lot of people... Innocent people, just like us.
- Hm ...
- If only Thor was awake, he could tell you all about what Loki did.
- Loki ...
Dr. Selvig started. Thor murmured something else under his breath, eyes closed. Jane Foster rushed upon him. She touched his wrists.
- Thor!
- Ah!
Darcy almost fell off her chair. They surrounded him as if he were a strange beast.
- Let him breathe, Jane said
He tried to say something, his dry lips moved but he could not lift his eyelids. He moved slowly.
- All is well.
Finally, he looked at her. He frowned while she caressed his cheek.
- Jane ... Is that you?
Jane nodded, her eyes were sparkling and she smiled.
- Why are you here?
He turned his head.
- My friends ...
He looked around.
- Where is Loki? he asked.
- He'll be back, no worry. You're in Midgard now, and...
- Midgard!
He rose quickly, it was very sudden. As if he had regained his godly strength in a few seconds.
- We are on Earth. How? Loki. Do not him unattended ... I ...
There was the sound of a door. Loki left the bathroom. He wore a slightly unbuttoned white shirt tucked into pants. He was tall and slender. His blue eyes stopped upon his brother. He froze and sighed. He noticed the closeness between Jane and Thor.
- I'm disappointed, I hope you would never wake up actually.
- You're still here ...
- Of course I am.
Thor took a deep breath. What kinds of games were these? What if he wanted to come back?
By his side?
Was it the same Loki that faced him during their games so many years ago?
No. Of course not.
This Loki never existed. A fading illusion.
- Thor?
He turned to Dr. Selvig.
- What the hell? Thor ! Loki is still free? And you, you''ve decided to take a walk to Midgard ...
- He did not tell you?
- Oh he vaguely talked, but he did not say anything interesting.
- We are in great danger, said Thor.
Loki crossed his arms, victorious and smiling.
- This is actually what I said ...
- Oh you ...
- Loki, I beg you. They are my friends.
- Forgive me, I have not seen a starry shield yet... No flambing armor ... No green monster.
- About green monsters ...
- Shut up.
Thor took his head in his hands, Jane helped him to recover, but he did not require any assistance.
- We need to find someone here.
- So that's why you came back, in the end?
Jane looked her over a long moment in silence. Loki raised an eyebrow.
- Was it just a coincidence? A ridiculous chance?
- Be quiet, Jane...
- Darcy! Leave us alone ! All of you !
- I cannot stay unattended, Loki replied, raising his finger.
She bit her lip. She was angry now
- Jane, Thor replied, I've been watching you since the stars. Every day, every night. I couldn't help thinking of you.
"And when you touched me, Thor? And when you were obsessed by me, did you think about Jane?"
- ... Everything had become so hard ... But I hoped this day would come very soon. Otherwise. In a safer world. But everything is dangerous ...
"I can be very dangerous too."
Jane stared at him. What could she say? She said nothing. At that moment, the door opened. The two nurses came in the room. The first one sighed and stopped, w atching Thor.
- Ah, the tall man with the hammer is awake.
She touched the transfusions.
- My hammer, he hissed.
- You did not want to leave it. You dropped it while you were sleeping.
- Where is it? he asked, aggressive.
She pointed her finger at the ground, next to the bed. The Mjöllnir was well placed, proudly waiting for his master. Thor realized about the pipes which were connected to his blood. He held his breath, ready to hit the nurse and everything in this room but Jane stopped him.
- Please, stay calm.
- I know those things, Thor explained, during my banishment...They've tried to take my blood !
- I know, but I can tell you that it is good for you.
Thor clenched his fists. He felt the blood pumping in. Loki refrained from laughing.
- He who laughs last, laughs best, Selvig said.
- You have a real grudge against me, am I right ? But you have heart. You'll forgive me.
- Oh no !
He ran away.
- Not this time you creepy fool !
The other nurse slipped behind him and apologized. There was another patient, hidden behind a sheet. A second they had forgotten. Darcy stood up, stretched her neck. The curtain was pulled.
- Oh my God, she whispered.
The first nurse disappeared. The second followed her.
- Do you think he heard something endangering? Darcy asked to Jane.
- I do not know ...
Loki turned pale. He turned to the door.
- I should go and tell them. We do not stay here. Thor and I have important things to do.
- Nice try, Selvig said, but I do not think he will agree. You said it yourself. We can not leave you alone.
They looked at each other for a long time.
Rage.
- We need our guardian, Thor said with a loud voice.
Jane tried to calm his enthusiasm he was talking way too loud and the other patient was reading a book. He raised his head for a few seconds.
- Our guardian Heimdall disappeared. We can not go anywhere without him. We need him , and he is here, in Midgard. Asgard is threatened. It is only the first target of Malekith ..
- Malekith?
- An emperor. He will destroy everything... The tree of Ygdrasill ... will never see the sun again.
The patient screwed his eyes, and watched Thor.
- Excuse me? You've just talked about Ygdrasill. This is the name of a tree in the book I'm reading. Does it really exist?
He pointed his own book called The secret of the Valkyries. Thor's heart raced hard. He sat up violently, removed his transfusions. No matter about the blood. He could not believe it.
- Heimdall! he cried, Heimdall , it's you !
The book slipped and fell to the floor. It was him. His black skin was smooth and his big yellow eyes had lost their lustre. Was it really him? Or someone else?
What if he...
Had forgotten everything?
- Thor! Jane said, shh ! Nurses will come back ! Stay calm for God's sake, Loki is still an enemy here !
- Oh ... really?
Loki looked down.
- Heimdall, repeated the man in the bed, Heimdall ... that name ... It's so far away. As a past life.
- Heimdall, you forgot it. I can't believe it...
He straightened. The lively and quick smile that had appeared vanished.
- Only you can help us ...
- Thor, just give you. Can't you see he can't remember ? You must go to Asgard, and face Malekith, alone.
Loki was closer now.
Heimdall turned towards Loki and sat up. He blinked twice, then refrained from uttering a cry of rage. He rushed to Loki, hold his throat and strangled like his eagle's claw against the scale of the snake.
- You!
- Heimdall!
Thor tried to separate the two men.
- What are you doing?
- That's him, Thor. It's all his fault.
Loki caressed his own throat,, out of breath and he sweat.
- What does it mean? asked Loki.
- Enough, said Thor, you know. Tell me. Tell me everything. How could you erase his memory?
- He didn't expect it for once, Heimdall said, too bad for him, I'm not one of his puppets ...
Heimdall became colder, but his eyes were burning.
The fire of the real piercing eye of the guardian of Asgard.
- Excuse me?
It was Darcy.
- Can you tell us what is actually happening? I'm about to explode.