Rebecca strutted through the palace as though she had been born and reared there. It had too much gold for her liking, but she enjoyed toying with those in her surrounds, she made men grope women in front of their partners for her amusement at any opportunity, she used her abilities to get people to reveal their thoughts, and on one occasion made a Lord who she could see was eyeing up a woman far too young for him strip naked and splash around in a fountain, much to the bafflement and displeasure of those that found him.
Loki, under the guise of his father, merely chuckled as different members of the court came to him, declaring something was amiss, dismissing them as foolish ramblings and to cease wasting his time. He knew it could arouse suspicion, but Rebecca bored was a recipe for disaster, she could decide to leave, or worse, so he said nothing to scold or reprimand her.
"We have a problem."
Loki was in the middle of some droll complaint by some Lord when Rebecca's voice came into his head. "Can it not wait?"
"Not really, the old fart is starting to die." She sounded bored, but she gave him the ability to see what she was seeing, and indeed, it appeared that Odin was starting to choke to death on something invisible.
"Are you doing that?"
"No, it's called a heart attack." She snapped. "His heart is dying or a part of it is, and since I could not be less inclined to call a healer, plus it works to our advantage, I am not going to."
"What do you mean?"
"This will get that idiot Thor back here, from there I can get the guardian to lock the gate and not let him back to my planet when we start our fun and games." She explained, "But that includes you looking ill and leaving immediately."
Loki thought for a moment, knowing that she was paying attention to him as he did so. "Fine, but he will not pass, not yet." Seeing his plan, Rebecca sighed but did what she needed to keep Odin alive until Loki could get there.
When he arrived at her location, he realised she had not been with Odin but had been tracking his mind as she made her way there from her own location in the palace, somewhere she did not seem to feel the need to share with him.
"We need to inform Thor," Loki informed her vocally.
Rebecca walked to the nearest window and looked at the Bifrost bridge. In it, Heimdall, who was weakening because of his permanent statue like state since their arriving in Asgard near a month before, made his way gingerly to the centre of the Bifrost and placed his sword within it, turning it toward Alfheim to inform the Thunder God of his need to return home. "He is coming through."
"Let us prepare ourselves." Loki grinned.
"The whole realm know that you are here." She reminded him, "What will you do with that? As soon as he hears that he will be on the alert." Loki's nostrils flared for a moment, but as his thoughts flooded her mind, Rebecca merely nodded, readying herself for her next chore.
Thor flew through the skies to the palace at speed, Heimdall's message causing him to fly all the faster. When he arrived at the training grounds, no one said anything to him, not that he had expected them too, according to Heimdall, none knew of the true severity of state of the Allfather, the healers did not think it a good idea to alert the realm with him off it, ergo, he knew no one knew anything about the situation at hand and thought nothing of seeing the prince return. When he made his way to the healing rooms, there were none inside; concerned, he walked towards his father's chambers next, again, there was no sign of life. Confused, he pondered what to do, until he turned to go to speak with Eir and found himself frozen in place. Immediately fear filled him. He had felt like that before, realising where from, he realised just how in trouble he and indeed Asgard was in. He was forced to move forward, out of his father's rooms and to his own. He had to give it to Rebecca, she made it that he did not raise any suspicion, as much as he tried to. On entering, he was met by Loki sitting on a chair in front of his desk that he used to have to study the different laws and wars at.
"Hello, Thor."
"Loki!" he hissed the word out, for a moment he thought it was his own doing, but as he tried to force out another word, he could not. His eyes darted around for Rebecca, angered to see her going through his belongings as he stood there helpless. When she came to an old boat on the table, she looked at him, smirking wickedly as she read his mind, seeing the meaning of that small item to him. She lifted it up and inspected it intently. Don't!
"I won't break it, I promise." Her grin and tone did nothing to ease his concerns. "My father used to make something similar with my brother." Both Loki and Thor were surprised to hear her refer to something so personal. "They used to spend every Saturday doing it, so long as the hurling or football wasn't on," Neither God knew what hurling was, and in Thor's time on earth, he realised that more than one game called itself football. "When the RUC came, they would break them on purpose. They knew my father had nothing to do with the fighting, but that never stopped them, it was a message, only thing is, the 'message' did the cause more good than anything, people rather be tormented for what they did do than for not doing anything."
I said already, you never deserved what happened you. Thor thought again, knowing she would be able to read his mind.
"That goes without saying, I did nothing wrong, I never took from those who could not afford it, I only wanted to live." She hissed angrily.
Loki rose from his chair and walked over to her, gently caressing her cheek. "What is he saying, my darkness?"
Thor watched as his adoptive brother looked at the girl, realising the sheer depth that his brother was infatuated with the woman beside him. He also noted the small grin on Rebecca's face, it was akin to a smirk but more devious and it scared him. It was not for Loki to see from the manner she looked at Thor as Loki's line of vision on Thor also. When he wondered over the words asked with the Avenger's as to it being a relationship of equals or one simply of opportunity, the smile only widened on her face. "Nothing of relevance, come, let us deal with that old fart's issues."
Where is my father? Thor demanded in his mind.
"In the healing rooms." He thought of how he searched there. "You think you did, but you did not. You were to your mother's rooms, I made it seem in your mind that you went to the healers."
How dare you desecrate my mother's memory by using her like that! Thor was incandescent with rage for her actions.
"Oh, boo-hoo." She scoffed, turning to leave. "By the way, your friends, the warriors…" Thor's mind went to his friends as dread filled him as to why she was referencing them. "What are their weaknesses?" He violently shook his head and tried to think of anything but the allies he had with over half a millennium. "Come now, other than your little tagalong that hopes she can get into your bed." Thor's mind went to Sif. "Oh, you knew, and yet you tagged that poor simpleton along." Thor looked at her guiltily. "Wow, and you deem Loki cruel…"
"What is going on in that imbecile's head?" Loki asked curiously.
"He does not want her, but has yet to tell her to seek happiness elsewhere."
"I never played any woman's emotions in such a manner," Loki admitted, he pressed his lips to her neck again. "What is the plan for the evening?"
"Your good brother is going to wait until we deal with something, then I am going to have a little fun."
"He is not my brother," Loki growled.
Thor swallowed. He knew he had lost Loki, but hearing those words still smarted to hear him say such words. We were raised as such.
"What does that matter? A cat can be raised alongside a horse, it does not mean it can be taught to pull a cart." Rebecca scoffed.
"What is this action that requires dealing with before dealing with him?" Loki queried, not wanting to allow Thor take too much of Rebecca's attention.
As Thor was forced to watch on, Rebecca gave a vicious grin as she leant up and whispered into Loki's ear. He watched as Loki's eyes widened slightly and an elated smile came to his face. Without even waiting a moment, Loki used his seidr to magic Thor onto the balcony of his rooms, still unable to move or speak in any way, but more than capable of hearing. What he heard took little translation, it was clear what they were doing, anger surging through him as he thought of the pair choosing to tarnish his personal space in such a manner, making obnoxiously loud and lewd noises to ensure he knew exactly what they were doing. On more than one occasion he heard them crash into furnishings only to sound almost aggressive after said noises. Finally, after what felt like a century, the noises came to a crescendo. Thor grimaced as he heard the groan of release from the same person that he had watched learn to crawl, learn to babble then talk, who he had seen once as so defenceless, now a hate filled creature, bent on chaos and destruction, as he had assumed was what others had expected of him to be. He felt himself being forced back into the room, each forced footstep he fought, but to no avail, it was happening, whether he sought to re-join his brother and his equally sadistic lover or not.
Loki was still panting, his hair dishevelled and his face one of pride and release induced elation. Beside him, Rebecca was breathing calmly, though much to Thor's chagrin, he had heard her release also, yet her collected, though newly unkempt appearance, caused him some confusion. He noted too the desk that he had used to study that had housed his boat was now the ground zero of a zone of destruction, papers strewed around it, some objects on it either on the floor or toppled on the desk. His line of sight made it difficult for him, but Thor still attempted to look for the small model ship Rebecca had stated she would not harm. "You had best deal with the Odin situation, the healer wants to talk to you," Rebecca stated randomly.
"Will you be alright here?" Loki asked, cupping her face with his hand for a moment, looking at her lovingly.
"I can handle the oaf."
Loki leant down and kissed her passionately. "Call on me if you require me."
"I will." She grinned as Loki left the room. "It is on the bed." She informed Thor, reading the concern in his mind for the boat. "I may be a vicious monster, but I am one of my word."
"You are only as much of a monster as you allow yourself to be." Thor was shocked she had given him his voice again.
"I am only being what they accused me of being." She corrected. "I was not this before."
"You could return to that, to who you truly are." Thor was desperate, he reached out to her, trying to get her to see the madness of her actions.
"I am who I truly am, back then I was naïve and pathetic, now…now I am to be feared, I prefer myself now."
"This is not you, you are a survivor, not a killer."
"You were raised a warrior, I saw it, through Loki and your father, and here you stand now, trying to bargain with me, weak and soft."
"I am not soft, I merely am trying to speak with you."
"You are not like the others, their first thoughts were to annihilate me, but you, you actually think there is something inside me worth saving. But that is the issue, Thor, I do not want to be saved."
"This will end in catastrophe."
"I never planned on dying old." She dismissed.
"And Loki?"
"Loki is incredibly useful, isn't he?" she turned to leave. "I think you should get some sleep, I have plans for you in an hour or so. I like to take a bath after I feed Loki's depravity, it is incredible what a guy will do for you if you let him screw you." She smirked.
Thor's eyes widened as he walked to the bed, not of his own accord and he was forced to lay down. He was grateful that the pair had not fornicated on his bed, but her words caught his attention. Was there truth to the idea that Loki was more invested in Rebecca than she was him. Her demeanour and coldness led him to think such.