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Just so you all know: I'm writing this with a cuddly cat on my lap. Now you know ;)
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Tony didn't have to be watching the audio/visual feed from Loki's apartment – in fact there were shifts and shifts of SHIELD agents to do that. He just…wanted to keep an eye on his equipment – or so he told himself.
He watched as the girl – Lillian, he reminded himself – nibbled on the end of a paint brush, pallet in hand, and stared with certain intensity at the near-blank canvas. There was a sketch of something – abstract as far as Tony could tell – drawn lightly and with monumental care on the tightly pulled canvas. Suddenly the girl put down the brush and pallet, walked over to the small television and stereo combo and popped in a CD she had picked off the coffee table. She turned the volume up and over the feed Tony could hear a Taylor Swift song – it's country sound twanging its way through the apartment. Tony had met Ms. Swift once…she was nice.
Loki, who was kneeling on the rug at the coffee table doing the suspiciously normal act of doing their bills, looked up at the girl – Lillian, Lillian, Lillian, Tony! How hard is it to remember a single name? – and raised an eyebrow. Lillian refused to look at Loki though and started singing along with the song.
"So don't you worry your pretty little mind
"People throw rocks at things that shine
"And life makes love look ha-a-a-ard
"The stakes are high
"The water's rough
"But this love is OURS!"
Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head, going back to finishing the bills scattered in an organized chaos across the coffee table.
But it seemed as if the girl – Lillian! – wasn't done yet. She put the brush and pallet down again and went and made a big show of sitting down in front of Loki.
"Don't you worry your pretty little mind
"People throw rocks at things that shine
"But they can't take what's ours
"They can't take what's ours!"
"Lill," Loki interrupted as he held up a hand, "There is literally nothing you can do that –"
"Will make Taylor Swift your favorite Midgardian singer in the whole wide universe?!" Lillian supplied eagerly with a grin.
"No,"
Lillian seemed to deflate as she pushed her lower lip out and looked as if she were about to cry. Loki just ignored her though and Tony could help but laugh at the situation…which made him feel weird: why was he watching this again? Oh yes: he didn't want to leave his equipment alone…right…
Suddenly the girls' face brightened and she perked up, "You know, Loki, my birthday's coming up!"
"Yes, on the 13th," Loki replied, again without looking up.
"And…you know what I really want for this birthday?" The girl asked, still grinning.
"I'm pretty sure you own every Taylor Swift disc available on the face of this earth," Loki said dryly, still continuing his bills.
"Nu-uh!" the girl exclaimed, widening her eyes theatrically. "She just released a new album!" The girl pushed her lower lip out again and folded her hands in front of her. "Please?"
"No,"
"You're a bully, Loki," the girl said with a pout. But she sighed and went back to painting anyway.
Tony laughed inwardly at the whole interaction and was so highly amused by the two he didn't even hear Thor's gallumphing steps as he entered the surveillance room they had set up.
"Stark!" Thor said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Oh," he said again, regaining his composure. "I was just keeping an eye on my equipment. If Loki breaks it he will not escape my wrath," he said half-jokingly. Why was he in here?
But Thor took this reasoning without question and pulled up a chair next to Stark, "Does he seem well, friend Stark?" He asked. He really was worried about Loki, especially because he had forbidden Thor from interacting with him.
Tony tilted his head, seeing the concern etching it's way deeper and deeper into Thor's soul, "He seems…happy, Thor. He's ok, buddy, and if anything happens – we'll know. I promise."
Thor's face brightened and he gave Tony a brilliant smile. Thor nodded his thanks and Tony walked out of the room. Maybe that was it; maybe he wasn't really worried about his equipment…maybe – through his care for Thor – he was worried about Loki too.
Tony walked down the hall and shook his head, nah; he was definitely worried about his equipment.
XxX
"Oswego, Renee! He's so close!" Bell exclaimed for the fiftieth time that hour. It was around midnight thirty now and the man – Eric, Magneto? – had left. Malik had also wandered off after much persuasion from Renee's part and now Bell and Rey were alone.
Renee shook his head and took another sip of his drink. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Why doesn't everyone know about this guy?" Renee asked, bringing his free hand to his chin as he stared into the fire.
"It could be a road trip!" Bell said, still stuck on her own path of thought. "How long would it take to drive there, Rey-Rey? California to New York…a cross country trip, baby!" Bell laughed taking another gulp of her mojito. Not the first one of the night, either.
Renee sighed, they had already made this trip together, "Last time it took about five days traveling around eight or nine hours a day," he answered anyway.
Bell frowned, "We can do better than that."
"But do we want to?" Renee mumbled. He really didn't…he just didn't know anymore.
Bell sauntered over from her perch at the bar and stood in front of Renee, the fire the only light in the room, "Of course we do! Remember what he did, Renee! He killed my husband! He killed your daughter! He killed all those innocent people! Renee, tell me you're not thinking of just…forgetting it!" She squeaked, horrified at the notion.
Renee leaned back in his chair. She was right: the man had killed all those people…he had killed his daughter. Why should he forgive him? Why should that man walk free after the things he did?
"I know I'm not going to let that man continue walking free on this planet after what he did," Bell hissed, mirroring Renee's thoughts.
But that's just it. Renee and Bell…they had killed so many times in their pasts as well. Renee never lost a blink of sleep over it and he knew Bell hadn't either. He knew that he probably destroyed families by killing the father, he'd killed tons of people when a chase involving Bell, a bomb, and a concert went awry. He never thought about it. But now here they were, Bell and Renee, two murderers whose victims spread all across the globe, trying to plot the death of a man who was the same as them.
Thinking about it…Renee just wanted to forget all the things he had done. That man, that 'god' probably just wanted to forget as well.
"Renee, look at me," Bell commanded. After knowing someone for so many centuries you just know what they are thinking after a while. "We will be doing the world a favor…by killing that monster."
Renee nodded. He wasn't in it, though and Bell could see it, "We will never get a chance like this again, Renee! If we don't take our revenge now someone else will. We will never have a chance like this again!"
Bell could see Renee still wasn't convinced. What was he thinking about? They had spent centuries together, though, so it couldn't be that hard to figure it out. Bell knelt in front of Renee's chair. She saw that he was worried…but what about? He wouldn't die. As far as either of them knew there wasn't anything in the universe that could kill either one of them. So what was it? He looked…melancholy. Guilty? Sad? Ah…he was thinking of the things he had done in his past. "Listen to me, Renee," Bell said, cupping Renee's cheek, half expecting him to pull away from her like he had all night but instead he leaned into the touch, "We…are not that man. What we did; it – they were all accidents," not really, "he just killed…all those people without a thought. He needs to be punished."
Renee closed his eyes and Bell worried he wouldn't be with her on this one. "Ok," Renee said quietly. Bell's eyes widened in surprise – he was with her on this! He was going to help her! "Let's go," he said, a determined look in his eyes.
XxX
Charles Xavier looked out on the grounds of his mansion-come-school and listened. Something hadn't been right, recently, he just didn't know what. He had tried talking to McCoy about it but neither of them could find anything.
"Charles?" a soft voice asked from behind him. He turned his chair a little and saw Ororo standing in the doorway of the balcony.
"Storm," he said warmly and with a smile but she didn't smile back. She looked at the ground and fidgeted with her sweater. "What troubles you?"
"Do you remember the attack on New York a while ago?" She asked, not really pinpointing what was distressing her, exactly.
Charles nodded, he remembered well: he had offered his and some of his older students' help but Fury of SHIELD – he knew him well, they had met several times in the past – had said that they had had it under control. Charles couldn't help but wonder what the real reason was that he didn't want them there. As far as Charles could tell they had almost failed protecting New York until Stark – the Iron Man – had flown the bomb through the portal.
"Well…" she continued hesitantly, "One of the students just came back from visiting family in Oswego, New York and…"
"Storm, what is it?" Charles pressed a little. He knew he could just read her mind but knew that Ororo did treasure her privacy. He just hoped that Director Fury had decided wisely on what to do with the 'god' – Loki, if he recalled correctly – who had lead the invasion.
"He says…well, do you remember the person who had lead the invasion?" she asked.
Charles sighed inwardly. The world, it seemed, couldn't find a minute of peace. "Yes," he answered simply.
"Well, he says that he was there, in Oswego," She answered finally.
Charles frowned. Fury had told him… "Thank you, Storm, I will take care of this."
Ororo nodded thankfully and walked back into the mansion.
Charles needed to call Fury.
Alright! So we finally have some Charles Xavier action! YES! Ok if any of you have random info on the Xmen it would be fantastic if you could share it with me because I know very little.
Anyway this Loki-Peak is a continuation of the last one. I decided to start giving Lill some back-story so she wouldn't seem so much of a shadow or a fill, you know? And I had said that she had 'baggage' in earlier chapters so here is some of her 'baggage'…
Lill woke up to the sound of a whimper. At first she just wanted to flip over and go back to sleep but...
"Sorry…" she heard Loki whisper. At first she thought he was talking to her for waking her up but when she looked over at him he wasn't even facing her. He was shivering and grabbing his arms, a grimace etched on his face.
"Loki?" she asked, sleepily. She touched his arm to get his attention but he jerked away.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he said, letting out a gasp of pain.
"Loki? Wake up! Please!" Lill exclaimed. She knelt on the bed and grabbed his should, trying to make him face her.
"P-please…I'm sorry, sorry!" he muttered, flinching away again.
"LOKI!"
Loki's eyes snapped open and caught Lill's. She could see his terror and hurt as he said, "I'm sorry."
She didn't know what to do. She had heard about what had been done to him but…he had never gone into great detail. "I know," she replied simply, laying back down and curling up around his still-shaking form.
She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it – he never talking about his nightmares – but she had to ask, anyway. Someone had once told her that "talking about it" helped. So after letting him relax back into her arms she asked, "Do you want to tell me?" She knew he would say no but she knew these nightmares haunted him for days and even though he was awake now he was still trapped in his mind.
Loki stiffly shook his head, twisting so that he was holding her and pulled her closer.
Lill understood. She knew he didn't want to relive those moments…but she knew he wouldn't fall asleep again tonight so she started talking. Talking helps, right? "When I was just graduating from college," Lill started. She took a breath, she had hinted at this to Loki before but hadn't ever actually told him, "I was in a relationship…with a guy who wasn't…the kindest."
Loki lifted his head a little, signaling he was listening. But Lill didn't want to continue: she really, really understood why Loki wouldn't talk about his nightmares. But she continued anyway. Maybe telling Loki her past would help him tell her what was still hurting him. "A lot of people tried to tell me that I had to get out of that relationship but…it was a mistake. And one day, I came home from work and he had already been drinking all day. I…I guess you could say I 'saw the sign' that day," Lill choked out remembering how he had hit her.
Loki pulled her closer yet, understanding without her having to say what happened.
"And when I got a restraining order on him…he kept just showing up. It would seem random but it happened too many times, too soon. I knew he was stalking me," Lill said, voice cracking. She had to tell Loki this, she did. It would help, it would help. "He broke into my apartment one night, while I was away – thank God – and he burned all my paintings!" Lill cried. She was still so affected and upset about this…she cried and her voice cracked but she persevered. It would help. It would help her that she told Loki and it would help Loki see that…that it's ok to be hurt. It only matters what you do after you were hurt.
"Lill…" Loki's voice was low and gravelly from sleep and his own anxiety, "You don't have to…"
"I do," Lill stated stubbornly. "I called it in to the Police and he was charged with breaking and entering and destroying of property. While he was still in jail I moved. I had only been here in Oswego for a year and a half before you decided to stumble in," Lill said trying to joke lightly at the end but failing miserably as her voice cracked again.
"I…" Loki said uncertainly.
"Loki I understand that you don't want to talk about it, so you don't have to," Lill said, regaining some of her composure.
Loki was silent for a while, but Lill knew he hadn't fallen asleep. Lill glanced at the clock and it read 2:47 am. What a glorious time to have breakdowns and breakthroughs.
"Let's go," Loki whispered as he got up and slipped on some jeans and a tee.
"Where are we going?" Lill asked, surprised at the turn of events going on.
"It's a surprise," he whispered back as he picked up a duffel back and put some articles of clothing in it that Lill couldn't see.
…
"IT'S SO COLD!" Lill shrieked at Loki who had jumped into the lake and had run back and hugged Lill.
"Let's go!" he laughed.
And they did. And they swam. And it was cold. But it was perfect.
So this is a longish chapter for you guys! Remember to comment and post random info on the Xmen for me and Magneto that would be fantastic!
AnnDroyd: Thanks so much, you know what for! I do thank you for telling me Magneto's name was Eric I totally forgot. I do invite you to write random psychology advice on how some of these messed up characters might actually be acting and – because you seem to know – feel absolutely free to write X-Men info! GO GO GO! Thanks again.
Phantom