Norse Proverb: There's no excusing the man who rejects the truth once it's proven

Chapter Twelve

'So my birth mum and dad were aliens.' It was still taking her some time to wrap her head around that fact. 'I wonder if that's why they were so miserable. If I'd just been dumped on some strange planet, I might be prone to drown my sorrows in anything I could get my hands on.'

They were reclining on one of the plush sofa's in the hotel suite.

'Trust me, I've been to places not just alien, but completely unknown. They chose to give up.'

'These are my parents you're talking about!' she turned to face him.

'Who were addicts and who tried to kill you.'

She huffed but couldn't argue with him, so instead she began scrolling through the contents of the tablet. She knew from Loki's trepidation that there was worse to come.

'Does that say what I think it does?' She pointed to the text in question.

'Your wounds showed signs of healing once you got to hospital.' he confirmed.

'But how is that even possible? According to the police report, they got to the scene less than five minutes after the neighbours heard screams and called 999.'

'The same way I healed you, magic.'

'But I didn't have magic then,' she argued. 'I still don't.'

'You have always had it, it just wasn't very noticeable, rather like breasts, everyone has them, but they only become noticeable when puberty causes a female's breasts to swell and mature. When you were mortally wounded, you called on your magic, instinctively.'

'But how did I know to do that?'

'You didn't. I have heard stories of remarkable strength in times of crisis. An mother of average strength but who's child is trapped under a vehicle, can sometimes summon the strength to lift it off. To put it in your scientific terms,' he said with derision, 'she doesn't leave her child to find an epinephrine injection, rather her body recognises the crisis and floods her body with natural adrenalin, thus allowing her to perform a minor miracle. Your body knew you were grievously injured and did what it had to do to save you.'

'Why didn't my mum and sister heal themselves?'

'Magical aptitude is a talent. Had they trained, perhaps they could have compensated for their lack of natural ability but they didn't.'

It sounded reasonable enough.

Although his matter of fact explanations might seem harsh to many, she needed that right now. It seemed silly to shed tears for relatives she lost over 20 years ago, and whom she could hardly remember any longer, but given all the revelations and secrets coming out, if he showed her too much sympathy, she was afraid that she might give into the temptation to curl into a ball and revert to a catatonic state.

'What do I look like?' she asked. 'My parents' autopsy noted an alien organ structure but all the pictures show my parents looking human.'

'Are you sure you want to know?' he asked, hesitantly.

Lisa nodded.

Odin had cursed Loki to look Asgardian, so it was Loki's default appearance. Still, he could weaken the curse, such as when he touched another Frost Giant, or the Casket of Ancient Winters. He could also use his own magic to reveal his original appearance, and he did so now.

'Wow, that's actually kinda pretty.'

'Pretty?'

'Yeah. Then again, my favourite story growing up was the Snow Queen. Want to be my Snow King?'

She could feel that he was fighting it, but he smirked nonetheless.

'Can you do it to me?' she asked.

'If you touch me while I am in this form, it should override your curse.'

She reached out and took his hand. 'Oh, you're cold!' she said but she didn't let go, watching in awe as her skin turned blue. 'Come on!' She pulled him to his feet and over to the large mirror over the fireplace.

Loki looked stern but Lisa had a kind of fantastical smile on her face as the blue skin spread up her neck, eventually enveloping her face.

'Oh, wow!'

'You like this appearance?' Loki asked.

'Well don't get me wrong, I don't want to stroll down the high street looking like this but it's kinda cool. And the eyes, I could totally freak some people out with the eyes.' She leaned her head on his shoulder. 'I think this would make a fantastic portrait. Especially with crowns and tiaras on, we'd be like the real Snow King and Queen.'

'You do know that story is fiction, don't you?

'That's what I used to think about Norse mythology,'

He had to admit, she had a point.

Suddenly she giggled.

'And what, pray tell, do you find so amusing?'

'Oh, stop being grumpy. Yes, to you the Frost Giants were monsters but you're the only Frost Giant I know and while you are vain, sarcastic and awkward, you aren't a monster. To me, looking like this is freaky but fun. And I was laughing because first, it's better that crying and second, two blue aliens are wearing bathrobes with the Waldorf Astoria logo embroidered on them.'

Loki had to admit, their attire was a little comical.

Lisa dropped his hand and watched as the blue skin and red eyes faded. She let it get to her neck, then took his hand again, watching in awe as the blue covered her face once more.

'Are you going to do this all night?'

'No, I just… I just want a distraction.'

Loki pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. 'Aren't you the one who says that the truth is always better than a comforting lie?'

'And I believe that… except when you discover that your whole life is a lie and you're just a pawn in someone else's game.'

Loki tightened his grip. 'You aren't a pawn in my game.'

'I know, and thank you for that.' She buried her head in his shoulder. 'But things are really fucking screwed up when the God of Lies is the only one being honest with you.'

He chuckled at the irony.

She held onto him for a few minutes longer, surprised that he was letting her, he didn't really strike her as the cuddly type, but then he probably had some empathy with her situation. Finally she pulled away, wiping her eyes as her blue pallor faded. Loki also allowed his normal appearance to reassert itself.

'Okay, I'm ready for the rest. Or a little more of the rest, at least.'

Loki guided her back over to the sofa and she reclined against him, her back to his chest, so he could read the tablet over her shoulder.

The file revealed that it was her parents autopsy results that alerted SHIELD to her alien origins, but by the time they learned of the unusual results (which the pathologist had been put down to birth defects) she had already been adopted by the first foster family who took her in.

They tried to void the adoption, bringing her 'grandmother' out of the woodwork to contest it, but the judge hadn't been interested. To explain the fact she hadn't taken Lisa in earlier and that Lisa didn't know her at all, the grandmother had to say that her daughter had cut her out of their lives, thanks to their addiction problems. The judge however, wasn't about to hand a happy child over to a relative she didn't remember, let alone one who had raised an addict, so she was denied custody but allowed visitation rights.

Lisa wondered what Shield would have done to her if they had managed to fool the courts and void her adoption. She shuddered to think.

Instead SHIELD went to plan B and implanted a tracking device in her tooth.

'Oh my god.'

'What is it?' Loki asked.

She began scrolling through the agents' reports and pointed to the agent's photo, which along with their name, security clearance and shield number, was displayed on the heading of each report.

'She was my social worker,' swipe. 'And she was my therapist. He was my English teacher, and he was my form teacher for two years. He was my career counsellor.' She stopped pausing on each photograph and just zipped through them. 'GP, A'level English teacher, professor…'

'What?' he asked as her words trailed off.

Lisa held the tablet up so he could better see. 'He was my first boyfriend.' She wasn't sure how much more of this she could stand. 'My whole life feels like a play, like I'm staring in the Truman Show or something.'

'The what?'

'It's a movie, a man's entire life is faked so the public can watch him in a reality TV show.'

'An apt analogy.'

Lisa sighed. 'There's worse to come, isn't there?' she could tell from his emotions.

'Yes.'

'Will you tell me? I don't want to read any more.'

She put the tablet down and turned into him, wrapping her arms about his waist and resting her head on his chest.

Loki was actually hesitant to tell her and considering that he usually enjoyed being abrasive, that worried her more than anything.

'Your sister's cancer is not organic in origin. Shield realised that you had healed yourself as a child and they wanted to provoke you into using your powers. At that time, they knew you were an alien but they had no idea where you were from or what your abilities were, other than telepathy. From your hospital report, they suspected you had other gifts, such as the ability to heal, and powers often assert themselves during times of stress.'

'Oh my God.'

'They were just beginning to doubt that you could heal her, when Thor arrived, with one of Odin's advisors, Grand Thane, to broker a deal for the bonding.'

'Thor is in on this?'

'I am unsure how much he knows, but subterfuge is not his style. He is as noble as he seems, so I'm inclined to think that he is my father's pawn, as are we all. It seems that Thane revealed your affiliation with the Gods to SHIELD, while Thor approached and brokered a deal with you.'

'Do you think Odin sent my family here?'

'I think he sent your parents here. It appears that you were born on earth.'

'And what of my dad and Sarah?'

'When SHIELD learned that your agreement with Thor was contingent on your sister being cured with alien technology, they saw an opportunity to appropriate that alien technology. As soon as you left them, your family were moved to a SHIELD facility in England, made to appear like a private clinic. They monitored Eir while she healed your sister but the scientists couldn't figure out how it was done. Ever since, they have been running tests on Sarah, trying to discover how she was cured.'

'That's why my calls to them are monitored.'

'Yes.'

'I thought not being able to see them was for their protection, not…'

She began to cry, and Loki held her, rocking her gently. He was almost tempted to coo softly to her but damn it, he needed to retain some prickly edges, even with her.

He felt her laugh for a moment as he thought that.

'I am never going to be able to keep a secret from you, am I?'

'Probably not,' she agreed, 'but you can have fun trying.'

Loki laughed and kissed the top of her head.

'I expected you to be, what is it you mortals say, 'freaking out' more.'

'Oh, I think I have a lot of freaking out to do in the not too distant future, and maybe a few heads to knock. Oh, and am I still mortal?'

'I- No, no, you aren't. Well, technically you will die, but your lifespan will be that of a Frost Giant, four to seven thousand years, assuming you die of old age.'

'What caused this?' she asked, surprising him.

'What caused you to change?'

She nodded.

'I believe that's my fault. Magic is a talent like another and even humans can possess magical abilities, they just don't have the same time to learn how to harness it as we do. I hoped that by giving you a little of my magic, I could boost your telepathy, which would enable you to find Thor. I should have asked but the pain of the transfer is usually fleeting and…'

'It's okay, I'm not looking for an apology. I already know you're a jerk.'

His lips twitched in a small smile. 'I believe that when I gave you a dose of Frost Giant magic, it awakened your dormant DNA, creating a chain reaction.'

'Like when I touched you in your Frost Giant form?'

'Exactly, but more permanent.'

'So why didn't it happen when you healed me?'

'Because I wasn't giving you my magic but rather, I was using my magic on you.'

'That makes sense, I guess.' She turned the idea over in her mind. 'Was that supposed to happen, do you think?'

'Part of the plan of bonding us together?'

'Yeah.'

'Hard to say with certainty. It sounds like Odin but there again, the circumstances that caused me to share my magic with you were extreme. I don't see how Odin could have predicted Thor being kidnapped.'

'He could have orchestrated it.'

'He could, but I doubt he would do anything to harm Jane Foster, he knows Thor would rebel if he did, and why was the Hulk the first target? No, I think it far more likely that this was an unforeseen accident.'

Lisa sighed. 'Those warriors guys are here for me, aren't they?'

'You're the telepath but yes, I expect so.'

'Do you think they know why my parents were exiled?'

'Possibly. With any luck, they will also know why you were chosen to bond with me.'

'You definitely disabled that tracking device in my tooth, right?' she asked.

'I did, why?'

'Because I think we should do what we did in the hospital, try and read their minds before they spin some BS story.'

'Forewarned is forearmed,' Loki agreed, with a proud smile. 'I'll make a warrior of you yet.'

'Yeah, I'd really rather you didn't. No offence, but unless it's in self-defence or we're fighting the Nazi's, I'm pretty much a pacifist.'

'Oh, tell me it isn't so!' He grasped his chest theatrically, earning himself an elbow in his ribs. 'Hey! I thought you were a pacifist?' he teased.

'Yeah? Well I thought I was human, things change, roll with the punches.'

Her ability to joke so soon was a testament to her resilience, but he had little doubt she still had serious issues, bubbling away just below her calm veneer.

'Actually, speaking of veneers, I thought you might be able to help with something.' She sat up, turning serious.

'Hmm?'

'While I was unconscious, my mind seemed to rebuild itself and since then, my telepathy is off the charts.'

'Is that a bad thing?'

'In some ways, no, I can turn it off now or at least, confine it to just hearing you (I don't seem to be able to stop hearing your thoughts) but the problem is, when it's on, I hear everything in like a hundred meter radius.'

'You can learn to sift through the data, a little like...' he tried to think of an earth analogy. 'A radio, you can tune a radio into one frequency, correct?'

'I was hoping for something a little more sophisticated than that.'

'Oh?'

'I've seen you astral project in your memories, you can create dozens of avatars.'

'Avatars?'

'I don't know what they're called, the other versions of you.'

'Avatars is fine, I like that word.'

'I'm so pleased,' she said with sarcasm. 'The point is, you can control each avatar and see through their eyes, individually and I was thinking, maybe I could read each mind like that, especially now I've had an Extreme Mind Makeover.'

'Are you actually speaking English?'

'I'm not above slapping you!' She could tell that he was teasing her to distract her.

'Very well.' He didn't see the correlation but he explained it to her, in the most human ways he could. Then he created avatars of himself while she was in his mind, so she could see for herself how each one was controlled separately, while still being part of the whole.

After his demonstration, she brought him into her mind and turned her power back on. He could see her problem, it was like living in a crowded ballroom, just a mass of indistinguishable voices. It was surprising how may brain waves she was picking up in a Hotel shouldn't be that densely populated.

'Think about there being two versions of you, you're splitting into two,' he schooled.

It took a few tries but eventually she pictured two of herself in her mind, but they were more like reflections, mimicking each other perfectly. He coached her on using each separately, as one can use the right hand independently of the left. When she had achieved that, he coached her to keep dividing the versions of herself. It would feel odd but he assured her that each version of herself was both a part of the whole and able to operate autonomously. With practice she could create enough versions of herself to assign one to each voice she heard, and it would become so easy that it would become as automatic as breathing.

It took her over an hour to use the technique well and it was far from perfected, but Loki seemed impressed with how quickly she was learning. She wasn't nearly good enough to use this technique around a lot of people yet but as an interim measure, he was able to teach her how to turn the 'power' down, so her range for hearing people wasn't as great.

'Do you think you're ready to infiltrate Stark Tower?' Loki asked.

'Yeah. It's higher than this hotel and has fewer occupants, so there should be fewer minds to distract me.'

They got to their feet and Loki conjured outfits for them. He wore his usual leather and green armour and for her, he conjured something very similar but with blue accents and silver armour plates.

'You have a thing for dressing us alike,' she pointed out.

Loki shrugged, unperturbed. 'What can I say, I'm territorial.'

Lisa shifted a bit in the outfit, testing it out. 'Jesus, this is heavy, is it all leather?'

'Leather and metal, and its armour, so of course it's heavy.'

'Are we going in to battle?'

'Possibly, but this isn't full armour, that would be this.'

And with a wave of his hand, a flash of green light, more metal appeared on her outfit, and a rather fetching blue cape that she could see no practical use for.

'Your enemies have a very definite advantage if you're wearing this.' She tugged at the collar.

'You get used to it.' Another gesture wave rid the costume of the additions, then he held out his hand towards her. 'Come, we have much to do.'

Lisa accepted his hand and allowed him to teleport her into the Stark Tower, making them invisible as soon as they arrived.

'Medical bay first,' Loki said. 'I want to check on Thor.'

Lisa couldn't argue with that and as luck would have it, the Asgardians were all there talking to Thor, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, his arm around Jane.

Everyone else had returned from the SHIELD helicarrier as well and were the room with Thor and his friends, all except Fury.

Although Loki couldn't hear them from the other side of the glass panel, Lisa could hear their thoughts and Loki could hear through her.

"-my friends," Thor beamed. "However, I fear your trip has been in vain; as you can see, I'm fine."

"We were worried about you," Fandral lied. "Can you blame us?"

"Indeed I cannot, and it is good to see you."

"No ill effects?" Hogun asked.

"A slight headache but it is fading as we speak. All's well that ends well, I suppose. And where is Loki, I must thank him for his part in rescuing me."

Someone had obviously told him what had happened on the Collector's ship.

The warriors shared a look.

"The Allfather wishes Loki to return to Asgard with us," Sif said. "However, we have been unable to find him."

"Is there a problem?" Thor asked, sounding concerned.

"Not that we have been informed of."

'She's right,' Lisa told Loki. 'Odin hasn't told them why he wants us back.'

'Us?'

'She may have only spoken of you but we're both to return.'

'Where is Fury?' Loki asked.

'He's in the room that Barton and Romanoff were using, he has two other agents there with him.'

'So what now?' He asked.

'Let's see if these warriors are friend or foe.'

Loki teleported them out into the hallway and made them visible, so they could stroll back in as if nothing untoward had happened.

"Hey look," Stark noticed them first. "It's Goldilocks and Lokilocks, and in matching outfits too. Does this mean you're engaged now?"

"Brother!" Thor smiled as he saw them. He got off the bed and embraced Loki in a hug, which Loki found rather uncomfortable. "It is good to see you. And I am told I owe you my thanks for a very daring rescue."

"It was nothing," Loki answered.

"It hardly sounds like nothing. You risked your life for me, brother and I want you to know, I appreciate it."

A small smile tugged on Loki's lips. "Well, I couldn't let someone else harm you; that's my job."

Thor laughed, and Lisa thought she was seeing a glimpse of their old relationship, rivals but also friends.

Thor looked over Loki's shoulder. "And Lady Lisa, I understand you were quite unwell for a while."

"I was, but I'm recovered now, thank you."

"Glad to hear it." Thor looked around at the other Avengers. "I think this calls for a celebration, does it not?"

"You think everything calls for celebration," Loki teased.

"And why not? We are alive, with the women we love and all is right with the world."

Loki's gaze shot to Lisa on the words 'women we love' but he didn't contradict Thor. Lisa didn't need to wonder how he felt, if he was in love or not, or what his gaze meant. Since she had woken up, she could tell that his feelings for her had deepened and her absence, as the saying goes, had made his heart grow fonder. It wasn't love as she understood it, but their connection was deeper than anything she had ever had before.

"Indeed," Loki smiled at Lisa.

"We must return to Asgard first," Sif argued. "The Allfather wishes to see you all."

"Did he say why?" Thor asked.

"He did not, but Loki and the human are to accompany us."

'She doesn't know you aren't human,' Loki realised.

"I'm afraid I can't go anywhere at the moment," Lisa spoke aloud for the first time. "I've been reading my SHIELD file and my father and sister have been taken by SHIELD, they're being held captive in England while scientists study Sarah, to find out how your healer was able to cure her. I won't leave until they're released."

Only Stark and Loki didn't react, because they had already seen her file, but she was reassured from the other's behaviour and thoughts, that they hadn't known about this.

"I wish I could say that I was surprised," Bruce said with a sigh.

"You knew?" Loki asked, anger in his voice.

"No, but I've heard talk of something called Project T.A.H.I.T.I. It's all very hush hush, but I'm told it deals with longevity and resurrection. And of course, they were more than a little interested in the serum Steve Roger's took, and what happened to me."

Lisa was reading Romanoff and Barton's minds. Unlike other SHIELD agents, their thoughts had never been scrambled to her. Lisa could tell that while disappointed in Fury, they weren't shocked if he had done something like this.

"Do you know where they're holding your family?" Thor asked.

Lisa nodded. "A SHIELD base under the North York Moors."

"Then I say we-"

"We don't have time for this," Sif interrupted. "The Allfather requests your return urgently."

Loki was about to snap an answer but Lisa stopped him with a hand on his forearm. She stepped towards Sif.

"I understand that you have a job to do, but I have a family to protect and I am not leaving until they are safe. You can either help me and things might go a bit faster, or we can see if my mental abilities outweigh your physical prowess. Personally, I'd rather the former."

"We will help you," Fandral said.

"But-" Hogun tried to interrupt.

"There are times when we have disobeyed orders for the greater good, have we not? To refuse aid to this young lady, would be very bad form on our parts."

Volstagg agreed and with varying degrees of reluctance, the other warriors fell into line.

"Wow, I suddenly feel like a fifth wheel," Tony said.

"We will all go," Thor assured him. "The more of us there are, the easier this will be."

As if on cue, Fury walked into the room. Lisa turned to glare at Barton, who she realised had pressed some kind of button to summon him. If she had better control of her telepathy, she would have noticed him doing it, rather than realising it after the fact.

Fury found himself facing a wall of people, their emotions varying from disgruntled, to fuming.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes, actually." She answered.

Thor stood just behind her on her left, Loki to the right, the four warriors lined up beside them and the rest of the Avengers completed the wall. The only people not presenting a united front, were Natasha and Clint, who were standing apart, not on Lisa's side but nor were they on Fury's.

"Why have you kidnapped my family?" Lisa was angry enough that she wasn't afraid of Fury any more, especially not with the backup she had.

"Now hold up, they aren't prisoners, they're our guests."

Suddenly Fury gave a small cry if pain, and Lisa realised she had caused it. How, she didn't know, but it must be a little like when she had mentally yelled at Loki, making him flinch. This was different though, more like the mental version of an electric shock.

"Every time you lie, I'll do that again. I don't know how much a human brain can take before it fries."

She had no intention of killing him but her friends didn't know that, and they looked uncomfortable.

'I won't seriously harm him,' she broadcast her thoughts to them. 'I don't even know if I could, but he doesn't know that,'

"Care to try again?" she asked Fury.

"Studying your sister could save countless lives."

"Really? How many other people has SHIELD given leukaemia to then?"

Fury's pallor took on a decidedly grey tint. "We didn't-"

She shocked him again and he put his hands to his head.

"This isn't you, Lisa," Fury tried to plead with her. "This is Loki's influence."

"Loki hasn't lied to me, Loki hasn't tagged me like cattle, Loki hasn't paid agents to pretend to be my Grandmother and try to take me away from the only people who loved me. He hasn't paid people to pretend to be my friends, my boyfriends and my teachers. Loki didn't give my sister cancer to see if I had the ability to heal her, and he is not the one holding her hostage now, performing vivisection on her. If anyone is responsible for my anger, it's you!"

"What is it that you want?" Fury asked.

"I want my family to be freed, and I want SHIELD out of our lives for good."

"And if we don't?"

"We're going to get them," Stark surprised her by speaking up. "All of us, apparently."

Fury evaluated her as he thought her ultimatum over. Whatever he had been using to shield his thoughts previously was no longer working, because she could hear him weighing up the pros and cons. In the end, he decided that it would be better to release her family and keep Thor, the Asgardians and the Avengers onside. He had a feeling he was going to need them soon, but she was too distracted to pursue that thought any further and wonder why he would need them.

"I wasn't lying, studying your sister could save countless lives."

"So could asking the Asgardians to share their healing technology with you. You either asked and were turned down; knew they would turn you down if asked, or you just thought it was easier and more discrete to kidnap and dissect a human. How many gifted humans has your organisation unjustly imprisoned or killed over the years, because you were afraid of them?"

"How do you-"

"The fridge, don't you call it?" she cut him off. His mind was just brimming with SHIELDs secrets. "Has any prisoner there received a trial? Even just one person? Surely you can give me one single, solitary name of someone who was found guilty at trial?"

Fury held her gaze but didn't answer.

"You rage about what Loki did when the truth is, you don't care about human life any more than he did."

'Nicely put,' Loki complimented her.

'Thank you.'

"That's not true," Fury argued, but he was losing the will to continue fighting a losing battle. "Sometimes we have to make difficult choices for the greater good."

"Giving my sister cancer was for the greater good?"

Fury sighed. "I'll have your family brought here immediately."

"Just like that?" She was surprised he had acquiesced so easily.

"I know when to surrender," he said.

Lisa tried to sift through his thoughts, certain that he must be trying to deceive her in some way, but she could see no signs of it.

"You will all have to sign confidentiality agreements," Fury went on.

"Which will include a clause saying they can't sue, right?" Stark added. "I love how SHIELD picks and chooses which parts of the law it wants to enforce."

"Your family will be here in twenty four hours," Fury said, turning away and gesturing for Romanoff and Barton to follow.

"That will give us enough time to return to Asgard to see the Allfather," Hogun suggested.

Lisa was torn, what if they didn't let her and Loki come back? There were so many unknowns about this situation and she didn't know that to do for the best.

Lisa turned to Steve. "If I don't come back, will you make sure he keeps his word, please? My family don't deserve this."

"I will," Steve assured her. "Will you be all right going back to Asgard? We'll go with you if you want."

"Thank you, but I'd rather you all stayed here to look out for my family."

"We've got your back," Banner assured her.

"Yep," Tony agreed. "You go gallivanting across the stars, we've got this."

"Thank you all," she said. "Hopefully, I'll see you soon."

Taking Loki's hand for courage, she followed the warriors out of the room. Thor dawdled to say his goodbyes but joined them on the roof as soon as he was done.