Chapter 12
Raven woke with a feeling of unease. Something was amiss- it was hard to identify what it was because it came with no sound or any other physical symptom- it was just a feeling, like an inner alarm ringing. Then she realized that someone was tampering with the wards.
Almost instinctively, she reached for her wand and sat up, checking her surroundings. Raven noticed she must have fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room and that the terrace door was still standing open a crack.
Fortunately, Sev wasn't there to chide her for being a reckless fool- on the other hand, if Sev had been here she wouldn't have fallen asleep on the sofa anyway; she would have joined him in their bedroom, which was even more thoroughly warded than the rest of their apartment. Raven had actually teased him once for being so overly protective, calling it the Fort Knox of wizarding bedchambers...
But yeah, he'd be right to chide her because she often tended to be a tad too careless, and yes, she should have closed that door before falling asleep. Especially after having met Barton last night.
She glanced at the open terrace door. It was still dark outside but the reddish glow at the eastern horizon told her that a new day was dawning, so she roughly knew how late it was. Then she saw the shadow of a man approaching the door; he seemed to have appeared from out of thin air.
Raven mumbled an incantation and a bubble of light came off the tip of her wand. She enlarged the bubble and sent it flying towards the intruder; it exploded above his head in a myriad of sparks. Now, she could see his face.
"Oh, it's you."
"Hello, and good morning to you, too, little witch." Loki smirked as he watched the sparks disappear. "An impressive spell- not really meant to scare anyone off, right?"
She didn't reply.
"I hope you didn't stay up and wait for me all night?"
"Definitely not." But now that he's mentioning it, where has he been all night? "I enjoyed a quiet evening without you."
"Ah!" His eyes perused the table in front of her. There was a stack of files and a tablet next to an empty pizza box, a full ashtray and an empty bottle of wine. "Yes, I can see you had a fun night."
"Indeed!" It came out sharper than intended, as if she had to defend herself because of the slightly mocking undertone in his voice and the fact that his eyes were still on that lonely glass on the table. Well, sometimes she simply treasured these rare moments of solitude- and, all in all, it had been a pleasant evening. She had taken a long, hot bath which had only been bothered by his idiotic Facebook friend request, then she had used his absence for intensive beauty care, before she had ordered a pizza and made herself comfortable on the sofa. She had listened to her favourite music while reading some files and background information Rocco had sent her.
"So, how about you? Did you enjoy your night out with Tony?"
"It was fun." Loki stated, smiling smugly at her. "And it was even more fun after Tony went home."
"He left you alone?" All alone in New York City with a smartphone and a head full of crazy ideas? What have you done, Tony?
"I didn't say I was all on my own."
Raven arched an expectant brow at him, and she didn't have to press him to carry on.
"I met a marvellous woman."
"Oh... okay." It came as quite a surprise, but she was okay with that. Basically. "So, um... you fell in love?"
Where did that absolutely unreasonable pang of jealousy come from? After all, she was happily in love with her husband, and nothing would ever change that.
"No, I just bedded her."
"How... nice. I'm glad you're beginning to like us mortals, but please spare me the details."
"Well, it wasn't my intention to give anything away." Loki was chuckling as he sat down next to her on the sofa. "You know, there's just one thing that really amazes me about Midgardian women; according to Ruby, it's quite common to get a 'boob job' when nature is less than generous to you, but-" he glanced at Raven, casually dressed in an oversized shirt, and shrugged, "apparently it's not that common."
"Idiot! My husband likes me very much the way I am, thank you very much!" She snapped and hurled a pillow at Loki, who caught it and grinned.
"Let us drop the subject if you're feeling uncomfortable about it."
"Uncomfortable is probably not the right word to express that the size of my tits is absolutely none of your damn business."
"No offence meant!" Totally ignoring her latent displeasure, Loki rested his head against her shoulder and flung his long legs over the armrest of the sofa, making himself comfortable. "Now, tell me something about the music of this realm."
"Music? Really?" Raven arched a quizzical brow at him while still pondering whether she should permit him the proximity he had bestowed upon her. It would be easier to decide if she cared less about him
"Yes. Tony told Ruby I'm the hottest new rock star to come, so naturally I want to know all about it."
"Why don't you google it or watch MTV, now that Tony provided you with a smartphone?" And a groupie; he should google that, too, Raven mused as she abruptly got to her feet, which resulted in Loki's head dropping from her shoulder and falling on the sofa.
"Ouch! What was that for?" He was laughing.
"Ever considered you're a git?" Shaking her head she made her way to the kitchen, and because she wasn't in the mood to explain anything about music, she turned on the playlist she had listened to last night while operating the coffee machine.
"I could use one, too!" Loki informed her without looking up from his phone. Obviously, he had learned about Google already and was looking for further information.
"Just out of curiosity- what kind of music did Tony claim his hot new rock star will be playing to the masses of his future followers?" Raven asked in a slightly sarcastic tone as she placed a mug of coffee in front of him.
"Um, if I recall correctly, he said it's quite alternative with some emo influence."
Raven chuckled at that, hoping that Loki wouldn't throw his new best buddy out of the window when he found out what the emo part meant. Tony had figured him out quite well. For someone who mocked others because of their sentiments, Loki was a very emotional person.
Fortunately, he was actually listening to the music instead of looking up the meaning of emo on Google.
"Hm, no harps, no lyres... the music of this realm is so different to what we know it Asgard, so much… rougher. But I like it. Of course, the Asgardians would be scandalized if I played that at court, but that's the fun of it, eh?"
She could imagine him very well crashing one of daddy Odin's formal receptions at court, carrying a ghetto blaster on his shoulder... there was probably no royal court in this word or another that would be amused. It was in the nature of royals to be scandalized as well as it was in Loki's nature to cause chaos and enjoy the reaction. At least the mischief sparkling in his eyes was of a more playful kind now; he simply wanted to have some fun without the aim to rule the world, and he even appeared to a lot more carefree after his night out with Tony Stark, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Although she liked to see him so much more relaxed, it also seemed that he had become a tad too reckless because he was resting his head on her shoulder again, almost snuggling up to her.
Damn! Raven wasn't certain if she really disliked it, and that wasn't good. After all, she was a married witch and she loved her husband, and Loki was... a wanted war criminal. Dangerous, charming (well, sometimes) and quite handsome. Just the kind of guy mothers advised their daughters against for a reason, and she liked him too much already because otherwise, she would have delivered him back to S.H.I. the moment he had hurled her across the terrace.
On the other hand, he needed her help. Therefore, she reminded herself that he was just an assignment and she had to act in a professional way; she had to focus on things that were more important...
"By the way, did I tell you that I know the whereabouts of your former lair, now?"
"Really?" Loki didn't sound very surprised and even less impressed. Sipping his coffee, he seemed to enjoy the cosy atmosphere. "So, did Jarvis finally came up with a result of his search?"
"Nope. I met Barton last night, and-"
Loki almost spluttered his coffee all over the sofa as he sat up with a start and turned around to stare at her. "What?"
"I said, I met Barton last night and he told me all-"
"Yes! Yes, I got what you said! Damn! Are you nuts?"
"Although I guess there are some people who might answer that in the affirmative, I beg to differ-"
"Foolish witch!" He fumed, ignoring her words. "Didn't I tell you to give up that stupid idea? Do you ever listen to anything anybody says?"
"You did. And if it's reasonable, I do. If I recall correctly, you reminded me of the danger. Well, I weighed it and considered it a calculated risk, and in the end, I was right. I succeeded."
Loki glared at her as if he wanted to throttle her since Barton had obviously failed to do so.
"Hey, no risk, no fun." Raven said as she nudged him and smiled cheerfully, although she did notice his mood swing. "I thought you would understand that. So why are you fretting now? If you aren't careful I might start to think you care about me."
"Pha! Silly sentiments!" He sneered. For a short moment of time, he had managed to forget about Barton, S.H.I.E.L.D... and the Chitauri; he had forgotten what he'd done, what he'd become, what he'd been through. She had reminded him of that again, even thought it had probably not been her intention. "All I care about is to get a good breakfast."
"Well, you know where the kitchen is, don't you?" Raven didn't bother to get up and prepare breakfast for him. Instead, she sipped her coffee and lit a cigarette, wondering how to cheer him up again without having to make any concession on her part. So she told him about her meeting with Barton. "He was quite cooperative. I didn't even have to hex him- well, perhaps just a tiny little bit. Mind, I still don't like him. I guess he doesn't like me very much, either. But he's not stupid. Guess you noticed that when you made him your personal flying monkey. And although I left him pretty clueless about the reason why I want the information, he has seen Selvig with your sceptre in the hands; he should be perfectly capable of filling in the gaps. He's an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, after all. Therefore, it is likely that S.H.I.E.L.D- or just Barton himself- will deal with Selvig, so we don't have to bother about him. We can simply carry on like we planned."
"Hm..." Loki mused, "so you're saying it's good I didn't kill Barton when I had the chance to do so? It's a nice sentiment, little witch. Well, perhaps I just got what I deserved-"
"No, Loki," she said softly as she placed a hand on his arm. It was meant to be a reassuring gesture but she realized that she was the one seeking proximity now. "Don't say that. There is absolutely no excuse for torture, no matter how great a git you are. But taking revenge by killing him is not a good solution, either- especially not, if he proves to be useful in the end. Besides, it's bad karma and you've had too much of that already."
-ooOoo-
Two days later, after what seemed to be endless hours of Tony and Loki tinkering together, they informed Raven that the Chitauri chariot was finally overhauled and ready to give it a try.
In the meantime, she hadn't been idle, either. She had tracked down and monitored Selvig, who had actually taken refuge in Loki's secret lair outside of New York. But since he wasn't running around, recruiting new members for his team with the help of that alien glow-stick, she had decided to watch him from a safe distance instead of trying to interfere. Although there were people who would attest her being reckless, Raven was very well aware of the dangers of the sceptre and therefore preferred to stay away from it, while keeping a keen eye on the oh-so-unobtrusive black car that was parked nearby- obviously a S.H.I.E.L.D vehicle.
It was good to know that they- Barton?- were monitoring Selvig, too, without messing things up.
Tony gave her a lengthy explanation of what they had done and why, but since Raven didn't get anything of his technobabble anyway, she simply mounted that alien jet-ski thing and started it.
Immediately, it went up in the air.
"Wait!" Loki called out. "Do you even know how to fly it?"
"It can't be that hard." Unlike a broomstick it did have a handlebar and that reminded her of her Harley, and she knew how to ride that. But when she pressed a button, things went wild. The chariot rocketed up, and she had to duck her head in order to not bump into the ceiling, then she found the accelerator and shot out of the window, crashing it in the process..
Tony and Loki were cursing loudly, running after her in order to stop her... somehow.
But Raven was already too far away. There was a moment when she was actually clutching onto the handlebar with her feet dangling dangerously in the air, and she even thought she was about to fall some seventy-something floors down to the hard concrete of New York's streets, but then she gained control over the chariot and began to enjoy the flight. She zigzagged the nightly skies for the fun of it, before she made an U-turn and came flying back to Stark tower, landing safely in Tony's workshop.
"Yeehaw! That was fun!"
"Yeah, and you owe me a window." Tony remarked dryly, while Loki was just staring at her and it was hard to fathom what he was thinking.
"Oops!" Raven glanced at the broken window and, mumbling an apology, she aimed her wand at it. Immediately, the shards of the broken glass began to assemble in midair, looking for their counterparts, and soon the windowpane was repaired.
"Whoa!" Tony was impressed, but not too much. "You fixed it! Damn! Out of curiosity- does that mean you could have fixed the alien jet ski just as easily?"
"Nope. The Reparo Charm is only suitable for simple things, like glass or bricks." Raven explained. "It doesn't work with technical stuff- which proves the fact that magic and physics don't get along well with each other."
"And you just proved that you're totally incapable of flying this ship all the way to Asgard." Loki cut in.
She arched a brow at him. "Did I not impress you with my flying skills?"
Loki just glanced at her and shook his head.
"Perhaps a witch should stick to her broomsticks," Tony interjected, not being supportive at all.
"Oh, believe me, I'm really not good with broomsticks." Raven heaved a sigh. And she didn't even have a flying motorcycle like Sirius Black. Actually, when it came to flying she usually preferred to board a plane.
"What do you know about the branches of Yggdrasil, little witch? About space travel? About the rifts between the Nine Realms and secret passages?"
"Well, um..." She had to admit that Loki was right, and that was the flaw in her plan. "You promised to show me the way."
"There is no direct passage-way between Asgard and Midgard, no navigation system to show you the way."
"Hey, Frosty, are you saying we wasted our time on that Chitauri jet-ski if it can't get you to Asgard anyway? Unless, of course, you wanted to spend some time with me- which is understandable, but I have to remind you I'm in a relationship with Pepper."
"You're not as irresistible as you consider yourself, Tin Can Man, and even worse, you seem to be incapable of listening closely. I said there is no direct way."
Tony and Loki together were fun if you got past the point of finding them insufferable.
"So, there is a way." Raven concluded, rolling her eyes because she hadn't quite reached that point yet. There was so much at stake and they were cheerfully bitching at each other.
"Come on, little witch, you cannot honestly believe I yearned to waste my time with a human tin can- of course there is a way, known to only a few."
"But you know it?"
"I know it," Loki replied with a smug smile on his face.
"Could you just stop bragging for a moment and fill us in?" Tony asked in bored tone, checking his fingernails
"Have you ignorant mortals forgotten all about the Frost Giants' attack on Midgard in 965, when they tried to conquer Earth and plunge it into a new ice age?"
"Um, I know a lot about Giant Wars throughout the ages- I was always good at history- but our textbooks failed to mention that one."
"I watched all Ice Age movies but it was more about mammoths, sabre-toothed cats and a mad squirrel who is obsessed with collecting acorns- oh, and Sid, of course."
"Thanks, Tony, but since we're not talking about Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols now, I would prefer to hear what Loki has to say." Still mad about the flaw in her plan, Raven glanced expectantly at Loki. Damn! Asgard had to be warned of the danger but she didn't want Loki to risk his life by taking her there (she doubted that daddy Odin was of the forgiving kind) and yet, in the end, it would inevitably result in just that. Loki had already gone too far out on a limb to back down now, because most definitely he would not let anyone call him a coward.
"So you really don't know anything about the battle at Tønsberg, Norway, when the Asgardians assembled their army and prepared for battle in order to protect you Midgardians?" Loki wondered aloud.
"What's the point of your history lesson anyway, mate?"
"I guess his point is- how did the Jotuns get to Midgard?" Raven suggested.
"Clever little witch." Loki smirked at her. "What an astute observation- I give you that. And yes, you're right. There is actually a secret passage-way from Jotunheim to Midgard that the Jotuns used way back then, and there is also a secret passage from Jotunheim to Asgard only a very few people know about- well, perhaps I'm the only one."
"Yeah, you're really a genius, Frosty." Tony remarked in a slightly sarcastic tone, whereas Raven reminded Loki of the risk he was taking if he really meant to guide her way and accompany her to Asgard.
That moment, his phone was ringing. Loki glanced at the display and rolled his eyes as he blocked the caller. Apparently, dear Ruby was not that marvellous anymore.
"Well then, little witch, are you ready to leave this world behind and travel to worlds unknown to you?"
"What? Now?" All of a sudden it was all too much, too fast, too soon. She still had to pack her bag and- most importantly- had to talk to Sev and inform him of her plan. He wouldn't like it. She wasn't certain if she liked it either, but there was no other way. They had to come to terms with it, all of them.
There were still so many questions. Their way would lead via Jotunheim- was there even enough left of it after Loki had tried to destroy it? What if the passage-way to Asgard was gone? Would they end up in a land of ice and snow without her ever seeing Sev again?
Raven was torn between the thrill of an adventure- probably the adventure of her life- and the more sensible wish to simply continue her happy life with Sev. But it was already too late for that. She had made her decision the day she had taken Tony and Loki to WIIA's headquarters to collect the Chitauri chariot... or even long before that when she had freed Loki from the clutches of S.H.I.E.L.D. Perhaps it was her fate.
Loki took her hesitation for a change of heart.
"Ah, now you shrink from your own courage; you're scared-"
"I'm not scared," she cut him off, "I'm just aware of the risks; so don't mistake my reservation about jumping headlong into danger for cowardice."
"You're not a coward, but you're a fool to think you can trust me, little witch."
"Oh, Loki," Raven sighed as she reached out to teasingly pat his cheek, "so much negativity. Why? I know you would never let me down."
"Foolish witch..." he whispered almost inaudible, grabbing her wrist so he could lean into her touch for a brief moment, and all the while his eyes were locked with hers.
A shiver was running down Raven's spine; it wasn't unpleasant. Damn! Of all the dangers she might encounter during her trip to Asgard, this one was not on her list.
"Whoa! No sexual activities in my workshop, please."
At Tony's words, Loki let go of Raven's wrist and immediately, she took two steps backward, running nervous fingers through her hair. But soon, she regained her composure and decided, "Okay, we won't be leaving before tomorrow. I will go to call my husband now, so Loki, don't bother to follow me for the next one or two hours."
Then she Disapparated from Tony's workshop straight to her apartment.
Loki was grinning ever so slightly.
"Uh-oh, Frosty, you really do like her, eh?"
"Bah! Sentiments!" Loki's phone was ringing again, and again he blocker the caller, admitting with a sigh, "At least she's not as clingy as dear Ruby, no matter how much I admire her boob-job thing."
"Yeah," Tony nodded sympathetically, "sometimes, the size doesn't matter."
"Of course, you'd know all about that."
Raven was pacing her living room, phone in her hand, pondering just what to say to Severus. 'Hello darling, I'll be going on a trip to Asgard tomorrow, so don't expect me to be home when you return from Kathmandu,' was probably not a good opener. Neither was, 'In case I get lost in space, I will never stop loving you.'
Damn, she wanted Sev to be here with her now, wanted him to hold her in his arms, giving her certainty and reassurance. Not a coward? Ha, then why was it so damned hard to make a fucking phone call?
Of course he wouldn't like her plan, and that was understandable. After all, she wasn't going on a trip to Europe or Asia or anywhere else on Earth- she was going to Asgard, to another world... somewhere in space. And she would be in the company of a wanted war criminal- wanted not only here in Midgard but also in Asgard and in Jotunheim.
Great.
She switched her phone from one hand to the other and, instead of calling Severus in Kathmandu, she dialled Al's number to inform her boss that they were leaving for Asgard the following day.
"Try to get a paycheck from Odin," the old Auror said dryly and laughed; it sounded like she was gargling barbed wire. Then she fell silent for a moment before asking, "How did your dear husband take it?"
"Um..."
"You haven't told him yet?"
"He won't like it," Raven replied hesitantly.
"Of course he won't. He wants his wife waiting for him at home when he returns from Kathmandu. Guys are like that, lass. They don't want to come home to a cold and empty bed, knowing the beloved wife is on an awesome adventure with a handsome and charming Asgardian scoundrel."
"Oh, so he managed to impress even you?" There was a slightly mocking edge in Raven's voice now, hinting at Al's preference for women.
"I'm old but not blind. Now, call your husband instead of bothering me. Tell him it's an official assignment and impress him with the same arguments you used to convince me."
Yeah, that was indeed a reasonable approach. Sev would digest the news much better if she convinced him with facts in order to make him understand the reason of her decision.
"Have fun!" Al was laughing her barbed wire laughter again when Raven hung up, and it was still ringing in her ears a little later, reminding her that her boss was not really a fan of monogamous relationships. Despite her age and all of her scars, marks of battles long fought, she seemed to find and change partners on a monthly basis at least.
Well, that wasn't Raven's plan for life. She had fallen in love with Severus some thirty years ago and was still in love with him; she had never doubted or regretted her choice. They were lovers, and they were friends. Therefore, it couldn't possibly that damned hard to tell him of her planned travel to Asgard. After all, she didn't mean to betray him or anything like that- no matter what Al had tried to indicate with her ambiguous 'have fun.'
She glanced at her watch and checked the schedule of the potioneers conference in Kathmandu. It was about midday there, and Severus was not meant to give a lecture before later in the afternoon, so it was likely he was neither busy nor distracted right now.
Raven opened a bottle of wine, poured herself a glass and lit a cigarette before she finally dialled her husband's number.
It was so good to hear his voice; it made her realize how much she missed him. If only he could be here with her now...
Pushing away that thought since it was pointless, it nevertheless took her a while to finally broach the topic she had called him for, listing up all the reasons why she had to travel to Asgard with Loki.
As expected, Severus wasn't happy about it. But- and that proved what a truly wonderful man he was- he heard her out. She could almost see him scowling as he was mulling over her sensible arguments.
"Is there really no other way?" He asked then.
"I fear not," Raven replied honestly, relieved that he hadn't called her a fool for trusting Loki yet- or, even worse, accused her of a Gryffindor-ish behaviour.
"What about these so-called superheroes, the Avengers? Why don't you let them handle the situation? Or S.H.I.E.L.D?"
"Really, Sev? That would be like me having left your fate in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix, only that S.H.I.E.L.D is worse than them. You know- no, you actually saw what they did to Loki. Well, I don't trust them. Do you?"
"No, but-" Severus worried over her and she loved him for that. He heaved a sigh; it almost sounded like he was giving in the her reasoning, accepting the facts. "Damn, Raven, I love you and I have faith in your good judgement of people; I know you're a skilled Legilimens and that you can't be fooled or lied to that easily- but are you absolutely certain that Loki will not betray you?"
He really feared he might never see her again, that Loki would leave her in some forlorn corner of space (if space had corners) but Raven could only answer his question in the affirmative. She just knew that Loki wouldn't let her down, wouldn't take the first chance of getting rid of her; he would not betray her for another ill-fated attempt of gaining world domination. He was not like that. Even if he didn't regret the things he'd done, he nevertheless wanted to wash his hand of what he'd become. He didn't want to be his own worst enemy anymore.
"Aye," she said with conviction and yet hoping she would not regret her words because she had developed a tiny little crush on the insufferable Asgardian prince. Not enough to cloud her senses, though, and even less to make her forget her love for Sev.
"Alright," Severus said at long least, "I still don't like it, and I will miss you tremendously, but-"
Whatever he was about to say, it got lost in the entrance Loki made when he walked through the terrace doors into the living room.
"Still chatting with your beloved husband, little witch?"
Loki sat down next to her, smoothly crossing his legs.
Raven rolled her eyes at his smug smile.
"Is Loki with you now?" Severus asked.
"Yep. Would you like to threaten him? Shall I turn on the speakers or do you want me to send you his phone number?"
"His phone number? Loki has a phone?" Severus sounded slightly bewildered. Probably he hadn't expected the Asgardian would feel so much at home in New York, and probably he even feared Loki would move in with them.
"Don't ask. Just... don't." Raven switched on the speaker and put her phone onto the table so that everyone could enjoy the conversation.
"Do you worry about your lovely wife, Sev?"
Severus didn't know what bugged him more- the cheerful, almost mocking tone, or the fact that Loki possessed the audacity to call him Sev, what he only allowed a very few people.
The wizard's voice was calm but it posed a threat. "Let me enunciate a fair warning, Asgardian. If you dare to harm a single hair of her head..."
"Ooh, you will kill me, yes? Well, I do not mean any harm to her, even though she's incredibly foolish to trust me, and I really admire your guts to threaten a god."
Loki was smirking, and in her mind's eye Raven could almost see her husband scowling, but he didn't give in to the provocation.
"May I have a word with my wife in private?"
Raven picked up her phone and turned off the speaker as she rose from the sofa to walk away from Loki, who was watching her.
"I liked him better when he was hurt and helpless and not quite as insufferably... smug," Severus grumbled into her ear.
"I know. I spent the past few days with him and he... um, recovered quite well. But he still needs my help. No one will believe him if he turns up in Asgard and claims that Jane is possessed by the same alien who is allegedly Loki's ally... especially not since he won't tell anyone- least of all Thor or Odin- what really happened to him in Chitauri space. I think it was a rather traumatic experience. And Sev, you know what it's like to be broken into submission."
Severus remained silent for a moment. He didn't want to remember, but even after all these years he still failed to push away the memory of Voldemort's face, pale and cruel with red eyes glowing, and thin lips that mercilessly whispered the same curse over and over again.
'Crucio.'
He remembered crying tears of blood.
"I wish it wasn't so...," lost in thoughts, he cleared his throat. "Raven, my love, if there really is no other way- and I trust in your evaluation of the situation- you have to go. Even if I don't like it at all."
Raven had to swallow hard to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes as she said farewell to her husband, hoping she was right to trust in Loki (or in his trust in her) and that she would be holding Severus in her arms again in a couple of days, and all would be well.
-ooOoo-
Raven didn't sleep well that night, but neither did Loki. When she walked down the staircase from her bedroom in the morning, he was already up and sitting on the sofa, while her stereo was playing some long forgotten songs (it was amazing how quickly he had learned about Midgard culture and how to use its technical devices).
It wasn't only the bluish glow of his phone's display that made his face look paler than it usually was. She could see the shadows of nightmares lingering in his eyes, even through he faked cheerfulness and arched a naughty brow at her attire.
Raven was dressed all in black, wearing tight jeans, heavy boots and a leather jacket. Her clothes were not as tight-fitting as those of Agent Romanov, nor did they look quite as sexy; they rather gave her a tough appearance. She was more like the punk rocker of agents.
They had coffee and a quick breakfast before they went to meet Tony, who had offered to take them to Norway in his private jet. It was an offer Raven had accepted gratefully, because flying a Chitauri chariot from New York to Tønsberg might have caused quite a stir... especially since the footage of the alien attack was still in the memory of people worldwide.
Loki was unusually quiet when they boarded the plane, and he remained in a sullen and brooding mood for most of the flight, giving only monosyllabic replies. He wasn't even in the mood to bicker with Tony.
Fortunately, Tony was wise enough to leave him alone, and so did Raven. Nevertheless, she kept watching him, feeling bad because she knew it was all her fault. Loki didn't want to return to Asgard for obvious reasons, and yet she had sort of pressed him into going back there... it was her plan that caused his distress, his anxiety. She understood very well why he wasn't in a splendid mood today. After all, their journey wouldn't lead only to Asgard; they also had to make a stopover in Jotunheim, and he had probably pissed the Jotuns off even more than the Asgardians since he had tried to destroy their realm.
On the other hand, Loki could have simply said no. He was far from being shy; he was eloquent and could have found a way to talk himself out. But he hadn't done that. Not yet? Did he just save his bag of tricks for later?
Raven trusted him nevertheless- probably it was just because trust was the one thing he needed most and no one else would give it to him.
Tony thought it fun to show an Ice Age movie on the big screen of his plane. It seemed to be his way of preparing them for the ice and snow of Jotunheim, but none of them was really following the ludicrous adventures of Sid and his friends, nor did anyone laugh.
The flight to Norway was a quiet one and every attempt of conversation died soon after it started. No one uttered more words than were absolutely necessary in respect of civility.
Some hours later- they had just left Greenland behind then and were crossing Iceland- Tony asked if they'd like to watch another movie. Although he understood why Raven and Loki were tense, he was slightly bored. Mainly, because he was not familiar with a situation in which he was no longer in demand and even less in control; others were doing his job now. They were heading into a dangerous adventure in order to protect not only the world he knew, but also Asgard and all the Nine Realms in the branches of Yggdrasil, from an even more outlandish alien invasion, and he couldn't stop wondering, 'What the fuck!'
Still pondering what had gone so fucking wrong that there were suddenly more worlds with even more threats than he'd ever imagined, Loki interrupted his thoughts with a sneer and told him that Jotunheim was not at all like that silly movie.
"Yeah, figured that." Tony pulled a face and glanced at Loki. "Well then, Frosty, amuse us!"
"There is nothing amusing about Jotunheim. It's a cold and dark rock world of ice, a frozen rock."
Raven finished texting Severus and looked up to see Loki shivering. Since the temperature in the plane was pleasant, it was probably the memory of Jotunheim that gave him the chills.
I would have come full circle. Cast out onto a frozen rock once again.
She saw the memories clouding his eyes.
"Well, you could give us a more precise impression."
When she produced her wand, Tony stared at her in bewilderment but Loki seemed to know what she was about. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and allowed her to take an imprint of his memories so she could project it on the screen in front of them.
It showed Jotunheim through Loki's eyes as he wandered the realm of ice and snow, which wasn't entirely dark but cast in a dim twilight of blueish colours.
Tony gasped upon realizing what he was just seeing since it clearly seemed to defy all the logical aspects of science. "That's not possible!"
"Isn't it? Magically, it is." Raven smirked at him as she watched the scenery change. They were still in that icy world, but now she was seeing signs of devastation, of ice thawing, as they approached what once must have been a great city or a fortress.
An unknown female voice was asking, 'Where are they?'
'Hiding. As cowards always do.' Thor replied in his deep, sonorous voice.
Raven saw Loki frowning at that. Then the memory ended, and the screen went black. Loki got up from his seat and went to the bar at the back of the plane, pouring himself a drink.
Tony was about to follow him, but Raven stopped him. "Do me a favour and leave him alone for a moment."
"He seems to be a bit... um, touchy... when it comes to Jotunheim and his origins, eh?"
"Touchy? Damned, how would you feel, Tony, if you had been lied to all of your life and you just came to realize why you've always been second best, knowing the reason is actually your origin, because you stem from a race of monsters parents tell their children about at night?"
"Well, I assume political correctness is highly regarded in Asgardian culture?"
"Definitely not."
Tony glanced at Loki downing his drink, and because he knew the Asgardian couldn't really get drunk, he actually felt sorry for his former foe as he had come to like him.
This moment, the pilot of Tony's private jet informed them that they were approaching for a landing on a small airfield near Tønsberg, and that the required limousine was already waiting for them.
-ooOoo-
They arrived in Tønsberg after sunset. The limousine's driver took them to the town's centre, where they enjoyed a late dinner in a harbour restaurant. Then, time had come to say goodbye.
Atop of a hill outside of Tønsberg's city centre, Raven opened her bag she had casually slung over her shoulder. It was a small, black thing adorned with a crowned skull but size didn't matter when an Extensions Charm was placed on it. Inside, the bag held many possessions that might be useful in Asgard.
She rummaged through her bag and dragged forth the miniaturized Chitauri chariot, then she restored it to its full size.
Tony was scratching his head; he still couldn't come up with any logical explanation for her magic. It contradicted all the rules of physics he knew.
Loki mounted the chariot and waited for Raven to take place behind him. He smirked at her. "You have to hold on tight to me."
Raven elbowed him. His mood must have changed to overly confident if he had the nerve to flirt with her now.
"Good luck, Frosty. " Tony clapped Loki's shoulder.
"I hope you 're not expecting a hug and a teary goodbye, Tin Can Man."
"Ugh!" Tony pulled a disgusted face.
The chariot rose into the air.
"Don't miss me! I'll be back!" Loki hit the accelerator. The Chitauri spacecraft gained in speed and altitude as it rocketed into the skies above Tønsberg. Flying a full circle over Tony's head, they saw him waving goodbye before he produced his tablet in order to mess with the Norwegian radar.
Nevertheless, it was still likely to create panic if they crossed the airspace of a city with an alien spacecraft, so Loki steered the chariot eastwards until they were over the waters of the Oslofjord, and after following that for a few minutes, he changed course again. Raven saw some scarcely inhabited islands below them, mostly made of rocks and stones.
The chariot descended to a much lower altitude as they reached the southernmost tip of the island of Tjøme, a point the Norwegians called Verdens Ende- World's End. And indeed, ahead of them were only the open waters of the Skagerrak. If they continued that way, they would be reaching Denmark soon.
But that was not Loki's intention. He was staring at something in the far distance.
Picking up speed again, the chariot shot over the water, almost touching its surface. Raven could feel the salty spray of the waves on her face, but she also noticed something else.
Ahead of them, the air was blurry.
The gateway between worlds, the rift in time and space was almost visible... and it didn't surprise her that it almost felt like Apparition when she was sucked into that hole in the skies, like being pressed into a tube...
