With a bang the door was slammed open. Thor, Brunnhilde and Hayes rushed into the room. The last one ran to Aella immediately, who looked at him with so much fear and hatred it wasn't leaving Loki indifferent. It wasn't particularly the first time someone was looking at him that way, but he was just overwhelmed this time. The last thing he'd said to her, was that she was decisive when she easily detected his lie. It had been a compliment. Sort of. As a reaction she'd swung him through the room and screamed as if he'd been trying to rape her.

Loki rubbed his right shoulder blade – or at least tried to get there – which had caught the biggest smack. She really was unbelievably strong.

"What have you done this time?" Thor's hand clenched around his arm like a vise. "Why do you always have to cause trouble!"

Thor dragged him out of the room. Even without a hammer he was stronger than Loki was. Neither did he have the energy to resist, his thoughts were still with everything that had been said and Aella's sudden change.

"I didn't do a thing," Loki did object verbally.

Thor sniffed. "That would be a first." He threw open a door and pushed Loki inside. "Stay here. If I find out you teleport yourself elsewhere, or even create an illusion you're still here, I'll chain you so that you can't use your magical powers."

Loki rolled his eyes. "You better chain that girl. She's insane." With his finger he tapped his forehead, Thor wasn't very perceptive.

"She didn't attack you for no reason."

"Eh... yes, she did."

Thor squeezed his eyes suspiciously and slammed the door. With a sigh Loki paced through his room. He rolled his shoulders, as usually the pain was already fading.

He flopped on a chair and thought about all the things she'd said. He had a suspicion where those voices she heard were coming from. That could play out both good and dramatic for him, and judging to the way she'd swung him to the wall tend to the last. It however was still an opportunity... an opportunity that occurred right at the perfect moment.

Loki was still sitting on the chair, thinking about the way he could use Aella. Now and then his thoughts slid to Rota. Had she given her powers and memories to a mortal, right before she died? It looked like it. A nagging feeling told him there might be more left of her, but he kept in mind that could just be what he wanted.

Rota had been smart. He didn't doubt she'd known about his plans, and she would have tried to stop him if she could. But how? She'd been barely alive when he'd left her. And why would she use a human? The most insignificant of all creatures?

He looked up when the door opened. Thor and Brunnhilde both stood in the doorway.

"She doesn't say a word. What did you tell her?" the Valkyrie asked.

The corner of his mouth curled up. "If she hasn't told you anything, that might have a reason, don't you think? She might have tried to knock me out for the second time, but at least she told me what was going on."

Thor took a step forward, trying to look threatening. "You forced her."

Loki chuckled. "How? I got many powers, but none of them seems to affect Aella."

The glance in Thor's eyes softened a little. "A human you call by her name..."

"A human?" Loki repeated. "She is no human." His eyes rested on Brunnhilde for a moment. She's a Valkyrie. He'd wanted to say the words out loud, but decided to keep the information to himself a little longer. If only to annoy the others.

"Then what is she?" Brunnhilde asked.

"Find out for yourselves. But be warned: she easily gets enough of you."

He smirked when the Valkyrie studied his face. It's quite remarkable I recognize your sister before you do, sweetheart.