AN:
Thank you so much you guys for reading and reviewing and Tumbling my story. You have know idea how much it makes my day to get reviews/notes/whatevs.

Awesome beta is awesome.

And now it starts getting...interesting... hopefully.

CHAPTER 25

Loki had never ridden with Darcy on her motorcycle before. His ability to teleport made conventional modes of travel highly unnecessary. Seated behind her on the vehicle, his hands firmly grasping her hips, the air rushing past his face as the sound of the engine and wind drowned out all other noise, he could understand why she liked it so much. It was a cool California evening, the month of September finally bringing a refreshing crispness to the twilight hours. The relatively quiet highway taking them back to their home allowed the view of a rather impressive purple and orange sunset over clear blue ocean. Truly, he had never really stopped to look at Midgard before. While he doubted any realm could ever rival Asgard in his heart, this planet certainly held more charm than perhaps he let himself enjoy.

She was leaning forward, focusing intensely on her task of driving, her dark ponytail spilling out of her helmet and over her leather jacket. This less efficient mode of travel also allowed him to relish the closeness of her, as he was unsure if he would be allowed it again. Even his request to accompany her on her ride home had been met with reluctance, mistrust of his intentions plainly written on her tired features.

In the wake of their -thus far- successful experiment, and with Stark's permission, Darcy decided to take a few well deserved days to herself while the lab was restored and they waited for Banner's condition to stabilize. Loki's chest buzzed with excitement at the thought of having her home, eager to take the time to share his new revelation with her. Of course, he knew a too sudden confession would not be wise, possibly seeming as if he was only saying what he needed to get what he wanted. Even he had to admit that was not beyond him in most cases. On the other hand he also felt that he might burst if he let her go one more moment not knowing how he felt about her. They had both waited long enough. He had spent the past few months enjoying her in every possible way, and yet now he felt as exhilarated as if he was only just trying to court her for the first time. This new discovery had cast a fresh light on everything, and he found himself desperate make things right so that they could move forward in what this meant for the two of them. But how to prove that he was genuine?

The need for power had driven him for longer than he cared to remember. It had brought him nothing but emptiness and despair as endless as the abyss into which he had fallen. The day of his defeat had dissolved even that fabricated purpose to which he had clung -if only to pull himself from one to day the next- into a web of lies, broken promises, and his own humiliation. The healing process had been painful, but steady, bringing him to this point; and he now, for the first time since that day, looked to the future with eagerness and anticipation. His relationship with his brother healed with every passing day: Loki felt closer to Thor than even before his coronation, and their friendship had become less of a pill for him to swallow. His brother loved him without reservation, regardless of past wrongs from either side. Thor had truly grown, and was much more capable of ruling Asgard than the boy he had been for so many painful years.

It was not only with Darcy and his brother that he had found peace, but he also found a certain contentment in knowing he had helped the mortals in his own way that day. So often his magic had been feared and sometimes even hated back home, although his deceitful nature might have had something to do with that, but Banner had spoken genuine gratitude to him as he lay there in agony, trying to fight off his own frightening nature. Loki had been more successful gaining the praise of mortals when he wasn't even trying than when he had summoned an army to accomplish the task.

And then there was Darcy.

Darcy.

They were getting close to their house, and he was running out of time to decide what to say to her. So often their arguments would fizzle out into an anticlimactic avoidance of a topic. He could not let that happen: not this time. As they pulled into the the small carport, she made a specific point of removing his hands from her hips before unstrapping her helmet and tucking it under one arm. She made no acknowledgement of his presence other than avoiding actually walking through him as she headed to their front door. He followed her quietly until she sat down on their living room couch, tossing her jacket beside her as she began unlacing her boots.

"You are still not feeling any better," he said plainly, almost the first words he had said directly to her since their argument. "Are you sure you should not see another doctor?" She looked at him as if she did not know what he was saying at first. She shook her head slightly and an almost indiscernible smile rolled over her features, disappearing quickly.

"I just have a lot on my mind," she said. Removing her second shoe, she sank back onto the couch with a sigh of relief escaping her. Loki said nothing in reply on the subject. Perhaps she really was just more susceptible to stress than he had thought. The seemingly impermeable silence stretched on between them. It reminded him of when he and his brother first lived with her and he could not say two words without making her uncomfortable.

"Are we going to avoid what happened last night indefinitely?" he finally asked. Her relaxed brows came together, another sigh escaping her.

"Apparently not," she said, eyes remaining closed. "I was hopeful though."

"I understand if now is not the best of times," he offered, carefully choosing his words, "but I do not believe either of us were finished. I would like to continue when you are ready. We can wait, though." The furrow of her brow deepened for a moment as she slowly opened one eye and then closed it again, softening her brow once more.

"Actually giving me a choice in the matter?" she asked curiously. "That's new. But I guess we can have it out now." So many of her little comments that once passed through his mind as merely an indication of her sarcastic nature now revealed her true perception of him. He cringed. "What's up?" she asked. He slowly approached to sit next to her on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. She made no move to acknowledge him as he clasped his hands together in thought.

"It was never my intention to make you feel like an insect," he said, recalling her words oh so very clearly, "or anything else unpleasant. You seem so unmoved most of the time when I say things, and I forget how deeply they affect you. I did not want to feel about you the way that I do, knowing the obstacles that would stand between us in the event we ever became more than casual lovers. It was myself I was trying to protect, but it should never have been worth insulting you." While he spoke, Darcy had slowly turned her head -still resting it on the couch- to him, eyes opening to meet his. "Even endeavoring to do what is right and best for you, I have treated you poorly. I have no excuse for myself other than to say it was not done intentionally. I am...sorry." A long pregnant pause passed as Darcy contemplated his apology, her eyes meeting his occasionally as she looked around the room for something on which she could focus.

"I forgive you," she said. Of course she would, Loki could not help thinking sadly. "But I am not going to listen to it anymore, even if we are no longer together."

"And you shall never hear a cross word from my lips agai-" he paused. "Well, that would be a lie. But I will never make you feel like you are beneath me again, as my lover or as my friend. This I promise." She nodded, a weak smile on her face.

"Okay," she said. "Anything else bothering you?"

Loki had replayed that moment of dangling off the rainbow bridge many times in his mind. Grasping desperately to his father's staff, he had clung for a fleeting moment to the hope of finally winning his father's respect, letting go when he thought he realized he would never have what he wanted more than anything. The pain in his heart in that one moment had threatened to crush the life out of him, with death being the only escape from it.

This moment of Darcy staring at him expectantly seemed just as it had as he hung from that bridge, only this time it was Darcy to whom he desperately clung. If he did not tell her now, he would lack the courage to do so later, after he had convinced himself of how impossible any kind of meaningful union would be between them. But he was willing to take that chance now, because she deserved no less from him. If she denied him, he would not dishonor her or his brother's effort to help him find peace by losing himself to darkness again. He would accept the responsibility of his actions, even if that meant losing her as a lover. (Just as long as it wasn't to Rogers. The boy was... too selfless and noble and...good. Loki would have nothing for which he could be mocked. If she chose not to stay with him, he certainly wouldn't want her happy about it...)

She watched with one of her more bewildered expressions as he turned to kneel before her on the couch slightly between her knees, gripping the sides of her thighs with his long fingers. It was a position more intimate than his current standing probably allowed, and she lurched forward to remove his hands, annoyance etched in her countenance.

"Loki!" she squealed. Her breath caught in her throat and she stilled shortly after when she realized what he was doing. She felt it on her thighs first where his hands were touching her, unsure of exactly what it was. With a mixture of awe and surprise, she watched as the deep wells of green observing her shifted into red, his handsome face gaining a deep cerulean pigment complemented by symmetrical patterns rising up in his skin. She didn't notice as her bottom teeth began to chatter in response to the coolness radiating from his entire body as his transformation completed. He was still completely recognizable. He was just as she had seen him in the Tesseract that one day so long ago. Still Loki.

"Tell me you love me," he said softly, trying his best to make it sound like a request instead of a command.

"Wh-what?" she said, confused, trying desperately to replay his words in her mind.

"Tell me you love me," he repeated, slightly less like a question this time, "and I will give you whatever is left of this heart and body for as long as your life will allow." Her lips parted slightly, chest suddenly heaving with the deep breaths that were necessary to keep from getting dizzy. She shivered as he brought a blue hand up to her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. It felt like a slightly warmer ice pack. "Tell me you love me now," he repeated, a quiet desperation in his voice.

"I love you now," she said quickly just before he pulled her forward, planting incredibly cold lips on hers. It was strange at first, but the gravity of what was happening was not lost on her, exhausted though she was. Loki could be manipulative and was capable of lying straight through his perfect teeth to get what he wanted: but not this. He knew what would soften her heart towards him and would use it, but he would not make himself this vulnerable just to prove a point. She had felt what he felt when she saw him like this in the Tesseract that one day. This was his one true weakness - the source of all of his self loathing. No matter how angry she was with him, she couldn't bring herself to turn him away in the face of such a risk on his part. Typical God of Mischief. Even his most sincere of intentions would forever be played out to his advantage. He had no reason to operate any other way. How did he know exactly what it would take to draw her back to him when even she did not?

Because he was Loki, that's how. Chessmaster Extraordinaire.

She instinctually wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he easily lifted her to her feet, pulling her tightly to him. Despite his Jotun form, Loki had never felt warmer in his life. Darcy could feel her entire body quiver both from his intensity and from the cold touch of his skin. Her lips felt like they were burning. He heard her trying to speak as she attempted to push him away.

"I-I don't know what this means," she managed to say against his lips.

"Yes you do," he said in between kisses. "You're very smart."

"Say it then," she commanded, keeping his mouth away from hers. He opted to kiss the side of her neck instead. "I'm not playing games with you anymore." She could feel him grin against her neck, brushing his mouth over her ear as her eyes drifted closed.

"I love you," he whispered. "Do you trust that?"

"Not in the very least," she said, a smile forming on her lips. He hoisted her up high enough for her to wrap her legs around his waist as he headed to his bedroom.

"Clever girl," he said, a grin spreading across his features.

"You only get to play that card one time," she said breathlessly, resting her hands on his shoulders, raising a fine brow at him. "The next time I break up with you, it'll be for longer than twenty-four hours." He continued to smile up at her.

"Then I'll try not to tempt fate, and give you a reason," he said, laying her down on his bed. He always enjoyed seeing the contrast of her fair skin against his dark green bedcovers, especially now when he had spent a short time wondering if he would ever see it again. While the evidence of her exhaustion was still evident underneath, her eyes were bright and playful as they had not been for several days. Everything about her seemed new and exciting, different somehow in the most wonderful of ways. He slowly crawled up the bed as she kept her eyes locked on his face, trying to adjust to seeing him like this. He stilled when he saw what she was doing, allowing his eyes to drift closed as her small hands reached up and ran across the ridges on his face. Her teeth chattered painfully, and he slowly allowed his Asgardian face to take back over, raising the temperature of his skin.

"No!" she said sharply. "Go back to how you were."

"I don't think you getting hypothermia is how I would like this to end," he said sheepishly. "Although I do appreciate your adventurous spirit, as always."

"Then warm me up," she said, reaching for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head. "I know you know how." He smiled, hesitating briefly as his face shifted blue again, scooting down to remove her shirt as well. It wasn't long before she felt magic leave his fingertips, leaving a warm feeling on her skin in its wake, contrasting starkly with the cool from the rest of him. Between the warmth on her skin that he was spreading everywhere and the icy touch of his hands that no longer seemed as abrasive, she was sure she had never been so aroused in such a short span of time. She doubted he warmed up those places on Banner, although she made a note to herself to never ask. She continued tracing the patterns on his chest and back, wanting to memorize every one. "Say it again," she said, not bothering to be specific.

"You said you did not trust me," he replied playfully.

"Say it until I do," she replied, threading her fingers through his hair as he pressed kisses to her chest reaching behind her, feeling for the hooks of her bra.

"I love you, Darcy," he said, flinging the garment away and returning to his work. She gasped at the feel of his cold mouth in all sorts of new places. "Well, my, my my," he grinned back up at her. "There are certain perks to this form which I hadn't considered." Darcy narrowed her eyes at the ceiling.

"If I could think of insults right now, you would be getting a really bad one."

"Do you believe me yet?' Darcy vaguely heard whispered in her ear. She was fast on her way to sleeping, wrapped in Loki's regularly-temperatured embrace, and had to repeat the words in her head in order to comprehend them. She could feel him tracing invisible patterns along her exposed hip, getting dangerously close to a ticklish zone.

"I think if we do that a few more times, I will be more inclined to be convinced of your sincerity," she said sleepily, throwing one of her legs over his as she snuggled closer. She wiggled away as he got closer and closer to that one spot with his wandering hand. "That will cause you to lose points. Want sleep." In spite of the giddy and playful mood buzzing under his calm facade, Loki stilled his hand, willing her to finally get some rest. He was wide awake, however, his mind astir trying to process this new development, as he allowed his hand to travel up and down her bare arm instead, away from the offending spot.

"Good night, Darcy," he said quietly. He was quite certain he had never said that before. He felt her lean up and press her lips to his jaw.

"Good night, my..." She didn't get to finish as sleep overcame her.

Of all the ways he had seen the day playing out, this had only been in his wildest of fantasies. Well, perhaps not wildest. He had been intending to seduce Darcy into insanity, after all; although he certainly had not expected her to desire him in his Jotun form. That had been...indescribable. He had meant to give her one last chance to leave, to run away, as she should. Let her see the monster he held inside him and decide if she loved him still, for after that there would be no turning back for him. Apparently, she found his other form to be more than agreeable, especially when coupled with his magic. He was quite certain the memory of his two most despised traits coming together to elicit the rather loud moans of pleasure from his young lover was bound to give him the existential crisis he had been dutifully avoiding.

He had just been about to drift into slumber an hour after Darcy, her arm and leg thrown dramatically over him, when he suddenly heard her whispering. One of his eye opened, looking down at her before opening the second. While she was as chatty as she pleased in waking hours, Darcy was a heavy sleeper, and not really prone to talking in her sleep. He tried listening to discern what she was saying. At first it sounded like nonsense, and he wondered is she was simply making noise for some reason, but then it almost sounded like chanting. Loki frowned intensely as he realized that she wasn't speaking nonsense, but a recitation of spells in a dialect from Alfheim that he recognized vaguely.

What in the world?

She suddenly stopped. Inhaling sharply, she slowly opened her eyes and then jerked her head up quickly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Did I wake you up?"

"No," he said. "Were you dreaming again?" She nodded sleepily as she lay her head back down. "What about?" He felt her shrug.

"I never remember," she said.

"Darcy," he said seriously, "have you...gotten yourself into trouble somehow?"

"I think we both know the answer to that question," she joked lightly.

"You know what I mean," he said patiently. "Have you...done something?" Several long moments passed before she raised her eyes to his, suddenly very awake.

"What makes you ask that?" she asked.

"You haven't been sleeping well all week," he said. "And you were just reciting Alfheim incantations."

"I was what? Ugh. Nevermind," she replied, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"What is going on?" he questioned firmly, arising with her. She sighed heavily.

"A lot of things," she said. "I haven't done anything like what you're thinking, but, I don't know. I can't explain it."

"Try," he said. She shook her head, bringing the blanket up more tightly around her as she rubbed her temples. "Darcy, you can't even pronounce 'Mjolinir.' What are you doing speaking a language from a realm to which you have never been?" She let out a short and dry laugh at the truth of his words. "I know I have done little to earn your trust, but there is nothing I wouldn't do to help you if you are in trouble." When most people said that, they usually had some sort of unstated moral boundary that was assumed. Darcy had little doubt there was most likely little Loki would not do that she would ask, and even a few things she wouldn't.

"I do trust you," she said, shifting to sit on his lap, letting either of her legs fall to his side as she placed her hands on his shoulders. He was thankful the blanket was wrapped around her otherwise bare form so that they could actually finish this conversation. "I do. I just...need you to trust me right now, too." She met his eyes, moved by the genuine concern she saw reflected back. "I am in a whole heap of trouble, I won't lie, but it's nothing I went looking for, believe you me. I hope, in a little while, we can all look back at this and laugh about that 'one time Darcy did that one thing,' but I have to do this alone for the moment." Loki prided himself on the ability to figure out most things around him without much explanation, but he absolutely could not imagine what she could have gotten herself into.

"I don't like this," he said plainly.

"I don't either. Hopefully it won't be for very much longer." Loki sighed, trying to remember what he had just learned that very day. Darcy's existence did not start and stop with their relationship. Her need to keep secrets was not necessarily a lack of trust. As intense as his own curiosity was, he wasn't willing to lose the ground he had only just gained with her. He sighed. Fortunately he had the luxury of not really caring too much about the greater good above his own desires, one of those desires being to not start fighting with Darcy at the moment. He was hardly one to chastise her for causing mischief, but if Thor found out she was up to no good, she was on her own.

"Promise to come to me," he said, "when you feel that you can." She nodded, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on his mouth. "If you get yourself killed, I'm going to be severely upset with you." She smiled and she kissed him again. "Remind me again why I'm allowing this?"

"Because you love me," she said, planting another kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"And?"

"You're all right, I guess," she shrugged.

"Please tell me you wore a garter," Tony said. "Please, for the love of all that is good, tell me you wore a garter."

"I doubt wedding ceremonies are the same on Jotunheim," Jane said, trying terribly hard not to giggle. "Did Thor at least give you a pretty bridesmaid's dress, Loki, or did he want to be the prettiest belle of the ball?"

"A dress could not have salvaged the shipwreck that was my brother dressed as a woman, I assure you, madam," Loki replied. "I, with no regret, inform you that I would best my brother in any exercise, one way or another, and that would include trying to pass as a woman."

"An easy enough task if we all had the ability to shapeshift," Thor grumbled. "That garment was terribly uncomfortable."

"Wait a minute," Banner said. "You can shapeshift into a woman?"

"I can appear in the shape of any creature I wish," Loki replied arrogantly, "male or female." Darcy threw a pensive look at Tony, bracing herself for whatever comment he would make with that knowledge. Pepper was at the table, so he may have been willing to hold back the nasty. He simply grinned at her, saying nothing. Nope, he was going to just hold onto that one. Dammit.

"Including, horses, apparently," Jane said casually, not succeeding in hiding her smirk. Thor avoided his brother's eyes, returning his full attention to his steak. It was wise, considering the God of Mischief narrowed his eyes at Jane, going back and forth between her and Thor.

"For the last time, that did not happen!" Loki said defensively.

"What didn't happen?" Pepper asked.

"One of the myths of the ancient humans about my brother that got a little out of hand," Thor said, a huge bite of food shoved into one cheek. "He's a little sensitive about it."

"Charm a horse," Loki articulated. "I appeared as a horse to charm a mare into giving me her eight-legged foal. I might have taken care to raise Sleipnir, but I damn well didn't birth the creature. I thought we were talking about Thor wearing a dress."

"And the custom made garter it would have taken to fit those tree trunks," Tony said over his barely contained amusement. Loki leaned back in the booth, wrapping a rather purposeful arm around Darcy's waist. A tingle of a thrill travelled up Darcy's spine and she fought to hide her pleasure at the small display of affection in front of everyone. She had been worried the night before had been some sort of illusion, and she would wake to find none of it had happened. Loki had assured her of the new esteem in which he held her, both publicly and privately, in either word or subtle caress, the entire day that day. She supposed after months of never knowing his intentions, the clarity of the situation did them both well.

"Did the beard not tip Thrym off that you were not the most beautiful goddess in Asgard?" Darcy questioned, relaxing into Loki's arm.

"I suppose it would have, if not for my brother here convincing the entire guest list that I was," Thor said proudly, bringing a hand down on Loki's shoulder. Loki smirked at his brother's praise. "A full goblet and a few of his words was all it took. As you all know, Meow Meow was returned to me." Darcy crossed her hands over her chest, beaming proudly. "Mjolnir!" he quickly corrected.

"I love myself sometimes," Darcy said, pleased with her ability to get even Thor to call his own hammer by the wrong name.

The entire group continued the night in jovial conversation, a small celebration after the weeks of work for Stark, Banner, and Darcy. A second test run on Banner had revealed his immediate recognition of Tony and Thor, as well as his ability to return to his regular self within the hour. Several trials would still have to be successful, but Stark had insisted everyone go out together in celebration of Banner's success. Darcy could not have been happier. In spite of his reservations that he had actually found a solution, Banner was more relaxed than she had ever seen him. For the first time since that day Loki came barrelling into her facility at SHIELD, everything actually seemed somewhat perfect. She was in love with Loki, and he had admitted as much to her in return. Better yet, she actually found it easy to believe him. She had an exciting job at Stark Industries. Banner had the chance of not having to torture himself as much. Thor and Jane were together. Pepper and Tony were together. As she looked around the table at all of the people with her, she had to smile widely.

Darcy and Jane parted from the men in their lives as they left the restaurant. Darcy was out of ice cream and Jane needed a razor, and even the most mundane trip to the store was a great excuse for the two of them to get out into a testosterone free environment (assuming Asgardians produced testosterone.)

Darcy had been quite surprised when Loki had planted a relatively innocent but obvious kiss on her lips in parting, even in front of Jane and Thor.

"Okay," Jane started as they got in her car, "I know you guys were together, but now you are... together?"

"Yep. Looks like," Darcy replied, a pleased smile on her face.

"What happened to 'keeping him at arm's length' and 'getting attached to him would be like emotional suicide?'" Jane asked.

"I know," Darcy said, not surprised to hear her own words repeated back to her. "I know. But... I love him, Jane." The physicist could not have given her a more shocked look if she she was wrecking the car she was driving. Of course, with Jane, the night was still young. "And he told me he loved me. I know he's not considered the most truthful of people, but I don't think this is something he would lie about. It's not like I have anything he'd be using me for anymore. I...I love him."

"He told you?" Darcy nodded. "And you told him? How did that even happen?"

"I blurted it out of course," the brunette responded as they got out of the car. The dim and empty parking lot echoed the sounds of their car doors shutting as they headed in the direction of the brightly lit store a little distance away.

She was about to explain the details as the girlfriend code required when she felt a hand come over her mouth and heard Jane scream.

"Make a sound," an inhumanly deep voice said into Darcy's ear, "make a noise louder than a whisper, and the last thing you'll hear is the sound of her neck snapping in the dark." A strange burning sensation of fear started at the back of Darcy's neck and trickled its way down her spine. Every ligament in her body was frozen in as she watched Jane being equally subdued. She couldn't see the person apprehending her, only that his form was unnaturally large, completely cloaked in black. As her attacker dragged her deeper into the darkness of an alleyway, Darcy could only feel how completely rigid the hand around her mouth was. It felt like her kidnapper had shards of rock glued to his hands under his gloves. His chest felt like she was being ground into the side of a cliff. They were thrown to their knees side by side, and Darcy took care not to scream, although it denied her instinct. She guessed Jane had gotten a similar warning, as she also remained silent.

"At last, Miss Lewis, we meet." Darcy heard as she slowly lifted her head to the one who had addressed her.

Shiny shoes. Suit black as the night with only a silk red tie standing against it. The most serpentine features she had ever seen on a human -or what she assumed was a human- stood out on pale flesh under a shock of platinum blonde hair.

"How perfectly fortuitous," he said, "I come here to find the whore of the cast-off, and I discover that of the golden-child as well." The falsely saccharine tone that seemed to drip from his lips caused a metallic taste to rise in Darcy's mouth. "I must say, you are a difficult woman to get alone. He's kept quite the eyeball on you, has he not? Among other things I'm sure. It was only a matter of time until you got too comfortable thinking I wouldn't find you. And here we are." He extended his hands dramatically in a way that seemed understated rather than over the top.

"I'm happy for you," Darcy said, forcing the quake in her voice to still. She had stood up to Loki at his worst, a few times. She wasn't about to let this asshole get the better of her. This wasn't exactly the first time she had almost gotten killed and from people probably more dangerous than some Shadow Council shark. So far Darcy had two pieces of information to work with. A) They had been watching a long time. B) They were there for her, not Jane. She had to get Jane away, if possible. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. A little unfair, since you know mine." Jane looked at Darcy like she was absolutely crazy. For all Darcy knew, she might have been.

"Well now there is a nice, civil greeting," he said, a pleasant smile on his face. "Victor Shaw, at your service, Miss Lewis. It's not necessary to be uncivil in these matters. I'm glad to see Loki has taught you a thing or two about how to treat your master." Darcy gave an obviously false smirk.

"Cute," she said. "Well I'm assuming you are here to whisk me away and kill me in some awful manner. Let Jane go so we can get on with it." The man laughed menacingly. Darcy steeled herself, ready to bluff having balls -or rather ovaries- of steel.

"And the bargaining begins. Why in the world would I do that, Miss Lewis?" Darcy suddenly felt like she understood what was going through Loki's mind when he played chess. He didn't even have a Tesseract's worth of knowledge buzzing around in his head to give him hints here and there. She could suddenly see all of the plays she had available to her so clearly, and what would probably happen afterward. Everyone acted certain ways for certain reasons. Reactions building on guy was no different.

"I'm just the whore of the cast-off, no?" Darcy said. "You can probably get away with killing me or whatever. If you've been watching us, which it appears you have, you know that she's the intended wife of Thor, future King of Asgard. I don't think the Eternal Realm would look too kindly on you messing with its future queen. Of course if you'd like to launch a full-scale war with Asgard now I suppose it wouldn't matter. Considering you've had to slink around in the dark up until now, however, something tells me aren't quite ready for that. Wouldn't want to end whatever world-dominatey plans you've got going on before they even get started, would you? A little birdie tells me you've been partying with Jotunheim. You can see how well a war with Asgard worked out for them." The satisfaction of seeing the shocked and irritated look on Shaw's face was short-lived as Darcy felt a sharp needle in her neck and she slipped into unconsciousness.