When Ronan was five, he sat next to a girl with skin the colour of the way his dad took his tea, long curly dark brown hair and scraped knees and elbows.
She was taller than him, and normally went home with bloody palms from playing much more physical games than Ronan had considered reasonable.
She also wanted to be his friend, which was a novelty for Ronan. He didn't even know her name, and she wasn't someone who looked like someone who Ronan would get along with.
"Never judge someone from what strikes you first." His mother had told him, when Ronan had spoken of her bloody knees and cut chin. "She may be kind, my dear, and you could use more friends."
Marie had grown to be one of his closest friends, until she moved away when he was nine. They still kept in contact, through text and e-mail and phone calls.
His mother's advice had always been useful in Ronan's life, and that is why he took it in account when he watched Loki through the monitor, ignoring his arrogant stance and toothy grin and the unimpressed look in his eyes.
Instead, he looked at his pale skin and the sweat beading on his brow. On the dark circles around his eyes. Because Ronan knew that, no matter how arrogant he acted, those things Loki could not hide.
Ronan was mostly unimpressed by the speech Loki was making, though - he'd read this stuff, watched it in movies. He tried to analyse the words, though, tried to make sense of it all, but he was coming up flat.
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce was the first to speak after the transmission ended. Ronan sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching out.
"Heard worse." He said, ignoring the looks. "Does anyone else think the picture that was painted seems...off, though?"
"My brother...changed after I went to Earth." Thor said, and Natasha raised an eyebrow at Ronan's words. Apparently not, then. Ronan slumped down slightly. "He has an army - the Chitauri."
"Oh, well, that's brilliant." Ronan muttered. "A fucking army from outer space. Wonderful."
"He'll need another portal to get them through." Bruce murmured, fiddling with his glasses. Almost nervous. "That's why he has Selvig."
"Selvig?" Ronan and Thor questioned together and Bruce nodded.
"The astrophysicist."
"You must have the wrong astrophysicist." Ronan said, and he was aware that he sounded slightly hysterical. "Selvig - Erik - he would never -"
"He's a friend." Thor said, cutting through Ronan's babble and he felt a rush of gratitude towards the Asgardian for that.
"Loki has him under some sort of compulsion. Along with one of our men." Natasha explained, running a hand through her hair.
"What I want to know is why Loki let us take him." Steve said. "I mean, he can't lead an army from in here."
"A ploy?" Ronan shrugged a shoulder. "In mythology, Loki is said to be a trickster god. There's stuff about him escaping his bonds during the end of the world, shit like that. I don't know - he's said to be playful, helpful when needed blah blah blah. One thing for sure is that he's a schemer. He's clever - there's definitely a plan behind this. I just don't know what it is."
"Not just brought in for luck." Ronan tilted his head back to grin at Tony who had just entered the room, dressed in a suit. "You know your stuff, don't you kid?"
"I'm not a kid." Ronan said. "But thank you. I try."
"Anyway, I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Bruce said. "If Ronan is right in believing that something is off, we should focus on what he is getting. Starting with the iridium."
"It's a stabilising agent." Tony answered almost immediately and soon he and Bruce were firing theories and scientific jargon at each other. Ronan caught Steve's eye and the super soldier pulled a face. It took a lot of restraint not to laugh. "It's so the portal won't collapse on itself again, and also so Loki can open it as wide as he wants, for however long he feels like."
"This sounds brilliant." Ronan sighed heavily. "So basically he is bringing a giant space army through a portal which he doesn't have to close unless he feels like it?"
"Not exactly." Bruce said. "He needs an energy source, something powerful enough to break through the Coulomb barrier."
"The what now?"
"Unless their scientist has managed to figure out how to stabilise the quantum tunneling effect." Tony pointed out.
"If he could do that, it is possible that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet." Bruce responded. Steve and Ronan exchanged confused looks as Tony beamed, making his way over to shake Bruce's hand in greeting.
"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. I'm also a fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."
"I -"
"Wait. Hold up. Green rage monster?" Ronan cut off Bruce's response and immediately noticed how the mild mannered scientist stiffened. "Seriously, you're the Hulk? The 'dangerous criminal who is capable of destroying New York'? You?"
"Is that going to be a problem?" Steve now sounded rather angry, and Ronan actually snorted loudly.
"God, no. Just - seriously? You don't look like someone who would destroy New York. Also why does no one tell me this stuff?" Ronan asked, giving Natasha a look. Natasha raised one eyebrow and Ronan immediately turned his gaze away from her because, ok, that was scary. "But it's no problem. Seriously." He offered Bruce a smile and the doctor returned it, although it was much more hesitant than Ronan's.
"It shouldn't be a problem because Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube." Fury's arrival startled Ronan - he decided he hated spies. They were too quiet. "And we have another job for you."
"Because I have been put through my paces already - standing around is so very taxing." Ronan muttered and Bruce made a sound that sounded like he was choking. Trying not to laugh, probably. "Hit me."
"We believe that it would be best if you were the one to talk to Loki." Fury said and Ronan felt his blood run cold. "With your lucky ability, we may be able to find out his plan earlier."
"Woah, hold up - You want the kid to talk to the mass murderer pseudo God?" Tony was the one who spoke up, one eyebrow raised. And did he sound...worried? Huh. That was new.
"It will be perfectly safe, Stark." Fury's eyes narrowed. "Loki is contained and we have surveillance of the area."
"I don't thi-"
"I'll do it." Ronan stopped Steve mid word. His hands shook slightly, and he clenched them into fists to hide it. "If it will retrieve the magic cube and stop aliens from invading or something, I'll do it."
Fury didn't smile, just nodded. He was aware that Tony was frowning, Steve was wide eyed and Bruce was gnawing on his lower lip.
These three men - who he hadn't even known for a whole day - were concerned. And somehow, that made the idea of walking into a room with a man who believed himself to be a god.
XoooX
Ronan was led down to where Loki was being held by Coulson. The older man was tense, shoulders stiff, and when they reached the door, he reached out with a hand as though to touch Ronan's shoulder but retracted it.
"This man…" Phil bit his lip. Ronan tilted his head, raising his eyebrows in a go on sort of gesture. "He is dangerous. Just...be careful."
"I never knew you cared." Ronan grinned. Phil smiled, slightly reserved.
"You're a good man. He...is anything but good."
"There is something wrong with him, Phil." Ronan replied. He was going to tell this man, who looked at Steve in awe and liked Ronan in a matter of hours. He may have stolen Jane's equipment last year, but she had got it back, and he had moved her to safety. "Don't tell Fury, but...well I always loved a good mystery."
"This isn't a game or a book, Ronan. This is your life."
"Good thing my life isn't worth much - wish me luck." Ronan strode through the doors, missing the stunned look Phil gave him at his comment.
Loki had his back to the door when Ronan entered, and he took the time to observe the man while he could.
His frame was slender, but not weak - it could be seen as such, but Ronan knew Asgardians, and knew that Loki would be stronger than he appeared. He was standing straight, head tilted up slightly, looking as regal as one could when imprisoned. Ronan knew he could use magic and wondered if the cage prevented that from working. He frowned at the thought - it seemed unnatural.
"It is rude to stare." Ronan was startled out of his thoughts when Loki spoke. He sounded disdainful, and he still hadn't turned. "Why is it that all Midgardians are so rude?"
"Keeps us interesting, doesn't it?" Ronan retorted quickly, moving around so he was in Loki's line of sight. The man snorted.
"This is the best they have? You?"
"And you said I was rude." Ronan rolled his eyes. "Don't underestimate someone just because they aren't a genius or have muscles on their muscles." Ronan made a point of scanning Loki with his eyes. "I mean, you don't look like much, but i have seen what you can do - illusions. Hand to hand. You're stronger than you look."
"And, apparently, you have stranger blood than others." Loki had leaned forward slightly, his interest obvious. "Something to do with luck?"
"Ah, yes, the lucky charm." Ronan rolled his eyes. Once again, his luck was the topic of choice. "If we're having this talk, we're sitting down." And Ronan did, crossing his legs and looking up imploringly at a bemused Loki. "Well?"
Looking mildly amused, the man mimicked Ronan's position and Ronan laughed internally as he imagined the look on Fury's face.
"I am only doing this to hear more about your blood." Loki informed him, and Ronan was pretty sure his amusement was clear in his eyes.
"Of course." Ronan replied. "My mother carried a gene - called the x gene - which is, like, an advanced gene that is like the next stage in evolution. I think. Science bored me, especially biology, so this is literally me winging it."
"'Winging it'?"
"Making it up as I go." Ronan clarified. "So I have this gene and it gave me the power of luck. Although it doesn't work a lot."
"And yet here I am." Loki stated. "How...lucky?"
"For who?" Ronan asked. Loki remained silent for a while, thoughtful.
"You...did not wish for this to happen?"
"I didn't want to be here. But SHIELD is annoying except from, like, Phil and the others they dragged in. Tony, Steve, Bruce - they're good. Your brother." Loki's demeanour changed from calm to bitter, lip curling.
"He is not my brother." He snarled. Ronan didn't flinch. There was a barrier between them, that would keep him safe...hopefully. "I don't care what he has told you, he is not my family."
"By blood. But by choice…" Ronan shrugged, getting to his feet. "I would love to have someone who would look at me and wish I was their son, or brother. Don't take Thor calling you his brother as an insult, or as stupidity - he is anything but. He loves you, whether you believe it or not." Loki hadn't risen from his seat, just looking at Ronan with a mix of anger and - possibly - confusion. "I'll be back." Ronan's lips twitched at the unintended reference, before he turned and left.
He could feel Loki's eyes boring into him until he left the room.
XoooX
"Is Fury out of his mind?" Ronan paused outside of the lab when he heard Tony's voice. "The kid is just a kid!"
"He isn't a kid." Bruce's voice was soothing compared to Tony's angry one . "But I don't agree with his idea, so don't give me that look." Ronan heard Tony sigh, the sound of something placed on a table.
"I don't like this." Tony's voice had quietened, the frown evident in his voice. "There is something...more going on here."
"Ronan agrees with you." Bruce said. "Although I think you mean more than just Loki."
"Honestly, I think the not-god is just insane. No, something about the cube." Tony replied. "I planted a bug and JARVIS is in. Soon enough, we'll have all of SHIELD's secrets and we can figure out why Fury needs the cube, because he was definitely using it for something. I also have access to any security footage so I can keep an eye on the kid and Loki."
"I am not a kid." Ronan decided to make his presence known, stepping into the lab, and Tony and Bruce turned to look at him. "And I can take care of myself."
"We know you can." Bruce attempted to placate him. "But Loki isn't just a man."
"He is also trapped in a reinforced prison. I think I'm pretty safe." Ronan shrugged. "How's the search going?"
He almost regretted asking as the two scientists began to explain how they were tracking the Tesseract down, using scientific jargon that Ronan couldn't make heads or tails of. He nodded along, humming in what he hoped was all the right places, until Tony broke off with a laugh.
"You have no idea what we're saying, do you?"
"I'm sorry I'm not a genius." Ronan rolled his eyes and Bruce disguised his snort as a cough. "I wasn't actually supposed to stop here - I was trying to find Thor. Do you know where he is?"
"I'd try the control room." Bruce offered. "He was there last time I checked."
"Thanks. I'll check in on you soon - if that's not a problem?"
"You're no bother." Tony waved a hand absently. "See you."
"Bye." Ronan headed out of the lab and to where he thought the control room was, passing agents who looked professional and so unlike him. They didn't regard him, which sat wrong with Ronan, but he shook it off.
When he reached the control room, it was easy to spot Thor, still in his armour, staring out of the window and at the clouds. Ronan joined him and Thor nodded in acknowledgement.
"It is amazing what you Midgardian's can create." Thor mused. "You have little magic, if any, and yet you can create all of this."
"One thing about humans is that we are stubborn as hell. If we want something, a little thing such as impossibility isn't going to stop us." Ronan shoved his hands in his pockets. "We create and if we mess up, we look at where we went wrong and try to make it better."
"I doubt you came here to talk to me about Midgardians, my friend."
"No. I came here to talk to you about Loki." That garnered Thor's full attention, turning to face Ronan. "What was he like? On Asgard?"
"He was clever. Intelligent." Thor said, sounding reminiscent. "He didn't really fit in with the rest of us - his talent lay with his tricks and his silver tongue. He spent hours in the library where we spent it outside."
"How much of the legends are true?" Ronan had to ask. "The sewing his mouth shut? His children?"
"Sewing his mouth shut?!" Thor sounded stunned at the mere thought. "If that did happen, I have no knowledge of it. His children though...he has four."
"Hel, Fenrir, Sleipnir and Jormungandr, right?" Ronan hazarded and Thor nodded.
"Yes. He sees none of them - they live on different realms. Why do you ask?"
"I'm supposed to figure out his plan or something." Ronan shrugged. "Knowing him...it should help. He likes books, did you say?"
"Yes. Why?"
"A point of discussion for our next talk." Ronan offered a smile to Thor. "I'll help him. Not for him, but for you."
"If anyone can," Thor sighed. "It's you."
Ronan wondered why he put so much faith in his abilities, when he had little faith in them himself.
XoOoX
I'm really iffy about this chapter but I really wanted to get something out for you guys.
Please, please tell me if Loki sounds in character - some of the later stuff I scribbled down works but I am not as confident this chapter.
Thanks! ~ Jazz xx