Loki had stabbed him! Once again, Thor frowned, staring at the wreckage of the destroyed jet, thinking about his unsuccessful reunion with his brother. Loki must have been the worst brother there was, but still Thor loved him, and hated at the current moment. They had used to be so close, always as true brothers and now he wasn't so sure about that.
He knew Loki had always been on the side mischief, but he couldn't understand what had changed his brother's heart so entirely against him. Of course Loki had learned the truth about his true parentage. That had also taken aback Thor himself, but still it didn't change anything they had shared and done together in the past. Thor wanted to take Loki back home and stop him hurting mortals, especially those one he loved.
The god of thunder raised his gaze up at the dark sky from where two Quinjets were descending towards the site of the wreckage. The man in the metal armor had told that there where other people coming to searching for Loki too.
"Thor? You're back awful soon," agent Coulson greeted the Asgardian prince, walking out from the just landed Quinjet with a group of agents that were soon all around the place cleaning up the mess. Phil Coulson was thankful though, for having all the help they could get, even Asgardian. Who better to capture an evil god than another god?
"Son of Coul, I am afraid our reunion is not as joyful as it should have right to be," Thor said to his newly found friend, meeting with Coulson.
"Where's Loki? And Ms. Morgan?" Coulson asked from Thor and Ironman, who had made a pact for co-operation.
"We lost him, Phil," Tony said, annoyed to admit his defeat that had dented his ego worse than Thor's hammer his suit. "We've been checking the area and there are no traces of either of them."
Thor pointed his finger at the metal man. "He lost my brother!" he said for a clearance. "The woman, I do not know who she is, but she was helping Loki."
"Yeah? No shit?" Tony huffed, and Thor glanced at himself discreetly making sure there were no more sheep droppings on him. "That girlie destroyed the controls of the Quinjet when I was remote controlling it, getting on the upper hand. I could have taken him down without her interference, and his," Tony explained nodding his head at Thor.
Coulson frowned at the big grown up men who were blaming at each other like kids. "We are not looking for people to blame. We are looking for a dangerous creature from outer space that is a real threat to international security. Earth does not need an ancient god meddling on our affairs and causing chaos wherever he goes," he said and then glanced at Thor. "No offence!"
"None taken," Thor answered dryly. "But Loki is my brother and he is of Asgard, and once we find him I will take him to face Asgardian justice."
"If it would be up to me, you could have him," Coulson said, "but director Fury wants us to capture him and held in captivity for his crimes committed on Earth."
"Where is this Fury? I would like to have a word with him!"
"Later! We still have a job do to!"
"One more thing, son of Coul," Thor said in a softer tone, "Jane. I fear for her sake. Loki may want to take his revenge on me through her."
Agent Coulson nodded in understanding. "We'll make sure she stays safe."
"Thank you, my friend."
They heard the sirens of local fire- and police departments drawing on near and saw the flashing red and blue lights approaching the site. Coulson pulled one of his agents closer. "Keep the local forces at bay until the area is clear, understood!" he ordered.
"Yes, sir."
A red-haired woman in a dark S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform walked to them with a grim expression. "Where's he? I want Loki's head for what he did to Barton!" Natasha Romanoff announced stepping next to Coulson, giving a short glance at Thor and Ironman. Clint Barton was alive and treated, but she was severely pissed of what that godling had done to her good friend.
Thor couldn't help but to smile at the woman's defiance. "Why do not you leave this to us?"
"Oh-oh!" Ironman sighed being familiar of her spirits. That was like telling her to leave this to the big boys.
Natasha had her pistol aiming straight at Thor's forehead before he made another move. "A legend or not, you stay out of my way!"
"Alright. That's enough! We're on the same side here," agent Coulson reminded, and annoyed she put her pistol away. "I have asked roadblocks on every road in range of 30 miles. Every airport, harbors, buss and railroad stations are in high alert. The problem seems to be that he's able to change his appearance. Is that correct, Thor?"
Thor nodded. "He is a master of magic. And I am afraid it is difficult to find him unless he wants to be found."
"Then where do we start?" Natasha asked impatiently. "He could be anywhere?"
Thor noticed the flock of sheep roaming on the other side of the steep field, and recalled the time when Loki had transformed himself into a snake. Could it be that simple? "Gather all the sheep. I will subject them to my Mjölnir," he said, striding towards the herd, hoping thus to reveal Loki's possible illusion.
The humans glanced at each other disgusted, not wanting to even know what he meant by that.
"Err, right?" Tony Stark grimaced doubtfully. "I don't think the sheep would like that! So, keep your mjöl-whatever in your pants."
Thor gave an offended look at the metal man, lifting his hammer in the air, a lighting striking from the weapon. "This. Is. Mjölnir!"
"Oh, awkward! Thanks for the clarification!"
Natasha watched as the god of thunder marched down the hill with his mighty hammer. "Is this guy serious?" she asked from Coulson.
"I saw him stopping a huge armored automaton that used an alien technology back in New Mexico. Our weapons did nothing to that thing; it destroyed everything from its path. As I understood, it was this same Loki who sent that thing on Earth. Thor took it down only with his hammer. He might be out of the ordinary but he's our best chance to stop his brother."
"Then what about Emma Morgan? Why would she help Loki?" Natasha asked, unable to understand it.
"Well, Loki is one loony deity, talking about a major father figure, and she has got some serious daddy issues! You know what that's like," Tony Stark explained carelessly.
Natasha glared at him under her brows. "I wouldn't know. Why you ask me?"
Tony grimaced. "Er… I didn't ask specifically from you. You look great by the way, agent Romanoff. Have you done something to you hair? New color or a cut?"
... ...
Somewhere beyond a couple of hills the squealing sirens of the emergency vehicles fell silent, giving Emma and Loki some kind of picture how far they had made from the site of the Quinjet's explosion site.
"So, we are going to stop a car and ask nicely if they could give us a lift. No killing, no threatening, no pulling out weapons, no turning into wild creatures! Pretty please!" Emma begged from Loki when they reached on a bigger road with some traffic after walking a couple of miles on footpaths and small country roads.
Loki would have wanted to disagree but lifted his hands up to surrender by her terms. "If you say so."
"Good. We are in England. People are polite here." Emma was relieved, lowering down her shoulders, giving a valuating look at his and hers outlooks. Loki wore his Asgardian clothes with a long cape and she was still in her sweater and trousers fitting better in a winter climate. He looked like he was on his way for some serious LARPing. "No-one's going to stop, if we look like this," she pondered aloud. "Especially you!"
Loki glanced down at his outfit, offended. "What is wrong with my clothing?"
"Nothing, I'm sure if you're an Asgardian king in Asgard, but here that might be considered a bit too... overdressed."
"That is because of you mortals lacks grace and elegance."
"And we are not suppose draw too much attention either. They are still somewhere out there looking for us. And more of them are coming."
Loki gave her a small grin. "Would you rather be a sheep then?"
Emma answered that with a cautious fake laugh. "No, thank you."
She heard a car coming and saw the lights approaching from around a small bend, taking a glance at that direction of the road. "Alright, we've just got to try and hope that those guys are not from the S.H.I.E.L.D.," she said and turned at Loki.
In that tiny moment he had changed his outlooks, wearing a fine black slim-fit suit, a long jacket and matching trousers, a white shirt beneath with a dark-green vest, a black tie and a long dark-green scarf with golden patterns around his neck. His raven hair was neat and combed slickly back, and he looked a smart handsome gentleman.
"Wow!" Emma sighed being smitten by his looks, staring at him mouth open in the headlights of the car passing by. Not that there had been anything wrong with his own outfit, except it had made him looking intimidating, but now he looked simply gorgeous and even more human than ever. He definitely had an eye for details.
With contented expression on his face Loki knew he wouldn't have to ask, but he asked anyway. "Better?"
"Oh yeah!" Emma barely managed to answer, girlishly smiling. He was taking her breath away. "That is a neat trick! I wish I could do that. No more bad hair days, ever. Could you possibly...?" She hadn't yet noticed that her own clothes were changed as well, until she took a tottering step back and heard a click of her high heels on the tarmac.
"What on earth?" she gasped, taking a look at herself. Another car came by and in its lights she, found herself wearing a little black dress, the skirt of it barely reaching on the half way of her thighs, black high heel shoes with heels too high for her taste, black tights, and a perfectly fitting dark-green jacket with golden embroidery. She felt her hair done too, her long locks curled like a professional hairdresser would have done them that could have easily taken an hour or two. She ran her hands over her dress, the fabric of it feeling smooth and soft as a satin. It was real not just some illusion.
Loki relished his small piece of work of magic, feasting his eyes on her enhanced outlook. She was a true beauty, a pocked-sized Venus with her golden hair and blue eyes and a dress that flattered her shapes. She wouldn't have had any reason to been hiding herself from the world. Loki felt suddenly lucky he had found her first. He wished he could have conjured her into a safe place and take out to play with him whenever he would have wanted to. He could have taken her as his plaything, but, she was far more complicated than that. "Hm, you look ravishing," he admitted in a desirous tone, sending chills down her spine.
Someone else seemed to think that too. The bright yellow car passing by honked at her a couple of times and she didn't have to guess why, feeling herself way too exposed. She had never been comfortable in such clothes. The car stopped 7 feet away and a young man's head peeked out through the opened side window, aloud techno music pumping in the background. "Hey, love! If you wanna a ride, show us your tits!" the youngster offered.
Emma gasped, offended. "No thanks! You go back to you mom, prick!" Emma shouted at him, taking note that they were also on the wrong side of the road, since there was left-hand side traffic. The young man's friends howled in laughter and the car kept going on. Apparently it was Friday evening. "So much for being polite!"
Loki frowned at the youngsters and lifted his hand towards the moving car, but Emma put his hand down. "Don't even think about it!"
Loki looked at her choked. "You would let them get away without being punished? They offended your honor!"
"Yeah. Don't think I liked that, but they were idiots and drunk. If I would go killing everyone by those criterias I would soon be pretty much alone on this planet." She wasn't even going get started with all he had done and the way he had offended her.
Loki gave her a tempting smile. "But then the world would be all ours."
She took one more glance at herself shaking her head, and then lifting her eyes at him. This was freaking scary! She felt herself like a Barbie doll. If he could change her clothing into whatever he pleased, she could soon be walking nude or in some sick latex cat suit. Not mentioned, he could transform her into a wild creature. That was even scarier. A sheep in latex? Oh, hell no!
"Now, this is... um...nice, if I would be a tart. But I want more skirt! I have shirts with longer bottom than this!"
It was hard to believe she was the same defiant woman he had met on the glacier, Loki thought admiring her. He moved closer and caressed her cheek with a back of his fingers, cupping her neck and leaning even closer. With her high heels she was in better reach for his lips. How come he hadn't thought of this before?
Every time he touched her like that felt like he'd put a spell on her, making her realized how much she really had craved for tenderness and a touch. She leaned to him, reaching her hands on his shoulders, feeling the luxurious touch of his black cashmere suit under her fingers and the silky scarf around his neck.
The warm tingling feeling filled him as he saw how she had learned to appreciate his touch. "You are beautiful, my Valkyrie," he reassured softly, sharing a small kiss with her. If she would have been a jewel in the Asgardian treasure vault, she may have not been he biggest diamond there is but certainly the brightest one capturing his attention.
The way she had responded to his kiss earlier in the aircraft was still fresh in his memory. And he didn't dare to continue further on with the kissing because if he would have given into his longings now, he feared they wouldn't have been able to stop this time. They probably would have ended on the bottom of a ditch, rolling deep in their passion. And that was not the way he wanted it to happen. He had to remind himself about their chasers as well.
He noticed another vehicle approaching from the other direction and took her hand and walked with her on the other side of the road, Emma not so confident with her high heel shoes. He stayed on the driveway and gave her a confident glance. "Now, we are taking this vehicle!" he said in a self-assured voice and lifted his hands forward as if he would have been planning to stop the car with his bare hands.
Emma watched him and the car worried. "Be careful, please!" she begged for both of their sakes; his and the car's passengers, the headlights of the car reaching closer. Somewhere further beyond the hills, she noticed two flying aircrafts rising high on the dark sky, their lights sweeping the land below. So, the S.H.I.E.L.D. was drawing on closer, looking for Loki and her.
An old red Rolls Royce slowed down its speed and finally stopped in front of Loki as he made no move to step aside. The side window opened and an old grey gentleman and a lady peeked out from it with unpleased curiosity. "Good heavens, lad! What were you doing standing in the middle of the road in this darkness?" the old man said in an unpleased tone with rich British accent.
Loki rolled his eyes, leaning down to talk with the people in the car, his arm on the roof of the car. The man had called him a lad, and he was the oldest being on the face of Earth right after his brother. He could see that Emma was nearly holding her breath, fearing he would do something unthinkable, as she was tottering closer to them.
Loki gave the old folk a charming smile, revealing his perfect teeth. "Good evening, my good man. We are in a desperate need of transportation. Our vehicle broke down a few miles back and my..." he glanced at Emma who reached by his side, "wife is feeling unwell."
"What?" Emma sighed, after him calling her his wife. She glanced at him and then at the old couple inside the car dumbfound. "Um, yes, I'm not feeling very good." In these bloody shoes and this damn dress! And the aircrafts drawing on closer. The S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to find them and kill them!
"Oh dear!" the lady heaved a compassioned sigh, giving her a short glance of 'no wonder in that outfit'. "Well, I am sure we could take you to the nearest village, can't we, darling?"
The gentleman let out a small grunt, being polite, but gritting his teeth for the tall stranger touching his precious car. "Very well then. Do get in!"
Emma glanced once more at the direction of the Quinjets. They were still far ahead. "Oh, thank you so much. You are lifesavers!" she said as Loki opened a door for her and let her sitting on the backseat.
The aircrafts hadn't gone unnoticed by him but Loki decided not to worry about them. He circled the car carelessly and sat on the other side. The old Royce rocked slightly under his weight as he got in, unpleasantly hunching sideways inside the car since these mortals were incapable of making vehicles better fitting for his size.
Trying to forget about the aircrafts and pulling down her too bold skirt, Emma turned at Loki. Forehead furrowing Loki stared down at a young black-haired boy by his side that sat between them two. The boy must had not been more than eight years old, dressed in a dark grey suit, being full immersed in his game on a cell phone, not seeing or hearing anything what was going on around him.
"Hi!" Emma said to the boy, who paid no attention to her. Loki and Emma exchanged confused glances. It was a good thing they hadn't tried to steal the car, ending up with the kid on the backseat.
"Damien, say hello to the young couple!" the older lady told to her grandson.
"Hm... hello," the boy murmured, not lifting his eyes from the small screen.
Damien? If a kid with that kind of name wasn't an omen then she didn't know what was, Emma thought feeling uneasy.
"Why you keep tormenting those creatures?" Loki asked gazing down at the game, where the little red birds were firing themselves with a huge slingshot against the green pigs.
"The green pigs have stolen the birds' eggs. And the birds got angry, wanting the eggs back. I have to slay all the pigs to get to the next stage."
Loki pouted a bit. "Hm, that makes perfect sense."
"Do not mind of our grandson. He is always so fascinated with his little games. So, tell me, where you two are heading?" the lady asked in a friendly voice, giving Loki a short gaze over her shoulder.
Loki picked up a few names from the passing by road signs. "To London, for starters."
"Oh, you still have an awfully long way to go without your car."
"Yes, well, we don't plan too much far ahead. Our journey has been a quite adventure on so far," Emma said stressing the word adventure, as if talking to Loki.
"Are you Americans?" the gentleman asked, watching at Emma through the rearview mirror.
"I am from the States, and he's..."
"An Asgardian," Loki stated calmly, sifting slightly to a better position, still hunching.
Emma frowned. "He's from Norway."
"Oh, how charming to have foreign visitors. You are fluent in English, young man."
"I know." Loki did his best to answer with a smile. He could speak perfectly every language in the know universe.
"What brings you to England? Business or pleasure?"
"Both!" Loki answered quickly, his eyes on Emma, hearing that question on the second time on his visit on Earth. With a broadening smile he continued: "I am endeavoring to gain recognition in… my area of expertise."
Oh crap! Here we go again! Emma bit her tongue, staring at him looking suffering. She noticed a Quinjet flying high above over the road. Don't freak out the old folks by saying something stupid about taking over the world! Not now!
"Interesting. What would that be?"
"I am meant to become the king..." Loki told with a self-assured voice sounding like a king.
"Of magic!" Emma hurried to filling in. "He... he's a magician."
Loki glanced at Emma with a smirk. "Not just that. I am a god..."
"Yes! Really, a god of illusions. He's very, very talented," she said, giving him a murderous glare. She needed to say something to change the subject. "We are actually on our honeymoon, but he keeps talking about his work all the time. And I mean all the time."
Well, he's the one who called her his wife. She stared out through the side window. It seemed the Quinjet kept going, not stopping by, thankfully.
Usually he'd hated to been interrupted, but now Loki couldn't hide his smile, watching at Emma. For this once his truth didn't please her. And she actually sounded like they would have been married. That had been the shortest courtship ever! He was going to enjoy this little game of theirs, taking his role as a newlywed husband with a profound dedication.
"Well, my darling, that is what puts bread on the table," he said in a playful way and got Emma's puzzled glance.
"Oh, how fascinating. Can you believe, Howard? A magician in our car," the old lady got excited. "I am sorry but I didn't catch your names."
"I am Loki, of Asgard."
"His stage name. I'm Emma and he's Loki…um… Odinson."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Odinson. We are Mr. and Mrs. Grey. Oh, and congratulation for both of you. When did you marry?"
Emma shrugging: "Just recently." Loki with a confident: "Yesterday." The boy between them: "Yeess! A new record!"
The boy lifted his eyes from his game and took a puzzled look around him, studying Emma and Loki with a tiny frown. "If you're married, where's your rings?" he asked in a scolding tone.
"Damien, remember manners."
Emma smiled a bit. "It's alright. We don't..."
Loki stretched his hand at Emma over the boy. "Here. I kept your ring safe for you, my dear," he said offering her a ring he just conjured. It was dim in the car but in the light of boy's cell phone she saw that it was a stunning, wide golden ring with a green stone and some carvings. She had never seen anything like that, not even close. It must have been worth more than her whole live savings.
"Can we afford this?" Emma gasped, taking the ring he was handing out for her. Then she pulled herself together. It was all just an act and made with his magic. "That was what I first asked when he gave this to me," she said explaining to the boy, hesitating to place the ring into her finger. It fitted perfectly and she gazed at Loki with bewildered eyes. It was scary how well he knew her.
"And I said, if you would marry me I will make you my queen," Loki said with a gentle voice, looking back at her as if he would have really meant it on that moment. Emma just keep gazing at him like he would have put her under his spell, she would have kissed him if the boy wouldn't have been blocking her way.
Damien took a short glance at the couple on both side of him, making an expression like he was going to barf. "You two need to get a room!" he stated in a snappy way.
"Young man, I will not tolerate such language!"
Damien and Loki both glanced at the ordering lady in the front seat with a baffled look.
"And no more games this evening!" the lady continued.
"But, Nana!"
"No buts. And like I have told you, you should play more with your real friends not with your games."
As the old lady kept talking with Emma, the boy snorted, pursing up his lips and lowering his head down. "I don't have stupid friends," he murmured in a whispering volume, squeezing the phone in his palms.
Much to his own great surprise Loki found that he felt empathy towards the young boy by his side, their conversation sending him down to his own memory lane with Frigga that had been centuries ago. Thor had always been the only one he had considered his friend, but the others, they had been Thor's friends, not his, never his friends. Loki heaved a sigh, leaning down at the boy. "Who needs friends, anyway?" he asked in a silent voice, and Emma raised her brows questioningly.
Damien looked up at the tall, dark man, puzzled, giving a small shake of head. "Not me! I manage just fine without them. The other boys in school are mean, calling me names..." he said equally quietly.
"Do they bully you?"
Damien hesitated but rose a bit to whisper something into Loki's ear as Loki hunched down to listen. He let out a small grunt of disapproval, his eyes squinting. "Hmm, that is mean. Well, the next time when someone bullies you, I want you to…" he told the rest only to the boy, whispering it to his ear.
Damien listened, his eyes growing larger. "That is wicked!" he whispered in an excited tone, staring at Loki with a mighty grin.
Loki grinned back at him lifting his eye brows in a wicked way. "Oh, I guarantee it is," he reassured in a dark, mischievous tone.
Keeping up the conversation with the lady and the old gentleman in the front seat, Emma watched at the two evil schemers, her eye brows in a disapproving frown. She noticed how much they looked alike, as if she would have been staring at Loki as a child. And they were getting along with each other a bit too well. It was adorable and scary at the same time.
"Hey, do you want to play?" the boy asked from Loki, offering him the phone.
Loki shook his head. "No, thank you."
"Are you really a magician? Can you do tricks? Please, show me a trick! Please!"
Loki hated to be called merely a magician, but he relented under Damien's begging requests, giving the boy a cunning smile. "Tell me, Damien, do you like snakes?" he asked, pulling two small black serpents out of his both sleeves.
Emma tried not to scream and scare the older couple. "Are those poisonous?" she asked whispering, looking mad and horrid by his trick.
"Very," Loki smiled.
"Oh god, I need to get out of his car," Emma gasped keeping her voice down, not wanting to be anywhere near the snakes, doing her best to remind herself that those were only his illusions. At least that's what she hoped.
Damien looked thrilled, wanting to touch the creatures. "Oh, I love snakes. Can I hold one?" he asked, and Loki made another trick, turning the two snakes into a one bigger one, letting the boy have it.
"Wow! That's a wicked trick!" Damien sighed, taking the slithering serpent in his hands and petted it fondly. "I have one as a pet. Its name is Phantom. It eats mice, alive ones."
"Really?"
"Yes. And, once I hid it in my sister's bed when she had friends for a sleepover. They all screamed like girls!" Damien explained excitedly and let out a triumphant laugh.
The god of mischief laughed with him, admiring the boy's fondness for good pranks. "I like this young one. Can we keep him?" Loki asked, lifting his eyes at Emma who already seemed troubled of their mutual interest for mischievousness and snakes.
Emma breathed slowly, keeping her eyes away from the serpent. "Are you sure his is not your son?" she mouthed without a word.
Loki answered to her with a grin. "I wish."
"It is less than ten minutes to the nearest village but I fear they have no car rental service or a garage there," the gentleman informed, stopping in a crossroad.
"We'll think of something from there. And we are very grateful for you help."
"You can stay in our place tonight. I know we have room. Oh, can they come, Nana? Please, say yes!" Damien suggested keenly, holding the snake away from his grandmother's gaze.
"Well, I can't see why not."
Emma wasn't sure if that was a good idea. "We don't want to be trouble."
"Oh, you won't. You see, we are running a small accommodation establishment. You would be more than welcome."
"That sounds lovely but we may not be able to pay..."
"Nonsense, dear. It is your honeymoon after all. We like to do some charity, and what is the better investment to the future than a happy young couple. Besides you seem to get along with our Damien so well that we would be happy to have you, for free of charge, of course."
Emma didn't know what to say, exchanging looks with Loki. But he did, eagerly taking advantage of the given opportunity. "Then we will accept your most gracious offer, my dear lady Grey," he said with his most charming way possible.
"Yes!" Damien chuffed in an excitement and turned at Loki again. "I will show you all my collections of trading cards and my action figures."
"Sounds... fascinating," Loki said a bit confused. It seemed he had made a new friend. It would have been great if all the humans would accept him so easily, as an authority though.
