Sorry it took me a bit longer...real life hit too fast after the holidays, I wish I could be off work for just one more week haha or two
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel related stuff
The room she leads me into looks similar to the one I was in with Stark earlier. However, instead of a table in the middle there is a transparent wall dividing the room in two. I can only see it because of the slight shimmer it has around the edges. Is that the lions cage?
Lokis part of the room has a mattress on the floor, some old leather-bound books neatly organised in a corner, a basic table and a chair. My part just has a table and a chair. At first I don't even spot Loki, he doesn't look like a prisoner, he looks like some sort of expensive piece at an art exhibition, an ancient statue in a museum. A roman gladiator learning the art of words, a Greek philosopher studying his students discoveries. The only thing giving it away is the fact that he isn't naked, he is wearing a tailored black suit. His eyes are focused on the book in his hands, his hair sits perfectly slick back. He is definitely something.
Okay, I take a deep breath and get into work-mode.
"Hi!" I wave at him awkwardly and take a step towards the barrier. I was expecting it to disappear.
Loki doesn't even look up from his book.
"Right, that's not how I work", I turn to the two guards behind me, also addressing Natasha "This", I point at the barrier, "can't be here."
"No", one of the guards immediately cuts me off, "He is a highly dangerous individual"
I laugh, "What's he gonna do, kill me? Look, no offence but given what information I got, he doesn't seem to get his hands dirty too much"
"We need to avoid a potential hostage situation at any cost"
"Oh now stop giving him ideas!", I roll my eyes, "Also I think we are all aware that I would not be a high value hostage. In the grand scheme of things, your organisation would not really care", I shrug my shoulders, "Look, give me 20 minutes, I'll see how it goes, but this situation here is absolutely useless to me… I honestly don't care, getting paid to sit in silence sounds fine to me."
"10 minutes", Natasha looks at me intensely, "And we can not rescue you if something goes south"
"You're getting my adrenaline pumping Nat", I give her a cheeky smile, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle"
"This is not a joke", Natasha warns me. She obviously never read my resume.
Once they leave the room, the door behind me locks and the same barrier that used to separate the room appears, now behind me. I would lie if I say I wasn't scared to shit. I should've been a chef like my mother always wanted me to be.
Loki is finally looking up from his book, he is scanning my face, my body language, he knows how I feel, his gaze is making the hairs on my neck stand up.
"Let's try this again", I grin, "Hi! I am Ashley Jones, Forensic Anthropologist" I extend my hand to greet him. After a second of hesitation he actually takes it.
"Loki", there is no emotion in his voice, "God of Mischief, rightful King of Asgard."
I roll my eyes, "Oh don't tell me you're one of those people who always want to be addressed by their title. It's like all their personality revolves around that, like come on, there is more interesting things you could be" I bite my tongue… my mouth could never keep up with my brain.
Loki seems amused?
"Well I certainly wouldn't mind if you address me as God, but for the sake of this conversation we can agree on Loki, Ashley Mary Jones.", the papers didn't lie, he is very charming, a bit sleazy.
"Clever. Am I wearing a name tag or something?", I picked up on that, he knew my full name. Maybe he guessed it…Mary is not very uncommon.
He just shrugs his shoulders. Maybe he googled it?
"Let's take a seat", he invites me and I only now realise that the table and two metal chairs have transformed into an old wooden coffee table and two comfortable red armchairs. They said he could do magic.
I follow his example and slowly sink into the chairs, then two glasses of red wine appear as well as a bowl containing an abundance of one specific type of fruit. I chuckle.
"A pomegranate?"
He grabs one and breaks it in half, eating some of the tasty seeds he offers me the other half. This could've been oddly charming, but a sinking feeling takes over in my stomach. He already knows too much about me, I am not used to be in such a disadvantageous position.
"I don't feel like I am learning an awful lot about you here, Loki?", I squint my eyes for a short second, denying the fruit in his hand, "But I also don't think this is the right setting"
"What do you propose?", he takes a sip from the wine, it looks like blood in a crystal glass.
"Well, I will get in trouble for this, but why don't you join us for dinner?"
His eyes widen for a second and this time I can hear him swallow. I have taken him by surprise, the odds are back in my favour… kind of.
He raises one eyebrow, "Dinner, with a group of people that wishes me nothing but death? No thank you."
"And your brother", I add, "It'll be fun! I make fantastic cocktails. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll talk and maybe we'll realise you're not a creature of hell", yeah that was a weak line.
"1 minute", I jump at the sound of Natasha's voice through the intercom, suddenly Lokis decor disappears and we're back in his depressing cell.
"Come on!", I know I am nagging, but what do I have to loose, my dignity? "You can't seriously prefer wasting away in this room by yourself. The sooner you convince them you're a good boy now, the sooner you'll be out of here", I wink. Why did I wink?
With a sudden movement I am pressed against the wall, his hand tightly closed around my neck, my feet dangling in the air. Guess that was a step too far.
Calm, this happened before. No, no, I can't breath, I am panicking.
"I do not need to proof anything to those simple creatures out there", he hisses.
I agree, I guess, but I can't say anything because he's strangling me. My eyes are open wide, this minute is so damn long.
I do the only thing I remember from my self defence course, before I loose consciousness, I tap out…
And he lets go of me? Okay?
I catch a breath, "Pick you up at 8 then?", I say with a not so sexy raspy voice, followed by a coughing fit, tears shooting into my eyes. That wasn't nice.
"If you wish", he picks up his book and doesn't honour me with any more of his godly attention.