Chapter 8: What's Up, Loki?

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. I'm too broke for that.

Secondary Warning: So I got a review! The level of happy that made me is very likely a sign of insanity or at least instability, but I don't care overly much. Anyway, it got me thinking so I'm going to comment on it real quick. So stormrunner 74 mentioned how Eve tends to act like a kid. I'm sure to some people that's a bit annoying, but there is reason behind it. She's been through a lot and for her to remain so, well, happy and excited about life, and it's what makes her a good friend for Steve (Since he's been unfrozen he has been rather cynical and depressed). So yeah, thanks so so much for the review. Please, feel free to tell me what you think. Also sorry but this may be my last chapter before I leave on a ten-day, internet free vacation. To the Norse god ass kicking!


Jet rides are boring. Especially ones that take place at night. You can't see anything. Additionally, it's cloudy which means no stars either. I end up just pacing. I'm too jittery to sit. Not that the pacing is helping much. There isn't enough movement involved to keep my mind occupied. Running would be more effective. The pacing is probably also annoying Steve and Natasha. Bleh. I'm bored. Enough of this.

"Steve, amuse me," I command.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I'm bored and am currently contemplating jumping out of the jet just for funsies," I confess.

"Aren't you the one I heard say, 'You can only be bored if you're a boring person'?" Steve replies with heavy levels of sass.

"So the folksy wisdom of my family comes back to bite me in the ass yet again. Can't say I'm surprised," I muse. "You're such a butt."

"Really? A butt?" Steve asks exasperatedly.

"Yes, really," I affirm.

"We're almost there," Natasha tells us from the cockpit.

"Huzzah!" I exclaim as I fall back into a seat. 'Tis fight time!


We get dropped off like a block away. Would it really have been so hard to just take us there? I know the jet thing can hover low enough for us to safely jump out so landing a block away to let us out is just a time waster, honestly. Steve hits the ground running, though, so I take off after him. We only pause when we find Loki, who is identifiable in his intense gold, black, and green armour with a wicked horned helm and weird blue glowy staff, lording over a mass of kneeling, terrified people. What an asshat!

"It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel," Loki sermonizes with a stronger-than-faint tinge of madness to him. What are the odds that a Norse god speaks English while in Germany? I'm about to ask Loki that very question when an old man in the crowd stands up. Oh shit.

"Not to men like you," he declares defiantly with a thick accent. This man is my hero.

"There are no men like me," Loki brags with an unsettling smile.

"There are always men like you," retaliates the old man. He is definitely my awesomely poetic and brave hero.

"Look to your elder, people," Loki decrees as he points his staff at the man, "Let him be an example." Oh hell no. Steve is moving before the blast is even fired. He lands in front of my hero in a crouch and uses his shield to block the energy blast of blueness and certain death. It rebounds and hits Loki square in the chest and sends him face planting to the ground. Ha! Suck it! I make my way over as Steve stands and faces Loki before delivering his own monologue.

"You know," he starts as he walks towards Loki, "the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier," Loki scoffs whilst using his staff to stand back up, "The man out of time."

"I'm not the one that's out of time," Steve replies.

"Loki," chimes in Natasha over the jet PA, "drop the weapon and stand down." Pfft! As if!

Loki takes less than a second to consider it before firing at the jet.

Called it.

Steve throw his shield as the jet dodges the blast. The crowd screams and scatters as Steve's shield bounces off Loki and back to Steve. I make sure the old man gets some distance as Steve runs at Loki and lands a solid, but ineffective punch on the god's jaw. I guess Loki isn't as easy to take as those punching bags. Loki strikes back with the pointy end of his staff, but Steve blocks. Loki hits again and this time it's hard enough to send Steve rolling backwards. He comes up on a knee and throws his shield at Loki again. Loki is prepared this time, however, and smacks it away. When am I allowed to get involved?

Steve attempts a punch, Loki leans to avoid it. Loki tries to cut Steve in half, Steve limbos underneath it. Damn, his hand touched the ground. He's out.

Loki slashes down, but only hits the ground as Steve moves to lands a punch to Loki's abdomen. The hit would have caused a normal person to double over. Loki, however, remains standing and isn't affected by the hit at all. Wait, what? I did not take this god thing seriously enough. Loki swings his scepter around and hits Steve in the back, sending him sprawling a few feet away. Loki puts the base of the staff to Steve's head. Oh hell no.

"Kneel," he commands.

"He's never been one for listening, especially to guys in incredibly silly helmets," I inform him from behind. Loki spins to face me only for my boots to meet him gut as I throw all my might into a running, double footed kick. He flies backward and hits the concrete. "Not that his is much better, mind you," I add as Steve gets to his feet beside me.

"What's wrong with my helmet?" Steve asks incredulously.

"Dude, it has wings on it. What are you? Hermes?" I respond. Steve gives me a mock offended look as Loki stands back up. Oh boy, that is one menacing look. "Steve, if I die, don't tell Phil I made fun of your outfit."

"Or, you could stay back and let me handle this," Steve offers as the fighting recommences.

"Wait, so are you going to tell Phil or not?" I shout as I dodge an energy blast aimed for my head.

"Depends on my mood," he responds as he tries to draw Loki's attention with a kick to his head.

"If I say I'm sorry can we pretend I never said anything?" I offer while ducking under Loki's arm and landing a punch to his face before backing out of his reach.

"Would you mean it?" he asks right before taking a staff to the gut.

"Probably not," I tell him as I jump at Loki to give him time to recover from the hit.

"Then, no, I don't think an apology will cut it," he declines. I sigh and end up not moving in time to avoid the swing of Loki's scepter. Ow! Dammit! I'm getting up when the music starts. Rock music? Over the PA? Really? I look up and see a streak fly across the sky towards us. Stark? I should have guessed.
Two jets of energy hit Loki square in the chest and send him flying. Tony lands and breaks the ground with the weight and force of his suit. I hope he plans to pay for that. Loki hits the steps and Tony aims like a million weapons at him. Excessive much? Compensating, maybe? The world may never know.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games," Stark taunts.

"Nice nickname! Wish I'd thought of that," I chime in as I walk over to join Steve and Stark. Loki loses the armour in some magical golden light trick and hold up his hands in surrender.

"Good move," responds Stark as he puts his weaponry away.

"Mr. Stark," Steve greets Tony.

"Captain," Tony nods.

"Eve," I acknowledge to myself to feel included. Both Steve and Tony turn to me. "Oh, right. How rude of me! Hello, Loki!" I greet him with a wave. "It's not nice to meet you and I'm not sorry that I hit you, but manners are important," I finish with a fake pointed look at Steve and Stark.

The jet lands behind us and I turn to go over to board while they take care of Loki. I plop down in one of the seats nearest the cockpit and get comfy for the ride back.

Steve and Tony waste no time in gathering up Loki and his scepter and getting on board. We're out of there in five minutes flat.