A Personal Matter

Thor leaned on the great golden table laid with battle plans. "We attack the population of Daleks on Tivoli" he said grimly.

"Are you sure that's wise my King?" Fandral spoke, "it's been completely overrun. We might as well be attacking Skaro".

Loki stood with his back leaning against the wall and head bowed as if in deep thought. He could see the feet of Thor's inner circle standing around the table. Thor's wife, Sif stood patiently next to her husband, and the Warriors Three, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg stood along each other side.

"We must retaliate with as much force as we can muster" Thor replied, "to do any less would be weakness".

'To do what you ask is suicide' Loki thought silently to himself.

"Loki" Sif's calm voice spoke. Loki lifted his eyes to look at her.

"You are so silent there in the shadows" Sif observed, "have you nothing to say?"

Loki straightened himself. "The King is right. We must send a message" he took a breath, "but I do not think we have the resources to launch an attack on Tivoli".

He could feel Thor's stony gaze on him. "And you have something to suggest in its place?"

Loki was silent, he could suggest many things – but what good would it do?

"We should still attack the Daleks" Hogun spoke softly, "but not on the battlefield. A covert strike. It may deal a severe blow and cost fewer lives".

Thor nodded "go on".

As Hogun outlined his battle strategy to the warriors, Sif moved away from the table and approached Loki.

"I am told you disappeared for some time on Earth" Sif said in a harsh whisper, "where did you go?"

Loki snorted, the Queen had spies everywhere.

"I was searching for survivors" Loki told her calmly.

"Really?" Sif asked in a disbelieving tone, "and did you find any?"

"No" Loki told her, "I did not; as I am sure your spies would have told you".

Sif arched her eyebrows in annoyance.

Meanwhile, Thor was issuing his commands to the Warriors Three. "Go and ready your men" he told them, "we will begin preparations at sundown".

"My King" Loki spoke loudly as the Warriors Three left the room, "if I am no longer required, may I take my leave? I have some… personal matters to attend to".

Thor nodded "yes, do as you wish. I will summon you when I require you".

Loki gave a long bow and then left the room.

When his brother was out of sight, Thor bowed his head and sighed. He felt Sif's hand find his and squeeze it tightly. "Are you sure we can trust him?" Sif asked gently. "Of course" Thor told her, "Loki has been nothing but loyal to me ".

Sif nodded, "of course my love". She looked at the empty hall with a frown "but I do wonder about him".

Loki was pensive as he strode along the grand corridor. So there would be an attack on the Daleks after all, and a risky one at that. It was a shame that he could not execute his plan.

Sif was suspicious, but that did not bother him. Sif was always suspicious of him; she was suspicious of a lot of people. She was clever enough to know her husband was making enemies but too in love with him to see why. Or perhaps she did see it and chose to ignore it. At any rate, the Queen had grown increasingly bitter and paranoid.

Loki wondered if it was because she knew what he suspected, Thor did not love her - not in the way she loved him, and he never would. It was almost as if there was another in Thor's heart, which was strange because Sif had been the only woman he had ever seriously courted.

Still, it was necessary for the King to take a Queen, if only to produce heirs (although Thor and Sif's union had been fruitless to date).

Loki began to muse on who he would choose as his bride if – no - when he became King. Sif was a practical choice, but she mostly detested him and he reciprocated those feelings. Then there was the temptress Lorelei locked in the dungeons below. She was clever, devious and would relish such a role, but Loki knew she was far too difficult to control.

For some reason his earlier dream floated back into his mind. The man in the museum (he had been the man hadn't he?) with the blonde woman. For a brief moment he could picture the woman clearly, with her China doll face and glittering blue eyes.

Suddenly a wave of sadness crashed over him with such force that he had to put his hand against the wall to steady himself.

Loki let out a strangled gasp. He hadn't felt grief like that since the loss of his mother.

But why? What reason did he mourn so? There was a reason, he was sure of it. But whatever it was seemed just beyond his reach...

Slowly the cloud of sadness lifted and Loki looked around in confusion as though he expected to see the source of his strange fit in front of him.

What was happening to him lately? Things did not seem right.

Of course things were not right, he reasoned, they were at war. But no, it was more as if something about the universe was... broken.

Perhaps this was also something he could ask his source about this when he questioned him about the Time Lords.

Loki looked down the long hall which led to the hanger where the hovercrafts were stored. That was his intended destination, but first he had one brief errand to run...

Several minutes later Loki appeared in the hanger. He gave the guards a brief nod and told them he wished to visit the mountains for meditation. He was immediately granted a vehicle and before long Loki was speeding along above the great river with the wind whipping through his hair.

He looked around briefly to see that he was unobserved and then turned back to the approaching cliff face with a grin and increased his speed.

He rocketed into the crevice as he had done a hundred times before and amidst a gleaming explosion, left Asgard far behind.

Sitting on her vantage point on the statue of Baldur, Missy watched his flight with interest. "What are up to now Sunshine?"