A/N: Heya! Chapter nine my lovelies…. Hope you lurve it!
Darcy ran back out to the car. "Aw crap!" she shrieked, stopping half way.
Her SUV was already perfectly visible and her purse was definitely gone. She wanted to kill herself for leaving it there, how brainless could she be?
'You dopey, McDope-dope, dopeyston!' She thought aggressively towards herself.
"Stupid jerk even took the goldfish." She said when Loki walked up behind her. "Who the heck steals Goldfish?" she mumbled.
Loki was unnervingly silent for some reason. They stood there, Darcy seething with anger as she counted off the pricier things that had been in there.
"Even my iPod! They took my iPod! I just downloaded several new songs onto it!" She whined.
Loki stared at her, amusement flickered in the pools of his eyes. She was so interesting to watch. She never suppressed her emotions or hid her feelings, and Loki found himself having to read her a lot less often than most people. This was, in consequence, highly captivating because it required little effort on his part. It was like the box she'd called TV, all you had to do was sit back and watch. He was trying not to smile; despite her discomfort, he couldn't help but smirk. That's about when he noticed the aura of gamma rays and anger radiating from the foliage.
"Darcy, it would appear that the thieves are still present." Loki narrowed his eyes, flicked his hands and the two stumbled out of the bushes.
"Hey buddy." Clint smiled.
It was such a light hearted tone, as if they were truly longtime friends, but his eyes conveyed a deeper message. Anger, at Loki for trapping him in his own mind and making him do things against his will, laced with fear that he might do so again. Along with pain from the very memory of how he'd actually attacked Natasha. How he'd wanted to kill Natasha. He curled his fists into balls then released them, curled and released, over and over in stress filled repetition.
"I would not refer to me as "buddy" if I were you, Agent Barton. I believe our relationship is far from such titles, but if you'd like to call me 'Sir', or perhaps if you're feeling eccentric maybe 'Lord' or 'Prince', I would not mind. It was always such a fitting name. Wouldn't you agree?" Loki was smirking; he knew the titles brought back Barton's memories of the time he'd spent under Loki's will. Of having been practically a toy in his efforts to take over Earth.
"You, you know the Avengers? Well actually I should have seen that coming what with the magic and such. Ooh! So are you like a pending member?" Darcy giggled slightly.
'I've been toting around an Avenger! I'm so awesome! Man, I should have made a move, and then I'd have a super awesome crime fighting boyfriend I could show off to Clover. Screw Clover and her Police Officer husband, my guy would be a superhero! Beat that! Then again Jane has Thor so I guess she would be even with me, and it's no secret that Tony Stark has been dating Virginia Potts. Well still. Three chicks in the whole world and I'm by far the most normal. Socially that is, maybe not mentally.' Darcy continued to ramble on in that chestnut colored noggin of hers until the conversation resumed and she decided she'd better pay attention.
"Not exactly, ma'am. He's-" Bruce tried to make an input but Loki interrupted.
"Well this has been rather entertaining, but seeing as you don't even have the means to arrest me, we'll have to be going now." Loki could feel the energy begin to concentrate around his hands.
"Tell the rest of your team, if you wish me to cooperate, that I wish to speak with Thor. Tell him to come alone."
Then the scene went purple. Darcy and Loki disappeared in the mist and swirling energies, the purse going with them. But the SUV was left behind, too large for their journey.
"You mean he got away?!" Stark growled. "You let him get away! With a hostage no less, you two are so-" Tony ranted loudly and collapsed onto the couch.
"So what, Tony?" Banner grunted. His irises flared and his skin was turning a sickly green. "Got something else to add to that?"
"Tony, will you learn to shut up already?" Steve yelled. "Everyone's sick of you always acting like you're the god on this team, and seriously you are the last one who should be pointing out faults!"
"Listen here, Spangles! I have every right to be pissed off. That man is responsible for the destruction of my living quarters, not to mention he broke Pepper's twelve percent!"
"God! Will you all just settle down and pretend you aren't ignorant men for a moment?" Natasha barked, cutting them all off.
She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair before continuing. "We need to focus on the matter at hand. Loki said that he'd meet with Thor. I have no idea what he means to discuss, but if it means he'll cooperate we can possibly get him back in our containment, and save the hostage." She paused to think, "Did we get a name on her, yet?"
"I searched the vehicle; it was registered to a Darcy Lewis." Clint stated, strictly business by his tone. Nat may be his partner and equal, but that mostly meant he knew her wrath and preferred to avoid it.
"What?!" Thor boomed. "He has the Lady Darcy!?" Obviously this was upsetting him more than a little.
"I know he said he'd pay Jane a visit but I never thought he'd capture Darcy." Thor began to pace, loud thunderous steps seeming a little more than befitting of the god.
"You know her?" Stark asked, raising his brows and eyeing the Asgardian with skepticism.
"Must be a small realm after all." He smirked when he received numerous glares and looks of disapproval from the team. It seemed even Rogers got that reference.
"She was Ms. Jane Foster's assistant. The same one who attacked me with that horrible mortal weapon, though I hold no ill will for her, she is quite a lovely girl. I see why Jane chose her to assist in their works." Thor explained, or perhaps over explained, if you asked Tony. Though honestly he'd love to know what this mortal weapon was.
"Oh wait, you mean the chick with the taser? I think Coulson's research said she was the only applicant for the position." Clint elaborated.
"Ah yes, the Son of Coul, while he seemed a decent man I do not believe he and Jane were on very friendly terms." Thor mumbled, he wasn't sure why he felt the need to say it, but he wished Jane would have made amends before his passing.
"Wait, wait… wait," Tony sputtered, laughter dancing in his chocolate colored eyes, "She tased you! And you actually… passed out?" He let loose an obnoxious laugh.
"I was in a weakened and mortal state." Thor reasoned, not seeing why the Man of Iron found the situation so humorous.
"Sure, whatever you say, Mighty Thor!" He continued to laugh until his eyes brimmed with tears and the salty droplets threatened to spill over his waterline and down his cheeks. Thor just frowned.
"Really, can't you guys stay on topic for just ten minutes?" Natasha sighed, rubbing her temples and mentally counting to twenty five, then up towards fifty.
'Teach me to take advice from some monkey psychologist with a degree. This crap never even works!' She thought bitterly.
She raised her head, doing her best to be level with the Odinson present, "So are you willing to meet up with Loki? You'll have to be alone, as requested, but you can take him right?" she asked.
"I do not believe there will be cause for a fight, but of course if necessary I can subdue my brother. And it goes without the need for your question, Lady Romanoff, that I will gladly meet with my brother to discuss whatever terms he's conjured in order for his coalition." Thor replied evenly, arms crossed and brows furrowed as his way of conversing seriousness to the woman.
The entire team nodded, for once in mutual agreement. They would find Loki and prevent him from causing any more damage to their Earth.
"Well, Avengers, I think we've found another reason to assemble." Banner sighed and kicked his feet up.
Loki sat silently on the plush chair, letting Darcy have her meltdown; the TV played in the background; some obscure and surreal film with a petite blonde girl in a fluffy blue dress. He thought it was rather dark compared to most things he'd seen flash across the screen.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked suddenly, bringing his attention back to the crazed Midgardian girl. He blinked to clear his vision.
"Of course." He answered, a perfect lie, told smoothly and in a believable tone by his practiced tongue.
"Then answer my question." She said. He could her smirk in her voice even though her expression was serious. When he failed to answer she advanced on him.
"You are so horrible!" the words shook and came from behind clenched teeth. "Don't you- No, of course you don't! You don't care because you're really some super creepy ultra-crazy evil villain, Loki! I've been chauffeuring freaking Loki!" Tears cascaded down her pale cheeks.
This is when the mischievous god finally stood and spoke, towering above her whimpering frame.
"I am not crazy, if you knew why I've done what I've done, you'd never say such vile things. Mortal you cannot begin to comprehend the things that have brought me to this situation." He snarled, eyes burned and he leaned over her tilting his head down just above her face, hers titled up towards his, just inches apart.
"Then tell me about it," she breathed. "You wouldn't believe how fast a learner I am." Her cloudy sky colored eyes meeting his emerald ones.
A/N: My goodness! Hope you can wait until next time!