Hey everyone, Silver here once again to give you a new chapter of Key To Redemption! Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Diana: *is slowly tapping her foot with her arms crossed*
Silver: *gulps nervously* And I promise you that this chapter will be better for Diana's health.
Loki: *clears throat*
Silver: *laughs nervously* Hehe… I can't exactly say the same for Loki…
Loki: What do you mean you can't say the same for me?!
Silver: Well I have some ideas about how this chapter is gonna go for you of course, and some of them aren't exactly the safest for you…but here's Diana with the disclaimer! Oh, and I'd like to thank firerosedreamer67 for their review to my story.
Diana: 666Silvermoon is in no way, shape or form the owner of anything in the Marvel Universe or Norse Mythology. The only things in here she owns are me, my animals, my family, and any other future OC's or places she makes that are not in the Marvel universe. She is not making any money from writing this story; it is purely for her own amusement and to entertain others. Enjoy Chapter 14 everyone.
Chapter 14
Diana's P.O.V
The first thing I noticed as I started coming to was the pain. My entire body was aching like I had gone three rounds with a truck, and my leg was throbbing dully. The second thing I noticed was the fact that I was a bit cold, which was unusual in itself since I almost never get cold because of my temperature running a bit hotter than normal people. The final thing I noticed was the smell. Wherever I was, I certainly wasn't home because my home didn't smell like bleach and other chemicals.
I groaned as I opened my eyes slightly, my vision a bit blurry as I tried sitting up. I managed to succeed because I used the wall I had been lying against to support myself. I blinked a few times, and my vision cleared up, though there wasn't much to see besides a wall of ice seeming to cocoon me against my corner.
Well, that explains the cold. I thought as I shakily stood up, gritting my teeth as I put weight on my bad and bare leg and unbooted feet. The pain brought back the memories from the previous few hours, as did the black shapes moving behind the slight opaque ice.
One of them approached the ice and gently knocked on it. "Ms. Sullivan, can you hear me?" It said in a distinctly male voice. "My name's Steve Rogers. Could you come out here so we can talk?"
My eyes widened at the fact that it was THE Captain America talking to me, but then they narrowed.
"Why should I? You people attacked me on my property, injured me, and took me prisoner. I don't owe you anything." I said angrily.
A different shape came up next to who I assumed was Rogers and started talking. "That may be true doll face, but we happen to have someone here who we think would be hurt if you up and left him here." I recognized the voice as Tony Stark's, having heard it enough on the news at home enough. I growled softly, remembering that they had Loki before I made a decision.
I put up two fingers, and concentrating a short stream of compressed fire to come out of them like a blowtorch, I used it to cut a door shape in the ice before pushing it out. It fell to the floor and shattered at the feet of Stark and Rogers.
"Where is he?" I asked with a glare.
"Well, we're just here to escort you to talk with Director Fury. Seeing Reindeer Games is gonna have to wait." Stark said with a shrug, before turning and walking out the door, Bruce Banner following at his heels from the corner he had been standing in. I followed after them wearily, Rogers a yard or so behind me. My still throbbing leg gave me a noticeable limp, but the cool steel floor soothed my aching feet.
"I expect to get my boots back at some time. They're my favorite pair." I said out loud to the three of them.
"We'll make sure to get them from the infirmary when we head back." Banner said easily, barely turning as he walked along the corridor. I tried to keep track of the turns we took and the different corridors, in case I needed to make a break for the outside. That plan was shot down however, as soon as we got to a room that looked like the bridge of a ship, and I looked out the window. The fact that I could see nothing but the blue sky and fluffy clouds told me that this place wasn't a building, but an aircraft.
I looked around the bridge, and saw multiple agents in matching uniforms looking up as we entered. Outwardly I held my head up high, but inside I was nervous as hell. Banner and Stark lead me to an oddly shaped table near the multitude of computers the agents were working on. I stopped in my tracks as I saw that Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were sitting at the table, with a bald African American man dressed in all black with an eye patch sat at the head.
"Ms. Sullivan, please have a seat." He said, indicating one of the empty chairs. I studied the layout of the table, and waited for Stark, Banner, and Rogers to sit down before taking a seat in the chair across from Barton, and next to Stark.
"My name Is Nick Fury, Ms. Sullivan, and I'm the Director for S.H.I.E.L.D. I do apologize for my agents' rough handling of you." The man with the eye patch said, causing me to look across the table at Romanov and Barton.
"I doubt it was a terrible inconvenience for them." I said coldly. "But I would like to know why I am here."
Fury leaned back in his chair, looking at me critically with one dark eye. "I'm sorry to say that you're here because you harbored a war criminal Ms. Sullivan. We can't take that lightly I'm afraid."
I turned my gaze to him, and he stared evenly back at me. "I offered him sanctuary after his leg was torn up by a black bear Mr. Fury. I wouldn't be a decent human being if I didn't."
"You have to fuck him too?" Barton grumbled softly, causing me to snap my now angry gaze towards him.
"Me fucking him or not is none of your business, Mr. Barton, just like it's none of my business if you fuck your partner or not." I said angrily, my eyes growing paler as I held back my powers.
"Barton and I don't fuck." Romanoff said evenly, causing me to turn to her.
"His scent is all over you Ms. Romanoff, and vice versa. Try lying to someone who's not a partial feral." I said. "And try hiding your scents next time you break into my house. I could smell the two of you almost as soon as I entered my home."
I could hear Stark quietly chuckling next to me, and saw Rogers slightly blushing out of the corner of my eye.
Fury cleared his throat, causing all eyes to turn back to him, but not before Romanoff shot me a glare.
"Ms. Sullivan, you may have offered him sanctuary but that doesn't justify you harboring him, and it doesn't change the fact that he is a wanted war criminal that needs to be punished." He said, causing me to snort and roll my eyes.
"Don't you people understand? He's already been punished. He was imprisoned by Asgard for a year, stripped of his magic and banished here. Before the alien invasion, he was tortured by the Chitauri for a year. He's been through enough." I said angrily.
"Enough, my ass. What about the people that were killed during the battle of New York? What about the people he had under the power of the Tesseract?" Barton asked with a raised voice.
I turned on him, eyes flashing. "If you remember correctly Barton, any people that were killed were done at the hands of the Chitauri, who you all defeated. And Loki was also under the power of the Tesseract."
"They were still killed because he brought them here! And what proof do you have that he was?" Barton angrily shot back, rising to his feet in anger.
"Because I trust his word. And how many people were actually killed in the Battle of New York? Two, maybe three dozen in total? (1) That's nothing compared to most disasters." I said rising to my feet as well before my voice got quieter, filling with scorn. "Exactly how many people have you killed Barton? How many have Romanoff, or how many did Stark's old weapons kill when he was labelled the 'Merchant of Death'? Who here at this table doesn't have blood on their hands?"
I saw that I had shut Barton up, before I turned my eyes to Fury once again. "I want to see Loki, now."
I ignored Barton slightly tensing up at Loki's name, and saw Fury contemplating my request. It took a few seconds longer than I wanted, but he soon turned to Rogers.
"Captain, take Dr. Banner and Ms. Sullivan to the prisoner's jail cell. Agent Romanoff will show you the way." Fury said. Romanoff stood up and silently walked down out of the bridge; Rogers, Banner and I followed after her. I knew what Fury was doing. He was sending Banner and Romanoff with Rogers and I in case I needed to be 'detained'.
As if I could actually get away with this bum leg, or Loki imprisoned. I thought in irritation as we walked down a corridor with multiple doors until we reached one guarded by two male agents.
"We're here to see the prisoner, under Fury's orders." Romanoff told them. The agents turned to each other and I saw a small smirk pass between them that set me on edge.
"The prisoner is currently being interrogated, Agent Romanoff. It should be done in a moment or so." The one on the left said; a guy in his thirties or so with dark hair, dark eyes and stubble. The other one, a slightly younger agent with lighter hair and hazel eyes chuckled under his breath. I felt my anger rise, and with that my feral side came out and my senses sharpened.
I growled as my nose caught the scent of fresh blood and the sound of muffled grunts. I lunged for the agents, but Rogers held me back as they aimed their guns at me.
"What are you doing to him? Let me go!" I snarled out, struggling as hard as I could in Rogers' arms. I heard Romanoff and the two agents arguing but I was too busy struggling. I finally had enough and brought my foot back and up between Rogers' legs, causing him to grunt and loosen his hold enough for me to get out of it. I lunged for the door, knocking the agents out of my way with a well-timed gust of air before punching the door with my fist on fire. The metal twisted and bent from the heat and fell to the floor with a crash, causing the three agents inside to freeze. I stared in shock at the scene before me.
The floor of the room was spattered with blood, as were the hands of the agents in the room and the knife in one of the agent's hands. Loki was chained to the wall, with a muzzle over his mouth and a quickly swelling black eye. His shirt was torn open, and his chest was covered in blood.
My shock dissipated and anger filled me as I charged into the room. One of the agents tried to stop me, but with a punch to his unprotected throat he fell like a swatted fly. I dodged a kick from another agent, then grabbed his leg and used his momentum against him to toss him head first out the door way. I turn to the last agent, and found him holding Loki's head back by his hair with the knife to his throat.
"Come any closer, and the monster will get his throat slit." He said, tightening his grip in Loki's hair enough to make him grunt and wince in pain. My anger reached a new peak as I saw the spark of fear in Loki's eyes, and I made a decision.
I brought my arm up and bent my fingers, putting all my power and focus behind my next move.
The agent squawked in fear as I used my blood bending to make his hand with the knife lift away from Loki's throat and drop the knife. The hand holding Loki's hair loosened and lifted away from him and the agent took a few jerky steps away from Loki before his entire body lifted up and levitated towards me. I got up close and personal, baring my fangs and snarling.
"The only monster here is you." I told him before I flung him out of the room, and knocked down the other agents trying to get in. I turned and crouched in front of Loki, looking him over worriedly. He looked back at me with pain filled but relieved eyes. I gently brushed his hair out of his face before looking over the muzzle.
I ran my fingers over it before gently taking it off and tossing it away. "I'm sorry Loki; I didn't get here fast enough to help you." I said sadly before standing up and looking at the chains, trying to figure out how to get them off of him.
I turned and moved in front of Loki as someone moved behind me, but it was just Rogers holding a key in his hand. "Thought this might help." He said softly as he handed it to me. I used it to unlock the chains attached to Loki's wrists and ankles before helping him stand.
He winced in pain as I helped support him before getting him out of the room. "Nearest infirmary room, where is it?" I asked Romanoff, and she led the lot of us to another corridor and to an infirmary room like the one I woke up in, just slightly smaller and with less doctors. I led Loki to an examination table and made him lie down on it. I snapped my jaws at one of doctors that got too close, causing him to scurry back in fright.
I quickly got together some antibacterial wipes and a bottle of purified water from one of the cabinets before turning back to Loki. I heard the doctors arguing around me but I ignored them, unless they got to close. A simple snap of my jaws or a spark of fire would send them back though.
I used the antibacterial wipes to clean away the blood on his chest, and my eyes widened at the word carved into it. 'Monster' in jagged lettering stood stark on his pale chest.
Anger burned in my chest as I thought about going back and burning that word into their chest and seeing how they like it. I didn't even know I had shed a tear until Loki reached up and brushed it away with his hand.
"No need to shed a tear for me, love. What that agent said is no less true…" Loki said softly with a bittersweet smile.
"You are not a monster Loki, no matter what anyone else says." I told him firmly. I gently healed up the word until it had faded completely away, ignoring the shaking in my hands as I started healing his swollen eye. However, by the time I was half way done I had to stop because I was using too much energy.
I softly panted in exhaustion as I leaned heavily against the examination table. "Fuck…I'm too tapped out to heal you up fully Loki." I told him sadly before I wrapped some newly formed ice in a rag and gave it to him to put to his eye. One of the quieter doctors pushed a metal chair towards me, and I heavily sat in it after nodding my thanks.
"Any way we can help, Ms. Sullivan?" Rogers asked behind me, causing me to turn towards him in surprise. I had almost forgotten that Banner, Romanoff, and he were still in the infirmary with us.
"If you can get me a shit ton of food and something to drink I'd appreciate it. Same with Loki here, we haven't exactly had breakfast or lunch today." I told him, my voice gaining a touch of snarkiness from my low blood sugar and a rapidly forming headache.
Just as Rogers asked a random pair of agents passing the minor infirmary if they could get some food and drink from the cafeteria onboard, Fury and Stark stormed in. Well, Fury stormed in, Stark more swaggered in.
"What in the hell happened? And why is he outta his cell?" Fury said angrily, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Damn it all, lower yur voice Director! He's outta his cell because a pack of your fuckin' agents were wailin' on him in it. One of 'em even took a knife to 'im. And unless you want a very pissed off mutant on yur hands I suggest you go take care of 'em." I said angrily, my Irish accent growing heavier as I got angry and my headache spiked in my head. I groaned and laid my head down on the table, cradling it between my arms.
"Blast this headache to hell." I grumbled as I heard Fury and Stark bickering before one stormed out. I presumed it was Fury from the heavy and angry sounding footfalls fading away.
"You got moxy kid; I've never seen someone piss off Fury that much in that short amount of time." I heard Stark say as he too seemed to take a seat in one of the vacant chairs in the room.
I groaned and gently lifted my head to glare at him. "Stark, no offense but trasna ort féin."(2) I told him grumpily before putting my head back down. I heard Loki chuckle softly before I felt his free hand on my head, gently smoothing down my hair and unbraiding it. I made a pleased sound and slightly leaned up into his hand.
This lasted a few minutes before the smell of food wafted to my nose and I lifted my head and turned to the door. My stomach immediately started growling at the trays of stuff the two agents that Steve sent for food came in with. I saw a few slices of pizza, fries, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked chicken, orange and apple slices, and a few bottles of water to drink. Almost as soon as the food was set down on the table after Loki made room, the two of us dug in.
Loki ended up eating a slice of pizza, a piece of the chicken, some of the mashed potatoes, and a few apple slices while I pretty much had everything else. Since I exhausted my powers so much in the past 24 hours they made me use up a lot of calories that I had to replenish. I sighed in contentment as I drank the last bit in my second bottle of water before leaning back in my chair, pleasantly full. I smiled lazily over at Loki, causing him to smile back as he leaned back against the upright part of the exam table.
I shook myself a bit before turning to Stark. "Oy, when am I gonna get my boots back? And when can Loki and I leave this flying hunk of tin? I have animals to feed at home."
"Well Annie, I don't think Daddy Warbucks is gonna be letting you out of the mansion anytime soon." Stark said with a smirk, causing my eye to twitch.
"As much as I loved the 1982 version of Annie, I'd rather not think of having Director Fury adopt me." I told him with a barely repressed shudder.
Stark snickered and patted me on the shoulder. "You and me both Carrot Top. I'll look into getting you outta here." He told me before leaving. I rolled my eyes at his redhead nicknames before turning to Loki.
"So, what happened after I conked out?" I asked him.
"Well, they captured us and put us in an armored truck." Loki started telling me. "We were then transported to an airfield, where we were transferred onto an aircraft. We were held in a cell on board until we got to the Helicarrier, and then we were separated. I think you went to the healer's room and I was put in another cell, with those chains and that wretched muzzle on my mouth."
He then looked straight at me. "You used your blood bending to get that agent away from me. I thought you hated using that."
"I do hate it Loki, but you were in danger. I wasn't about to let him slit your throat." I said. "And I was right you know. The only monsters in that room at the time were them."
He looked at me sadly, before looking away. He glued his eyes to the floor, almost ashamed of himself. He also looked like he wanted to say something, but I guess he thought there were too many people here to say anything, so I simply grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.
The pleasant atmosphere was broken by Fury returning, with Stark at his heels.
"Alright, the agents who attacked bag of cats over here were disciplined and were dismissed from their positions." Fury said. "But that does not change the fact that Loki is a war criminal and must be dealt with."
"How many times do I have to tell you that he's already been punished enough?" I almost snarled at Fury as I stood up, shielding Loki behind me. "He's already been banished from Asgard, with his magic stripped I might add, until he truly regrets his actions during the invasion last year."
"Yeah well regret isn't gonna bring the people that died during it back from the dead, nor is it gonna fix the property damages that are still visible in Manhattan." Fury shot back.
"So what do you expect to do? Lock me up on your airship, so more of your agents can come and try to kill me?" Loki spat out behind me, causing Fury to turn to him.
"Well we can't exactly let you off scott-free to continue living with Sullivan here." Fury told him.
"And yet while in my care he hasn't done anything warranting being locked up like a criminal." I said angrily, my temper rising as I took a step towards Fury. Apparently that wasn't a very good idea since next I know about five agents were pointing guns at me.
"I'm asking you to back down Ms. Sullivan." Fury said, barely looking at the agents protecting him.
"I'm not one of your lackeys Fury, you can't order me around." I almost shouted, baring my teeth. I seemed to be getting angry real easy on the Helicarrier, but marked it off at having guns pointed at me or Loki every time we twitched, and the newly throbbing pain in my leg.
"No, but we can take you down by force if needed." Fury said with a narrowed eye. I snarled, at the exact moment that thunderclouds started forming outside the infirmary windows. The agents looked out, as did I just in time to see a bright pillar of light descend upon the Helicarrier's open deck. It soon disappeared and left a strange etching on the deck, and four figures that were rapidly walking towards the front doors.
I was confused, and turned to Loki, only to see him looking like he was about to have a panic attack.
I barely noticed Fury, the agents, Rogers and Stark leaving as I walked to Loki's side, gently turning his face to look at me.
"Loki, what's the matter?" I asked him quietly, gently caressing his cheeks with my thumbs. He shakily breathed before swallowing and closing his eyes.
"That was the Bifrӧst being used…Thor is most likely here, along with a few of his friends. The only reason I can think of as to why is to take me back to the dungeons on Asgard." He told me softly. A cold pit started forming in my chest at the thought of Loki leaving, and being caged away. I didn't even think, I simply acted on impulse as I pressed my lips firmly against his. He almost desperately clung to me as he kissed back, like I would disappear if he let go.
I broke the kiss and looked him dead in the eyes. "I'll stand by you Loki, no matter what; even if I have to go to Asgard myself and have a talk with Odin." I told him, before turning. I was a bit surprised to see Dr. Banner holding out my black cowboy boots and a new set of jeans.
I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't want to go around barefoot too much longer, or in those torn and bloody jeans." He said evenly, and I relaxed a bit at the simple act of kindness. I took the jeans and my boots and tucked them under my arm, and grabbed a package of gauze and bandages.
"Thank you Dr. Banner." I told him, before going behind multiple changing screens, to hide all sides of me. I emerged with my torn jeans in my hands, the new jeans on my legs, and my boots back on my now sock covered feet. I had wrapped my injured leg to the knee with the gauze and bandages to prevent excess bleeding and to remind me to keep it as still as I could.
I concentrated, and burned my torn jeans until they were nothing but ashes before dumping them in the trash. I didn't want S.H.I.E.L.D to try and take any of my blood if they already hadn't.
A mousy haired agent with a nervous disposition asked us to follow him to the bridge, to meet up with the rest of the Avengers and our current Asgardian guests. I gently helped Loki to his feet, before taking his hand and following the agent, Loki at my side and Banner behind us.
We soon reached the bridge, and found the Avengers taking up one side of the table and Thor with three other people standing at the other side. I studied them silently as our agent guide was dismissed by Fury and as Banner sat beside Stark.
There were two other men besides Thor, and one woman. One of the men had fair hair, a well groomed goatee, bright blue eyes and an easy going smile on his face. He was dressed in greyish green clothing, with bits of silver armor and a rapier at his hip.
The second man was almost the exact opposite of the first, with his dark eyes, longer dark hair pulled back into a knot, and an almost grim expression on his clean shaven face. He was dressed in dark blue clothing with a mace at his hip, and with the most unusual armor. It was black, but with silver accents and with what looked like a pair of steer horns done in silver on his chest.
The woman stuck out the most out of the three. Her hair was dark, but her eyes were a bright blue. She would be more beautiful if she did not have such an angry look upon her face. Her clothing was a burgundy red, with a silver breastplate over her chest and silver shoulder plates and gauntlets. Brown pants tucked into knee high boots made of brown leather and silver. On her left arm she held a silver shield, with what looked like a sword tucked into it. (3)
My observations took mere seconds before Thor stood with a joyous looking smile and approached Loki and I.
"Brother, it is good to see you!" He boomed and stretched his arms, looking as if he wanted to hug Loki. Loki on the other hand looked like he was about to flee, though instead he moved back a bit and behind me. I certainly didn't mind, because I knew Loki was afraid he'd get carted back to Asgard.
Thor looked hurt for a moment before his smile perked up as he looked down at me. I was glad he didn't have far to look, since I was only about four inches shorter then him. Thank goodness for my father's genes.
"You must be Lady Diana!" He said before bowing to me a bit. "I am Thor, son of Odin. It is most wonderful to finally meet the woman to catch my brother's eye for so long." I raised an eyebrow at his formal way of greeting before replying.
"I am indeed Diana, though I already knew who you are, Mr. Odinson." I said evenly, calling him by his proper last name. "I might say it is an honor to meet you, if only the circumstances were better."
He had straightened by that time, and now grinned at Loki. "Have you been teaching Lady Diana your silver tongued ways Loki?"
I felt Loki shake his head behind me. "No, she was like this when I found her."
"More like when I found you." I muttered before looking back at him, causing a corner of his mouth to twitch as he suppressed a smile. I turned back around, and almost immediately caught the eye of the Asgardian woman. I was almost surprised that she scowled so heavily at me, but I figured this was Sif, the woman who fought her way to become a warrior in Asgard, and who almost hated Loki with a passion.
"Well, let me introduce you to my friends, and please call me Thor." Thor said before turning to his friends.
"Really now Thor, we are perfectly capable of introducing ourselves." The fair haired man with the goatee said as he stepped forward with a pleasant smile. He held out his hand, and I reached forward to shake it but instead he turned it and kissed the top of it as he bowed.
"Fandral the Dashing, at your service." He said happily, causing me to raise an eyebrow at the almost roguish grin that no doubt had flustered countless women in the past. I was not one of them.
"Diana Sullivan, I'm sure you've heard of me by now, from Thor no doubt." I said evenly, causing his smile to dim a bit and for Loki to quietly snicker behind me.
"And this is Hogun, the Grim." Thor said quickly, clapping his hand on the man in blue's shoulder. Hogun says nothing, simply bowing his head slightly. I return the favor, seeing he was most likely a man of few words. I could also see how his moniker fit him.
I turned to the woman, and she stared back at me. I didn't know if she was trying to be intimidating or not, but it wasn't working. At least towards me it wasn't.
"Let me guess: you must be Lady Sif." I said, tilting my head a bit as her scowl deepened.
"Did you learn that from the trickster behind you?" She asked. My lips morphed into a frown as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I did. Loki told me stories about both you and the Warriors Three. I have to say I'm not impressed." I said as I glared at her. She glared back; looking like she wanted to say something else but Thor laid a placating hand on her shoulder.
Fury cleared his throat, causing the rest of the room to turn to him. "As much as I'm sure you would like to continue this pissing match, I would more like to know why you dumped a war criminal that invaded our planet last year onto us, and then didn't let us know he was here." He said, his one eye scrutinizing Thor as he and the other Asgardians took a seat. I didn't want to sit down, but my gently throbbing leg had me sitting down in a chair across from the Asgardians and at the end of the Avengers side of the table. Loki stood behind me, one hand on the back of the chair as kept his eyes away from Thor.
"When I brought back Loki after the invasion of your planet, my father decreed that he would be put in the dungeons for a year. Afterwards, if he felt regret for his actions to your planet he would be welcomed back to the family with open arms." Here Thor paused, his eyes getting a wistful look before he continued. "However, since Loki did not my father decided to banish him to Midgard, his magic and immortality stripped until he learned from his actions and felt guilt and regret towards them."
"So your dad automatically thought that banishing him here was a good idea, where anyone in New York would have a beef with Loki and could've killed him?" I asked angrily, though it was more at Odin than Loki.
"It's a pity someone didn't." I heard Barton mutter not too softly, causing Thor and I to turn angry eyes on him.
"I'm sure someone said the same about you once upon a time Barton." I said coldly, making Barton glare back at me before Rogers interceded.
"If that's so, then why are you here now Thor? Has your father decided a different course of punishment for Loki?" He asked, and I figured he was hoping Thor would take Loki away and be done with it.
A sharp pang went through my chest as I thought of Loki leaving, but it relaxed as Thor shook his head.
"Nay, Friend Steve, my friends and I are only here to see that Loki is treated fairly while he is in the captivity of S.H.I.E.L.D." He said evenly.
Loki interjected for the first time during the meeting. "It's a bit too late for that, Thor." He said as I looked back at him, and he moved his hair away from the injured side of his face. The still slightly swollen and discolored black eye stood out starkly against his pale skin.
Thor turned angrily towards Fury. "Who dared to harm a son of Odin!?" He thundered, causing the sky outside to slightly darken in his anger.
"A team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents, apparently acting on their own." I told him, turning my eyes to Fury as well. "They also carved his chest up with a knife, but I was able to heal that."
"And they've been punished as befitting the crime." Fury told Thor, though it seemed to barely placate him.
I turned back to the Asgardians and my scowl darkened as I saw Sif fighting a smile at Loki's black eye. "That may be true, but it was a cowardly and reprehensible attack, since Loki was chained to a wall and fucking muzzled like a rabid dog." I spat out, anger boiling inside me and showing in my now sharpened nails and teeth and slit pupils.
The Asgardians seemed intrigued by the changes to my appearance, considering the amount they seemed to be staring now. I looked back at them, raising my chin in defiance.
"Did you expect us to put him in lavish room with a gift basket? Sorry toots, but he got what he deserved." Barton said, causing me to stand up, my throbbing leg be damned.
I turned my glare to him, and the room temperature seemed to go up ten degrees as I used my clenched fists to lean over the table. "Mr. Barton, I am warning you. If you do not stop making comments like that within my hearing range, you're gonna force me to do something that I might regret." I stressed the word might, because I didn't know if I would regret it.
"Is that a threat Sullivan?" He asked with a glare of his own as he too stood up, despite Romanoff laying a hand on his shoulder.
"You bet your fucking ass it is." I snarled, clenching my hands tighter to keep back the heat forming in them. "And it's one that I intend to keep."
"Big speech coming from a mortal like you. I wonder if you can back it up." Sif spoke up, smirking smugly.
My eyes shut, jaws clenched as a growl escaped on my next exhale before I turned to Sif with a glare. "Give me a few days and then we'll see how much I can back up."
"Why not now? Are you afraid of me, mortal?" She asked. Oh, how I wanted to claw that smirk off of her face.
"No, it'll give you a few days to get ready, because you'll surely need it." I said as I straightened up. I turned back to Fury. "How much longer do you expect to keep us here Fury? Because I know for a fact that my brother will be coming to my home in a week, along with my mother, and if they find out I'm gone, then they'll know exactly who took me."
Fury scowled at that, since he was probably remembering the one and only time any S.H.I.E.L.D agents came to my house in the past. I was only sixteen at the time, and not all the agents were very courteous. My father ended up getting angry, causing me to lose my temper as well and blast half of the agents through the living room window. They never seemed to bother me again.
"Ms. Sullivan, I'm sure Director Fury doesn't like this anymore than you do but he does have to make sure that Loki won't be causing any more trouble." Rogers tried to placate me, but instead it only caused me to snort.
"If Loki was as dangerous as you think he is, than why the fuck would he have let those agents carve the word 'Monster' into his chest?" I said, my voice getting more of a growl to it as my anger grew more. I saw Thor looking at Loki in concern; he didn't meet his eyes.
"She does have a point. I don't exactly think God of crazy over there would take the pain if he didn't have to." Stark spoke up for the first time during the meeting, causing me turn surprised eyes to him.
"I mean, come on. If he had the magic last time to escape, than why hasn't he done it this time yet if he didn't have his magic anymore? I hate to say it, but Big Red has a point. Loki's as helpless as a puppy learning to walk." He continued, and I felt Loki stiffen behind me in indignation. I tried to intercede before Loki strangled Stark.
"I wouldn't say that he's helpless, but he certainly does not have his magic, which means he's not as much of a threat as you all think he is right now." I told the group at large. I saw several different emotions going throughout the faces of the group. Silent intrigue from Stark and Banner, anger from Fury and Barton, neutrality from Romanoff and Hogun, quiet eagerness from Thor, slight apprehension from Rogers and Fandral, and masked hope from Loki. We didn't have to wait long before Fury sighed.
"Normally I would tell you to shut up and deal with the consequences, but this seems to be a special case. Ms. Sullivan, can you look me in the eye and positively tell me that Loki will behave when in your care?" He asked me.
"I can actually." I said truthfully, my ice blues looking into his dark brown eye.
He sighed gruffly and leaned back in his chair. "Then there might just be a solution to this then."
I don't know why, but I didn't like the way that Fury seemed to be holding back a smirk.
Third P.O.V
Loki sat stewing in the room temporarily assigned to Diana and him until transport back to Diana's home had been verified. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall as he sat at the foot of the small bed in the corner.
Diana, who was lying down on the bed, sighed and gently nudged him with her bare foot. "I know you don't like it Loki, but it was the only way we'd be able to go home."
"I still don't understand how you agreed to let half of those Avengers stay in your home to monitor me." Loki said with a sneer, saying their team name like he was tasting something foul. "And the audacity of Thor wanting to come with us and roam about like he owns the place!"
Diana turned onto her side and lifted her head up onto one hand. "Well, I did invite him and his friends to come see my home. And you know that this was the only way for us to go back home. It was either that, or we'd have to stay in Avengers tower, and with all my animals that would've been impossible. Plus, I have three unfinished paintings at home, and Halloween is in three weeks."
Loki turned away from her, still heavily upset. Diana sensed something more was going on, sat up and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Loki, is something else wrong here?" She asked gently, and patiently waited to see if he would tell her.
After a minute, he turned to her and she saw that his eyes were brimming with anger and a hint of fear. "They're going to take you away from me." He said softly, "I'm going to lose everything, all over again."
He swallowed and slowly started trembling. "As I grew up, I did look up to Thor and his friends, but as we grew older he became more arrogant and started taking things from me. It started out with a dessert I was too slow to eat, or a dagger that he borrowed and then never gave back, but it soon grew. He would take Odin's and Frigga's attention from me more and more as he matured, and he started stealing away some of the people that I was friends with, or that I had feelings for. The only thing he never took from me were books or clothes, because he had no need to read and my clothes were too small for him. And then as I had Sleipnir and afterwards started having my other children with Glut, Agroboda and Sigyn over the years, they soon were taken from me as well, by Odin or by others." Loki told Diana.
She soon understood what he was afraid of. "You think that the Avengers are going to pull me away from you, and that I'll be lost forever?"
He slowly nodded as a tear fell from his eye, and she brought him into a tight hug.
"Loki, I promise you that that won't happen. The Avengers and Thor and his friends might be good people, but you are the one who I know the best, and who will always have my heart." She told him firmly. Loki gave a watery smile into her shoulder as he tightly hugged her back.
After Loki had calmed down, Diana attempted to heal the rest of the swelling on his face. She had just about finished when there came a heavy handed knock at the door. They looked at each other in confusion, before Diana stood up and opened the door by pressing one of the buttons to the side of it.
She was a bit surprised to see Thor and Steve on the other side as the door slid open. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her hip to the side.
"Hello gentlemen. Is there something I can do for you?" She asked evenly. Thor smiled widely while Steve was fidgeting almost guiltily.
"I came to ask how my brother fares, Lady Diana. Friend Steve was kind enough to show me the way to your quarters." Thor said a bit too loudly for an indoor voice. Diana was about to answer when she felt two slim but strong arms wrap around her waist.
"I'm not your brother Thor, and I'm perfectly fine." Loki said shortly as Diana leaned back against him slightly. Thor's smile for a moment to show he was hurt that Loki would be so coarse with him, but it soon brightened again.
"Lady Diana, I am thankful that you welcomed Loki into your home and have healed him so readily. I am forever in your debt for taking care of him." Thor said happily, before doing a slight bow towards her, causing her eyes to widen slightly.
"There's no need for that Thor. I was more than happy to take him in." She said, before looking back at Loki, with a small smile. "Though he did give me a bit of trouble at first."
Loki, remembering the first few days of staying with Diana, slightly blushed. "And I do apologize for that, my dear."
"I know darling, but you wouldn't be the God of Mischief if you didn't cause a bit of mischief every now and again." She said with a kiss on his cheek before turning back to Thor and Steve.
Thor was grinning broadly; glad that his brother had found someone that could truly love him for who he was, despite the deeds he had done in the past. Steve was surprised that Loki seemed so at peace with Diana. He looked nothing like the once mad demigod who had invaded Earth the year before.
"Was there any other reason that you came by?" Diana asked them, though not unkindly.
Thor nodded. "Actually, we came to invite you and Loki to join us and the rest of our friends in the training room."
"He means the gym." Steve said as he saw the slight confusion on Diana's face. "We figured that you would like to get to know us a bit better before we ended up intruding in your home later on tonight."
Diana was glad she and Loki would be going home that night, but she looked to Loki to get his opinion on if they should go talk to the others.
Loki was torn. On the one hand, he just wanted to hide away in the room, but on the other hand he didn't want to be seen as scared for not showing up. So he sighed and shrugged.
"We might as well go, at least then you should be able to lay some ground rules for them." He told Diana, and soon the two of them were following Thor and Steve down one of the many halls before they entered a rather good sized gym. The other Avengers, besides Hawkeye and Black Widow, and the other Asgardians were sitting around on weightlifting benches around the room.
"Hey, you brought the Ginga Ninja and Lokster to join us." Tony said with a wide grin. Diana grimaced as she sat on a spare weightlifting bench, Loki sitting next to her.
"Mr. Stark, the redhead nicknames are getting old real fast." She told him.
He looked like he was about to say something else, but luckily Bruce put his hand over Tony's mouth before he could. "Please excuse Tony; he hasn't taken his meds today." Bruce said in an almost serious voice. Next thing they see is Bruce flinching and taking his hand from over Tony's mouth and wiping it on his jeans. Apparently Tony licked it.
"We were just discussing who would be going with you to your house tonight, to temporarily monitor Loki until he is deemed trustworthy enough to be left alone in your care." Steve told Diana and Loki evenly.
"Well, before that happens I would like to lay a few ground rules." Diana said to the group at large as her eyes scanned all of them. "First off, there are only two bedrooms with full sized beds available in my home, with two other bathrooms besides my own to spare since Loki has his own bed and bathroom. If any more than two people come, then one person will either be sleeping on the couch or on the sofa cot in the library, and they will also be sharing one of the bathrooms with another team mate.
"Second, whatever mess you make in the living room or dining room, you pick up. The room you choose to sleep in will be your own prerogative, but any dirty dishes or food by-products go in the trash or in the sink. And if someone does choose to sleep on the sofa cot in the library, please be careful of the books and pictures in there."
Tony snorted softly but tried to cover it up as a cough. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that you sound like a mom is all."
"Excuse me for not wanting my house to become a war zone." Diana told him with a slight glare before resuming. "Third, since a number of you will be staying in my home free of charge, I hope that you'll be courteous enough to help with at least a part of the chores. Those include cleaning out the stables, feeding the animals, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and cooking."
"Speaking of that, Fury asked me to give you this." Tony said, passing Diana a platinum credit card with her name on it. "It's for food expenses, since Steve has a higher metabolism than regular people and because he figured Thor would be visiting quite often, and he has a massive appetite from what we figured."
Diana took the card and put it in her back pocket. "So Steve will be one of the people coming to my home. Who else is coming?"
"I will as well, if you don't mind." Bruce said, though Diana knew she didn't have a choice.
"And as Friend Stark mentioned earlier, I will hopefully be visiting quite frequently, if the All Father permits it." Thor said brightly.
"I think I could use an easy assignment like this." A voice said behind the group, and everyone turned to see Coulson standing at the door of the gym.
Loki was shocked to say the least, as from what he could remember from the invasion he was sure that he had killed Coulson. Seeing the shock on his face, Coulson stepped further into the room and up to him.
"Before you ask, yes you did kill me. But the medical team managed to bring me back, after I was in a coma for about a month." He told him, before turning to Diana. "Hello Ms. Sullivan, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Diana, who had met Coulson when she was sixteen, smiled softly and stood to shake his hand. "It's good to see you too, Mr. Coulson."
"Hold it, back up. Agent, you know hot tamale here?" Tony said, waving his hands to gesture to Diana and Coulson, and referencing one of his favorite candies.
"Yes Tony, I do. I was one of the agents who went to meet her when she was sixteen when we got wind of her powers." Coulson said amicably before taking a seat on a vacant weightlifting bench.
"He was also one of the few agents that were actually very courteous, and so he managed to avoid being blasted out of my living room's bay window when my temper got the best of me." Diana told them, ignoring the surprised looks being shot at her.
Coulson softly laughed. "I remember all of their faces just before they went flying through the window. I had never seen a group of agents so ruffled like that."
Loki was looking at Diana in amazement now, and she smiled at him as she took his hand in hers before turning back to the group. "So it'll be Mr. Rogers, Dr. Banner, and Mr. Coulson who will be staying temporarily in my home, with Thor visiting occasionally. Is that right?" She asked every one.
"That pretty much covers it. I'd would really love to come myself, but I have projects I need to work on at my penthouse labs, plus I can't leave Pepper all by her lonesome as CEO. Poor girl would get so lonely." Tony said, causing Bruce to softly chuckle.
"She practically runs the company by herself anyway Tony." Bruce reminded him.
"I know, and she does such a wonderful job at it." Tony said, with no small amount of fondness in his tone.
"So I take it that Barton and Romanoff won't be joining us?" Diana asked Coulson. She was fairly relieved when he let her know that even though they would check in with them every now and again, they would have other missions to go on.
Soon everyone had stood up and were interacting with each other, with Diana discussing different art techniques with Steve, Tony and Bruce were discussing future projects for S.H.I.E.L.D with Coulson, and the Asgardians were talking about a quest to Vanaheim.
Loki stood at the fringes of the group, until Sif approached him. He was weary of her intentions, and so he took a few steps back from the group. Sif saw it as a way to give them more privacy, for she had a few words for Loki.
"I hope you enjoy this while you can, Silvertongue, because it can't last." She told him softly with a smug look on her face.
Loki was confused now, and though he hid it well. "And what do you mean by that, Sif?"
She shrugged and looked over at Diana, and Loki followed with his eyes. He saw conversing with Steve, with a smile on her face and her hands gesturing about her. A pit of jealousy formed in his chest as he saw the easy way she conversed with him.
Sif noticed, and smirked. "How much longer do you think she'll be able to live with a trickster like you? Have you even told her about your Jotun form?"
By the way Loki's face paled, she knew that he hadn't. She leaned in and lowered her voice, so no one but him would hear her next words.
"What makes you think she'd love a monster like you? She merely pities you Loki." She said scornfully, before turning with a smirk and rejoining the other Asgardians.
Loki felt the cold hand of dread and fear squeezing his heart as he looked at Diana once more, the blood draining from his face and leaving him as white as a sheet. Diana looked over at that moment, a smile on her face before it dropped as she saw Loki. She politely excused herself from Steve before quickly going towards Loki.
"Loki? What's wrong?" She gently asked, but Loki only shook his head and denied that anything was really wrong. He merely said that he was tired, and hoped to go home soon.
His face relaxed as Diana warmly smiled at him. "I know Loki, I do as well."
After a few more hours on the Helicarrier, a jet was finally approved to take Diana, Loki, Steve, Bruce, and Tony to Diana's home. Clint was piloting the jet, with Natasha in the passenger seat. The Asgardians had departed the way they came, though Thor told Loki that he would be back soon. As Thor brought him into a tight hug, Loki could only hope that he would come alone and leave the others behind.
Diana was slightly tense as she sat in her seat on the jet, and consoled herself by holding onto Loki's hand. Loki certainly didn't mind, as he too was tense in the jet since the last time he had been on one he had been snatched out of it by Thor.
As the jet touched down in the leisure paddock for her horse, Diana and Loki were the first ones to get off the jet. Diana finally breathed easier as she hurried to her home, opening the door and was almost immediately tackled to the ground by her dogs.
She started laughing as Kida and Taboo whined happily and licked all over her face. "I missed you too, you overgrown balls of energy, but get off!" She giggled as she sat up and hugged them before pushing them back and then they caught sight of Loki.
He laughed as they jumped up on him and started licking him too, but luckily he managed to stay on his feet. He scratched behind their ears before pushing them back down and wiping the dog slobber from his face. He watched them run around in circles a few times, before they caught sight of Coulson, Steve, and Bruce standing a few yards away, suit cases in Coulson and Bruce's hands while Steve carried a military duffle bag over his shoulder.
"Taboo, Kida! Sit!" Diana ordered when she heard the dogs growling. They immediately sat and stopped growling.
"Sorry, they must be on edge from Barton and Romanoff terrorizing my home. They normally don't growl at people like that." Diana explained as she grabbed Bruce and Steve by the wrists and extended their hands towards Kida and Taboo. After a few tentative sniffs the dogs wagged their tails and licked their hands. Diana did the same with Coulson, and when the dogs did the same she ushered them all into her home.
"Now then, just leave your stuff by the door and head to the dining room. Loki and I should be able to fix up a quick dinner before assigning the beds for you three." She told Bruce, Coulson and Steve before heading to the kitchen with Loki at her heels.
After a quick dinner of fettuccine alfredo and garlic bread and after feeding her animals, Diana led the three guests upstairs to their rooms. Coulson offered to take the cot in the library after Diana assured him that it was comfier than it looked, with Bruce taking the Asian themed room and Steve taking the black, grey and red room. Steve and Coulson volunteered to share the beach themed bathroom, with Bruce taking the forest themed bathroom.
That night, as Diana was changing her bandages around her injured leg, she sincerely hoped that her three guests, along with the ones that would no doubt be coming and going, not cause much trouble. She would have her hands full enough with Halloween coming up. She smirked as she laid down for bed, thinking about the preparations that would soon be taking place.
1) Ok, I don't know the exact number of people who died in the Invasion of New York, but this is how many people it will be in my story.
2) This basically means "Go across yourself," which in Ireland means "Go fuck yourself."
3) Ok, I'm mixing up the Warriors Three and Sif from both of the Thor movies. Hogun and Volstagg's looks will be from the first Thor movie, while Fandral and Sif's looks will be from Thor: The Dark World.
Another chapter down, and I'm closer to the end of this story. But don't worry, there will still be about four or five chapters left until the end.
Silver: *turns to Diana* See? I made this chapter better for your health. And yes, I made Sif a major meanie, but it ties in with Loki's self-esteem issues and stuff like that.
Loki: I do NOT have self-esteem issues!
Silver: You may hide them very well, but yes you do so be quiet. I'll get started on the next chapter soon, but I don't think I'll have it done any time soon I'm afraid, because I'll hopefully be starting college soon. Now I'd like to remind you all that I own absolutely nothing but Diana, her animals, her family, and anything else that doesn't appear in the Marvel movies or in Norse Mythology. Till next time, my loyal audience!