FOUR

We Have a Plan

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Loki walked through the makeshift living arrangements. He came to a stop to survey the Asgardians, mixed in with the people from all over the galaxy once kept as slaves, now huddled together in week-old clothes. Parents held onto their hungry children, friends to their hope, people to their desperation.

He swallowed and forced warmth and friendship into his voice. "Everyone," he announced. "We have a plan. Thanos has devastated our peoples and murdered thousands of our kin. Now Amora, Asgard's most lethal sorceress, Angela, Asgard's most fearsome warrior, Valkyrie, the last of a long line of proud, impressive Asgardian warriors, and I, your humble saviour, shall find him and take revenge. We shall bring back our people and make us whole again. He will curse the day he crossed us, and we shall ensure he will never hurt anyone again."

An old woman by his foot reached out and laid a hand on his knee. He flinched but looked down at her. "You've changed," she said quietly.

"How so?" he asked, lost.

"You said 'we'."

His mouth worked for a second. Then he looked up and around at the now eager faces. "Well. We are locating him as I speak - but we will keep you safe. You will be fed, and clothed, and given the chance to pick up your lives again, until we return."

"You've got a team?" a voice called.

He looked into the groups of people but could not discern the owner. "Yes."

"And you think you'll win?" another voice asked.

"Undoubtedly."

There was murmuring through the crowd, until a small child stood up, hanging onto his father's shoulder. "King Loki?" he asked.

Loki blinked in surprise. He adjusted his gaze down to the boy, who could not have been more than six years old. "Uh… Just 'Loki' will do."

"Then… Just Loki… what's your team name? All the best teams have names."

Loki smiled. "True, child. We too have a name. A name that will strike fear into the hearts of those who attempt to oppress us; a name that will live in infamy from this day forward; a name that will come to mean freedom, and free will, to all who hear of it. Oh, we have a name."

"What is it?" someone called.

He opened his mouth.

A female voice interrupted: "The Revengers." And then it gave a small, barely-there belch.

Loki's face scrunched up in betrayal. His eyes closed as he dealt with the unexpected ripples of acceptance from the people around him. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "As my dear colleague and fierce warrior Valkyrie has chosen, all by herself with no help from me - it is indeed 'The Revengers'."

Valkyrie stepped out from the shadows along the side wall, a bottle in her hand. "And make no mistake, people - Thanos is going down."

People cheered and clapped.

Loki pasted on a welcoming smile as she walked through the seated crowd to stand by his side. "'Revengers'? Really?" he hissed from the side of his mouth.

"Your brother chose it and he has the heart of the people."

"My brother is an idiot."

"And you're a good liar - we all have our strengths," she hissed back.

Loki sighed. Inwardly. Then he raised his hands to everyone in the filthy metal hovel. "People, we shall deliver you to a clean planet so that you may rest and await our victorious return."

He turned to go and relished the cheering and general sounds of appreciation. He was unsurprised to hear footsteps following him.

"So you know where Thanos is, right?" Valkyrie asked from behind him.

"As I said, Amora is locating him now." They stepped out of the room and walked down the bashed-up corridor that led back to the top end of the ship.

"And where are we dropping all these people?"

"Sakaar."

"What?" She grabbed his elbow to bring him to a stop.

He wrenched his arm free of her grip. "It's without a leader right now and is perfect for thousands of refugees. It has water, food, and they can easily blend in and get everything they need to live a peaceful life while we kill the bastard who wiped out half of their numbers."

"You're going to trap them there?"

He straightened up. "I have a plan, Valkyrie. They will keep this ship and a temporary leader. We will make our own way to wherever Thanos is. By the time we return, they will be happy, fed, and amenable to helping us found a new Asgard."

She stepped back. "Who are you and what have you done with Loki?"

His hands went to his hips. "I was adopted by them. I was looked after and raised by them, when my own parents found me physically lacking and cast me aside. Do you know how it feels to lose two sets of parents, woman? Do you know how it feels for the entire universe to view you as an evil, manipulative agent of some darker, self-serving purpose that they haven't even thought through? Do you know how many times I have helped people, only to be called a serpent, a demon, a chaotic meddler who only does anything for my own benefit?"

"But… you're all of those things."

"Well of course I am!" he cried in frustration. "But the point is that every time I have done anything for my benefit, people forget that it helps them, too! It's very easy to forget how I basically invented the Avengers. I mean yes," he said off-hand, "I had to stab a SHIELD agent or two and yes, maybe I had to try to enslave a city, but look what it gave Midgard! A whole team of superheroes to fend off people like Thanos!"

"You actually believe everything you've done has been for the greater good?" she gasped.

"Of course it has!" He huffed. "I got Thor kicked out of Asgard in the first place, so he could learn to be a better person and a wiser king. I created the Avengers. I made sure Thor didn't take the throne of Asgard, so he was able to go on a hunt to kill Surtur and take his crown, which meant that he could then start Ragnarok to kill his step-sister Hela - which saved all these people. I made him a great king, Valkyrie, don't you ever forget that."

She stared at him for a long moment. "I…" Then she shook her head, latching onto the Bigger Picture. "But what happens when these people expect you to return and you don't?"

He frowned. "Why wouldn't I return?"

"Well what if we lose?"

"Lose?" he scoffed. "How can we lose? I meant what I said - we have the best Asgard has to offer. And it will be more than enough to take down an arrogant overgrown Titan who didn't think we'd be able to fight back." He turned to walk off.

"Wait." She watched him to turn to face her again. "You're saying I'm the best Asgard has to offer?"

"Your name kind of gives that away," he said irritably. "Do you know my brother wanted to join your ranks until he found out he wasn't allowed?"

"Actually… yes. He mentioned it."

"He was younger then, and even more of a fool than when I had him banished for his own good," he grumped. "But he was right; you don't mess with a valkyrie of Asgard." His face turned concerned. "Or do I have that wrong?"

"Nice try, Loki. Amora does it waaaay better than you."

"I don't doubt. Just be wary of her bed chamber ways, Valkyrie - she doesn't do snuggles and she sends break-up messages by raven."

"And how would you know that?" she asked hotly.

He simply smiled, turned on his heel, and walked away.

She huffed. Then she lifted her bottle and took a looooooong draft.

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Loki rounded the corner, finding Amora and Angela in deep discussion over what appeared to be tankards of water. The metal table between them was covered in Angela's discarded weapons and a large-screen data tablet.

"Ladies," he said casually.

Angela looked up. "Do you have the will of the people?"

"Aye," he allowed. "We will set them down on Sakaar where they'll be out of the fight. Then we can pursue Thanos as promised." He came closer, looking at the data tablet between them. "Do you have his location?"

"I have made an educated guess as to where he is going - I do not understand why he chose there, but with Amora's skills we shall deposit the civilians where they are safe and still have time to intercept him," she said simply.

Loki nodded slowly, his eyes going over the map on the screen. "Knowhere. Interesting."

"Do you know of it?" Amora asked curiously.

"Never been," he said thoughtfully. "However, if that's his target he must think another Infinity Stone is there."

"Is there?" Amora asked with a smile.

"Of course not," Loki said. "No-one would be stupid enough to leave an Infinity Stone with the Collector. He'd sell it to the first person with a fat purse or an amusing collectible to trade."

"Let's hope he is wrong," Amora said darkly. "And then we shall talk about how we kill him and why you have no qualms about me walking away with a stone."

Loki surveyed the two of them. He sniffed casually before rounding the table and taking the third, empty chair. "You know, with you two and Valkyrie in the team this may well be a short fight." He paused to appraise Angela. "What will you do when this is over?"

"I relish the battle ahead of me - what happens after that is in the lap of the gods," she said amiably.

"Hmm," Loki said quietly. He looked at Amora deliberately. "Valkyrie."

"What of her?" Amora asked, flicking hair over her shoulder.

He smiled slightly. "I do hope we don't let her down. She seems to have formed a rather higher opinion of you than the one Odin left everyone with."

"Is that so?" she asked carefully.

"Yes. And, far be it for me to gossip, but I was rather surprised how quickly you managed to talk her into joining our merry little band of revengers," he said politely. "She seemed very… amenable."

She looked at her nails before running a hand through her hair. "When we reach Sakaar the first thing I need is a bath - and then some fresh clothes," she announced, before standing up and walking off.

Loki watched her go, grinning to himself.

"You do not change," Angela said quietly.

His face dropped. "What?" he asked in what would, in anyone else, be complete innocence.

"Putting a pretty distraction in someone's way to keep them from your heels," Angela said.

Loki put his palms up in surrender. "I swear, Valkyrie is not just a pretty distraction."

"So you are trying to keep Amora occupied?"

"Always a warrior, Angela? Always trying to find someone's weak spot?" he teased.

"What vexes you about her?"

Loki's face turned more serious. "Her magic was forbidden for a reason. She is a sorceress."

"And you are the god of lies and illusion."

"Exactly - illusion," he stressed. "She can makes things real. That was always Odin's grief with her - she could manipulate reality to do as she bade. Now I have no doubt that she will use this ability to get us to Sakaar and then Knowhere without us having to travel through normal space to do it. What worries me is what she does after the battle is won and Thanos is dead."

She sat back and folded her arms. "She says you will give her one of the stones."

"Oh and we do indeed have a deal," he said earnestly. "I promised I would not separate her from the stone she chooses, and I deliver what I promise."

She shook her head. "I never could follow which scheme you were hatching."

"It's not a scheme, Angela," he said, almost petulantly. "We win, she gets one stone - and I get the other."

"You will not offer it to me?" she smiled.

"Stones aren't your style," he said off-hand. "I'm sure you could find a use for Thanos' armour, though. Melt it down, maybe - ask Eitri and the dwarves if they can recast it for you. The gauntlet itself could make a formidable shield in battle."

"You think I care only for battle," she said quietly.

He blinked, surprised. "Well… yes."

"Battle is what I live for, yes. However, once you have won, you must have someone to celebrate with."

"There are thousands of people on this ship who will gladly feast, drink and dance with you for days when we return with Thanos' head."

"Perhaps. But I had someone prettier in mind."

"I think Valkyrie's eye will be elsewhere, and my brother's not here."

She sighed. "You never were that bright." Her eyes raised to his. She waited.

He got up quickly. "Well. You - uh - get ready for the battle ahead, and I'll see if Amora can get us to Sakaar faster than our beleaguered engines."

"I am always ready."

"Uh - right, yes. Good," he managed, turning rather awkwardly and making it through the door to the corridor. He paused just outside, his head tilting in confusion. "What just happened?" he asked himself. Then he shook his head and walked off.

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