FIVE

I've Had the Time of My Life

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Loki stared out of the window at the complete blackness, conscious of Angela and Valkyrie behind him in an almost perfect V formation.

"You're sure we're moving though, right?" Valkyrie asked.

"For the fourth time, yes," Loki snapped. "See how there are no stars? We're travelling through the sub layer of reality."

"And you know this how?" Angela asked.

Loki turned and pasted on a wide, patient smile that was made up of one quarter irritation and three quarters wishing for silence. "I've seen Amora do this before. Trust me - we will soon be at Sakaar and then these people and this ship will be safe."

The decking bucked abruptly and threatened to throw them all off their feet. Valkyrie staggered, her hands out. Angela's hand clamped down on Loki's shoulder to keep them both upright.

Valkyrie waited but the flooring was stable again. She straightened up.

Loki looked at Angela's hand on his shoulder. Then back at her.

Her face set into a look she had probably used to win card games of chance, she simply made her hand lift two inches. Loki inclined his head in thanks and then turned away as swiftly as was polite, going to the large window and looking out.

"There, see?" he said with relief. "Sakaar."

The planet below was no more than an atmosphere away. The three of them surveyed the blue and green below, individual thoughts already turning to clean water, food, a change of clothes.

"Where do we land?" Valkyrie asked.

"Wherever we like," he said, then turned and walked out of the room.

Angela folded her arms, something going through her head. She looked at Valkyrie, noticed her watching. "Was there something?" she asked.

Valkyrie raised her eyebrows. "Don't worry about him. He never falls - not without someone he's planted beneath him to cushion the deadly impact. I'm pretty sure he's been lower than any of us and yet here he is, pseudo-leader of all these people."

"You and I are warriors, Amora is a sorceress - but Loki is something else. When the battle is joined and we are fighting in our own ways, it will be Loki who ends up with the spoils."

"You mean he'll double-cross us and take the stones?" Valkyrie frowned. "I knew that the moment he said we should go get them from Thanos."

"You misunderstand," Angela said, her arms dropping. "He may be the only one of us who can hold a stone or use it on Thanos. He may be the only one of us who thinks in such a way that he is free of sentiment or conscience. It may be him, ultimately, that kills the mad Titan because he will do whatever it takes to get his own way. And at this moment, his own way matches what is best for Asgard."

Valkyrie's head tilted and she appraised her for a long moment. "You seem to know a lot about him."

"I have watched him."

"Creepy," Valkyrie said, with a face slightly scrunched in distaste.

"As the leader of armies it was my duty to keep an eye on his dealings," Angel said matter-of-factly. "I believe I have witnessed many of his plans, whether they failed or not. He is cunning, he is ruthless, and he makes things happen."

"You admire that, don't you?"

Angela looked away and put her hands behind her back. "I admire the ruthless efficiency."

"And it doesn't hurt that he's pretty."

Angela swallowed. "We will need his coldness to win. When it comes down to it, he will do what needs to be done and we will vilify him for it, as Odin and Asgard once did."

"Yeah - hate to shatter any illusions you had about the great and altruistic Loki, but half of the times he was imprisoned or cast out was because he was actively trying to kill Asgardians - or Midgardians. Don't say the words 'New York' and 'Loki' to anyone from Midgard in the same sentence unless you want to get punched."

"Where do you hear these things?"

"Asgardians - and Midgardians."

"I see."

Valkyrie smiled and turned to go. She paused, her shoulders sagging. "Look, I'm not saying he's not salvageable. I'm just saying he may be the tactical, scheming genius we need - but that doesn't put him on our side. Watch yourself."

"Thank you."

Valkyrie turned back to her, trying to think of something to say.

So she didn't see the dark green shadow by the door, withdrawing before she could discover the listening owner.

.

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Amora walked down the ramp of the ship slowly, feeling slight cramps of pain and the dead weight of fatigue pull at her every move. She reached the grass of Sakaar and let herself lean against the side of the ship. Her eyes went over the people who had already left the vessel with eager, smiling faces made of relief. Some were sitting in the grass, others lying flat on their backs to let the sun warm their faces, others just happy for fresh air and space.

"You alright?" came a voice.

She watched Valkyrie make her way down the ramp and stop by the hydraulic strut. "I will be."

"I guess all that magic takes its toll, huh."

"I am quite depleted," Amora managed. "However, some sun and some rest will see me fit again."

"You're already pretty fit," Valkyrie said. Then she slapped her mouth shut and turned deliberately to look out at the people twenty or so feet away.

Amora smiled to herself. "I must get some good food, a bath, and some clothes," she said. "Would you join me?"

"For the good food?"

"Definitely."

Valkyrie turned back to her and nodded. "Ok then."

"And the bath too, if you like."

Valkyrie hid a smile and fell into step beside her, as they headed toward the village not a quarter of a mile from the ship.

Loki came down the ramp and stopped at the bottom.

Korg followed and ended up next to him. "Well looks like we're all here," he said cheerfully. "Thanks, man. You saved us."

"Yes I did, didn't I?" Loki said with a smile. "Right, well. The ship is yours, Korg, and you're to look after all these people until we get back."

"You mean I'm not coming with you?" he asked, surprised. He turned to look at Loki. "But what about the fight? I mean I never met this Thanos but I'm pretty big, y'know, and I'm made of rocks. I could be helpful. And oh hey, I survived all those gladiator fights. Not trying to be rude, but you're kinda small and soft - you'd get squished real easy if he got hold of you."

"Thank you for your concern," Loki said with a genuine smile. "But really, there's something so very, very important to do here and you're the only person I can trust to do it properly."

"Aw, really? Thanks, man," he said, his shoulders relaxing. "What is it? You need like a revolution organised, or some town meetings, something like that?"

Loki put a hand out and patted the Kronan's massive arm. "In a way. I need you to be a leader for these people, Korg. I need you to look after them, make sure they all stay healthy, and happy, and safe, until we return with Thanos' head in a bag."

"Um - yeah - you might want to not bring his head back though, because that will really start to smell in a few days. Trust me - I had some vartakian meat once and Mum told me to put it in the fridge and I didn't, and I tell you what, after just a day it smelt so bad I had to—"

"Yes - yes - I understand," Loki said hastily. "Can you do that, Korg? For me? For all these people? Can you look after them until we return?"

"I can try," he said quietly. "But hey, I'm not you, Loki. I don't know how to stop them arguing or how to tell them stuff so they listen, or how to keep them not fighting and everything until you get back." He paused. "You sure you picked the right man?"

"Yes," Loki said firmly, "I am very sure. "Everyone here listens to you, Korg. Everyone here knows you only want what's best for them. That's two things you have over everyone else on the ship."

"But… what do I do?"

"You do whatever you think needs to be done, no matter how difficult, to make sure these people are looked after and protected."

"Right," he nodded. "And how do I do that?"

Loki let his hand drop. "Well… You could start by thinking to yourself 'what would Loki do?', and then thinking if it would work for you. Ok?" he asked brightly.

"Yeah, gotcha. So I could sleep in the Grand Master's old place?"

"Of course," he said. "Get up there, kick out anyone in your way, and make it your place. However I'd clean it first. —With bleach."

"Oh yeah. All those parties, right?'

"Something like that."

Korg straightened up. "Ok then. I'm exited by this promotion. I hope I'll make you proud, man."

"I'm sure you will." The two of them walked toward the groups of people still rejoicing in the open air. "Everyone!" Loki called. "We have some news about the next phase of the plan."

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.

Valkyrie shielded her eyes against the sun. The warm breeze stroked her face as she took in the happy Asgardians hand-washing clothes, setting up stones to make barbecue pits, laughing and joking.

She came to a round structure made of what looked like stone stanchions, the walls made of layer upon layer of thick cloth. She put a hand out and swept what she guessed to be the entrance curtain to one side, looking through. "This better be good," she announced. "All I've had to eat is a whole leg of ham - and I still need a proper bath."

Loki looked up from the wooden table in the middle of the room and leant back in his chair. "A war meeting, nothing more. Then we all rest for the night. We find Thanos in the morning."

Valkyrie looked at Angela, then Amora, also at the table. "Why wait?"

"We all need to rest," Amora said. "Besides, it's part of the plan."

"What plan?" she asked suspiciously. She stalked over to the table and sat, finding herself between the other two women.

"The plan I will tell you about in the morning," Loki said smoothly.

"You don't have one, do you?" Valkyrie shot back. "You promised all those people, Loki - and now you've got nothing!"

His put his palms up in an appeal for calm. "I have one. I just need time to refine it, and I can't do that with you three picking at it before it's ready."

"Hmm." She looked at Amora. "And you're ok with him doing the plan?"

"Mostly," she admitted.

"It will suffice," Angela said wearily.

"'Suffice'?" Loki spluttered. "You wound me, Angela. Of all of us I'm the most suited to coming up with an ingenious way to ambush Thanos so that he doesn't expect us, and devise a way to wrest the stone from him. And - please - do raise your hand if you've actually met him?" He put his hand up, the movement accompanied by a petulant jaw-jut. "Anyone? Anyone? Oh, just me then."

"All good points," Angela said.

Loki let his hand drop. "Thank you."

"Are we done?" Valkyrie asked. "You brought me all the way from good food for this thirty-second conversation?"

"And to tell you to assemble by the ship at first light," Loki said. "Then we're leaving - Amora will see to that, which is why we need her rested and recharged by tomorrow." He levelled a distinctly stern gaze at the sorceress. "The 'recharged' part being of particular importance."

"I heard," she snapped. She got up and glanced at Valkyrie. "Baths and clothes await." She walked out of the room.

Valkyrie got to her feet, trying to do it slowly. "So… first light, yeah?" She disappeared under the curtain.

Loki sat back and folded his arms, clearly put out.

Angela raised her eyebrows at him. "What did you expect?"

"A little more faith, to be honest. All they do is go on about how I'm this evil schemer - and then when I offer to come up with an evil scheme that suits their purpose they denigrate and resist me."

She got up. "We all need rest. That ship air was not good, and we have now a chance to feast and sharpen our blades."

"Quite." He stood, pushing his chair in.

"But you do have a plan."

He glared at her. "Yes! Yes I have a plan! Leave the scheming to me, you dense-brained warrior! This is why you were never made General of Odin's armies!"

She lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat. He was swung easily off his feet and straight into the stone post behind him. He grunted in pain and shock. His hands grabbed her wrist and he spluttered for air. "Have a care, Laufeyjarson," she said, her voice a low growl. "I was never made General because I questioned orders instead of blindly following them. I was never made General because I tried to veto Odin's use of the Valkyrie against Hela's first strike on Asgard. You do not get to talk down to me, little man."

He dragged in air. "Weak," he spat. "You were weak! I've read the histories now! You should have led the charge against Hela!"

She pressed him back harder, gripped his throat tighter, sending black spots into his vision. "You dare!"

"Because - you—" He sucked in air, struggled to breathe. His eyes rolled. "You - would have - have won!"

"What?"

His eyes squeezed shut, his boots dangling a foot off the floor, he concentrated on air. "You would have - would have - beaten her!"

"Manipulative weasel!"

Something flashed.

She had a second to realise the cold, hard press of a blade against the side of her throat. She smiled, her grip weakening slightly. "Impressive."

"So is this - this lift," he managed.

"Well you are easy to pick up."

His eyes popped open. "How dare you. I have standards."

"Does this change them?" she asked, squeezing slightly.

He gasped in air. His dagger at her neck slid just a tad. She felt it break skin and grinned, letting her hand loosen again.

"Don't pretend," he rasped, "that you're not enjoying this."

"What can I say - you make my hands slip."

"And you my blade."

"Trade that weapon for another and I'll let you down."

"Let me down and this is over."

"Kinky."

"Interesting."

Her hand gave just a little, and his dagger drew back from her skin - but it hovered close. "Where do we go from here?"

Loki eyed her for a long moment. "You're fast, and you're strong - I'll give you that," he said. Then he unleashed a bright, sly smile that made her breath catch in her throat. "But you have to know I'd win. Let me down."

"You are boring, God of Mischief." She looked his smile over with intent. "I could twist you in so many ways."

"Oh really? If anyone's good at bending others to their will, it's me."

"Is that a challenge?"

His smile vanished and now his face jerked forward in defiance. "Is it?"

She took in his red cheeks, the shiny, piqued delight in his eyes, the need to prove his superiority by any means. She let him dangle much closer to the floor. Her face came closer.

He grinned. His dagger drew back. It stabbed forward.

Her hand went up and simply blocked it. The blade ran through her skin, between her bones, to jam right through her palm up to its hilt.

Loki gasped in shock. His face dropped. "You were supposed to—"

She kissed him. Surprising even himself, he kissed her back. Until she dragged her lips free and instead set teeth into his neck. Making a noise of enjoyment that he would later pretend was more planned that it was, he dragged his dagger free and dropped it. It fell to the dirt floor of the tiny hut-like structure as she let him down to his feet.

His hand went into her hair and yanked toward him. As they kissed with all their strength she grasped at the side toggle of the leather over his chest. He pulled and yanked at the tabard over her armour; it ripped and dropped. He scrabbled to release her armour and chainmail as she clamped his face to hers with nails that bit into his jaw. She pushed him free but moaned at the sudden feel of his lips behind her ear, down her neck - and then her chainmail slid free.

She yanked at the simple black shirt she found under his leather armour; it fell by hers in the middle of the room. He lifted her thin beige top and guided it off over her head. She reached for him. He didn't hesitate; his hands went round her throat to swing her down to her knees. He towered over her as his mouth aimed for hers.

She let him kiss her - and then she grabbed his arm and flipped him right over. He landed heavily on his back in the dirt. Before he could get breath back she straddled him. Her hands went to the fastenings on his trousers even as he grabbed for her thighs either side of him, dragging her closer. She ripped the trousers open but he pushed her up and over. She was trapped beneath him but she kissed him, catching him off guard. One hand yanked at his backside, the other grabbed him by the throat. He wrapped both of his hands round her neck. They pulled and struggled, fighting for the top.

"Challenge accepted," he growled.

She grinned.

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