The god who would be King
I do not own any film in the Marvel franchise.-
Chapter 5-Analyzing the monster part one
Sarah did return, but it took her two days.
Loki wasn't pleased.
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After Sarah had talked with her friend, Jane had warned her not to go back, stressing to her over and over that Loki was not to be trusted in any way, shape, or form.
"But he's locked up, Jane! He can't hurt me, or anyone else for that matter." Sarah hated defending Thor's brother. He wasn't exactly Asgard's citizen-of-the-year.
Jane took a step closer, taking Sarah's hands in her own. "Why do you care?"
Sarah was as confused as her friend. "I don't know, Jane. It was such a strange experience that night in Stuttgart. Maybe I hoped he wasn't quite the monster the news made him out to be. Not after what happened in Germany. But he blew up at me when I was visiting him. It took me by surprise, honestly. You know how I hate walking eggshells around people, and I think he's the perfect one for that."
Jane was afraid her friend would end up falling for someone that was basically a dead end. Sarah had always buried herself in her work, and the few times she was involved with anyone, it ended with the man leaving the workaholic. She wasn't much better. Until Thor literally fell into her life, she hadn't given much thought to having a relationship, and that one time with Donald didn't work. Oddly, she didn't even mourn the break up.
"Jane, I'll be ok, promise," Sarah said, smiling. "But thank you for caring. I have missed working with you." Impulsively, she hugged her friend.
From the bed where she had been looking over the gowns Jane had chosen, Darcy piped up, "So when's lunch?"
Both women ended their embrace, and turned to laugh at Darcy and her own brand of conversationus interruptus.
"Whaaat?" she asked, totally clueless, sending the other two women into another fit of laughter.
For Sarah, it just felt good to laugh so freely.
It was a day or two later, while she, Darcy and Jane were talking together, unable to realize the enormity of what was to take place. And they were nervous. The hall where the ceremonies were to take place were massive. According to Thor, just about everyone in the city would be in attendance. Anyone not able to be there would, of course, still be celebrating...at their homes, in the streets. Choosing a new king, and one taking a bride at the same time, was an important occasion. Every citizen in Asgard would be in a celebratory mood. All but one.
Sarah had been thinking about Loki, even while they walked around, detailing with the palace servitors what needed to be done before the wedding. She knew it was stupidity on her part to even give a damn. But she did. Maybe it was his apparent indifference. Maybe it was because something in his situation touched her. Maybe it was because she thought he was hot. She laughed at herself. Right, Martin. That crazy killer is hot, so he has to be, deep down, a good person. Snap out of it, girl.
For whatever reasons, she found compassion pushing her to visit him again. But would it be allowed. Thor had asked her how it had gone, the visit with his brother.
"It went ok, Thor,...I guess, and thank you for setting it up. Your brother is very...uh..."
"One of a kind," he filled in, smiling. In his eyes, Sarah saw years, many years, of history between the two men. "Go see him again, Sarah. It may do him good."
"Is it ok? I mean, with your father?" Sarah had no desire to get in bad with the king of Asgard.
Thor just smiled, and said, "Go."
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Sarah followed the guard assigned to her by Thor. She tried to memorize the route this time, hoping it wouldn't be the only visit allowed. When they came to Loki's cell, she nodded to the guard, who stepped away to stand at a discreet distance. Sarah went up to the window, or the barrier she had found out, not glass at all. "Bored?" she asked nonchalantly.
Loki stood as soon as he heard the voice. "Where have you been?" he hissed. "Not that I care."
Sarah smiled. "Oh, of course not." Did he really seem to notice her absence? "I'm sorry. I was helping Jane with her gowns. That is why I came, remember? To help Jane with her wedding to your brother. Not to entertain you."
"You think you're entertaining?" he asked with a smirk. Loki began to pace the floor of the cell, sneaking looks at Sarah as he did.
"There's that snark again. Be nice, or I'll leave."
Loki grinned and bowed. "Forgive me," he said, not without some sarcasm. "I'd offer you a chair, but..." He held his hands out, indicating his sparse accommodations.
"That's ok. I'll just go sit up there." Sarah went around the corner and up the steps where the stone floor was level with the floor of the cell. She sat down, Indian style, her legs tucked up under her. Looking upward, she smiled at Loki.
Loki stepped over to the side window, and stood, peering down at her. "So how fares the bride?"
Sarah tilted her head as she observed the prisoner, wondering. "You like her, don't you?"
"She's all right, for an Earth woman. I am curious as to how a mortal could manage to steal my brother's heart."
Sarah sat, thinking about the man who had killed Professor Shafer, was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of others, and decimated a good portion New York. Seeing him locked up like this made him seem less threatening, helpless, really, and not at all like the monster reported. In fact, Loki seemed more refined, educated, well spoken, and imperial than she had imagined. And perhaps that was his problem.
"You study me like some unknown species of insect. I don't think I like that." Loki walked across the floor, turned and faced Sarah. "Do I interest you? Repulse you?"
Sarah laughed nervously. "Not repulsed," she admitted. "No, not that."
Loki went over to the window, and bent low. "What then?"
Sarah pondered what her answer should be. She didn't want Loki to blow up at her again. "Why?"
"Explain," he asked, his hands now behind his back as he stood near the window.
"Your brother told me what had happened. He was very open about it all."
While she spoke, Loki stared at her, only showing expression when something affected him. It was a clue to his thoughts, and Sarah, being an amateur student of human psychology, made a mental note of everything.
Loki decided that being on her level suited him if he was to share his story with her. He sat upon the floor of his cell, as she had, his feet tucked beneath him, the tails of his tunic flared around him. "Sarah of Midgard, I tell you this in strictest of confidence." He leaned near her, as if to share some great secret. "I had gone through what would have driven one of your kind insane. I was tossed into an abyss..."
"Uhem,...according to Thor, you let yourself fall in." Sarah couldn't help but smile as Loki related his tale.
"Who is telling this story? Now, where was I? Oh, yes, I had fallen into a abyss. There I was, in limbo, no place, no home, alone. I was later found by the Chitauri, a race of creatures prone to the greatest violence. Unaware of who I was, they tortured me, for what reason, I know not. They weakened me, body and spirit. I would have done anything for them." He lowered his head, tilting it slightly, as if he were remembering. "Then, they promised me something, if I did something for them."
Sarah was all ears as she listened. "Yes?"
As if prodded from his reverie, he continued, "I was told that, if I were able to...reach Midgard, your Earth, and retrieve the tesseract, they would give me command of their armies to take over and rule your world. In return, I would only have to hand the tesseract over to them. It didn't seem a difficult task."
"Except for the Avengers and your brother."
Loki spoke, venom in his voice. "Thor. I had no idea he would be sent to Earth by the Alfather. The Bifrost was no more." He stopped as if deep in thought.
"It seems insane to me," Sarah said.
Loki nodded slowly. "Yes, madness, really. But then, after all I had been through, was it any surprise I was driven slightly mad?" He adopted his usual grin, as he asked, "Why do you not hate me, Sarah of Midgard, after what I did to your world?"
"What makes you think I don't hate you? Maybe I'm being compassionate to a suffering creature."
His expression turned harsh, but in seconds, his eyes twinkled once more. "I feel you do not."
Sarah felt no need to hide her feelings. Loki was locked up, and she had no reason to fear him. So she admitted, "Alright, I don't hate you. But I do hate myself for not hating you. Does that make sense?"
Loki laughed. "Completely."
Sarah looked down at her hands, which she had unconsciously been picking at her nails. "Thor said I should not accept anything you say as the truth, that you are not a sincere person. Never have been."
Loki laughed as she spoke, knowing his brother would try to poison her mind against him. "My brother has no good opinion about me. What can I say to counter his statement?"
She looked him in the eyes, saying, "Swear to me what you say is the truth, and only the truth."
Loki smirked, as he considered making such an oath. This mortal had as much spirit as his brother's woman. Why had he thought Earth women so weak, so colorless. He made a decision, and affirmed with himself he would keep to it. Holding out his hands, he nodded, saying, "I swear to you, Sarah, I will only speak the truth, with you."
She laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. "Hmm...am I a fool for trusting you, or are you one for making the offer?" She bit the tip of one finger, considering her own question.
Loki raised one eyebrow. "Perhaps both."
It was then that a guard came to tap Sarah on the shoulder. It was time to cut the visit. Had it been that long, she wondered? Where had the time gone? Maybe Thor would allow her more time the next visit, if there was one.
She turned to look up at the armored man. "Yes, I'm coming." She stood, watching as Loki followed her lead. She smiled at him nervously. What did he think of her? Did it matter, really? "Thank you for talking with me, Loki."
He laughed in return, tilting his head as he looked her over. "Your visits clear the gloom from my day, dear lady," he said, as he gave her a small bow.
She chuckled. "They're right about one thing. You are charming, when you choose to be."
The smile instantly left his face. "You will return, and maybe not let so much time pass."
Sarah stood there, frozen by his plea, for it sounded like that. "It depends on your brother, I suppose. As I said, I do have to help Jane."
Loki shrugged off his own question, turning away from her, as if his interest had suddenly vanished. "If you are able, then do so. And if not, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
Sarah shook her head. "Ok, then. Good bye, Loki." She reluctantly followed the guard who led her out of the dungeons, and back into the light of the Asgardian sky. It was a beautiful sky, nothing like on Earth. This world was strange and wonderful. And one of it's least and most important citizens was slowly making his way into her heart. She wasn't sure it was either wise or prudent, but it was what it was. She needed to talk to Jane. Maybe she could knock some sense into her.