A/N: So, this will probably be my last update for a little while. I have exams this week and next week (*screamingscreamingSCREAMING*) so I'm going to be spending the majority of my free time revising. I'll write the next few chapters whenever I'm on a break, but it'll probably be slow for a while. Good news: half-term's coming up and I've already got the rest of this story planned out.
Oh, and a few of you have expressed an interest in Loki and Sigyn's story. Would you like it if I wrote a prequel, based around their time together? How they met, what happened with Nari and Vali, possibly featuring Loki's other children. Maybe even some of the memories mentioned throughout this story. This story would still be my priority, but I'm just curious. Let me know what you think!
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll hopefully update sometime next weekend!
It had been three days since Loki had come to the conclusion that the Time Gem was their top priority. In that time, he had not slept or eaten, and Thor had done nothing but nag at him for his lack of interest in his own health. Sigyn had gone to Alfheim to ask Frey about the Gem, and Loki hoped beyond hope that it would be the Time Gem.
Loki had done nothing but wander around the tower in those three days, worrying over whatever it was that Thanos was doing. What if he already had the Time Gem? Loki would not know, Odin would not know, Heimdall would not know; there would then be nothing stopping the Titan from taking his time in searching for the rest of the Gems.
It was while he was wandering around the tower that he came to Stark's lab. He found Stark, Banner and Rogers bearable. Romanov and Barton stayed well out of his way. Not that he blamed them.
He stopped in front of the door, remembering Rule Three- he was never one for rules, but he would rather not get into a confrontation with the mortals. He knocked on the glass pane. Banner, who spent a lot of his time in there with Dr Ross and Stark, looked up and opened the door for him. He entered, forcing himself not to wince at the loud music that really did not help his headache.
"Hey, Reindeer Games, any news?" Stark called from his station, where he was fiddling with some kind of robotic mechanism.
Loki had given up on trying to stop Stark form calling him those ridiculous names. "No. Sigyn has not returned yet."
"Huh, wonder what's taking Galadriel so long?" He mused to himself. Loki had also stopped trying to understand what half of these names were.
(So do I.) "There is little known about the exact locations of the Gems. Only the realms that they are in. Sigyn is most likely with Frey, searching for the Gem. But Alfheim is small; they should not be much longer."
"I'd love to get a close look at one of those Gems- Hey... Loki...?" Stark began, stopping what he was doing and span on his chair to look at him.
Loki raised an eyebrow, immediately suspicious. Stark had not once called him by his name. "What do you want, Stark?"
"Can we do a couple of tests on your magic?" He asked, grinning broadly.
"And why should I let you do that?"
"Because I've been nice to you by letting you bunk in my tower. I've only brought up the fact that you threw me out of a window eight times- that's like a record for me."
"He's got a point," Banner added.
Loki glared at them both. "You could be doing something useful with your time, you know."
"How 'bout this: you let us study your magic or I'll have Jarvis tell Thor that you've not been eating," Tony said, raising his eyebrows.
Loki laughed. "Oh, do you really think that will work on me?"
Stark shared a look with Banner. No, he actually did not think that would work. He was bluffing. "You know, you're creepy when you cackle like that."
"My apologies," Loki drawled, leaning against a table with his arms crossed.
"So, will you let me see you do some magic?"
"I thought you wanted to test it? You could see me performing magic at any time of the day."
"Test. I meant test. But just remember the rules."
Loki sighed. He did not appreciate being treated like some sort of court jester. "I'm not here for your amusement, Stark."
"Research. Not 'amusement'. Research," he corrected.
"And what exactly is the purpose of this 'research'?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To prove magic wrong," Stark said.
Loki laughed. "Prove it wrong? Magic is a higher form of science than you humans are ready for. By the standards of the rest of your race, you are already far ahead, however the advances in Aesir knowledge could have potentially future-altering effects."
"What, like hunting down six extremely powerful Gems that have enough energy to destroy the Universe?" Stark challenged.
"Exactly," Loki grinned. He was planning on ensuring that the future had no Thanos in it, after all.
"And that makes you better, how?"
"Are we really going to make me say again?" Loki sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Say what?"
"God." He pointed at himself, then at Stark. "Mortal."
Stark made an indignant sound. "You can't keep bringing that up whenever you don't want to do something!"
"Yes I can. That's the easiest way I can without violating your rules, at least."
"Oh, come on!"
"No."
"Please?"
"What's in it for me?"
"You're an evil git, you know that right?"
"So I've been told. And, unless you tell me why this is beneficial to me in any way, the answer is still no."
Loki knew he had him there. The mortal was intelligent; surely he knew that he had nothing to offer Loki.
Still, he relished in the chance to have a decent argument with someone other than Thor or Sigyn. It was... refreshing.
Loki still did not like the humans much.
Tony was dying to get a closer look at Loki's magic. He'd seen the energy readings from Norway; the power that Loki had exerted was as strong as the readings they'd got from the research with the Tesseract. So, while he still didn't trust Reindeer Games, Tony was playing nice to get a good look at this magic.
Making the best of a bad situation, if you will.
There was a part of him that felt bad for manipulating Loki like this, but that part was smothered by the desire to know more and the knowledge he already possessed that, given the chance, Loki would undoubtedly do the same to him and the others.
Yet, so far Loki had almost been... subdued. Or at least, he was compared to the raving lunatic that had thrown Tony out of a window.
He was hardly seen at all, though Jarvis had told Tony that Loki hadn't slept a wink since arriving, and that he often roamed about the tower on his own. It didn't exactly inspire confidence; Tony supposed that a god-knows how old Viking alien would know how to handle a knife, and he didn't doubt for a second that Loki would slit their throats without hesitation if it benefited him in any way.
"I'll let you decide what we eat for the next week," Tony offered. He also knew that Loki hadn't been eating. Tony wasn't worried- Loki was Thor and Sigyn's problem, not his- but it was kind of creepy to see him lurking in a corner like a skeleton; Tony remembered how thin Loki was when he was- (Don't cringe)- holding his guts in after returning from the fucking dead. He'd have to ask Rock of Ages more about that too.
"That's hardly useful," Loki drawled, raising an eyebrow.
"Then what do you want?" Tony asked. He wasn't sure if that was the best question to ask someone who'd only two years previously tried to subjugate the Earth, even if it wasn't totally his fault. The prick had still managed to 'fall from the Bifrost' and land himself with the Chitauri, that's all Tony was saying.
"Oh, that really isn't a wise thing to ask someone who is well known for taking advantage of such offers."
Yeah, Tony gathered that much already. But he wanted to know more about this magic!
"Either tell me what you want or just show me some damn magic!" Tony snapped, sighing irritably.
"Temper, temper, Stark. It wouldn't do if Dr. Banner over here had such a temper, would it?"
Bruce looked up nervously from his station, holding up his hands. "Don't drag me into this."
"Bruce, back me up here!" Tony cried, rolling over to him on his chair.
"Uh... Loki, maybe you could just tell us about magic?"
Oh, Loki was enjoying this. He did not particularly mind showing them magic- he did have a certain flair for the dramatic when it came to his skills in the art- but it was entertaining to watch Stark complain.
Banner was attempting to side with the both of them, obviously not wanting to be caught in the conflict, and so Loki merely grinned at him.
"Of course, Dr. Banner. As I have said, magic is a higher form of science than what you mortals are familiar with. It requires the use of a large percentage of the brain, rather than the amount that humans are restricted to. You... are not yet there in the evolutionary chain, shall we say."
"Did you just call me un-evolved? I feel like he just called me a caveman."
Loki glared irritably at Stark. "Less evolved than others in the realms. Don't worry; you're still miles ahead of Thor, I'm sure." He said it as the Thunder God came strolling inside the lab, a confused look on his face. Loki tried not to smile at his expression.
"Loki, what have you been saying about me this time?" Thor asked, exasperated.
Loki put on an innocent expression. "I have no idea what you mean, Thor. I was just telling my dear friends about magic."
Thor half-smiled. Loki noticed how he rarely smiled completely nowadays. "Why don't you show them something?"
He huffed a sigh, rolling his eyes. Of course Thor would say that. Still, though, it was not as though he minded using magic around people. It was as natural as breathing to him. He just did not appreciate being asked to perform as though he were a common performer in the streets of Asgard.
But he did relish in the expressions of utter shock on Banner and Stark's faces when he created a double of himself, letting the illusion stroll around the lab.
Stark gaped. "How- What the- How-?"
Knowing he would hate the response, Loki merely said, "Magic."
He was right. Stark glared at him for the reply.
"Can everyone in Asgard do magic?" Banner asked.
Loki's lips thinned. He forced a smile, though he knew those around him could tell how strained it was. Thor especially, curse him. "Not everyone; mainly women. Sorcerers are rare in Asgard. I am not Aesir." He could feel Thor's eyes on him, damn it.
"Can't blame us for thinking it; neither of you look particularly alien," Stark said, still watching the illusion of himself. Loki let it dissipate with a shimmer of magic. Stark starred at the spot where it had been, frowning.
Loki laughed, knowing from the way everyone in the room stiffened that the sound was probably not completely sane. "You haven't met the others of my race."
"Loki-"
He cut Thor off with a warning glance. He of all people had no right to say anything on the matter.
(I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all! Just as you did, father!)
(Oh, how eager I had been to destroy the Jotuns. Even once I knew I was one of them. Especially then.)
(Because I-I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?)
(Yes. Exactly that.)
(Loki of Jotunheim.)
Banner seemed to sense the rising tension in the room. "Uh, so what exactly is your plan? When Sigyn gets back, I mean."
Loki silently thanked him. "I will determine which Gem it is and store it somewhere safe. If it is the Time Gem, then we have a few weeks in which we can plan our moves carefully with regards to Muspelheim, possibly traveling to Helheim and visiting the Collector beforehand. If not... Well, I'm never unprepared. We just have to speed things up and visit the Collector afterwards."
"Who is this Collector guy?" Stark asked, now paying attention fully.
"Taneleer Tivan. One of the Elders of the Universe. Several billion years old, I believe. He has, to put it mildly, an obsession with collecting, as his name suggests. Be it people or objects, if he finds them interesting, he will have it. He is immensely powerful. Untrustworthy, too," Thor said, frowning at Loki.
Stark raised his eyebrows. "And you, what, thought it was a good idea to put the Power Gem of all things with this guy?"
"There is no safer place than in Tivan's collection- save for, perhaps, the weapons' vault of Asgard, but I would not risk having the Aether so close to the Tesseract and the Gauntlet. It was a disaster waiting to happen," Loki said.
"What's your plan for Muspelheim then?" Banner asked. Thor seemed interested in this too.
Loki grimaced. "I conceal myself and make my own way to the realm, then steal the Gem."
Thor stiffened. "Loki, you can not possibly think to succeed! It's insane!"
Loki laughed at that. Yes. Yes, it was insane. But then again, Loki was sure that he was more than a little insane, too. "Thor, I think you know better than to tell me of all people when something is insane. Because trust me, I know."
(I wish I could trust you.)
"Trust? You?" Thor raised his eyebrows. It was so different from the circumstances with which he had asked Loki that last time, said so differently, with an air of teasing humour rather than betrayal and grief, but the intent was clear. How could anyone trust the Deceiver? Loki Silvertongue, Loki Liesmith. Trickster. All names that screamed for people to stay away because Loki could not be trusted. And it was true.
So Loki just laughed at Thor's obliviousness to the deeper meaning of his tease. "I would not expect you to trust me, Thor. In fact, I would be rather disappointed if you did."
"As cute as this is, I'd really appreciate it if we got back onto the topic of, you know, not ending up with the Earth under the control of some alien lunatic. Ha, that actually sounds kind of familiar, right, Lok-" Stark winced as Dr Ross of all people kicked him in the shin. Oh, Loki did like this one. Her and Jane. Were all mortal women as interesting as these two? He had yet to be acquainted with another- with the exception of Romanov, of course, who was simply fascinating- but he found himself rather curious.
Oh well. Maybe he would inquire more about it on his next visit to the realm. If he was still alive, of course. (And that's a big 'if'.)
"Be nice, Tony. He's your guest," Dr Ross hissed at him. She was usually rather quiet around him. Loki assumed it was because she knew damn well who he was and what he had done, and so she simply resented how he had used Banner. But she seemed... more open today.
"Thank you, Dr Ross. Your respect is much appreciated," Loki purred, flashing her a grin.
"Careful, Reindeer Games, or Brucey'll go Green Giant on your ass," Stark said.
Loki inwardly winced, remembering vividly the beating he had received from the beast. "My apologies, Dr Banner. Do try to contain your other self, if you would be so kind."
"Loki," Thor sighed. The Thunderer looked apologetically at Banner and Dr Ross. "I apologise on my brother's behalf, since he is apparently incapable of saying it sincerely.-"
(I was being sincere!)
(You are incapable of sincerity.)
"-He is known in Asgard for his way with words."
"I think they know me for different reasons in Asgard now, Thor," Loki said, grinning easily.
"But they will remember you for the greater things you have yet to do."
And Loki found he had nothing to say to that.