Loki walked into the room by Doom.
"We need to locate Osborn and retrieve my scepter."
"And how can we do that? We can go outside and walk to the building, but Oscorp is crowded. Are you going to call him here?"
Loki looked over at Janna to see her a bit discomforted; it was strange for him to see her as such.
"We wait and then...call him."
He turned to Doom and sighed.
"Signal him when the time is right."
"Well I'm going, so I guess I'll see you guys later." Janna said suddenly.
Both men gave her a look.
"Call Osborn."
Victor picked up the phone and dialed for Oscorp.
Janna turned away from the door. "Oh, so we're doing something?"
If something was going to happen, then she guessed that she'd stay.
"Weren't you late for something?" Loki asked.
He smiled at her befuddled mind; he wondered if she had ADHD.
Janna stuck her tongue out at Loki. She wondered if he even knew what it meant, but she assumed he could guess.
"I was just going to stay at a nicer place while we waited, but since we aren't exactly waiting anymore..." Janna turned towards the door to leave and find a cab or something.
Doom had the phone to his ear and was speaking to Osborn.
"We need you back here. I know that. Get down here..."
Victor clicked the phone and threw it at the couch.
"He said we should go to Oscorp."
Doom gave Loki a glance.
"Lady troubles?"
"I don't know what you mean."
Loki walked over to the couch and sat.
He didn't like not having his scepter, and wanted Osborn to explain himself.
"I want my scepter back. Osborn will return it to me."
Loki was a bit unsettled about his recent thoughts of Thor, and with the attack and Osborn taking his scepter, he was pissed.
Doom walked in the elevator calmly.
He seemed to be amused by the whole thing.
"You got it back before." Then Janna mumbled, "No help from me..."
"He was always going to give it back. Would you rather he not have and Thor, and the Avengers, have it instead?"
"The Avengers do not know how to command its power. Even if they possessed it, the scepter would be useless to them."
Loki watched the doors as the elevator moved up.
He flinched at the mention Thor's name.
Janna shrugged and got up from the wall. "I figured it out."
"Figured out what?" Doom was interested to figure out how this drama would play out.
Loki was getting angrier by the second.
"How to work the scepter." Janna said watching the elevator doors.
Loki turned to her the same time the doors opened.
He would discuss that later.
The three walked out of the elevator and into Osborn's office.
"Loki's butthurt and wants his scepter back." Janna walked further into the room and looked around. She wanted a couple things from Osborn too...but she could wait a few minutes before she asked for them.
Loki scowled and gave Janna a look.
"Can't you calm yourself for even a moment?"
Janna looked around thoughtful for a moment, then looked to Loki with a grin. "Doubtful."
Doom smiled, but said nothing.
"Where is the scepter?"
"I have it here."
Osborn brought the scepter and placed it in Loki's waiting hand.
Janna spun in a circle then looked at Osborn.
"Oh yeah! Hey there. I was wondering if I could steal some of your toys?" She asked excitedly, but in a way that said bad things would come if he said no.
"My...toys?" Osborn said it innocently.
Loki sighed but now that he had the scepter he felt much less anxious.
"You know, a glider..." Janna came up with an idea she found brilliant. "Maybe a bow and some arrows...not sure if that's something you got around here though."
Janna looked around the room. "I'm sure I could search your place if I had to."
"Bows and arrows?" Osborn asked. "I don't think we've made any prototypes yet, but I may have a spare glider."
"Yeah, that figures. Can I have the glider?"
"No." Osborn figured he would regret that.
Loki interrupted the conversation. "We need a new place to stay."
"No we don't. I have a place. And I'm heading there now." Janna turned and left the room.
She climbed in the elevator and hit the close doors button before anyone else could climb in. She was heading to the Osborn mansion to hang out with Harry. And get her glider...
Harry walked into the living room. "So why did you stop by? No offense, but we were never great friends or anything."
"My apartment is in shambles thanks to a couple evil villains." Janna said.
"Evil villains?" Harry wanted to laugh.
"So you came here?" Harry asked still thinking the 'evil villain' part was a joke.
"Yep. Besides, I'm helping your dad out with something. And you might feel better not knowing about it."
"What?"
Janna didn't respond to his question and sat down on the nearby couch.
"Harry?" Norman's voice called. The villains must have made it.
"Yes?" Harry heard his dad and walked into the room.
"We have guests, and they will be here for some time." Osborn smiled at his son.
Harry eyed the guests warily. They didn't seem like the best of company, but he nodded. "Yes sir."
Doom moved past Norman to the living room. There he saw Janna on the couch.
"I thought you went home?"
Loki followed and sat in a chair across from the couch.
"Who told you that?" Janna asked and propped her feet up on the arm rest.
"You did."
Doom looked at Janna lying across the couch and looked over at Harry.
"Another catch?"
"No I didn't...I distinctly remember saying I have a place I can stay...I never specified my apartment." Janna yawned and ignored his "catch" comment. Harry had a girlfriend, the last Janna knew anyway.
Janna was quite proud of herself. Playing so many video games made her catch on to this glider thing pretty quickly. The only difficult part had been finding and taking the glider.
"Woo hoo!" She cried as she became invisible and flew out of the room.
She flew right past Osborn and the others as she headed for some open doors or windows to head outside.
"She has..."
Osborn was speechless.
Loki figured something would happen.
Victor nodded his head in appreciation; the girl couldn't stay still.
Sometime later Janna hopped off the glider and back onto the balcony at Osborn's. She pressed a button on her bracelet and the glider left until she called it back to her.
She had a couple things across her shoulder hanging on her back. She walked back into the building able to be seen.
Doom noticed Janna as she walked inside.
She pulled out her new toy and tried to shoot Osborn in the back with it.
She had stopped off at a paintball store. She grabbed a totally realistic gun and got some red paintballs for it. She actually had two guns. A hand held paintball gun, and a larger rifle one.
They wouldn't kill, but they still hurt, and would freak people out.
"What are you planning to accomplish?" Loki asked.
He was getting used to Janna pulling crazy stuff.
"Nothing really." Janna said to Loki. "Just testing it out."
Doom was surprised, but he didn't show it.
Osborn turned to face her slowly.
"You turn on us in our own home?"
Janna placed the gun over her back with the strap again and went to find a seat. She had a small smile on her face.
Loki frowned at her but said nothing. Doom smiled at her but also said nothing; he was impressed.
Osborn turned back to Loki. "We will take care of it, but the only way to break the trace is to trust us."
Janna was sitting down and pulled out her hand gun one. She aimed it at Loki's head, but didn't shoot it.
She didn't plan on shooting it though; just get a feel for the paintball gun.
Loki gave Janna a look. He wasn't sure if Janna would do it or not, but he was in an important conversation.
"Is there something you need?"
Janna smiled, tilted her head and put away the gun. Now she had to wait, and waiting just wasn't her thing...
Loki figured she was finished for the moment, so he turned to Osborn.
"When can you begin?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight? Why not now?" Janna grumbled and glanced at Doom. She didn't know why.
Doom met her glance and smiled.
He wasn't sure why he was so amused with Janna, but that was the only way to pass the time for now.
Janna wasn't sure how long this was going to take. She looked up at the villains and thought about going to find some video games. Then she got a better idea. She could use some practice anyway. Barton had managed to shoot a hole in her force fields only so long ago.
"Hey Doom. When was the last time you REALLY used your powers?"
Doom faced her again. "It's been awhile...what do you suggest?"
"Practice?" Janna said standing up.
Loki gave her a glance but continued to listen to Osborn.
"Sounds good."
Doom stood and walked outside. Janna followed him.
He'd never admit it, but he was eager to get away from Osborn.
"You can shoot electricity at my force fields so Osborn doesn't get pissed at you for ruining his place. And I can work on making my force fields stronger. You could also use them as punching bags if you want to work on your strength..." Janna explained.
Doom cracked his knuckles and smirked.
"Tell me when to begin."
Janna created a large oval force field in front of a statue.
"There." Janna held out her hands to keep the barrier from disappearing. She didn't want to create one in front of her, just in case the electricity broke it. She didn't want to get killed...
Doom moved his fingers and threw a bolt of electricity towards the force field. It wasn't too powerful, but it would be enough to knock Janna back.
Janna could tell Doom wasn't giving it his all. She concentrated in keeping the force field up. It was tough but she managed.
Why was it so different to use the force fields for offense or defense? With the amount of heroes they may end up fighting she needed to strengthen her defense.
"You've got more than that. Stop holding back so much." Janna said and put all her energy into the force field.
Victor was surprised Janna held her own even on that.
"Alright."
Doom threw a few more of equal strength; one straight towards her, one towards a close statue, and one towards a lamp post.
The one towards the lamp post gained energy from the power and shot towards Janna's back.
Janna moved her arm and created another force field in front of her. She kept the one in front of the statue until she heard a crackling coming from behind her.
She let the barrier protecting the statue disappear and the last of the blast aimed for it made it shatter. As soon as Janna heard the electricity behind her she made the force field in front of her quickly expand and surround her. She fell to one knee and put all her focus and energy into it to protect herself.
"Not cool..." She breathlessly mumbled.
Victor rubbed his wrists.
"You told me to not hold back."
"So much..." Janna breathed heavily and stood up, the force field gone. "And towards the statue. Not me."
"If you don't want me to aim towards you, then specify." Doom said it in a way that showed he was amused.
"At the force fields. That should have specified enough...it was in front of the statue." Janna growled.
As she said it she quickly created a large ball and shrank it, like she had once before. It condensed the air inside and shot it at Doom. Doom sent a small jolt of energy towards the ball, and it exploded, the air Janna had condensed inside expanded rapidly, creating the explosion.
Doom was thrown back a bit, but he picked himself up quickly.
"Nice."
Janna glared at Doom as she walked past him to head back inside.
"NORMAN!" She called out. "Vic here broke one of your statues!"
Doom rolled his eyes.
This girl was unreasonable.
"You broke it technically."
"Ozzzzyyyy?!" She called again, then turned towards Doom as she stepped inside. "Technically YOU broke it. I don't shoot electricity all over the place."
"That is my trademark." Doom didn't even deny her statement.
Osborn and Loki turned to face them; they looked like adults taking care of children.
Janna rolled her eyes and turned back around to Osborn.
"He broke your statue." She spoke as if she were a four year old tattling on an older sibling, then stormed out to go take a nap somewhere.
Norman gave Victor a look.
"You're paying for it."
"Of course."
"Can you please attempt to control your destructive urges?" Loki sighed.
"Probably not."
Loki decided dealing with Doom was like talking to Janna.
Loki was waiting in the living room of Osborn's. "Where have you been?"
"Um. Why do you care? I was taking a nap..." Janna yawned and stretched as she took a seat.
"You trouble me when you are quite."
Loki was feeling impatient.
"Oh really..?" Janna drew out the last word.
She stood up to slowly walk towards him.
Janna gave him a mischievous glare and jumped to sit on his lap.
"Oh really?" She repeated herself, but her words were a bit snappy this time.
Loki didn't like the snappy tone.
"Really."
"That's amusing." Janna said readjusting herself on Loki's lap.
"Is there a reason your using me for a seat?"
"No reason." Janna turned to the side so that she was sitting on him but could still see him.
She wished he weren't so used to her...he wasn't as much fun anymore...
"It's ironic..." Janna's mind had completed jumped subjects.
"Ironic?"
Loki pushed her from him.
"I find it strange that you feel the need to sit on a god."
"No no. Something else is ironic." She leaned back against his hands to sit on him again. "Besides, I don't think you're really a god."
She dragged out the word 'really' again.
"What I think is ironic is that the only person I am sure truly loved-loves?" She played around with the two words a bit, "you is the one you're trying to destroy."
"The only person I truly loved?"
Loki could only imagine who she meant, but as far as he thought, she knew nothing.
"Not necessarily YOU loved, but I'm pretty sure you did...or do..." Janna looked at him. "But who loved you."
"Thor..." She whispered. It was barely audible.
Loki pushed her from his lap forcefully.
"It matters not where Thor's affections lie."
"Doesn't it? Isn't the whole reason you're doing this because you felt slighted?" Janna had stumbled when he pushed her again, but she regained her balance and sat down next to him.
"Because you wanted the same affections Asgard showed him?"
"That doesn't matter anymore. I will rule Midgard and everyone will worship me as they should."
Janna crossed her arms. Doesn't matter? Yeah right.
Loki faced her and gave her an interested look.
"Why do you follow me?"
Janna gave Loki an 'are you serious?' look. "What makes you think I follow you? Aren't followers supposed to do as the 'leader' asks without question?" She laughed.
Loki gave her that one.
"I suppose...it does seem odd that you betrayed your friend to be on my side. Is there someone you long for?"
Even as he asked, he did not assume it was him automatically.
Janna turned her head away from him and looked down.
"I'm not on your 'side'." She barely kept herself from growling it.
She told herself she didn't have feelings for Loki or any of the villains, but doing what she had done. It took devotion.
Loki smirked just slightly; it seemed he had gotten a bit under Janna's skin.
Janna didn't turn her head to look at him.
"Seriously though. I don't get you. I try to understand why you turned on him, but I just can't. Your mind is too twisted. You just can't see that there are some people that care for you."
She got up and stormed off. She didn't have any idea where she was going.
Loki let his smile wither.
"You don't understand yet you follow my path."
Janna heard the last sentence as she left the room.
"Once again! I don't follow!" She yelled, obviously irritated.
Loki growled and leaned back into the couch.
Janna was insufferable when she tried to fix his psychological issues that are actually hers as well.
Janna made her way to a balcony that overlooked the city. She sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest. She was angry, frustrated, and a little sad, b mostly frustrated. She laid her arms across her knees and rested her head on them; she looked out over the city.
Doom walked up behind Janna to look at the sky.
"Isn't it lovely outside?" He asked quietly.
He hadn't heard the conversation between her and Loki.
Janna picked up her head and glanced back at Doom for a moment. She hadn't heard him come outside. She turned back towards the city and put her head back down.
She blinked a couple of times. Her eyes were very wet. She wasn't one to cry often, but frustration was what usually put her over the edge. Doom saw her tears but stayed silent. When or if Janna wanted to talk, she would say something.
Janna sat there in silence. She blinked a few more times and willed the tears away. Though one did manage to fall, she wiped it away with her arm.
The longer she sat there the angrier and more frustrated she got. It didn't help, so she tried to think about other things. Like that pigeon about to fly into a glass window.
Janna looked out over the city. Trying to get her mind off her frustrations she said something.
"Did you ever actually like them?" She was referring to the Fantastic Four. She figured he was smart enough to know who she was talking about.
She didn't turn to look at him, didn't move a muscle actually, except to speak.
"It can be said I did at one time. Though for most of them, not really. Susan however..."
Victor chuckled at himself.
"You remind me of her."
"You only liked her because you couldn't have her." Janna huffed, still not turning her head or moving from her spot. "And I only have her powers."
"Maybe so. But even still, there had been a time when she was mine."
Doom wasn't against reminiscing like Loki was.
"You only have her powers? You have her attitude and her ability to get into trouble as well."
"Until Richards snatched her back from you and pretty much destroyed your life. Or I guess he made you a new one."
"I think the new it much like the old one, except for I'm a woman short." Doom didn't know why that mattered do much to him, but it did.
"Mm." Just to acknowledge that she heard him.
Janna actually didn't have much to say. That was a rare occurrence, but seemed to be happening a bit more often lately. She didn't seem to remember that he had kissed, barely kissed, but had kissed her earlier.
Janna decided it was about time for her to stop moping about things she couldn't change. It would only frustrate her more.
She stood up to look over the city. She wanted to find the tallest building she could jump from.
Victor noticed Janna was dazed and for a moment thought of Susan.
He grabbed her arm and spun her towards him, and softly, for Doom anyway, kissed her.
Janna couldn't believe he actually did that. She struggled for a moment to pull away, but it was only for a moment. She closed her eyes and let his lips take hers. Her heart ached; she just needed someoneā¦.
Doom didn't care that she was probably comparing him to Loki, or care about the reasons why he was doing this.
He moved his hands to her back to bring Janna closer to him, never ending the kiss whilst he did this.
Janna wanted it, but at the same time she didn't. This man had no problem killing people who annoyed him or got in his way. Loki didn't really kill people to kill people...at least, that's what she believed...no matter how convoluted that thinking was.
But she still didn't pull away... She did however move her hand up to his chest and try to put some space between them. She was jumping off that building she had spotted as soon as he let her go...
Bernard walked into the living area to see a torn and angry Loki.
"Sir my master has informed me of progress."
Loki looked up and nodded.
"Good."
Doom released Janna from the kiss when he heard the commotion downstairs. He didn't think she would leave him, not now anyway.
Shortly before he released her, Janna had reached over with her thumb to press a button on the glider bracelet.
She pushed herself away from him and opened her eyes, but she didn't look up at his face. She looked at her hands. She let her hands fall away from him and she slowly turned around towards the edge of the balcony. She walked slowly, seemingly calmly towards the edge. She was actually blushing now, and even jumping off a building couldn't speed up her heart rate any more than it was.
One more step and she went over the edge. She was caught by the glider and she forced herself invisible as she flew away towards that building she wanted...
Doom watched the whole thing with a mix of amusement and awe.
He liked this girl.
He moved back to the living area with a smirk.
'Loki's an idiot! Doom's an idiot! I'm an idiot. And Osborn's nuts. How the hell do we get anything done?!' Janna mentally screamed at herself for all that went on recently.
