33

The pool was completely deserted, just as it was last time, save for Loki looming over the water in his Asgardian leathers. Were the Mischief God not there, Sherlock would have felt a heavy hand of déjà vu. He suspected that was entirely Moriarty's intent in choosing their first meeting place for the exchange. He did have a flair for the dramatic. And Loki was certainly worse.

The Asgardian was simply staring at the water, lost in contemplation. Sherlock's grip on the Stone box tightened. Loki looked ridiculously beautiful, the light refracting off the water dancing along his pale features. His normally emerald green eyes seemed blue in the light. Sherlock wondered what was going through the god's mind. "Loki…" He didn't look up, but a flicker of his eyes told the detective he had heard.

"Glad you could join us, Sherlock," Loki greeted calmly. "I trust you're alone?"

"Of course," Sherlock answered, approaching him. "You're not." He didn't see his arch nemesis but he knew he had to be hovering nearby. As if on cue, Moriarty peeked out from where he lurked behind a set of lockers. The consulting criminal had a childish grin plastered on his face.

"Why, Sherlock. How nice of you to join us," he greeted in a singsong voice of his. Sherlock hardly cared, focused on the still god. "And look, he's brought us a little treat, Lokster. Bit disappointing. I was really curious to see-" Sherlock's eyes may have never moved but that didn't allow Moriarty to sneak the box from him. "… if the android died…" Moriarty chuckled. "Clever boy."

"Nothing for nothing," was Sherlock's response, turning to face his enemy. Moriarty's grin only widened.

"A trade? How interesting." The mastermind threw an ecstatic grin at his godly accomplice who merely glared at him in response. Not that it dimmed Moriarty's excitement. "oh, come on, Lokster. This is exciting." Loki remained silent. Eerily so. "What price… for the power to control minds?"

"You know my price," Sherlock answered. He held up the box. "Turn over everything you have on Loki." Moriarty actually looked surprised. Loki finally looked at Sherlock, equally confused. That might not bode well for Peggy's theory. "I find it hard to believe that a god is willingly working with a mere mortal. Sorry to burst your bubble, Jimmy." Moriarty began to chuckle, but there was still a flicker of concern in Loki's emerald eyes.

"No offense taken. Have to admit, it is quite humbling. Being in the service of a god." Sherlock's face fell at that. He began to slowly reach for the gun tucked into his belt. Moriarty's eyebrow quirked upwards. "I'm not going to blackmail a god, Sherly. I don't have that big an ego." Sherlock and Loki snorted at that in perfect unison. Moriarty quirked his eyebrow higher as he looked at the two. "Would you two like a room?" Loki glared at the mortal criminal who just grinned.

"He's not alone." The god did not make it a question. Sherlock looked just as confused as Moriarty. "There's someone waiting outside."

"No, there isn't." He knew that was stupid of him to say but the words slipped out of Sherlock's lips before he could think. Moriarty snapped his fingers as Loki smirked a bit.

"Oh, Sherlock… You are such a terrible liar." Sherlock frowned. If Loki could see through that lie, why wasn't he saying anything about the other lie. The god finally met the detective's gaze, something glimmering in those emerald eyes. If he had to guess, it looked like guilt and… love? Loki's gaze hardened into confusion before Sherlock could study any closer as one of Moriarty's goons dragged Peggy into the room.

"Let go of me, you gorram dick!" She cried, kicking and hitting whatever she could get her fists and feet on. Seeing as her captor was at least a foot and a half taller and a hundred pounds' worth of muscle heavier, that wasn't much good. Still, she struggled and called him every name in the book and a few Sherlock suspected she made up. Moriarty looked scandalized by all of them. Moriarty looked scandalized by all of them.

"Such foul language for a lady!" Sherlock was surprised nothing melted under the force of her glare. "Be gentle with her. She could be useful against Stark later."

Well, this plan has gone well, Sherlock thought, gripping the box tighter. Moriarty turned back to him with a grimace.

"Have to say I'm a bit more disappointed, Sherlock. Turning over a crazy powerful space rock to a god and your backup is a shrimp of a girl?"

"Hey!"

"She's not my backup." He held the case out of Moriarty's reach again when he tried to take it, giving him an incredulous glare. "If I'm turning this over to Loki, it is going into his hands. The Stone would only kill you anyway." His arch nemesis took a moment to consider this before shrugging and stepping aside. Sherlock held the cube to Loki. "Prove one of us wrong, Loki." It was a challenge. Judging by the smirk in his eye, Loki was well aware of it.

All eyes were on the Mischief God as he stalked towards the detective. Sherlock only loosened his grip on the case when Loki's slender fingers wrapped around it and Sherlock's hand. Instead of just taking the case, Loki tugged hard on Sherlock's arm, knocking him off balance and into his arms. No one could hear what Loki whispered into Sherlock's eyes, but clearly it wasn't happy news as Sherlock's shoulders slumped down in defeat. Moriarty began to chuckle, a grin crawling onto his face.

"I told you there was a heart to burn," he gloated, reaching for the cube. Loki moved, keeping the case out of his reach.

"Find another heart to burn. This one belongs to me," the god warned before finally giving Moriarty the case. The criminal pouted but it didn't reach his eyes which gleamed with sadistic glee.

"Fine, you get you toy and I get a bargaining chip," he agreed as he opened the box… to find a little vinyl tongue out emoji. "The hell is this?"

"I'd say Loki's sudden but inevitable betrayal." Both Sherlock and Peggy now had icers trained on Moriarty while Peggy's captor spasmed on the floor. "And she doesn't like being called such things."

"Good job with the Firefly reference, Rookie. You make your SO proud," Peggy praised with a sadistic smirk. "Did you really think that SHIELD would just hand over an Infinity Stone? Thor would have a heart attack." Moriarty held his hands up in – Sherlock suspected mock – surrender.

"In my defense, I did not realize SHIELD was involved," the criminal claimed, throwing Loki a vicious glare.

"Don't get mad at him. He didn't know," Sherlock explained. "Are you going to come quietly?"

"Do I ever?" Moriarty snapped his fingers… and nothing happened.

"Yeah, your goods have already been taken care of," Peggy explained, stepping forward. "Might as well give up now, Moriarty. We've set up a cell at the Sandbox just for you."

"Oh really?" Moriarty slowly reached for something in his pocket, making both Sherlock and Peggy step closer while Loki reached for a dagger hidden on his person. "Jumpy lot, you are. It's just gum."

"Yeah like we're supposed-" The young agent was cut off by a sudden spasm that sent her to the floor, jolting as if electrocuted.

"Peggy!" Proving his loyalties, Loki knelt by the struck girl in a feeble attempt to help her. Sherlock kept his gun on Moriarty, who was faking surprise, but turned to see what was happening.

"Whoops!" Moriarty practically sang. "Was that an EMP? Gawrsh, it felt so much like gum."

BANG!

"SHERLOCK!"