OMG! 90 reviews! Thank you, this is just incredible! Sorry if this sounds repetitive, but I'm just so grateful to you all for reading this, let alone reviewing! ^_^

Once again I've not been able to get back to you all personally - I'm sorry! Your reviews all mean so much, but I'm having a really tough time with my health at the moment, it's taking everything I've got just to get on and write so I hope you'll understand xXx

o

Chapter Eighteen:

I'll Explain Once We Get There

"Oh! And tell Clint that if he lands on any of my sheep I'll set Pip on him!" Efanna called over her shoulder before disappearing through the door, leaving Loki and Stark alone in the courtyard with the afore mentioned dog, who sat grinning up at them.

"Did she seriously just threaten to set her dog on us because of her sheep?" Stark asked incredulously.

"It's really not that surprising; you saw what she did to try and protect her chickens," Loki answered, moving to lean against the bonnet of Efanna's Land Rover and keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the armoured man in front of him.

"That was why she did that? Wow. That's one messed up set of priorities."

"You have no idea," Loki told him flatly.

"Pretty unexpected of you though," Stark said with an inquisitive gaze, "Rushing in there to save her an all that. You crushing on her or something?"

Loki gave him an icy glare.

"Okay, don't get your panties in a bunch, it was just a question."

Loki rolled his eyes. Of all the people Efa had to leave him with, it just had to be Stark. His mind was still reeling from her revelations about his heritage, parentage and biology, and he was not particularly comfortable with the notion of anyone else being party to such knowledge. He would make sure however, mortal form or not, that if Stark ever dared mention his moment of weakness, that he would sincerely regret it.

As he considered what had transpired he decided that he could forgive Efanna. Her eyes had glowed earnest and honest, as they always did, when she had told him and he was forced to admit that her explanation for not telling him sooner was a just one. Odin, however, was another matter, but he firmly pushed such thoughts aside for the moment. He could ponder these new questions of his existence at a time when he wasn't being watched carefully by a man whom most likely was moments from killing him.

"Seriously though, what are you doing here?" Stark asked after the silence had become somewhat uncomfortable, "You don't really expect me to believe she just turned up and you followed her here like a puppy, do you?"

"She is an incredibly stubborn person," Loki answered with a sigh, "I sincerely doubt there is anything she would be unable to convince someone to do if she wanted to enough."

"And why didn't you just jab her with the glow stick of destiny and turn Cardiff into your own personal pile of rubble like you did Manhattan?" Stark asked suspiciously, "What the hell were you even doing in Cardiff?"

Although he was not being overtly threatening, Loki noticed that Stark was quite obviously clenching and unclenching his fist, as though aching to blast him with it. Loki rubbed his temples and hoped that Efanna would hurry up.

"I didn't have much choice in where I landed," he explained tersely, "And as much as I'm sure Cardiff would be much improved if it were 'my own personal pile of rubble' as you put it, I am loath to have to admit that it is beyond my current capabilities. When Odin … banished me, he also took away my power and locked me in this disgusting mortal-" he spat the word "-form."

Loki ground his teeth together. It sickened him to have to admit his current weakness to such an enemy, but he felt it sensible to let it be known that he could not currently cause any damage. He was under no illusions of how violent the 'Avengers' were likely to be in his treatment, and if such an admission might head the majority of that off, then it was worth the cost to his pride. Playing safe for the moment would gain him advantages in the long run.

"Wow, that's gotta sting," Stark let out with a low whistle, "Now you're no better than the rest of us, huh?"

Loki growled.

"I am infinitely superior to you and all your pathetic race," he spat angrily, "No matter what form I am forced to reside in."

"Whoa, calm it down, princess," Stark quipped, raising his eyebrows, "Don't make me tase you."

Before Loki could respond, a sudden guest of wind sent the snow swirling around them as a dark shape descended from the low clouds to land in the field beside the lane. The rear door to the jet opened up and an agent disembarked, jumping the fence that connected the field to the courtyard and pacing towards them. Loki's eyes narrowed as he recognised the form of Clint Barton. This was going to be an unpleasant meeting.

As soon as he saw Loki, Barton's hands instantly reached for the gun at his hip, levelling it at Loki's head.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he demanded of Stark.

"Apparently he strangled her so she brought him home as a pet," Stark drawled ironically.

"What? Who's 'she'?" Barton asked, looking confused.

The question was answered by Efanna, who at that moment ran out of the cottage, dropping the bags she was holding in the snow by the door, and threw her arms around Barton, forcing him to lower his gun. Loki noticed she had once again donned her black gloves and was particularly careful to keep her head away from the agent's.

"Clint!" she cried, joyfully.

The agent looked baffled. Stark raised an eyebrow again. Loki scowled.

"Oops," she said, pulling back, "You don't know me yet do you?"

"Should I?"

"It's alright, I just get my whens a bit confused. How's Natasha? She recovered from Alaska yet? Or has that not happened yet either?"

"Who told you Nat was in Alaska?" he asked suspiciously, shooting Stark with a quick glare and training his gun once again on Loki's head.

"Not me!" Stark protested, holding his hands up.

"She's not there right now is she?" Efa asked, biting her lip.

Barton narrowed his eyes at her and shifted his grip on his gun.

"Uh, it might be a good idea to call Fury and tell him to get her out of there," Efa said when no one gave her an answer, "Alaska is not a good place for Natasha to be right now."

"Okay, would someone mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Barton asked impatiently.

"You know, it's a good question, Bright Eyes," Stark prompted, looking pointedly at Efanna, "You're currently in possession of a lot of classified information, not to mention the multidimensional war criminal back there. You've got quite a bit of explaining to do."

"I'm well aware of that," Efa responded with remarkable calmness, walking back to the bags and picking up Loki's leather coat.

"Here, I don't want you getting hypothermia," she said to him, brushing some snow off it.

Loki took it with one eyebrow raised, wondering if she really knew what she was doing.

"Okay," she said, her tone business-like as she turned back to the two armed men, "I'll tell you everything you want to know, and perhaps a fair amount you don't – once we get back to the Helicarrier or wherever it is you're planning on taking us and everyone's there to hear it. I don't want to have to go over it more than once, it's far too bloody complicated for that.

"But," she added sternly, "Conditions. We will come willingly, both of us, so you've got to promise not to harm us in any way, unless it is provoked. And by provoked I mean provoked now, you can't go using Manhattan as an excuse to beat Loki senseless. I know he deserved it, but let's at least talk things through first, okay?"

There was a long silence and the two men exchanged sceptical glances, Barton's aim not moving even an inch.

"You don't seriously expect us just to treat Loki like nothing ever happened do you?" he asked harshly, "After everything he did?"

"I'm not expecting you to be friendly," Efanna assured them, her tone solemn, "Just not to actually be violent. I know as well as you do the wrongs he has done. I just think he should be given a chance to explain himself before you all go apeshit on him. Or at least I think I should be given a chance to explain for him. After all, I'm the only one who can claim to be fair, considering the circumstances."

"You think you know do you?" Barton spat, "You think you understand what that bastard has to pay for?"

Loki watched as Efanna's face fell. Slowly she walked towards the armed agent, not faltering even when he turned his gun on her. She stopped only when the barrel was mere centimetres away from her chest.

"I understand far more than you could possibly know," she said softly.

The pain was evident in her voice and for the first time it truly dawned on Loki that she had experienced everything he had put the 'Avengers' through during his invasion. She had suffered all that pain just as they had.

"How the hell are we even supposed to trust you?" Barton asked sternly, although he seemed affected somehow by Efa's obvious pain. Loki knew all too well how her honesty seemed to flow from her and make it almost impossible to believe her to be false.

"All I can do is promise that you can," she said, "And promise, on Loki's behalf as well as my own, that we shall cause you no harm as long as you cause us none."

The blanket of snow that covered the world around them seemed to exacerbate the silence and heightened the tension until it was almost unbearable, even for Loki. The sight of Efanna standing in front of a gun, held be one whom he knew only too well to be a trained and ruthless assassin, troubled him.

"You said 'conditions'," Stark pointed out, after it became obvious that an agreement did some seem to be forthcoming, "What are your others?"

"Only one other thing," Efanna said, moving her gaze to him, "Pip comes too."

"Uh-uh, no way," Stark protested, "We are not taking the dog with us."

"Then I'm not coming either," Efanna said, crossing her arms, "And neither is Loki."

Loki had to admire her courage. The two men were staring at her in disbelief and Barton's hands were still clenched firmly around the handle of his gun. Efa however looked completely unruffled, staring them down just as adeptly as Loki could have managed. Loki couldn't help the smirk that slid onto his face. He had warned Stark about her stubbornness.

"Look, kid, this is a top secret military base we're going to, not Disneyland," Stark told her with irritation.

"I know that; dogs aren't allowed in Disneyland," Efa responded, somewhat irrationally Loki thought.

"They're not allowed at S.H.I.E.L.D. either, darling," Stark insisted impatiently.

"Well tough shit, 'cause where I go, Pip goes," she told him adamantly, "Remember that I've just called you here on a number I should never have known. That I was the only one who could see the creatures who were attacking us. That I'm the only one who has any idea of what they are and what they are planning. I know things you couldn't possibly dream of. And don't forget that I've kept Loki here without incident for over a month. You need me if there's any hope of stopping the current situation."

"We could always take you by force," Barton suggested calmly.

"Then I wouldn't talk."

"We have ways of making you," he reminded her.

"Wouldn't work. Believe me."

"You ever been tortured?" Stark asked her irritation suddenly showing on his face.

Loki let out a low growl and moved closer, unaware that her dog was doing the exact same thing.

"Not yet," she replied, with a darkness to her voice that Loki hadn't heard before, "But unless you're burning to know the names of all six hundred and forty nine Pokémon, and possibly the entire script of the new six and a half series of Doctor Who then I suggest you don't bother changing that."

Stark turned to Loki, with a baffled expression on his face.

"Is she serious?" he asked.

"I would assume so," he answered flatly, "I know not of what these Pokémon are, but I can vouch for her knowledge of Doctor Who, and I did warn you of her stubborn nature. If she believes she will be resistant to your torture, I'd believe her if I were you. There are far stranger things about her that you are yet to know."

"Look, can we all just calm down a bit?" Efanna asked, "I can practically smell the testosterone in the air and it's giving me a headache. Clint, Tony, I give you my complete and honest word that neither Loki nor I shall do anything that could, in any way be considered as harmful, unless you count sarcasm, as long as we are not harmed in return. I can't offer you any more than that, but there are far greater things to worry about here. You need me and like it or not, you're gonna need Loki too."

"And the dog?" Stark quipped.

"We've already gone over this, Pip stays with me, and there's nothing you can do to change that," Efa answered firmly, "Besides, he could see those creatures too, so you never know, he might be of use."

Silence fell again.

"If he makes one wrong move, I'm putting a bullet through his skull," Barton warned, gesturing to Loki. Slowly he lowered his gun.

"Thank you!" Efanna exclaimed, darting forward to hug the agent again and surprising all three men. She then turned to Stark, but wrinkled her nose and drew back.

"You can have your hug when you've taken the armour off," she told him, "You smell worse than the smithy at Asgard."

"Is that a promise?" Stark asked, quite obviously looking her up and down, "How the hell d'you even know what the smithy at Asgard even smells like anyway?"

Loki had to restrain himself from throwing a punch at Stark as he leered over Efa whilst she simply grinned enigmatically and went back to collect the bags she had abandoned. Stark noticed his gaze and gave him a particularly smug look. Loki ground his teeth together.

o

A few minutes later they were all, including Pip, sat in the jet as Clint and the co-pilot manoeuvred it up and away from Efanna's cottage in the valleys. Efa sat next to Loki, looking around with interest as Tony watched them carefully from the row of seats opposite. She smiled at him whenever she looked in his direction, hoping that might calm things down a little. It was worth a try at least.

"Heading back to base now, sir," Barton said into his headset as they entered the clouds.

"You figure out what this was all about?" Fury's voice said from the dash.

"Partly, sir," Clint responded, "It seems like Stark arrived in the middle of an attack, made by as yet unidentifiable creatures. Apparently only the girl could see them, although they showed up on thermal imaging."

"This is the same girl who called Stark, yes? Have you found out how she got that number?"

"Not yet, sir, she's refusing to tell us until she's back at base. She says it's too complicated to go over more than once. There's something else though, sir. She had Loki with her."

"Loki."

Fury sounded incredulous and not a little angry. Efa supposed that wasn't really surprising.

"Yes sir. Apparently he was banished to Earth as his punishment, in mortal form whatever that means. Supposedly he's no more powerful than you or I now."

Clint's tone reflected his scepticism and Efa was fairly confident that Fury would share the same view. As long as Loki behaved however, they should be alright.

"We're bringing them both back to base, sir. They came willingly on the condition that they wouldn't be harmed unless provoked."

"Loki made this condition did he?"

Fury sounded pretty pissed off at the idea.

"No sir, the girl did, and she was pretty damn adamant about it. Said she wants us to give her a chance to explain Loki's actions."

There was a long silence before Fury's next response and Efa found herself holding her breath slightly. She was not going to let Loki get hurt, but it was certainly going to be a tricky thing to achieve.

"Keep me updated. We're moving the Helicarrier closer to you. I get the feeling I want to talk to this girl as soon as I can."

"You can talk to me now if you like, Fury," Efa called out, surprising everyone else, "Though I'm not explaining anything till I get there. But that's not important, Clint said Natasha was currently in Alaska?"

She had stood up and moved to the back of Clint's seat, much to the alarm of the co-pilot, who seemed to be a newer agent and not particularly comfortable with Loki's presence, or her relationship with him. She didn't care though. She'd had a Vision of what would happen to Natasha in the Alaskan S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and none of the possibilities had been pretty.

"Did he now?"

"She already knew, sir," Clint protested, with an angry look at her.

"Yep, I did," Efa agreed, "So get angry with me, not him. Just tell me, is she there or not?"

"We received word that she'd arrived fifteen minutes ago. Since then nothing." Fury admitted after a pause.

"Get her out," Efa told him, "Now."

"What makes you think you have the authority to make that call?"

"Because I know what will happen to her there. And trust me, none of it is good. Just get her out of there before she gets seriously hurt. You've lost the Alaska base. Don't lose her too."

There was a long pause and Efa was very aware of the hard stares she was receiving from everyone, even Loki.

"Look," she said desperately, "I can tell you everything she would have found out. I don't think anything serious has happened to her yet, but as long as she stays there it's only a matter of time. Please, just get her out. If she dies then I don't know if we can beat them."

"You're sure about this?" Fury's voice asked doubtfully.

"Completely."

"… Then I'm gonna go out on a limb here and take your advice. It'd better be worth it."

"Thank you!" Efa said with relief.

"When you get here you've got a lot of explaining to do."

"Yeah, I know. You're not the first to tell me that."

The communication clicked off and Efanna was once again hit with the stares from everyone in the jet. Not really knowing what else to do she simply smiled at them. She was about to return to her seat when a hand grabbed her wrist. The shock of it almost made her scream and she thanked the Gods that she'd put on her gloves.

"What's going to happen to Natasha?" Clint asked her sternly, as she furiously tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"I don't know yet," Efa answered evasively, "Several things could happen. None of them are pleasant, but if Fury gets her out now, then hopefully it won't be anything worse than she's already survived."

"That's not exactly encouraging."

"I know," she conceded, "But right now, it's the best answer I can give. I promise I'll explain later. I just don't want to have to go through this more than once. Believe me, once I've told you, you'll understand."

He held her eyes, as well as her wrist for a moment, before reluctantly letting both go.

"I'll tell you as soon as I know she's okay, as long as you don't ask any questions, and as long as I actually find out myself," she promised.

He glanced up at her again, briefly, before turning his eyes back to the controls.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Efanna moved back to her seat and gave Pip's ears a fuss as silence once again settled on the vehicle. Tony still hadn't taken his eyes off her and Loki, who was sat with his arms folded and his green eyes once again cold and guarded. She pulled in the corner of her lip and began to chew on it, wishing she could burrow her way under Loki's arm for comfort. Somehow she didn't think he would particularly appreciate physical contact right now though, and it probably wouldn't endear her to the others on the jet. This was looking like it could be a very awkward few hours.

So they are now on their way! Excited? I am!

Barton's a tricky one as we know so little of him from the movies seeing as he was under mind control for most of it. I think he'll thaw out a little as it goes on. I see him as agent first, person second when he's on a job, and we all know he's not particularly fond of Loki (and really, who would be after that?). Let me know what you thought of him :] And the chapter in general as always! I'm struggling again, but your reviews keep me writing :]

Oh! And thanks to msgone for the idea of Bright Eyes as a nickname. I have a list of all the ones people have given me and I'm going to use them all when they seem most appropriate! :D