Author's Note: Chapter 5 revised now!
Tony can't tear his eyes off of the woman standing in front of him. It's just as though, all of a sudden, the spotlight came on her and now everything seems so darn obvious that Iron Man would like to slap himself across the face. A pretty raven, funny, cunning, feisty, smart... and that damn smirk. How could he not catch that?! And oh God!
"You are... but you are... I mean... what?" Tony stammers with wide eyes. Loki can't help but chuckle at Tony's growing exasperation. Of course she knew that this would be the most probable reaction, yet... reality can be such a sweet little thing, by being such a mean little thing.
"Loki, now stop this foolery!" Thor growls.
"I was asked to," Loki snarls at him.
"What? No! You were not!" Thor shakes his head. No, definitely no one asked her to trick them like that and then to try to get close to Tony by dallying. That was not part of the plan!
"If I recall rightly, and my memory rarely fails me, I was asked to come up with a disguise to make sure no one discovers my true identity as the one who almost destroyed this very planet. Well, I think I have proven that this disguise should suffice, for I was able to fool not only the computers, but also Master Stark," Loki argues with a smile tugging at her lips, to which Thor growls, "Do not test me!"
"For once, Thor, not everything is revolving around you. I need a disguise, and this one doesn't cost me all too much energy, which will serve me right for when I have to fetch my magic. So now, if you'd excuse me," Loki sneers with a sudden flash of anger washing over her features. She gets up from the stool and walks past the thunderer and the billionaire, leaving them staring.
Tony, his hands wandering up and down his body in nervousness, mutters, "That is... Loki..."
"Yes," Thor sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"And he is...," Tony stammers.
"Now a woman," Thor nods.
"Okay, uhm... I'm... I need a drink. Or five hundred. And something to cause partial amnesia. Or both...," Tony brings out, his voice almost an octave higher than usual towards the end.
"We have to talk to the others. This situation has to be resolved, now," Thor growls.
"JARVIS, do it... I'm getting a drink, right now," Tony says with a quivering voice. Iron Man quickly makes his way to his secret storage and grabs a bottle of Whiskey. Tony clings to his bottle as though it was a baby and waits for the others to come to the assembly.
"What is the deal now, Stark? I got better to do than to...," Natasha means to pout, but Tony blurts out, "We have a problem."
"I thought you found the bastard," Clint makes a face.
"Apparently did," Tony brings out, almost gagging on the words... and the drink.
"So? What's the deal?" Bruce frowns. If they found him, then where is the problem?
Tony takes another big sip of the Whiskey before he carries on, "Loki.. found a disguise..."
"Well, that's what we asked him for," Natasha grimaces with confusion in her features. Tony almost gags on his drink, "Not the way we'd pictured."
"What now? Is he dressed like the Joker or Shrek or what is the matter here?" Natasha shakes her head.
"Wish it were just that...," Tony sighs.
"Either one of you spill right now, or I'm out that door," Clint snarls, fed up with the situation, but that is when suddenly someone else enters the room: Loki.
"Who are you?" Steve stammers at the sight of the young woman, who smirks at him mischievously, "Oh, Captain, you hurt me. You don't come to recognize me? Hm?"
"You...," Steve gapes, eyes widening, and Thor completes, "That's Loki, yes."
"What?! No way!" Steve brings out, unable to believe this. That can't be... can it?
"Captain, you are aware that I am a shapeshifter. Is it that outrageous really that I change into the shape of a woman?" Loki frowns, to which Tony cries out, "Yes?!"
Loki rolls her eyes, "Get over it, Stark. You are just getting into your pants because you tried to hit on me."
"What?!" Bruce gapes at Tony.
"You did not, did you? I thought even you couldn't sink that low," Natasha curses at Tony, before she holds up her hand to Loki. "No offense, Loki, really, that's not directed at you."
Loki shrugs, seemingly unaffected, way too pleased at Tony's discomfort... or that of everyone in general. Yes, this will be so much fun.
"I didn't know she was... him... goodness sake... my therapist will love that...," Tony shakes his head.
"Drama Queen," Natasha mutters under her breath, but that is when Loki speaks up to all of them, "Well, it is quite lovely of you all to have assembled here to decide whether I may change into the shape I have now, but I found it proper that I should be present for this assembly. I would at least like to know the face I am supposed to wear now here on earth."
"Not this one, that's for sure," Thor grumbles.
"By the Gods, Thor, get over it already. It wasn't me who started on...," Loki snarls, but Thor interrupts her loudly, "You will shut up or I will..."
"What? You really want to hit a woman? Oh, Thor, what manners?" she taunts him.
"I will hit you and you know it!" Thor threatens, but she replies playfully, "Brute."
Natasha holds her hands up, "Sorry, I intervene right here. No one's hitting anyone else here. Let's rather return to the topic on hand, in all calm the way adults would: Loki, why did you choose this form, just so that we all understand?"
"It is the easiest for me," Loki shrugs simply.
"Why is that?" Natasha asks her, so Loki goes on, "Because it is a face I'm used to. I was Lorelei for a while, you know? And since I have her mannerisms down as well as her features, I have no trouble maintaining that form. My magic is not affected by this."
"But it would if you chose some other... foreign form?" Natasha grimaces, and Loki nods, "In fact, yes. I would have to put a lot effort into it... and I think I do not have to unless it's really needed. I never appeared as Lorelei on Midgard, so no one will recognize me as the God of Mischief who caused such in this realm a while ago. I do not see the problem here."
"The problem is that you're a girl!" Tony cries out... for crying out loud!
"Hm?" Loki frowns at him, so Natasha scaffolds, carefully selecting her words, "... we are just... surprised... that you chose to be a woman... all of a sudden. I mean, you are a guy, and then..."
"Oh, uh... you humans are funnily attached to your sex, really. I almost forgot," Loki smirks viciously. "Brother! Why don't you enlighten them?"
"Why me?" Thor blinks at her, almost toppling over in surprise.
"Because you struggle with this. I don't... so it's either you who explains that to them... or they will never know," Loki challenges him playfully.
"You are sincere," Thor asks her another time.
"Yes. So? What's it gonna be?" Loki narrows her eyes at him. Thor contemplates for a second. He knows that Loki just does it to humiliate him, but he also knows his brother's stubbornness. If he doesn't feel like telling them, he won't, ever. The problem is... Thor would rather talk about anything but this, because, well... it's embarrassing.
Thor, with a flush creeping to his cheeks, begins, "... As you know, Loki is not of Aesir heritage. He comes from Jotunheimr. And Jotuns have... they have... you know... uhm... well..."
He struggles. Loki laughs to herself at his discomfort. She knows this is torture, but it serves him right. He should know why she chooses this form. That is the first fissure in their relationship after all, the one he tries to push so far into the back of his mind that he is likely forgetting it, but... Loki just takes too much pleasure in torturing him. It's the only thing she has left after all, right?
"Huh?" Tony blinks at them, still utterly confused.
"Well, you see, with Loki it's... it's different because he is not Aesir... I mean... that is... well...," Thor stammers helplessly. The others just frown at his gibberish. Loki rolls her eyes. Even if she enjoys torturing him, she has a short temper – and this is taking too long, way too long.
"We have different physiology, ho, bad word, and gender classes, gasp. Jotuns do not have a specific sex they are bound to stick to, and thus no specific gender. The stages are rather fluid. One may act as male or female, but some don't. We have both traits – and that is why this very form is utmost natural to me: It's me in my female shape – and that is what upsets my dear brother that much," Loki explains casually, as though this was the most natural thing on Earth, though that seemingly stands to reason at some point, because... it is most natural to her, right?
"You are both?!" Steve gapes, to which Tony snorts, "I bet that crushes your world, Captain?"
"You are the one to talk. I still think you'll fall over now," Natasha shoots back. Tony means to say something, but then has to cough down a gag again.
"So you are... hermaphrodite?" Clint asks coolly.
"I think that is what you call it in your realm... but I actually have both these forms, not just the parts that determine the sex, which I think is true for your hermaphrodites. I can be a woman, or a man, or neither. And I can switch between them as I want. I have a choice," Loki approves calmly.
"And there goes my innocence...," Tony hums in a sing-song.
"You ever had that?" Clint snorts.
"I would laugh at that," Tony says, but then almost gags again. "If I found the power. I think I'm gonna be sick."
"So," Loki speaks up again, now almost icily. "Can I stay in that body, or do you actually forbid me that also? I mean, I get it that I can't walk around in my usual... self... let's call it, and I give you that... I'd just like to know how much I can actually be myself without breaking my part of the contract."
"Don't get cocky here," Clint snarls at her, but Loki replies with much more credibility than anyone would have thought, "It's an earnest question. And I'd like either one of you to answer it."
"God!" Clint exhales, throwing his hands in the air angrily.
"No, sorry, but for once, and I can't believe I'm saying this: I'm with Loki," Natasha says, to which all gape, "What?!"
"Hey, we asked him to come up with a disguise – and it's already JARVIS-and-Stark-proof. I think he did the job outright. We never told him what he is supposed to be – and we have no right to. If this form means he has no setbacks in his magic and makes sure he doesn't just snap back by accident, then only the better," Natasha argues.
"You're serious?" Clint blinks at her, to which she nods, "Yeah."
"I share her opinion," Bruce nods.
"What?!" Tony cries out, but Bruce goes on calmly, "Well, Loki will know best what affects his... her... magic or body. If she says that it is best for her to refrain to this part of herself, then who are we to tell her otherwise? I mean, you don't tell me to quit the Hulk either, though he is not all what we want at times. And really... if sex or gender were the problem, actually, I think Natasha would kill you all for being that sexist – and she'd manage."
She smirks back at him.
"I don't get a veto?" Tony whimpers.
"No!" all retort simultaneously.
"Just a question...," Tony mutters under his breath. Suddenly, Thor is next to Loki, grasping her arm rather roughly. She whips her head at him, her emerald eyes shining with anger.
"Loki, come with me, now!" Thor snarls at her, to which she replies sarcastically, "So gentle, aren't we, Thor? Always a true gentleman."
Thor pulls Loki into the next room, only inches away from Loki's face, before he pulls away roughly, looking disgusted.
"Why are you doing this?!" he demands.
"I told you the reasons just in there, you did not have to knock me around like a rag doll for that," Loki sneers, not feeling in the least intimidated by the thunderer. If he thinks that a female shape weakens Loki's mind, he is more than mistaken.
"You do this only to mock me," Thor argues angrily, but Loki retorts with venom in her voice, "Thor, there is thousands other ways to mock you, all of which are more effective. I do this because it serves the purpose – and because in contrast to other people, I do not mind that form... and I know that you once didn't either."
"Don't even go there!" Thor growls, looking like a wolf short before it strikes its enemy.
"Oh, so you don't remember, is it? That night by...," Loki hums playfully, but she doesn't get to finish, because Thor interrupts her harshly, "Loki, stop, right there! No word from you! You tricked me!"
"Of course. It is in my nature, Thor," Loki sneers.
Thor, a hand over his eyes, tries to contain his anger, "Can't you choose another form?"
"No, not without draining myself of my energy. And I don't want to either. This is me also, Thor. Face it," Loki hisses. With that the young woman walks back into the other room.
"So, has everyone calmed down now so that we can make a decision? I'm growing tired of this argument," she begins, but then catches sight of a visitor. "Oh, Master Fury. Now we are making it official, aren't we?"
"Agent Romanov informed me about the latest developments," Fury nods.
"So... Master Fury, what is it? Am I violating my contract with wearing this face or am I not?" Loki asks him self-consciously.
"We never made a decision about the matter. It is not in the contract whether you should take on a certain kind of form. It was demanded that it is one that doesn't draw attention to it or already exists here on earth," Fury confirms, to which Loki nods, "I can assure you both criteria are being met."
"Does a female body mean that you are weakened, on your physical capabilities?" Fury asks. Natasha growls in the background.
"I'm still me. No strength has left me. It's just this body shape. Nothing more," Loki smiles at him.
"And you are not lying to me?" Fury questions, but she assures him, "For once: you can rest assured. I already told you that I have any intention to stay on this planet, for it is my only refuge. I see the necessity to keep here – and this is my best chance of accomplishing just that. So... you have my word for it. This is no trick. All criteria you gave me: This body meets them."
"... then I see no violation of the contract," Fury declares.
"I thank you," Loki bows to him gracefully.
"You better not be lying to me," Fury threatens her.
"I remember the ant and the boot quite well, Master Fury," Loki smiles at him briefly.
Fury nods, "Okay, so now the fuss is over. You guys should get back to whatever you were doing, and start handling your shit yourself. I'm not here to play your referee all the time."
With that the man leaves the room. Loki beams utmost innocently before baring her teeth in a rather threatening way. She walks over to Natasha and Bruce and tells them quietly, "I thank you."
With that she leaves the room also, and by that... a very confused set of Avengers.
"Did Loki just...," Bruce stammers, still staring at the spot where Loki just stood.
"Think she did...," Natasha nods absently.
"And she...," Bruce grimaces.
"Think she did," she shrugs helplessly.
"Wow," Bruce blinks.
"Yup," Natasha nods.
The Avengers are slowly spreading back out again.
What a day?