Disclaimer: Geez Louise! I told you already I own nothing owned by someone else! *Faints Dramatically*
AN: Hello and thank you all for reading chapter four of 'Blankly Blue'. Have a good time!
Loki wished he could hide under the table or run or do anything else besides staring at the Avengers like a deer caught in the headlights.
They all had their weapons out and prepared… For him.
His hands began shaking and it wasn't from the chill in the air.
"Guys, I know you've probably got other things on your minds, but where'd the dog come from?" Iron Man asked.
"L-Loki?" Thor said, clearly shocked.
"Pepper." Steve said, confronting the woman, "What is he doing here?" he asked her, softly.
"H-He looked like he needed help." Pepper sputtered out; she clearly hadn't expected such strong reactions from everyone. "H-he was out in the cold and I— what's wrong? Who is he?" Pepper asked, glancing at Loki.
"Loki." Natasha answered Pepper's question. Black Widow was glaring Loki down hard, making him all the more nervous, uncomfortable and all around unnerved.
Loki stared at them, his eyes as wide as saucers.
Moments later, iron clashed with the orb of light on the ceiling above, as it enveloped all over Iron Man, leaving him in his suit of armor. Flinched ever so slightly.
Thor just staring at Loki, until he walked towards him and presented him with one of his mighty bear-hugs… Which hurt a lot more than usual, given Loki's state and the fact that he was now human.
"Brother." Thor said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. Loki would not have been surprised if the buffoon started crying right then and there.
Thor had been hugging him for a long time and it had begun to get awkward, well, at least more awkward than it had already been. When Thor had finally realized the awkwardness he let go of Loki and turned to the other Avengers.
"Worry not," Thor said, "Have not I told you already? Loki is a brave and honorable hero!"
Loki winced at what Thor said. None of that was actually true and Thor was about to find that out for himself.
"Then what is he doing here?" Natasha Romanoff asked.
Loki really disliked being the center of attention, regardless of how others perceived him differently.
Tony thought Loki looked like a Tim Burton character. His face was pale and he was a lot smaller than the genius had remembered. He looked fragile and his dark circles were evident on his face. His cheekbones were a lot more defined and his eyes, rather than being filled with fiery hatred and arrogance, were filled with surprise, fear and vulnerability and were very, very tired looking. He hadn't kept his eyes off the weapons that the Avengers and Tony had ready. Tony felt rather silly for wearing his Iron Man suit against this foe, but one should never underestimate another by appearances, as he had come to learn so often before.
"Brother, what are you doing here?"
"I—" Loki choked on his words. The Avengers were all staring at him with hostility. They had lowered their weapons a little, but they could still strike him within seconds. "I—" his eyes had begun to water. Oh, no. Please don't cry! Why are you crying? Please don't cry! Stop! Stop!
He just felt so completely overwhelmed!
Loki attempted to hide his face in his hands. He felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable!
The Avengers were still watching him with waveringly weary eyes. They were clearly beginning to think him weak. Stop crying! Stop! Stop! Stop! Sto—
"Erm… You doin' alright, Bambi?" Iron Man said.
"Come." Thor whispered something to the Avengers before he led Pepper and them, though they seemed rather reluctant, out. He then sat down on the chair to face Loki.
"Are you alright, brother?" Thor asked, concern in his eyes, "Loki?"
Loki was no longer crying, but during that time he had, without noticing, planted his face on the table and he really didn't want to move it from there. He did not want to face the almighty Thor. His face was probably red and definitely tear stricken.
"Perfectly fine, thank you." he said, his voice muffled in the table.
"I thought you dead, Loki." Thor said. Loki could feel his eyes watching him; it made him feel uncomfortable and small.
"My apologies. It's a naughty habit." The former god said, attempting to sound indifferent. His voice had cracked a little bit; he hoped Thor hadn't noticed.
The room had fallen unnervingly silent, after a while.
"Loki. Look at me. Please, brother." Thor pleaded.
Loki had then come to the realization that he was being cowardly and childish to not face Thor, so, with that in mind, he slowly lifted his head up.
Asta nuzzled his hands, almost encouragingly, as she stood by his side.
He could see Mjolnir hanging from Thor's straps. Thor could kill him with it at that very moment.
He looked up at Thor, but avoided looking into his eyes, rather opting to look at a stray strand of blonde hair on the right side of Thor's forehead.
"What happened, Loki? I don't understand." Thor asked.
Loki knew this was the time to speak. The avengers were not here to act on their hostilities and Thor seemed as though he might not hurt him, but Loki still felt as nervous as ever.
"Did you trick Ms. Potts?" Thor asked.
"Wh—" Loki coughed, "What?"
"Ms. Potts, Loki? Did you trick her?" Thor asked again.
Loki blinked, "What? No. No, she was just being… nice."
Loki's blood was banging in his ears and his chest had begun to ache with anxiety.
"Th-Thor?" he sputtered, concentrating his sight on anything but his brother. "Thor… As you have most likely discovered, Odin has gone missing."
He felt Thor tense up.
"What have you done, Loki?" he said, knowingly.
Somehow Thor didn't seem surprised by Loki's not being dead. But Loki suspected Thor had probably become accustomed at that rate to Loki's 'not actually dead' stunts.
Loki took a deep breath and exhaled, causing his chest to sear up a bit, "Thor I need to tell you… A lot. Please listen and let me speak and try to… Understand." Loki said, slowly.
Thor nodded, quietly.
..::..::..::..::..::..::..::..
The Avengers all stood behind the door behind the kitchen.
Steve was feeling ambivalent about the entire situation. He trusted Thor's judgement, but with Loki it was different. Loki was an enemy of earth and he didn't want to offend Thor, but that meant that no matter what Loki was not to be trusted or treated as a friend in any way. How was he even alive anyways? Thor had told them the trickster had died…
"Stop eavesdropping." Steve said to the others, firmly. He wouldn't have any disrespect towards individual teammates.
Tony just rolled his eyes at Steve and went back to holding his ear up to the door, shamelessly. "Aren't we all kind of eavesdropping, just by being here?"
Steve glared at him.
Bruce wasn't eavesdropping. He respected other's privacy regardless of how curious he got. Usually.
Loki had looked rather ill and very unhealthy. Bruce could note right away that he was hiding something… But rather than some villainous scheme or malevolent trick, he saw that Loki was most certainly hiding some sort of trauma. Still yet, Loki actually seemed a little saner. Regardless of his even crazier looking look, Loki actually looked and seemed saner! But maybe that was all in the doctor's head. None of these observations meant he felt sorry for Loki. Loki was unstable and unpredictable, he could not be trusted, even if Thor vouched for him. Even if Loki had good intentions then he might change his mind and start destroying something or kill someone.
Tony didn't need to ask why Loki was actually alive, even though Thor had said otherwise. Loki was smart, cunning and Thor wasn't stupid, per se, but he could definitely be tricked by the infamous trickster. Tony weighed the possibility that Loki was actually alive a while ago and even then he believed him to be, most likely, living.
Loki didn't seem as arrogant, and that was odd. He didn't seem so bat-shit crazy, and that was odder.
The number one question Tony had was: Why was Loki their?
Tony couldn't actually see any indication, but he knew odds were the manipulative little shit was planning something or other. He was probably fake crying too.
He suspected Loki was planning on playing the vulnerability card, though that seemed like something Loki would be too prideful to take on. All he could be completely sure of was Loki was planning something. It was obvious what the plan was about; infiltrating the Avengers base and getting information or something out of them or revenge… Okay maybe there were more reasons than one. How Loki was going to carry out his plan was another question to ask. Tony Stark didn't know what the reindeer was planning, but he didn't trust Loki with a ten-foot pole. The dude threw him out a window and practically destroyed Manhattan.
Natasha stood by the door, next to Tony. She too was trying to listen in on the conversation too, though a lot more subtly than Tony.
Natasha didn't like to think she was one to hold grudges over people, but she could feel herself screaming with a hatred inside.
She had indeed heard the tails spoken by Thor of how Loki had assisted him and had died a hero's death. But she still did not trust the bastard and she strongly doubted any of the other Avengers did.
Why was Loki there? Why wasn't he dead? Natasha could tell right away that his presence would lead to something bad. She knew she would have to convince Thor of this fact, though the other Avengers didn't need any convincing. They knew how dangerous Loki could be.
Thor was brainwashed by the fact that Loki was his brother, but Natasha would not in hell let that compromise them.
Brother or no brother, hero or no hero, Loki was still classified as an enemy of earth and for good and real purposes.
Natasha had made a certain promise regarding the mischief-maker that she planned to carry out. She had to tell him. She would also have to tell SHIELD about this, though she really didn't want to get on Thor's bad side. He may seem like a big fluffy teddy bear at times, but he could snap her neck with his bare hands within seconds. She did have to tell SHIELD though. Nevertheless, she would do it a little later.
"Guys, I'm going to use the restroom." Natasha said so no one would wonder where she went. The others looked up at her a moment and Bruce nodded.
"Natty, we don't need all this information." Tony said, ear still crushing the door. "I regret making these doors soundproof."
She stepped through the halls until she got to her own bedroom, that was soundproof and had several other things installed as well for perfect privacy.
Picking up her untraceable phone, she dialed an all too familiar number and the phone began buzzing as she held it to her ear.
..::..::..::..::..::..::..::..
Clint was looking out the window at his beautiful wife, Laura, who was swinging Cooper and Lila on the swings in turn. Nathaniel was too small still, so he waddled about the yard while Laura kept a close eye on him. They were all wearing cute little coats that made them look like fluffy marshmallows.
Nathanial toppled over in the wind and Laura went to his aid. Clint laughed out loud. He knew the boy was okay.
The News had said that it was going to snow soon— the kids will love that. He might take the older ones sledding this year.
Clint smiled. He felt as though this was going to be a beautiful and peaceful day.
He was about to step outside to greet them when he heard the sound of his phone ringing on the table.
He walked over to the table and picked it up.
Nat is calling
His smile faded away fast.
He sighed and picked it up. "Nat?"
"Clint. He's here." Nat said, through the phone.
Clint furrowed his brows, confused, "That's kind of cryptic, Nat…" Clint said. Clint knew a lot of he's this he could be anyone that wasn't female— no shit, Clint!
"No, Clint. He's back. Loki." Natasha said.
Clint blinked. "What?"
"Loki's back. He's in Avengers Tower."
Clint sighed in frustration as he walked over to the window again. Loki was back, Loki was back. It was the only thing his mind could think. His life was supposed to be normal!
"Thanks for telling me, Natasha." He said as he flipped the phone closed.
He sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he looked at his wife and kids again.
He couldn't just leave, that would be completely selfish to them. Then he was hit by an epiphany; what was really selfish was him being too cowardly to face the son of a bitch and keep his family safe from him.
Clint knew what he had to do.
He grabbed a few things for the trip in haste but stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at the chest with his bow and arrows inside.
He opened the chest and held his bow high, before putting it back in and picking up the chest.
He stepped outside, greeted by unsuspecting smiles.
"Daddy!"
He walked to his car and put his things inside the car.
"Clint? Where are you going?" Laura asked, confused.
Clint sighed once more. "I need to take care of some things. I'll be back in a few days, maybe weeks." Who knows what would come up?
She smiled a sad understanding smile and he did too, before he stepped into his car and drove off.
..::..::..::..::..::..::..::..
Loki finished. His hands were shaking, his heart was banging in his chest, and he was looking down at the table, at the 'coffee' he had still not tried out.
Thor sighed.
"Brother… I believe that… If you aided us in helping save Father, that would restore your honor. Only then will I forgive you." the thunder god said.
Loki looked up at Thor; this answer was more than Loki had hoped for. Thor was willing to forgive him, if he helped then further by taking them. He couldn't tell Thor where Odin was. It was a bit too difficult to explain in words so he would have to show Thor.
"Thank you… for not killing me." Loki said, chuckling a bit, in relief.
Thor cracked a painful looking smile.
Loki was feeling slightly less upset, but he still had to show them where Odin was and how to infiltrate where he is and save him… Which would mean, of course, that he had to also face Odin after helping kidnap him. Wonderful.
..::..::..::..::..::..::..::..
Tony was still listening through the door… Crap! It has already begun, the manipulative little Anti-Christ— then the door swung open and hit his nose.
"Ugh… Crap!" he yelled.
Bruce came to Tony's aid. His nose wasn't bleeding and it wasn't broken or anything serious, but it probably really, really hurt.
"That's what happens, Tony." Steve said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Shut up, Charlie Chaplin." Tony groaned.
"I'm not that old, Tony." Steve said, irritation soaked in his voice like a dirty washcloth.
Natasha came in just in time to witness the event. "What's going on exactly…?"
Thor just stood there, confused.
"But, really, guys... Where does the dog come in, in all of this?" Tony asked, nursing his nose.
Thank you all for all the kind feedback and for simply taking the time to read my story; it is all very much appreciated. Until next time,
-P.H.