A/N: SCHOOL IS OVER! This doesn't necessarily mean that updates will be faster, it just means that they will be more probable. :P Anyways, this is a continuation of the last one, all from Loki's point of view, because I've been reading a lot of fics with him as the center.
Even though he would never admit it to anyone else, even himself, Loki had friends. Kind of. Most normal people would probably not call his relationships healthy, but when could his emotional state ever be healthy to normal people? So yes, he had people that he considered friends, somewhere in his twisted mind. Jack was one, and somehow the Avengers had also managed to make it onto his short list. Another thing that most people would say was not healthy for his mind was just how overly protective of his friends he was. He could hurt them, but no one else could touch them. And all of them had been threatened by the Nightmares. Never mind that the horses hadn't gone directly after his friends, they had come into the direct vicinity. Which was what had led him to Burgess. He scoffed at the broken bed sitting over a hole in the ground. 'Monster under the bed' indeed. Only Midgardians would fall for such nonsense. He summoned a small globe of light in one hand and started down the hole. Inside was a cavernous, dark room. Cages hung around on the ceiling and there was a globe in the middle of the room, small lights flickering on it.
"Loki Odinson. Such a pleasure." Pitch stepped out of the shadows in front of him, pale skin contrasting with dark robes. At first glance he appeared to be hale, but the second revealed shaking hands and a slight stoop to his shoulders. Pitch smiled.
"I suppose you wish to join forces in order to overrun this pitiful world." He said, sounding satisfied. Loki smiled as well, showing far too many teeth.
"Oh, no. Quite the opposite actually." He moved to stand directly in front of the spirit, still smiling, although it was more of a snarl now. He was only inches away and Pitch went even paler than he was normally.
"I suppose you didn't hear my earlier decree. I'll tell you now. Stay away from New York. It's mine. And nobody touches the Avengers or Jack Frost." He hissed. Pitch's eyes narrowed.
"Jack Frost? The meddling whelp!" He leaned into Lokis face, his yellow eyes alight. "I tell you now, if he comes across my path again, I will kill him and those who stand in his way." His tone spoke of barely restrained anger and Loki felt its equal rise up in him.
"You will never lay a finger on him, Bogeyman." He spat. They stared at each other for a few moments, at an impasse, until Pitch smiled. The smile grew until he began to a cackle, an insane laugh not unlike Lokis not so long ago.
"Oh, that is rich. You care for the brat. For all your talk about sentiment, you actually care for him. Tell me, does he know that you are a monster?" He hissed. Loki growled and slashed with one of his knives, only for Pitch to disappear into the darkness. His laugh continued to echo though, and Loki threw a fireball out of frustration. Then another and another, until the lair was ablaze and the laughter had stopped. Then he left quickly, uncomfortable in the rising temperature. He stood in the woods, staring at that broken bed for a long while, thinking about Pitch's words. He didn't know how Jack would react when he told of his true heritage. Surely he would recoil, just as those in Asgard had. Surely Jack would shun him, never speak to him again. Right?
"Hey, Loki! What are you doing in my neck of the woods?" Loki glanced up to see Jack perched in a tree above him. He smirked at the teen.
"World domination. The small towns always go first." He deadpanned. Jack laughed.
"Right. I'll definitely remember that. Well, in between your world domination plans, care to come hang out? I'm meeting Jamie at the lake in a few minutes, I'm sure he'd love to meet you." Jack offered. Loki shrugged.
"I suppose I can meet your mortal." He agreed. And then maybe later he'd tell him. Maybe.