The Robbed That Smiles

Chapter 06:

"You better send me back, wizard!" Thor rounded on Strange after the man stepped through another portal, their surroundings some official appearing offices similar to those the thunder god had been to an hour or so ago. "The cowards are planning to apprehend my brother and lock him up for something that you did!"

Strange threw Thor a look, one both condescending and screaming at the thunder god's audacity to not trust him. "He's safe. No one will be able to get in or out of the New York Sanctum without a Sanctum approved sorcerer allowing it. That means myself or Wong." The Midgardian sorcerer paused, considering the thunder god's angry confusion. "Now, do you want to convince the US government to not lock up your brother in a civil manner? Or would you rather go knocking heads in to help him escape? Mind you the latter option could have ramifications for New Asgard, seeing as you're your peoples leader."

Thor bristled. "I will not sacrifice my brother nor will I endanger my people." He glowered at Strange, his clenched fist itching to strike the other man. Ever since his meeting earlier that day where he learned about the newest statue fiasco and saw how quick S.H.I.E.L.D and the US officials were to place blame solely on Loki, the thunder god was furious. It made him second guess his decision to bring his people to Midgard after Asgard's destruction. "You will clear things up, wizard."

"I will do what I can." Strange replied, while Thor scowled, annoyed by the sorcerer's answer. Recognizing the rash anger brimming in Thor, Strange stepped away from the thunder god's reach before continuing. "But I doubt it will be as easy as my confessing. Sending military to the New York Sanctum and waiting for us to leave, just to capture your brother seems more serious than to be simply about a statue."

"You'd be right." Came a voice, drawing their attention. The owner, a middle aged man dressed in a blue-gray suit and dark loafers, strode forward. Clean-shaven with a mess of burnt sienna hair on his head, eyes pale gray, the man peered at Thor and Strange. Neither recognized the man, and there were a few moments of looming silence as they gauged each other. "Agent Finley J. Morfield." The man introduced himself, flashing his credentials as he did so. "And you are Dr. Stephen Strange and Mr. Thor Odinson. It is an honor to meet both of you. I am a...admirer of yours. Of your team."

Thor scowled, his expression saying all he needed: That he didn't care who the other man was, and that the agent needed to buzz off, the thunder god not being in the mood to deal with the Midgardian. Dr. Strange's reaction was different. The wizard gave his fellow human a careful glance over, having caught the whole of the other's credentials in his photographic memory.

"Agent Morfield, what is the Department of Mediation and Evasive Defenses for the United States of America? It isn't a section of US defense or intelligence that I'm familiar with." Strange queried the other man, scrutinizing him.

"It's a new department. An offshoot of S.H.I.E.L.D, similar in scope but designed to be separate from it." Finley Morfield replied. "Ever since it was revealed that Hydra had managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D, it was decided best to not put all our eggs in one basket - as the saying goes. To prevent such a thing happening again."

"Ah," Strange thought for a moment. "Since you're here rather than S.H.I.E.L.D, should I assume it's your department behind the US military that are camped outside the New York Sanctum waiting to storm the building?" The surgeon-turned-sorcerer inquired, while beside him Thor glanced at him and then at Morfield.

"Not exactly." The agent replied, causing both Avengers to become suspicious. Wary. "On the contrary, my department is what's keeping S.H.I.E.L.D or other arms of government from just bringing you all in. They want to. Ever since one of Loki's pranks last year nearly caused nuclear war to break out, everyone's been wanting him captured and sealed away. They just needed a reason."

The thunder god tensed and swallowed, understanding the prank to which the agent referred. Loki had 'kidnapped' a member of an important Midgardian family while pretending to be a member of an enemy country's ruling family. Things escalated after members of the enemy country caught on, but rather than out Loki's prank, they attempted to extort their enemy for weapons and territory in exchange for the kidnapped member's safe return. The extortion was stopped once Loki revealed his prank and released his 'kidnap victim,' furious that the Midgardians had taken advantage of the situation. The 'kidnap victim' himself had been in on the prank, a sheltered 20 year old who was enthralled by Loki's devil-may-care, do what you want, attitude.

The fallout in the weeks following that prank had horrified Thor, and he almost agreed to lock up Loki; relenting only after realizing that his brother had been shaken by how close his prank got to triggering nuclear Armageddon.

"Are you saying your department doesn't want Loki locked up?" Strange quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"On the contrary, we would prefer he was secured, in all honesty. The higher ups in my department just think it unwise to make an enemy out of the Asgardian refugees and their leader. After all Mr. Odinson here and his people could just leave the planet and come back in a few centuries or so to get revenge on our unsuspecting descendants." The agent turned to Thor as he said this, the tilt of his head and mirthful twist to his lip indicating he was partly joking, but mostly serious; the thunder god simply shook his head and started denying he would do or allow anything of the sort. "Our department's goal is to prevent conflict or the escalation thereof, using pragmatic means rather than being bound by ideology or nationalistic sentiment. We simply want to be positive your brother isn't a threat, but not in a way that will make you hostile."

"Then call off your military. Loki isn't behind this most recent statue prank." Thor replied.

"That...is not about the statue. The statue is just an excuse S.H.I.E.L.D is using. Let's talk in here." Morfield gestured towards a conference room door, and after the three of them entered he elaborated; the door clicking shut as he spoke. "Today's prank is nothing compared to last week's. Lady Liberty replaced with a statue of the god of lies? Accompanied by a citywide illusion of destruction? That was much more serious than swapping the poem at the base or making the whole statue 7 inches off." Morfield caught Strange's curious gaze. "Yes, that part was noticed. You rebuilt the statue so every part of it is about 7 inches skewed from the original."

"7.117 inches to be exact." Strange corrected, earning a raised eyebrow from Thor and an unfazed stare from Morfield. "Anyway, if S.H.I.E.L.D is so gung-ho on apprehending Loki, why didn't they just do it last week? Rather than issue the ultimatum: statue or prison?" There was another pause as the wizard realized the answer to his question from the agent's demeanor. "Ah...That ultimatum was from your department. Not S.H.I.E.L.D."

Morfield tilted his head in an acknowledging gesture, while Thor bristled, his good eye narrowed furiously. "It was our idea. Washington was ready to declare war on Loki last week for that prank. They took it as a hostile attack, thinking he was attempting to resume his conquest of Earth. My department thought otherwise. The Ultimatum was a test to prove it."

"Hn." Thor huffed, standing up straighter and more menacingly over the shorter by a quarter foot man. "Well, my brother passed your test. He restored the statue as best he could." The thunder god explained, further divulging with the agent that they were in the process of recovering the real statue from where Loki had hidden it after he supplanted it with his own. "My brother isn't a threat."

"I believe you. And I am sure many in Washington do as well. Your word has been good as gold, Mr. Odinson, since your people asked for Asylum on Earth three years ago and you've been an asset in defending the planet. It's the main reason your brother has been given any leeway." Morfield watched as Thor's expression shifted to slight confusion, while Strange just grimaced without surprise. "Your brother has been given lots of leeway, Mr. Odinson. Lots. Or do you really think fines and community service are the usual punishments doled out for the sort of problems Mr. Loki causes with his pranks?" The agent asked before immediately waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, when Thor started to protest. "But that's all moot. Most countries have effectively given Loki diplomatic immunity just so they don't have risk angering you or arresting him."

"Diplomatic Immunity…?" Thor faltered, his confusion prompting Strange to explain the concept of legal immunity given to diplomats; the thunder god quietly absorbed his fellow Avenger's words. His expression grew more remorseful and righteous as he realized the extent of leniency Loki had been given by the Midgardians. "But my brother isn't…"

"What is important is what showed up on radar recently." The agent continued, ignoring Thor's interruption. "Scientists in S.H.I.E.L.D, NASA, and other agencies caught a blip - an energy signal that struck alarm bells through the entire science and research sector. One belonging to something we've studied before, a handful of years ago." Morfield paused, glancing from Thor to Strange and back. "The Tesseract." He focused on Thor. The thunder god tensed and his good eye widened. "The artifact that your brother stole before, when he attempted to conquer earth, and which you subsequently brought back to Asgard. Its energy signal was recently picked up on Earth."

~0~

"...hell!" Lokki hollered and slammed shut a cabinet door, her stomach rumbling. The nausea she'd felt earlier at the cafe had abated and she felt ravenous. Prodded by that and by Reyda's exclamation that she hadn't gained enough weight, Lokki had gone to the makeshift kitchen to search for something edible. But being more of a breakroom to keep snacks than to prepare meals, as the current Sanctum's residents were more inclined to eat out rather than in, she'd found little to entice her.

What she did find was both unhealthy and unappetizing, and she glowered at the food. Although nutritious for Midgardians to some extent, the snacks that were appetizing weren't at all nutritious for a pregnant Jotunn. And though with her previous pregnancies she'd been less vigilant, Lokki didn't feel like settling for processed Midgardian junk. The raisin bread muffin from the cafe that morning had been enough processed crap for the day.

"Milady, are you al…" Reyda hurried into the makeshift kitchen, Wong directly behind her. Both of their expressions were saturated with concern, fearful that the pregnant goddess may have been hurt by the Sanctum's security spell. Their fear shifted to confusion seeing Lokki glowering at the cabinet. "...right?"

"Miss Lo…."

Noticing their approach, Lokki faced Wong and Reyda, sulking and irritable. Addressing the monk, she demanded. "Go get me something to eat. I'm hungry. You don't have anything good to eat here."

Wong blinked. "That's why you shouted? You're just…"

"Starving? Yes." The frost giantess snapped, staring furiously at the Midgardian. "What? Did you think I hadn't noticed the Sanctuary Spell and tried leaving? Seriously?" Lokki crossed her arms and shook her head. "In what universe would I be so oblivious I'd…."

"...be fooled by such a thing?" Interjected Loki, the mischief god siding up next to his doppelganger; his affect schooled in complete denial that he himself had been so oblivious mere moments ago. Having been listening out of sight, hoping to observe his double's shocked response to being trapped in the Sanctum, he'd felt his pride bruise the moment Lokki mentioned the Sanctuary spell. She hadn't missed it. "Unthinkable." The mischief god smoothly lied, knowing that Wong and Reyda being witnesses to his injury wouldn't be fooled, but hoping he could fool his doppelganger. It was a relishing thought, managing to fool himself of sorts.

Lokki grimaced, but said nothing to refute the mischief god. Instead she just repeated her demand that Wong go fetch her something to eat. "You're the only one of us who can leave while Sanctuary is in effect." She countered when the monk tried refusing her request, claiming he wasn't her errand boy. "I am pregnant, hungry, and you have nothing I can eat here."

"There's snacks." Wong motioned towards the cabinets Lokki had just searched through; contained within were shelf stable goodies like fruit juice, nuts, chips. Some cookies. The least processed thing being the nuts.

Lokki just glared at Wong.

"Lady Lokki's right." Reyda spoke up, looking over the snacks in the cabinets. During the three years she and her fellow Asgardians had lived on Midgard, she had researched Midgardian cuisine. Researched the additives and ingredients they used, and their methods for preparing food. As a healer and particularly as a Maternity doctor, she needed to know what foods were right for her Asgardian patients. "None of this is really healthy for her. If she was Asgardian, perhaps. But Jotunns have specific nutrition needs during gestation. Raw and unprocessed produce, sparsely cooked meats. Or fully cooked meats that are cooled considerably. The colder the better, considering Midgard is much warmer than Jotunheim."

"See? My doctor says I can't have any of this...junk." Said Lokki, even as she eyed the cookies Reyda removed from in the cabinet while searching through it. The frost giantess hadn't bothered with the cookies before, other than giving them a brief glance, knowing from her universe that Midgardian sweets weren't good for her. Despite how delicious they were. Noticing the wording on the wrapper around the cookies, Lokki licked her lips and gazed longingly at it. "Oatmeal raisin…that...that's not too unhealthy, right?" She leaned over Reyda and attempted to swipe the cookie package, only for the Asgardian to move it out from Lokki's reach, shaking her head.

"No." Reyda frowned as her attempt at siding with Lokki and insisting Wong get the Jotunn something nutritious to eat lost steam. The Midgardian monk appeared less inclined to get the frost giantess proper food now that Lokki apparently found something she liked amid the snacks. "Midgardian grains and oats are not good for pregnant Jotunn."

"...how about just the raisins?" Lokki muttered, frowning when Reyda still shook her head, the Asgardian mentioning something about Midgardians adding too much sugar. Before the frost giantess could protest further or make another grab for the package, it was taken from Reyda. By Loki.

"I'll take that." The mischief god smirked, before handing the cookies to his doppelganger. He watched her beam and immediately rip open the package, savoring the sweets. Reyda just sighed, exasperated but at the same time not about to deny her pregnant patient sustenance, even if it wasn't optimal. The oatmeal cookies were among the least objectionable foods available to Lokki at the moment, the only better option being the nuts mixture.

"Fine for now. But we'll need to talk later about what you need, nutrition-wise." Said Reyda to Lokki, before addressing Wong. "Would you know why this Sanctuary spell was activated? To keep someone in or keep someone out?"

Wong started to reply, but a loud alarm reverberated through the Sanctum. The sound warning that someone was trying to access the building despite the Sanctuary Spell. But unlike Loki's attempted exit, whoever was trying to enter was doing so through a portal. A portal originating from one of the other Sanctums. And cast by a fellow Kamar-Taj sorcerer, but not one approved to pass the magical lockdown.

The monk's demeanor shifted from surprise to curiosity, while hurried footsteps outside approached the Sanctum. There was a large crashing noise outside as the Sanctuary Spell repelled whoever had approached.

~0~

"How's it looking?" Asked Stark through the iron suit he'd sent to aid Rogers in the latter's surveillance on the New York Sanctum. The mecha suit had just arrived next to the Avenger, barely doing more than a brief scan of the perimeter.

"None of them have made a move yet." Rogers replied, not bothering to more than glance at the iron suit. His focus was set on the undercover soldiers waiting in the abandoned house and by the unmarked car parked down the street. As a veteran himself, he had no desire to fight against fellow US soldiers. "Are you sure they will?"

"Absolutely. If this was just about a prank, they would have had us detain Loki as we've done for the past three years. Even if Thor refused, S.H.I.E.L.D would've requested the rest of us bring in Reindeer Games." Stark said through the iron suit, while he scanned through the files displayed on his computer monitor. "You recall Mischief Night two years ago, right?"

"Yeah." Rogers nodded, thinking about the eve of halloween two years back. Loki, having learned about the tradition to pull tricks on people around everyone's favorite costume holiday, pulled non-stop pranks on everyone. Both the Avengers and random strangers. None of the pranks themselves were dangerous or terribly bad-taste, but his trickery was excessive. Enough that the local government asked the Avengers to curtail the mischief god's antics. Thor had refused, not seeing how non-dangerous pranks done on a night set aside for such warranted detaining his brother. "I admit, it is unusual not to ask us to bring Loki in first."

"Right, and…"

A shrill alarm cut Stark off, the noise coming from the direction of the Sanctum. At the same time another alarm sounded, this one from Stark's end and originating from his computer. The inventor immediately focused on the tower alarm, while Rogers focused on the Sanctum, as did the iron suit, Stark having switched it to defend mode over surveillance.

Rogers hurried down from his lookout point, intent on aiding in protecting the Sanctum against whatever threat triggered the alarm. He stopped midway from his perch when he caught sight of one of the soldiers from the abandoned house doing what he was. It happened so quickly, he hardly registered the soldier being repelled from the Sanctum by whatever protection spell Strange had set.

His eyes widened, realization sinking in; it sunk in faster once he realized that the iron suit Stark had left to help him, though closer to the building now than him, wasn't entering. Instead it seemed to be scanning the Sanctum, attempting to find a way through the protection barrier. And so far failing.

~0~

"The Tesseract? You're sure it was the Tesseract your scanners picked up?" Thor ran his hand through his hair, frowning heavily at the Midgardian agent.

Behind the thunder god Strange also frowned, though his dismay was equally spread between Morfield and Thor. Having never fully believed that Loki was truthful about leaving the Tesseract behind in Asgard, he wasn't put off by the agent's claim. Nor was he surprised by the actions S.H.I.E.L.D and Morfield's department took so far, considering how dangerous the artifact could be in enemy hands.

Not that the mischief god was an enemy exactly, but he was dangerous. And the idea of Loki having possession of the Tesseract made Strange wary - even if the trickster had no true plan to harm them or Earth, the god favored chaos too much.

"S.H.I.E.L.D's scanners did, but yes. We're sure."

Morfield answered Thor, matching the god's glower with a piercing stare of his own.

Thor shook his head. "That's impossible. The Tesseract was destroyed with Asgard. Three years ago."

"Did your brother tell you that?"

Thor bristled and took a step towards Morfield, furious. Despite his previous misgivings about Loki's claim of not possessing the powerful artifact, the thunder god refused now to disbelieve his brother. He certainly refused to simply listen to the stranger in front of him, a stranger who knew nothing of his family, speak as though he knew more about Thor's family than Thor.

"Calm down." Strange grabbed Thor's arm, his own thoughts already moving on from his suspicion of Loki. Holding the thunder god back, the wizard addressed the agent. "Agent Morfield, when exactly did the Tesseract get picked up on radar? I assume not until after the statue fiasco nine days ago."

"The day of actually." Morfield replied after a few seconds of hesitance, his inscrutable gaze shifting towards the wizard after glancing at the god. "A recent recruit without knowledge of the Tesseract discovered its signal, and thus it wasn't brought to the attention of the higher ups in S.H.I.E.L.D until that night."

"I see." Muttered Strange, before letting go of Thor. "The signal wouldn't have happened to originate in New York City, would it?" The wizard asked, not needing to bother waiting for a verbal answer as Morfield's suspicious glower was enough. Thor glared at Strange.

"Loki isn't behind…"

"Good day, agent." Strange cut across Thor and ignored the blistering scowl the thunder god gave, his attention focused on Morfield. "But I agree with my colleague here, his brother is neither in possession of nor behind the resurfacing of the Tesseract."

"What makes you think that?"

"Aside from the fact that he's had three years to use it unfettered, but didn't?" Replied Strange, while Thor gazed curiously at him, having caught the emphasis the wizard placed on the word 'brother.' The thunder god kept quiet though, realizing the wizard's suspicion and also the reason why Strange wasn't keen to share it with Agent Morfield. "A hunch. Now if you would excuse…"

"No." Interrupted Morfield, while the door to the conference room opened and people entered; some sort of combat guard or soldiers judging by their footsteps. Strange and Thor shared a look, wondering at the agent's foolishness; neither one surprised by the agent's sudden shift in tactics. Morfield did say earlier that the government wanted to bring them all in.