Chapter 18
Temperatures dropped starkly in the desert when the sun went down. Loki had come to appreciate it, though he could have enjoyed the dusk hours far more hadn't it been for his troubled mind.
He had been talking with Stark the previous days about Robert Norwood's possessions on earth, and what would become of them once they traveled to Asgard. Loki wasn't very keen on feigning again his own death, and wanted an administrator for his assets. Stark as an individual wasn't his first option, for obvious reasons; Miss Potts, however, offered him the reassurance he needed.
The procedure was too long for him to be in Midgard, but Tony had assured him that JARVIS could help stamping Norwood's name on the documents. Technically it wasn't forgery, but a delayed signature.
That put his mind at ease, if only for a bit. Normally he never trusted managing his assets to anyone that wasn't him, but he had no other option this time. Besides, robbing a god-like entity and expecting to get away with it would be so extremely stupid not even humans would think of it.
He heard steps behind him, and he didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Evening," Jane said as she stood by his side.
He looked at her. She watched the horizon while wrapping her jacket tighter around her body as the chilly wind picked up.
"Just a few hours more," she said, breaking the silence and looking up at him with a smile. "Then you will be home."
He slid his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to his side. Jane answered by throwing her arm around his waist, and he noticed her hands were shaking. When asked if she was all right, she took some moments to answer.
"Is not every day that you see someone off to war," she said.
Loki pulled her against him, giving her a full hug and she answered in kind.
"Just promise me you will take care, that's all," she asked of him, her voice muffled against his chest.
He took her face between his hands and kissed her. The movement was so sudden it caught her off guard, but she quickly relaxed and kissed him back.
When their lips parted, neither pulled away, remaining with their brows touching.
"As long as I draw breath," he whispered. "I will try to return to you. This I promise."
"Just stay alive," she smiled, despite the tears welling up in her eyes. She caressed his face and gave him a peck before pulling away. "Come on, Tony is preparing dinner for us."
xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx
The Asgardians sung songs of battle that night, but reined themselves on the drinks and the food. As Volstagg said, "It wouldn't do well to jump into the battlefield on an empty stomach", but it wouldn't be good either to do so while drunk and after a heavy meal.
At one point towards the end, Thor got up from his seat and beckoned all to keep quiet. He then expressed his gratitude towards their Midgardian friends for their help and hospitality and, more importantly, for having helped his brother when he needed it most. For that, he named the four Midgardians "Friends of Asgard".
"It's time," he said at last, raising his glass.
They all got up from their seats, even Tony.
"Tonight we come home," Thor said. "Tonight we take back what is ours. May our weapons be sharp and our shields strong. For our people. For Asgard."
"For Asgard!" the others echoed.
xxxxXX-0-XXxxxx
Jane shivered slightly as she sat reviewing the numbers. Lack of sleep and restlessness added to the desert's cold nights. Romanoff put a steaming mug of coffee at her side.
"It's hard to say goodbye sometimes," the spy smiled at her, holding another mug in her hands.
The scientist smiled back, though her gesture betrayed how tense she felt. After a few seconds of silence, she asked:
"Have you ever seen someone off to war? Someone that meant something to you."
"Not exactly to war," Natasha sat next to her, nursing her warm mug. "We work at another level. Not as flashy as the soldiers, but yes, I've seen people I loved off to some places."
"Well love might be too strong of a-"
"I know the signs, Dr. Foster."
Jane opened her mouth to complain, but closed it. What Stark had told her about this agent being an expert psychologist might be true.
"Plus I saw the two of you kissing before," Natasha took a sip from her mug. "I would offer words of comfort and reassurance, but war is treacherous. We have very different ways to deal with our grief, should things go askew."
"What are those ways?"
"I doubt you will ever need them," the agent said, looking at the door.
Jane looked over the computer screen: The Asgardians had stepped into the hangar in full battle gear, all with grim expressions.
"If Loki alone could wreck those ice giants the way he did I hope the invaders are a bit stronger," said Natasha, standing up. "Or else your friends will grow bored."
Stark welcomed them before they climbed the portal's platform.
"Ready, big boy?" he asked Thor.
"Ready as we will ever be," Thor declared. His blue eyes bore an intense expression which contrasted with the smile he offered the human.
"Okay," Tony clapped his hands and spoke to the scientists around him. "All right, ladies and gentlemen! These visitors need to go back home before breakfast time, so let's start!"
The calibrations had been complete for a while, down with the compensation for the Earth's movement. The Tesseract had been mounted on a device akin to a pedestal, which would feed the portal with enough energy to make the travel possible.
The portal activated with a deafening hum and a blue light blinded them when it activated. The last thing Jane could distinguish before the Asgardians disappeared was Loki smiling and winking at her.