Part I. A Stark Imitation

Loki had wanted to be early, pick the best seat.

Instead she was late, because for the first time in his life Baldr had overslept. She had left without him anyway. Just on principle.

Alright, she wasn't late late, the lecture hadn't started yet, but the auditorium was packed. She sighed, her eyes scanning the last row hoping for a miracle. But there, right in front, someone called her name waving their hand at her.

Sigyn.

Loki smiled, touched. Sigyn didn't even like Howard Stark, she was a lover of the fine arts, where Loki favored the rational ones, and yet here she was, meeting Loki in the middle. Saving a seat for her in a lecture she had to wake up early for. Even when she didn't have to.

"Hey Loki," one of her classmates greeted as she walked towards her friend. Loki nodded at them in greeting, "good thing you made it, she's been guarding that seat like a rabid hårnisse" they laughed. Loki smiled. Her heart burning bright for Sigyn again. She didn't deserve her.

Sigyn grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the empty seat as soon as Loki got close enough. "Finally!" she cheered. "I didn't know there were this many nerds in school," she teased, getting a few boo's and some cheers from the people around them that heard her, Loki snorted.

"I think they're here just for the novelty of it," she said with a shrug.

Sigyn nodded. "That makes more sense."

"That guy over there just called you a hairy gnome" she deadpanned, barely managing to contain her smile as she heard a gasp and a small voice from the crowd behind them say 'Loki, how could you!'

Sigyn twisted around, eyes narrowing as she studied the students who were now avoiding her gaze, lest they inadvertently catch her ire.

"Tell me who," she demanded, scanning the crowd.

Loki grabbed her hand and squeezed it shaking her head, her voice filled with laughter when she spoke, "you're the loveliest hårete-nisse I've ever seen, and the best friend I could've asked for," she said.

Sigyn huffed. "And don't you forget it, nerd," she teased.

From the moment Howard Stark walked on stage the room went silent, there had been so much anticipation before this moment, it felt like they were all holding a collective breath that was released after his opening line.

"Innovation is like making an omelette, messy. And you can't make one without breaking a couple eggs"

A vague-sounding platitude dressed up as insight, parading as creative thinking. This wasn't Howard Stark the genius, this was Howard Stark the showman. Loki thought scathingly.

The clown Odin disliked so much.

To say she was disappointed would be an understatement.

He kept rambling on with a pseudo-intellectual spiel full of corny phrases that were supposed to… what?

Keep them docile?

Give the illusion of knowledge. Not intrigue them, certainly.

Yes, it was charismatic. Theatrical. Yes, this over the top persona was a part of him, Loki knew that. But this whole thing was a joke for him.

They were a joke to him. This was just for bragging rights -being invited to an 'invitation only' nation was the punchline.

Loki was furious. This was supposed to be a spark. And he was making a mockery out of it.

This was a 'leave your questions 'til the end' kind of lecture. Loki couldn't wait that long. Hers wasn't a question anyway. It'd be a challenge.

"I thought you were here to impart knowledge, Mr. Stark" Loki said, her voice easily carrying through the room over the murmuring voices. "Not throw around trite similes." Behind her, someone told her to calm down, Sigyn told them to shut up.

"Then again, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising. Must be a lot easier to hide behind empty catchphrases and pat yourself on the back than get out of your comfort zone. After so long of being just a showman." she said.

Howard Stark didn't move, he was observing her with something akin to curiosity.

The room got louder with murmurs, the teachers trying to contain the students.

Her voice sliced through the noise, "you're not innovating. You're comfortable. Stuck in your own ego. You're here trying to sell us a shallow puddle like it's a sea of knowledge, -in case you need the simile to understand what I'm saying," she said using his own tactic.

"We're not here to waste our time." Her voice crackled with anger. Her chemistry teacher hurried over to her, trying to calm her down.

"Loki," the teacher said, hushed -but everyone was trying to overhear, "keep quiet, or walk out of the room, please, this is hardly the time for a scene" he said. Loki was disappointed in him too, did no one care about being made into a joke? Did no one else expect to gain true knowledge from this?

She would not keep quiet. She had been silenced for far too long already, they wouldn't quench her thirst for knowledge because they didn't want a scene. She would give them the whole damn play if she had to.

She met Howard Stark's eyes, unflinching. "Am I wasting my time here?" She challenged.

Part II. The Art of Innovation

He didn't answer. Not right away.

He appraised the girl that had called him out on his bullshit. The room squirmed in the silence. She didn't. How very curious.

Slowly, he stepped forward, his eyes on her. He could see the fury in her. The fire. He loved that.

The outrage in her posture, her voice and her words reminded him of himself. A little know-it-all, but with enough substance to back it up -maybe. Interesting.

At that moment the room disappeared. Sure, everyone was paying attention now, they were invested now. But she was the spark igniting his brain in what he thought would be the same mind-numbing show as always.

The people of the high council had told him so, maybe not in as many words.

They had only extended his invitation because someone in a high seat had pushed for it tooth and nail, they had seen value in what he could offer their younger generations, but it was clear none of them wanted him planting seeds of any kind in their minds.

Asgard's status quo should remain so.

Howard had shrugged, they wanted to plant their own seeds? Wasn't his problem, he wasn't into gardening anyway. He had no interest in cultivating minds.

He wanted people to follow him.

This girl however, didn't seem like the type to accept the status quo. Much like his own son.

Someone who thought for themselves. It was intriguing.

"I wasn't sure if anyone here would actually listen," he said into the mic. His voice rang a lot louder in the stillness of the room. He could see students exchanging looks nervously. Whispering to each other. Pointing at the young woman like this was the first time they saw her. Or like this was habitual for her. No in between.

He extended a hand to point at the presentation projecting behind him, "I've given this same material to countless CEO's and politicians. People a lot higher up both in status and intellect," he said. Some students frowned at that. Some looked indignant. She didn't. Perfect.

"And yet, no one has ever challenged me in this way, let alone in the first thirty minutes." The school's principal approached him on stage. Apologizing about his rowdy student, empty platitudes falling out of his mouth. He raised a hand. He wasn't interested in apologies.

He lowered the mic and asked the man a question. The spectators mumbling grew craning to hear what he was saying.

"Miss Borson," he said once the principal had answered his question. A girl sitting next to her -the spark, yelled "it's Loki!" He nearly laughed. Teenagers. He conceded with a nod, "alright. I think that's enough of this glorified TED talk, you want a real lecture?" He smiled at her. "Then let's have it."

The room didn't explode in cheers, or whoops… instead it went the opposite direction. Complete silence.

He didn't dwell on that; her challenge had been accepted.

It'd been a long time since he felt the need to prove himself to anyone.

"I hope you know, Miss Loki, that what you just did is innovation, you saw the flaws, challenged me to rebuild this lesson as something better, to serve a purpose, to challenge back." He smiled charmingly. "Now then, Let's talk about the chaos of innovation and move from there…" He gestured for her- Loki, to retake her seat. Actually glad when she did.

It'd been a long time since he was in her place.

He was again surprised to find himself eager to see what she would throw at him. Maybe a little gardening wouldn't hurt.

Sigyn took Loki's hand after she sat, "you just bullied Howard Stark," she whispered into her ear.

Loki swallowed. Her heart was still pounding in her ears.

"All because his lesson wasn't up to par with your educational standards…" Loki winced.

Sigyn smiled. "Nerd," she said affectionately.

Loki laughed breathlessly.

"I'm so glad I got up early to see this," Sigyn murmured.

Loki nodded, "me too," she said, squeezing Sigyn's hand and not letting go.