Chapter 13
Tony watched in horror as the car flew off the bridge and into the water. He'd still been too far away, so he hadn't been able to catch the car, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let some manic kill his friend. Perhaps the collision hadn't killed her. Perhaps she hadn't drowned yet. But when Tony reached the car it was empty. No windows were broken out, aside from the giant crack on the windshield, and the doors were still closed. He swam around looking for them. Tony found nothing.
They were just- gone.
When Tony landed back on top of the bridge, he removed his helmet. Steve and Thor were already waiting for him.
"Are they..." Steve swallowed.
"No, they're fucking gone. Somehow, Loki Houdini'd them out of the car." Tony's lip quivered. "Loki killed my baby! It's gone."
"It's just a car-"
"-It's not just a fucking car!" Tony seethed. "Not the point. It's gone now!" he frowned, realizing he should really worry about the car later.
"She's gone. Where did he take her, Thor?"
"I wish I knew." Thor sympathized.
"I wish I knew how he managed to summon tiny fucking dragon-things to attack us while he kidnapped my friend, and how he escaped that damn cell?!"
"Loki is a powerful sorcerer. I am even uncertain to his abilities."
"So you're saying he could have got out on his own, that we really didn't have him to contained to begin with?" Tony gasped, clenching his fists. "You swore that barrier would be foolproof!"
"I thought it was."
"Apparently not." Tony was enraged. He knew they should have just kept the cuffs on him. "He also completely shut down Jarvis. It'll take me all night to reboot him." he huffed. "Loki may be mostly innocent of the crap he pulled here, but he still reeks of batshit fucking crazy! Obviously- he did drive both of my babies off the damn Manhattan bridge! Just get out there and find her before he hurts her or worse!"
"I will find them. Whatever it takes, I will bring your mortal home."
Loki and I were now in Paris, dressed up in formal wear-getting read to eat dinner. He had teleported us out of the car and into Paris, then proceeded to act as if nothing had happened and took me to dinner.
I was still trying to find words.
"So, what the hell just happened?" I exasperated quietly while Loki was looking over the menu. "Why are we here? What are we doing?"
"You know what just happened, we are eating, and I wanted to see Paris." Loki shrugged, not taking his eyes off the menu. "What are you having?"
"A steak, and I have no idea what just happened. I know we teleported, but...what are we doing?"
Loki looked up from the menu and sighed heavily, laying it down. "I couldn't just very well take off and leave you. You know too much about me. It was either that or kill you." he smiled, but I knew there was more to it than that.
"And?"
"And nothing." He stated coldly. "You're here because I want you here. You're mine."
I furrowed my brows. Was he for real? "Excuse me?"
The waitress suddenly came over, interrupting us, and Loki ordered for us both. I wasn't really paying attention to how she was eyeing him up and down as if he was a steak, or that fact that he had just ordered for me, I just sat there with my mouth gaped open. When she left, he noticed my state and glared at me. "What?"
"So, I'm only here because of what I know. Nothing more?"
"Preciously."
"Is that why you kissed me back there, in the car, because I mean nothing to you? You say and do a lot of contradicting shit, you know that?"
"I did state you were mine, did I not?"
What the hell did he mean, then? Did he like me or not? Was I here only to satisfy his lust or did he care for me? I realized Loki just wasn't going to tell me. If he was-it was in some cryptic language of double meanings I didn't quite understand. I sighed and just gave up. Whatever.
We ate dinner in silence and then took a walk around the city. I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was doing here. Did I love him? Is that why I so blindly followed him, even though Loki's making it out to be that I'm only here because of the information I had on him? I couldn't be sure. Loki's mind worked in crazy ways. Some things I could figure out, others not so much. I also wasn't sure if he was trying to throw me off since I'd been able-at least I thought-to read him and call him out on his lies. Well, most of the time.
"You are in distress." he said suddenly and stopped walking. "What is wrong?"
I blinked. "I'm confused."
"About?"
"What this is. Why am I here Loki?"
"I told you."
"You didn't."
Loki growled, wrapping both arms around my waist to pull me against him. Thankfully, he had remembered to aim higher; I was still pretty bruised. "I said you were mine, how much clearer do I need to be?!"
"So, you like me?" I realized he was saying; I think.
Loki looked like he was about to lose his fucking mind. "YES!" he exclaimed dumbfounded. "I thought that when I stated you were mine confirmed that for you!"
Oh, so it was just his over-possessive personality coming out. Got it. "Sorry, but just stating you're mine for most girls isn't how you say I like you and want to date you." I scowl, rolling my eyes. "You're lucky I'm slightly crazy."
"Why do you think I picked you?"
"You picked me, huh?" I raise a brow. "Is that right."
"You're here, aren't you?"
"Yes." I sigh, realizing he probably was right. "So what now, what are we doing?"
"Whatever we want." Loki smirked mischievously. "I have a few ideas already in mind."
A few ideas in mind meant chaos. Harmless fun; mostly, but Loki sure did love to watch people run around in a panic. I wasn't sure how I felt about it all at first, but it was amusing and no one actually got hurt. Although, I realized every time Loki would do something crazy-you know the shit that doesn't normally happen- we'd have to move on quickly. Thor was on our ass, but he could never actually get close enough to catch us. Loki seemed to enjoy the game of cat and mouse and about a month in I began to enjoy it too, since Loki always seemed to leave a mess behind for Thor to clean up, causing him to take even longer to find us, as well as getting farther and farther behind.
We'd been running for three months now and we were currently in Australia. Once again eating dinner. All that running made us hungry-as well as all the other things we'd been doing.
"So why flying monkeys?" I took a bit of my salad. "Did you really have to make them look like demons?"
"What's the fun in normal looking flying monkeys?" Loki chuckled. "Plus they are merely illusions."
"Most of the time." I corrected, glaring at him.
He smiled. "You're right. Most of the time."
"So, are you ever going to tell me how you really got out of that cell?"
Loki had yet to be honest with me, making up stories he knew I knew were bull-crap, and the story changed every time. But over the past few weeks he had seemed to be more at ease with me. Perhaps he would actually be truthful this time?
Maybe he was even beginning to trust me? I hoped. Loki had a really hard time coming to terms with the fact I wasn't going anywhere, or, it was something else entirely. I could never be sure. He wasn't the most open person in the world. I knew a lot about him, sure, but that didn't mean I could read his mind.
Some moments I would think he was undeniably in love with me, other moments I wondered if he hated me. I wondered if I was a chore. Would he even be with me if I didn't know all the things I knew? Did he love me? By this point I was positive I was in love with him. So in love with him. I would go to the ends of the earth with Loki as long as it meant he'd never leave me. I would do anything for him. Anything.
"The AI." Loki told me nonchalantly, eating a piece of fruit he made look sinful. His casual tone made me realize he was actually-probably- telling me the truth this time. Yay, for baby steps. "We spoke and made a deal."
"Jarvis?" I exclaimed. "Seriously, he let you out?"
"More or less." he shrugged, taking another bite of fruit. God, I wanted to lick his lips. "The deal was that I make it appear as if I had escaped."
"How?" I needed all the juicy details.
"He shut down the cameras and we discussed terms briefly. Once agreed he disabled my cell, I stepped out. He then restored the cell, then the cameras. He threw off the alarm system since I had 'escaped' and when they all ran in I had something there to keep them busy. And then promptly disabled Jarvis."
I glared at him. "That was mean!"
"It was part of the deal love. To cover his tracks."
"Oh." I nod, suddenly feeling stupid.
"I believe him when he tells me Stark will disassemble him if he learns of this."
"He would." I agree. "Tony would flip his shit." I still wondered. "Why was Jarvis willing to make a deal with you?"
"Personal matters." I could tell that was Loki's way of saying-I'm not telling you. I was pretty much used to it. Maybe he would tell me one day, or maybe he wouldn't. Only time would tell.
We ate in silence after that, not speaking again until both of us were finished.
"Where would you like to go now?" Loki asked me, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "It's your turn to choose."
"How about Amsterdam?" I smirk. "I here anything goes."