Cruel Vengeance

Avengers Tower

October 2011

Loki carefully wrapped himself in an illusory spell. It had taken him several weeks to tweak the seidr so that he could fool electronic as well as biological eyes. Human brains were far more gullible than Stark’s artificial neural network, and their cameras could detect a far greater range of wavelengths than human eyes. He had to give them credit for mitigating their physical weaknesses with clever technology.

So short lived, yet so innovative.

Loki had begun to think that Asgardians could learn a thing or two from visiting Midgard. Such long lives made them complacent and sedentary, loathe to change or innovation. Perhaps increased traffic between the two realms would help Asgard as well as Midgard.

He would have to look into that, once he sat on Asgard’s throne.

The doors to the laboratory appeared ahead, and Loki shook off these thoughts. He had plenty of time to plan how he would take Asgard, and what he would do once he succeeded. For now, he was occupied with a more immediate concern: that of ensuring the Avengers had no reason to question his heritage as an Asgardian, brother of Thor.

Banner and Foster were upstairs, Darcy having dragged them out of the lab for food, and Stark was embroiled with Rogers and Hill in a meeting with representatives of the United States government regarding cleanup of Hydra bases. The assault would be the following day, and there was still resistance to the Avengers’ involvement. Loki considered the bureaucrats fools for trying to keep the Avengers out, but it wasn’t his problem and he was confident that Stark could handle it.

For Loki, what mattered most was that the lab would be temporarily empty.

Darcy had insisted that Bruce and Jane spend at least an hour up in the common area eating and relaxing. That meant he had fifty-six minutes remaining.

Loki murmured a spell and twisted his hand in the air. The doors opened.

He smirked and swept through.

It was the work of seconds to track his blood work; he knew from his hours spent down here which computer Banner preferred to use, and which belonged to Foster. While they had watched him levitate small items, cast illusions, and heal himself of minor wounds, Loki had been learning from them how to use Midgardian technology. Not that they knew they were teaching him.

He tapped the surface of Banner’s system.

The keyboard lit up in blue on the clear surface of the desk. The screen above it, also translucent like glass, came to life with a prompt for identity confirmation.

Loki carefully cast himself in the guise of the scientist. “Bruce Banner,” he said in Banner’s voice, and a blue beam swept over his illusory eyes in a retinal scan.

“Identity confirmed,” the automated voice said, and the screen faded to Banner’s workstation.

Got you.

Loki set to work, carefully following the steps he’d watched Banner take time after time to pull up the file on offrealm life, then Asgard, then his specific data. Thor’s was there as well, and Loki opened both files in different panes, side-by-side.

There was the analysis of his blood.

Loki grimaced. The results, though Banner had not as yet had time to examine them, given that the system only finished this morning, were quite clearly not those of Thor’s fraternal twin.

He narrowed his eyes. How to fake it?

An idea occurred to Loki, and he began to smile.

Seidr and Midgardian science were not so different. The former was a more advanced version of the latter, or a slightly different way of looking at the same thing. Loki had not quite determined how best to compare the two, though he thought “two sides of the same coin” fit nicely. He distantly thought that Darcy would be proud of his use of idiomatic expressions and called on his power.

Science and magic were not truly incompatible. Seidr was shaped by and responded to Loki’s will at its most basic, and his will was iron hard.

He slipped into the computer much easier than he’d expected.

Understanding on an intuitive, rather than conscious, level, what to do, Loki began changing the data. Slowly. One small piece at a time, until it aligned neatly with Thor’s and the network confirmed a fraternal match.

The door hissed open.

Loki reacted on instinct, vanishing himself from view.

Banner appeared in the gap.

He closed the windows. Wiped the recent file history.

Banner was halfway to the workstation. In five steps, he’d see the screen turned on.

Loki found the “log out” prompt, selected it, and promptly stepped to the side.

Banner paused and frowned at the workstation.

Loki held his breath and eased around the table, twisting the energy around him to muffle any noise he might make. Banner’s ears, even in his human shape, were stronger than the typical Midgardian’s, and Loki had no desire to meet the Hulk again. Once was enough.

He exhaled with relief when Banner at last returned to his station, seventeen minutes early, and the suspicion vanished in the face of simple mathematics.

Loki pressed his lips together, becoming increasingly irritated as the adrenaline of near-capture wore off. Darcy was normally so relentlessly bossy about Banner, Foster, and Stark’s self-care that he’d fully expected her to keep them prisoner in the common area for the full allotted time. And if she did not, Clint frequently continued where she left off.

The lure of Loki’s blood test must have been too strong for Banner to resist.

Loki moved to the opposite end of the room. He could wait for Foster to get here, and slip out when the door opened for her, or teleport to his rooms. The problem was that teleportation might set off one of her various scanning devices; he didn’t want to risk any more seidr than he absolutely had to.

Waiting it was.

Loki settled on the edge of Foster’s desk, glancing idly over the papers she’d left out. Formulas scribbled on napkins sat beside binders full of data tables and letters on fancy cardstock. One was an award for something called the Nobel Prize in Physics, dated one year prior, for her work on Einstein-Rosen bridges and interstellar travel. Loki smirked. That research must have come from Thor’s disastrous first visit to this realm. His own memories of the incident were fragmented; he’d seen through the Destroyer’s face thanks to his seidr, and it processed things in terms of its target.

But he remembered seeing Foster and Darcy there in that town.

He’d been too caught up in his vengeance, in grief and fury and resentment, to pay much attention to Midgard. Also, admittedly, the town in question was not a particularly awe-inspiring representative of humans’ accomplishments. Nor had he really noticed Darcy, Foster, or Selvig, except as Thor’s stupidly brave human sidekicks. But he realized in hindsight that Jane had been the reason Thor overcame his childish arrogance and selfishness, and that Darcy was the reason for Jane’s success.

Darcy.

Loki frowned and forced himself to admit that he was growing rather… fond of the Midgardian woman.

And, if he was being honest, the rest of the Avengers were beginning to grow on him. Rogers’ quietly competent leadership, balanced by Stark’s biting genius and more flamboyant style; Barton’s humor and easy friendship; Bruce’s kind and compassionate nature; the drive and overwhelming curiosity in Jane Foster; Hill’s sharp and forthright skill; Natasha’s clever mind and terrifying history; even Barnes. And Darcy herself, playing a not insignificant role in keeping them all functioning. They really were fascinating.

The door hissed open again.

Loki slid down off the desk and made for the door.

Jane marched through, making a beeline for her station.

He stepped around her and barely ducked through the doors before they hissed shut.

Loki breathed a sigh of relief and started up for the common area.

He stepped out of the elevator and someone latched onto his arm.

Loki barely curbed his reflex, which was to shatter the offending hand, when he registered that it was Darcy. “Miss Lewis,” he greeted smoothly.

She squinted at him. “Where were you?”

“Why do you want to know?” he said with a cunning smile.

Darcy rolled her eyes and shoved him back into the elevator. He let her. “You’re an ass. Lobby, please, JARVIS.”

“Miss Lewis, is Mr. Stark aware you plan to take Loki out of Avengers Tower?” JARVIS asked.

Loki twisted around to stare at Darcy.

She ignored him. “Yeah, I asked this morning. It’s cool, J-man.”

“I would appreciate an explanation,” Loki said.

Darcy grinned at him as the elevator started to move. She was so small compared to him, and he could kill her in a second, and she knew what he’d done, but she didn’t look uneasy in the slightest at being trapped in a small space with him. It was a surprise, and a–gift?–he did not deserve. “You haven’t left the top floors in like four months. The balcony doesn’t count. I needed an afternoon off and I thought you might want to tag along.”

Loki examined her. “Is the press giving you trouble?”

“There’s a movement against the Avengers,” Darcy said with a sigh. “Spearheaded by Bruce’s old buddy Ross. Real charmer. They think we’re dangerous rogue agents, not to be trusted, blah blah blah, and Tony didn’t win any friends with that mess a few years back.”

“What mess?” Loki asked.

“US government tried to seize the Iron Man suit as a weapon,” Darcy said, waving a hand. “He mouthed off in the courtroom, got in a fight, SHIELD stuck their fingers in, the whole nine yards.” Loki raised an eyebrow. Even now, she sometimes spoke in phrases that were nearly incomprehensible to him. “Details don’t really matter. Long story short is we don’t exactly have a history of A-plus cooperation with the boys in blue. Apparently they thought Captain America would keep us in line, but after this week it’s obvious he’s off the rails too, and they don’t like it. Oh, hey, disguise yourself. Not Borden. Someone else. We’re almost to the lobby.”

Loki cast an illusion spell of a guise he’d worn before, a man of approximately his own height with sandy brown hair cropped short and light blue-gray eyes but otherwise a similar physique. It simply made things easier to keep his illusions close to his own size; he didn’t have to expend so much power. “Is my garb appropriate?”

Darcy eyed his clothes. Loki was wearing black Midgardian trousers and a simple dark gray shirt that buttoned down the front. “Yeah, you’re good. Pro tip: don’t do that glaring thing, it’ll scare people.”

The elevator began to slow.

“What ‘glaring thing’?” he asked.

“You like stare at people like a predator sometimes,” she said. Was that–a trace of a blush? “Try not to.”

Loki bit back a smile. “Copy that.”

“Hey, you’re learning Midgardian,” Darcy said drily.

She led the way out of the elevator. Loki followed. They were still several stories up in the Tower; it seemed prudent that the elevator leading straight to the Avengers’ sanctum was not in the public areas of the building. A few businesspeople in suits crossed the glass-and-chrome open space.

Darcy nodded at a few people sitting and talking around one of several clusters of sofas and potted plants. Two of the people nodded back and cast curious looks at Loki.

“Why are they staring at me?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh.” Darcy glanced back at her acquaintances as she started down a wide staircase, Loki one step behind. “You’re an unfamiliar face. And a hot one. And you’re with me.”

“Do you not normally have visitors?” Loki said, disregarding the fact that she considered him attractive. This wasn’t his true face, after all. He quickened his pace. For such a small person, she made it down the steps with surprising speed. “I would imagine there are a number of young men pursuing you.”

Darcy snorted. “Hardly. I dated around a lot in college, got kinda sick of it. And now that I’m working with the Avengers, people are either intimidated or they’re just into me for my status, which, no. Jane keeps trying to convince me to go on blind dates. The last one was a few months ago, and it was a disaster. Haven’t tried since.”

The stairs hit a landing, and they turned the corner. Loki took in the large atrium, filled with purposeful humans going about their business, glass-walled and well-designed. Avengers Tower really was a lovely building. “What about you?” Darcy asked. “Got a girlfriend or boyfriend back on Asgard? Wait, can people be gay there? Thor didn’t seem like the type to go along with that.” She waved her hands around in a way that was probably supposed to clarify her statement, but Loki didn’t get the meaning.

“‘Gay’ being same-sex romantic relations?” he clarified.

“Basically. Yeah.”

He shrugged. “Asgardians are… slow to change, either their opinions or their actions. Odin’s generation tends to simply turn a blind eye. Those Asgardians nearer my age, or Thor’s, do not care. I prefer women, but Thor’s friend Fandral–you may remember him–favors other men. And no, I have no girlfriend at present.”

“Huh,” Darcy said. “Wait. You’re using Allspeak, right? So I’m hearing ‘girlfriend’ but I don’t think that’s a direct translation.”

Loki laughed. Her interest was endearing, and she asked sharp questions. They left the bottom of the staircase and began to cross the open lobby. People nodded to Darcy and got out of her way. “No. In Sirren, the language spoken on Asgard, the word is ‘ekenni’ for a female counterpart in a romantic, unmarried partnership.”

“Interesting.” Darcy paused by the side of the front doors. “Oh, by the way, Tony said I need to clarify this: you stay with me the whole time we’re out there. I know your house arrest is voluntary, but he doesn’t trust you not to cause problems and also I don’t wanna give Maria an excuse to put a bullet in your leg, because she’d enjoy that. Keep this… fake person disguise, stay near me, and no voodoo.”

“You have my word,” Loki said, amused.

“For what it’s worth,” she muttered, and headed for the doors.

Loki gently caught her arm and made her pause. “When I make an oath, I keep my word,” he said.

“Thor told us what you did, you know,” Darcy said, voice low but intense. “You convinced Laufey you’d help him kill Odin, broke your word, and killed Laufey instead, in a bid for the throne. You turned on your own brother. Oh yeah, and your nickname is the God of Lies and Deception. I’m sorry, but that’s not a fantastic track record, buddy.”

Loki felt the muscles in his jaw flex with anger. “On Asgard, an oath given is a vow not to be broken,” he said. “Even by me. Laufey was foolish enough not to ask me for one, and I never swore myself to Thor, thank the Norns. I may make oaths that are worded to give me the upper hand, or lead the recipient to make false assumptions, but when I give my word I keep it.”

Darcy wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. She just narrowed her eyes and examined him carefully for a few seconds.

“Cool,” she said abruptly, all trace of the canny politician vanishing behind her sunny demeanor. “Come on, then.”

When she pushed the door open, a wave of sound washed over Loki’s ears, the vehicle engines and shouts and strains of music and chattering voices that made up the rhythm of a city. He’d grown familiar with these sounds in the months he’d spent wandering Midgard on his own, and it was surprisingly pleasant to be in the city on street level again.

“Where are we going?” he asked, following her down the sidewalk.

Darcy grinned up at him. “Have you had sushi yet?”

“No,” he said. “I have heard of it.”

“It’s an Asian dish involving rice and raw fish and vegetables and it’s delicious,” she said with relish. “Oh my God what about ice cream?”

“I have had ice cream in the vanilla flavor,” Loki said.

“Boring. We’re stopping for ice cream after sushi. Falafel? Tell me you’ve tried falafel.”

Her enthusiasm was catching. He felt his lips begin to curve into a smile, genuine, for once, rather than sharp and cutting. “I have not.”

Darcy cocked her head. “I’ve like barely eaten today, I can have sushi and falafel, what the hell. Do you eat like Thor?”

“Are you referring to manners, or quantity?” Loki asked.

Her laugh rang above engines and the distant sound of a honking car alarm. He found himself disproportionately pleased. “Quantity,” she said, still grinning. “I’ve seen you eat a few times; your manners are way better.”

“I do not consume as much as Thor, but more than most Midgardians.”

“Perfect. Hey, why do you never eat with the rest of us?” she asked.

Loki thought of the nights when all the Avengers in the Tower piled into their common area and ate pizza, mass quantities of take-out, or some kind of home-cooked food. “I never thought I would be welcome.”

“You should join us next time.”

“I… will consider it,” Loki said.

Darcy glared.

He relented. “Yes, I will attend.”

“Awesome,” she said. “There’s the sushi place. Right up ahead.” Darcy stopped at the edge of the sidewalk. “Here’s my plan. We are going to spend a few hours stuffing ourselves with a bunch of food and I am going to pretend that my responsibilities don’t exist and you are going to play along. An afternoon of just fun. Capiche?”

“Ika darvel,” he said. “I understand.”

“Sushi time,” Darcy crowed, and led the way into the shop.