Loki's Queen

Chapter 5

5 Years Later

Loki sat cloaked in the darkened club watching her dance.  As far as missions went this one was by far the most enjoyable.  They'd been following her whereabouts for quite some time before Fury had radioed to contact her.

She moved to the music as if the beat was a part of her.  It was beautiful and if he was honest with himself incredibly sensual.  Every man there eyed her with desire yet none dared to approach.  Once the song ended she went to the bar and knocked back two shots of what he now knew was whiskey.  Laughing at something the bartender said she threw on her leather jacket and left the club.

It was easy to follow her cloaked, it wasn't like she was hiding.  She turned her collar up against the cold December breeze and lit a cigarette before starting to head down the empty street.  Aes was just about to step into the street when she felt that tell tell awareness that she was being followed.  She took a drag and then sighed.

"Widow, we've got to stop meeting like this," she chuckled turning to face the redhead who stepped out of the shadow of the club.  Her senses flaring out, she heard the whoosh of air before Thor landed, the heavy footfalls of Steve Rogers as he approached from the darkened park across the street and the metallic thunk of Starks suit as he landed behind Natasha.  Then she heard another footfall, closer, more covert than the others.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, "Really Widow, you had to bring him with you too?"  Loki froze then uncloaked, standing barely ten feet away.  She looked him up and down before a sly grin split her face, "It was you watching me dance."  Mischief and desire lit his eyes, "More like watching every man in the room drool over you."  She chuckled.  "Oh don't worry, looks like you missed a little drool yourself," she said as she mimicked wiping her mouth.  His eyes narrowed in annoyance causing her grin to widen.

"Alright,"she said turning back to Natasha, "Why are you here this time?  I hardly think dancing drunk is a crime."  "We need your help," she said quietly.  Aes tilted her head, her smile fading.  Something was wrong.  "You know I have no desire to join your merry band of idiots," she frowned.  Natasha stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.  She stepped back and waited for a response.  Loki frowned as he observed Aes, she was suddenly tense.  Her hands clenched to fists, all pretense of mischief gone.  The strange thing though were her eyes, they were completely black.

"And you're sure," she growled.  Natasha nodded her affirmative.  "Show me," she hissed before walking pass them all towards where the quinjet was hidden.

Once they were on board Natasha handed her a file, Loki's frown deepened as he glanced at her hands as she took the file.  It didn't shake but her fingers were elongated and tipped with claws.  They all watched quietly as she flipped through the pages.  She paused over an image, passing her hand almost reverently over it before slamming the folder closed.  When she spoke again her voice was guttural, nearly unrecognizable.  "Where is she?"

For the first time since knowing her, Loki noticed the Widow looked understanding, kind even.  "We're going there now, it's an old HYDRA facility up in the mountains," she said softly.  Aes nodded her head before sitting back in the seat, her arms wrapped around herself.  He felt a strong pull to comfort her but his "team mates" had purposely kept him in the dark.  He also was pretty sure in this agitated state she would accept no comfort, least of all from him.

"ETA five minutes," Barton called out from the cockpit.  As if snapped out of a trance, Aes bent to untie her boots, easing them off and placing them beside her neatly.  Next she shrugged out of her jacket and placed it beside her.  In seconds she'd pulled her t-shirt over her head and placed it on top of her jacket.  "Lady Aes, what are you doing," Thor called out in shock.  The others turned and stared with a frown.  Loki chuckled silently at how flustered his brother sounded, he however, was enjoying the show.  Her skin looked so soft and smooth, even in the dim lighting of the jet her skin seemed to glow.  It was taking every drop of will power not to simply pick her up and teleport them both someplace private.

She didn't pay them any mind, just continued taking off her clothes until she stood before them in nothing but a sports bra and boy shorts.  She snarled, "I like my clothes, would rather not mess them up.

They landed soon enough, the nearly silent engines wouldn't give them away.  They all disembarked, preparing for the mission ahead.  Loki watched as Aes stepped down from the jet, her bare feet sinking into the snow.  It didn't seem to bother her.  Come to think of it, now that he got a good look at her in the nearly setting sun, she looked haggard, no, not haggard, feral.  He felt the moment the others saw her as well.  She lifted her head and took a deep breath releasing it on a growl.

Thor took a step towards her, "Lady Aes, it is far to cold to be without clothing..."  She stopped him with a simple wave of her hand stepping further away from the jet.  "Whatever you do," she said in that gravelly voice, "do not cross my line of sight.  Is that understood?"  She didn't wait for them to respond before the change started.

It started in her legs, the sounds of popping bones echoing in the silence of the wooded area.  She leaned forward at an awkward angle but didn't fall forward nor did she cry out.  "What the hell," Barton called out nocking an arrow and aiming it at her.  "Wait," Loki barked, watching with the same awe the others were.  Pitch black fur sprouted and covered all of her exposed skin, her body lengthened adding three more feet to her already impressive height.  When she lifted her head they saw that it had lengthened to a canine-like snout and her eyes were no longer pitch black but the purest gold.

She lifted her snout to the sky and howled long and low before coming to her full height maxing out at eight feet tall.  Loki couldn't help but stare, she was the most enchantingly beautiful thing he'd ever seen.  Her gaze finally landed on them, she took in their shocked faces apathetically but when her gaze landed on Loki her head tilted to the side curiously.  Her now pointed ears twitched and her head snapped back toward the direction of the facility.  Without warning she shot forward running full tilt towards the hidden building.