All the Lonely People

Chapter 2

Out of everything he had to suffer, the one thing that annoyed Loki the most was how incredibly uncomfortable the quinjets seats were. He wouldn't mind it as much if he was allowed to walk about. However, Stark, the sadistic bastard that he was, had programmed the ship to lock Loki in place as soon as he sat down in the pilot's chair. He tried to bypass this tricky bit of programming by starting the ships engines while he stood. It was, of course, of no use. The ship wouldn't even let him switch a light on without sitting down first. Apparently, it had to do the lack of faith the Avengers had in him, something about one too many escape attempts. It was preposterous, of course. He simply wanted to take a pit stop in a forgotten part of the Appalachian mountains. It certainly was not an escape attempt.

Loki wriggled in his seat, the cross straps digging into his chest. He groaned, his annoyance taking him over. "How much longer until we reach our destination?" He spat.

"Twenty minutes, and forty-nine seconds, sir," Friday responded.

"Thank the gods. I don't know how much longer I can handle these blasted restraints."

"Perhaps if you stopped struggling, sir, you would find the seat belts to be more comfortable."

"I am not struggling! I simply wish to stretch my legs. We have been flying for hours. Surely this woman we are chasing would have destroyed this Richmond city beyond recognition by now. Would it be so wrong to allow me some mobility before I am expected to fight and kill this being?"

The cabin fell silent. If Loki didn't know any better, he would've said the machine was thinking up a response. He found it silly that humans had such a desire to model everything after themselves. There was no reason for inanimate objects to appear alive, and yet that never stopped humans from believing they were so. After a few moments of silence, Friday spoke again. "I suppose it would be wise for you to spend the last few minutes of our journey preparing for your confrontation."

The seat belts holding Loki in place unclicked and flung backwards into the chair's backing. He took a deep breath, taking pleasure in the relief he felt. He groaned as he stood, stretching out his sore and tired body. "I wouldn't exactly call it a confrontation."

"And what would you call it, sir?"

"Assassination. It is what I'm best at, apparently." He sighed, looking past the horizon at a small glimpse of a city on fire. The smoke billowed high into the air like a dark tower. Even from high up, he could see the crumbled debris of buildings that once stood proudly. Every city always looked the same when he arrived. Dead. He supposed it made it easier for what he was supposed to next. At least he could use the full extent of his powers. There was no need for pulled punches as there was hardly anyone left to save. It wouldn't matter if there was anyway. No one wanted to be saved by the one who would've enslaved them. Who could blame them?

The thought that there could, and probably were, people still alive in all the cities he had crossed his mind every time he saw the burning rubble. However, he always pushed it aside. The accountability just made things harder. It wouldn't matter if he saved them, anyway. He'd still be a prisoner when he returned to New York. He might as well have a little fun. Rolling his shoulders back, a glimmer of light radiated across his body. Gleaming horns shone from the top of his head, a billowing cape flowed from his shoulders, and in his hands lay two pointed daggers. A smile spread across his face. It had been so long since he had this pleasure. It almost made him forget why he was here.

The quinjet landed in the heart of the city where the largest amount of energy blipped on the screen. The woman couldn't be far. The doors hissed opened, landing on the rough asphalt with a cla-chunk. Loki turned towards the opening, his cape fluttering behind him. With every heavy step he took, the same six words bounced around in his brain: "It. is. for. the greater. good. It. is. for. the greater. good. It. is. for. the greater. good." As he took his last step onto solid ground, the putrid smell of burning flesh hit him. He hated that smell. However, it was always his guide to his target. Turning to follow the scent, his heart grew heavy with every resigned step he took. Did he really have to do this? Did he have to add to the devastation that already befell the city? He shouldn't have to. The Avengers certainly didn't. They sat idly by watching the devastation unfold. It was too far away to effect them, so why should they care? At least by sending their "proxy," they can appear as though they care. But they never did. It was just another catastrophe, another situation, another mission that needed to be completed.