My Allegiance (3)

Chapter 7

(Loki's POV)

"Thor! To what do I owe the honour?" I laugh a little nervously and step away from him, just in time for his hammer to return to him.

A man named Skurge appears, this man who I had specifically asked to alert me should Thor arrive.

"Behold!" he exclaims, clearly out of breath. "Thor Odinson!"

"You had one job," I say sharply. "Just get out of my sight."

"Where's Odin?" Thor asks as the pathetic man scurries away again.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you brother? Everything was fine without you. Asgard was prospering, and now you've ruined everything. Ask them," I gesture to the crowd, and start to notice people's facing changing from panic to fury.

Oh dear.

"Where is Father, Loki? Did you kill him?"

"You had the independence you asked for, you have no business coming back here."

He pushes me down onto the sofa and presses the hammer against my chest.

"Ah, ah, ow! Okay, okay! I know exactly where he is."

"We go. Now."

"Ugh fine. If you insist. At least let me change first-"

"Now, Loki," he says and leans ever so slightly on the hammer, but it feels like a truck pressing down on me.

"Alright! Fine. We go now."

I stand up and brush my clothes off, using a charm to change me into a sleek black suit.

"Much better."

Thor rolls his eyes and keeps a tight hold on that stupid hammer.

"Come on then."

We walk through the sea of angry men and fearful women until we reach the room of Heimdall.

"Son of Odin, back so soon. Son of Laufey, we were told you were dead."

"Yep, sorry to disappoint you but I'm still alive and kicking."

"To where do you need to go?"

Thor looks over at me, "No tricks now Loki, or it's straight back in a cell for you."

"Oh please brother, it's like you don't know me at all. We need to get to Manhattan."

"Manhattan, you'll be right there."

He turns the sword to open the Bifrost Bridge and nods once to each of us to bid us farewell.

It takes mere seconds and then we arrive in the middle of Manhattan, surrounded by confused looking tourists and bored locals.

"This way," I sigh and lead him in the direction that we need to go. "Okay, left here, right here, bit further down then another right."

"This better not be a wild goose chase Loki," he holds his hammer tightly, even though it's now charmed to appear as an umbrella.

"Of course it's not. He should be right...... Ah."

"Ah? What is ah? What's this?" He looks at the scene in front of us.

"Um, I swear I left him here."

His eyebrows furrow a little in that annoying way they do when he's mad, "Here on the sidewalk? Or in there where the building is being demolished?"

The sign that reads 'nursing home' is currently being run over by a large truck as the old care home lies in ruins.

"Great. Just great."

"Well how was I supposed to know this would happen? I can't see into the future, I'm not a witch."

"Well you certainly dress like one," he says, eyeballing my outfit judgmentally. He then folds his arms and fully turns to face me, "I can't believe you're alive. I saw you die. I mourned for you."

"That's not what I heard," I mutter, clearly not quietly enough.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I heard that you were too busy fawning over Jane Doe to care about me."

"First of all, it's Jane Foster. Second of all, who have you been speaking to? Who else knows -"

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You've spoken to y/n. She knows you're alive?"

"Indeed she does."

"Well what happened?"

"Let's just say it was hard to take in at first, but she's come to terms with it now."

"Did she beat you up?"

"She did not beat me up. In fact, I tried to get her to stay with me in Asgard, but she insisted on coming home."

"I see. Well perhaps we could give her a visit while we're here."

"Me? Maybe. You? Absolutely not."

He looks insulted, "Why not me?"

"Don't think she's over the fact that you left her to burn to death."

"I'm sorry that I was trying to stop you from invading the city. Besides, you lied to her about being dead. If she can get over that then she can get over my thing."

"Ha. I guess we'll see then won't we?"

"I guess we will. So now...... Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

I follow his gaze down to my feet, to where a bright orange ancient-looking rune is circling around me.

"This..... Isn't me. I swear."

"I don't-"

"Ah!"

The hole opens up beneath me and I fall through the concrete floor.