Psych the Avengers Out

Tricky Situation

The silence of his isolation is broken by the sound of booted feet on the stone floors. Through the golden, runemarked walls that hold him back, he sees a squadron of Asgardian soldiers stop in front of his cell. He pretends to ignore them and licks his finger to turn the page in his book. He focuses on the book as if it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen in his life. A guard outside clears his throat but he doesn't flinch, just narrows his eyes as if he's concentrating intensely on the page in front of him.

The guards don't look like they know what to do. How typically. Then a brave one steps forward so that the prisoner has no choice but to acknowledge him. The prisoner does so slowly, as if he has all the time in the world, which technically he does. "Your presence has been requested by Odin, All-Father, on a matter of extreme importance," the man declares.

The man inside the gilded cage stands and puts down the book, each movement precise and calculated. He prowls towards the wall that separates him from the squadron and is pleased to see the men in back stutter a step backwards and the man who so boldly spoke to him, quiver in his boots.

"You need to come with us immediately," the same bold guard says, although his voice wavers this time.

The man in the prison smirks. "But of course."

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Her head still hurts like Thor hit her in the head with Mjolnir. It doesn't help that everyone is now arguing and yelling their heads off. She almost thinks that it would be better for Frigga to try to remove the spell because their yelling is driving her nuts. Only Banner seems to understand that since he's not saying anything and is shining a penlight into her eyes to look at her pupils, something he insisted on doing even though she said she was fine. But she guesses this is how he copes with the whole magic thing, by trying to find a scientific reason behind it all. He's twitchy and nervous and Jay really doesn't want to be the one to aggravate him so she lets him fuss over her.

"Care to explain what's going on?" she whispers to Banner. He shines the light straight into her right eye and she blinks and cringes reflexively. "Who is a more powerful sorcerer, magician, whatever, than Frigga?"

From the look in Banner's eye, she's not really sure she wants to know. Uh-oh, this isn't going to be good. He doesn't answer her, just keeps checking her for signs of injury and brain damage and his silence is disturbingly telling. Who would the Avengers be this vehemently opposed to? And then in a shocking moment of clarity, she realizes exactly who the sorcerer is.

Thor's brother. The trickster god. Loki.

From Bruce's history with Loki, she can now understand why Banner reacted the way he did. Still, she doesn't really understand the situation, which she knows, but it gives her a different judgment on the man the Avengers hate. Well, Thor doesn't hate his brother, but everyone else sure is holding a grudge, especially Barton from the looks of the way the conversation is going.

"Loki, right?" Jay says quietly to Banner. He looks up at her in surprise but nods dejectedly. Jay doesn't want to be an idealist but she thinks that they are all judging Loki to harshly. But no, she reasons, she doesn't even know him and she's already wanting to believe there is another motive. She doesn't know why. She has no reason to believe anything good about this man. But, on the other hand, neither does she have any reason to believe anything bad about the god either. So confusing.

She can barely make out the different voices in the argument in front of her let alone what they are actually saying so she decides to see what they are thinking.