My Friend Loki: The Price You Pay

Part 24

Loki had finished his breakfast, and just as I thought, it had given him more energy.

Collecting our remaining items from our respective trunks, and making ourselves presentable, it was now time to head to the briefing room.

I looked at Loki, as Thor got him set up in the wheelchair. The briefing room was where this all began. Now, it was where it would all end, coming full circle. I had to smile. However, just as the thought was settling in, I also felt uneasy.  An end here meant soon, I would have to return to my reality.

Noticing my expression, Loki asked, "Beverlee, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to miss... all this," I answered, feeling myself getting emotional.

"Hey," Loki said, "come here," I easily complied. As I got close, Loki took my hand, "think of all the adventures we'll have outside this place..."

"Promise?"

"I promise," he gave me an encouraging smile, "besides, no one can get me out of trouble like you can."

"He's right," Thor said.

Looking at me, Loki made a sweeping gesture with his hand toward Thor, "see?"

"Oh, you guys..." I said, feeling a small, amused smile appear.

**************

Entering the briefing room, there was Agent Coulson and Dr. Lowenstein. I moved a chair away from the table, so Thor could push Loki's wheelchair up to it, and then we took a seat on either side of him.

Coulson began, "did you enjoy breakfast, Loki?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you," Loki replied.  He looked at Lowenstein, "please convey to Chef Barber I very much enjoyed the pancakes, and... everything else."

"He'll be happy to hear that." Lowenstein said. "He had just enough left to make a plate for you and Coulson. Beverlee was adamant that you didn't miss out."

Loki turned to look at me, putting a hand on my arm, then said with a contented sigh, "I'm very glad she was."

"Brother," Thor said, "I must tell you, Midgard has quite the appetite for these pancakes - they have international establishments."

"Yes," Coulson said, with an amused smile, "Midgard certainly does. But we're not here just to discuss pancakes." He looked at me and my friend, "we discovered many shocking things about the man who attacked you and killed your teammate. His name is Gerrold White." He pressed a button from a small console on the table that revealed a video screen on the wall. "It might be best to just show you what happened during his questioning," and proceeded to press another button.

The video image showed Gerrold White in the interview room, with Coulson as the person questioning him. White was just as we saw him in the hallway earlier, however, instead of the angry expression, he now sported a self-satisfied look on his face.

"So, Gerrold," Coulson started, "you've been with SHIELD for quite some time, and your record has been spotless... always on time, your work ethic to get things done by deadline, I understand you even park perfectly within the yellow lines in the parkade."

"Thank you, nice to be recognized," White said sarcastically.

Coulson ignored him and continued, "You were overheard saying something in the hall, but I'm going to ask you here for the record. Why do this? And hey, don't hold back on my account."

"That, alien," White almost spat out the word, "in his mad quest to take over our world, caused major damage and destruction of several buildings and many deaths occurred... one of them was my sister," White was becoming agitated, "she was married and had a child. It killed me to go to her funeral."