A Feather's Trick ➸ Loki fanfiction

Chapter 5

"This is Doctor Banner." Thor pointed at the man who had beaten Loki to a pulp. My eyes narrowed. He was my least favourite.

"Who's this?" Doctor Banner took off his glasses.

"My friend from home, Luft." Thor smiled.

"Have we met before?" He looked at me quizzically.

"Perhaps when you-" I began angrily before being elbowed by Thor, who was smiling widely, "I cannot say that we have Doctor."

"Please call me Bruce. Any friend of Thor's is a friend of mine." He smiled sweetly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I better get back to work before Tony comes to bother me more." He brushed us off before returning to his work.

"Did someone say bother?" a new man smirked. "I can't believe you think I'm a bother." He put his hand on his glowing chest in mock hurt.

"Now look what you've done." Bruce smiled slightly, not looking up.

"Tony, let us leave Doctor Banner in peace for the moment." Thor put his hands on Tony's shoulders, leading him further into the facility. I trailed behind uncertainly. "Allow me to introduce my recruit, Luft." He spun Tony to face me dramatically.

We both gasped in shock.

"Metal Man?"

"Loki's girlfriend?"

"I was not his girlfriend."

"And I'm not metal man. It's Iron Man." He turned to Thor urgently. "Thor, can I have a word?"

"Anything you say to me, you can say in front of her." Thor crossed his arms.

"Okay, fine then. What the hell are you thinking? Do you not remember the Battle of New York? Why would you bring Loki's right hand woman into the center of our base? Hello? Is there anything in that handsome blond head of yours?" Tony knocked on Thor's head, his voice getting louder with every passing second.

"She can be a helpful ally." He insisted.

"And an even more helpful enemy!" Tony cried exasperatedly.

"Wow, what's going on here?"

"Steve, thank God, you're here. Knock some sense into Thor will you?" Tony frantically motioned to Thor.

"What? Why? Isn't that the girl from New York?" Steve looked at me for the first time since New York.

"She is an ally from Asgard." Thor announced.

"-Who helped Loki." Tony added. Steve looked between the two of them.

"Do you trust her?" Steve looked Thor in the eyes intently.

"Yes." Thor replied, keeping his gaze level.

"There's hope. Everyone deserves second chances." Steve began.

"Not you too! And so righteous about it too. When she backstabs you, I'm going to say 'I told you so' before I kick her ass." Tony smacked his forehead in annoyance.

"I beg your pardon?" My eyebrows raised. My wings twitched, itching to break free and cuff him upside the head.

"Tony. We're gonna need all the help we can get. Why would you turn away an ally?" Steve questioned.

"What's so special about her anyways?" Tony walked closer to me, inspecting me.

"She is a Goddess, and speaking to her that way is ignorant." Thor stepped forward, forcing him back.

"Alright, alright. I can see I'm outnumbered here. Since she hasn't done anything to me yet, I'll let it slide." Tony walked away.

"Well I'm glad we have your permission." Thor blinked sarcastically.

"Let's not forget who owns this place!" Tony called back over his shoulder.

"I should probably make sure he's not poisoning the water supply or something." Steve joked. He smiled apologetically at me before dashing in the direction Tony had gone.

"That went rather well." I commented dryly.

Thor and I stood on the roof of the facility, admiring the sunset. It could have been romantic if not for the depressing aura.

"I remember the time you and Loki told me to check the dining hall because there was trouble with our ale. When I went to check, it was an odd colour. So of course I checked it by drinking it. And when I drank it, you startled me. You were laughing so hard! I started choking on it, and you two were both panicking. Loki-"

"-tried to use magic to save you. But he did not realize you were fooling us in turn." I smiled slightly. "You really scared us!" I shoved him playfully.

"You really scared me!" He retorted.

We trailed off back into an comfortable silence.

"I miss him. I thought I would not, but I do." I whispered.

"I miss him too. Despite everything he did, I truly miss him." Thor smiled comfortingly. He went into detail about Loki's death, explaining how they had fought the Dark Elves. I gasped, I laughed, I cried. But most importantly, I remembered.

We spent hours more reminiscing about our times together with Loki. Some bad, some good. It surprised me, but warmed my heart when I realized how many good memories we had.

"Thank you." I smiled as we laughed.

"For?"

"For everything."

"It is no problem Luftie. You are my friend after all. I know you made a mistake, but I forgive you."

I held my tongue. What had been a heartfelt moment soured. I had not made a mistake. It had been Loki's mistake, for which I paid the price. Even when he was gone, I was still taking the blame with him.

"Did you love him?" Thor asked slowly.

"No." I scoffed, dismissing him immediately.

"Could you have loved him?"

"...No." I said after a pause.

"He cared for you deeply, you know that do you not?"

"If he cared for me, he would not have gotten me banished for his crimes." I put my hand up as Thor tried to interrupt. "Loki cared only for himself."

Thor said nothing more, and I took that as a sign that I had won the argument.