Above All Shadows [Loki Timetravel fic - Completed]

30. Loose Ends

'I would advise you to...'

The medic lost his train of thought at the hiss of the door to Loki's room. For a moment, Loki was glad to have the reprieve. The medic and his assistant had been poking and prodding at him for some minutes now. He was less glad, however, when he saw the source of the interruption.

'Is Nebula not with you?' Gamora asked as she strolled into the room.

Loki grabbed his shirt and pulled it back on. 'Why would she be?'

'Why shouldn't she?' Gamora replied, then cocked her head in an eerie imitation of her adoptive father.

Nebula had in fact spent the best part of an hour here and had left only when the medic had demanded custody of Loki one last time, but Loki wasn't about to share that titbit with Gamora. Instead, he turned to the medic. 'Is there anything else?'

'No, I believe I'm satisfied with your condition,' the man replied. He gestured for his assistant to start moving out of the room, then in a half-hearted tone, went on. 'It would, of course, be wise to be respectful of your body in the coming weeks.'

'I'll do my best.'

'Are these two going to finally release you from their care?' Gamora said once the medic and his assistant left Loki to endure Gamora's company on his own. 'How nice. Your body-guard must have missed you while you were stuck here with only the lonely Nebula to hold vigil over you.'

'Why should she feel lonely when she has a sister as wonderful as you?'

Where he had half-expected a backhanded slap — Gamora could be liberal with such when provoked, came only a derisive chuckle. 'Nebula thinks you two are good friends. But it strikes me as odd that your body-guard knew your real name, while you didn't deign to inform Nebula of the truth. Guess she wasn't special enough in your estimation.'

Loki surmised Gamora was still bitter about her recent defeat; those who were unaccustomed to losing seldom made for gracious losers. If she hadn't already, she would probably try to rub this fictive relationship between Brunnhilde and him into Nebula's face. It was an attempt to drive a wedge between himself and Nebula. He could appreciate the sentiment and the pettiness of it, but the method was so crude it was nigh embarrassing.

She really is unused to losing.

'The guard knew my true name because she entered my employ before I thought to adopt another name,' Loki said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. The garment had been sewn for a species with a different anatomy to his own and didn't sit right on his shoulders no matter what he tried. 'I'm afraid you've misinterpreted the relationship between us. I pay her to watch my back, not to warm my bed or whatever other nonsense you've dreamt up.'

Gamora raised an eyebrow. 'Why does a combat master feel he needs someone to watch his back?'

'I knew very little about the Sanctuary before I arrived here. It's only sensible to have a back-up when you are entering unfamiliar territory. Surely your father taught you that much?'

That left Gamora silent long enough for Loki to reach for his coat.

'Your concern for the quality of acquaintances your sister makes does you credence,' Loki said in a tone so polite it could only infuriate, 'but I'm afraid, I don't have the time right now to answer a host of questions. Your father expects a great deal from me.'

'I'll expect we'll have a chance to speak again soon enough,' Gamora replied.

Loki smiled and offered her a shallow bow as he hurried out of the room. He was keen to be gone before Gamora spotted his rising anxiety. Petty grounds or not, she had it in for him. Now that Brunnhilde had sparked her interest, she was unlikely to forget about the Valkyrie's existence and move on.