Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 47

Bishop drove out to Clare Leopard's apartment, Loki riding shotgun and Barton and Thor sitting in the back. She had just finished explaining to him about how to proceed at the apartment.

"You think you got that?" she asked.

"Of course," Loki responded smoothly.

As silence fell, Loki looked across at Bishop, who had her eyes pinned resolutely on the road ahead. Barton and Thor were having a quiet debate in the backseat, their voices carrying quite a bit of heat for low whispers.

"Are you just going to ignore me now?" Loki asked softly. He allowed a slight grin to escape him as he noticed her tense slightly.

"That seems to be working, so yes," she answered.

"That won't do," Loki said. "Didn't you hear DiNozzo's speech about there being no I in TEAM?"

"What does that have to do with this?" Bishop asked.

"Everything, darling," Loki replied. "You only speaking to me of work-related matters maybe is good for you – but not the team."

"And the team's going to be happy if I talk to you?" Bishop asked skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

Well, I'd be happy, Loki thought, but he couldn't exactly say that to her. "Perhaps, darling. But you refusing to speak to me puts the team's bonds in jeopardy. If you're only going to inform me of matters and perhaps argue with me, that's only going to hurt us. Just ask Thor and Barton what arguing and resentment can do to a team."

"That was your fault!" Thor declared suddenly. "You were manipulating us."

"And I wasn't even there," Barton stated emphatically.

"Oh, yes, I was mistaken. You were in the process of boarding the Helicarrier to kill Agent Romanoff."

"Also your fault," Thor insisted.

"Was it, though?" Loki wondered. "Perhaps Barton was just realizing that he had made a mistake the first time he met the Black Widow in not killing her immediately."

There was a stunned silence before Thor yelled, "He's doing it again!"

"I thought you guys were supposed to reform him," Barton accused Bishop.

"That was Gibbs' job," Bishop told him angrily.

"And I'm slightly reformed," Loki interjected. "Don't expect any miracles, Barton."

Thor and Barton exchanged glances. "I will not trust him," Barton muttered. "He was just messing with us again. How do we know he won't do it again? How do we know he won't kill us all or turn us over to the enemy, first chance he gets?"

"That's a good idea, Barton," Loki said over his shoulder. "I'll have to try that."

"You know what?" Barton declared. "I'm going to put an arrow through your eye socket, and now sounds like as good a time as any."

"Hey!" Bishop shouted, startling the two Avengers and Loki. "I know you guys have a bad history, but Loki is on our side now. You even so much as aim one of those fancy arrows at him and I will ensure that movement is your last."

Stunned, Loki still couldn't help the grin that was itching to be displayed on his face.

"You trust him?" Barton asked in astonishment.

There was silence for a moment before Bishop replied. "With my life, Agent Barton."

"And you said you hated me, darling," Loki said to her quietly, so the Avengers couldn't hear.