The Scientist (Loki x OC)

Pt. 39: Group Exercise

A/N: Oof, another long boi. Sorry not sorry. I think Luna has snagged the coveted job description of "feral scientist." When Bruce isn't around, someone's gotta fill the role. What do you think? She's very "I'm going to end up in jail anyway, so might as well enjoy the journey." Oh! And we're gonna be getting another Thor movie done by Taika! I win. We win. I just love a King.

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It was a chilly day in New York. Luna knew so when she woke up that morning. She left her apartment prepared, all bundled up in her coat and scarf. In one hand, she toted her regular work bag filled with her usual essentials. In the other, she held her gym duffle.

Loki brought an extra tote along as well, but not for the gym. He needed a covert way to transport the vinyl record back to the apartment while keeping Luna none-the-wiser. He also had no exercise clothing and did not count on being included in such activities. He was content with reading the book he brought, browsing the apps on his phone, or taking a walk somewhere private; anything to keep his idle hands to himself.

At the compound, Luna guided him to the lounge and set her duffle by the armchair.

"Ok," she said, shaking her coat off and draping it on the back of the chair. "I'm going to go do some work until Tony calls me for our exercise session. You know where everything is, and Peter should be coming by today."

"Oh, he is," Loki interjected as he took his place on the sofa. "He messaged me earlier."

"Wow, look at you two," Luna smirked jokingly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd be jealous."

Loki chuckled quietly and looked at the ground. No playful banter on his end. Luna was reaching her limit of passiveness with him, but she was in no mood to start anything now. She wanted to get a good bit of work done. She shed her scarf and jacket and left for the lab without giving or receiving a 'goodbye.'

"Ok, FRIDAY." Luna shut and locked the door. "We will be operating under, as they say, 'deep shadow conditions.' Keep everything on my private server and under my personal code. If anyone other than me tries to look, lock them out."

"Even Mr. Stark?"

Luna sighed. "Even Mr. Stark." She didn't like keeping more things from him, but she was curious as any scientist would be. If anyone should be doing human-alien gene research, especially involving Loki, it should only be her.

A pinprick of fresh blood in the MicroFluid machine and she was ready to begin. She was focused, but her mind strayed as she ran one virtual trial after another. She thought of officially using the cells and DNA from mice instead, but her own were working well. Mice were expensive and laborious to keep in a lab and to care for. Currently, it was her goal to get to human testing before the risk of anyone else taking it over presented itself. She walked further into danger, but she knew the risks the moment she decided to bring Loki home with her that first day. Any rules she got she bent them as far as she could, and she made up the rest. She'd keep her work – and Loki – safe and sound until it was impossible.

"Ok," Luna groaned out as she rubbed her eyes. "Can we do an RNA template? Or is that too soon? Probably too soon. Let's do more trial simulations. See how those go." She gave FRIDAY no chance to respond. Her cells were on the line and, in turn, her life in its most raw form. Caution was imperative.

"Miss, Mr. Stark is calling you," FRIDAY alerted her.

Luna forced herself back into the moment. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Uh, patch him through."

"Hey there, Lu." Tony's voice flowed through the PA system in place of FRIDAY.

"Hey, boss. What can I do you for?"