Doesn't Play Well With Tricksters

1 - Strange Meeting

WARNING!!! This will get more explicit as it goes on. Very adult content. Graphic Language and Vivid Imagery. Read at your own risk. !!!!! ((The explicit scenes start in part 4, but these first three parts set the scene for the story. If you're looking to get right into the 'good stuff' feel free to skip ahead. Otherwise, enjoy the world building.))

"Ladies, gentlemen," The Auburn haired beauty glared in his direction. "Loki."

His dark eyebrows raised toward his hairline as his newfound "team" tittered around him. Even Captain America, the poster child for old fashioned manners and all things polite, seemed to be enjoying the barb at Loki's expense.

She, however, didn't seem to notice the reaction. Instead, she continued with her speech without missing a beat. "You'll notice the tower has been updated to accomidate our Asguardian guests, while keeping the rest of us safe as well." She motioned toward the thin blue line of crystal where each of the four walls met the ceiling.

"While you're here," she pointedly glared at him again, "your powers will be dampened whenever you're within the common areas."

She turned a much sweeter, almost dazzling, smile toward Thor and asked, "Do you mind demonstrating?"

He smiled like a dim-witted puppy and motioned dramatically toward the nearest window.

Nothing happened. Thor's eyes glowed a bright, lightning blue, but the weather outside the window didn't change in the slightest.

"Interesting," Loki breathed, eyeing the thin strip of crystal.

"Tampering with the system, however, would not be a smart move." She picked up a small apple and threw it at the strip.

To everyone's surprise, a bright bolt of lightning escaped the crystal as the apple came within two feet of it, exploding the fruit into tiny, sizzling chunks.

"How does it work?" Rodgers asked.

"Tiny computers and a lot of patience," Stark smirked.

"And a small bit of magic." The woman added.

Loki had to admit, he was intrigued. For one, it was no small bit of magic that syphoned the magic of an Asgardian only to store it for later use.

Secondly, this new woman had, somehow gained enough of Stark's trust that he allowed her to install security equipment in his precious tower.

Not to mention she had a apparent anamosity toward him and he couldn't place her, or name a single person that looked like her who'd he wronged. Not that he could name everyone he'd wronged over the last 1000 years. He couldn't even name everyone he'd wronged this week.

"Out of curiosity, where did you get your magic?" Loki asked, genuinely curious.

She bristled, as if he'd just asked her the most intimate of questions. "They were transferred from my Great-Aunt. When she found out where they came from, she no longer wanted anything to do with them."

She turned away from him, lifted her chin proudly, almost defiantly, and addressed the rest of the team. "If anyone else has any questions, my office is right down the hall." She turned on her heel and practically bolted down the hall.

"Alright," Stark turned to Loki after giving the woman's rather shapely rear a long, hard look. "What did you do to Rachael?"

Loki shrugged, "I haven't the slightest. I didn't even know that was her name."

Roger's scoffed. "Whatever it was, you need to make it right. And quick."

"I agree. We get enough negativity from outside the tower, we need not invite more inside."

Loki nodded, not really listening to either of them, and started down the hall, wanting to get to the bottom of this for his own reasons.

Rachael snapped the door shut and turned toward her workspace, suddenly unsure what was so important that she needed to get back to her office so quickly.

Other than wanting to get away from that smug, arrogant, egotistical-

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing her anger away by telling herself he hadn't done anything overtly wrong. At least not to her. He'd just stood there, in his long black Cape, perfectly tailored suit, and green tie. Of course she knew who he was the moment her eyes caught their first glimpse of him.

Loki, God of mischief, trickery, and the man who threw a genetic monkey wrench into her family tree nearly 400 years ago.

Luckily, Rachel didn't have even the slightest effects that came from being his long removed descendant, mostly because her ancestor married and concieved a second daughter after she finally realized the God of Mischief wasn't coming back.

That didn't save her favorite Aunt though. She'd had the same long, raven hair, and delicate yet strong build, but her eyes weren't quite the same emerald green as his.

Okay, Bridgette. She thought to herself, calling up the image of her long dead ancestor. I admit, he's very attractive, but-

Her musings were cut short by a short, curt knock on the office door, followed by the intrusion of the one person she didn't want to see at that moment.

Speak of the devil, she thought, placing her hands on her hips and readying for a fight.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I can't help but notice we've gotten off on the wrong foot." Loki drawled, his voice low and soothing.

She narrowed her gaze and waited for more.

"Do you mind if I inquire how?"

There's a story for you. She thought, but sidestepped the question. "I don't see how it matters. As long as you work with, and not against, the team, we shouldn't have much to say to one another."

"Ahh. So we haven't met." He quipped. "If you haven't been told, I'm the one who specializes in untold rivalries around here. You'll have to find another role to fill."

"Oh, I know plenty about you. Worshipped as the God of mischief, trickery, and deceit. More recently, the destroyer of whole blocks of New York City." She turned away, reaching for her cell phone.

"What is it, then? Favorite cousin killed during the invasion?"

She rolled her eyes and busied herself with her device, jotting a quick note to her grieving cousin. "Is it so hard to believe I may not like a homicidal maniac on pure principle?"

You're right. He's every bit as manipulative as we thought he'd be. He's here now, trying to weasel details out of me.

"We all make mistakes," he answered. "Granted most are not as big as mine, but I'm doing what I can to make up for them." He paused, looking almost thoughtful. "Perhaps we can set our differences aside for the good of the team?"

"Or we can avoid each other in the future and continue to treat each other as nothing but a casual annoyance."

"Fair enough." He answered, retreating out the door, but not before waving his hand through the air, causing a single word to change in the text message she'd yet to send.

Rachael glared at the word gorgeous where manipulative had once been before deleting the entire message, unsent.