Curiosity Killed the Cat

Chapter 4: Sleepover Part 2- Two Truths and a Lie

After about an hour and a half of watching vine compilations, Peter, Shuri, Ned, and MJ thought Loki was properly educated in their ways. The group spent 15 minutes making vine references and bursting out laughing at each other's impressions. They then decided to play some classic sleepover games.

"Let's play two truths and a lie!" MJ said.

"That's no fair ,Loki is the God of Mischief he could lie in his sleep!" Shuri said playfully, making Loki smile.

"I think it'll be fun!" Ned excitedly said, still amazed that he was having a sleepover with a god.

"Alright, let's play it!" Peter turned to Loki who sat next to him on the bed. "The rules are simple, tell two true things and one lie about yourself and then the rest of the group tries to guess which one is the lie."

"Sounds simple enough." Loki responded.

"Ok, I'll go first!" Peter tried to think of what would trip them up. He got it. "I have action figures of all of the Avengers. I am afraid of spiders. I can't pick up Mjolnir."

"The second one." They all said unanimously.

"Nope! The third one!"

Loki's eyes widened. "You know that is not normal for a mortal to be able to do right?"

"Yeah. When I first did it Thor was really freaked out and---"

"Wait a second," MJ cut him off. "You are Spiderman and yet you are afraid of spiders?"

"Spiders are scary!" Peter defended himself.

The other four giggled. It was Ned's turn next. "I have a best friend who is a superhero. I have met two Asgardians. Tony stark isn't my hero."

"Ned, you are so bad at this..." Peter sighed. "3... 2... 1..."

"Third one," everyone, save Loki, said.

"The second." Loki said.

"It's the third. I know you and Thor, so I know two Asgardians."

Loki hesitated before responding,"Not really, I don't blame you though because there is no way you could have possibly known this, but I am not Asgardian."

The other four looked at him like he had grown a second head. Loki sighed a little before saying, "What I am about to show you doesn't leave this room. There are only four other people in the entire universe who know of this form, one of whom knows about what goes on in the entire universe, one whom I hate with all of my very being, and the other two..." he paused. "...I would rather not speak of them."

He closed his eyes and his hands started to turn blue. It crept up his scarred arms and went to his face. Raised lines made themselves known. Loki opened his eyes, which, instead of their usual green, were now a blood red. Frost formed where his fingertips and toes touched the bed. The rest of the group stared at him in amazement.

"You look...awesome!!" Ned said.

"How did you do that?" Shuri asked.

"Why would you be embarrassed by this form? It's so cool!" Peter exclaimed.

Loki looked surprised at his friends' reactions. "Where I... grew up..., everyone was taught from an early age to fear and despise frost giants. We were taught that they were monsters, ruthless in their way, born evil and killing coming easy to them. That they are creatures of war. When I found out about my true heritage, that I was the monster parents tell their children about at night, I was devastated." He changed back to his original form.

There was a minute of silence as the friends looked sadly at Loki. MJ put her hand on Loki's shoulder. "We don't think that you're a monster."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Shuri said. Loki gave a small smile to them.

"Thank you."

~~{============}~~

Nat had finally gotten the boys to watch a movie. She decided to go check on the kids. She quietly opened the door. She was surprised to see Loki turning into a blue creature with raised markings and red eyes. Loki reverted back to his original form and started to tell the others about what Asgardians think about what he is. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as a memory played in her mind.

*Flashback*

"And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

Nat turns around, walks away from Loki, disgusted.

"You're a monster." She says quietly.

*End Flashback*

As she remembered the scene, she realized that Loki's eyes on the helicarrier were blue, much different than the green that they are now. Clint's eyes were the same color when he was controlled by Loki, blue. "Could Loki have been under some kind of influence as well?" she thought. She studied him more closely. There were many scars going up and down his pale arms. "How could I have not noticed those before!?" She knew enough from the Red Room to know that those scars were whip and burn marks. Her heart shattered. The man in front of her was tortured. Badly. "No wonder he seemed more quiet than before."

She saw the others comforting Loki as she watched sadly. She quietly closed the door and she silently vowed to never let Loki feel like he is a monster again and to do everything she could to find out what happened during the attack on New York.