The Man Behind The Lies - Loki x Reader

Chapter 5: Ant, Boot

A/N

It has been ages since I last updated, so I'm very sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

It was nighttime on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. You had just gotten back from Germany and were watching Loki being escorted to his new... accommodations.

Dozens of officers were accompanying him. He did not, however, seem very fazed. Despite his handcuffs, the man was smiling.

When you passed by Bruce's lab, he paused his work on the sceptre to look up. You gave him a subtle wave, which he acknowledged with a smile. Loki, however, eyed him with a grin on his face. Naturally, this unsettled Banner. You, on the other hand, were more intrigued than worried.

Damn this man, you thought. I should hate him for his actions, yet here I am analysing his every move to find any reasoning or possibility for redemption.

You shook the words out of your head as you entered the detention section built for the Hulk. Loki was now free from his handcuffs but trapped in a large glass cage. Only the two of you and Nick Fury remained in the room. The latter walked up to the large control panel and glanced towards Loki.

"In case it's unclear," said Fury. "You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass."

Fury then proceeded to press a button that opened up a hatch beneath the glass cell. Loki attempted to see what was below him, but soon gave up knowing he'd have to press himself against his cage. He did not need to look though, as the gushing wind was loud and terrifying enough to make any man scared. 

"That's thirty thousand feet," Fury continued, closing the hatch. "Straight down, in a steel trap. You get how that works?"

"Ant, boot," you quipped, remembering Loki's similar statement from not too long ago.

"It's an impressive cage," Loki smirked. "Not built, I think, for me."

Not enough to scare a god, either.

"It's built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury retorted.

"Oh, I've heard," Loki replied, staring into one of the security cameras. You felt chills run down your spine, knowing that Banner and the others were watching this exchange through the security monitors.

"The mindless beast," continued Loki. "Makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" asked Fury incredulously. "You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh," Loki smiled. "It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well," Fury snickered. "You let Agent L/N know if Real Power wants a magazine or something. She's your new babysitter."

"Whoa, hang on a second there," you said, shocked. Loki turned his head to you as if he'd only just noticed you were there and frowned. "With all due respect, sir, I don't remember agreeing to this."

"What, you expected me to ask for your permission?" Fury replied. "We need to have a quick discussion with the others, but afterwards you're coming right back here. Understood?"

You glanced quickly at Loki, who was still eyeing you curiously.

"Understood," you said, biting your tongue. Questioning Fury's authority was an unwise decision, especially in front of someone like Loki.

The two of you walked off, heading towards the main floor of the helicarrier. Fury, claiming he had some matters to attend to, took a detour leaving you to rejoin the others by yourself.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" you heard Banner ask as you walked into the room.

"Who, Loki?" you asked. "Sure, if you have a thing for murder."

"Whatever you think of the guy," Steve said, rolling his eyes at you. "Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri," Thor answered. "They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army?" you questioned. "From outer space? That doesn't sound good."

"It's not," said Banner. "He must be building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor asked, turning to you.

"Uh, yeah," you replied, a grim look on your face. "You're friends, right? Well, he's an astrophysicist so I guess that makes him useful. Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours."

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," said Steve. "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Banner retorted. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor replied angrily. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha scoffed.

"He's adopted," Thor added, slightly embarrassed.

Tony then entered the room with Coulson. You zoned out a bit, not particularly interested in the discussion on thermonuclear astrophysics that followed. Fury was the next person to enter the room, his presence capturing your attention once more.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube," Fury said to Tony. "I was hoping you might join him."

"Let's start with that stick of his," Steve added. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon."

"I'm not sure about that," you frowned. "Although it does seem to be powered by the cube. What I'd like to know is how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I do not understand."

"I do!" Steve interrupted proudly. "I understood that reference."

Tony rolled his eyes at that, but you smiled at how adorable the clueless Captain was.

"Shall we play, doctor?" Tony asked Banner.

"Let's play some," he replied. 

As the science bros left the room, Fury turned to you, quirking his eyebrow. Sighing internally, you left the room to go to your new post. Hopefully, the God of Mischief wouldn't make your life too troublesome.

A/N

The next chapter will be all you and Loki, I promise. That, and it will be out in a week. Or less. I know, it's shocking. Stay tuned :)