Doesn't Play Well With Tricksters

7 - Friendship

Rachael found Loki in the library, again, a different book in his hands but looking much the same as he did when she came to look at his jaw.

She pulled an ottoman over by him and waited.

He sighed, his eyes never moving from the page. "Hello, Rachael. Is there something I can do for you?"

"You can sit the book down and listen for a second."

He closed the book on his finger and gave her his full attention.

"I'm sorry."

His eyes widened in shock.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was out of line."

"You weren't wrong."

"I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you."

He set the book aside and leaned in closer. "What happened?"

"Nothing important. Just my tech guy acting like a perv."

"What happened?" He demanded, his eyes glowing a neon green for a moment.

"It's nothing." Rachael waved her hand dismissively. "It was more stupid than perv-ey."

Loki glared pointedly.

"He offered to get all my music and apps back for free in exchange for a date. And the way he was looking at me, I knew exactly what he meant."

"Is that typical bartering here?" He asked, jokingly.

"Definitely not. And now I have to find a new tech guy, hence the frustration."

"Did you hit him?"

"No. I lashed out at you, remember?"

"Apparently, I'm an easy target."

"No. Just a familiar one. My family's been blaming you for everything for hundreds of years. Bad luck? Loki's playing his tricks again. Flat tire? Damn that Loki."

He smirked. "Can't say I've ever given someone a flat tire."

"It's habit. Now you're here, and you've done some horrible things-"

"Granted." He interupted.

She continued without missing a beat. "-but you're working towards making up for it."

"As much as I can."

She dragged a hand through her hair. "In some ways, you're exactly what I expected. In others, you're nowhere near."

"I could say the same about you."

"So I'm sorry." She gave him an over-the-top speculative look. "I'm beginning to think I may have misjudged you."

"Then my plan is working." He joked.

"Your plan?"

"It's an impressive plan, if I do say so myself. If somewhat convoluted and backward."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Okay, bait acknowledged. What plan?"

"The plan to build myself a comfortable place here, seeing as the Allfather will not allow me to go home." He leaned in and whispered, "First the job and a place to stay. This tower will do for now, until I can find something more suitable. Then at least one person I can call a friend, even if they can't trust me as far as they could throw me."

"Not sure if being a friend of the God of mischief is such a good idea, but I guess it's better than being in your path."

"That it is." Thor chimed in from the doorway. "Stark sent me to find the two of you. He's found more of the weapons. We leave in ten minutes."

---

Rachael sat silently on the ride back from what had turned from a search and secure mission into an all out battle for the weapons. Weapons now safely stowed in wooden crates just feet from her seat.

No thanks to her.

They had been surrounded by masked men in dark robes within moments of landing, all of them brandishing staff-like guns with that same blue energy ammo.

They'd been set up. Ambushed in a strange land and quickly separated from the larger group, she found herself fighting a handful in a side road of the long deserted city.  She could hear the sounds of the others fighting not far away.

It was hard to mistake the sounds of Stark's propulsion based attacks, or the crack of lightning when Thor brought his hammer into contact with his attackers.

She had little time or attention to devote to anything other than the slight glimmers of hope these sounds brought with them as she brandished her own weapons. It wasn't long before she realized just how outnumbered she was. She'd beaten down three of them, giving more credit to dumb luck than skill for the grounding blows, but she could feel her strength giving out.

That was when Loki showed up, surrounding her with his clones and making quick work of the remaining four goons then all but carrying her back to the helicopter.

He was bandaging an angry looking burn on her forearm when the rest of the team started bringing the cargo on board.

"Oh good. You found her." One of the soldiers grumbled before barking an all clear order into his radio.

At first, Rachael didn't know what the soldier meant, but as the others started piling in, she was able to catch snippets of their conversations.

Apparently, Loki had left the fight to scour the city for her when he saw she wasn't in the midst of the battle.

While she appreciated the effort, not to mention how he'd likely saved her life, him leaving the battle like that had put the rest of the group in danger. And the group was less than thankful.

She kept her head down, rubbing the sore spot on her arm absently as she thought over their first moments in the city. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself she was right.

They'd intentionally cut her off from the rest of the team.

But why?