A Tale of Death and Debt ✔

Chapter 7

Tessa glanced at her watch. "How does time fly so quickly?" she groaned. She and Loki were sitting face-to-face at Ruthie's diner. Tessa had used her illusions to disguise him as buff, Asian  man with a goatee. Tessa liked the face behind the illusion much more.

"So, Loki, do you know why we are here?" Tessa asked

"This appears to be an eating joint. I presume you are hungry." Loki said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Tessa flashed a sarcastic smile. "Look out the window. You see that building? That's actually a secret Shield office. You do any funny business, and well I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"Well those pesky mortals have taken my magic, somehow. At this point I am rather out of ideas." he paused, meeting her gaze with a glint in his eye, "For now." he finished.

"Well, you know what, I think I can take care of that!" Tessa waived her hands in an absurd pattern and snapped her fingers for a little showmanship. 'Alright," she said "Try now".

Loki doubtfully rotated his hand and created an illusion of a coffee mug. He blinking and pursed his lips. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"Well that's a story for some other time." Tessa said laughing on the inside. "Who knew that Fury would ever be able to help me?"

But Tessa had big concerns: she was sitting in front of Loki with barely 65 hours left. She had to alter his mindset and convince him to come to the other timeline. And she and no idea what to say or do.

"Well at least I've earned his trust" she thought.

Loki was eyeing her, examining her expressions "You may have saved my life, but do not flatter yourself for a minute, thinking I trust you."

"Great." she groaned and leaned forward. "Loki, I need to speak to you, ask you some questions."

"No. I do the asking. Who are you?" Loki demanded.

Tessa sighed, "My name is Tessa. I'm a healer"

"Are you human?"

"Yes"

"Then how do you have magic powers. How did you appear in my childhood?"

"Well, I had some help from the tesseract. Hence the name."

"Ergo, you're an experiment like Rodgers? Or unfortunate like Dr.Banner?'

"Neither actually. You know—"

"Silence! I'm not done. Why do you hate Fury?"

"Honestly, I don't know. He's just so smug. He just. He thinks he's all that and ugh. You know what I'm 240 years old. I know way more than him."

"You don't seem 240 years old"

"You don't seem 1000 years old."

"I am a god."

"And I have the powers of the tesseract."

"Then you can control space?"

Tessa sighed, "No. it gave me healing and - I don't know - anti-aging powers. The stones work in mysterious ways."

Loki probed further, "You don't seem very appreciative of Odin either."

"Oh ya. Odin is an idiot. He's like one the worst fathers out there. Apart from Ego maybe. If he parented a little better the three of you would be ruling the universe."

"Three of us?"

"Ugh... what? Err... did I say three? Ha-ha! I meant two obviously. You and Thor. Odin's a puny god."

Loki stiffened and hissed softly, "Don't say those words!"

"What? Puny god?"

A dangerous light glinted in Loki's eyes.

Tessa stared back with wide questioning eyes, enjoying making him uncomfortable. "Do you have a problem if I say 'Puny god?'" she asked mockingly, emphasizing on "puny"

"Yes! Ju— shut up!"

"Sheesh. Are you done with your question now, Loki?"

"No. one last question." Loki leaned forward. "How do you know my mother?"