14) Ex and a Party

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"Loki! Thank God I've found you!" Tony exclaimed, relieved. "We're going to a party in an hour."


Loki had spent a good few hours having fun blowing up rocks on Muspelheim. He hoped the fire giants and Surtr had enjoyed the display.


He raised an eyebrow and Tony reddened.

"Also, I hope you're alright," he muttered.

"Perfectly fine, thank you," Loki replied, turning his outfit into a formal suit with a wave of his hand.


Tony stared at him in amazement and awe.

"One day you have to show me how to do that."

"Maybe one day the human race will evolve. Until then, I admire your optimism and ambition."


"I trust the blowing things up was a success?" Tony queried tentatively.

"Oh, it was perfect, thank you," Loki replied sarcastically. "The inhabitants of Muspelheim really appreciated their new craters."

"I'm sure they do. Now, party?"

"I'm all set."

*

It emerged that the party was for all eminent business owners, as they often were. Tony, Loki and Pepper had all been invited but it had apparently been strongly hinted that Tony should drag along a few Avengers to make the party one to remember. Showing a remarkable show of intellect, Tony had chosen the most polite Avengers: Steve and Rhodey, but also Natasha because she could put on the best poker face of all of them.


Like always, Steve didn't look overly comfortable. Loki and Tony had asked if Steve enjoyed the parties, for of course he was never forced to go, but Steve always insisted he liked them. Still, Loki wasn't going to enchant some poor woman again. Steve was on his own.


Rhodey on the other hand, while giving the impression that he was too superior for something as immoral as a party, must love them, for he was best friends with Tony, the greatest entertainer of all. Loki knew that Rhodey had seen some good times at MIT, because sometimes he teleported along as well.


Loki thought that maybe Natasha did like parties, no matter how much she kept her face plain and inscrutable at these events. Even spies were allowed to have fun, and Loki thought Natasha loved playing tricks on eminent businessmen and getting the upper hand whenever she'd successfully deceived them.


When they arrived, Pepper immediately took Natasha to meet some friends of hers, and Tony and Rhodey made a beeline for the casino, leaving Steve and Loki standing around awkwardly.

"You didn't have to say yes, you know that, right?" Loki said to Steve, amused.

Steve shifted uncomfortably.


"I was always asked to attend events like this during the war," Steve replied. "At least here I don't have to wear a costume."

"Even though some of them might expect us to," Loki said shrewdly.

Steve sighed.

"The whole superhero gig is a strange one to me. During the war I was a morale booster when we truly needed it, so I sucked it up like a proper American citizen. Now I don't know what we're meant to represent."

Starting Over #2 - LokiWhere stories live. Discover now