Mischief on Midgard

An old friend

Loki was fuming. His hands were darting over the keyboard, fingers tapping out a harsh rhythm as he pressed more firmly than he really ought to. This was the third day in a row that he had spent like this, bent over a keyboard, glaring at the computer screen in front of him as he tried to gather more information about what he had missed over the past three, three years.

And Nebula? She stayed in the back portion of the hotel room they'd gotten and was busy doing another rep of three-thousand push-ups. It wasn't as if she could help here. She didn't know what to look for.

Loki let out a low snarl and placed his head in his hands after reading another article. Fantastic. Great. It turned out that Tony hadn't been exaggerating. The Avengers Initiative had been set aside. The group had disbanded, and some of the members were even on the run. This was the worst possible timing! Loki growled low in his throat. If the Avengers could get their act together, then they still had a chance. With Nebula acting as a major source of information regarding Thanos' tactics, they would have the advantage of knowing how to prepare and counter the Titan's plans. They would know his weaknesses, plan ahead, ready their defenses, set up traps, and more!

But no. They'd had a major falling out and were, in two cases, completely unavailable because they hadn't been planetside for years! Nice job, Thor! Wonderful timing, Bruce!

What had Loki ever seen in these people?!

Loki dropped his hand and drummed his fingers against the desk thoughtfully. Tony had been the man he'd expect to build up their defenses and set traps. Now? The man was useless, focused as he was on 'clean energy' and so cowardly that he was practically a turtle hiding in his metal suit-shell.

Bruce, their ultimate trump card when it came to strength and one who, when placed correctly, could turn the tide of battle in an instant. Not only that, but his own intelligence was nothing to joke about. And he had fled off-world in an insane bid to find a planet where he wasn't a danger to those around him. From what he could tell from the articles, the Witch had controlled Hulk and sent him on a rampage. Anyone would question their ability to remain in control of themselves in the face of such sorcery and fear it happening again. But to run the way he did? Loki wanted to bash the man upside the head and call him a coward!

Thor? His Brother? The only one who could reach the Asgardian's given the damned disk on Loki's neck? The one who could place the 'mightiest warriors of the Universe' strategically? The idiot hadn't been on Earth since his girl-friend broke up with him! Pathetic!

Steve, as Tony had said, was now a wanted man. On the run with the Winter Soldier. And since he was hiding, no one knew where he was. Natasha? Clint? They'd gone missing as well.

And that Sorceress? The same one who had messed with Hulk's head? Tony was right about her too. Wanda, as she was called, had joined the Avengers initially to help make up for her crimes. How wonderful for her. Sadly, she had indeed gone missing with 'Vision,' the now sapient Mind-stone, and hadn't been seen.

At this point, Loki was so frustrated that he wanted to chuck the computer at the far wall and then stomp the thing into tiny pieces. He forced himself to his feet, almost doing just that, and instead looked toward the sky and roared.

"Heimdal!" he shouted, arms spreading out wide. "You ugly, blind dog of Odin's! I broke the agreement of my 'parole,' you worthless mutt! Come and get me! I'm right here!"

Loki's hands fell to his sides after a moment. Of course, the fool didn't answer him. Heimdal couldn't see him all because of the damned disk on his neck. Loki's hands closed into fists, his eyes closed. He tried to calm himself. He really did. But he was too pissed off. Too frustrated. Too tired of feeling helpless.