Special Agent 2: The Dark Soldier

Chapter 22

Loki and Hailstohm were engaged in silence after her last comment as Gibbs came up and rapped on the doorframe. "Loki, we've got to go."

"What is it?" Loki asked, stepping toward the Marine. Hailstohm tilted her head, looking curiously at the NCIS agent.

"They found something," Gibbs told him. "Let's go."

"Enjoy your stay in Asgard, Lady Hailstohm," Loki told her courteously, turning to leave the balcony.

"Wait," she commanded. "You go to Midgard, correct?"

Cautiously, Loki and Gibbs nodded. "Yes," Gibbs answered.

"Then I will come," Hailstohm asserted. "I wish to see Midgard again, to see the world my ancestors sought to subjugate."

Gibbs cocked his head, lifting an eyebrow. "Aren't you about to start peace negotiations, Lady Hailstohm?"

"There are a lot of legal and technical proceedings that I, as a warrior, have no part of," Hailstohm said. "Besides, Asgard and Midgard are in a sort of understanding, no? If Jotunheim is to finally come abreast of events in the Nine Realms, I as the next queen should know Midgard, and they know me."

Loki felt his stomach sinking. He had been hoping to get away from the frost giantess and her insistence on his acceptance of his heritage. "Midgard and Asgard are not in any sort of understanding," he said stiffly.

"Then what are you and your brother doing traipsing around down there?" Hailstohm retorted.

"We're Avengers," Loki told her. "But there has been no envoys exchanged between our peoples."

"I will come, nevertheless," Hailstohm stated. "I am sure the Allfather will permit it."

"I'm sure," Loki said, barely resisting rolling his eyes. "Let's get Bishop."

"The mortal girl?" Hailstohm interjected as Loki began to turn away. "She watches you, Odinson."

"And you noticed that by watching her?" Loki retorted, eyeing the warrior.

"Always watch the watchers," Hailstohm replied, and Gibbs nodded approvingly.

"Rule 35," he said, turning and walking away. "You can come, Hailstohm."

Hailstohm grinned and hurried after Gibbs, and Loki shook his head, wanting to protest but knowing it wouldn't do any good. Why does she have to come?

***

The sky was dark by the time Hailstohm had received permission from Odin to accompany the NCIS agents to Midgard, and Bishop, Hailstohm, and Loki had changed out of their evening clothes into more acceptable traveling and working garb. Gibbs having never accepted the Asgardian formal attire in the first place had no need to change.

Horses were brought forward for the four to ride out to the observatory. Loki grasped the bridle of the blood bay gelding one of the stable attendants brought him, patting the horse's neck. "Hello, Sigmund," he murmured to the animal. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

Bishop swung up onto her horse and directed it over to Loki as he mounted up. "What's with this Hailstohm?" she asked in an undertone. "What does she want?"

Loki glanced over at her. "She wants me to learn about my heritage," he said stiffly and after a moment of hesitation.

"Why?" Bishop asked, to which Loki only shrugged.

Gibbs and Hailstohm both mounted up and the four rode out through the city of Asgard. "I must say, I have great interest in your Midgard and NCIS," she told Gibbs. "And I wish to learn more about your 'rules.'" She glanced back at Loki and gave him a wicked smile, and Loki heard her voice in his head once again.