The Concept of Trickery

-4-

I couldn't resist putting this meme.

Anyway, here's the chapter, enjoy.

Loki POV

I thought the Man of Iron said he was getting a drink. A cheap, canned, Midgardian beer could not possibly satisfy this man.

He must have seen my look of disgust as he entered the meeting room they were using to discuss my arrival. "I'll have you know this was imported from Belgium," He stated, though I had no earthly idea as to where Belgium was.

The Super Soldier sat at the head of the table, with Barton, Romanoff, and the man who doubled as a monster sitting on the other side of the table.

The man with dark skin whom I did not recognize sat next to my brother, whereas I was standing behind him, as I would not give them the show of weakness I would display if I sat down.

"This 'Belgium' would be put to shame by our mead," Thor argued. The assassin rolled her eyes, which was understandable. The men who called themselves 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' were about to have an argument about a drink.

"Excuse me, did you just insult my personal propellant?" Stark faked offense, and I couldn't stop my eyelids from fluttering in exasperation. I couldn't believe my punishment was in the hands of these dullards.

"Your propellant?" Thor chuckled. "That explains why your brain moves at the speed of the Midgard Serpent."

I couldn't help but press together my eyebrows in offense at that comment. Jörmungandr was regrettably my child, after I had spent a hundred years with the mother of monsters, and despite my best efforts not to care, I still ignored Thor for nearly a year after he killed him.

As Thor looked at me, I noticed it was his intention to rattle me, so I made my facade as neutral as possible. He held back a laugh as he saw my expression, and I wondered how he would like to be a snake. He had always admired them. Did he want to see how one felt when they were being stepped on?

"Guys, focus," The Captain said at the head of the table. Even by my standards, he was a total kill-joy. "We have a god in time-out, and our tower just happens to be the corner he has to 'think over what he has done.'"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his mindless comparison. I had hundreds of retorts I could have said, ranging from a simple, "Please, as if." to "Go die in a hole, you filthy son of a -." But, due to the muzzle, the most I could do was flip him off.

"Hoo, hoo!" Stark laughed as I put down my hand. "You heard him, Cap. He prefers to talk about beer."

I groaned under the muzzle, but it was audible enough that Thor turned to glare at me. I returned the glare with a look that hopefully said, You are one of these idiots.

"I would suggest that someone watches him at all times," Thor's deep voice captured everyone's attention, and they all stopped talking.

"Um, we're the Avengers," The Man of Iron said. "We don't babysit."

Maybe I'll kill Stark and Odin together, first.

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter," Thor stared down Stark until he looked away.

"And if we're all called on a mission?" Asked the archer. Barton. I specifically remember him. I had him under my control when I first came to Midgard.

I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull!