A Love For Eternity (LokixReader)

Chapter Eighteen

(Your Pov)

After a shower and a long review of everything that had happened, you decided it might be best to take a break. From magic, and from Loki. Your spells continued to get out of hand, the fire just an example. Maybe taking a few weeks off might let your levels return back to normal.

As for the Loki ban... it was too close. He couldn't know about your immortality. Fury warned you, the Ancient One warned you, and you couldn't predict the reaction of the god of chaos. His very nature was to be surprising. What would happen if he suddenly knew that you could act as an eternal source for magic?

And your plan worked for a few days. Loki stopped by occasionally to spare some comment or a new story with you, of which you tolerated for a few minutes. Slowly he started to understand your message: Leave me alone. Despite how you felt more lonely than you did before. You didn't want to admit it at first, but Loki had become a friend to you.

But today there was none of that. You had a new plan of how to entertain yourself, without mischievous princes or any scraps of magic. A new cafe had just opened, and from the reviews pouring in over how delicious it was, you decided it would be a good idea to stop by.

And it was, until you reached the end of the line. The population of a small town standing in front of you, all eager to taste the wonders this cafe had to offer. The only reason that convinced the populace to stay: the delicious scent wafting through the air.

It wasn't a horrible wait. You busied yourself spying on others, looking over their menu, or breezing through the book you had brought to read. Although it may be impossible to do so, with all the tables filled with customers or small impatient children. You managed to keep your cool when said children started screaming or begging for their parents to do something about the endless line, laughing at what ridiculousness they managed to come up with. Their entertainment proved as your own for quite a few spaces.

Until, of course, a strange occurrence started to happen. Individuals at first, as they moved behind you in line or started to dawdle across the street. Then in groups of two or three, all in the same black attire. Clothes just baggy enough to cover where weapons could be stored.

You left your phone at the tower. The stupid mobile device that everyone nowadays was hinged on, and that you hadn't formed the habit of taking with you. And because you had planned just a small outing, you hadn't thought to tell the team of your disappearance. Then finally, because of your stubborn silent issues with Loki, you didn't think to take him with you.

Shit.

*

(Avengers' Pov)

Loki was mopey.

Which wouldn't be a huge deal normally. The Avengers didn't much care what he did or how he felt, as long as it wasn't murderous. But this... It had started just after the events in the library, and Loki never shook off his mood.

But the team was too busy figuring out who was hunting down their healer to pay him any mind. This group had gotten close recently, too. Information found at their last mission about her and Loki's shopping trip. Granted, the pictures of their companionship baffled the team, as they wondered how the dark prince would open up so easily to her. Yet they all had in some way, so the team put it aside to discuss later. Because what really caught their attention? A name to finally go along with the hunters.

Hydra.

"What do you mean, Hydra?" Steve said in the war room, as the team was called for a briefing. "I already dealt with them 70 years ago."

"They survived. A fraction, at least." Natasha pulled up the text Tony managed to decode, "And they want Y/N."

The room silenced, as the Avengers mulled over what could be done. Steve was right, they were dealt with in the 40's. Yet somehow they were back. "Do we have a location?"

"Partially. I'm working on it." The billionaire supplied, rubbing his eyes after working through the night. His father had told the stories of Captain America versus Hydra a million times over, and how Howard managed to unravel their advanced technology. He would repeat the tales to anyone who would listen. But despite his embellishments, Hydra was a considerable threat. And if they had survived this long?

Thor crossed his arms, "But why Lady Y/N? What does she have that they want?"

It really was the ultimate question. Why did Hydra want her? Where did she come from, or what did she know that was so valuable they would attack time and time again to get to her? The team didn't know, and when Shield was contacted later that hour, they didn't know either.

It wasn't until they started to prepare for the next mission did the news come in. Their magician was missing from the tower. Without the faintest clue as to where she could have gone. But with the window of their raid's opportunity closing in, the team was left few other options. She needed to come back, safely, and preferably with someone to protect her.

Tony took the key from the vault, sighing at such an idea. But they didn't have the time. If this was indeed their base, the Avengers needed all hands on deck. There wasn't any time for trying to find a missing magician who was 'probably' okay anyway. Stark shook his head, "This is a bad idea."

"It will be fine!" Thor said, hiding what doubts he held himself. "It is a good chance to prove himself."

"We don't have another option." Natasha sighed, as they neared the source of his tracking signal. "We need to be going, anyway."

Tony sighed, opening the door to reveal the bedroom of their resident Jotun. "Loki, congratulations. You have temporary freedom."