Book 1: Mirage [Thor]

Chapter 8

It was late when Director Fury allowed Thor to leave his office. He missed dinner, and Anya was nowhere to be seen in the cafeteria. Though judging on the hour and the fact that the agent hadn't slept well the night before, she already turned into bed. The woman behind the counter grumbled when he asked for something to eat, handing over a wrapped object. Steve had called a sandwich when the god passed him in the hall. It smelled weird, but ate it nonetheless to settle his hunger, and walked around the helicarrier absentmindedly. The conversation from the director's office plagued his thoughts. Someone needed to interrogate Loki, soon. They needed answers and the longer they waited the more S.H.I.E.L.D. worried that something would happen. The Chitauri were still coming, and there were those under the god's control that had yet to surface. Anything could happen and Fury didn't enjoy the unknown.

A voice reached his ear, startled by the noise before remembering that Fury gave Thor something called an 'earpiece'. So he remained connected to the others in case something happened. The craft was rather large and they could not be broadcasting top-secret information to everyone over the speakers. Right now it was Natasha, who spoke with Coulson, and the Asgardian ignored their chatter. He could've sworn he heard the Man of Iron at one point as well bidding them goodnight to say he was 'off the clock'.

His feet dragged him through the helicarrier before finding himself at the door Fury talked about. Sighing heavily the door opened and Thor walked inside, eyes landed on the container in the room. The occupant inside sat on the only bench offered, fingertips pressed together as his elbows rested against the knees, staring at the floor. The occupant knew Thor was there, that he wasn't alone, but still, the God of Mischief waited until the visitor stood before the container.

"I wondered when you would grace me with your presence," Loki's voice cut through the silence. Head rising, the man's gaze was piercing as he stared his adopted-brother down.

"Loki."

"Thor."

"Where are you keeping Dr. Selvig?"

"Straight to the point, I see," Loki smirked. "What if I don't know?"

"Yes, you do."

"Ah, but how can I keep track of his movements when I am here?"

"Because you are the one controlling him."

The man's head shook. "So naïve. In case you have forgotten, it is the Tesseract, not I."

"And you are the one that holds possession of it."

"As you can see, I have nothing," he answered. Holding out his empty hands to further prove his statement.. "It is in the custody of a beast in a man's skin."

"You know what I mean."

"Do I?" Loki's smirk widened, standing to pace the cell. "I must say I'm rather surprised you agreed to be a part of this little team."

"We share a common goal."

"And what is that?"

"To protect Midgard."

"And how is that working out for you?" The god said nothing. "Your teammates, all lost souls in their own ways. That's not a team."

"And you would know? From working with others? The only ones you've partnered with are on Asgard. These people are different."

"Yes, they are rather special here on this forsaken planet in their own right. How are you getting along with them?"

"Well enough."

Loki's brow rose. "Really?"

"Yes."

"You will forgive me if I don't believe you. A soldier out of his time, who does not understand this world is hardly company. A selfish man who flaunts his wealth. A beast who gets close to no one, burying himself in his work saying he's changed. And a woman who is cold and refuses to make small talk with strangers unless for the good of a mission."

Loki stopped his pacing, turning towards his adopted-brother. As if he just realized something.

"Oh, but there is another. She's rather new, isn't she? I don't know much about her, but I must say she didn't enjoy your entrance before. She is a mystery."

"We get along."

"Hmm, made up, have you? Do you play nice with each other now, even though she's an agent herself, full of lies–"

"Where is the doctor, brother?"

Loki's lips twisted into a cruel grin. "My, my, brother, you're protecting her. Have you fallen for yet another mortal? And so soon. Did you not learn your lesson the first time you came to this miserable planet? Come to protect another woman like a hero?"

Thor refused to say a word. How did he know about Jane and her decision?

"She is more than capable of defending herself. She has a gift–"

"Oh, I am well aware of what she is capable of. I've done my research despite her file not being as thick as the others. The woman of illusions. She has captured your attention." The man chuckled with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I would not get too comfortable with her presence if I were you."