Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 35

Loki climbed into the front seat of Gibbs' car. Tony had refused to let Loki drive again, adamantly holding onto the keys. So the Asgardian was going with Gibbs, while McGhee and Bishop were riding with Tony.

The ride was mostly quiet. Loki had no idea what to say. Where did he even start? The day had begun with the attack of the sniper woman that had somehow managed to best two Asgardians and two veteran special agents. Then Gibbs had sent Thor off, declaring Loki trustworthy. And from there...realizing the NCIS team had, in the short time he had been with them, had become more of a family than the Asgardians ever had been, Tony teaching him how to drive, investigating Leopard's trailer, the note he had found there....The note. That was a good starting point for a conversation.

"Gibbs," Loki started. "When we were investigating Leopard's trailer, I found a note. It connected Leopard with two others: the 'space walker son' and the 'sniper.'"

Gibbs glanced over at him before speeding up and passing another car, cutting it rather close. Loki understood now why Gibbs congratulated him on his driving; he drove like Loki. Or, rather, Loki drove like him.

"Any signature?" he asked.

"Of a sort," Loki said cautiously. "There was a symbol, one I became very familiar with during my time in exile." A slight tendril of pain snaked through his head, as if warning him to shut up.

"What was it?"

"It is associated with the Other," Loki mentioned slowly, going against reason. A jab of pain split his temples and he leaned forward, grasping his head in his hands as a groan escaped his lips.

"Laufeyson?" Gibbs said questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"Headache," Loki managed to moan, keeping his head down.

Gibbs cursed under his breath. "Is the Other connected with that Thanos you mentioned?"

Loki felt like his head was melting. He couldn't even scream out his agony; his thoughts seemed to freeze. The pain shuddered through his body and he fell against the side of the car door, his seatbelt cutting into his shoulder.

"I'll take that as a yes," Gibbs said, glancing worriedly at Loki.

Little Asgardian....

Then, the pain eased. Loki was able to sit up and think freely again. And his first thought was a continuation of Thanos' words: You have failed. And you will pay.

You will someday long for this pain after you experience what I have in store for you.

***

Gibbs pulled into a parking spot before a small café in the middle of D.C. Police tape was strung across the door and a small group of young men and women was clustered on a bench beside the door, all dressed in similar uniforms and all looking shocked. A wide-eyed woman stood right outside the door, arms wrapped around her middle, her shoulders hunched and tense. When she saw Gibbs and the rest of his team get out of their cars, she breathed out a sigh of relief and rushed toward them.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" she gasped. "I've been waiting for hours for someone to come! There's – there's –" The woman stopped and took a deep breath.

Gibbs held up his hand to slow her words. "Are you the owner?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. Lila O'Hara. I own the Pleasant Café."

"Ironic," McGhee muttered.

"Has anything been moved inside?" Gibbs queried.

"I don't know," Lila snapped tensely. "How would I know?"

Tony looked at Loki and rolled his eyes.

"You found the body?" Gibbs asked.

The woman nodded. "Oh, yes. I stepped outside for a brief moment sometime after the lunch rush. When I came back in, I noticed there was a customer still in his booth. He had already paid his bill. I thought he had left! His girlfriend had! But, but...he was dead! Just dead!"

"How?" Loki asked.

The woman burst into tears as she started shouting at the agents. "I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!"

Bishop stepped forward, shooting a glare at Loki as she slipped her arm around the woman's shoulders. "Let's go sit down." She guided the woman away from the café, over to one of the outside tables.

"I guess that was her first dead body," Tony said, his eyes following Bishop and the woman as they walked away.

Gibbs pushed through the café door, causing a bell to jingle. He was followed by Tony, Loki, and McGhee. A wooden stand was positioned near the door, a bundle of menus and silverware rolls arranged neatly on the top. Tables were scattered through the room and booths lined both walls; about half had been wiped down and readied for the next set of customers and the other half looked like the customers had just left, all messy and crowded with dishes and glasses. Some tables still had the tip on them.

A song played softly over the radio. Tony stopped for a moment, head cocked towards the sound. Then he slapped Loki on the back and gestured up vaguely in the direction of the speakers with a grin. "Jackson Browne."

Loki eyed Tony strangely. "All right."

"Come on, Loki," Tony said, spreading his hands. "If you're gonna be living here, you're gonna have to start listening to the classics."

Loki stepped away from DiNozzo and caught up with Gibbs, who had stopped by one of the booths and was regarding its inhabitant intensely, head tilted slightly. As Tony and McGhee came up behind him, the bell on the door rang again and they all turned to see Bishop coming in. Without a word, she joined them gathered around the booth.

The body was slumped over in the booth bench, leaning against the wide window that the booth was positioned next to. His hand was slapped down on the table. Loki frowned. He felt like he had seen the body before, back when it was alive.

"Why do I feel like I know that guy?" McGhee asked, his expression worried.

Gibbs, snapping on his rubber gloves, looked closely at the body without touching it. "That's because you do."

Loki, Tony, Bishop, and McGhee crowded behind Gibbs and stared at the face of the body, trying to see it as best as they could, what with it looking down and leaning against the window and all.

Gibbs was right. They did know who the body was.

It was Daniel Diaz.