Unlike Loki Novellas

Inquisitions

"Where is your brother these days?" Fury asked Thor, crossing his arms and scowling.

Thor kept his face blank and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"I thought he was dead." Steve Rogers said, furrowing his brow. He hadn't shaved in a few days and was starting to get some scruff. It made him look older.

Thor sighed, "there is no need to worry about Loki. He's... occupied."

"He tried to take over the planet! Killed hundreds!" Steve yelled, slamming his hand on the conference table.

The room went silent, and the other people in the room turned their attention to the conversation.

Thor looked at each of them. Men and women he had had the privilege to fight next to.

"He's been punished. And he's being watched." Thor said. He didn't know how much information he should give them. Loki was in love with Anna and she was good for him. She, like Loki, had many demons, making them a good match. But how did he tell them about Anna, without them knowing Loki was the one who broke her out?

Besides, who were they to judge? Apparently SHEILD had been holding Anna hostage and torturing her for years. At least when Loki went crazy, his victims died instantly.

"We grew up in a world where fighting and war is normal. I once went to Jotunheim in anger, killed many of them. What Loki did wasn't much different. And it wasn't all his doing." Thor said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.

"It doesn't matter." Natasha said.

"Apparently is does, if you forgave Clint." Thor retorted.

Clint quickly stood up. "And whose fault was that? Oh yea, your brother's."

Thor sighed. He was so tired of being frustrated. "He's not here is he? No. And he won't ever come back. So please, just leave it."

"How is he suddenly okay?" Bruce asked. "Did you give him a "insane gone" pill?" He crossed his arms and clenched his teeth.

Thor sighed yet again, "he's... Met someone." He said. How much information was he going to give them? He was afraid he might have already given too much, considering the raised eyebrows in the room. He could easily lie and say the woman was Asgardian. But how far did their grasp reach? What could they use against Loki?

"He's found himself a plaything?" Fury said.

"Not a plaything. He loves her. Truly. I've seen it with my own eyes."

"And how do you know she's not manipulating him?" Stark suddenly spoke up. "Not that I care. But if this woman stabs him in the back but doesn't kill him, I can see him going bat shit crazy again." He put a chip in his mouth and took a sip of scotch.

"She won't. She would never harm him or betray him. She understands his pain. She's very much like him."

"Joy." Stark said.

"Is she as powerful as the two of you? I assume she's Asgardian." Clint asked, looking at his nails.

"Not quite." Thor said a little to quickly. He didn't know how to lie to them. Anna was extremely powerful. And dangerous.

He looked around the room at the inquisitive faces.

"I'd like to meet this girl." Fury said.

"Who said she's for you to meet?" Thor threw back, a little harsher than he meant.

"What? Is she above me or something?" Fury raised his eyebrows.

Thor breathed out. "No. No, she's just... fragile. That's all."

"I'd like to meet her. Maybe if we did, we would accept Loki being let loose on the Galaxy." Natasha chimed.

They were trying to trap him. But why? To meet Anna, but for what purpose? To see if she was a threat? To get information out of her?

"No." Thor said flatly.

"Why are you so against us meeting her?" Steve asked.

Thor stood up, anger rising, "why are you all treating me as if I am your younger brother and you want to meet my fiancé? She stays out of this. If there's one thing I can do for her, it's that."

"One day, we will meet her." Fury said. "You have no option."

"And why is that?" Thor asked, fuming.

Fury whirled on Thor. "Because I know Loki came to earth, came into this very building, and smuggled a criminal girl out. I don't know who she was or what she did. All I know is that he also killed someone and that this girl is highly dangerous, after looking at her charts. And if this is the same girl your brother is screwing, then we are going to have a problem! And don't try to lie to me, because I see the look on your face!" He was in Thor's face now.

He breathed quietly for a moment, not phased by Fury's closeness. "What do you want with her?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Fury glared, "none of your business."

Thor backed away to avoid punching Fury, "it's every bit of my business."

"We want to have her back. She's a criminal, Thor." Natasha said quietly.

"Why can't you all just let it go?! The criminals you're so damned worried about aren't even here! You don't have to worry about them!" He yelled.

"But we do. You see, Thunder Boy, if they aren't here, we can't keep an eye on them. They could attack us if they wanted to." Stark said, finishing his scotch.

"But they don't. They want nothing more than to be left alone to be happy. Doesn't everyone deserve that?!" Thor said. He didn't know why he was defending them so furiously. But he had seen what Anna meant to Loki, how she had changed him.

"People like us. Heroes and villains, we don't get the easy life." Natasha said. "I know. I've been on both sides. Sooner or later, their pasts catch up to them. There's no settling down. No happiness for us."

The room was silent as the truth of Natasha's words sunk in.

"Let me at least give them a chance." Thor pleaded. "Please."

"Why do you care so much?" Steve asked.

He turned towards Mr. America. "Because he's my brother. Blood or not. I care."

"You forgive him that easily?" Clint asked.

"How many lives have you all taken? Innocent or not? What makes you better than him?" He looked around the room.

"One wrong step. And you bring her here." Fury said and walked away.

The rest of the group followed and then went their separate ways. Then the guards that had been stationed around the room began to walk out.

One bumped into Thor, making him scowl at the man. The guard quickly turned towards Thor and quietly whispered, "whatever you do, don't bring her back here." And he walked away.

Thor stood there, stunned in silence, and couldn't help but notice the tattoo on the back of the man's neck.

A tattoo of what looked like an octopus with a skull's head encompassed by a circle.