Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 124

Steve had only agreed to have Tony put that microphone outside of Loki's room so that Friday could tell them if he opened his door. He'd just wanted to make sure the guy was alive; that he was moving and walking and eating.

It's getting a little extra use today.

Nobody has any qualms about listening in on Loki and Thor's conversation, whether it be out of concern or just a vague interest in gossip. They get a lot more than they bargained for.

It seems logical that the room would erupt into conversation as soon as Loki and Thor stop talking. It doesn't. Instead, there's a deafening silence, and nobody knows how to break it.

Until finally, Clint looks at Pietro, sitting on the other side of the room. "Is it true?"

Pietro glances at his sister, almost instinctively, before he looks up at Clint. "That he saved our lives? I don't know."

"Did you feel someone push you?" Clint asks.

Pietro scoffs. "You try running that fast and tell me that somebody pushed you. I don't know!"

"I'm thinking he must've," Natasha says. "I mean, it really does sound like he was there. I don't know how he would've known about all that if he wasn't."

"Unless someone told him," Tony adds.

Everybody looks around the room as though someone is going to admit it was them, and it only takes a few seconds for everyone's gaze to land on Steve. Instinctively, he wants to be offended by that, not that it makes any sense.

Steve shakes his head. "I didn't tell him anything." He told him about Bucky, but that was it — and that was about the only thing Loki didn't mention about Sokovia just now.

"So he was there?" Bruce asks. "That's what we're saying? He was lurking the whole time?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Natasha reminds them.

"But he's usually a pain in the ass about it," Tony remarks.

"Yeah, why wouldn't he say anything?" Clint asks. "I mean, not saying anything to me, I can get, but to you guys? It doesn't make sense."

"No?" Pietro says sarcastically. "It would make more sense that your friend lied to his brother in a moment of vulnerability when he had thought nobody else could hear?"

"You can stay out of this," Steve snaps.

"Hey." Tony shoots him a look. Play nice, it says. Steve has no plans to follow through.

Wanda speaks up then. "He was," she says. "He was there in South Africa, and again on the train. I would not be surprised if he was there until the end."

Natasha eyes her uncertainly. "How do you know that?"

"I saw him," she says simply.

"And you never thought to mention that?"

"He didn't want me to."

Natasha sighs dramatically and saunters up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to give you a very important piece of advice," she says. "It's something of an unspoken agreement between us Avengers, and I think it's time to let you and your brother in on the secret."

Wanda furrows her brows, looking at her warily.

"Nobody cares what Loki wants."

That gets some laughs throughout the room, but Steve just rolls his eyes. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe that's why Loki felt like he couldn't tell them he was there. Maybe that's why he thinks that nobody actually likes him, and that they just put up with him because they have to.