Recompense [Fólkvangr End, Book 1] [Loki Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Only 15 more blocks,” I say quietly to Loki, but the thought in the back of my head is that I cannot handle this. I can’t handle dragging him along these blocks, I can’t handle what I know will likely await us at Stark Tower. But mostly, and most unwisely, I can’t handle losing him.

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“Well, here we are,” Peter says, swiping his ID card to get into the front door. Is it late by the time we get there, and the tower is lit up towards the top, but mostly vacant on the floors between. The lobby is grand and clean and mostly white with unpleasing fluorescent lighting.

I scoff, sitting Loki in a chair and kneeling down in front of him, my hands on his face. “Loki, can you please look at me?” His head rolls back. I shake my head and steal another glance around. “And here I thought Tony Stark had style.”

Loki laughs lightly and then stiffens with pain, clutching his sides. I touch his forehead again and he is radiating heat. While in theory I should just be beyond pissed off with Loki right now I can’t help but worry about him and fret over him. I will not being having him die on my hands if it isn’t by my hand.

“Well, well!” I hear a voice behind me and I bow my head down staring at my legs between Loki’s.“Hey, uh, hi, Mr. Stark. I’m just…they needed help getting here sooo I—”

“Don’t strain yourself, Wonder Boy,” a deep voice says smoothly. “You’ve brought me a war criminal and well, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting this young thing.”

I stand up slowly, straighten my tunic and turn on my heel to see Tony Stark in the flesh, smiling at me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Mr. Stark—”

“Tony, please,” he grins.

“I am Valkyrie Sutton. I…well, I am Loki’s guardian, I suppose,” I say and out loud to a stranger it is one of the stranger things I’ve had to say.

“Ah, welcome to Earth, ye olde guardian of Loki,” Tony smirks. I roll my eyes and cross towards him.

“Don’t be a dick, Mr. Stark. I’m not from Asgard…well, not technically…”

“Technically?” He arches an eyebrow, meeting me halfway. We are suddenly very close and I straighten my posture, glad for once to be taller than someone.

“Story for another time, I’m afraid. Perhaps we can have a chat about it over tea sometime or,” I take a sniff of his breath, “maybe an…Old Fashioned. Or three. Your choice.”

“Impressive little party trick you’ve got going there, Miss Sutton. Now, care to explain how you got an intern to take Loki Laufeyson and your charming self directly into my headquarters? And for what unseemly purpose?” Tony asks, seeming a bit agitated now with me.

“All it took was a smile, really. You might want to have a chat with Mr. Parker about strangers. And no unseemly purpose, I assure you, Mr. Stark. I only come asking for help,” I say and I mean it to. His expression softens a little now that our edgy banter has died down.

“You have five minutes to convince me why I shouldn’t be calling the Avengers in right now, and why I should help a pair of fugitives,” Tony says. He looks to Peter. “You can see yourself out, Romeo. And we’ll have a chat tomorrow morning.”

Once Peter is gone, stammering and apologizing all the way out the door, I turn to Tony. “I know I shouldn’t have brought him here, but there was no where else I could go. The abridged version is that I was on Asgard—”

“You came from Asgard?”

“My father is a Frost Giant and my mother is Asgardian. Not the point. Basically, I was put in charge of watching over Loki, keeping him from trouble. And yes, I am aware that seems to be going pretty terribly, A-plus job on my behalf. But he was doing really well, and then he relapsed and went off on this…this tangent about proving himself. Thor and I went to Odin for help but Loki reappeared and essentially kidnapped me and took me here. New York. We crashed landed in Central Park. And I’m pretty sure he’s dying because he used all his magic to get here and basically I have no fucking clue what I am supposed to do in a situation like this!”

Tony just stares at me for a moment, “Well, let’s get Rudolph upstairs and see if Banner can figure something out for the sap.”

“Rudolph?” I ask as I retrieve Loki from the chair. Tony just smiles and nods.

“Yeah, like the reindeer. Because of the horns?” He wriggles his fingers up by his temples and I look at him blankly and shrug. “Oh man, you do not know what you’re missing, Valhalla.”

“It’s Valkyrie.”

“What was that, Tom Cruise?"

“Forget it.”