The Avengers: Finding Young Loki

Frankfurt Chase

When Loki woke up the next morning, the sun was hitting him full on in the eyes.  He yawned, stretched, and stood up.  His jacket was wrinkled, and Loki dusted it off.  In the sunlight, Loki could see just how bad the condition of the office was.  There were holes in the drywall, the ceiling had water damage, and in certain areas of the floor, it was weak.  Loki floated to the other side and then used his skateboard on the railing to get down.  It was so weak under his weight that it gave.  Loki made a quick exit and was soon out on the street.  He was currently in a bad area, so he almost ran over several bums and winos.  Expertly avoiding them, he soon entered the nicer areas of Frankfurt.  Towering skyscrapers and fancy restaurants greeted him.  Loki heard his stomach growl and he realized that he was hungry.  He needed sustenance.  Loki scanned the streets and soon spotted a donut shop. 

When Loki entered, many people were in line ahead of him.  He kicked his skateboard up, and then pulled out the book on Norse mythology.  He was in middle of reading the story of Idun’s Apples when he heard the teenager speak to him.  “Good morning,” she said to him in German. 

“Good morning to you as well.  Can I please have a caramel cookie mocha with whip cream and two sprinkled donuts?” Loki asked politely in the same language, as he fished money out of his backpack.  The girl nodded, giving him a twice over before punching in his order and taking his money.  Loki waited for about four minutes, and then he got his coffee and his bag of donuts.  When he turned his cup around, he found her number written on the back along with a name: Lorelei.  Loki shook his head, Why does that name sound familiar?  Then he looked back at the girl.  With her one hand, she signaled for him to ring her.  He nodded and then quickly left the restaurant.  He skateboarded down the street, drinking coffee as he went.  People told him to watch where he was going, but Loki just bit into his donut to spite them. 

He was licking the sugar and chocolate off his fingers when he rounded a corner and threw his stuff in the trash.  Loki wiped his hands on his trousers, and then glanced up.  He saw a large group of people gathered around a hotel and screaming for attention from someone.  Curiosity got the better of Loki and, sticking his hands in his pockets, he went over.  A few of the people parted for him, but eventually, Loki had to pick up his skateboard and walk in closer.  Once he reached the front, he saw why they were there and regretted it.  Tony Stark was signing autographs, with Steve Rogers, and Thor right next to him.  Clint, Natasha, and Bruce were standing back, wearing sunglasses as the sun was still brutal.  Tony was just turning to sign another Iron Man picture, when he saw Loki in the audience with his skateboard.  “Hey!” he called, and that made Thor and Steve look up.  Steve sprung into action and leapt forward.  Loki spread his arms, knocking people back with his magic.  His skateboard hit the pavement and off he went down the street.

“He’s on the run!” Steve shouted and Thor summoned Mjolnir into his hands.  He took off after his brother while Tony ran back into the hotel to get his suit.  Clint, Natasha, Steve, and Bruce all got into the car that Tony had rented and off they went.

“Please don’t run him over in this thing?” Bruce told Clint, who was behind the wheel.

“I won’t run the kid over!” Clint responded as his foot tapped on the accelerator and the car sped forward.  Natasha and Bruce were in the back, but nobody was buckled.  Steve leaned forward to get a better glimpse of Loki as he skateboarded away from them.

“He’s going unnaturally fast for a skateboard,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, he’s also a Frost Giant/Asgardian sorcerer.  He can read minds,” Clint remarked dryly and Steve frowned at his sarcasm.  Loki glanced over his shoulder and saw them coming.  He then looked up and saw that Thor was pursuing him from the air.  He saw a lamp post ahead, and Loki put on an extra burst of speed.  His hand went up, and he used the pole to redirect himself.  Grabbing his skateboard with his other hand, he literally went off the ground and turned down a tight alley.  Clint had to slam on the breaks, and even Thor paused as they tried to figure out a way to follow him.  Thor suddenly took off after him, and Clint navigated the GPS until he saw where the alley would dump Loki.  “Hang onto your masks!” Clint said as he slammed his foot on the gas.  Steve’s head was thrown back and made contact with his head rest.

“I’m pretty sure we’re exceeding the speed limit,” Bruce said, always the voice of safety (irony anyone?).

“We’re superheroes!  Who needs speed limits?” Clint asked as he sharply turned a corner and honked his horn so cars could get out of his way.  As he reached the entrance to the alley, Loki was coming out of it.  Loki turned his head and saw them coming.  Using his magic, Loki flipped up onto the hood of the car.  The smashing sound that was made when he and the skateboard landed, was deafening to those inside.  Clint’s foot hit the brake so hard that Loki almost slipped off.  Instead, he adjusted the position of his skateboard, and put his foot on the windshield.  Pushing off, he cracked it and went careening down another alley.

“You’re a genius Clint.  Tony is so going to make all four of us pay for the damages to this car,” Natasha said.  Clint looked over his shoulder and gave her the stink eye.

Meanwhile, Thor was still in hot pursuit, and Loki was laughing as the wind whipped him in the face.  Jumping over trash cans, Loki made a turn down into a subway station.  Thor stopped flying and ran down after him.  “I need a little help!  He’s in your modern transport tunnels!” Thor shouted into a comm.

“Relax Cachooga!  I’m here!” Tony said as he flew in in his Iron Man suit.  Loki now saw that he had Stark to deal with and he raced straight for the platform.  People screamed and darted away from him, desperate to not be hit.  Loki put some more effort into it, and he raced for the tracks.  Tony turned his head, and Jarvis scanned the tunnels.

“Excuse me sir, but a train will pass through in 3.5 second.  Around the time Master Loki will be crossing those tracks,” Jarvis told him.

“Loki!  Stop!” Tony called.  His name called, several people turned and looked harder at the teenager.  Loki gave Tony a fleeting glance over his shoulder, but then he jumped across the tracks.  Tony gasped and several people screamed, as a train came in right at that moment.  “Jarvis!  Did he make it?!” Tony asked as he hovered, waiting for the train to pass.

“Yes sir.  He’s in the service tunnels, leading to the sewer system of Frankfurt,” Jarvis responded.

“Everyone!  Loki made it past the train!  He’s going to the sewer systems.  I need people to get to manholes, go down, and cut him off!” Tony shouted.

“Don’t worry Tony!  We’re on it!” he heard Steve respond.  The train had past at that point, and both Tony and Thor went through.  They paused to listen for the skateboard, but they heard no sound. 

“Where did he go?” Tony asked Thor.  The God of Thunder cocked his head and listened hard, but he could hear no sound from the ancient sewage systems of Frankfurt.  Where had Loki gone?!