Sherloki'd ✓completed

HYDRA's Not The Only Brainwasher Out There

"Sif?" Loki asked.

"And me and Mycroft?" Sherlock enquired.

"You and Mycroft was an entirely different issue," Fury replied, "that's MI6's business. Either way, they ended up leaving you with Loki. Sif's the only biological child of Odin, but he was far away when his wife died in childbirth and her second child with her. All it took was a little persuasion — Odin doesn't know you two aren't actually his children. Mycroft he adopted. And your sisters were sent elsewhere for... safety reasons."

"Basically, you're sitting on a throne of lies," Loki concluded, "or should that be a rotating desk chair of lies?"

"Listen," Fury went on, "it's a complicated affair, but in this way half of the Avengers have their secret identities secured. Tony has the chance to a decent childhood, and Sam is having the time of his life, although he still has a vendetta against Bucky. Wanda is the only one that knows — I've taken her as my foster child, because she still has her abilities."

"The headaches..." Loki muttered.

"I needed to be sure you weren't lying," Fury shrugged.

"Wait, so... does the rest of the world know?" Sherlock enquired.

"Certain Avengers have been informed. Clint is basically your personal babysitter — he pulls off the craziest stunts as janitor to keep an eye on you lot. Pietro and Steve weren't told, but they found out anyway. I suppose we couldn't have expected to hide Bucky and Wanda from them."

"Who exactly is Bucky?" Loki frowned, "I don't recall ever having seen him in our universe... And Wanda, who is she?"

"If you haven't met them, maybe you shouldn't find out too much about them," Fury answered, "one word too much here has the potential to doom your entire universe."

"Just the basics?" Loki enquired, and if he wasn't, well, Loki, one might've thought he was begging.

Fury closed his eyes.

"I'm going to regret this."

"Probably," Sherlock replied.

"Sherlock!" Loki hissed.

"Wanda Maximoff is an enhanced human, born in America in her immigrant family with her twin, Pietro. They were kidnapped by HYDRA at a young age and experimented on, resulting in their abilities. Pietro, superspeed, Wanda, a lot of mental abilities."

"E.g. headaches," Loki muttered.

"That's only one of many things," Fury replied, "and then Bucky — ex-super soldier. He had a metal arm, but somehow that was reversed with the 'accident'."

Loki nodded, storing all the information away. He was sure he'd run into the Avengers again sooner or later in his own universe, and everything he knew in advance was bonus.

"Not to interrupt, but... Shouldn't we get back to class?" Sherlock enquired, "or were you still going to see that Heimdall guy?"

"I'd better be off to Heimdall," Loki agreed, "coming, Sherlock?"

Sherlock glanced at Nick Fury, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't ask me, I apparently don't have any authority in my own office."

Sherlock grinned.

"Right Loki, let's be off then."

-

It was quiet in the passages, and Loki glanced around nervously as they made their way outside. They had no time to lose, and even though they had Fury's permission to leave, others might not believe them.

Loki heaved a sigh of relief when they stepped out by the front door, only to have Clint drop to the floor in front of them.

"And where are you going?" he enquired, aiming his broom at Loki's chest. For a moment they both had a flashback — except the last time, Loki had been on the other end of the scepter.

"We're going outside," Loki replied, "I'd think that much is obvious."

"Where outside?" Clint enquired, rolling his eyes.

"That's none o—"

"Heimdall," Sherlock answered.

"—f your business."

Loki glared at Sherlock, who just shrugged.

"Heimdall?" Clint frowned, "why would you want to go see that old drunk?"

"Does it matter?" Loki inquired, "we have Fury's permission, shouldn't that be enough?"

Clint shook his head.

"I'm going to have to check that you actually have his permission before I let you go anywhere."

"We don't have time for that!" Loki snapped.

"We'll just have to make time," Clint replied calmly.

Sherlock pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you think the two of us could take him out, Loki?"

Loki was taken by surprise for a moment, and then he shook his head.

"The strength of my illusions is fading with every moment I stay in this universe. And he's an Avenger, remember?"

"Unfortunately, that term means nothing to me," Sherlock replied.

"Superhero."

"Doesn't exist."

"Oh get over yourself Sherlock."

Sherlock glared pointedly at Loki, grabbing Clint's broom and jerking it out of his grasp without even looking in the janitor's direction. 

"See?" he answered, "that wasn't s—"

Sherlock didn't even finish his sentence. Clint had taken off his leather jacket, holding it by its sleeves, and thrown it over Sherlock's head, twisting it so that it almost choked the younger boy.

"Don't kill him," Loki ordered passively, "I might still need him."

 "Drop the broom," Clint hissed, and the broom clattered to the ground.

Clint released Sherlock, who gasped for breath.

"Okay, you win," Sherlock gave in, coughing.

"We're still not going back inside, though," Loki argued.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you to Heimdall," Clint decided. Before either Loki or Sherlock could protest, Clint whipped a walkie-talkie off his belt and muttered.

"Code green-blue."

"Should I be worried?" Bruce's voice crackled across the communicator, and Clint shook his head.

"He can't see you shaking your head, nerd," Loki pointed out.

"Is that Loki?" Bruce asked, his voice a pitch higher than before.

"Yes it is, big guy," Loki grinned.

"Stop chatting you two," Natasha complained, and they could vaguely hear her panting and shouting at a couple of kids that were out of line, "Barton, what's your point?"

"I'll be off school grounds for a couple of ticks," Clint replied, "I needed a vacation anyway. And my communicator may or may not be off. Toodles!"

He clicked a button on his walkie talkie, cutting off Bruce's protest.

"Right," he said to the twins, "Heimdall, wasn't it? Let's be off."