"That certainly could have gone better," Loki observed as the door to Hiro's borrowed room closed behind him and the teen and his robot.
Hiro made his way to the bed and flopped onto it. "At least we're still in the game," he replied. "I'll take whatever win I can at the moment. And the others don't realize who you are, so there is that." He somehow felt that important. Too many people knew who Loki really was already. It was bad enough that Tony knew, and hadn't commented on keeping that quiet, but if the Detective found out.... That probably wouldn't end well. He had no idea if she even knew who he was but it still wouldn't bode well if she found out.
Brows raised as Loki gave the teen an appraising look. "Yes, there is that," he acknowledged. But they'd let just about every other cat out of the bag. "The real question is how we should proceed from here. Stark has that creation of his trying to run down where these people are. And, no offense, but that might take more time than we can afford to allow."
"JARVIS is pretty efficient so don't count him out," Hiro countered as he stared up at the ceiling. "Sammy, on the other hand, might be better. I honestly don't know. Maybe we should put them in a head to head contest or something." He almost smiled at that notion but didn't. He was too tired. The day's events had more than taken it out of him.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize the teen was spent. After all, the day's events had been more than trying. "You're tired," Loki observed, but remembered that Hiro should probably eat.
Baymax shuffled forward. "Sleep would be advisable," he seconded. "However, it would also be advisable to consume some form of nutritious food. Your blood sugar levels are low. And the last time you consumed anything was several hours ago."
A knock sounded on the door and both males turned to look towards the rectangular object, though Hiro did have to prop himself up first. But before either of them could even contemplate answering, the door opened to reveal Aunt Cass.
Hiro flopped back against the bed with a sigh as Loki quickly moved a chair for the injured woman. "Hey," the teen greeted. "I guess you came for a more in depth version of what happened."
But Cass only shook her head as she slipped something from her back pocket seconds before sitting down on the offered chair. "Actually, I just remembered Dirk gave this to me." She held out the envelope the British detective had entrusted her with, her arm pointing at Loki. "He said there was something important he wanted to tell you but couldn't since he had to leave in a hurry."
That did cause Hiro to try and sit up, body protesting at the effort. "Dirk's gone?"
Loki took the envelope while Baymax encouraged Hiro to lie back down. "For me? Whatever could he have to say to me?"
With a shrug that didn't hurt quite as much as it would have earlier, Cass grunted. "Who knows? Honestly, I think Dirk was more than a little off. But, to answer my nephew, yes, he's gone. He said something about having another case to solve."
"Guess that means he either gave up or figured out what he was after here," Hiro quipped, not sure if he cared which. The man had been odd in more than one way, and he wasn't sorry to hear he'd gone. Thoughts of their unfortunate encounter earlier that morning threatened to make his head split with a massive headache. For the briefest of moments, stars reflected in his eyes before he closed them against the spinning sensation of being thrown halfway across Tony's backyard.
Breaking the seal, Loki opened the paper container and pulled out the memo inside. He quickly scanned it, glanced over at Hiro, pursed his lips, and frowned, all in that order. "He's certainly a lot more observant than I originally thought," he admitted as he refolded the letter and stuffed it into his pocket. It wasn't something Cass should see, he'd decided, and so chose not to mention the contents of the letter.
"I'm just glad he's gone and won't bother us anymore," Cass admitted with a sigh. She glanced over at her nephew, wondering if he'd somehow dozed off in the few short minutes it had taken Loki to read the note. But Hiro opened his eyes, negating that notion.
Loki chose that moment to sit on the edge of the bed so he could easily keep an eye on both Cass and her nephew. "I'm sure he meant well," he countered. "That aside, his methods certainly left much to be desired."
Cass looked towards Loki, concentrating on his pocket, as if that would allow her to somehow read the contents of the letter given him, but chose not to comment on it. If he chose not to share, there had to be a reason. "So now what?" she asked instead.
"Nap," Hiro said, too tired to communicate anything. His body felt heavier than it had a few minutes ago, like the bed was trying to absorb him or something. He could just melt right into it without a care in the world, even if his stomach said it wouldn't mind something in it. That kid's meal on the rooftop, pre-Federal Reserve, had been quite some time ago and his body was more than ready to remind him of the fact. But his body also, forcefully, reminded him that he'd probably reached his limit as well, at least physically.
Taking the hint, Loki stood, offering a hand to Cass. "Perhaps we should see to dinner," he suggested, knowing Hiro would be famished as soon as he rejoined the land of the living. He gave Baymax a look, silently telling him to alert him should something amiss happen.
Cass blinked a few times at the change of direction but didn't object as she took Loki's offered hand. Her nephew did look done in. That and she knew her own stomach would start complaining soon enough. "What did you have in mind?" she asked as she followed him to the door.
...........................................................
The rest of the evening was relatively quiet in comparison, Tony had to admit. He knew he'd acted more childishly than usual. In some ways, it might have been inevitable, given everything that had happened. He still wanted to hear all of the nitty-gritty details of what had happened over at the Reserve building, but knew now was not the time. There were other things he needed to work through, like how on earth Hiro had somehow managed to pimp smack him into the wall without even touching him. He wasn't sure if he was yet in a place where he could process that Loki was Samuel Jackson, even though it was the discovery of such that which had triggered Hiro's unusual ability.
Events of the afternoon had momentarily made him forget about the incident, but, being back in his own quarters, his mind had more than ample time to go over all of the details. The fact that it had come out of nowhere certainly didn't bode well. Admittedly, he could sort of say it was asked for when he'd tried to attack Loki, though part of him still couldn't help but think the Asgardian had somehow brainwashed Hiro into accepting him unquestionably, which meant he had to accept the fact that Loki was currently living in his house, and against his better judgment. But there didn't seem to be much he could do about it at the moment.
"Pouting is hardly going to help the matter, sir," JARVIS spoke up from one of several wall speakers. "It ill befits you."
Tony rolled his eyes as he poured himself a drink from the small cabinet he kept in his sitting area. "I'm not pouting," he protested. "I'm merely trying to figure out just what the hell happened this afternoon."
"To which event are you referring?"
It was a fair question, Tony supposed. JARVIS hadn't exactly been privy to the whole pimp smacking thing; though it was possible he'd somehow learned of it from someone else. It did beg to question whether or not the AI butler knew Samuel Jackson's real identity. "Hiro," he answered, keeping the answer short.
"Ah."
Now there was a potentially ill-boding response, Iron Man thought. It could literally mean anything. After all, a lot of stuff had happened in regards to, or because of, said individual. "How does a kid that green have so much power?" he thought out loud.
A slight chuckle, barely register-able, came from JARVIS. "Is he really that green, sir? When you take into consideration the many repeated timelines, it is entirely possible he has more experience than the entire Avenger team combined. Would it not be logical to assume his skills are just as refined, even if he isn't aware of it?"
Tony let out a snort as he set his glass down, untouched by his lips. "Unrefined, is it? Maybe they are at that." And yet, the look on Hiro's face when he'd mentally, telekinetically, whatever, shoved him away was more than disconcerting. The teen hadn't been playing, and the expression on his face was more than pissed, determined, and lordly. That alone had been enough to make him want to pee his pants.
There was another possibility, the Avenger supposed, outside of Loki mind-controlling him, an event that didn't exactly explain the abilities he'd somehow accrued. It was possible the kid was somehow possessed by some other entity. It wouldn't be the first time, and likely not the last either.
"JARVIS, could you run a few scenarios for me?"
Without so much as a hint of hesitation, JARVIS admitted he could while still trying to find the source of the digital theft from earlier. He was only mildly surprised at the request as Tony wondered if there were other reasons why Hiro might have acquired the abilities he had.
...............................................
Morning broke like ooze slowly seeping from one of Honey Lemon's chem ball. Despite having claimed only to need a nap, Hiro hadn't so much as stirred when Loki came to call him to dinner. Nor had he stirred once everyone else had finished their meal and gone to bed. After that, he'd decided it best to let the teen rest for as long as his body needed, knowing he'd be absolutely famished when he woke. So, instead of heading back to his room, he chose to stand guard in case someone disturbed the teen's much needed slumber.
A loud grumbling filled the air as Hiro's eyes fluttered open, his stomach announcing a need for sustenance. He rubbed at his eyes to try and remove the sleep, feeling weak and almost unresponsive. It was a feeling he'd become quite familiar with and was learning to dislike with a passion.
"Good morning," Loki greeted from the chair Cass had used the other night. He'd moved it back against the wall to maintain a decent distance, in case anyone had reservations about him staying in the same room. In fact, he'd dozed off for a decent amount of time, waking when Cass had popped in to see if Hiro was awake and up to going down to the precinct for the requested briefing.
The teen groaned as he let his hand flop back down to his side. "I feel like my entire body is made of jelly," he admitted. "And not the good kind either."
Loki stood from his chair and strode over to the bed. Once there, he placed a hand on Hiro's forehead to check for fever, despite Baymax not having mentioned anything earlier. The healthcare bot, however, was in the other room, attending to Wasabi and Cass, and wasn't immediately available for consultation. "Outside of that sentiment, how do you feel?" he inquired, relieved to note the teen's temperature appeared to be normal.
As the Asgardian removed his hand from Hiro's forehead, the sensation of static electricity made his fingers tingle in a less than comfortable manner. He quickly shoved his hand into the pocket of his pants, silently willing the sensation to subside.
"Hungry," Hiro replied, unaware of the slight exchange of energy, or Loki's reaction to it. "Like I've been working out in a gym most of the day."
It wasn't unexpected, by any means, considering the day they'd both had yesterday. More resilient, even Loki had needed some recovery time, after an hour or two spent with Cass that was. Well, technically that was part of recovery too, he supposed, a slight smile gracing his lips at the thought. Cass was a lady, and he'd treated her as such, but the time spent together had certainly been sweet.
Realizing struck Hiro like the bullet that had pierced his back during the many repeated timelines and he somehow managed to sit up like someone had electrocuted him. "I'm supposed to be at the precinct!" He'd noticed the time on the clock nearby, almost ten, but Loki pressed him back down against the pillows.
"Honey Lemon and GoGo are there, representing the team," Loki assured him. Of the two, they were the most likely to get everything across in the best manner. Not to mention, with GoGo's non-committal stare, it would likely allow them to keep at least a few of their secrets from being discovered. The woman had a way with her whole attitude that spoke of a disdain for authority, and a willingness to thwart it if necessary. Loki couldn't help but like that quality in her, thoroughly approving the assignment.
Before either of them could make any further comments, however, a knock sounded at the door and the handle turned as Kally entered the room with a tray. "Baymax said you were awake," she said by way of explanation. "He sensed the change from the other room and thought you'd need some breakfast." She moved further into the room, not bothering to shut the door on her way to deliver the tray to her friend.
With a little bit of help, Loki propped Hiro up with some pillows, moving him to sit in a more upright position closer to the head of the bed. He then took the tray from Kally and placed it on Hiro's lap. "Your robot's timing is impeccable," he admitted, glancing towards the open doorway in case the robot happened to pass by.
"Only the best," Hiro tried to joke as he looked down at the food brought to him. Technically speaking, it was the same food they'd purchased from a fast food place just the other morning, but it somehow looked more appetizing.
Kally held back just a bit, not wanting to intrude but not wanting to leave either. "I hope you don't mind me fixing up that takeout you had in the fridge. I didn't want to see it go to waste. And Aunt Cass agreed. She helped me heat it all up." There were a few additions, like some fruit and milk, but they weren't unwelcome.
Attempting a smile, Hiro reached for the fork and fumbled. "Guess I really ran down my battery," he joked as Kally moved in to help him with the utensil.
For his park, Loki stood back, contemplating. The teen's current condition reminded him of his own after trying to delve into Hiro's memories back at the hotel. Chances were good something similar had happened, though he hoped it wouldn't take the teen as long to bounce back. His fingers still tingled from disengaging contact only a few minutes before and he balled that hand into a fist.
"Kinda surprised you didn't go to the briefing," Hiro stated as Kally helped him scoop up some eggs. It sucked that he needed help, but it wasn't as surprising as some might have expected. And having Kally help him wasn't that bad either. At least the milk glass had a straw.
Kally shrugged. "No reason for me to." She picked up a napkin and dabbed it against his chin where some milk had dribbled from his mouth. "That and Tony didn't exactly like the idea of me going along. He insisted on driving Honey and GoGo over."
A wry twinkle filled Hiro's eyes. "Somehow I'm not surprised." He accepted another mouthful of food, feeling strength return to his limbs as his body digested the offering. It shouldn't take long for him to regain full mobility, though he wasn't sure what to make of Loki's continued thoughtful expression as the Asgardian contemplated the situation. "Something wrong?"
Coming out of his thoughts, Loki looked up with a hint of surprise. "No, nothing's wrong," he countered. "I was merely lost in thought." But what he was thinking certainly didn't translate into words as he remained silent as to what had caught his attention. "I think I'll go see if Cass needs my help," he decided instead and left the room, not bothering to take up the guise of Samuel Jackson.
"Okay," Kally spoke up, "that was weird, even for him."
Hiro gave a knowing smile as he shook his head slightly. There was no denying that Loki expressed a preference for his aunt, but he wasn't sure if he was quite ready to admit there might be more to it. "I'm sure he just wanted to give us some time alone."
But before either of them could even contemplate any kind of canoodling, not that Hiro was up for anything like that, Baymax entered the room. "Good morning, Hiro," he greeted. "Hello, Kally."
"Hey, Baymax," Kally greeted before Hiro could, mostly because the older teen had his mouth full. "Did someone need something?"
The robot tilted his head to one side, blinking. "I believe Loki has the others' needs taken care of," he admitted. "However, I did want to make sure Hiro is recovering." He performed a quick scan, just to make sure. "I detect that your motor function is lacking. This is not surprising considering recent events."
"Tell me about it," Hiro said with an eye roll. He accepted another forkful of food, holding onto Kally's hand to at least give himself some semblance of helping, unlike that time back at the Hydra base when he'd had no ability to help at all.
"When you are finished with your meal, I believe Aunt Cass would like to speak with you both," Baymax stated, including Kally in his stare. "Will you need me to carry you?"
Kally glanced at Hiro, noting the improvement of strength in the hand holding hers and the fork. "Let's wait and see," she said.
The robot nodded in acknowledgement of her answer, well aware that Hiro did indeed seem to be regaining his strength with each mouthful of food. Chances were good he'd still be unsteady but Hiro was also stubborn so he felt it best to bide his time. "Of course."
Realizing Baymax wasn't about to leave them alone, Kally chose to ignore him and continued to help Hiro feed himself.