When Loki pulled out of the memory Hiro had just showed him he couldn't help but feel drained, even though he knew he was still technically in the teen's mind. He'd never encountered anything like the Makt before and wasn't at all sure what to make of them. Since he'd been reliving the whole incident through Hiro's eyes, he only had that to go on. But even with that, he could tell the Makt were in a league all their own. At the very least, they put Odin to shame, which was saying something.
"Maybe you should take a moment after that," Hiro commented, looking no worse for wear, even though the Asgardian knew he'd relived the entire moment with him. That alone made him question just how much the teen had been through to treat this so casually.
Loki put out a hand and steadied himself on one of the metaphorical tables in Hiro's mental lab. "Perhaps you're right," he agreed. He didn't feel quite as weak as when he'd tried this before, though it was pretty close. But if such a memory could reduce him to such a state, had Hiro really used all of his energy to fling him out of his mind earlier? If so, that didn't bode well at all. To say he'd been shocked would be an understatement. Perhaps that was the real reason behind his weakness. Yes, that had to be it.
Hiro pulled out a rolling stool and sent it Loki's way. "I wasn't kidding when I said maybe you should take a moment. I know we're technically inside my head, but you look as pale as I did back then."
The continued pressing threw out the idea that it had merely taken the god of mischief by surprise, though he'd really liked the idea. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case, though it was no less disconcerting to, once again, note that Hiro didn't seem fazed by it at all. He accepted the stool and sat heavily upon it.
"I can only imagine you weren't this calm when events took place," Loki stated, ignoring the potential need to put his head between his knees. He hadn't gotten to see the aftermath of the memory, just to the point where he'd returned to the Doctor's TARDIS, and therefore only had everyone else's story to go off of. But, if he recalled correctly, Hiro had been quite weak after the fact, though part of that might have been from the injuries he'd sustained prior to the event.
The teen shrugged. "I've learned to take most things in stride," he stated as he leaned against the same table Loki had only moments before, though he didn't look like he needed the support. "The memories that still get me every time are the repeated timelines and putting the Universe back together. They're more recent and I don't think I've finished processing them. Honestly, I'm not sure how long that will take either, because there are a lot more than most people realize."
An almost wry smile that wasn't really a smile but more a grimace crossed Loki's face. "I wouldn't be surprised," he said, trying to wrap his head around the idea. From everything he knew, it was only because of the Makt that Hiro had been able to keep going back in time, over and over again, to try and "fix", or at least change, the moment of his brother's death. Part of him couldn't help but wonder if he'd do the same for Thor, then decided that, even though his adoptive brother was a pain, he'd probably give it a go if he'd been as naïve as Hiro'd been at the time.
"I think that might be more than enough for one excursion," Loki decided. Normally, the memories of others didn't take him so strongly, not when he was the observer of them. He usually just got a good look into their minds. But this was something different. He generally didn't delve so completely into any memory that wasn't his own. The fact that Hiro had that ability certainly made things more interesting, though he supposed he should have realized that from their initial attempt. Why it had taken so long was a mystery, but he supposed it was merely a matter of the shock of the encounter.
Hiro nodded in a vague way, looking off to one side like I heard something from outside of the room. "I think you're right. I hear someone coming."
Not sure what he meant, or why only the teen could hear it, Loki tried to peer in the same direction Hiro was but couldn't see beyond the mental walls. He stood, but as he did, the walls faded around him. The next moment, he was back in Hiro's borrowed room in Stark's secondary home.
Unlike the time before, Loki didn't stagger back or lose mobility in his limbs. It was almost as if he simply woke up, though his skin tingled in an odd way that wasn't entirely pleasant. He removed his hand from Hiro's head and shook out the whole arm as if to restore lost circulation. Blinking a few times, he turned enough to glance over at Cass, who seemed hesitant to make so much as a single comment, waiting to see if things would go the same way as last time.
"Well, that was certainly not what I expected," the Asgardian commented to her as he took a step away from the bed. His knees did threaten to buckle a bit but Baymax was there to steady him.
Before Hiro's aunt could make a comment, a knock sounded on the door and both adults glanced sharply towards the area in question. Hiro, for his part, remained sedately on the bed, his eyes closed. A quick scan from Baymax confirmed that he'd fallen asleep.
Not sure what to think of the sudden knocking on the door, mostly because everyone else was supposedly either out or in another room, Loki quickly made sure his usual disguise was in place before striding over to answer it. He glanced back once towards Cass before turning the knob.
"Well it's about time!" Lucifer complained as the door opened and he strode into the room without an invitation. "I felt sure Wasabi had directed me to the right room but was beginning to wonder." He paused, seeing Cass sitting in a chair and Hiro out for the count. He dismissed Baymax from his mind without a second thought. "It looks like I won't be getting my answers after all," he continued, not allowing anyone to get in a word edgewise." A frown creased his face as he stared at Hiro's sleeping form.
Cass cleared her throat, shifting a bit awkwardly in her chair. "Hiro was up late last night," she defended. "And after everything that's happened, I just wanted to be close to him." Why she suddenly felt defensive was beyond her. Perhaps it was irritation at the interruption. She'd been about to ask Loki what he'd seen and if it helped with the current investigation. Lucifer's arrival was definitely not the most welcome, though she supposed it could have been worse. It could have been Tony.
For his part, Loki stood in what was meant to be an intimidating matter, but Lucifer simply dismissed it. "You know you can't fool me with that disguise," he stated with his usual devilish smile. "Even if I can't see the different, I can smell you." It wasn't strictly true, but he did want to remind the Asgardian prince that he knew who he really was without prying ears catching on.
Reminded of that bit, Loki relaxed his guard as he moved to close the door. His façade faded the moment the door clicked shut. With arms folded across his chest once more, he turned to their uninvited guest. "So what does bring you here?" He found he felt just about as agitated as Cass looked at the interruption.
It took a moment for Lucifer to gather his thoughts back together. They'd seemed to scatter a bit the moment Loki closed the door, but he shrugged it off. And since there wasn't any other place to sit but on the edge of the bed, he continued to stand, though part of him wondered if Loki couldn't conjure another chair if he really wanted to. "I was just coming from the precinct," he admitted. "It would seem the mayor plans on issuing a partial evacuation order unless more evidence to suggest the real targets of the bombs is uncovered."
Loki's eyes widened as his brows rose at that. "No doubt such an announcement would cause more chaos than either the police or Jack's forces can handle." His face turned dark as a frown creased it, one hand going to his chin in thought. "I take it you came here in the hopes that Hiro might have more insight into the matter."
As much as it sucked to admit it, Lucifer had to nod. "Out of all of us, he seems the most in tune to what's going on, not that he seems able to control any of it. But it would appear he is currently unavailable for comment." He glanced back at the sleeping youth.
The Asgardian moved further into the room. "Unfortunately," he agreed. "However, you might be interested to learn the few things we've been able to glean in our own investigation of the matter."
Both Cass and Lucifer stared at him with varying degrees of incomprehension. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," the devil admitted, looking more than a little out of sorts.
Loki turned an apologetic glance towards Cass. "We were going to tell you, but last night I coached Hiro in a meditative session to see if we could ascertain any kind of details he may have missed with earlier memories." He held up a hand to stay any comments. "And no, I did not delve into his mind. I simply tried to guide him through the instigating memory to see if he could find something on his own."
"And did he?" Cass asked, sounding a little peeved. She folded her arms as best she could with the brace, ignoring the twinges of pain her shoulder sent out. "Did he find something?"
At least she wasn't chewing him out, though the expression in her eyes did suggest she might, Loki thought as he contemplated the information they'd come across, mixed with his own perspective. "In a way," he admitted. "Hiro appears to have developed the ability to detect signature traces of energy tied to specific individuals. When looking back, he was able to detect one that seems tied to our first murder victim."
Something seemed to click in Lucifer's mind. "The bomb maker," he said as he started to pace, one finger waving as he tried to piece it all together. "If he can indeed sense different energies, or auras, it's possible he can sense anything associated with her work, which would explain how he knew when the other bombs were going off. Her 'mark', as it were, would be infused in her handiwork, making it easier for him to sense them. The real question is if he realizes that's what's been happening."
"If that's what's been happening," Cass stated, not sure she liked the direction things were going. "I may not know much about science or anything, but shouldn't there be a process or something to prove or disprove that?"
The two men exchanged glances while Baymax merely continued to monitor the whole situation. He was so quiet they'd almost forgotten his presence. "Different energy sources contain a unique signature," he stated, reminding them all he was still there. "While Hiro has been in his altered states of consciousness, I have detected elevated energy levels. Until your theory was presented, I did not associate anything specific to them. However, upon returning to the incidents in question, I believe it possible to prove at least part of your theory."
All eyes turned to the robot at that admission while Hiro snored a bit in his sleep. "Wait, you can do that? I mean, wouldn't your sensors have to be like super sensitive or something?" Cass protested, not entirely sure how it all worked.
"That is correct," Baymax affirmed. "My sensors were calibrated by the Doctor to detect things on a more molecular level. As such, I feel confident in stating that while Hiro had these experiences, there was a common form of energy that does not belong to Hiro."
Lucifer thrust his hands into his pockets. "I'd say that's pretty definitive. Unfortunately, there's no real way we can prove that to the Detective, and even less to show the mayor. Neither person is likely to accept evidence on metaphysical level. I'm still having a hard time convincing her I'm the real devil." He pressed his lips together in a thin line as he contemplated the problem.
Cass also turned her thoughts to a solution but couldn't come up with anything and shrugged helplessly when Loki looked her way. She regretted the motion, her shoulder protesting as a grimace crossed her face. "Maybe I should have taken something with breakfast," she admitted at his look of concern.
Trying to be solicitous, Loki offered to go retrieve the medication from her room. He quickly donned his security guard façade, just to be safe, while he was gone, giving Lucifer a watchful eye before leaving the room.
"Well then," the devil commented, deciding to move closer to Cass's sitting position. "I may not understand why your nephew is able to feel things on such a level, but if you have any insights into it, that may be useful."
Once more, Cass gave an apologetic look, foregoing moving her body any more than necessary. Even the ache in her knee was coming back, something that left her wondering how she'd be able to get up later on. "I'm about as clueless as the next person," she stated. "I'm not even sure Hiro could tell you."
Before they could get much further in the conversation, Loki returned with a cup of water and the desired pills. He made sure Cass drank all the water with the medication before setting the cup aside on the bedside table. He'd try and remember to take it back to the kitchen later. "Outside of waking Hiro, I'm not sure how much further we'll get on this line of thought," he said with a sigh, picking up where they'd left off.
"I do not recommend waking Hiro at this time," Baymax spoke up. "He did not get the required amount of sleep earlier." At least he could tell them the teen's current unconscious state was a natural one, and not one induced by some kind of trauma, which was a nice change. The probability that he was dreaming was high, but he didn't think they needed to know that.
Lucifer stared at the youth in thought, debating on going against' Baymax's suggestion or not. It was debating if the teen actually could tell him what he needed to know or not. But there was no denying the peaceful expression on his face, something that seemed rare, at least when he looked back on all their previous encounters. Perhaps it would be best to let him sleep after all.
"It might be wise for us to adjourn to another room," the devil mused. "There, we can at least continue to discuss the case without disturbing the whelp."
With all in agreement, Loki was about to help Cass to her feet when a noise came from the hallway.