Daphne stares ahead at nothing in particular. She's surrounded by part of the Avengers. They're all wearing their suits and gala clothes, save for Tony Stark, who is still knelt next to her on the ground in his Iron Man suit. It's the 23rd of December and they're on a rooftop. Daphne's wearing nothing more than a torn, lacy gala dress and her heels have been chucked aside, so saying she's starting to get a little cold is an understatement. Everything Loki just told them is racing through her head. The other Avengers might have their doubts, but Daphne is sure. He didn't lie. He didn't manipulate. All he said is true. Somm, the addictions... Peter...
Answers. Daphne wants answers. Needs them. She swears inwardly, knowing that what she wants is impossible to obtain without the right help. And the only one who can help her is not on earth. She has no choice if she wants to ease her mind. She has to do this.
"Loki?" Daphne mumbles quietly.
"Yes, dear?" He cocks an eyebrow at her.
"Could... Could I have a word with you?" Loki glances up at the sky again, his face contorting. They must know he's missing on Asgard.
"We are having a word now, aren't we?"
"No- no, I mean... In private."
"No." Iron Man's electronic voice pushes through the air. Daphne turns her head to look at the intimidating mask.
"Yes," is all she says. She scrambles to stand upright, ignoring Stark's protests. "You want answers, right? Well, fuck, me too. Let me have this."
Loki angles his head and frowns.
"And where could we have a private word?" He asks. Daphne glances to the next building. The roof is slightly lower, but it's far enough away that no one would hear them, yet close enough that they would still be in view.
"There." Loki scoffs at her suggestion.
"And how are you planning on getting there?" Daphne rolls her eyes at Loki and sighs, frustrated. She dramatically holds out her hand to him. He chuckles and makes his way towards her.
"Daph, don't-" Peter tries as he steps forward. He interrupts himself when she looks at him. The sadness in her eyes locks away his voice.
"Just a minute," she whispers, before Loki pulls her towards him and they disappear in thin air.
...
Loki saunters over the rooftop, leaving Daphne by herself. He has his back towards her as he takes his steps, stealing glances at the Avengers who are watching them from the other rooftop. He knows Daphne is dialing Tony on speaker. Loki's not stupid. Daphne gives Iron Man a stern look to urge him to keep this conversation secret.
"Now, what is so important that I am the only one who is allowed to hear it?" Loki asks playfully.
"Take me to Ravir." Loki halts immediately. His eyes go wide as he whips around to face Daphne.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"Daphne under-no-circumstances-will-I-ever-leave-earth Birch wants to leave earth?" Daphne presses her lips on top of each other and gives Loki a blank look.
"I need answers," she replies. Loki walks towards her until he has to angle his face down to look at her. He frowns.
"Why Ravir?" Daphne takes a breath.
"She's the one who told me what I am."
Loki blinks a few times with his mouth opened in disbelief before he rolls his shoulders and collects himself.
"That sure gives me an advantage over her."
"What?" Daphne takes a step back, confused. Loki smirks and shrugs.
"She made a promise, never to get involved with you." He wiggles his eyebrows. "Now that she broke that promise, she owes me a favor."
"Alright, then," Daphne scoffs.
"I don't think you understand what I am saying." He places a hand on her shoulder. "We can use that favor to force her to answer your questions." Daphne frowns.
"Don't you want to use that favor yourself?"
"What would I use it for?"
"I don't know, you're the 1500-year-old god, I'm sure there's something better you can get from her." Loki throws his head back and his single, short laugh nearly makes the sky rumble. He lets go of Daphne and scratches the back of his head.
"I have want for nothing other than your safety and happiness. If answers will ease your mind then it is answers I will claim for you."
"How about Somm's death?"
"She's a sorceress, Daphne," he says as he shakes his head. "Not a genie. She cannot grant wishes." Daphne's hands creep up to hug herself. The cold is really starting to get to her. Loki notices and makes a large knitted scarf appear from thin air. He gently places it around her shoulders and Daphne gratefully lets herself get wrapped up. "Since when do you propose killing someone?" He asks quietly, frowning as he attends to her. Daphne purses her lips.
"Kind of realized that letting people live if they're a threat to me, only causes more problems." Loki laughs sarcastically.
"David?" Daphne nods slowly and sighs while looking down.
"If I let you kill him, my life would've been so much easier." Suddenly, Loki's hands hold her upper arms. He squeezes. When she looks up at him, he's incredibly close.
"Do not lose your innocence, child. It fits you ill." Tears distort Daphne's sight as she gasps.
"But it's true." He squeezes even tighter, forcing her to keep looking at him. His expression is stern, but not belittling.
"Death is easy. Cold. That is what I do." He lets go of her with one hand and brings it to the scarf he just conjured, readjusting it to cover her more. "You are warmth. You choose life and love. You are good. You are the part of me that I gave away all those years ago." He pauses, cocking his head before repeating what he said to her when he had first abducted her. He doesn't look her in the eye anymore. Instead, he looks down as she studies his face. "Death does not deserve you."
"I hurt everyone I care about, Loki. Everyone." Daphne pushes herself against Loki and he glances apologetically at the Avengers on the other rooftop as he wraps his arms around her in an embrace before looking down Daphne again. "David, my dad, Tao," she sobs. "Pe-heter- It's all my fault-"
"No, child," he sighs, holding on to her jolting body. "It is mine." He wonders who this Tao person is, but decides not to let her elaborate right now.
"But- bu-hut, you didn't make me on purpose."
"Tell me, dearest, do you hurt everyone on purpose?" Daphne stays quiet for a second.
"No," she says quietly.
"Then how is this all your fault?" She doesn't reply. Loki feels the rising pressure of Odin calling out to him as he looks up at the sky again. He's going to have to leave Midgard soon if he wants to prevent anyone coming to earth to bring him back to Asgard. Loki gently pushes Daphne away from him and bends his knees until he is at eye level with her. "You do not have to come with to Ravir. I can ask the questions you want answered for you." Daphne immediately and violently shakes her head.
"No- no, I need to do this myself."
Loki's hand finds his way up to wipe the tears off Daphne's face with his thumb. His other hand caresses her hair.
"Are you really sure?"
"I..." Daphne looks down and bites the inside of her cheek. "I think it's better if I leave earth for a little bit anyways."
"For the spider?" Loki asks with a slight scoff. Daphne looks to the other roof. The Avengers are lined up, waiting for Daphne and Loki to finish their private conversation. However, Iron Man can hear everything they're saying through the phone call that's still going. Daphne's grateful that he's keeping it a secret. Peter would go feral if he heard her say she wants to leave earth. And that's the exact reason why she should. She's doing this for him.
Daphne makes eye contact with Peter and smiles slightly. Though, her eyes don't join the smile. Peter looks at her worried, which immediately has her turn back to Loki.
"I don't want him to lose himself," she whispers. Her voice is shaky and she closes her eyes. "I won't allow myself to be selfish at his expense." Loki grins as he places a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Careful, child. Your way of speaking is starting to resemble mine." Daphne chuckles, which makes Loki feel slightly relieved. She can still laugh. "When do you wish to go?"
"Now." Loki's eyes go wide for a second and his eyebrows raise all the way up.
"Now?" He eyes her outfit and bare feet. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"The sooner the better," she pushes out. "Besides... I don't think I'd still want to go if I looked Peter in the eyes. Or my dad..."
"You don't wish to let him know you are well? There are hundreds of witnesses who just saw you be taken away by a sorceress."
Daphne grabs her phone and looks at it. The call is still going.
"Mr. Stark can let everyone know I'm okay. That... That I'm just away for a little bit."
"You don't have to do this." Loki takes a step back.
"I do," she breathes as she closes her eyes. There is a short silence. The cold December wind blows gently and tousles Daphne's hair. "The Christmas presents I got everyone are under my bed." Her voice cracks. "I keep my passwords in a little green notebook that I hide in my desk drawer." She purses her lips. Her chest tightens. "And... And I think... I don't know for sure, Mr. Stark- I'm... I'm scared tha-" she interrupts herself as she shakes. "I think David's parents are in the cellar of the Metropolitan Opera. David... He described it in his poems. The ones he wrote for me. Ju-just me. He said he'd lock me up there- I just... I just realized when-" She squeezes her eyes even further shut and stops herself from continuing that thought.
"Tell Peter that I love him," Daphne mumbles. "And tell my dad that I'm sorry for putting him through all of this." She's trembling. Forcing her way through. "Please." Daphne looks up at the other rooftop. Iron Man nods slowly.
"As much as I hate this idea..." Tony starts. All the Avengers look at him suddenly, not expecting him to talk. "...I do agree that this is for the best." Daphne can see everyone's mouths move. Asking Tony what's going on, why is he saying that? Peter looks at Daphne with questioning eyes.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Daphne says quietly. "For everything." She sniffs once. "Hopefully, I won't be away too long."
"I hope so too, kid."
"Are you ready to go, Daphne?" Loki asks. He's feeling the impending doom of Odin's anger with his disappearance on his shoulders. Daphne nods once and holds out one hand to him. With the other she holds onto her phone and the scarf that's wrapped around her. He takes her hand carefully in his own and she takes a step towards him.
Loki wraps his other arm around her and holds her tightly.
"I have never jumped realms with someone else before, so I am taking us to Central Park for Heimdall to bring us to Ravir, is that okay with you?" Loki asks quietly. Daphne looks back at the other rooftop again and nods. She brings up the phone for everyone to see. So they would understand what Tony said to her. Before she ends the call with Tony he says one more thing.
"Oh, Daph, if you run into him, please say hi to Thor from me." Peter's eyes go wide when he realizes what this means. What Daphne is going to do.
No.
Without second thought, he rushes to the edge of the building and he jumps with all he has. Time seems to slow down when he makes eye contact with her. She's teary-eyed and mouths:
"I'm sorry, Pete," before she and Loki disappear.