Still Loki's POV
I'd fallen into a deeper sleep than I'd expected. It was already light out when I woke and I sat up quickly, getting out of the bed. I concentrated on myself for a moment, ensuring that I was invisible should Ebony wake. She stirred and stretched. She looked over her shoulder and then sighed. I stepped away and started to walk to the door when she rolled to the other side and froze. Sitting up, she looked for me, her gaze falling somewhere to my left.
"Loki?" She called. I bit down on my lip, desperately wanting to reply. She looked down at the bed and then lay back down, sighing. My gaze fell on her ring. I felt a small shiver of satisfaction at the sight. She would have thrown it away if she truly hated me. I walked around to the other side and reached out, pressing one finger to her ring. I closed my eyes and channeled a small amount of power into it, binding it with a simple but powerful spell.
She reached out suddenly and my eyes shot open as her hand brushed mine. I froze and stared down at her. Her grey eyes rose slowly, staring at me again. "Loki." She said, knowing I was here.
I was not to speak to her and I didn't know what I would say if I could. So I stepped back and concentrated on an image of the tunnels, trying to leave before she could say anything else. My surroundings began to change and I opened my eyes to see her disappearing before me.
I looked around again to find myself deep in the tunnels, alone. I went to the main chamber and greeted Barton. He nodded.
It is time we speak. My employer murmured. I sighed heavily. I grabbed my staff and sat down, cross-legged on the ground in a little corner of the main room. Placing the staff in one hand, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, feeling my mind transport itself to the barren rock of my employer's realm.
"The Chitauri grow restless." The creature spoke. As cold and unfeeling as he was, I sensed he was a slave as well. He was called the Other. I hesitated to ask his name, unsure of how camaraderie would be taken by the man in charge. The Other was not a man I would want to consider my friend anyway.
My form slowly took shape, dressed in my royal battle armor. "Let them gird themselves. I will lead them in a glorious battle."
Everything was finally ready. Despite my hesitance, the plan was in place and it was too late to turn back now.
"Battle?" He spat. "Against the meager might of Earth?"
"Glorious, not lengthy. If your force is as formidable as you claim." I mocked.
"You question us? You question him? He who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were...cast out? Defeated?" I sensed incredulity in his voice.
"I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard. Betrayed." Defeat, I refused to accept. And I dared to question him. He who put in my hand the scepter that surrendered my soul into his hand just as much as I could take the free will of others such as Barton. He who lied to me. Tricked me. He who hurt Ebony - oh yes, I dared.
The creature growled low in his throat. "Your ambition is little! And born of childish need. We look beyond the Earth, to the greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."
"You don't have the Tesseract yet." He hissed, streaking towards me. I tensed, ready to defend but he stopped inches away from me. I resisted the urge to raise a questioning brow. "I don't threaten. But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command...you are but words."
There was a faint sound in the air, like a chuckle. My employer could follow through on his threats. I had felt only previews of the pain he could cause. I spoke with a bravery and grandeur I didn't feel and I sensed that he knew this. But I didn't like to back down, even to one so powerful as him.
"You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail...if the Tesseract is kept from us...there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you. You think you know pain?"
I felt a tremor run down my back as his voice echoed in my mind. Something moved to my right but I dared not look. "He will make you long for something sweet as pain."
His hand slammed down on my head, throwing me back to reality and into my body once more. I tried to stop the trembling that held me, tried to quell the fear.
I sat for a moment, allowing my breath to return to normal. Failure, if anything, was all I had ever truly feared. And yet it was all I was good at. I had failed to be a good son, to be a good King. I had failed to love a woman who deserved the world. Failure was not an option now. I could allow for no more distractions.
Standing, I went to find Selvig. He grinned at me as I approached, his blue eyes shining. I managed a smile for him. His devotion really was to be commended.
"Hey! The Tesseract has shown me so much. It's more than knowledge. It's truth."
Hm. It was different for everyone, I supposed. Truth for him. Terror and pain for me. I smiled at Selvig. "I know." Curious, I turned to the agent. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"
He turned to me. "My next target."
Ah...good. A man with a focus. "Tell me what you need." He walked to grab his bow, snapping it open.
"I need a distraction. And an eyeball." Leaning back on the table, I listened as he explained exactly what he needed and how we could go about getting it.
.....
Stuttgart, Germany.
I smiled to myself as I walked through the streets of Germany. It really was a nice country. I would have to return after I had established my reign. I was dressed in the suit I'd bought recently. I'd kept the scarf Ebony had bought the day I met her. It hung around my neck now, a silent reminder of her. Swinging the staff, now disguised as a cane, I walked into the building hosting some sort of event. I wasn't interested in it, however I did enjoy the orchestra.
Men and women walked throughout, conversing quietly. My man stood by a microphone, tapping it gently. I smiled again and looked around. The music intensified as I jogged down the steps, swinging the cane at my side. I looked to my left and watched as guard scanned the crowd. Throwing the cane up, I caught the tip and swung just as he turned to me.
The hushed tones of conversation faltered. Some gasped, some choked back shouts. The curator turned just as I grabbed him, dragging him to the statue and flipping him over. I heard a satisfying crack as his back hit the stone and his weak form began to struggle. Barton should have been in position by now. Reaching into my pocket, I took out the device he had handed me. I snapped it open, revealing the glowing blades. The crowd gasped and I resisted the urge to laugh as I slammed the device down on my poor victim. The spectators ran, screaming and I watched as the blades took the image of the man's eye. He struggled, in too much pain to cry out.
That should be enough. I smiled and removed the blades, tucking it away as I followed the frightened mortals.
Enjoying the power, Asgardian?
My steps faltered but I plastered the smirk on my face and continued. The voice of my employer chuckled in the back of my mind, bringing me back to reality. I scanned the crowd, recognizing the fear on their faces. Ebony was right. I had become the monster I had always feared. But it was too late to turn back now.
A golden shimmer enveloped me as I walked and I sighed as my armor and helm emerged on my person. This was better. Behind the safety of my armor I could detach myself from the scene and allow the scepter's gem to take over.
The annoying clamor of the police met my ears and I shot my hand out, watching as a stream of power shot from the staff and into the car. Turning back to the crowd, I summoned mirror images of myself to surround them.
"Kneel before me." They screamed and ran about like panicked sheep within a pen. "I said...kneel!" And just like sheep, they obeyed, bowing their heads in fear. I grinned, looking out at them. "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" They moved aside as I walked through them. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom, diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power...for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end...you will always kneel."
A man, an elder stood, looking upon me with his small eyes. "Not to men like you." He spoke.
Hm, true but... "There are no men like me." I chuckled.
"There are always men like you."
Ah...a wise one in the eyes of a human I suppose. "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." I pointed the staff to him, watching as the head glowed bright. The blue exploded, shooting towards him before striking something. I watched it reflect back at me, crying out as it brought me to my knees. The people by me shouted softly, moving away. I sat up, looking at the man who dared stand in my way.
"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else...we ended up disagreeing."
I got to my knees, using the staff to pull myself up. "The soldier." I spat, grinning now. He had impeccable timing. We might even be ahead of schedule at this rate. My employer would be pleased. I stood slowly. "The man out of time."
"I'm not the one who's out of time."
A ship appeared above us, pointing a rather large weapon in my direction. A voice came down through a speaker. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."
Looking up, I fired a shot at the ship, watching as it veered left and the crowd scattered. The soldier ran towards me, surprising me with a rather forceful punch. He used his shield well though he ended up defending himself with his hands. I watched him fly across the courtyard, following and pressing the butt of the staff to his head.
"Kneel."
He hesitated and then pushed up, swinging around to strike me. "Not today!" I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, throwing him off me and onto the hard brick ground. Turning towards him, I paused as music played over the speaker from the ship. I watched a streak of fire come towards us and recognized it as the man of iron. He slammed into me and I cried out, cracking my back on the stone steps. Sitting up, I found him and the soldier standing over me.
"Make your move, Reindeer Games."