Mischief

Chapter Twenty Four- Shirtless Shenanigans

"Okay, so, I get that we're your prisoners and everything, but is there a reason you took my shirt?"

The Frost Giant ignored Quill, going back to the strange board game he was playing with the other guards. The half human huffed, shifting on the cold rock floor and tugging at his bindings. He sighed again. "Come on. My body isn't built for this. It's literally freezing. I can't feel my nipples!"

The Jotun finally turned, staring blankly at Quill before throwing his shirt at him. It smacked him in the face and dropped on his lap. Quill's eyebrow twitched.

"How do you expect me to put it on when my hands are tied behind my back?" The Jotun shrugged, facing away from them once more. "You're a dick."

"Quiet down, boy," Yondu warned, eyes narrowed as he calculated their situation. "Nothing good ever comes of you running that mouth of yours." Quill stuck his tongue out, staring at his shirt forlornly and pulling at his bindings. A soft glow stole his attention as his shirt rose from his lap, and in a burst of glitter he was suddenly fully clothed. He felt his eyebrows shoot into his hairline as the mini god's hands stopped shining, the "child's" expression a blank stare.

"Thanks? I didn't know you cared," he teased. Loki turned to stare at him, the dead eyes unnerving the sort-of-criminal. "Are you... okay?"

The god rolled his eyes, the strange emptiness gone as he turned to watch the game. The corner of his mouth lifted, victory already in his eyes as he raised his head and said something in a strange language.

It was rough, like ice cracking or stones grinding. Quill flinched at the noise, discomfort coursing through his ears. One of the Jotuns turned, replying in the same horrible language. The conversation continued for another minute, allowing Quill's ears to adjust to the sounds.

The Jotun stood, striding over and pulling Loki up by the scruff of his neck. He threw the trickster at the table, a horrible cracking noise from his hands hitting the table making Quill wince in sympathy- and outrage. The guy is a mass-murdering war criminal. He reminded himself. Don't get attatched.

But then, what does that make Gamora?

As Quill re-evaluated his life, Loki stood and brushed himself off, the bindings on his wrist simply untying themselves and falling to the floor. He leaned over the game, and, after studying the board for a second, moved one of the pieces. One of the Jotun players stared at the board, then turned to the other Jotun and started yelling angrily. Quill felt his eyebrows draw together as both Jotuns rose to their full height and began screaming at each other.

He turned to Yondu, the blue skinned man winking at him as his bindings slipped to the floor. He stood up with a stretch, his back cracking loudly before he sauntered casually over to his son. Casting a quick glance round the encampment, he crouched and tugged at the rope, frowning slightly and pulling harder when they refused to loosen.

"Hey, er, Yondu? Wanna, y'know, hurry this up a bit?" Quill shot a look at the Frost Giants. They were still arguing, pulling the others in as they started throwing punches. Using the distraction to escape was a brilliant idea, and the ex-ravager suspected that had been the "young" god's plan all along.

The trickster in question was still clutching the table. The Jötuns were mass fighting in front of him, blocking him in and effectively trapping him. Blue met blue as the Frost Giant turned to meet his gaze. Quill was sure he wasn't imagining the small spark of panic in his eyes.

"Got it!"

The rope binding Quill's wrists dropped, leaving angry red burn marks. The Jotuns hadn't noticed their escaping prisoners, too caught up in the fight. Yondu ran towards an ice ledge that would hide them from view, planning to hunker down and wait for the Giants to leave before making his escape, but slowed when he realised Quill wasn't behind him.

He followed Quill's hesitant gaze, tsking when he realised the problem. As the giants were fighting in front of him, Loki wouldn't be able to escape undetected. The Jotuns were also breaking the fight apart. They had only a few seconds before they were recaptured.

Loki's eyes shifted from Quill's to his, expression unreadable. He stared for a few seconds before nodding, message clear even without words.

Go.

________________________________

"Have you found them yet?"

"Funnily enough, since the five seconds you last asked me that, no, I have not found them," Stark's patience was running thin. Not even Morgan was as bad as this. The green skinned huntress was leaning over his shoulder, a blatant invasion of personal space and the billionaire was contemplating throwing her out and going home. Not that he'd be able to throw her anywhere, of course.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart? You're only rigging up a sensor!" she growled.

"Only rigging up a sensor? Do you have any idea how cold this planet is? I have to account for freezing factors, then filter out any other life forms, pinpoint the location. Not to mention I don't have a satellite, so I'm making a sensor powerful enough to cover an entire planet!" His voice rose at the end, one hand waving at the device as he did. Gamora looked unimpressed, arms folded and one eyebrow raised as she stared the man down. Stark sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. "Look, I get that you're worried, but this is a delicate process, it's not like they're just going to barge back in-"

"Hey guys!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

________________________________

"And that's what happened," Quill finished explaining. He felt terrible at abandoning their charge, but there wasn't any other way. At least now they could swarm in full force and take him back.

"But they wouldn't hurt him, right? Didn't you say he's the same as them?"

"I think Thor mentioned it once, but I'm not sure of the whole situation. Apparently there's a lot of political stuff, but I got bored and tuned out," Stark scratched his beard.

"So, what do we do? Run for high heaven or go in and rescue the tyke?" Yondu spun his arrow through his fingers. "Cause there's definitely more then them. I reckon that was jus' a scouting party. We don't know their full number."

"We need Thor," Stark decided. I'll call Steve, see if they can come to us. It wouldn't hurt to have a few extra hands anyway."

"Alright then. We call backup, and then, we're going in."

A/N: I am back from the dead!! Long time no see. This chapter took so long to write, I couldn't string everything together properly, so if it's not very well articulated, I apologise.

I know Tony hasn't had Morgan yet in canon, but fuck the time line. Loki does.

Question of the Week:

Which of the new series is your favourite/you're most looking forward to?

- Loki
- Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- WandaVision

You can probably guess mine. I hope y'all are doing good, despite all the shittiness. Stay healthy, stay happy. Remember to social distance. Wear your mask, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Stay frosty 🤟