𝐖𝐞𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬

42 | Presentable

Peter groaned in annoyance, kicking an old coke can on the ground as he followed Loki down the street. The cat Peter had found earlier was sauntering next to him, following his every step.

"Dude you realise I'm in an immense amount of pain and we've been walking for ages, can we like, sit down for a second?" Peter whined, making Loki stop and huff to himself before turning around and glaring at him.

"Do you ever stop talking?" He sighed, standing tall in front of the boy who was limping behind him. Despite the world around them looking so decrepit and destroyed, Loki looked well put together and styled. His hair was slicked back and he looked clean, almost as if he had recently showered. He did however look incredibly sleep deprived. That was the only downfall to his picture perfect demeanour.

"Fine, for your pitiful sake we can take a chariot," Loki said bluntly, a Chitauri form of transportation flying down to the street.

"Woah it's like, a hovercraft," Peter smiled, taking Loki's hand before being pulled up to the aircraft. His regenerative healing ability was mending his leg slowly, but he was still in incredible pain. Loki had promised to heal Peter to his full health when they returned to the bunker he was staying at.

Loki controlled the hovercraft with ease, flying through the sky as Peter stared down at the destroyed city. The city was still dark, people who were remaining lighting fires on the streets; it was pure anarchy just waiting for the Chitauri to attack again.

Loki landed the Chitauri chariot on the roof of a large skyscraper, jumping off and walking briskly to an elevator. Peter pulled his injured leg across to the the side to help him slide off, carrying the cat to where Loki was standing and waiting for him.

"You realise bunkers on our planet mean like, underground safe houses... This is just a building," Peter said following the God of Mischief into the elevator and facing him. Loki stood solemnly facing forward, finding Peter semi-annoying with his constant questions.

"This building is where I am residing on Earth. I cannot get back to my world as I was banished, I have already explained this to you," Loki sighed, exiting the elevator in a luxurious penthouse apartment; almost as nice as the Stark residence.

"Hey, how come the elector works if the city doesn't have power?" Peter asked, putting the cat on the ground and limping slowly behind the god.

"I charmed the building," Loki said walking through the apartment without telling Peter where he was going. He expected the boy to follow, which he did. And the cat. The cat followed Peter.

Loki instructed Peter to lie down on a bed, holding his hands over the wound he had endured. The small cat jumped up to sit on Peter's chest cussing Loki to flinch and step back.

"Hey Simon, that's not a good place to sit right now buddy," Peter said shoving the cat softly off of him and to the side.

"Who is this Simon you speak of?" Loki scoffed, screwing his face up at the animal in disgust.

"Huh? No, no it's just what I named him -fuck!" Peter yelled, looking down at his leg which Loki was performing magic on. His skin seemed to rejoin itself in mere seconds, the wound closing up as Loki removed his hands.

"That's incredible! How'd you do that? Can Thor do that?" Peter asked, bending his leg with ease and touching his thigh.

Loki chuckled and shook his head, reaching forward to hold his hand in front of the cat carefully. The cat pushed it s head against his hand, chirping softly causing Loki to smile gently.

"No, my brother doesn't have the same abilities that I possess... Why does the animal hit its head against me? Is it a sign of affection?" He asked, stroking his hand against its cheek roughly, not used to having a pet.

"Yeah I think they wanna put their smell on you so they know you're safe... Or maybe it just feels good," Peter shrugged, sitting up and scanning his eyes across Loki's clothing. It was definitely otherworldly, nobody would be caught dead wearing it on Earth.

"You should probably wear normal stuff now that you're stuck on our planet... Maybe some jeans and a t-shirt," Peter suggested.

"What is a t-shirt. Who is the T that makes them?" Loki asked, looking at Peter like he was talking complete nonsense to him.

"Well we're both in our suits, surely you haven't been sleeping in that right? Doesn't it get uncomfortable being in that?" Peter said getting off the bed and opening a nearby wardrobe.

He shifted through the coat hangers, the previous owners being quite wealthy with the amount of designer clothes hung on the racks. He tossed a few garments back on the bed, making Loki shuffle slightly to avoid being hit by rogue flying items.

"Pick whatever you want, it just makes you blend in a bit better. People don't wear capes in New York," Peter said taking various items with him to the ensuite bathroom to get changed. He came out in an outfit he probably would have worn himself, happy with the results; a button up shirt and jeans.

"I said comfortable... What are you wearing?" Peter said screwing his face up at the sigh of Loki wearing an all black formal suit and sitting with the cat on his lap.

"I look presentable. I look powerful. You however, look like a child," Loki sighed, scratching behind the cats ears as it purred. He smiled softly at the cat, growing to like it more over the past several hours.

"So uh, what now? We go find the Avengers and kill these alien bastards?" Peter said excitedly, looking at Loki who still had pristinely styled hair.

"We go to Asgard, claim my rightful throne once more and stop the Chitauri from invading your planet any further," Loki said proudly, looking at Peter with determination.

Peter was confused. Peter was often confused about other planets, universes and realms whenever they were brought up. He asked Loki to explain further, due to his understanding that the man was banished and that it seemed impossible to return to a planet that you were banished from.

"I have a method, I believe that if I return with you, they will understand my intent of stopping this attack," Loki said poking the cats paws and pressing the pink toe pads, watching its claws retract.

"So you're like a king there?" Peter said watching him become more comfortable with the cat he had initially detested.

"I am still King, the citadel just declared me a threat," Loki continued. Peter asked more questions, what a citadel was, if Asgard had a government, where the planet was, how you got there.

Loki pressed his fingertips to the bridge of his nose, growing restless from Peter's constant questions that he never got a chance to ask Thor. He'd met Thor possibly twice, each time in battle; he couldn't particularly get to know someone whilst saving the world.

"Listen to me carefully Peter Parker. You need to do as I say on this planet because they will kill you in a heartbeat if you disobey our laws. Asgardians are peaceful people until you get on their bad side," Loki explained, fiddling with the cats tail.

"Can we bring Simon to Asgard?" Peter smiled boyishly, intimidated by Loki but also fascinated by his new friend. If Loki heard Peter refer to him as a friend however, he would disagree.

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself from snapping at Peter in anger. He looked at the boy who seemed so excited by the fact he was getting a chance to travel to a different realm that he gave in.

"If the cat survives travelling via the Bifrost to Asgard, then yes. You can bring Simon with you," Loki said to a confused Peter, staring at him blankly.

"The bifrost is how we travel. You will see tomorrow morning after we rest," Loki continued, knowing that it would have been Peter's next inevitable question of the day.