In The Shadows | Loki

THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES

  "I'm fine." I groan, running a hand through my hair. I had just gotten out of one of Tony's bathrooms, having washed the blood off of my skin. "I really just need a new shirt, not to be poked and prodded." It was true. This shirt was so ripped apart it was almost indecent. "Go poke Tony. He's the one that actually died."
        "Oh stop whining." Nat rolls her eyes. "Loki used his powers on you. We're being cautious."
        "He healed me."
        "He also just lost the war for earth. He just killed hundreds of people." The agent that was currently poking me put away her instruments.
        "You're fine." She says. "Not even a scratch on you." I nod, and she leaves. 
        "How's Tony?" I ask after a moment. Nat lets out a long breath.
        "Fine. The doctors have checked him over too." I nod. "Fury is having Loki loaded up. They're putting him in a different variation of your cell." I nod, thinking.
        "He went willingly, didn't he?" I ask after a second. Nat purses her lips.
        "He did." I nod again.
        "I'm not defending him Nat. He attacked my planet. My city. My home." I say,standing. Nat looks up at me, arching an eyebrow. "But he was being controlled. You and I both know that saving my life was too far out of character.  You saw his eyes. You've seen what's gone down. We both know you can read people. Read him." 
        "If you aren't defending him, then what are you doing?" She asks, tilting her head.
        "I'm not a fan of innocent people being proven guilty."
        "He's not exactly innocent."
        "He isn't exactly guilty either, is he?" I shoot back. She shrugs.
        "Everyone is meeting for shawarma. You coming?" She asks, pushing herself up and off the wall she was leaning on. "Tony's paying."
        "Free food? Of course I'm coming."  I reply. "All I need is a decent shirt."
        "I'm sure Tony can give you one of Pepper's." She replies, opening the door and heading out into the hallway of the tower. "Or I can steal one if need be." I just smile at that. The farther we go down the hallway, the more destruction I can see. Tony was going to have a ball cleaning all of this up.
        It doesn't take long for Tony to find a shirt for me. It was hilarious though, to see Steve's face when I casually stripped out of the bloody scraps of my shirt in front of all of them to change. I just raise an eyebrow at him. "What? You saw me nearly die. How much closer can we get?" He blushes, but doesn't look down. He frowns down at my stomach, and I glance down. "What? You thought the scars on my face were the only ones?"
        "I didn't know...." I shrug. Everyone except Clint and Nat were looking now. They had already seen them. 
        "I only met Wolverine about three years ago. I'm 29. Things happen." I stretch, popping my back. "Were we going to go get food, or just stand around?" I ask, glancing around. 
        "Right." Tony says, glancing down. I notice that Tony has changed clothes too. "Well, lets go. Come along my merry band of misfits." Nat rolls her eyes, but I chuckle.
        I'm surprised when while walking through New York, no one stops us. People are too busy. They're cleaning and calling and grieving. A few police officers nod at us as we go by, but no one tries to stop us. I had a feeling this wouldn't last very long.
        We were an odd looking group as we stumbled into the small shawarma place. Everyone except Tony and I were still in their battle gear. The two men currently trying to sweep out and move some of the rubble when we walk in. They both look up, clearly startled.         
        "Is there any chance you still have some food?" Tony asks. It's only then that I can hear the weariness in his voice.
        "O-Of course Mr. Stark." The man says. He snaps  at the other. "Get the meat ready."
        "Thanks." Tony says. it's the first time I think I've ever heard him say thank you. Our group walks over to the large of the three cleaned off tables in the place, quickly pulling up chairs. I end up between Clint and Bruce. I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair.
        "Thor?" He looks up at me, and I can see how hard the battle was hitting him as well. "Why did Loki save my life?"
        "Yeah, I've been wondering about that too, Point Break." Tony adds. I see Clint give a slight nod, and Steve look up. Bruce glances around the restaurant, his eyes landing on the middle of the table. Thor lets out a large breath.
        "Life debts are extremely..... important on Asgard." Thor replies after a moment. "If one person saves another's life, that person.... they must do everything in their power to keep them alive. To repay that debt."
        "Anything?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
        "There are a few that act like bodyguards, staying by their sides until they've saved their lives in return." Thor looks up at me. "Unless the person dies by natural means, it is seen as a disgrace if a person is killed while owed a  life debt. It is... a complex situation." I frown. "It does not surprise me that Loki paid his debt back the second he had the chance. Even before he..... before. He did not like to be in debt to another person."
        The man comes to the table, quickly passing out shawarma to all of us. We nod our thanks, and I immediately dig into my food. It's nearly five minutes before anyone bothers to speak again. To my surprise, it's Thor again.
        "Loki wasn't always like this." We all look up at that. "He used to have my back in every battle. He stood by my side through everything."
        "People change." Nat murmurs.
        "Amen." I agree, holding up my soda before taking a sip.
        "Not that drastically." Thor says after a few seconds. "'I'm glad you figured it out."
        "People  can do things you don't expect without being influenced." I say calmly, picking at my food. "My brother, he...." I trail off, shaking my head. "I was bullied in school. This one kid, he just would not leave me alone. He called me the most vile names any 12 year old could think of. He would shove me, and he would destroy my things, and made me an outsider. No one would be my friend because they were scared of him." I take in a deep breath.
        "My brother found out. After school one day, while we were waiting for our mother to pick us up, this kid came up and just started going at it. He didn't even know I had a brother." I give a small chuckle at the memory. "My brother just started pounding into him. This kid was on the ground so fast. I had to give it to him, he fought back. He got one lucky punch in. Made my brother's nose bleed." I let out a long breath. "My brother was suspended for a week because he threw the first punch. He was grounded for a month." I look out the gaping front hole that was the restaurant.
        "He was the one that stood in my room and made sure I only packed the few things I was allowed to take with with me the night my parents kicked me out. He was the one that held my four year old sister back as she screamed and cried at me not to leave." Everyone is quiet. "People are capable of terrible things in the right circumstances Thor."
        Everyone is silent. Nat and Clint knew my story, but never the specifics. This was new to them too. I shove my basket of what little food I have left to the middle of the table.
        "And on that note, does anyone want to go get a drink?"