Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 50

Loki closes his eyes, reveling in the darkness as he forms a ball of energy between his hands. It feels like the easiest way to do this. It's a basic skill, a simple enough way to judge his powers. He's only projected himself a few miles from the tower, but the distance manifests itself in his powers. It takes a little more effort; he creates a little less energy.

How should he go about getting better at this? Should he stay here and try to strengthen his powers at a distance he knows they'll work at? Or should he go further away until he's nearly powerless and try to build it from there? Is this even a goal worth pursuing? Is this a skill he can build at all?

He pushes that last thought out of his mind. Maybe he can't do this. Maybe he'll never learn to use his magic at a distance. But is there anything to be lost by trying it? He has thousands of years to waste in this tower. Why not spend them trying to hone an impossible skill?

The knocking on the door snaps him out of it. Oh, come on. Who's trying to bother him now?

"Loki?" Pepper says timidly.

Loki raises his brows. He pauses, but when there's no follow-up from Tony, he comes to the (possibly illogical) conclusion that Pepper's the only one out there. That's strange. She's never come to his room alone. Although it's possible that someone else is there with her and they just don't want him to know yet. It wouldn't be the first time. He's begun to catch onto their tricks.

He climbs out of bed and crosses his room, where he opens the door just a few inches to see who's out there. To his surprise, it really is just Pepper, and he almost feels like he can relax. She's not his enemy. She never was. That's a welcome change from the rest of the tower's residents.

"Hi," Pepper says, almost nervously. Some things never change, it seems.

"Hi...?" Loki says uncertainly. This is an interesting surprise.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Pepper asks.

As a lame attempt at a joke, Loki says, "Yes, I am very broken up about being interrupted while lying in bed and staring at the ceiling." That's not actually what he was doing, but she doesn't have to know that.

"I didn't want you up, did I?" Pepper asks. "JARVIS says you were already up, but..."

Loki cocks an eyebrow. "Does everyone talk to JARVIS before they talk to me?" He swears he's heard that before.

"Sorry, is that weird?" Pepper asks. "I didn't mean it in a weird way; just, you know, I didn't want to wake you up."

Loki shakes his head. "I've been up for hours." Probably. Maybe just one hour. Maybe half an hour. He didn't check the clock when Pepper knocked; all he knows is that he woke up very late in the evening and is now probably going to be nocturnal until he can figure out how to fix his sleep schedule.

"So you've been staring at the ceiling for hours?" Pepper asks with a frown. "That sounds so boring."

It's a prison sentence. It's supposed to be boring.

"I have my magic to keep me entertained," Loki says. It was more frustrating than entertaining, but he doesn't mention that part.

"Even so, that's..." Pepper shakes her head to herself. "Can I come in?"

Loki raises his brows. The only people who ever ask to come in here are Bruce (because they like to nerd out together) and Thor (whom Loki usually tells to go away). This is yet another interesting surprise. He finds himself hesitating, not because he's not convinced he wants to let her in but because he's so taken aback by the request.