Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 79

The worst part of returning to Asgard is the waiting.

Loki is invisible right now, though he and Thor are alone in the hallway and he could easily project his appearance as he is his consciousness. He just doesn't want to risk being seen. Saving the Nine Realms seems rather counterproductive if he loses his life for doing it, and if word got out that he was here, the Allfather certainly wouldn't spare him again.

It takes a minute or two of awkwardly standing around, but finally, Sif approaches from down the hall... and, by her side, a woman Loki never thought he'd see again; one he hasn't seen in years, and hardly thought of in as long.

Jane Foster.

In Asgard.

That's... unexpected.

He eyes her curiously. There's something different about her; something off. He can't quite place it. A part of him wonders if he's imagining it – he's only seen her once, after all, and that was years ago – but something really feels wrong. There's an inhuman power radiating from her, and even knowing nothing about it, he finds it captivating.

Jane lights up at the sight of Thor. Sif is less pleased about this and it shows.

"Did he tell you where this passageway is?" she asks.

"He's agreed to show me," Thor replies.

Sif furrows her brows. "How does he plan to do that if he cannot leave Midgard?"

Thor glances around. "Loki?"

Loki rolls his eyes. Great. That promise that Loki wouldn't have to talk to people he doesn't like clearly doesn't hold as much weight as he'd hoped.

He reveals himself, and Jane instinctively jumps away from him. Loki allows his eyes to trail down her body for just a moment too long, a small smirk on his lips just long enough to make her mildly uncomfortable before he turns his attention to Sif.

Loki plasters on a fake smile. "You can't seem to stay away from me, it seems."

Sif rolls her eyes. "Do not flatter yourself."

"Why should I, when you do such a good job at it yourself?"

Sif shakes her head to herself. "Does he have to be here?"

"Unfortunately so," Thor says.

Loki scoffs. Ouch.

Thor looks down at Jane, who hasn't stopped staring at Loki since he appeared. "You know my brother, I assume."

"Uh, yeah," she says awkwardly. "Yeah, no, I've definitely heard of him."

Loki gives her a polite nod. "Hello."

She eyes him uncomfortably, then looks at Thor. "Is he...?"

"Evil?" Loki substitutes. "No." And he never was, thank you very much.

"I was going to say 'really here,'" she says.

"Oh." His question made far more sense than hers, but he'll accept that too. "My answer remains the same."

"Loki is still locked within Avengers Tower," Thor tells her. "He has agreed to help, but we must move quickly. The Allfather cannot know what we are doing."

Loki shields himself from view again. He doesn't know where they're going or who they might pass on the way. He won't risk being seen any longer than he has to. (Plus, if he's invisible, he doesn't have to worry about talking to Sif or Jane, because he's already done more than enough of that for one lifetime.)