The Fates' Favorite (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 24

"Kid, are you okay?"

I could hear Tony's voice on the intercom, but only barely as I coughed on the hard, cold floor.

"I need..." The screeching of metal clashing against itself made me groan. "Backup."

I knew he hadn't heard me, the sound of his blasters far overpowering my soft voice. I forced myself into a wobbly stance and held my rib cage, which seemed to sting even more sharply with each movement.

Thoroughly, I had just gotten my ass kicked.

"Get the files, Bandit. I've got the hooligans."

Obediently, I pushed myself towards the computer and sighed as I leaned against the desk, shoving the SHIELD drive into the slot and watching as the screen loaded up.

"How much longer we got, Friday?"

"2.6 minutes, Little Marauder."

I groaned as I watched the bar closely, waiting for the moment it completed so I could snatch the drive back and make a run for it.

I had sent my shadows to help Stark and held my abdomen as I silently begged the program to run faster, the bar seeming to slow even further through my pleas.

"Remove the drive." I heard a deep voice say from behind me.

I went to turn around, but the cold metal of a gun against the base of my skull made me pause.

"Ask nicely." I responded in the heat of the moment, willing the device to hurry it's download.

"I said, remove t-"

His muffled voice seemed to be cut off by his own gurgling, choking breaths, which made me flip around quickly to push the tip of his gun to the side.

Seemed my shadows were better multitaskers than myself.

I huffed out a laugh as the man struggled in vain.

"You just couldn't ask nicely." I teased. "Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"

With that, the ding of the drive finishing made me quickly snatch it from the computer. With a sarcastic salute to the man in front of me, still struggling and gasping for air, I teleported to Stark and grabbed the cold metal of his suit.

"Get us out of here, tin man."

"Atta girl, bandit."

I was nearly asleep, even through the excruciating pain in my side, by the time Tony's suit landed on the tower's roof.

He held me in a tight carry, a single arm under my legs while the other held my back, allowing my head to rest on the shoulder plate of his armor. He let my feet touch the ground of the roof and I sighed.

"That took far longer than it should have." I grumbled as I glanced at the star-filled sky. "Steve is gonna kick my ass for leaving Shadow with him all day."

"Don't worry too much about it, kid. Cap could use a minor inconvenience here and there."

I smirked as we made it down to the commons, Tony still ranting about Steve's 'attitude'. That was, at least, until the instant concern washed over me from the team.

"What the hell happened?" Natasha was first to ask, which surprised me since we weren't the closest of the team.

"Hooligans." I shrugged with a smile. "Got some good hits on me, I suppose."

"We should take you to the hos-"

"Absolutely not." I cut Bruce off. "It'll heal up by morning."

"Oh, right." Nat concluded with a sigh of relief. "She heals like Thor." She filled in the doctor.

"Will you at the very least take something for the pain?"

"I'm fine, Br-"

"She will." I heard an accent butt into the conversation, most surprised that it was Thor entering the room with Shadow in tow.

"Since when are you my boss?" I teased, tilting my head as I bent down to greet Shadow while trying to hide the strong grimace at my movements and shaky legs.

"My brother had business to attend to in Asgard for our mother. He put me in charge of your well-being."

He... Left. Went back to Asgard, just like that? I bit my cheek, shaking my head at the large man before me.

"I don't need anyone in cha-"

Thor cut me off by sweeping me into his arms, laying me across his shoulder as he began walking to the end room.

"Put me down, you boor!" I growled as I thrashed against him, earning only a chuckle from the bulky god.

"Calm down, lady." He sighed as he strode through the halls. "You react nearly as poorly as Loki."

He sat me down on the medic table with a kind smile, before walking towards the cabinets.

"You can't just pluck people up from the ground and place them where you want, Thor!"

"But I can." He shrugged back. "I've never met a being I was unable to hold up."

I rolled my eyes again at the god, before I finally grumped. "I'm surprised Loki didn't try to at least tell me 'bye' before running off."

"It's a quick trip, lady Aurora. He'll return soon."

"What if it's not a quick trip, though?" I asked, rather defensive sounding. "He's wanted nothing more than to return to Asgard. If given the chance, I'm sure he'd make this trip permanent. He could've-"

"He wants many things." Thor commented back with a chuckle. "He's always been the greedy one."

"I can't imagine." I wrote the comment off with.

"He will want to return."

"He hates the tower."

"Yes, he does."

"And the planet. And the people whom occupy the planet."

"The overwhelming majority, yes."

I felt myself growing more frustrated, though I wasn't sure if it was with Thor or the facts I released into the air.

"Then why would he ever even think of returning if he didn't have t-"

"Take these." Thor states as he held out 3 pills.

I took them in my fit without another question.

"I mean, he hates everything here. So then he gets a chance to go back and just takes it without eve-"

"Aurora."

I froze at the sound of my name, and Thor chuckled.

"He will return, at the very least to give you that 'proper goodbye', I'm certain of it. With that said, the Allfather will not forgive Loki quickly. Last we spoke, he planned for Loki to stay here at least a decade."

"Well, he's an ass."

That earned another chuckle from the god, "We live for thousands of years. It's a thorough time-out for our kind."

"Oh... Right."

"Let us get you a quick meal, then into bed." Thor recommended. "The relief should come soon."

I nodded a bit and Thor picked me up once more, feeling the wince as his new carry touched my hurt rib cage.

"Your ribs are broken... In several places, I'd guess." He stated, "It's rather odd you walked as much as you did."

I huffed and succumbed to my position, leaning against Thor.

"It may take longer than morning for that to heal."

He chuckled in response. "I'm quite certain it will."