Autumn Leaves

Ingredients

'You have the antidote?'

'For the last time, yes.'

Loki smiled weakly at her, and then collapsed in relief into the nearest chair.

'That,' he said, 'That is incredibly good news.'

Instead of the sarcastic response that was screaming at her to voice, she asked-

'Loki, what is a Bilgesnipe?'

He looked up, and frowned. He was about to open his mouth to reply, when Thor burst in, grinning madly. She turned to Thor-

'What's a Bilgesnipe, Thor?'

'The Bilgesnipe. You know; huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't have those?'

Savannah looked sceptic, but Loki just face-palmed. (Sexily)

'Of course they don't have them, you buffoon, their species are unique to Svartaflheim.'

Thor looked a little sheepish, and Loki seemed as if he were about to say something scathing about people not knocking, so Savannah stepped in.

'Thor, why exactly are you here?'

'I wished to apologise for my earlier breakage of the toasting-machine.'

'It's okay, Thor, Tony can easily buy another.'

Thor flashed her a blinding smile, and then hurried out of the room.

'Why do you ask?'

'Ask what?'

'Why do you want to know what a Bilgesnipe is?'

'It was one of the ingredients needed for the antidote.'

Loki paled.

'Are you sure?' he asked.

'Yes. We need the blood of a Bilgesnipe.'

'Anything else?'

'A scale from the Loch-Ness Monster, a lock of a Mermaid's hair, a feather from a Phoenix's tail, Medusa's mirror, the tears of a Unicorn, saliva of a Gryphon, the shoe of a Pegasus, a Centaur's bow-string, the Yeti's club, a Siren's song, and lastly,' she recited, face screwing up in disgust, 'A Cyclops' toenail.'

'All of those?'

'Yes. Also, we need Surtur's breath.'

Loki froze.

'I'm joking, Loki.'

'Not funny,' he muttered.

'How are we going to find them?' she asked.

'It shall be difficult, but not impossible. We need to begin immediately, however, since we have little time.'

'What do we start with?'

'The first on the list.'

'We're going to Scotland?'

'If you want to, but it would be quicker to just go to the Pacific Ocean.'

'But the Loch-Ness is Scottish.'

'And you're English, but you live in America.'

'So there's a Scottish Sea-dragon lurking in the Pacific?'

'Actually, the Loch-Ness monster is Jörmungandr.'

'Your son?'

'Indeed.'

'So when the myths said that only Midgard's oceans could hold him, they were telling the truth?'

'For once, yes.'

'Wait,' she said, already overexcited, 'We're going to meet your son, who also happens to be the Loch-Ness Monster!'

'Yes.'

'Cool. Let's get the team, and go.'

'Maybe we should go alone.'

'Why?'

'Because we can teleport, and Jörmungandr doesn't like many people.'

'Do you think he won't like me?'

Loki started laughing.

'What? she protested, 'What's so funny?'

'You are going to meet a giant Sea-Serpent, who also happens to be my son, to cure you of the after-effects of a magical poisonous fire, and you're worried that he won't like you?'

'When you put it like that ...'