The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 89

Part one of the plan was done, but now it was time to wait for Part two. We had Jane here and the power of the Aether would pull Malekith here sooner or later and with tonight being the peak of the Convergence, my guess is that is was going to be sooner.

Jane was still unconscious and as it seemed my touch only served to aggravate the Aether further, I went and sat next to Loki so we could lean on one another while Thor sat next to Jane.

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins."

"It would consume you."

"She's holding up alright. For now."

"She is strong in ways you'll never even know."

"Say goodbye."

"Not this day."

"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you prize will be snatched from you." His harsh words startled me. Surely he had to know that they would hurt me too, more so than Thor.

"And will that satisfy you?"

"Satisfaction's not in my nature."

"Surrender's not in mine." Loki smirked.

"Son of Odin–"

"No, not just of Odin! You think you alone were loved of mother? You have her tricks but I had her trust."

"Trust? Was that her last expression? Trust?! When you let her die?!"

"What help were you in your cell?"

"Who put me there? WHO PUT ME THERE?!"

"You know damn well. You know damn well who!" Thor grabbed him by the collar and slammed him up against the rear engine, hand in a fist, ready to punch, but hesitated.

"She wouldn't want us to fight."

"Well she wouldn't exactly be shocked." He pointed out. Thor shoved him a bit, but let him go.

"I wish I could trust you. Both of you."

"Trust our rage." I shot back. I looked back to Loki.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Trust me. He needs to be mad enough if he's actually going to try and act like I was a prisoner who turned on him."

It was silent for a long time, how could you really start a conversation after that, right? But there was one that we absolutely had to have. Still, I waited a good half an hour after the spat ended.

"We have to discuss the details now. And bring Loki in on our general idea."

"You mean you came here without a solid plan?"

"We were planning to have Sif, Fandral, and Volstagg here with us."

"So what was this general idea?"

"Well, the final result is that we want to Aether out of Jane. To do that, we have to make Malekith feel like he's in control of the situation enough to do that, because when the Aether doesn't have a host, it's vulnerable."

"So perhaps surrender?"

"No, then he'll just take Jane. We have to make him feel like we need something from him, but we're also not the kind of people he should just crush underfoot on a whim."

"But how do we do that? You have alluded to a history with him, I've injured him, and Jane has the Aether!"

"But he hasn't seen me yet." Loki put in, "Only his minion has, and at the time I was a prisoner." He held up his cuffed hands, "These could come in more use than you intended. I could break free, take Jane hostage, and offer her up as a good faith gift, ally myself with him."