Above All Shadows [Loki Timetravel fic - Completed]

26. New Friends

'Have you ever had a Luthomoi critter?' Nebula asked, tapping her thumbs against the labelless box in her lap.

'Can't say I have,' Loki replied. His eyebrows drew up as Nebula peeled off the lid and revealed about half a dozen crimson coloured critters floating in brine. Despite their spectacular colour, Loki found it hard to embrace Nebula's excitement. Food shouldn't have both coarse hair and so many legs. 'They aren't sentient, are they?'

'Who do you take me for?' Nebular replied. 'Here, watch me.'

She grabbed one of the critters and deftly pulled off the tail, then peeled off the shell, taking the critter's legs and hair with it. She popped the leftover fleshy bits into her mouth and bit off about a quarter. A child-like smile spread over her face and she motioned for Loki to try a critter himself. His work wasn't half as speedy or neat, but he did manage to extract the fleshy insides. When he tasted it, however, he nearly spat it back out from sheer surprise. He had anticipated something akin to a crawfish or a prawn. This thing was as sweet as honey.

'It's very... edible,' he muttered and worked his way through the rest of the critter. Nebula had brought up the idea of having their midday meal together up on the rooftop of the rehab complex. More humbling yet, she had shared a delicacy from her home-world with him. He didn't want to appear ungrateful.

Nebula scoffed down her second critter with relish and peering up at the violet sky dotted with asteroids, she said, 'I wish I remembered the proper name for them. The traders call them Luthomoi critters. That's definitely not the term my mother used.'

'Have you ever been back there?' Loki asked.

'No.'

'Probably the smart choice. It's best to look forward, not back.'

Nebula considered his words for a moment before she spoke. 'Sometimes it's not a matter of choice.' She hesitated, then when on. 'What about you? Are you following your own advice?'

'In regards to?

'Have you thought of what you want to do here long-term? I can speak to my father on your behalf. He is always in need of intelligent men to take command. Or you can become a combat instructor. You'd be good at it.'

Loki reached for his water bottle; the sickening sweetness of the critter lingered in his mouth. 'You think so?'

'You've taught me a few things, between the snarky remarks.'

'The snarky remarks are why you like having me around,' he replied.

Loki's heartbeat quickened as he considered the offer. He had sought Nebula out in order to get to Thanos. Now that the opening he had sought lay open before him, he longed to flee back to Asgard and bury himself in the minutia of royal governance. And, perhaps, it would be too suspicious to jump on Nebula's offer. Or he was being a fool. He pretended to be a lost man searching for a purpose in life - Nebula's offer was a chance of a lifetime for a person like that.

He hedged his bets.

'I've been here for three weeks now,' he said. 'Still, I don't think I understand your father is trying to do.'

'It's not that complicated. He wants peace in the universe.'

Loki sighed. 'So I heard. That's what drew me out here. Except nothing here looks like peace. You, your sister, everyone practises their combat skills endlessly. In the outer areas, they seem to be producing armour, artillery and transport ships. This is not peace. These are preparations for a military campaign.'

'Sometimes, to assure peace you need to prepare for war.' Nebula pulled another critter out of the brine and peeled it. 'Titan, my father's home planet, is a wreck. He warned the leaders of his people of approaching disaster, but they refused to listen. They exiled him, fought a civil war between themselves and in the end, destroyed everything. He doesn't want the same fate to befall other worlds.'