Giftless

Chapter 8

The rest of the week went in much the same way. You had class during the day. Tony made sure he was awake to take you to school and either he or Nat would pick you up afterwards. Loki helped you with your homework and spent most afternoons and evenings with you. The rest of the time he spent reading and being ignored by everyone else. You wondered how he would ever join the team if they wouldn't give him a chance.

You healed from your wounds by Friday thanks to Loki's illicit help. Tony wasn't pleased that you and Loki spent so much time together, or that you were friends at all, but he kept his feelings to himself. He'd learned his lesson when you'd been hurt. When he'd hurt you. He wouldn't risk you being hurt again. Especially not by him.

Friday night, you put the last of the Loki movies on the TV for you and Loki to watch. Tony came in before the movie started. "We're all going out on patrol tonight," he told you. "Everyone on active duty. We heard The Harlequin might be staging an attack." The Harlequin was one of the super villains who seemed to have acquired mutant abilities when magic entered the world again. They kept causing trouble for the team.

"Is Loki going with you?" you asked. Tony didn't usually come tell you he was leaving. He went on patrol nearly every evening so he didn't always tell you when he was going out, unless it was extra important. You would pause the movie and be just fine on your own for the night if he was.

Tony shook his head firmly. "He's not cleared yet, and we're not up to babysitting tonight. This is too important. He's staying here. I don't like it, but you two will be the only ones here tonight," Tony handed you the giant dagger he was holding. Somehow you hadn't seen the giant dagger in his hands. That's something you should have noticed. "If he tries anything, stab him first, ask questions later,"

"Uncle Tony!" you exclaimed, trying to hand the dagger back to him. "We don't kill people!" you protested. That was one of the rules of superheroes. No killing unless absolutely necessary.

"I never said to, but you don't have powers and he does. I don't trust him and I want you safe," Tony told you. He wasn't taking chances with your safety. He had to leave you and the reformed villain babysitting each other, but he wasn't going to leave you helpless about it. No matter what you said.

"He doesn't have powers right now," you reminded your uncle, who as a certifiable genius wasn't usually so stupid. He handed you one more item: a key.

"Loki, you're on guard duty, since you're the only one here with powers," Tony addressed him as quickly as possible before he turned back to you. "If something happens, unlock his chains," he told you. You knew that meant that you weren't suppose to unlock his chains unless there truly was an emergency.

Like that was going to happen.

You nodded and stuffed the key in the pocket of your pajama pants. You carefully set the dagger down on your end table and turned to give Tony a hug. "Be careful," you bid him. It sounded like this was a bigger mission than usual if all of the supers were heading out.

"You too, kid," he replied and ruffled your hair. He and the rest of the supers all went out on their patrols.

You turned to Loki and produced the key when they were gone. You grinned at him and walked over to him, your intent clear.

"Your uncle said to only free me if there was danger," Loki reminded you. You knew he wanted free of the shackles, but he wouldn't ask it of you or risk either of you getting in trouble over it.

"Actually, he said 'if something happens'," you replied as you unlocked the shackles around his wrists.

"And what, pray tell, will you tell him happened?" Loki asked dryly, rubbing his sore wrists from where the manacles had been rubbing his skin for days.