Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 50

Loki punched the button for the autopsy room once inside the elevator. As the cab jolted downwards, the Asgardian slammed his fist into the side of the elevator, anger humming through him.

He had been so close! So very close! And he could tell that Bishop did feel something for him. He could see it in her eyes that she deeply cared for him. She just wasn't ready to admit it yet. But perhaps she would have, with only a few more moments of silence.

But Gibbs had to ruin it for him!

The doors slid open and Loki stormed into autopsy. Jimmy was washing his hands at the wide sink and Ducky was sitting at the desk, writing out a report. Both of them looked over at him as he entered.

"Well, hello, Agent Laufeyson," Ducky greeted. "What brings you down here?"

"The Avengers are up there," Loki said emphatically.

"Ah, yes," Ducky said. "We've already met Mr. Banner. He got off here looking for Abby's lab. Quite a nice fellow, but sort of confused."

Jimmy looked at Loki. "The Hulk," he said helpfully.

"I know who he is!" Loki snapped.

Jimmy leaned away from him. "You don't have to be so grumpy about it."

Loki stalked further into autopsy, away from Jimmy and Ducky. He circled around the farthest autopsy table, trying to tamp down the simmering anger inside him.

He didn't even notice Ducky had approached him until the medical examiner's voice broke through the walls of fury and silence he was currently building. "May I inquire, Mr. Laufeyson, of what may be bothering you?"

Loki stopped to face Ducky. "It's nothing."

"What really brought you down here, Loki?" Ducky pressed.

"I can't hurt anyone down here," the god muttered.

"Uh, hello?" Jimmy called, looking worried.

"There's a reason I'm over here," Loki retorted.

Jimmy walked over to stand beside Ducky, pushing his glasses back against his nose. "You know, Loki, the Avengers won't be here forever."

"Yes, I know," Loki snapped. "Someone, somewhere, will eventually kill them all." Like Thanos.

Jimmy looked a little skeptical. "That's, uh, not really what I meant."

"I know," Loki said quietly, turning his back on the two medical examiners. "Palmer, I thought you were afraid of me."

"That was because Bishop had just told Abby and I that you have a habit of stabbing people," Jimmy answered. "But Dr. Mallard helped me to see past that."

Loki turned, astonished, and looked at Ducky. "You actually talked him out of being afraid of me?"

Ducky nodded, walking up to stand beside Loki. "Yes, Agent Laufeyson. You see, you're actually quite a pleasure to have around."

Loki stared down at Ducky in disbelief. "Are you, perhaps, mistaking me for someone else? Someone like Abby?"

Jimmy snorted. "Yeah, like either one of us could do that, even without glasses."

"I mean it, Loki," Ducky told him.

"But I've...done horrible things," Loki said softly.

"You see, Jethro has great faith in you," Ducky said. "And I can count on one hand the number of mistakes he's made in the many years I've known him. I can tell that you're not going to add to that list. Jethro always goes by his gut, and his gut tells him to trust you. And we trust him."