The Avengers, "The Flip Side" Darcy/Loki || Chapter Four
Title: The Flip Side
Author: paynesgrey
Artist: zephre
Beta: psyco_chick32
Rating: R/M
Word Count: 23,665
Type: Het(mostly), Romance, Comedy, Adventure
Characters/Pairings: Darcy Lewis, Loki, Thor, Jane Foster, Clint Barton, ensemble || Darcy/Loki, Darcy/Clint, Clint/Loki, Jane/Thor
Notes/Spoilers: Avengers AU-compliant. There are no spoilers for the Avengers movie. Written for avengers_bang.
Warnings: gore, dubious consent, possession, manipulation, sexual situations
Summary: In punishment for his crimes, Odin destroys Loki's body to imprison his soul. After a narrow escape, Loki comes to Midgard and plans his revenge by taking over the body of Jane's assistant, Darcy Lewis. The girl who loves tasers, however, does not make things easy for him.
Chapter Four: Influence
Darcy blinked open her eyes again. She still felt out of place, like she was dreaming, and she knew very well deep in her gut that Loki was still in control of her body and doing god-knows-what with it in the real world.
Instead she was stuck here, inside her mind. As the white mist cleared, Darcy wasn’t sure exactly where she was, and she knew of no place of this in her mind, no memory and certainly no desire to come here.
She turned her head, soaking in the atmosphere of the unknown place and realized she was speechless at how lovely it was. Paradise, one could call it, with rolling green hills, serene blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds, and clear pools of water running along the shallow edge of a river. Curious, she headed toward the river and looked down into the crystal clear stream and saw her reflection ripple before her. Fish lazily bobbed by, swimming away quickly as if they sensed her presence.
As the ripple stilled, Darcy saw her reflection transform and change. A dull yellow light glowed on the surface of the water and seemed to reach out to another place, as if she were watching TV instead of the surface of a river.
In this other reflection, Darcy saw herself, moving and going about her normal work shift at S.H.I.E.L.D. Her jaw tightened as she realized what she was witnessing.
Loki. He was using her body to do her job, and suddenly, sound muffled through the reflection and she could hear everything too.
Sinking down against the river’s edge, Darcy rested her face on her palms and watched, feeling the cramp in her neck already form. Ignoring the ache, she became engrossed in the movie of her own life, as Loki played it out.
Birds chirped in the sky behind her and animals scuttled around the forming forest on the other side of the river. Darcy paid them no mind. She was more interested in Loki, wearing her body as nothing more than a dress, approached Clint Barton.
She sucked in a heavy breath.
.xxxxx.
Loki was no stranger to seducing men. Hell, he was no stranger to seducing animals, but that was a story for another time.
Clint Barton approached him sheepishly, and he knew this would be a conversation on Darcy’s health and if she blamed him for getting her drunk the night before.
Apparently, the S.H.I.E.L.D agent was still hoping to bed Darcy Lewis, and Loki could sense it all over him.
In her form, he smiled at Clint. “Agent Barton,” she said formally, winking him.
“Ah, Darcy, you okay?” Clint asked simply, and Loki could tell that Clint was sweeping his eagle-eyes all over her, stopping at her breasts momentarily before resting on her big, wondrous eyes.
“A little woozy,” Darcy said, which was partly true. Loki was still getting used to having a human body and all its little quirks. “But nothing Advil couldn’t cure,” she answered, and Loki was grateful he’d heard her say the phrase before, since he still had no idea what Advil was.
“Good,” Clint said, seemingly satisfied. Darcy parted at him, leaning closer, and Loki saw Clint tense.
“I do remember a little bit though. I remember we have unfinished business,” she said, and Clint looked mildly uncomfortable as she dared to bring up the subject at work. Looking around, Loki searched out Nick Fury or anyone else that might find the conversation a little inappropriate. Finding no onlookers, Darcy met Clint’s eyes. He smiled slightly.
“Yes, I believe we do. I was applying for the position as your protector,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I believe Steve is unqualified. I think you should fire him.”
Loki laughed with Darcy’s throaty sound. “We’ll see about that,” she said, turning to work away from him.
“Darcy,” he said, stopping her. She froze, turning around and meeting his curious eyes with a confident smile.
“Yes?”
“There’s something different about you today,” he said, looking her up and down. Loki tensed, wondering if his cover would be this easily blown. “New makeup?”
Darcy smirked. “Oh, yeah,” she said nonchalantly, and Loki realized that he did change up Darcy’s look a bit since taking over, hoping for a more stunning reaction from the males that she worked with and who seemed to care about her. He darkened her eyeliner, found tighter black shirts to wear to work when he knew she’d hidden most of her useful assets under baggy sweaters and quirky hats. She did not wear a hat today, but she did manage to walk around in tall boots over skin tight suede pants that accentuated her curves. Her black top, though long sleeved, was form fitting except for the sleeves that tapered with some loose material at the cuffs. The V that slid over her breasts was another advantageous design element of the shirt, one that Clint Barton’s eyes could barely get enough of.
“Uh, yeah, the black really...works,” he said with a nervous cough, and he made a quick farewell with his hand and headed back to work briskly as he caught Fury’s eye. Darcy spotted Fury who was watching her from a console, his hands behind his back as he peered at Clint and then to her with a tight frown. He stared at her for a moment, and remembering how Darcy feared Fury, Loki resisted the urge to wink at him. Instead, he feigned embarrassment and dashed away.
Clint Barton found Darcy alone later, though, as Loki believed he would. She was heading out of the office, grabbing one of the S.H.I.E.L.D cars back to Stark Tower as Clint grabbed her arm and pulled her away. “I’ll give you a ride,” he said, and Loki raised one of her eyebrows, and he couldn’t let the words escape as he reacted.
“No doubt,” she told him in Loki’s manner, but the quip seemed to please Barton. He about dragged her to his vehicle, a fine looking motorcycle painted with lightening purple stripes. Loki admitted he’d love to steal the thing and take it for a ride.
Jumping on the back of his bike, he handed her a helmet but didn’t take one for himself. He zipped through traffic back to the mansion, barely obeying traffic laws and encountering a few close calls with larger vehicles just for the thrill, Loki imagined.
Slowing down at the mansion, he left the bike to some servant who took it from him and hauled it off to the garages, presumably. Clint took her elbow and drew her past the security as they headed inside, toward the pool. “Want a drink?” he asked with a toothy smile.
Loki could feel the impatience rolling off Barton. Still, somewhere in this body Darcy’s consciousness was aware of what was happening, and Loki knew the girl had desired this Clint Barton. He was practically in the palm of her hands already, here and now, and Loki knew that if he sealed the deal, gave Barton what he wanted, Darcy would know his influence, that he could take her body and do whatever he wanted with her life.
Then, she would cooperate, and the sooner she did, the sooner he’d get his body back.
He would waste no energy fighting her spirit to keep control of her body. Instead, he would control the people around her, make them think it was her, and she would know that anything he did with her face, with her desires, he could ruin all of it if he so chose.
Darcy spun to Barton with a coy grin. “Do you really want a drink, or something else?” She tapped a button on his shirt and pulled her fingers away. Clint swallowed uncomfortably as he watched her, desire already brimming in his eyes. She tried to step away, but he caught her, his strong arm around her back as he pushed her against the wall.
“As you said, we have unfinished business,” he bit out in a tight whisper. She giggled.
“Someone’s in a hurry,” she said, and Loki began to feign indifference, stalling him, making him sweat as he waited. “Maybe I will have a drink.”
Suddenly, Barton’s heated breath was over her, and he crushed his lips to hers, no longer waiting and no longer playing games. Pity, Loki would have loved to string him along longer, but he was delighted at the power Darcy’s body had over this poor fool.
He supposed if he bedded Barton as Darcy there was nothing he probably wouldn’t do for her. Would he give her his trust and let her ask him anything? Would he overlook her hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D’s systems for any files on how to get to Asgard?
Darcy returned his kiss, fisting her hands into his hair and drawing him close. His hands traced over the back of her thighs, pulling at her, and Loki was sure the man would draw her up so she could wrap her legs around him.
Pulling away from the kiss, Loki planned to withdraw. After all, this was only a test to show Darcy still inside this body that he could manipulate and control her life if he wanted to. He would show her that he could take her Clint Barton and with her body, he could make him do anything he wanted.
“Wait, stop,” she said, letting out a heavy breath. She whispered. “Not here.”
Barton all but panted like a dog, nodding as he took her hand and drew her to the bedrooms on the second floor. Heading toward his bedroom, Darcy fell in step.
“Ah, good fellows, I am glad to see you here,” said a recognizable voice behind him, which made them both freeze in their tracks on the steps.
“Thor,” Darcy said, as Loki knew his own brother’s voice better than anyone else’s.
“Darcy and ah, Clint Barton, my good friends,” he said with a cheery smile. Loki was surprised to see his brother this happy, but he knew the magnitude of what the Avengers meant to him, especially when they were all getting along and saving people. “I was wondering if you had seen either Tony Stark or Jane Foster? I require their assistance,” he said, and the mention of both super smart mortals piqued Darcy’s interest.
“Ah...” Darcy started, but Clint spoke first.
“Oh, yeah, Dr. Foster and Tony were back at S.H.I.E.L.D working on some important research, the wormhole to your world,” Barton said casually, and he smiled. “Looks like Foster is making great progress with it. Soon you’ll have another way to get home, Thor.”
“Aye, tis good news indeed. All-Father has said the Bifrost is still weak from repair so other alternative methods would be more suitable. I cannot travel home as much because of it, but I trust in Jane Foster and Tony Stark, and I know they will find a solution,” Thor said, and Darcy jumped forward, leaving Clint’s side for the moment.
“Thor, if there’s anything I can do for you,” Darcy said, giving him her most innocent look and placing a hand on his large forearm. Thor looked down at the intimate touch, and he seemed to feel the compassion in the girl’s eyes. His expression warmed and he placed a hand over Darcy’s.
“Ah, Darcy, you are such a good friend, and I am honored for your offer of help. Anything you can do to help Jane will make me happy,” he said, and his smile seemed to glow all over his face. Loki felt himself inwardly cringe, wanting to gag.
Instead, he shot his brother a nervous smile through Darcy’s full lips. “Okay,” she said simply, and demurely walking away as Thor watched her. Loki read the quick expression of jealousy on Clint’s face, and he inwardly cheered.
The pieces of this chessboard were so predictable. Darcy Lewis, a common intern, had the loyalty of his brother Thor and the attentions of one of the top S.H.I.E.L.D officers. In one day he had secured his influence over them, and he knew he had made the right choice.
Darcy Lewis was the perfect host, and maybe, if things went well, he wouldn’t have to wait too long to get his body back. Until then, he’d enjoy himself in this mortal female form.
.xxxxxx.
“What the hell, asshole!” Darcy charged at him as he returned to the paradise river and forest where he left her. Darcy jumped up and stormed after him, pounding on his chest with her angry fists.
He stopped her, grabbing her arms and calming her down. He arched an eyebrow as if to say “I told you so” and lightly dropped her arms.
She pulled away furiously, pacing around him like a scorned cat.
“What the hell are you doing? Seducing Clint and sweet-talking Thor?” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Stay away from them! Clint is my man, and Thor... Thor’s with Jane and it makes me really uncomfortable that you even think about seducing him too!”
“You know what I am thinking?” he asked amused.
“Dude, really? I can feel everything you feel as you interact with them! We’re connected in here!” She blew out an exasperated breath. “Shit, you don’t even know how to possess someone!”
Loki felt a rise of irritation. She was partly right. “It is of no consequence. I only did those things to show you that I am the one in control. Whatever you feel, for me, for Clint, for Thor...It’s all mine now. I control it, and you have no say in the matter.”
“My feelings for...you?” she said, paling. “How...Hey! Those reactions are purely physical and may I remind you, private? Plus, I care about Clint. You’re just...” She paused and looked at him, warring with her thoughts. “You’re a dick.”
Loki laughed. “Your words do not match your thoughts, dear girl.” He clucked a tongue at her. “I was hoping that your feelings for me would make you more pliable to help with my plans,” he said, circling around her. She tensed as she felt his breath over her shoulder, and she found it odd that even in this dreamscape she could react to such closeness.
“Dream on,” she muttered, spinning around at him. “And stop messing with Clint!”
“If he can get me what I want, I will bed him with your body, and you cannot stop me,” Loki said.
“You don’t even care that you’re messing with my feelings in all this, do you?”
“Of course I care; it is the reason I control your body from this point on,” Loki said, leaning toward her and taking a tendril of her hair in between two fingers. He looked down at her, his eyes cascading over every angle of her body. “I must admit, even I underestimated your appeal when I first laid eyes on you. It’s deceptive at first; an awkward girl almost invisible to the rest of the world. Yet if you get close,” he said, stepping toward her, so close she could feel his breathing on her nose. “Yes, the large eyes...the full lips, and …” His gaze swept to her breasts, and she almost felt naked under his scrutiny. She willed herself to wear clothes, fighting with him if she needed to. “Your body is deceptively powerful too. I can appreciate that.”
“What do you really want? Huh? So you can use me to control Clint and Thor. Use me... to take what you want.” She paused, her voice turning shaky. “What do you need me to do?”
After a heavy pause, Loki began, pacing around the dreamlike paradise. “My brother mentioned Jane Foster’s research to reach Asgard without need of the Bifrost. Thor’s testimony confirms that after I destroyed the Bifrost, repairs to it have been slow, and I am certain that it’s still fragile. He cannot go back to Asgard when he wants anymore. Essentially, my brother is stuck here, and knowing how vigilantly Jane Foster has worked to bring him back through her wormhole, I am certain I can use one of these same wormholes can bring me back to my body.”
“Why did you even leave Asgard in the first place? Couldn’t you take a body there?” Darcy asked petulantly.
“I considered it, but if you know my brother, than you know an Asgardian is not easy to control. I would have been flung from another Asgardian’s mind faster than I entered. A mortal’s mind is more pliable, weaker. Besides, I was escaping for my life. I could not stay around Asgard when the All-Father’s magicians were there to entrap me,” he said, and he realized he may have told her too much. Did it matter? He wondered if he’d let the mortal survive after he had no more use of her body as a vessel.
“But if you’re on the run, why go back?” she asked, and he was becoming tired of her questions. He made a pause to not respond, and she glared at him. “Look, if I’m going to help you, can you at least tell me what I need to do and why? How the hell am I supposed to help you if you don’t tell me anything?”
“True,” he said. “I need your body to research some spells first, to counterattack the All-Father’s circle of healers and enchanters. I need a spell that will revive my body quicker, and one that will be stronger than the original spell cast upon it.”
“You think you can do that here?” Darcy asked in disbelief.
“There is magic on Midgard I had considered researching, and I have begun so, but I need a body to do these things. It is quite hard to read and flip pages and interact with other Midgardians for information if I have no body. And a female body can be more...persuasive,” he said, glancing at her breasts again.
“Ew, stop that!” she said, covering herself, and he stepped toward her, his hands over her crossed arms.
“You say that, mortal, but the moment I take over your body again, I may touch them all I want,” he said challengingly.
“You know this body possession thing is a lot like rape,” she said, stinging him. “Trickster, liar, murderer and villain - that’s just part of the list of names S.H.I.E.L.D calls you. I guess now you can add rapist to the list.”
Loki paled, barely regaining his composure before he replied to her. “A pity, Darcy. I was hoping that after that moment with Barton and Thor, you would be more cooperative. There is no need to continue these games or these pointless barbs.”
“Isn’t there?” she asked. “It’s not your body that’s stolen. It’s not your life that’s been taken away against your will!”
Her words cut deep because, indeed, his body had been taken against his will and destroyed. He hated to feel empathy for Darcy, but he needed her too much.
Loki would forgive her the anger for now. He only hoped that he could use her enough to be rid of her. He did not know if he could handle her headstrong mouthiness for much longer.
Chapter Five
Author: paynesgrey
Artist: zephre
Beta: psyco_chick32
Rating: R/M
Word Count: 23,665
Type: Het(mostly), Romance, Comedy, Adventure
Characters/Pairings: Darcy Lewis, Loki, Thor, Jane Foster, Clint Barton, ensemble || Darcy/Loki, Darcy/Clint, Clint/Loki, Jane/Thor
Notes/Spoilers: Avengers AU-compliant. There are no spoilers for the Avengers movie. Written for avengers_bang.
Warnings: gore, dubious consent, possession, manipulation, sexual situations
Summary: In punishment for his crimes, Odin destroys Loki's body to imprison his soul. After a narrow escape, Loki comes to Midgard and plans his revenge by taking over the body of Jane's assistant, Darcy Lewis. The girl who loves tasers, however, does not make things easy for him.
Chapter Four: Influence
Darcy blinked open her eyes again. She still felt out of place, like she was dreaming, and she knew very well deep in her gut that Loki was still in control of her body and doing god-knows-what with it in the real world.
Instead she was stuck here, inside her mind. As the white mist cleared, Darcy wasn’t sure exactly where she was, and she knew of no place of this in her mind, no memory and certainly no desire to come here.
She turned her head, soaking in the atmosphere of the unknown place and realized she was speechless at how lovely it was. Paradise, one could call it, with rolling green hills, serene blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds, and clear pools of water running along the shallow edge of a river. Curious, she headed toward the river and looked down into the crystal clear stream and saw her reflection ripple before her. Fish lazily bobbed by, swimming away quickly as if they sensed her presence.
As the ripple stilled, Darcy saw her reflection transform and change. A dull yellow light glowed on the surface of the water and seemed to reach out to another place, as if she were watching TV instead of the surface of a river.
In this other reflection, Darcy saw herself, moving and going about her normal work shift at S.H.I.E.L.D. Her jaw tightened as she realized what she was witnessing.
Loki. He was using her body to do her job, and suddenly, sound muffled through the reflection and she could hear everything too.
Sinking down against the river’s edge, Darcy rested her face on her palms and watched, feeling the cramp in her neck already form. Ignoring the ache, she became engrossed in the movie of her own life, as Loki played it out.
Birds chirped in the sky behind her and animals scuttled around the forming forest on the other side of the river. Darcy paid them no mind. She was more interested in Loki, wearing her body as nothing more than a dress, approached Clint Barton.
She sucked in a heavy breath.
.xxxxx.
Loki was no stranger to seducing men. Hell, he was no stranger to seducing animals, but that was a story for another time.
Clint Barton approached him sheepishly, and he knew this would be a conversation on Darcy’s health and if she blamed him for getting her drunk the night before.
Apparently, the S.H.I.E.L.D agent was still hoping to bed Darcy Lewis, and Loki could sense it all over him.
In her form, he smiled at Clint. “Agent Barton,” she said formally, winking him.
“Ah, Darcy, you okay?” Clint asked simply, and Loki could tell that Clint was sweeping his eagle-eyes all over her, stopping at her breasts momentarily before resting on her big, wondrous eyes.
“A little woozy,” Darcy said, which was partly true. Loki was still getting used to having a human body and all its little quirks. “But nothing Advil couldn’t cure,” she answered, and Loki was grateful he’d heard her say the phrase before, since he still had no idea what Advil was.
“Good,” Clint said, seemingly satisfied. Darcy parted at him, leaning closer, and Loki saw Clint tense.
“I do remember a little bit though. I remember we have unfinished business,” she said, and Clint looked mildly uncomfortable as she dared to bring up the subject at work. Looking around, Loki searched out Nick Fury or anyone else that might find the conversation a little inappropriate. Finding no onlookers, Darcy met Clint’s eyes. He smiled slightly.
“Yes, I believe we do. I was applying for the position as your protector,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I believe Steve is unqualified. I think you should fire him.”
Loki laughed with Darcy’s throaty sound. “We’ll see about that,” she said, turning to work away from him.
“Darcy,” he said, stopping her. She froze, turning around and meeting his curious eyes with a confident smile.
“Yes?”
“There’s something different about you today,” he said, looking her up and down. Loki tensed, wondering if his cover would be this easily blown. “New makeup?”
Darcy smirked. “Oh, yeah,” she said nonchalantly, and Loki realized that he did change up Darcy’s look a bit since taking over, hoping for a more stunning reaction from the males that she worked with and who seemed to care about her. He darkened her eyeliner, found tighter black shirts to wear to work when he knew she’d hidden most of her useful assets under baggy sweaters and quirky hats. She did not wear a hat today, but she did manage to walk around in tall boots over skin tight suede pants that accentuated her curves. Her black top, though long sleeved, was form fitting except for the sleeves that tapered with some loose material at the cuffs. The V that slid over her breasts was another advantageous design element of the shirt, one that Clint Barton’s eyes could barely get enough of.
“Uh, yeah, the black really...works,” he said with a nervous cough, and he made a quick farewell with his hand and headed back to work briskly as he caught Fury’s eye. Darcy spotted Fury who was watching her from a console, his hands behind his back as he peered at Clint and then to her with a tight frown. He stared at her for a moment, and remembering how Darcy feared Fury, Loki resisted the urge to wink at him. Instead, he feigned embarrassment and dashed away.
Clint Barton found Darcy alone later, though, as Loki believed he would. She was heading out of the office, grabbing one of the S.H.I.E.L.D cars back to Stark Tower as Clint grabbed her arm and pulled her away. “I’ll give you a ride,” he said, and Loki raised one of her eyebrows, and he couldn’t let the words escape as he reacted.
“No doubt,” she told him in Loki’s manner, but the quip seemed to please Barton. He about dragged her to his vehicle, a fine looking motorcycle painted with lightening purple stripes. Loki admitted he’d love to steal the thing and take it for a ride.
Jumping on the back of his bike, he handed her a helmet but didn’t take one for himself. He zipped through traffic back to the mansion, barely obeying traffic laws and encountering a few close calls with larger vehicles just for the thrill, Loki imagined.
Slowing down at the mansion, he left the bike to some servant who took it from him and hauled it off to the garages, presumably. Clint took her elbow and drew her past the security as they headed inside, toward the pool. “Want a drink?” he asked with a toothy smile.
Loki could feel the impatience rolling off Barton. Still, somewhere in this body Darcy’s consciousness was aware of what was happening, and Loki knew the girl had desired this Clint Barton. He was practically in the palm of her hands already, here and now, and Loki knew that if he sealed the deal, gave Barton what he wanted, Darcy would know his influence, that he could take her body and do whatever he wanted with her life.
Then, she would cooperate, and the sooner she did, the sooner he’d get his body back.
He would waste no energy fighting her spirit to keep control of her body. Instead, he would control the people around her, make them think it was her, and she would know that anything he did with her face, with her desires, he could ruin all of it if he so chose.
Darcy spun to Barton with a coy grin. “Do you really want a drink, or something else?” She tapped a button on his shirt and pulled her fingers away. Clint swallowed uncomfortably as he watched her, desire already brimming in his eyes. She tried to step away, but he caught her, his strong arm around her back as he pushed her against the wall.
“As you said, we have unfinished business,” he bit out in a tight whisper. She giggled.
“Someone’s in a hurry,” she said, and Loki began to feign indifference, stalling him, making him sweat as he waited. “Maybe I will have a drink.”
Suddenly, Barton’s heated breath was over her, and he crushed his lips to hers, no longer waiting and no longer playing games. Pity, Loki would have loved to string him along longer, but he was delighted at the power Darcy’s body had over this poor fool.
He supposed if he bedded Barton as Darcy there was nothing he probably wouldn’t do for her. Would he give her his trust and let her ask him anything? Would he overlook her hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D’s systems for any files on how to get to Asgard?
Darcy returned his kiss, fisting her hands into his hair and drawing him close. His hands traced over the back of her thighs, pulling at her, and Loki was sure the man would draw her up so she could wrap her legs around him.
Pulling away from the kiss, Loki planned to withdraw. After all, this was only a test to show Darcy still inside this body that he could manipulate and control her life if he wanted to. He would show her that he could take her Clint Barton and with her body, he could make him do anything he wanted.
“Wait, stop,” she said, letting out a heavy breath. She whispered. “Not here.”
Barton all but panted like a dog, nodding as he took her hand and drew her to the bedrooms on the second floor. Heading toward his bedroom, Darcy fell in step.
“Ah, good fellows, I am glad to see you here,” said a recognizable voice behind him, which made them both freeze in their tracks on the steps.
“Thor,” Darcy said, as Loki knew his own brother’s voice better than anyone else’s.
“Darcy and ah, Clint Barton, my good friends,” he said with a cheery smile. Loki was surprised to see his brother this happy, but he knew the magnitude of what the Avengers meant to him, especially when they were all getting along and saving people. “I was wondering if you had seen either Tony Stark or Jane Foster? I require their assistance,” he said, and the mention of both super smart mortals piqued Darcy’s interest.
“Ah...” Darcy started, but Clint spoke first.
“Oh, yeah, Dr. Foster and Tony were back at S.H.I.E.L.D working on some important research, the wormhole to your world,” Barton said casually, and he smiled. “Looks like Foster is making great progress with it. Soon you’ll have another way to get home, Thor.”
“Aye, tis good news indeed. All-Father has said the Bifrost is still weak from repair so other alternative methods would be more suitable. I cannot travel home as much because of it, but I trust in Jane Foster and Tony Stark, and I know they will find a solution,” Thor said, and Darcy jumped forward, leaving Clint’s side for the moment.
“Thor, if there’s anything I can do for you,” Darcy said, giving him her most innocent look and placing a hand on his large forearm. Thor looked down at the intimate touch, and he seemed to feel the compassion in the girl’s eyes. His expression warmed and he placed a hand over Darcy’s.
“Ah, Darcy, you are such a good friend, and I am honored for your offer of help. Anything you can do to help Jane will make me happy,” he said, and his smile seemed to glow all over his face. Loki felt himself inwardly cringe, wanting to gag.
Instead, he shot his brother a nervous smile through Darcy’s full lips. “Okay,” she said simply, and demurely walking away as Thor watched her. Loki read the quick expression of jealousy on Clint’s face, and he inwardly cheered.
The pieces of this chessboard were so predictable. Darcy Lewis, a common intern, had the loyalty of his brother Thor and the attentions of one of the top S.H.I.E.L.D officers. In one day he had secured his influence over them, and he knew he had made the right choice.
Darcy Lewis was the perfect host, and maybe, if things went well, he wouldn’t have to wait too long to get his body back. Until then, he’d enjoy himself in this mortal female form.
.xxxxxx.
“What the hell, asshole!” Darcy charged at him as he returned to the paradise river and forest where he left her. Darcy jumped up and stormed after him, pounding on his chest with her angry fists.
He stopped her, grabbing her arms and calming her down. He arched an eyebrow as if to say “I told you so” and lightly dropped her arms.
She pulled away furiously, pacing around him like a scorned cat.
“What the hell are you doing? Seducing Clint and sweet-talking Thor?” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Stay away from them! Clint is my man, and Thor... Thor’s with Jane and it makes me really uncomfortable that you even think about seducing him too!”
“You know what I am thinking?” he asked amused.
“Dude, really? I can feel everything you feel as you interact with them! We’re connected in here!” She blew out an exasperated breath. “Shit, you don’t even know how to possess someone!”
Loki felt a rise of irritation. She was partly right. “It is of no consequence. I only did those things to show you that I am the one in control. Whatever you feel, for me, for Clint, for Thor...It’s all mine now. I control it, and you have no say in the matter.”
“My feelings for...you?” she said, paling. “How...Hey! Those reactions are purely physical and may I remind you, private? Plus, I care about Clint. You’re just...” She paused and looked at him, warring with her thoughts. “You’re a dick.”
Loki laughed. “Your words do not match your thoughts, dear girl.” He clucked a tongue at her. “I was hoping that your feelings for me would make you more pliable to help with my plans,” he said, circling around her. She tensed as she felt his breath over her shoulder, and she found it odd that even in this dreamscape she could react to such closeness.
“Dream on,” she muttered, spinning around at him. “And stop messing with Clint!”
“If he can get me what I want, I will bed him with your body, and you cannot stop me,” Loki said.
“You don’t even care that you’re messing with my feelings in all this, do you?”
“Of course I care; it is the reason I control your body from this point on,” Loki said, leaning toward her and taking a tendril of her hair in between two fingers. He looked down at her, his eyes cascading over every angle of her body. “I must admit, even I underestimated your appeal when I first laid eyes on you. It’s deceptive at first; an awkward girl almost invisible to the rest of the world. Yet if you get close,” he said, stepping toward her, so close she could feel his breathing on her nose. “Yes, the large eyes...the full lips, and …” His gaze swept to her breasts, and she almost felt naked under his scrutiny. She willed herself to wear clothes, fighting with him if she needed to. “Your body is deceptively powerful too. I can appreciate that.”
“What do you really want? Huh? So you can use me to control Clint and Thor. Use me... to take what you want.” She paused, her voice turning shaky. “What do you need me to do?”
After a heavy pause, Loki began, pacing around the dreamlike paradise. “My brother mentioned Jane Foster’s research to reach Asgard without need of the Bifrost. Thor’s testimony confirms that after I destroyed the Bifrost, repairs to it have been slow, and I am certain that it’s still fragile. He cannot go back to Asgard when he wants anymore. Essentially, my brother is stuck here, and knowing how vigilantly Jane Foster has worked to bring him back through her wormhole, I am certain I can use one of these same wormholes can bring me back to my body.”
“Why did you even leave Asgard in the first place? Couldn’t you take a body there?” Darcy asked petulantly.
“I considered it, but if you know my brother, than you know an Asgardian is not easy to control. I would have been flung from another Asgardian’s mind faster than I entered. A mortal’s mind is more pliable, weaker. Besides, I was escaping for my life. I could not stay around Asgard when the All-Father’s magicians were there to entrap me,” he said, and he realized he may have told her too much. Did it matter? He wondered if he’d let the mortal survive after he had no more use of her body as a vessel.
“But if you’re on the run, why go back?” she asked, and he was becoming tired of her questions. He made a pause to not respond, and she glared at him. “Look, if I’m going to help you, can you at least tell me what I need to do and why? How the hell am I supposed to help you if you don’t tell me anything?”
“True,” he said. “I need your body to research some spells first, to counterattack the All-Father’s circle of healers and enchanters. I need a spell that will revive my body quicker, and one that will be stronger than the original spell cast upon it.”
“You think you can do that here?” Darcy asked in disbelief.
“There is magic on Midgard I had considered researching, and I have begun so, but I need a body to do these things. It is quite hard to read and flip pages and interact with other Midgardians for information if I have no body. And a female body can be more...persuasive,” he said, glancing at her breasts again.
“Ew, stop that!” she said, covering herself, and he stepped toward her, his hands over her crossed arms.
“You say that, mortal, but the moment I take over your body again, I may touch them all I want,” he said challengingly.
“You know this body possession thing is a lot like rape,” she said, stinging him. “Trickster, liar, murderer and villain - that’s just part of the list of names S.H.I.E.L.D calls you. I guess now you can add rapist to the list.”
Loki paled, barely regaining his composure before he replied to her. “A pity, Darcy. I was hoping that after that moment with Barton and Thor, you would be more cooperative. There is no need to continue these games or these pointless barbs.”
“Isn’t there?” she asked. “It’s not your body that’s stolen. It’s not your life that’s been taken away against your will!”
Her words cut deep because, indeed, his body had been taken against his will and destroyed. He hated to feel empathy for Darcy, but he needed her too much.
Loki would forgive her the anger for now. He only hoped that he could use her enough to be rid of her. He did not know if he could handle her headstrong mouthiness for much longer.
Chapter Five