[After his ignominious defeat at the hands of the monster, he'd been cornered. No way out, at least not just at that moment, with Barton's steely eye staring down the shaft of his arrow. He'd surrendered. There had been no other choice. He'd been none-too-gently dragged out of Stark Tower and shoved out of sight. They asked no questions, nor did they show a willingness to answer any. It was clear that SHIELD had nothing further to say to him.
Loki had steeled himself for the return to Asgard, settled into his cell, and waited. And waited. And waited.
[There had been an uproar from Odinson. Steve was currently unaware of the 'how', though Bruce and Tony were going tp attempt to find out what made Odin, King of Asgard, agree with Director Fury on leaving Loki in SHIELD custody. He could reason why Fury would want Loki. There were too many unanswered questions and only Loki could answer them. But from Thor's passionate argument, Odin had little reason to keep Loki here. Of course, Odin did not agree and thus Thor was taken without his brother
( ... )
[Loki's head snaps around as soon as the door opens, his instinct to keep his reactions hidden eroded by the unexpectedly long period he's been sitting here. Finally, progress.
But something keeps him seated. There's something amiss. They've sent the Captain, alone, out of uniform. Loki has never even seen Captain Rogers out of uniform. He'd idly wondered if the man slept in it.]
Captain. I had begun to wonder if something else had come up that your little team needed to sort out.
[He walks past the frame of the doors as he enters the glass chamber. At the least, they gave the man something to sit on and from what he heard, food and water.] How have they been taking care of you? [Forgive him if he doesn't entirely trust SHIELD, though he's not avoiding the question, he sincerely wants to know if the other man has been treated with decency.]
I'm afraid not, I've found out Alien invasions are not nearly as common as television suggests. [Unsolved Mysteries was an odd show to be introduced to for Steve.] May I take a seat?
[If Loki is going to kill him, he'll be able to kill him at any distance. Might as well make this as comfortable as possible.]
[Loki's brows shoot up in surprise as Rogers enters the cell. No one else has taken that risk, despite Loki showing no sign of resistance or aggression since being taken.]
Inquiring after my well-being, Captain? How thoughtful.
[But he nods with unconscious imperiousness at the bench on the wall that doubles as a bed. Not that Loki has been able to sleep.]
[It's a risky move, though without the staff the risk dropped considerably. From the moments he dealt with Loki, he knew the other man was much different than the types Steve was used to fighting. Not sane by any means but... not whatever Loki's issues were, it was not the same as what they called sociopathy.]
I've always believed POWs needed to be treated with respect... doubly so since were not at War.
The change in transfer is... it's going to be delayed. Considerably.
[It's appreciated, though Loki won't admit to it. He doesn't know what's waiting for him on Asgard, but the All-Father's mercy is thin and rarely seen.
But then he pauses and looks up.]
Delayed.
[He would have expected the Midgardians to want him shipped off as quickly as possible.]
[It's not common, and apparently it may have been just a myth that Steve wanted to cling to that American POW camps were better than the Axis camps. It made the whole business of war more tolerable. But even if it's a lie to others, it doesn't mean Steve can't keep it.
He sighs, hands on his knees as he looks down to think. They should ship Loki as soon as possible for everyone's sake. It's dangerous and he thought Fury had changed his mind on the Tesseract powered weapons because of the damage they could do and what could happen if they fell into the wrong hands. Rumors that HYRDA was still active were still an issue.]
Delayed, Fury requested and Odin... granted the further delay. Thor has gone to petition on you going home as soon as possible.
[He watches the Jotunn carefully. Aesir (and since Loki was raised as one) seemed to have common facial language as many in western culture, so he's fairly sure he'll catch something.]
[It won't be difficult to catch. The shock is visible on Loki's face for a few moments, almost clearer than any expression he's had since his arrival. Odin granted the further delay. Thor has gone.
He's been left here. Left to the dubious mercies of the creatures he'd once dreamed of ruling, but more than that, left behind because Odin had deemed him...what? Not dangerous enough to bring back to Asgard and imprisoned under his watchful eye? Not interesting enough? Not worthy of a response?
Then his face shutters and he turns away to stare at the wall. He doesn't want to see sympathy in the soldier's eyes.]
[There's a quiet sigh that comes from the soldier. He's seen it though on the the Jotunn's face. Usually letters from home, notably the new kids who find out the wife they left behind had a baby or something... even more sorrowful happening. Like a loss of a child of family member.
Or a total loss of family.]
We're thinking Thor's there to petition for you, Loki. Believe us, Thor didn't have much say in either matter.
[He almost puts his hand on the other other man's shoulder, the memory of past comrades and the attempts to bond and give sympathy to them. It was hard on one level, since tragic news from home couldn't follow Steve anymore, but loss was profound, no matter how it happened.]
Oh, yes, because Father's always taken Thor's opinions into account. [It's out before he can stop it. Father. He's been so careful. One unguarded moment.
He shakes his head, folding his arms tightly and attempting to keep his head up, his voice flat and devoid of anything that could betray him. Dismissive.]
Very well. Let them keep me in this cage and crack me along the seams for all of my secrets. I look forward to it.
[Steve's hand rests on the socceer's shoulder, now. Warm and steady he attempts to keep the gesture... empathetic. It's better than sympathetic though he's afraid people can't always tell the difference.]
Maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe it's because Odin wants to keep you safe? Fathers do funny things.
[He... assumes.]
Look, I'm not going to promise you the Ritz. I will promise something better than... this and I'll... talk to Fury. Or maybe telling us a few things might not actually hurt?
[Loki almost leans into it. Almost. Almost. He wants to believe it, if he's honest with himself. But then his face darkens and he spins, throwing Steve's hand off his shoulder. He doesn't move into an attack - even if he could best the soldier, what would be the point? - but it's a relief to go on the offensive. Especially now.]
Ah, yes, now I see your game. Funny, I had once expected Agent Romanoff would be the soothing influence that would inspire me to cooperate. This is an interesting approach.
[There's a small hope that Loki might relax, that he might tell so he can go home. Steve damn well knows what life is like in a world you don't know. He's a dangerous man, he's killed, but Loki deserves to answer at home and to his peers.
It's the type of man Steve is. He's not much into tricking though he sees areas where he could. But he's found truth as a better weapon if sharpened to a point. Not that he uses that in the rare occasions he had to do psychological battle. But he's not suprised at the motion and the hand being thrown off. He is ready to leap off the bench and fall into a position, one of those Judo techinques he's been picking up fairly quickly, but he sees the other man isn't moving.]
My game? An interesting approach? I was giving advice.
[The trouble with that argument is that Loki doesn't believe Asgard will be a home for him again, no matter what Thor believes he'll accomplish. Why tell? He has nothing to lose, but he has nothing to gain.
They'd have that in common, if only they realized it. Loki wields truth as the unexpected knife in the back after the lies have crossed swords, which is far from Steve's approach, but they both know the importance of truth versus lie.
Loki crosses to the door and stares out before turning to look back at him with that curiously blank expression returned to his face.]
Thank you, Captain.
[He can't react further. Not here, not like this, not with countless unfeeling eyes on him, analyzing his every move for clues as to his next act.]
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Loki had steeled himself for the return to Asgard, settled into his cell, and waited. And waited. And waited.
It's too quiet. What are they waiting for?]
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But something keeps him seated. There's something amiss. They've sent the Captain, alone, out of uniform. Loki has never even seen Captain Rogers out of uniform. He'd idly wondered if the man slept in it.]
Captain. I had begun to wonder if something else had come up that your little team needed to sort out.
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I'm afraid not, I've found out Alien invasions are not nearly as common as television suggests. [Unsolved Mysteries was an odd show to be introduced to for Steve.] May I take a seat?
[If Loki is going to kill him, he'll be able to kill him at any distance. Might as well make this as comfortable as possible.]
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Inquiring after my well-being, Captain? How thoughtful.
[But he nods with unconscious imperiousness at the bench on the wall that doubles as a bed. Not that Loki has been able to sleep.]
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I've always believed POWs needed to be treated with respect... doubly so since were not at War.
The change in transfer is... it's going to be delayed. Considerably.
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But then he pauses and looks up.]
Delayed.
[He would have expected the Midgardians to want him shipped off as quickly as possible.]
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He sighs, hands on his knees as he looks down to think. They should ship Loki as soon as possible for everyone's sake. It's dangerous and he thought Fury had changed his mind on the Tesseract powered weapons because of the damage they could do and what could happen if they fell into the wrong hands. Rumors that HYRDA was still active were still an issue.]
Delayed, Fury requested and Odin... granted the further delay. Thor has gone to petition on you going home as soon as possible.
[He watches the Jotunn carefully. Aesir (and since Loki was raised as one) seemed to have common facial language as many in western culture, so he's fairly sure he'll catch something.]
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He's been left here. Left to the dubious mercies of the creatures he'd once dreamed of ruling, but more than that, left behind because Odin had deemed him...what? Not dangerous enough to bring back to Asgard and imprisoned under his watchful eye? Not interesting enough? Not worthy of a response?
Then his face shutters and he turns away to stare at the wall. He doesn't want to see sympathy in the soldier's eyes.]
Well. Won't this be a delightful visit.
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Or a total loss of family.]
We're thinking Thor's there to petition for you, Loki. Believe us, Thor didn't have much say in either matter.
[He almost puts his hand on the other other man's shoulder, the memory of past comrades and the attempts to bond and give sympathy to them. It was hard on one level, since tragic news from home couldn't follow Steve anymore, but loss was profound, no matter how it happened.]
It's only a delay.
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He shakes his head, folding his arms tightly and attempting to keep his head up, his voice flat and devoid of anything that could betray him. Dismissive.]
Very well. Let them keep me in this cage and crack me along the seams for all of my secrets. I look forward to it.
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Maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe it's because Odin wants to keep you safe? Fathers do funny things.
[He... assumes.]
Look, I'm not going to promise you the Ritz. I will promise something better than... this and I'll... talk to Fury. Or maybe telling us a few things might not actually hurt?
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Ah, yes, now I see your game. Funny, I had once expected Agent Romanoff would be the soothing influence that would inspire me to cooperate. This is an interesting approach.
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It's the type of man Steve is. He's not much into tricking though he sees areas where he could. But he's found truth as a better weapon if sharpened to a point. Not that he uses that in the rare occasions he had to do psychological battle. But he's not suprised at the motion and the hand being thrown off. He is ready to leap off the bench and fall into a position, one of those Judo techinques he's been picking up fairly quickly, but he sees the other man isn't moving.]
My game? An interesting approach? I was giving advice.
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They'd have that in common, if only they realized it. Loki wields truth as the unexpected knife in the back after the lies have crossed swords, which is far from Steve's approach, but they both know the importance of truth versus lie.
Loki crosses to the door and stares out before turning to look back at him with that curiously blank expression returned to his face.]
Thank you, Captain.
[He can't react further. Not here, not like this, not with countless unfeeling eyes on him, analyzing his every move for clues as to his next act.]
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