Everything was going according to plan. One might not think it, looking at where Loki was now, but that was where the Midgardians would fail. They'd fallen right into her trap, distracted by her little display in one part of the world while her archer and the other soldiers she'd brought under her control had been hard at work in another part. It was one of the most simplistic gambits in the book, but they'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
That said, she did have to admit to being… mildly impressed. The Iron Legion that her archer had told her about were more than she'd expected. For one, their armor was not made of iron. For two, they had not stopped to talk to her or negotiate with her. They'd come in fast and they'd come in hard, taking her down with overwhelming power and securing the safety of their pathetic civilians in the process.
She hadn't even really had to act defeated when it came to them. She couldn't even use the Scepter on them because of their all-encompassing armor, leaving her at a distinct disadvantage when it came to facing off against them in a proper fight. But then, Loki didn't fight properly to begin with. So what if they'd given her a busted lip? So what if she could feel a black eye forming from where one of them had punched her right in the socket even now? It mattered little how far the Midgardians had come though. Her archer had been confident that this 'Iron Legion' was the strongest force of warriors they had. They would fall before the full might of the Chitauri and the world would fall with them.
That said…
"You are the Iron Legion, yes? Created by Tony Stark?"
There's a pregnant pause at that, before one of the armored men speaks up.
"Stark created the suits. He didn't create or train us."
Mm. How quaint. The men in the armor were proud of their skills then. Proud of their training. Loki smiles wickedly. Might as well get an early start on sowing discord, she supposed.
"Take the suits away and what are you? Nothing more than weak, pathetic Midgardians. You are all-!"
WHAM!
Loki's eyes widen as one of the Iron Legion sitting next to her rears back and slams his fist into her jaw hard enough that she feels it shift. She had thought the Midgardians had more honor when it came to treating prisoners of war… especially women. But the others in the aircraft just laugh, with the one who had done the talking snorting derisively.
"Might want to keep that mouth shut, Silvertongue."
Before Loki can respond, there's a sudden crackling from the suits. Internal communications she realizes, though her enhanced hearing lets her listen in.
"Rumlow."
The one speaking before, who she now knows is called Rumlow, doesn't appear to outwardly move a muscle as he responds.
"Stark?"
Loki has to control her reaction, even as the rest of the Iron Legion shifts back and forth.
" I ' m coming up on the plane. Flying my own set of prototype armor. Don't worry about me, just here as backup in case something goes wrong."
"Does the Secretary know about this?" "Man, why does everyone keep invoking Pierce? Do you think he'll mind? What, I'm allowed to make all of you fuckers armor, I'm allowed to stuff my best friend in a suit, but I can't wear my own?"
"… You're not exactly trained like us or Colonel Rhodes, Stark."
"Yeah? Who says?"
Before Rumlow can respond again, they fly right into a storm. Loki's eyes widen and then narrow and she grits her teeth as thunder and lightning suddenly begin to shake the aircraft.
"Strange atmospheric disturbances, Rumlow. You're about to have company."
Stark's warning proves prescient, because a moment later an impact hits the top of the craft. Rumlow and the others begin to stand.
"Stark? Was that you?"
"Nope. That would be Thor, God of Thunder."
One of the Iron Legion makes a frankly idiotic call in Loki's opinion by opening the back of the aircraft. She watches as her brother lands on the descending ramp and faces off with over half a dozen of the Iron Legion. His eyes blaze with power as he looks at all of them for a moment before his gaze falls upon her.
"Give me my sister."
Thor doesn't wait for a response. He lunges forward and though the Iron Legion moves to stop him… he has always been the better fighter. More than that, the armored Midgardians get in each other's way and Thor's objective isn't to defeat them anyways. At least, that's not his primary objective.
Loki doesn't resist as Thor reaches her and grabs her by the nape of her neck, picking her up like a disobedient kitten. She longs to drive a knife in between his ribs, just like old times, but that would be counterproductive to her plans. Everything is still working just fine… she'd made allowances for Thor' s interference, in the end.
With a swing of Mjolnir, Thor flings them both out the back of the Midgardian craft, flying them through the rain and wind and lightning. Behind them, Loki can see the Iron Legion already trying to give chase, but they're not as fast as flight by hammer, it would seem. They quickly disappear into the distance and once Thor has put some space between them and the Midgardians, he lands and sets her down gently.
"Loki…" He sounds pained, her so-called brother. Brushing herself off, Loki smiles thinly at the God of Thunder.
"Thor."
He growls at her flippant tone.
" I am in no mood for your games, Loki. Where is the Tesseract?"
Rather than answer that, Loki just grins.
"You should be thanking me, Thor. How much power did the All-Father have to spend to send you back to Midgard before the Bifrost was finished being repaired? He risks another Odinsleep and all so you could see your precious mortal friends again."
Snarling, Thor steps up to her, grabbing her by the front of her vest and lifting her bodily off the ground.
"You try my patience, sister. I mourned you. We all mourned you. And now you are here, harming innocent people. For what? Our father-!"
Loki laughs. Mourned her? She knows they didn't mourn her. Thor might not have mentioned it yet, but Odin had almost certainly told him about her origins by this point.
"YOUR father, Thor. Not mine. Never mine. Or did he not tell you of his plans for us?"
Thor's earnest look of confusion causes Loki's stomach to curdle. Odin really hadn't said a word. Disgusting.
"Think, Thor! Why would the All-Father take a female runt, the least of Laufey's children, and abscond with me to Asgard? Why does any conquering king bring a princess back home to be raised as his ward?!"
Even Thor isn't so dense as to not catch her meaning. His eyes begin to widen, at which point he starts to viciously shake his head.
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