King Loki

Chapter 42
The more the minutes passed by, the more tangible his dream became. No more did it feel like a dream, but more like memories. Before long Loki's head stopped it's throbbing and everything was clear.
It was as if he was his older self inside his younger body and it left him feeling awkward for just a moment. He settled into the image he saw in the mirror. The timeframe he now dealt with.
All his thoughts to his plans for changing this outcome were making their way back to him, mixed with his old thoughts. He had already given word to the Jotuns that a doorway would open for them. He was now happy he'd done so in a way that even they didn't know who they'd been speaking with.
Loki pondered still opening the door but allowing Thor to go to Jotunheim afterwards without him. He could paint a very different future if he hadn't been involved and perhaps Heimdall would cease to turn his eyes on Loki for the initial deed that started it all.
Shaking his head, Loki paced before the mirror. Opening the doorway would have Heimdall on high alert no matter what Loki did afterwards. He simply couldn't allow that.
He could always allow Thor to become king..., not a chance. Even after all this time Loki had no wish to watch Thor's idiot ways destroy their kingdom.
There was only one hope for this to work properly. Pulling on his clothes, Loki left his room with the intent on finding his brother. Once he finished ruining Thor's chances at the throne he would think on how to deal with Odin. One thing at a time.
XxX
"Brother," Thor grinned like a fool. "It's a bit late for you to arise from your bed. What's kept you? Someone pretty I hope." Thor grabbed Loki around the shoulders and squeezed him.
"Dreams, nothing more." Loki replied between his feeble breaths of air. Thor let him go.
"One more day brother," he told Loki.
"I've been thinking about that. I had in mind something for us to do. After all, once your king such adventures will no longer be possible." Loki gave his rare smile.
Thor looked at him in excited curiosity. "Out with it then," Thor nudged his younger sibling.
"Remember when we were young and would venture to Earth to play with the humans?" Thor nodded. "I thought one last trip to see what they've been up to would be a proper send off to our youth, just you and me. Like old times." Loki was whispering, though the Warriors Three were no one to be seen nor was Sif.
Thor growled in agreement. "I agree to your idea, brother." He slapped Loki on the arm. "Perhaps it is time to remind the humans that us gods still remain."
"To keep out of too much trouble I have a small town in mind." Loki told him. "A place called New Mexico there is a town called Puente Antiguo. Enough residence to get their attention, but not enough to conjure the ire of Father."
"We shall leave immediately for this New Mexico." Thor declared grabbing his hammer from the table.
"And when we get there I have a game to play with the humans." Loki added. Thor looked at Loki his smile even wider.
"You are truly too good to me this day, Loki. Come," he advanced toward the doors and Loki followed.
XxX
The location Loki had Heimdall send them was calculated closely by him. Just outside of town in the desert to make the trip legal, but close enough to catch the attention of one, Jane Foster.
Once upon a time Loki would have never thought a human woman would come in handy, but Ms. Foster might just prove the best plan he had yet. Thor was always blinded by women, but Jane seemed to have a special quality about her that turned even Thor's heart to mud... their father would not approve.
"Here?" Thor asked looking back at Loki.
Loki nodded. On the way to the Byfrost he'd told Thor of his secondary game and Thor seemed more than happy to oblige. Thor flew into the air and with a mighty swing he sent Mjolnir hurtling toward the sands.
It hit the surface spraying sand everywhere and creating a crater in the desert with the Hammer at its heart. "Now what?" He asked Loki, landing back to the ground.
"Now we go in to town and allow the humans to become nosy. We'll sit back and watch them as they attempt to remove your hammer from the sand and listen to them brag or whine to their comrades."
XxX
Loki hoped it was not yet too early to catch SHIELDS attention. Their attempt to keep Thor from the hammer would be important to this mission. Sure Thor could just summon it to him, but where would the fun be in that.
Loki gave Thor instructions to play the part of a human so that he could find glory and satisfaction in showing them who was truly worthy of Mjolnir. Feeding into Thor's ego, this was not hard to get him to comply with. It was the kind of prank Odin would hear about but nothing he would get angry over.
In a way Loki hoped Thor's boasting of the hammer would show Thor's childish nature, but if not the girl certainly would throw a hiccup in Thor's coronation.
Walking in to town Loki was glad to see the townsfolk had noticed something. Probably the tremors Thor's hammer caused when creating the crater.
"Good people, where can we find some food?" Thor asked watching the ones outside who gave him funny looks. After all, Thor hadn't bothered to dress down for the occasion, not as Loki had.
Thor may not have his armor on, but he still stood an awkward figure among those in human drab. "The diner over there." One person called out.
"Many thanks," Thor replied. Loki followed in silence. He would let Thor do the talking and he would just watch.
After an hours, Thor still stuffed his face with the apple pie the waitress had come offering while Loki watched out the window. He could see it, the hum of curiosity. People were gathering, talking.
Much to his delight a vehicle came up the road that housed Jane Foster and her friends. They passed the diner, but not before Loki noticed the excitement plastered across Janes face. It wouldn't be long and she'd be sticking her nose where is doesn't belong.
They waited. A few people entered the diner and sat down. It caught Thor's attention to hear what they were talking about. "Damn thing wouldn't budged. We had a hell of a time though..., before the Feds showed up." They were saying to the waitress.
"You strapping men trying to tell me none of you could move that thing?" The waitress was indulging their tale, flirting almost. Most likely they were local and she knew them in this small town.
"None are derserving of the power that is Mjolnir." Thor smirked toward Loki, looking pleased that Loki's plan was working.
"It would appear so." Loki replied. "Soon we'll go back and reclaim it." Loki offered.
"Not too soon. This is too much fun." Thor replied finishing off his cup of coffee. This time around, the waitress had not come back to refill his cup on time. Thor threw it to the floor, smashing it into little bits. "Another!" He called out.
"Excuse me," Loki hadn't been paying enough attention. Jane Foster stood with the shattered shards at her feet looking rather annoyed by Thor's outburst. "That was rude and unnecessary. I'm sure they'll get you more when they aren't busy."
Loki watched Thor look up at the woman, saw a spike of interest peek in his gaze. He stood, towering over her small form. "My apologies. I meant no disrespect. It's a custom where I am from." Thor explained his focus only on her now.
"Well it's not a custom here. Here we have to pay for things like that." She stood her ground against Thor, chiding him like a child.
"Again, I'm sorry." Thor bent and to Loki's astonishment he began to retrieve the pieces.
"Hey, stop." Jane bent down and grabbed Thor's wrists. "You'll cut yourself." She warned.
"Hi," while the scene with Jane unfolded the girl Loki knew to be Darcy had slipped into the seat next to him. "You gonna eat that?" She asked him pointing to his piece of pie.
Loki slipped the pie toward her. "Be my guest," he said.
"Thanks. I'd hate to see it go to waste." She told him. "Your friend is a little strange." She said her cheek full of food.
"My brother," Loki corrected her.
"Awkward family then? I mean, no offence, but you seem civilized." She licked some filling off her lip before returning to the pie.
"They say there is always that one...," Loki winked at Darcy, amused at her observation.
Still bent to the floor were Thor and Jane, arguing back and forth as Thor insisted that the cuts he would receive would be minor scratches and would heal in minutes and Jane shaking her head at Thor trying to tell him otherwise.
Loki relaxed in his seat and let it all happen on its own. There was no need to push them together. They had a natural pull toward one another and Loki would not step between it. In private he would push Thor to further pursue her with his tricky words that only Thor would fall for so smoothly.
This was working out well, so far.

Notes