Of Gods and Men | Loki Laufeyson

There is something fascinating when lying about yourself to others, knowing that who you actually are not who they know. If you are a serial killer in mortal terms and act like a charismatic citizen, then they cannot believe you are a murderer. My ledger is gushing red with blood, it's filled so much with blood that it gushes through the streets. That ledger doesn't exist in Nick Fury's eyes, he ate up the story I gave him about me. A total fiction, it couldn't be further from the truth. His brown eyes stare at me in sorrow in the black vehicle as we make our way to my new home, Stark Tower.

"Tell me, who are you?" Nick Fury asked, the girl had been freshly unfrozen weirdly not shivering from the cold water that stuck to her. It reminded him too much of Steve Rodgers, he prayed she wasn't from the 1940's.

"Mara." The girl had whispered, her doe eyes glazed over with tears and Fury frowned at the girl's panic. Mara didn't look like she could be harmful, her body was small, and her feet didn't reach the ground when sitting back on the uncomfortable black chair.

"Where am I?" She asked, the ends of her ebony hair dripped onto the floor. He smacked his lips together leaning forward hand running along the edge of his Jaw.

"New York." He watched as she flinched in confusion, almost as if she didn't recall New York. Could she be that old? Fury would swear if she was another Asgardian.

"I am Mara, the North Sorceress. Why have I been awakened from my eternal damnation?" She dissed the fact that she didn't know what New York was, the way the edged forward in her seat only made her performance truer. Fury let out a soft groan, eternal damnation? What the bloody hell did he get himself into.

"Eternal Damnation?" He asked with eyebrows raised, her eyes filled with water again and he almost cursed himself for making the young girl cry before he remembered his Job. She gasped for her and pulled at the woollen sweater the agents had given her nervously, it must've been bad whatever she did.

"I had a lover, he was a warrior-" A sob racked her spine, "He died in battle, I could've saved him but I didn't..." She glanced at him with a tear streaked face, he was so blissfully unaware that it was a performance.

"You froze yourself?" He stated it more like a question, his face contorted in bewilderment. The girl was punishing herself for not saving her warrior lover, that was loyalty. Fidelity was something hard to find these days, Mara's actions emitted fidelity. Fury studied her some more, hunched over in her chair crying about the love she once had. Not knowing the world was changing, she froze herself. He couldn't comprehend. Her tears dropped with a crack, looking down he saw shattered pieces of ice that quickly melted due to the heated floor. The North Sorceress...

"The world has changed, there are other ways to redeem or punish-" She interrupted him, "What has changed?" Worry concealed in her voice. "Everything." Fury vaguely answered.

"Let's talk about the Avengers Initiative." Curious vibrant eyes glanced at him as she wiped her frozen tears away. Her body positioned itself upright, a sinister smile hidden behind the frown.

It was funny thinking about that moment, how she had fooled them all and the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers wouldn't be easy, especially Thor the son of Odin, the man that survived Cronos's wrath and struck monstrous fear into her heart that she froze herself in order to hide. The past couple of years after she was defrosted, she plunged herself into the mortal culture, seeing the sights and the slightly damaged New York.

The city was plastered with screens and disgusting food. Singular towers piled on the ground, no palaces in sight. I was quite ashamed when I told Fury that I was older than New York, he didn't question her further having a soft spot for the mass murderer, not that he'd know. That was what I was according to the numerous dictionaries and history books I’ve read. I had committed genocide and, unknowingly started a war in Asgard because of my actions. Mara, the fictional charade I had created for myself was a grief-stricken girl whose lover died in combat. Mara was kind whereas Morana was cruel, generous not selfish, gentle not violent, lively and not deathly. I am Mara.

“Don’t be worried.” Fury gently whispered letting his hand reassuringly grab my shoulder, I wanted to grab that hand of his and wring it out like washing; see it crack and rip off as he screamed in agony.

“Not worried, anxious.” I briefly stated back, patting the hand I wanted to see mutilated with false happiness. The Avengers would be harder to fool, the thought of being found out churned within me. What was the term mortals used? Ah, butterflies in my stomach.
Fury chuckled removing his hand from my shoulder as we neared the towering tower, gulping down my fear I hugged my winter dress coat and stepped out behind Fury. The men at the front door stood aside immediately eyeing Fury then latching their eyes onto me, they lingered in confusion at the gloves and the dress coat. It was the middle of spring, it would’ve been Vesna’s turn. Pictures of her mangled corpse flashed through my mind, happiness and grief gripped me, a soft awkward smile was plastered on my face.

Fury’s footsteps echoed through the entrance of the tower; he pressed a circular button that called down what he called an ‘elevator.’ A comfortable silence sat between us as the elevator glided upwards, he was keen to break it.

“They are good people, however, stay away from Loki.” My brow furrowed; I didn’t recall the news of Odin having a third child. His name rang in my ears, the warnings of Fury I heeded as he proved himself to be right on numerous occasions.

“I believe you Nick and I’ll be one of those good people.” Nick smiled nodding his head, “Maybe my lover will forgive me.” His happy gaze faltered a bit, after all this time her thoughts were still with him. The grief must be immense.

The elevator dinged and opened revealing colourful characters. A man with a glowing chest stood smugly as he argued with a raven-haired man reading a book, a female held a bowman’s hand in a death grip while who I assumed Thor was stuffing his face with Pop tarts. A treat I too had discovered. Fury coughed; everyone froze what they were doing apart from the glowing chested man.

“Why is it, every time I come here, you’re all acting like children.” The people lowered their heads like children being punished, the raven-haired man smiled as he turned the page in his book.

The angry face of the glowing man changed into playfulness as he stared at me, “Hey there darling, take some clothes off.” He winked and gestured to my outfit that covered my skin. Fury sighed in annoyance.

The raven-haired man glanced up from his book and curiously watched me, I shuffled under the attention from the group, “Mara is your new teammate, do not by any means come in contact with her skin.”

The man opened his mouth to ask a question, “Does- “Fury waved a finger at him in warning, glancing at me I removed my white glove. Stalking over to the kitchen I picked up a fork that instantly turned to ice, crushing it with my hand it crumbled to pieces

It was one of the problems Fury and I had discovered when I was defrosted, after spending an excessive amount of time not using my powers the ability to control them depleted. It’s taken two years from me to not randomly freeze things when mad, what’s worse is I haven’t tested out my lightening powers. The raven-haired man clenches his jaw and his eyes flash with hatred. Thor swallowed his snacks and raised his hand enthusiastically, Fury pointed to him.

“Is Mara a Frost Giant?” Thor asked excitedly glancing between me and his brother, Fury turned to me expecting an answer.

“I’m not a-“I looked at Fury again who whispered frost giant in my ear, “ a Frost Giant?” Confusion and curiosity laced in my words with subtle truth. I wasn’t a frost giant, nor had I seen any in my time before. The raven-haired man’s hatred relaxed back into amusement.

“Well, introductions are in order.” The chest glowing man flirtatiously stated, “I’m Tony Stark, billionaire philanthropist extraordinaire. Oh, I’m also Iron Man.” I took a step back behind fury away from the creepy man.

Thor stepped forward. “I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard.” He seemed to not know who I was, were their no tales of me. Disappointment and relief mixed within me, “Greetings.” I answered back; Tony held a face of disbelief.

“I’m Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton” The red headed female states and points to Clint who’s still wincing from the death grip Natasha has on his hand. “Hi.” I chuckle watching the interaction.
“Steve Rodgers ma’am, it’s good to have you on the team.” He stepped forward taking my gloved hand in his flinching from the coldness seeping through, giving it a firm shake he smiles before returning to his seat.

“Banner is in the lab,” Nicked stated in my ear. My eyes lingered on the man with the book in his hands watching me intensely. “I’m Mara,” His eyes narrow. “Loki of Asgard.” He lazily replies before reading again. Sighing Nick pats my back.

“Welcome to the Avengers, Mara.” The use of my false name causes me to wince, they all want to know Mara not Morana, not me. My eyes falter at the clock, time…

How much time do I have before it all falls down?

Notes