Upside-Down

Chapter 16

Loki paws at the window, hissing as Peter dives off the side of the building. The boy had left him behind again. Ugh. He rolls his emerald eyes and curls up on the Midgardian child's bed. The two twins earlier had been a lot for him to handle. They both kept stroking him and he could barely keep up the illusion of him being a perfectly normal, nice, adorable cat.

The girl had been scary. She had the most powerful aura out of anyone he'd met yet in this form, reeking of magic and powers even he couldn't hope to match. Even when he'd had his scepter, his Mind Stone.

The boy had been kind. Loki wondered that if in another life they could've been friends. He seemed nice, but under the surface Loki could tell the boy had been through a lot, and behind it all, an err of mischief, as though he liked to prank and play with minds.

Loki moves his head so he can stare out the window, waiting for his ward to come back. Peter was under his protection, even though, at this rate, he couldn't do too much. His mind wanders back to earlier in the day, his being reunited with Peter, as well as meeting his friends.

The boy had been too much. He had too heavy a hand and Loki and yowled out of the way after one stroke. It pained him for Peter to see him as anything other than a loyal friend, but the boy, Ned, he thought Peter had called him, had been too much. Especially after seeing his enemy of all enemies. The mighty Ironman.

The girl's aura had intrigued him as soon as he'd seen her. She seemed wise and intelligent, but at the same time so awkward and self-conscious, hidden by an illusion of not caring what anyone thought. Almost like someone else he knew.

When Peter forced him into the car with Anthony Stark, it had taken a lot out of Loki to not maul the man the same way he'd ripped the eyebrows of the pesky landlord that had thrown Peter's emotions around, the same way he was sure Anthony is now.

Using the boy's powers to his advantage, maybe even planning to dissect him like the girl had said. MJ, was it?

Now he is stuck here, unable to do anything against a locked door and a closed window. Unless he wants to teleport again, but he is too tired already, and he assumes that Peter will be back before he has time to find him.

Loki lulls his tail back and forth, idly staring out the window. The form of a creature so lazy is more irksome then helpful, but he enjoys the quiet indulgence of doing nothing for a while. He knows that when the form is lifted he will regret every second he spent waiting, but he doesn't care.

He just watches and waits, until, abruptly, Peter spirals out of the darkness, wearing the suit Anthony had given him, his face is covered but Loki can tell the boy is terrified.

Loki leaps to his feet as Peter wrenches open the window. A horrid stench fills the room, and Loki, unable to help himself recoils. The Midgardian smells of sewers.

Peter vaults into the room and closes the window in one long, jerky, terrified movement. Then he rips off his mask, collapsing into an armchair that had once stood in the Parker family living room.

He's pale, breathing hard. Loki wants to go comfort the boy, but he can't manage too. The child smells horrid. Like rotting food and human waste and... decaying lizard scales. Loki needs to make sure he's right on that last part.

Loki once heard Anthony joking to Steve about alligators in the New York sewers, but he had always doubted the truth of such legends. Was it possible that is what had given his ward such a fright?

Peter continues to stare into the distance, long after his breathing has slowed. He still looked pale as death. Eventually, Loki can't stand it anymore. He lets out a quiet mew, and Peter's head darts to the noise.

"Oh, it's just you Fish."

Loki's tail twitches at the nickname. Peter moves to go and stroke him, but the acrid stench is only strengthened, and as Loki backs away so does Peter.

"Sorry little guy. I must smell like crap." He sighs, and then walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After a moment the shower turns on.

The boy left his mask behind. It reeks. Eck. Loki can't help him self. He creeps over to the mask, cautiously picks out the horrid smelling thing, and shoves it into the washing machine, hidden in a side room of Peter's suite. He retches as the thing leaves his mouth.

Loki sprints back into the main room, leaping in great bounds onto Peter's bed, trying to remove the stench from his nostrils. His efforts are long and fruitless, and he eventually runs to the kitchenette to try and replace the smell with something else. He sees coffee grounds and pounces on the jar, struggling to remove the lid.

He doesn't notice when the noise of the shower turns off.

Loki battles with the jar, fighting like a desperate man to relive his nostrils, but as the lid loosens, both fighters roll off the granite counter, onto the ground. Glass flies everywhere, but thankfully the aroma of the coffee fills the cat's nostrils, leaving behind the earlier stench.

Loki rolls onto his back in the pile of coffee grounds, purring contentedly. Only then does he see the half-dressed Peter Parker above him, holding a cell phone. "That was adorable Fish!" he presses a button on his phone, and it makes the noise of a video ending. Loki pales. He'll never live that down if Thor were to see it. 

Peter bends down and offers his hand for a smell check. "Am I good now?"

The god sniffs tentatively, then rubs his head against Peter's hand.

"Great. You're never going to believe what happened," the boy pauses, "well, I'm going to tell you any way... maybe it'll set my thoughts straight." Then he begins to tell Loki the beginning of a mystery.

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Another Chapter. This week there'll probably be more posted then usual, because I have a break from school. I hope you've enjoyed it so far!

Have an amazing day my friends!