Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 41

Loki and Gibbs were at the Navy Yard the following morning, bright and early, along with the rest of the team. Tony, McGhee, and Bishop had all headed down to Abby's lab shortly after arriving while Loki and Gibbs prepared their coffee.

"Go down to the lab," Gibbs told Loki. "I'll meet you there."

Loki headed to the elevator. Gibbs no longer required Fornell to help him keep watch at night; he trusted Loki, and that made Loki very proud. He was a part of something that was bigger than himself, and it made him feel good.

As he stepped off the elevator into the lab, he saw Bishop coming toward him. Opening his mouth to greet her, he shut it quickly when he saw that she looked quite put out. Warily, he watched her approaching.

"There was a camera!" she shouted as she stormed past him into the elevator.

"What?" Loki asked, looking after her quizzically as the doors shut. Perplexed, he then turned to continue into the lab, but was brought up short by the looks on Abby's, McGhee's and Tony's faces.

They were all grinning at him.

Loki started to get the feeling he should have followed Bishop.

"What are you so cheerful about?" he queried, tentatively walking further into the lab. Glancing past Abby's computer at the plasma screen, he suddenly understood why Bishop had left.

Abby had video of him and Bishop in the alleyway.

Tony had the most mischievous grin that Loki had ever seen, and that was saying a lot; he was, after all, the god of mischief. "And you thought Bishop hated you."

"It's not what you think," Loki said, striding forward as Abby played the video. McGhee and DiNozzo snickered as they watched Loki hold out his arms to Bishop, her hesitating for a moment, saying something they couldn't hear. The video didn't have audio.

As the footage progressed, DiNozzo and McGhee only laughed the harder and Loki's scowl deepened. He winced as they saw Bishop wrap her arms around Loki and he reciprocated the action before they jumped up out of sight.

"Fast forward, Abs," McGhee requested as Tony turned to Loki.

"And you said she hated you."

"It's not like that," Loki insisted lamely. "There was evidence up there, and no ladder."

"Sure, Loki," McGhee smirked. "There was evidence up there. I totally believe you."

Loki pointed at the ladder that was stretched out on Abby's table. "And where, McGhee, did you think I found that?"

McGhee didn't have an answer for that, for that was when Abby reached the next interesting part of the video: when Loki and Bishop jumped down from the roof. Loki flinched as he saw himself holding her.

And then Gibbs showed up.

In the video, anyway.

"And you were worried she didn't like you," DiNozzo snorted.

"You must listen to me," Loki persisted. "There really was evidence up on the roof."

"Oh, I believe you, Loki," Abby said. When he shot her a withering glare, she just placed her hands on her hips and gave him a look. "No, seriously, Loki! I can lip read, and I have seen enough to know that you are right."

McGhee and DiNozzo both frowned and looked at her in surprise. "What?" DiNozzo pouted.

"Are you guys done?"

Gibbs' quiet voice startled all of them. Loki was inwardly relieved, though. He even laughed when Gibbs slapped McGhee and DiNozzo on the backs of their heads.

"Sorry, Boss," McGhee muttered.

"What've you got, Abs?" Gibbs inquired.

"Video proving that Clare Leopard was at the scene of the crime!" she answered jubilantly, replacing the footage on the plasma with a shot of Clare Leopard sitting in the both where Diaz was found dead. "She was the mystery woman who had lunch with Diaz before his death. And she escaped through the alleyway, using the ladder that Bishop and Loki found." She showed them the footage of Leopard, the scepter displayed prominently on her back, climbing a ladder up out of sight.

Loki shot DiNozzo an "I told you so" look.

"So she did have the scepter," McGhee commented.

"I can't see it in the video from the diner, but she definitely has it with her," Abby agreed.

"Good work, Abs," Gibbs said, and handed her a large cup of something labeled Caf-Pow.

Abby took an appreciative sip of the liquid and sighed happily before continuing. "I also have set up the soul forge like you asked."

Loki furrowed his brow and glanced at Gibbs. "What?"

"We're going to try and remove that energy from your head, Loki," Gibbs told him. "To rid you of those headaches."

****

Twenty minutes later, everyone was ready. Loki was lying under the soul forge and Abby was ready to operate it. McGhee stood beside her, looking nervous.

"Don't worry, McGhee," Loki told him. "It's only my life you're playing with."

McGhee just looked more worried.

"Power it up, Abby," Gibbs ordered.

As the soul forge came to life, Loki steeled himself and hoped that Abby was right when she said that McGhee could remove the energy source from his head. He closed his eyes as the machine began to work.

****

"I can't do this!" McGhee panicked, waking Loki out of his half slumber. "I just can't do this, Gibbs!"

"All right, McGhee," Gibbs said quietly.

"I don't want to do something that will damage Loki further!" McGhee continued to rant. "I understand the structure of the source, yes, but I don't understand the structure of the brain! I just can't do this!"

McGhee stormed out of the lab. Loki, Abby, and DiNozzo all looked at Gibbs in concern.

"I'm not going to make him do it," Gibbs said, answering their unasked question.

Loki sighed and sat up, resigned to the fact that he would never be rid of the energy in his head. Then Abby spoke up.

"I might have an answer to this, Gibbs."

Now everyone looked to Abby. "You do?" Loki asked incredulously.

Abby nodded. "I know of a brilliant brain surgeon who could work with McGhee to remove it. That way, we'd have the best of both worlds."

"What's his name?" Gibbs demanded.

"It's strange," Abby admitted.

"Well, it must be if you think so," DiNozzo commented. "So, what is it?"

"No," Abby said. "That's his name. Strange. Doctor Stephen Strange."

/**/

Another double chapter day! Yeah, my siblings decided to marathon Lord of the Rings today, so I wrote while we watched the movies. 

What did you think? Of the video footage and of the mention of Dr. Strange? 

Thanks for reading! Remember to comment and vote!

So, due to the shipping of Loki and Bishop, a ship name has been designated for them. I_of_the_Fandom has suggested Elloki, which I agree with wholeheartedly. Who else agrees?

Skylar Wittenborn