In Another Life

Scout grew impatient. She spent that entire morning and afternoon in the hands of Frigga. They shared stories and Loki. It would have been quite enjoyable, if Scout's mind wasn't else where. She couldn't help but wonder what Thor and Odin were discussing. So she went to find out for herself. Excusing herself from the Queen and the few others she sat with out in the gardens, she wondered the halls for any sign of them. It wasn't hard. Thor's booming voice could be heard from a mile away as he yelled at Odin. They had a plan of action. Get Loki back to Asgard, at any means necessary. It wasn't anything special but it sounded easy enough. There was also something about a bifrost and a bridge.

When Scout heard Thor about to leave the room, she tried leaving without getting caught, but she was too late. "Who are you, you divine creature?" A voice came from behind her.

She jumped and silently cursed herself for not noticing that she was being snuck up on. She was far too indulged in Thor and Odin's conversation. "Who are you?" Not answering his own question.

"I do believe I asked first but I am Fandral, that is Volstagg and Hogun." He responded, pointing to the other two men beside them.

"We are the Warriors Three!"

"...congratulations..?" Her eyebrows knitted in complete annoyance.

No offense to them but she didn't care. There was no time to be meeting with these strange men now. "I have to...-"

"Ah, Scout!" Thor's voice echoed the hall as he stepped out of the room. "Shouldn't you be with my mother?" He asked.

"....no."

"Well, friends, this is Scout. She is of Midguard, and a friend of Loki's." Thor informed the three men. Their minds instantly went dark. Fandral no longer desired Scout. Volstagg thought her to be some dark witch. Hogun thought she could never be trusted and didn't belong on Asgard.

"What is this noise around the palace that Loki lives?" Fandral asked Thor, no completely ignoring Scout.

"Yes. Where is he? I ought to teach him a lesson." Hogun continued.

"My brother is on Midguard. I no not of his intention there, but I am going there now to retrieve him. All will be well, my dear friends. As much as I would love to stay and talk with you three, I must leave now." They said their goodbyes, and bowed to Thor in respect as they departed.

"You know I am going with you, right?"

"No. You are not. You are to stay on Asgard until I know the full extent of the problem. Loki has brought you here for a reason I can not quite understand yet. I will not bring you back to Midguard for him to panic. You are safe here." Thor walked past her and down the hall, opposite of the way the Warrior's Three went.

"I don't care for my safety! I want to go home!" She shouted, chasing after him. "Earth is my home. My family is there. If there is some sort of problem, I need to be with them. I will not let you leave without me!"

"I am sorry, dear Scout. It is for the best." Thor summoned two guards near by, and they grabbed Scout. "Take her to Loki's chambers. Keep two guards posted outside at all times. Send word to the Queen of her whereabouts and the situation." He told the guards as the pulled Scout towards Loki's room.

"You can't do this!" She shouted after Thor as he walked away. "I need to warn Tony! Thor! You bastard!" He ignored her as she struggled against the guards. They were too strong for her to escape. She was beginning to think all of Tony's training was a total waste of time. It never worked for her. Although he felt bad for treating her this way, he had no choice. He hadn't been completely honest with Scout nor were his thoughts true. Having a conversation with the Allfather and trying not to think of what was really going on proved quite difficult. They didn't want Scout knowing what was truly happening. It would only fill her with worry and fear. It was better this way.

She eventually gave up the fight and willingly went with the two guards. They were actually nice and apologized numerous times for handling her so roughly. She knew they were mostly just scared of Loki. If he caught wind of Scout being mistreated, things won't go well for them. It made Scout feel slightly horrible. She didn't want people fearing her. She wanted people to treat her with kindness because they actually liked her. Not because of Loki.

There wasn't much for her to do in Loki's room. If she were back on Earth, she'd be watching a movie or surfing the internet. Obviously this place lacked of the two. It was just her and Luke for a couple of hours. Two guards stood firmly outside the room as Thor ordered. There was no way for her to escape. Even if she did, there wasn't really anywhere for her to go. She was completely trapped and bored. More importantly, she was worried. She had no clue what the hell was going on back on Earth. Was Tony and Pepper okay? What was Loki doing? How was this "war" going to come about? So many questioned would remained unanswered until Loki or Thor returned. It was annoying.

Scout was pacing the room in front of Loki's enormous bookcase when a knock came at the door. "Come in."

Frigga peaked her head inside before fully coming in and closing the door behind her. "What has Thor got you locked up in Loki's chambers for?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. It's not like I have anywhere to go. I have no way of getting back to Earth...at least I don't know of a way."

"Unfortunately for you, there is not one."

"How did Thor leave then? And Loki?"

"The Allfather had to use a very dark power to send Thor to Midguard. As for Loki, he has always been a mystery. He has a way of doing remarkable things that no else can quite understand or figure out."

"He is quite remarkable." Scout smiled.

Frigga returned the smile, happy to see how much Scout adored her son. It was something she would never get old of. It was completely new having someone around who loved her son for who he was. Someone who understood him like she did. Frigga saw a lot of herself inside Scout. It was no wonder why Loki cares for Scout.

"Would you like to join me for dinner? Odin is far too busy at the moment. It will just be you and I."

"Of course." She grabbed Luke off the couch and carried him off to the dining area with Frigga leading the way. For the most part, the ate in silence. With Thor gone, there was a frailness stuck in the air. Those who knew of his departure could sense something was terribly wrong. The Allfather wouldn't just send Thor away the way he did for nothing. This was more than just gathering Loki and bringing him back to Asgard. Odin was keeping secrets. No matter how hard Scout attempted to get answers from his mind, she failed. There was a block in her way. She could only gather useless and pointless things from him. It was as if he used some sort of magic to keep her from getting to him. That made her wonder about Loki. He knew everything of magic and spells. His room was evidence of that. Maybe that was why she couldn't read his mind. Some sort of magic. That seemed to be the only logical answer behind it.

"I know you are worried for Loki, but he will be okay. Thor will bring him home. Put your mind to rest, dear." A servant came over and gathered their now empty dishes. Even Luke had a little dish as he sat on the table beside Scout. They were nice enough to do that for her. "Tomorrow I shall show you around Asgard. You will never want to leave once you see it all." That was her plan. She wanted Scout to fall in love with Asgard as she fell in love with Loki. Frigga never wanted Scout to leave. She already thought of her as family, in that short of a time. Scout was the daughter Frigga was never able to have. If all went according to Frigga's plan, Scout would be her daughter and family by married. She couldn't help but smile at the Queen's thoughts. It did sound quite lovely, but there was no telling how things would really go for her and Loki. If he ever even returned.

"I look forward to it." They said their good nights and goodbyes, then parted ways. A guard took Scout back to Loki's room. Not because she still needed to be guarding but encase she forgot the way and got lost. Frigga took care of the whole guarding the room thing. It was completely unnecessary.

The next day, Frigga showed Scout around the castle, the outside grounds and beyond the castle walls, into the village area. She introduced her to dozens and dozens of people, her voice full of pride. In a way, Frigga was showing her off. Scout didn't mind. She actually enjoyed it. It felt great having someone care about her in the way Frigga did so quickly. She never had a mother. Pepper was the closest thing she ever had to one, and now there was Frigga. She was the most extraordinary woman Scout had ever met. She couldn't help but love her and want to spend every minute with her. So, that's what she did. The next few days, she spent at Frigga's side.

There was no word yet on Thor or Loki. Hanging out with Frigga and helping her with her Queenly duties proved to be a great distraction. Until a loud crash erupted throughout the entire castle, rattling the floor surrounding that area. Scout instantly looked at Frigga. They were in her chambers after Scout told Frigga of her love for clothing and fashion. Frigga had an extensive dress collection. All handmade especially for her. Scout was in awe as she showed her some of her favorite gowns. Most used for special occasions and ceremonies. Once the noise rang out, Frigga dropped the dress in her hands, and the pair ran out to the direction it came from.

They reached the main entrance of the castle and gasped at the site. It was Thor holding a blue cube inside some sort of container with Loki holding onto the other end. Scout's eyes filled once she saw the state Loki was in. He looked wore, damaged and broken. There were cuts littering his face and Scout didn't even want to think about what his body must have looked like beneath his armor.

Without a second thought, she ran over to him. His hand were bound with chains and cuffs, but that didn't stop her from throwing her arms around his neck and bringing her body into his. His mouth and part of his face was covered with some sort of muzzle, but that didn't stop her from placing a tender kiss along the area of his cheek that exposed and his temple.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, pulling away slightly and looking into his eyes. He gave no response. Not that his was able to talk anyways but he didn't even give her a nod of the head. "What did you do to him?!" She shouted at Thor, glaring daggers at him.

"Send for the Allfather." Thor ordered a guard, ignoring Scout again.

"Thor!" She yelled, but Loki reached out and took her hand. It instantly calmed her. It was his way of telling her to relax. He tightened his grip on her hand when she placed her other on top of his. Frigga slowly approached the scene. She joined Loki's side, eyes full of worry, and placed a hand loving on her son's arm. Loki acknowledge her as best as he could, then Scout looked back at Thor, calm now. "What happened?" She asked.

Thor looked back at her but didn't give in answer. He didn't need to. His thoughts said it all for Scout. Her heart picked up in speed the more and more she gathered from him. The war. All of it. It was as if Scout was there watching it all. It was like one of her movies. Except this was real. War was upon Earth not too long ago and the reason for it all was holding her hand. Slowly, she retracted her hand from Loki's grasp. He could feel something was wrong. No words needed to be spoke. Loki knew what was happening. She knew.

Once her hands won the struggle against Loki's, they fell down to her side. Her breathing became uneasy as she was overcome with emotion. "Oh my God...." She whispered under her breath.

"What is it?" Frigga questioned. She was still lost to everything.

"What is wrong with you!?" She screamed, shoving Loki with a push of the shoulders. He didn't stumble and his body hardly moved. "How could you do that to me?" She felt beyond betrayed. "That's my damn home! That's my family! You could have killed Tony!" Anger took over her entire form, as tears streamed down her face. "I thought you cared for me...I thought you loved me..." Her anger died down just as quickly as it flared up. All that was left was sadness and realization. Loki didn't love her. He couldn't. You can't love someone then go after the only family they've ever had. He tried to kill Tony. Although Loki never said the words to her, it was almost implied. Any on looker could tell that Loki loved her. Clearly, she was wrong.

Odin showed up, with six guards in tow. They grabbed Loki, his eyes full of sorrow and regret, and pullled him away. Scout didn't put up a fight for him. She didn't care about where they were taking him or how they treated him. All she could think about was Tony and the harm Loki attempted to cause him. "I don't ever want to see you again." Was the last thing Loki heard leave Scout's mouth as he was dragged below the kingdom, into the dungeons. He was to stay there and await for word on his punishment, while Scout would now be able to return to Midguard with the tesseract back on Asgard.

As far as Scout was concerned, she would be happy to never see Loki again.