Chapter 9

*Training Center, Stark Tower*

“Boxing? Really?”

Kurt paused, wiping his bangs out of his eyes as Blaine leaned against the doorway in pajama pants and a tank top. “What are you doing up?”

“I hardly sleep,” Blaine shrugged. “What about you?” He eyed Kurt up and down. “Shouldn’t you have a broken arm?”

Kurt blushed, turning back to the bag. “I heal fast,” he muttered, punching it again.

“Your form is bad,” Blaine said, walking over to him.

Kurt gritted his teeth. “Thanks.”

“No,” Blaine laughed. “I’m not trying to insult you. Let me help. Here.” He picked up the roll of tape and started rolling it around his hands before grabbing his gloves. “Want lessons?”

Kurt bit his lip. “Sure. Actually…yeah, that’d be great.”

Blaine smiled warmly before punching the bag.

*Loki’s base*

Mercedes breathed in and out, steadily.

She was still on earth—she’d figured out that much. She didn’t know where exactly on the planet, but she knew that they weren’t at the poles.

But they were definitely underground. Her…Storm had accidentally given her something back when she’d given birth to her.

Her powers weren’t as profound as Storm’s, and they couldn’t even hold a torch to Sam’s…but she could sense the weather. And sometimes, if she was calm and she concentrated enough, she could manipulate it a bit.

Hence the meditation.

“Lazy.”

She rolled her eyes under her eyelids. So much for peace and quiet.

She opened her eyes to Jesse lazing in his chair across from her cage.

“Don’t you ever say anything?” He asked disdainfully.

She blinked.

He rolled his eyes, groaning. “Of all the hostages, I had to pick the stupid one.”

She got bored and started to watch the dust particles dancing in the air.

“Though I think Sebastian was even stupider than you tonight, if that’s possible. Going after Rogers’ boy.”

Her attention snapped back to Jesse. She bit her lip, trying to think of how to play it. “Rogers?” 

Jesse eyed her in surprise. “She speaks.”

“Rogers doesn’t have a son,” she said, brow furrowed.

Jesse rolled his eyes. “His great-grandson. Obviously you need to get in the loop.”

Mercedes tried to test her luck, depending on Jesse’s need to perform in front of an audience. “Why would Sebastian try to kidnap Rogers’ grandson?”

Jesse sighed. “Because he’s an idiot. He got all pissy because he wasn’t able to capture Santana so he wanted his own plaything.” He pushed his hair dramatically back from his face. “So he despised Rogers’ great-grandson—Kurt—so he wanted to take him back here and break him—though how he’d get him back over all the water then under the river—urgh, who even knows what the hell was going through his mind. So he attacked Kurt and tried to have him on his floor, but the mortal ended up fighting back and Sebastian would have gotten in trouble had I not showed up.”

Mercedes just nodded and tried not to betray how interested she was in the new info. “So Sebastian just wants someone to toy with?”

“More like someone to break,” Jesse sighed. “Odin knows why, you humans are repulsive.” He turned to Mercedes, a glint in his eye. “Though…I can see the appeal of being able to break something…”

Mercedes tensed visibly.

Jesse smirked, walking forward. “Sebastian’s methods are crude, but they’re undeniably effective. Being cooped up down here with all the yammering from the tower above can be awfully stressful. It’d be a nice thing to break something over…and over…and over…”

Mercedes frantically scrambled back into the wall as Jesse came up right to the bars.

Jesse gripped the bars and leaned forward, his feral grin twisting his handsome face into something much more sinister. “Perhaps I’ll ask father to put you under my control so you’ll beg for it—”

“No!” she gasped, breath coming out quick. “No, you can’t, Sam—”

Jesse let out a loud bark of laughter that echoed around the chambers. “Sam? I can’t take you for my own because you’re faithful to Sam? Oh, that’s the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard—it doesn’t even hold up with humans. I mean, even here it’s socially acceptable to take on lovers alongside marriage and you really expect me to believe that your monogamy to that half-breed is enough to sway my opinion?”

Mercedes cowed in the corner, shaking. Then, all at once, she stopped, her expression smoothing out, an eyebrow arching. “Paris.”

Jesse blinked. “What?”

“We’re in Paris,” Mercedes smiled. “Thanks for telling me, I’d been wondering for a while. There’s an entrance just under the Seine that leads right to this base, which is under the Eiffel Tower, correct?”

The color drained from Jesse’s face as he stumbled backwards, running frantically from the room.

Mercedes grinned. That should at least throw a wrench in their plans. She saw the small knife that Jesse had dropped right outside her cage and eagerly snatched it up.

Jesse was playing right into her hands.

*Stark Tower, Manhattan*

“So what’s the course of action?” Santana asked, twirling one of her machetes and making Kurt extremely nervous. “Now that we’ve amassed all our allies?”

“We should attack,” Cooper said confidently, standing in front of the group. Blaine tried not to roll his eyes. “We’re as strong as we’re ever going to be, so we should just take Loki—”

“Where?” Kurt asked dryly.

Cooper frowned. “Well, Tina and Jarvis are still working that out—”

“We should stay put,” Kurt said firmly.

Cooper frowned, but it melted into an indulgent smile. “Now, Kurt. I know you’re new to the group, but you—”

“Loki’s going to bring the fight to us, no matter what,” Kurt said exasperatedly. “He brought the fight to Natasha and the girls, and he brought it to all of us here at the Tower. The easiest way to find him is to stay put. We can just fortify the Tower and try to be as prepared as possible.”

“Kurt—”

“I agree,” Mike cut in. “We should be taking the defensive with Loki. We aren’t our parents.”

Blaine and Sam nodded in agreement.

Cooper sighed. “Fine. The defensive it is. Tina, you and Jarvis continue sweeping—we want to be able to know if Loki comes at us. Sam, contact any Asgardians if you can. Mike, Santana, I’m trusting you two with training. Artie, I want you to work with Tina and Jane. Puck, Sugar, you two will help me and Pepper with fortification. Blaine, get Kurt used to everything. Alright, people, let’s get to work.”

The room was a flurry of action as everyone jumped up to prepare. Kurt walked over to Blaine, cringing slightly. “Sorry.”

Blaine looked up at him in surprise. “About what?”

Kurt shrugged. “Well, everyone else has such official jobs and you’re stuck teaching the newbie the ropes.”

Blaine laughed. “Actually, it’s a good thing. If you weren’t here, I’d probably be on refreshments or something. Trust me, this is preferable.”

Kurt frowned. “I don’t get it. You’re a good fighter—shouldn’t you at least be in training?”

Blaine shrugged. “The team really only needs one Stark. I’m sort of excess.”

“No you’re not,” Kurt shook his head. “Come on, Blaine, if it hadn’t been for you, I would’ve gotten my ass kicked in that fight. Give yourself a little more credit.”

Blaine smiled at him.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Tina sighed. “Shoo, Artie and I need the space for our calibrations.”  

“Oh!” Blaine blushed. “We’re not—”

“We’re friends…” Kurt tried.

“Yeah yeah,” Tina muttered, not even looking up from the desk.

“Er, come on, Kurt,” Blaine said awkwardly, trying to ease the sudden tension. “I’ll give you a tour.”