Checkmate
<avengers featuring Loki and Bruce>
Loki spotted Bruce from afar before passing him casually in the street. No fancy armour, just his suit and scarf. He knew Bruce would follow him, and as he only wanted a private word he hoped the psychopath would stay calm. He wandered down the street and along an alley, waiting there quietly.
Bruce had been outside, thinking to himself. It was odd being back in a civilised place. Lots of people. Loud noises. hell on earth. It was good to be back though. Made him feel that tiny bit normal, he would only really come out at night where no one was around and he could breath in some nice air. Apparently shield wanted him to go with them on this hunt for Loki, after reading the notes he was sure this would go wrong. Loki was more clever then that surely he wouldn’t fall for something as simple as a group of freaks running at him from all sides. He sat down in the park when he saw him…Loki? well it matched the description and picture only far more casual. He got up and generally followed him just to see what he was doing so happily strolling around, turning down an alley he had realised this was a trap, but what kind of trap… if Loki was anything like he’d been told there was a general plan behind this and he was sure waking up the hulk wasn’t on his to do list.
Loki watched Bruce for a while. So this was the man who became the Hulk, not as impressive in his human form. He sat on a box nudging another in front of him. There was one simple way he could test this mans intellect. He conjured a simple chess set to sit on top of the box with the pieces lined up neatly on the board. If Bruce was as much of a thinker as people suggested, he doubted he would refuse this offer out of curiosity. “Would you like to black or white?” he asked, tweaking a piece on the board.
Bruce stopped just for a moment staring calmly at the box, now holding a chess board. So he was bored? No… but what good would it be just to walk away now? he’d figure out nothing. Considering black was in front of him he chose that and of course white always moved first. “I’d rather be black” he moved over watching him calmly. He sat on the box on that side of the chess box checking the box would take his weight then looked back to him.
Loki moved a pawn, smiling slightly. “Bruce I believe your name is, the… scientist.” It was a statement. He couldn’t be too open in what he was trying to learn, it would do no good, he couldn’t risk Bruce learning about him.
“You know who I am and what I do, they’d be no point in me trying to trick the trickster after all.” he moved a pawn on his side to. “You didn’t lead me all the way here to let me gain knowledge of you so I suppose I shall sit back and allow you to play this game of yours without any problems” he said calmly
Loki frowned slightly at that, freeing his knight and bringing that into play. “I see, a game is not so interesting if I am the only one playing.” He paused before carefully placing the piece, sighing deeply. “Allow me to be blunt - tell me about the avengers. If you do not my spies will inform me anyway, I just grow impatient.”
“well I’m glad your so honest about yourself” he said non chalantly. Moving another pawn forward. Not interested in such a boring game though he supposed it was better then fighting.
Loki made a noise of amusement, taking the pawn Bruce just moved with his knight. “Indeed I am, unlike some.” He glanced at Bruce then, smiling just slightly. He placed the taken pawn beside the board. “I asked you to tell me about the avengers.”
“And I purposely ignored your question to avoid confrontation” he said freeing his knight as well. “Unless you’d rather a confrontation”
“And to think, I’ve gone to great pains to be polite,” Loki responded, moving one of his pawns purposefully into harms way. How irritating - Bruce seemed reluctant to talk. “Do try to control yourself - I’m given to understand these buildings are quite old.”
“I’m sure it pains to be polite, after all your not really liked around here are you?” he said taking the pawn with his knight. He looked remotely tired, but always was, he was naturally rather sickly looking
How exactly did Bruce keep turning things back onto Loki? Loki moved another pawn into the path of the knight. “Something I am quite accustomed to, it no longer distresses me - I do not have to be liked to rule,” he said quietly. This mortal was more clever than the others.
“That’s right but if you pick up a text book you’ll find ruling takes a bit more then running in with a spear and telling people what to do, but then again you know that” he said moving a pawn instead making eye contact. “I do have to ask though…what king does his own spying? “
“One that knows how little others can be trusted. I’d of thought you would know about such things, Shield hunts you for years and then brings you in to help hunt somebody else, I’m disappointed,” Loki smiled thinly. He took the Knight with a bishop, placing it neatly at the side of the board.
“You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend” he said with a hint of sarcasm moving the same pawn again.
Loki studied the board in silence, not moving any of his pieces as he glanced at Bruce. “I am your enemy? Interesting, but I think you lack conviction.” He smiled - Bruce was not going to get the better of him.
“I never said I cared whether we caught you or not, you think I would be sat here with you in front of me if I did, I expect you’ll come to us when you get bored” he said looking down the alley behind him.
Loki took one of Bruce’s pieces. “Check,” he stated calmly. Bruce was an irritating person, he analyzed too much and Loki disliked how Bruce seemed to understand his actions if not their motivation. “You don’t know anything about me, ‘doctor,’ you don’t even know how to protect yourself from yourself.”
“no mercy huh? as I expected.” he said looking back at the board, seeing 3 no 4 ways he could have avoided this, wondering if Loki would have seen them. But then again his nature seemed like he had and had believed him slow or stupid. He stood rather fast facing away from him, giving the impression he’d gotten the slightest bit angry. But then turned with a calm expression “oh you’ll have to do a lot better then that, but then again that’s what you do isn’t it? Poke and prod seeing what reactions you get and then using the failures to help you win, but then again if there’s no one fighting you become a bored child seeking someone to notice your desperate cries for attention.” he spoke calmly but quickly, not missing a syllable.
“I have no need for anyone’s attention - and I’m a thinker not a fighter, I lead the army not join it.” He had perhaps paled slightly when it seemed Bruce may lose control. The last thing he needed was the hulk to attack him. He indicated the board, Bruce still hadn’t made a move. But the things he’d just said - nobody had come that close before. It was concerning.
“Yes you lead, you lead as long as the king doesn’t have any trouble you are happy to throw away as many pawns as you like? I can tell you’ve not got a lick of sympathy for life itself but then again why would a god, right?” he said sitting back down looking at the bored somewhat boredly taking out the bishop with his own having freed it while he only moved his pawns forward instead of directly attacking his obvious trap. “You believe you are a thinker only because you don’t want to believe you are something you can’t be best at. Because of what…family?”
“Scientists,” Loki muttered darkly, moving out one of his castles. “You mortals think you know everything about everything - you know nothing of me, stop pretending you do.” How did this get so personal? That wasn’t meant to happen. In truth he’d just wanted information about Thor - to see if he’d given up or not. “Not that your science can actually help anyone. How many people have you killed? oh sorry how many has ‘he’ killed?”
“But you’ve told me everything yourself, Don’t get all agitated now, the game was just getting fun for you wasn’t it?” he said a small smile appearing on his lips. Until he went there, it made his smile disappear but he wasn’t too angry. “I don’t remember or care to count actually, when I think of the value of life we are more alike” he said moving another pawn.
“I didn’t tell you anything,” Loki said coldly watching Bruce like he was some snake about to strike. He moved his knight again, losing interest in the game. This had not been what he expected or wanted from this game. He was getting distracted, emotional - disappointing.
“if neither of us are having fun maybe we should call it a draw?” he said standing again. “After all why waste the time of a genius with pointless mind games when you have so little self confidence you hide behind a silver tongue and magic” he said rather bluntly.
Loki stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. “I have self confidence,” he protested, anger colouring his voice. It was a childlike statement, but Loki believed it as he too got to his feet.
“There you are. Trying to prove yourself to a stranger, whether it be intellect or your ability to break someone down. After all your brother has the strength that’s why you don’t fight correct?” he moved the bishop that had been ignored while he’d pulled all his pawns forward and took out the castle. “You wanted to prove something by challenging me here and you succeeded. congratulations. “with that he turned his back on him to walk away.
Loki wanted to lash out, he wanted to hurt Bruce - to break him down to nothing. Instead he found himself struggling to find the right words together. No self confidence. The words stung, he didn’t hate himself, he didn’t have to prove that to anyone. He used magic to make the path beneath Bruce sink like quick sand, pulling him into it before it returned to its normal solid state. Turning away he knocked the chess set to the ground. If Bruce was so clever he could find a way to make the road less solid.
He felt his feet give beneath him and lost all traction as he sank, only getting half way through. It was then solid again well he’d made sure his hands were free and he sighed, luckily this hadn’t frustrated him all too much, shield would help him out. After all they tracked him constantly, they hadn’t told him, but really why would they stop now. They’d probably listened to the whole conversation, they wouldn’t stop him leaving but now they had him they wouldn’t let him disappear. As he’d expected, the childish reaction to being beaten as his own game. This had been more interesting than he’d thought.
Loki wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to do - there was only one thing he knew for certain. “You are wrong about me,” he said quietly, barely keeping the hurt and frustration out of his voice. “Asgard may think me a monster but I know better, I needn’t prove anything to anyone. I will be king here.” More than anything he wanted Bruce to say he’d been lying.
He spoke and he swiveled his torso to see him, he’d gotten to him. Well no surprise, he’d said each word for a reason. “Proving yourself right is just proving me right as well you realise” he said seemingly not scared at all. “I wish you luck with that, your going to need it against us”
Loki didn’t answer - couldn’t answer. Doubt had started to settle in and the more he thought - the more painful each thought was. This mortal had reduced him to this.
“It eats at you doesn’t it? being wrong? Being outwitted. Your used to fooling Thor, your letting yourself slip you know?” he said calmly trying to pull himself free breathing in a bit, though it wasn’t working.
Loki gritted his teeth. “Insult me in any way you wish but do not insult my mind, it means little from such a dull creature,” he was just barely resisting the urge to try and kill Bruce, just barely.
“So you do not consider your mind part of you? How sad” he said questioning him, he wasn’t sounding insult him but the brief sound of sarcasm was there. Shield would surely send someone… soon unless they were completely stupid which he knew they were.
Loki chuckled slightly, no, he couldn’t lose control of the situation like this. “Are you waiting for Shield, Bruce? Nobody pays attention to the dog until it starts to bite.” He could handle this, Bruce had been wrong about him.
“Better then a sheep in wolfs clothing” he said his voice a little less calm then before. “IF you don’t want the dog biting in your direction I’d leave if I were you”
“Gladly,” Loki chuckled, starting down the path away from Bruce, as one final amusing trick using magic to make the chess pieces fly at him. The pieces came to life and attacked, small and irritating as Loki disappeared round the corner.
