Chapter 506: Undesirable

Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Undesirable

[Third Person Pov]

"Then, Loki... can we count on you for our quest to retrieve my hammer?"

Thor looked at his sister with open expectation, hope still faintly visible beneath the heavier emotions of the day.

Loki’s expression shifted into something carefully sorrowful, every line of her face arranged for maximum pathos. "I’m afraid I cannot."

"Shocker," Peter whispered under his breath, the word dripping with pure sarcasm.

Loki’s head snapped toward him so fast her hair flared. "Just what is your deal with me, you annoying little bug?!"

It was at least the umpteenth time she had snapped at him, and somehow he still managed to slide under her skin with effortless precision.

Peter straightened, adopting an exaggeratedly pedantic tone complete with a nasal little snort. "Um, actually—spiders are arachnids. The difference, if you’re uneducated on the subject, is that a true bug is divided into three distinct body segments—"

Felicia clapped a hand over her mouth and turned away, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Loki released a long, guttural grunt of pure exasperation that seemed to hang in the air for several seconds. She then pointedly turned her entire body toward Thor, deliberately walling Peter out of her field of vision.

"With you banished and Father gone," she continued, voice once again layered with practiced regret, "the throne unfortunately falls to me. Otherwise chaos would spread unchecked throughout the Nine Realms."

Peter raised one hand like a student in class, genuine curiosity cutting through the teasing. "Hold on—what about the Queen? Your mother? If the king falls, shouldn’t the responsibilities of the throne pass to her first?"

Loki’s eyes flicked toward him for the briefest moment before returning to Thor. "She is bedridden with grief. The loss of our father has affected her more deeply than anyone. She is in no condition to lead Asgard through these turbulent times."

"I’m sure," Peter replied dryly. "I’ve got to hand it to you, though—I’m honestly amazed at how quickly you can spin all of this on the spot. I suppose you didn’t get the title Goddess of Trickery and Deceit for nothing."

In a flash of green light a dagger appeared in Loki’s hand. She hurled it with all her strength. Peter simply tilted his head to the side; the blade whistled past his ear and vanished into the shifting walls of the Mirror Dimension.

Thor pressed on, a spark of hope returning to his voice. "If you are the one sitting upon the throne, sister... can you not rescind Father’s orders? Can you not allow me to return from exile?"

"I wouldn’t get your hopes up," Peter interjected helpfully, leaning out of the way of a second dagger without even looking.

Harry watched the ongoing exchange with open amusement. "Just what *is* your deal with her? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you gun for someone like this before."

Gwen’s eyes narrowed behind her lenses. "Yeah. What’s the real deal here, mister? You trying to add a goddess to your little harem collection or something?"

Peter burst out laughing, the sound bright and mischievous. "Bahaha—no way. She’s honestly not my type. I just love messing with her. I’m having an absolute blast."

Privately, a more complicated thought flickered through his mind: ’In truth, the fact that she’s female is throwing me for a loop. I honestly don’t know how to react to that part.’

"Excuse you?!" Loki’s voice cracked with wounded pride. "You would be fortunate as to possess even a chance with this goddess!"

Peter crossed both arms in a decisive X-shape over his chest. "I really wouldn’t. I’m being completely honest when I say I don’t find you desirable."

"Liar!" Loki refused to accept it. Her beauty had always been a point of personal pride; the idea that any mortal could remain unaffected was nearly insulting. "There can only be one reason you keep pestering this goddess so relentlessly!"

MJ had been watching Peter with quiet intensity. Suddenly her eyes widened in mild surprise. "Oh wow. You’re actually telling the truth. You really *aren’t* attracted to her."

Peter looked genuinely puzzled. "Why would I be lying?" He gave a small shrug. "Not to mention I’m already in a happily committed relationship..."

"Sister." Thor’s voice cut through the noise, edged with growing impatience. "My question?"

Loki released a long, theatrical sigh. "I’m afraid I cannot take back our late father’s orders. The only reason we are not currently at war with Jotunheim is your exile. To retract it now would only reignite their wrath and bring the conflict down upon us in full force."

"Oh wow, who could have *possibly* guessed that she couldn’t help?"Peter’s voice dripped with exaggerated innocence. He was constantly pointing at himself with both index fingers in rapid succession. "Oh right—me. I could have guessed. Shocking, I know."

Green vines exploded from the nearest shifting wall of the Mirror Dimension. They lashed out with surprising speed, wrapping around Peter from every angle and yanking him backward until he was completely cocooned from head to toe. He didn’t even bother resisting. He simply hung there, fully aware that he had been pushing his luck for the last several minutes.

"Enough out of him," Loki sneered, dusting her hands as though the mortal had been a particularly irritating insect. She turned back to her brother, her expression softening into something almost apologetic. "I’m sorry, brother, but I cannot remain here much longer. The throne of Asgard cannot stay empty."

Thor’s broad shoulders visibly slumped. A quiet, heavy breath left him. "I understand..."

Loki began walking away, boots clicking softly against the warped floor. Halfway to the edge of the corridor she paused, her gaze catching on the glowing gem set into Aria’s forehead. She stared at it for a long, considering moment.

"What?" Aria demanded, immediately raising both fists and rolling them in a clear challenge. "You wanna tussle, grandma?"

A familiar spike of irritation flashed across Loki’s face. She looked from Aria to Peter, then back again, and pointed at the two of them with sudden suspicion.

"Are those two by chance related?"

"Father and daughter," Gwen answered, clearly fighting the urge to laugh.

"Figures," Loki muttered under her breath. With a sharp flick of her fingers she tore open a clean exit from the Mirror Dimension. The portal shimmered like liquid emerald.

She stepped through while continuing to grumble to herself, the words growing quieter but no less venomous as she went.

"This is precisely why I despise dealing with lesser creatures. They’re all so terribly unsophisticated..."

Her jaw clenched. Her fists tightened at her sides.

"I have never met such an insufferable, egotistical idiot in all the Nine Realms. I cannot believe I’m even saying this, but even Thor’s oafish warrior friends are preferable company to that particular mortal."

She kept walking, voice dropping into a low, seething rant.

"He was probably dropped on his head by his wet nurse—that would explain why he isn’t right in the head. How dare he claim this goddess is undesirable? I have had more suitors and partners over the centuries than he could possibly count. Does the fool lack proper vision? My visage should have been a *blessing* to his pitiful mortal eyes."

As the opening sealed shut behind her with a soft chime, and Loki was gone, Peter tore free of the green vines with a few sharp tugs, the magic binding breaking apart into smaller pieces. He shook the last scraps off his suit and dusted himself down while Felicia helpfully plucked a few stubborn strands from inside his hood.

"Well," he said lightly, "that was amusing."

Thor turned to him, looking more lost than he had all day. "What do we do now, Man of Spiders?"

Peter’s tone softened into something more sincere. "For now, we go home and rest."

Lizzy blinked at him in confusion. "What? But I thought we were heading straight to the Fantastic Four to ask about Doom?"

"As much as I want to," Peter replied with a tired sigh, already mentally rearranging the next day’s schedule, "it’s the middle of the night. They’re not going to be awake at this hour."

Thor’s voice dropped, almost pleading. "But what about my hammer...?"

Peter met the god’s eyes steadily. "I’m sorry, but the hammer can wait a few hours. We have to prepare properly for Doom. He isn’t someone you just go knocking on the door of without a plan—otherwise we’re only putting ourselves in unnecessary danger. You all saw what happened the last time we faced him unprepared."

He glanced around the group. "We’ll head home, get some rest, meet the Fantastic Four first thing tomorrow, make real preparations, and then we go after Doom. Anyone have any objections or something they want to add?"

One by one the others shook their heads in quiet agreement. Only Thor still looked reluctant; every instinct he possessed insisted that reclaiming Mjolnir should be their highest priority.

Peter stepped a little closer to the Asgardian, his voice calm but firm as he chose the moment to install a valuable lesson to the God of Thunder in hopes it would lead him to the path of making him worthy again.

"I’m sorry, Thor. I know how much Mjolnir means to you. But the responsibilities of a leader are about planning ahead without compromising the well-being of everyone who follows you. Once you become a leader—or a king—your life stops belonging only to yourself. You become responsible for every person who chooses to stand beside you. We do want to help you, and we still will... but not while jeopardizing the safety of everyone in my team. We can’t be reckless about it."

Thor lowered his head, the weight of the words settling over him. After a moment he gave a slow, accepting nod.

"You are wise, Spider-person. Thank you... for still choosing to help me despite the present danger."

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