[Voice, locked to residents] --EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--

[malnosso]

[At 2:15AM, the journals suddenly blare out an alarm, followed by this message.]

EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. This is an emergency.

The following occupants of the Luceti enclosure must report to the teleporters in twenty minutes. You are required as reinforcements in Region 13. Bring all necessary armaments with you. You will be teleported directly into combat.

Anyone who fails to comply will be forcibly escorted to the teleporters by droids.

This is not a drill. I repeat: this is not a drill. You have twenty minutes.

[The message repeats twice more, the alarm continuing until the twenty minutes has elapsed. No questions will be answered.]

Comments

[complicatedliar]

Loki happily surrendered the sandwich to her. "I already ate one," he said. Then took the nut bar anyway. He was going to be using a lot of magic soon, he had a feeling. Which would mean a great deal of energy.

He grinned at her. "The war machine requires fuel."

[touchofrogue]

"'War Machine?'" She gave him a small smile as the memories that weren't hers spilled out of her mouth. "Sorry, sugar. I think that code name's already taken."

[complicatedliar]

His eyebrows went up. "I meant more generally?" He laughed.

[touchofrogue]

"Well, I like that even less," she said with a small smile, and in a gesture of true love passed the coffee back to him. They were not war machines. They were people, and that was important and--

How could he be laughing now, really? And why was her heart still glad to hear it?

[complicatedliar]

He understood that gesture for what it was and took the cup back with a warm smile. After a decent drink, he offered it back. "Since we're here, it can't be helped."

It was the adrenalin before battle, that heightened awareness already of the nearness of death. It made him want to joke and tease even more than normal. Because really, who wanted to go to death crying? Not that he intended to die; the opposite in fact. But he'd been in many battles, and this part never really changed.

He leered at her rather comically. "When we return home you can see about switching me over to being a love machine. I think I might have a lever you can try out."

[touchofrogue]

There was a moment of silence as Rogue processed that Loki had actually just Said That. Then she laughed a little incredulously, but a laugh all the same. "You are so lucky I already love you," she said, shaking her head. "Lines like that would just get ya hit instead of hit on otherwise."

[complicatedliar]

Loki smiled, and lightly brushed his fingers over her cheek. "I count on it."

[touchofrogue]

She smiled at him softly and turned her face to catch his fingers with a kiss.

There was so much to say and so little time to say any of it. She wanted to ask him to help her with the X-Men, but she couldn't. She couldn't ask them to trust her if they knew she'd be relying on someone they didn't trust. And Loki had his own concerns.

*ugly laughter*

[complicatedliar]

But they were out of time as well. The MSF personnel began shouting for people to come to the teleporters. Loki leaned forward to touch their foreheads together. "Be safe," he murmured. "Or I will be very cross with you later."

meanie

[touchofrogue]

"You too," she whispered. "I'm not kiddin'. I've got my hands full watchin' these guys. You be safe, or so help me--"

She leaned up and kissed him hard before turning away.

*twists the knife just a little more*

[complicatedliar]

Loki wrapped his arms around her for a brief moment, pulling them tightly together, then released her when the kiss ended. "You know me," he said, smiling crookedly. "I don't have that terrible hero problem like you do, dearest." He caught her hand for a brief squeeze to take any sting from the words. "Go. I shall find you again soon."

MEANIE

[touchofrogue]

For a moment, it was like she was safe in his arms in their bed and the world didn't exist. And then the moment was over and the horrible press of fear began again.

'Hero problem.' Ha.

They didn't have time to argue, but when she freed her hand from his she reached out to tap his armor above the freshest scar on his chest. Be careful.

Then Rogue turned to go.