“I don´t understand why did you insisted on waiting until we were aboard the hellicarrier.” Loki growled still annoyed.

“Because if things had gotten out of control we might have well advertise what we did in Okanjo´s base. Now stop pouting if you don´t want to do it then don´t.” Fury answered irritated.

Loki huffed exasperated. “Let´s just get this over so I can leave.”

“I´ll get Doom and then you can be on your way.” Fury volunteered showing Loki into the meeting room.

 

Loki walked in and watched Fury walk away before sitting down. He growled irritated. “Curiosity killed the cat. No wonder why I´ve never liked that midgardian saying when the real danger comes from not knowing.” He wryly admitted to himself.

“Leah would freak out if she knew I was doing this …” He sighed. “I wonder how is she? Fury said he would tell Andrew that our mission had been successful. It´s likely he already told her, I wish I had seen her face when he did.”

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by Fury entering to show Doom in.

 

Loki stood up instinctively, for a moment both Doom and him held each other stare without saying a word.

Fury stepped in and reminded then. “We are here to talk, remember? Nothing more. If any of you forget about it may I remind you I have enough fire power here to contain both of you.” His last words made both Loki and Doom look at him sternly.

“Let´s talk.” Doom was the first to speak as he invited Loki to sit with a movement of his hand.

“Yes, talk.” Loki agreed as he sat down.

“I´ll leave you alone.” Fury informed them before walking out.

 

“What do you want?” Loki asked without preamble.

“As Fury said, to talk.” Doom volunteered.

“I don’t think we have nothing to talk about after what you did.” Loki huffed angrily.

“That´s where you are wrong Loki.” Doom contradicted him. “Unlike you or the rest of our villainous friends I have a code of honor to which I proudly adhere at all times.”

“Please Doom! Don´t give me that crap!” Loki spat irritated.

Doom discarded Loki´s remark. “As I was saying I follow this code to keep myself above … well, the rest of you. Regretfully I must admit that in the heat of the battle I … failed to do so. Now, I …  I fear I have acquired a debt of honor with you; one I intent to pay.

Loki looked at Doom baffled. “Pay? What do you think that you can just throw some money at me and make it better? What you took from me can´t be restored!”

“Don´t be foolish; I would never resort to something as crude as money to settle this.” Doom spat offended. “I can´t undo what I did but I can give you my word I won´t try to harm you or your child again. That seems payment enough.”

“Your word?” Loki questioned bewildered. “And I´m supposed to believe it?”

“Yes, you are.” Doom plainly asseverated. “I will not fail to abide to my code again.”

Loki looked at Doom pensively. “How can I know this isn´t a trap to make me lower my guard?”

“I´m Victor Von Doom, ruler of Latveria. You will not doubt my word Loki Laufeyson.” Doom voiced enraged.

Loki almost busted laughing at Doom´s melodramatic display but refrained himself from doing so. Taking a deep breath, he calmly pointed out. “You know this doesn´t make any sense to me.”

“I agree; it probably doesn´t.” Doom acknowledged, after all Loki wasn´t as civilized as him. “What do you propose?” He inquired in the same calm tone Loki had used.

“What is it that didn’t fit in your so called code of honor? Murdering her? Beating her? Or maybe planning to rape her in the first place?” Loki inquired resentful.

“I wasn´t planning on raping her …” Doom protested. “At least not at first …”

“And that´s supposed to make me feel better? You were planning on abducting both her and my daughter and leave me to rot in a cell.” Loki interrupted him disgruntled.

“I wasn´t going to leave you to rot in a cell… not really. I was feeling more inclined to follow an ancient royal tradition; taking hostages.” Doom informed him nonchalant.

“How´s that any better?” Loki inquired bewildered.

“I would´ve treated them as members of my own family.” Doom look at Loki irked before adding. “You really should study Earth´s history Loki; I´m sure you would find it very illustrative. “

Loki huffed irritated my Doom´s condescendence. “What you had planned doesn´t matter; you changed your mind. You wanted her to bear you a child, or do you deny this?”

Doom huffed annoyed as he rolled his eyes at Loki. “It´s the twenty-one century Loki; there are other ways to father a child than having sex. Either way why would I leave something as important as an heir to chance?”

Loki glared at him infuriated. “Lier, I know what you menaced her with.”

Doom clenched his fists angered for a moment before disregarding Loki´s word as a misunderstanding. “She refused me, so … I overreacted. You might like your women feisty but I don´t. I´m used to getting what I want.”

“You hit her.” Loki growled angered.

“She stab me!” Doom spat back angrily before changing his tone to a calmer one. “We can do this all day Loki; in the end I failed to abide my code. I killed a worthy adversary while unarmed, injured and unprepared. It was dishonorable of me.”

“You really think I´m going to believe that? You´ve killed hundreds, what one more death?” Loki confronted him.

“Only because it was necessary.” Doom justified himself.

“Please spare me of hearing your Doom´s world speech again.” Loki replied exasperated.

“It doesn´t matter whether you believe me or not. I know it´s the only way for humanity to survive.” Doom acknowledged self-righteously.

“I already had this discussion with Fury and I’m not having it with you too. You´re just another Okanjo.” Loki snorted furiously.

“Do not compare me with that beast!” Doom growled infuriated.

“Why not? He also did what he thought he had to do in order to make his vision of the world came true.” Loki volunteered irked.

“You will take that back right now Loki Laufeyson! That´s a lie and you know it! I may very well do unspeakable things to secure Doomworld from happening; but only if necessary. Okanjo knew he had lost. Most probably he also knew we were going to kill him, and that those children wouldn´t survive long after what he had done to them. He chose to kill them out of spite, without any purpose whatsoever … just because he could.” Doom reproached him hastily.

Loki pondered Doom´s words for a moment scowling. “I apologize. You are right; not even you would´ve done what Okanjo did to those children.”

Doom smiled pleased. “I´m glad we understand each other.”

“All right.” Loki huffed exasperated. “For a moment let´s say I believe you. So, your idea of restitution is basically leaving my daughter and me alone? No hidden agendas to make her your apprentice?” Loki inquired doubtfully.

“I won´t force her or you to do anything against your wills.” Doom volunteered. As Loki remained pensively Doom asked. “What´s your problem now?”

“Nothing really.” Loki admitted. “I was just wondering if you would´ve offered me the same deal if Leah had survived.”

Doom looked at Loki quizzically. “But she didn´t.”

Loki asked again. “But what if she had, would you had been so generous as to offer to leave the three of us alone? Or your code only applies because she´s dead? I want to know… are we paying our freedom´s with her death?” An idea was taking shape on Loki´s head. Even if everything went as planned there would always be the danger of Doom finding out Leah was alive.

Doom pondered heavily Loki´s question before answering. “I would´ve offer you the same deal had she survived my attack. Killing her or not is inconsequential; I broke my code just by spilling her blood. You pay nothing with her death.” He paused while observing Loki´s reaction. “Does this pleases you?”

“On your honor?” Loki asked sternly.

“Yes, on my honor. I protest this to be the truth.” Doom acknowledged.

“And you won´t try to spawn a child with any member of my family by any kind of method, ever.” Loki pressed.

Doom let out a small snort. “I promise; your daughter is safe.”

“Not only her, any member of my family.” Loki reaffirmed.

“Already thinking of grandkids Loki?” Doom spat amused.

“Do you promise?” Loki reasserted.

“Yes.” Doom dryly asseverated.

“On your honor.” Loki repeated.

“On my honor I swear this to be the truth.” Doom sternly added.

“And I really can trust you?” Loki asked unsure while anxiously debating with himself whether he should.

“This discussion is getting old Loki. You can either believe me or not; whatever you decide is not my problem.” Doom pointed out annoyed.

Meanwhile Loki debated still on his mind if he should let Doom know Leah was alive. What is he backed down because he didn´t told him?  Finally, he decided against it. He would keep her a secret as long as he could; in the worst case scenario at least that would give him time to prepare.

“I just have one question. Why help us with Okanjo?” Loki changed the subject unexpectedly.

“Do you really think I would´ve let that beast take over the world?” Doom asked bask intrigued.

Loki thought about it for a moment. “I guess not.”