Loki was short of rolling his eyes at the last comment. It had come just shortly after the man had called him 'friend'. He was not his friend. Loki did not care for people who considered others friends within seconds after meeting them. They were gullible, easy to use. Someone like him left himself vulnerable to people who carried a tongue like Higgs. If he truly was older than him, then Loki had no idea how he had lived that long. It was dangerous to consider others friends until they proved you otherwise.
But again, he held back. His soul was raw from pain but the feelings he held for his family made him restrain himself. Nonetheless, he shifted his flesh, made room for two holes inside of his arms. The man spoke provocations and he had never taken provocations from that face lightly. Siblings made everything hurt just a notch more.
"Of course, I do. After your fight with Higgs, you were in hospital and Higgs, well, he's still walking around just fine," he said with a flat voice. "So, please, if you think about picking a fight with me, I would reconsider. There is nothing you will gain from it." He did not know what the man could do but he had only ever witnessed one person who could shake off the powers of the universe.
"Okay, how about we keep the conversation to what is truly important? Dad, please, sometimes being a little bit polite does not hurt," she said. It irritated Loki. He had been polite, could the child not see? But he could see the plea on Katherine's face and knew of the impact the pain had on his temper. He had learned as much. "I understand wanting revenge, Erandur. More than anything. He attacked my defenseless teenage son. I want him dead. I want him gone." She almost spat the last two sentences. "This is not about pride. This is not about revenge. This is about making sure that we have the best possible chance to protect ourselves and defeat him. My children and everyone else's are worth protecting and they are worth putting every personal issue aside." For a moment, she considered how to raise her concern without offending the man in front of him. She had seen others get wrapped up in their own thoughts and their own ideas to stop listening to others. Katherine had experienced it as a liability in other situations. "It has taken my father to confirm my concern for you to acknowledge it. It might be that you think me inexperienced and my thoughts not worth considering..." It had hurt Katherine a little. It had been just as it had been with Liam. He had listened to his sons but rarely to her. A woman's opinion just had not been worth much to him. "But I've also seen the pain you are in. I know how it can impact concentration and cloud judgement. Please, listen to your body and your mind." There was a plea in her voice. A botched attempt could cost her her family. There was a reason he had come after Richie. "If we strike, we need to win. Whoever, whichever group is going to take on the role as a leader, needs to have a clear mind."