This is the first chapter of a two-shot from a prompt given to my by WhoPotterAvenge-X Kane. Enjoy!
Jemma Simmons had always been a tenderhearted person. Growing up without any soul mark words at all and enduring the torturous teasing because of it had played a part in shaping who she was as a person. Suffering so much herself had made her more aware of when others were hurting. That was part of the reason that she had gotten a medical degree. It made her more forgiving too; since she didn't have the option of holding out for a relationship with her soul mate, she was more willing to get to know what people held beyond the surface because… what if this person could become just as good as a soul mate to her?
She was grateful for the person that she had become; she liked that woman… she just wished that she could've gotten here while having a soul mate.
Thor stared in horror at the ball of misery cowering in the farthest corner of Loki's dungeon cell. How had his brother been reduced to that?
He had been on Earth, well settled into life in England with Jane, when Sif had appeared.
"Please don't unleash your wrath on me," she'd pled worriedly. "But the All-Father ordered you left none the wiser until the conflict was over. Years ago, Loki imprisoned your father and took over the throne while masquerading as the All-Father. We managed to overcome him without you because your father felt it would be too much of a conflict of interest for you if you were asked to fight Loki again."
Thor had, in accordance with Sif's fears, been beyond furious at his father's deception and had returned instantly with Sif to Asgard. He had exchanged words with the All-Father before steadfastly demanding an audience with his adopted brother who had once again been relegated to the dungeons - apparently for the past decade. This time without Frigga's mercies to care for him - and by the Norns did it show, Thor thought, stepping as close to the magical barrier of Loki's cell as he dared.
"Loki?" he asked thickly, searching the bedraggled pile of skin and bones for any sign that his brother was still in there. But Loki kept his back to him, not even acknowledging Thor's presence. "Brother, speak to me!" he begged, half fearing that the worst had happened while no one had been paying attention to this most-detested of prisoners.
Loki stirred ever so slightly, easing the curled ridge of his spine that Thor could see clear as day through the patches in his tattered shift as he shifted. He rotated his head slowly towards Thor, obviously struggling to come to himself behind the starved glaze over his eyes.
And Thor gasped raggedly, hardly believing what he was seeing. Someone had sewn his brothers lips closed!
"Lower the barrier so that I may go in," Thor snarled at Sif who was standing nervously nearby, his tone brooking no argument whatsoever.
The moment he was obeyed, Thor stepped into the cell - this one was so much smaller than the one Loki had been in before - and scooped his brother gently into his arms. Loki made not even a sound, his head lolling uselessly against Thor's shoulder, and the complete lack of objection brought Thor close to panic.
"My prince?" Sif asked carefully, lingering on the outside of the cell.
"What happened to him?" Thor croaked.
Her voice was barely a whisper as she said, "All of this is by the All-Father's orders. Now his offence is much worse than what happened on Midgard; he nearly had your father killed."
"So the All-Father will kill him in exchange?! How is he supposed to eat with his mouth as it is?"
Sif lowered her eyes and Thor was struck with the awful truth. He hadn't been eating at all. For ten years the fallen prince had been given no food. As he was, Loki wouldn't live much longer. A growl rose deep from inside Thor's chest and he started to walk out of the cell, Loki still cradled in his arms like a sleeping child - only he wasn't sleeping, he was near unto unconscious.
"What are you doing?" Sif asked sharply, her tone becoming a little more gentle but remaining just as firm as she reminded him, "You cannot do anything without disobeying the All-Father's orders."
"Then I will disobey him!" Thor snapped, eyes flashing as fury began to role off of him in waves. "Loki is returning with me to Midgard."
"Perhaps it would simply be kinder to allow him his demise." Sif suggested gently. "Where could you possibly take him to give him the help he would require?" she asked, trying to get him to see her point of view. "There's nowhere on Midgard that he would be welcome, let alone where they would be able to repair this much damage."
Yet even as she said the words, Thor saw a flash of an idea pass through her eyes. Before he could call her out on it, demand to know what she was thinking, she informed him, "There is more at play here than just physical ailments. Odin put a spell on him; he's no longer able to speak, even if his lips are freed. Thor, there is more required to heal him than what can be done for him on Midgard."
"But," Thor realized. "You have a suggestion - a place I might be able to go to get him the necessary help?" Sif studied him in silence until he roared, "Tell me!"
Sif flinched, beginning carefully, "The son of Coul yet lives, my prince. He has rebuilt the organization, SHIELD, and I know that there are at least two doctors with him who are at least partly familiar with the things of Asgard. Perhaps…"
"Then I must go to them," Thor declared resolutely. He summoned Mjolnir into his hand, requesting pointedly, "Help me or get out of my way."
Sif studied him for another minute longer before her entire body sagged with resignation and she stepped to the side - allowing him to take his brother to safety.
"What's going on out there?" Jemma muttered to Fitz where the two of them stood side by side in the labs, watching the pandemonium taking place on the other side of the glass.
Fitz shook his head, both of them as clueless as the other until Skye barreled into the room and declared, "Jemma, Coulson wants you in the med bay now!"
The brunette turned and ran back the way she'd come and Jemma raced alongside her, asking, "What's going on?"
"Asgard - Thor and Loki showed up!"
"No!" Jemma cried, skidding to a stop in front of May and demanding, "Who's hurt? What did Loki do to them?"
"Loki's the one who needs help," May said, mouth pulled tightly down with displeasure. "He's half dead. Thor's explaining the situation to Coulson now. Kind of." That's when Jemma registered the Thor versus Coulson shouting match going on somewhere that she couldn't see as May continued, "But Coulson's already said that we're going to try to help Loki, so he needs to be your top priority right now."
Jemma nodded, taking a deep breath to steel herself for meeting the god who had killed her boss. But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw awaiting her on the examination table. The once-proud god was dressed in rags and cowering wide-eyed, curled into as small a ball as his well-over-six-foot frame could manage. He looked like an abused puppy, Jemma realized, taking a cautious step towards him while May ordered everyone else out of the room and then stood guard in the doorway.
"You're going to be alright," Jemma promised Loki gently, raising a hand carefully towards him. "I'm going to help you."
