A/N: So, I took a few liberties with these characters, especially in this chapter where Loki, Thor, and co. are all slightly younger than when we first meet them in Thor, and therefore quite a bit more reckless in some character's cases. I hope the changes are not enough to put you off from this story. As this moves through their lives their personalities will begin to reflect their changes as they age.
Also, this is entirely un-beta'd, so any mistakes are my own!
EDIT: An AMAZING photo manip has been created for this story by the fabulous Ariel, and the picture can be found on my profile page. I am incredibly honored to have something so gorgeous made for something I've written.
"Brother you cannot be serious. Come with us." Thor's face was split into a wide smile, his hand clapping Loki across the back. "Do not tell me you will leave me to go all by myself to show these non believers the wonders of Midgard." His eyes were bright, glistening as many an Asgardian maiden would liken to a river, or sapphire, or something asinine like that. His boyish enthusiasm was infectious, Loki couldn't deny, but Midgard? They hated him there since he'd brought about, well, what they thought was to be the end of the world. It was simply a bad storm, and it had more to do with Thor than Loki (even if he was the one to wind him up.) So why would he want to go back? They had no love for Loki Odinson there.
"I think I will remain on Asgard, Thor," he asserted as he reclaimed his seat in the library. Here, surrounded by books, he would not find fearful, angry glances, or whispers behind his back. Here he was safe, and safe was where he wanted to be.
"Since when have you been one to back down from mischief?" Thor goaded, sitting opposite his brother and pushing down the book that Loki had propped up between them. "I never knew you to hide from anything, especially not mortals. Do not stay up here, cooped up and bored to death by books, simply because you are afraid-."
"I am not afraid." Loki's vehement response was surprising to himself, but Thor simply smiled, waiting. Wait. Loki's green eyes turned from the old pages to Thor, unable to believe what was going through his head. Thor, bumbling idiot that he was, had just managed to talk Loki into something. Loki! The word smith, the silver-tongued. Tricked! Goaded into a response until he followed through with what Thor wanted And if he didn't go with his brother now he was doomed to be reminded of it until the end of days.
Damn him.
With a deep, resigned sigh he closed the book, eyes sharp as they looked over Thor. "Does Father know what you want to do?"
Thor's sheepish smile and his gaze turning elsewhere was enough to answer the question twice over, and Loki rolled his eyes. Of course not, because when had Thor, the Thunderer, thought to ask permission? It was easier to ask for forgiveness, of this Loki knew (and often followed), but he could have saved himself a tanning if he'd just bothered to ask. It was not as if the Allfather would refuse his first-born a thing so long as it was within reason. And Midgard was certainly within reason; after all the Allfather was a frequent visitor.
"That's why you came to me." Loki cocked his head to the side, a smile curling the corners of his lips. "You needed a way to get past Heimdall. What did you go and do this time to anger the gatekeeper so he would alert Odin of your plans, if he has not done so already?"
"It is not Heimdall who is vexed with me, but Odin. He wishes me to stay and learn politics-to study." The blonde groaned, relaxing into the nearest chair, the wood groaning beneath the weight of his muscle and armor. "I am young yet, and what better way to learn the politics of Midgard than going to visit myself?" He asked with a boom of a laugh, quick as a clap of thunder.
"And you think disobeying him will teach the Allfather a lesson?"
"Of course not! I just simply wish to escape. Surely you can understand, brother?" He asked, leaning forward so all four legs of the chair touched back down. His meaty hand moved to clap Loki on the shoulder once more, and Loki found himself resisting pulling away. Yes, escaping. Of course he could remember that. His teeth gritted together as he cast one more longing look to his books. What he wouldn't give to escape this madness that Thor suggested. He could talk his way out, he supposed, but in the end all it would yield was a piteous stare and reminder that Loki would leave his brothers with the Warriors Three and Sif alone for company. Not that they were poor friends to keep, but they lacked a certain imagination that the two brothers seemed to share. It was partially the reason why Loki was hardly welcomed back with open arms.
"Very well," Loki groaned. "I fear I shall live to regret this day."
"Do not be so sour, my brother!" Thor was all teeth as he grinned, face bright as it flashed over his features. "It will be an adventure like we used to have!"
Yes, the adventures of decades past. The time spent in the caverns, waiting and praying that his brother would return with good news of the Bifrost site being opened once more, or arriving once more with a red-faced father who would berate them as soon as they were to safety with a verbal lashing so swift and painful Loki wished for physical pain. The bite of the cold used to be so unfamiliar when they would get stranded, and Loki would be left to conjure what small fire he could with what little magic he had managed to master. It was hardly enough, and unless Thor left to get firewood it would die before too long, leaving them to shiver and huddle close for warmth. Now, as Loki bundled himself in a deep green cloak and affixed the vambraces to his arms and the cold would be fleeting and weak. No winter on Midgard could compare to those of Niflheim, and if Thor and Loki could survive that, well, this should have been a pleasant change.
Heimdall was no easy task, as Loki knew he would not be. The gatekeeper had seen ahead of time just what the group was up to, and while Thor butted in from time to time, it was Loki who managed to squeeze them through the watchful golden eyes of the tall man. His eyes followed Loki as he moved away, trying not to strut as he felt a surge of pride blossom in his belly, smothering the fear at just what such interest could bring. That would be dealt with on a different day, when he could ponder the dangers of the gatekeeper's ever watchful eye, and what fun of Loki's he could end with it.
The ride to Midgard was pleasant enough. Quick, Loki supposed, though by the time they reached the planet he was already reconsidering why he'd bothered coming along. The Warriors Three and Sif had banded around Thor, each yammering about the fires crackling in the gathering dark some five-hundred yards away, whether they would find food or shelter there, and a curious question or two about the time and year of the day which none were able to answer. None seemed to notice the snow, too thick and nearly up to their knees in some patches, nor just how harshly the wind ripped at their cloaks and hair. Loki swallowed hard, taking a moment to reconsider the cold, feet following the company as they dragged themselves through the snow with little hesitation, the bee-line already established as they wandered towards the village. Thor would want tribute, Loki supposed, and he would be allowed time to ponder the strange winter. Never before had he heard of the snows coming so brutally during this time of the year, nor the chill of the wind being as bone-deep as he felt it now. What was happening to change the weather so drastically?
The group made their way into what must have been the town square, Loki silent behind them, listening to the crunch of the snow and the howl of the wind, trying to learn its secrets from these brief moments. He needed to catalogue them, store them to be looked over and considered. At the noise of the newcomers the inhabitants of the town stopped what they were doing, eyes growing wide at the sight of the gods. The gold and silver of their armor caught the bright light of the fires and threw it back onto the snow as they grew closer, and their fearless blond leader, being as boisterous as ever boomed that he was Thor, Odinson, lightning made real and mighty thunderer of Asgard. He summoned a bolt despite the snowstorm, and the electric beam cracked and fizzled as it met Mjolnir, who had been thrust into the sky. Show off. Loki turned his attention to the crowds reaction. As expected, they bowed down almost immediately, their attention and respect reverent as Thor grinned down at them.
"I mean you no harm," he assured them. "But the gods demand tribute and worship. Is there any here who would be willing to provide a feast for us, and some entertainment? We would be most grateful."
They practically tripped over themselves to rush to his aid; three men and two women, the latter pair draping themselves off of him like a new cloak. Behind Thor's back, Volstagg cracked a joke that made the lady Sif snort, while Fandral stared on with greedy eyes. Hogun was as expressionless as ever, his dark gaze meeting Loki's. They shared a thought, both noticing that the Midgardians were fewer in numbers than they'd last been when they'd visited before, and that their attire seemed oddly bulkier than normal. Perhaps it was just a more difficult winter, but Loki had not known the planet to suffer such harsh conditions. The tall, gaunt man came to speak to Loki about it as the golden prince continued to hold court, his booming voice disguising the background conversation.
"We wish to provide you with our favor-."
"Have you heard of anything such as this happening before?" Hogun asked, voice gruff in Loki's ear as he leaned over. Loki gave the faintest shake of his head.
"Never. Not here. It feels too unnatural. Do you sense it as well?"
"Yes. A sorcerer?"
"Not likely." Loki gave a low sigh. "I like to think I would be able to detect deeper magic if it was put into play."
"Should you serve us well we will continue to protect your realm-."
"Then what?" Hogun asked. "There has not been such a winter on Midgard since-."
"I know," Loki cut him off, though the shiver playing havoc with his nerves had nothing to do with the chill settling into the land. The Frost Giants of Jotunheim had once tried claiming this realm as their own, and the Allfather had fought them back and taken the Casket of Ancient Winters from them. All knew the tale, all knew the lesson. So who would have the nerve to attempt it again, Loki wondered as his gaze fell to Thor.
"We should keep it from Thor. Even the slightest whiff of Jotuns-."
"He should know if we are to be attacked." Hogun pulled away to stare at Loki, face hard set with determination. They did not call him Hogun the Grim for nothing. "He would be vexed to find that this realm is under attack."
"If it is." Loki soothed. "We know not what would come of it, and working Thor up will only prove detrimental to discovering the true culprits. He will stampede in search of what we do not know, and should we be wrong his anger will only alert the villains and allow them time to disappear whilst he goes off chasing after the possibility of Jotuns. Best to sit and wait for some time. I do not think-."
"Loki, Hogun, will you not join us?" Thor called back, his bright blue gaze turning to the pair, lips frozen in such a wide smile it made Loki's cheeks hurt to look at it.
"Of course, brother." Loki was all smiles as well, pretending he hadn't seen the way the villagers had flinched at his name. As he thought, he was not welcome among them. "We were simply discussing that perhaps we should go on a hunt to provide the Midgardians with food that they may prepare for us. It would be the least we could do; surely a demonstration of your prowess would be welcomed by all."
Hogun's slight shift in front of Loki was enough to tell him that he had played that well, and Thor's laughter echoed through the mostly frozen air. "How thoughtful you are! See, he bares you no ill will!" So the collective distaste for the silver-tongued prince had not gone unnoticed. "We will hunt and provide you with such creatures you shall be well fed for many moons! Come now," he beckoned to his friends after he shook off the two women at his side. They shivered at the cold, now forced to face it without Thor's heat, and Loki took the moment to gauge just how chilled they must have been. The cloaks of the Midgardians were not nearly thick enough to prevent the weather from seeping into their bones, and as the company strode through the city square Loki noticed only one pair of blue eyes staring up at them, rather than down. Her red hair was a torch against the cold, white backdrop, and her attentive gaze made his feet and heart stutter for a moment. She was shivering so badly he could see it from where he stood, and with sure steps he broke rank and pulled the cloak from his shoulders to wrap it around hers.
"Keep warm," he murmured, surprised to find she didn't shy away from his touch. Perhaps she was simply a wanderer who knew nothing of them. The others in the company had stopped, watching him with thinly veiled interest, as Loki pressed his lips to the woman's forehead before striding off to join them once more.
"So a Midgardian has caught the elusive Loki's attention?" Fandral teased, his own gaze turning to the beauty Loki left behind. Loki felt his hands ball into fists.
"Some of us prefer to pick one or two, rather than a whole harem," he reminded Fandral. "It makes for better company and certainly a better reputation."
That was enough to set the warrior off, insisting as they took up walking again that it was not possible for his honor to be in question when he had proven himself time and time again to be a powerful fighter and such a skilled lover that women would have sold all they owned for a night between his sheets.
"I'll sell all that I own if it'll get you to shut your mouth," Sif retorted, her tone as bracing as the chill that followed them into the deep woods. It was more than enough to cut Fandral off, though he spent most of the time sulking. Thor remained silent, in tune to what the forest was telling him, what scent was on the wind, and which direction they should follow next according to the tracks within the snow. It was the perfect time for Loki to go blank as well, though he cast out his magic to try and feel around for what he could find. His results were inconclusive, and he managed to catch Hogun's eye and shake his head. This was not a storm brought on by magic, and the theory that it was a Frost Giant attack seemed to gain a little more credit, even if the thought put Loki immediately on edge. What could they possibly gain from attempting a second invasion of Midgard? Had Laufey not learned his lesson after all?
The deer on Midgard were easier to hunt than any creature on Asgard, their patterns too simple to predict to give Thor much sport for very long, and between the six of them the haul they brought back in was enormous enough to give the villagers pause, especially when Volstagg asked for three deer to be set aside strictly for him. The glutton. Loki's eyes searched out the gathered crowd, seeking the green of his cloak and the red-head hiding beneath it, but she was nowhere to be found. As the villagers set to work skinning the beasts and preparing the fires Thor crossed over to take his brother aside.
"Who was that woman that you showed favor to? Are you two acquainted?" He asked, his voice soft as they stepped around the outskirts of the village. His face was illuminated by the fading sun and a certain cunning streak that Loki was sure he'd seen earlier. It made him roll his eyes.
"She simply looked cold; I only meant to help her when it was clear she had no idea who I was." Loki defended, his chin rising an inch or so to look into his brother's eyes, defiant.
Thor cackled. "Oh, you are attracted to her, then? I do suppose the mystery of your lineage may be intriguing for her, but she is a mortal, brother. You know the rules. You may play with her, and enjoy her company for a short while, but more than that-."
"I do not think I am the one who needs a reminder in rules, brother." His eyebrows rose as he dared his brother to refute it.
"No, but you are getting defensive already. Watch yourself little brother, your facade is slipping." Thor grinned, having gotten the desired reaction from his brother for the second time that day, and Loki actually cursed this time. They were spending far too much time verbally sparring if Thor was beginning to pick up on some of Loki's tricks; he would have to change that. Not another word was spoken between the as Thor squeezed Loki's shoulder before passing and calling for the Midgardian women he had been attended to before. Fandral was already locking lips with one of them, while Volstagg and Sif pelted him with most whatever they could find, determined not to make a big enough scene that the woman could tell what was happening, but just enough that the blond man jolted every few seconds. Hogun had disappeared, likely to check the border, which was the best plan Loki had heard thus far and left to meet up with him. None would miss him, and indeed as he stepped through the snowy pathways to the outskirts the mortals parted ways to give him room enough to step through. One hissed an insult behind his back, and he turned to grab the man by the thick collar before he could skirt away. Loki's eyes darkened and he watched the man shake in terror, his own brown eyes blown wide in terror. He couldn't have been over forty in mortal years, hair peppered with black and grey hair and had the cuts and scars of a man who had seen his time in battle, yet as talented as he was to survive the fighting he was not intelligent enough, it seemed, to keep his mouth shut. So Loki would help him with that. With his free hand he passed it slowly over the man's lips, and watched with the smallest of smirks as his victim's eyes widened further, trying to pull his lips apart to scream. They could not be separated, at least not for some time.
"Think on your sins in silence," Loki growled. "And should you speak my name once more in disdain I will have your tongue for my supper and your skull will be picked clean by Odin's ravens. Am I understood? Nod your head."
The man's whole body shook as he nodded, tears clouding his eyes, before Loki threw him back into the snow. He stumbled to his feet and took off running, slipping as he went, and every so often throwing terrified looks back at the god. Loki only chuckled.
"And you wonder why they hate you." Sif joined him from behind, followed by Hogun, who had apparently finished checking the perimeter. Loki stiffened, his face going blank as he turned to face her. There was another who he'd wronged with his mischief, and she'd never quite let him live it down. Though, in all fairness, the black hair really did suit her better. It certainly fit her personality: all work and very little play. They could have been friends, Loki had thought on many occasion, if she could ever pull the stick out of her ass.
"Thor has his bravado, I have my tricks." Loki said with a shrug. "They are each useful tools in their own way."
"They don't fear Thor the way they fear you; he doesn't revel in their pain."
"Not to you, perhaps." Loki shot her the quickest of smiles, all teeth and malice. What did she know of his brother but what he showed to the surface; what did any of them know? Loki may have acted on his darker desires, but Thor harbored them the same as his younger brother. He was simply better at pushing them aside, at least until the blood lust set in.
His eyes turned to Hogun. "What did you find? I take it you told the Lady?"
Sif snarled at the nickname, winding her hand back to sink it into Loki's gut, when Hogun caught it. "We need him." The grim man murmured to the angered goddess.
Sif practically spat, her eyes narrowed in her contempt. Loki simply smiled, smug. Yes, they did. Hogun explained in the silence that followed that he hadn't found any trace of the giants, if they were in fact the culprits, and Loki was pensive as he considered that. He could not think what else could possibly cause a winter this fierce, but before he could say much more there was a cry from the forest. Female and dredged in terror, before it was silenced.
The three Asgardians flew into action, racing past the tree line towards the sound. Sif already had her spear drawn, Hogun his sword, and Loki's hands were finding his knives when they managed to catch sight of blue skin before it winked out of sight, dragging a pale, pink figure behind it. They tracked it through the forest as quickly as possible, their eyes searching the rest of the forest for a sign of an ambush, or else to follow the trail. That option ran out as they arrived in an empty, almost circular clearing deep into the woods. Sif whirled, all silent grace and sharp eyes, as she tried to find the abductor, or the woman who had been taken, but it was Hogun who spotted the body first. Or what was left of it.
Loki's mouth went dry. Never before had he known Jotuns to commit such violent crimes, and the woman's body had been completely rendered limb by limb, each of them skewered on branches of the tree. The gaping hole in her chest aided to the idea that her heart had been ripped out, and all three warriors looked on in shock.
"Still believe it is a Jotun?" Loki murmured to Hogun, whose lips were pressed hard together, though it wasn't as if he had another explanation for the blue skin of the creature. It was not long before the other three of their party joined them, along with three or four mortal men. One of them fell to the ground and emptied his stomach, the others simply whispered in horror. Loki was certain he'd heard his name mentioned once or twice, but before he could defend himself, insist that he'd been with the others while this had happened, Thor wheeled on the man.
"You will not speak such vile words," he growled, towering over the man, his face darkening like an oncoming storm.
"You promised us protection," the man managed to stutter back. "And this happens? What protection can you bring if your own brother-."
But what Loki did was never announced. The man's head was bashed in with Mjolnir, the heavy metal of the hammer making a dull clang as it dashed the man's brain against the snow. "Does anyone else suggest my brother is to blame?" Thor demanded of the remaining men. They all were quick to shake their heads, and Loki crossed over to his brother.
"Thor, what are you doing?"
"You will not defend yourself so others must do it for you." Thor growled, shaking his brother's hand off. "Now, tell me what you know about this creature and be quick. Did you see it? You were all three here before we were." His eyes turned to look to Sif and Hogun, both of which had gone quiet.
"I may have seen blue skin-at least it looked like it," Sif recounted, and yes, Loki had seen it too. But what type of creature was blue skinned and this vicious? As they had expected, Thor tensed at the mention. If there was one race that the prince of Asgard hated above all others it was the Jotuns, and his fury was enough to send the other men swiftly backtracking to the village with the remains of the victim before they caught the brunt of the fury and ended up dead like their companion. Well thought out, as the next moment Thor yelled out and slung his hammer deep into the forest, uprooting trees and smashing through whatever got in its way before it was pulled back as though on a leash.
Loki caught his brother by the arm as he made to release Mjolnir once more. "Brother, stop. Think. We must go speak to the villagers about this. Perhaps this is not the first time it has happened, and perhaps they will have seen something," Loki soothed, squeezing harder when Thor turned to glare at him. He could see the faintest hints of berserker mode, and he changed tact. "After we have gathered what information we have, we can hunt down this monster. Yes?"
Silence. "Yes."
Good. They made their way back to the village, speaking amongst themselves to try and come up with a plan, or even an idea what could have done this. Thor was fixated on giant, while Loki insisted it could not have been. They were a monstrous race, but they were not that gruesome.
"Perhaps we ought to call the Allfather and ask for his assistance." Suggested Fandral, an idea that was nearly instantly shot down. No, to involve the Allfather was a poor decision; he would be furious they came down to Midgard without his permission as it was. Why anger him further? Thor denounced it with the assertion that he had to prove himself a worthy leader, a worthy king. Loki just stayed silent, trying to think.
The villagers had congregated around the body brought back by the other village men; the women wailed and the children were pushed away to keep from seeing what had happened. Loki walked amongst them, examining the body and listening into their conversations. Seemed they blamed a woman named Natalia for the incident, saying that such misfortunes had only started when she had arrived. Loki was silent, thinking it over. "Who is this Natalia?" He asked one of the gossiping women. She turned bright pink, flushed with her embarrassment and pleasure at being asked.
"The woman who you gave the cloak to, m'lord." She rasped. "The one with hair like fire? That is the girl-Natalia Romanova."
Loki stiffened and thanked the woman for her help, squeezing her wrinkled and knotted hand. He took off to find her, the one named Natalia, and managed to catch sight of the green of his cloak whipping out of sight some time later, heading back towards the woods. His stomach tightened. Was it possible that the rumors were real? Was that why he had gravitated towards her, because she was more nefarious than the others? These thoughts galloped in Loki's head as he tracked her deep into the now darkening wood. Her footsteps were as silent as his, leaving him to track the indents in the snow alone. Lucky for him his eyesight wasn't dependent on the sun, and he caught her huddled just outside what he could make out to be the opening of a cave. She was deep in his cloak, holding it tight around her small body, and her attention was just as distracted when he came up behind her and clapped his hand over her mouth. She squirmed within his hold, thrashing and breaking his nose. The blood was hot as it dripped down his face but he held fast while the bone and cartilage healed itself. "Natalia, I am not here to harm you. Stop fighting me so I can explain myself."
She froze at his voice, turning her head back to look at him. "You." She whispered. He nodded. "You don't want to ask me why this happened?"
Of course he did, but he shook his head. "I was simply curious where you were getting to."
"I think I tracked down the monster to here." She whispered, watching the blood vanish from his face. "But what are you all, and how can you hope to fight the, whatever this is?"
"We are gods." He murmured, distracted by the cave she had been watching. "And believe me when I tell you that it is possible for the six of us to destroy this creature."
"You can't be. Gods don't exist."
"Neither do monsters." He reminded her. "Now, how do you know?"
"That you cannot be a god?"
"That the monster is here."
She struck him with a look that said their conversation wasn't over, but launched into a hushed explanation about how she had seen wide, large footsteps leading this way, and the noises were "not of this world." Said the disbeliever of gods; what could she have known about what this world held? He ignored it for the time, favoring the opening of the cave, almost willing whatever was in it to show itself. He didn't have much time to wait. There was a low growl, a snap of something that sounded like bone, and a chomp. A pair of cleaned rib bones were thrown out of the cage and a deep voice growled something in a language he'd only heard the Allfather mention in passing, and never in a positive light; the old tongue was not a harbinger of anything positive. It sent chills up Lokis back, his fingers finding and tightening over the knife at his side. His mind flew back to Thor, wondering if he had time to get a message to his brother.
"Look." Natalia's voice was no more than a hiss in his ear as she pointed to the caves entrance. Emerging was the smallest Jotun Loki had ever seen; he was easily around six feet tall, his stomach was practically concave so that his ribs all but stuck out of his skin, which was a pale blue-grey in color. His mouth was blood stained and teeth crooked, while his red eyes looked glazed, as though he hadn't seen a proper meal in some time.
So much for Loki's assurances that it wasn't a Jotun, but what was a runt doing here, so far from home? The Frost Giants had no love or compassion for weakness within their race, yet one runt still survived. If it could be called surviving. Loki swallowed hard as he hunkered down in their place, the handle of his knife suddenly hot in his hand. Natalia's eyes had gone wide and he could hear her breath hitch. Unfortunately, so could the Jotun, and its red eyes turned to where the pair of them were hiding. Blast. Loki projected a clone of himself a few yards behind the Jotun, causing the beast to whip around and run headlong towards it.
"Go, go!" Loki hissed at Natalia, pushing her back towards the village. He followed after her without much of a question, his feet feeling heavy as his heart launched itself up into his throat. He could hear the scream and the fury of the Jotun as it tore through his clone to find it an illusion. They'd made it halfway back to the village, Loki practically pulling the red head after him to force her to keep up, when the beast caught up with them. His blue hand wrapped itself around her arm and yanked her back and out of Loki's grip. The sorcerer turned and snarled, trying to alert his brother to their position with a scream as he lunged himself at the giant. They were decently matched, in height and build, and where the Jotun had obscene strength Loki had speed. He managed to yank her away from the creature before her skin turned blue-a lucky feat, though Loki even pondered if it had the ability to wither and frost over the skin of any non-Jotun as many of its kin would have had. It was so weak, after all, yet even despite its weakness it managed to grab hold of Loki's throat and squeeze the life practically out of him.
His drop to the ground was preceded by sound of something slicing through the air past his ear, and the clang of metal on bone. The Jotun fell to the ground with a howl of pain, and the familiar sound of Mjolnir flying back to her owner's hands filled Loki's ears, along with shouts from the Warriors Three inquiring about Loki's well being. Thor simply thundered past and grabbed at the Jotun. As he rose to sit up Loki caught him snarling in his face as he lifted him up by the throat to face the prince.
"You have no right to be on Midgard," Thor yelled, his eyes narrowing as he shook the blue, pathetic creature in front of him. "Your king," the word came out mingled with a derisive laugh, "has lost rights to visit this world. Give me a sufficient explanation as to why you are here and if I find your information useful then I shall spare you. Now speak!"
The Jotun's red eyes were glazed over more than it had been before, drunk on pain and the blood that seeped from the cracked skin and near dent in its blue skull. He hardly could make a noise, let alone give an answer outside of: "Exile. Kill me."
Thor was more than happy to oblige.
Natalia was huddled by one of the large fires near the center of the city, Loki's cloak wrapped tightly around her as she stared into the flames until Loki was certain her lovely blue eyes would be burned out. Hogun had recommended they return to Asgard to alert the Allfather, unable to keep this from him in good faith, and Loki was simply waiting for them to finish arguing amongst themselves about the best way to approach the subject. Natalia was a welcome distraction. He stepped closer to her, making sure that his footsteps were loud enough for her to hear, and as expected she turned to face him before he could get too close. Her gaze softened when she saw him.
"Hello." She murmured as she scooted aside to offer him a seat beside her on the wooden bench. He took it with a quick smile. They sat in silence and for once Loki found that words were unnecessary, only able to cheapen the moment. Her hand moved over to his to brush against his knuckles, and he let her squeeze his hand. He would have to leave soon, able to hear the crunching snow beneath the feet of those in his company, and his eyes sought to find hers.
"Will you be here again?"
"Yes."
"Can I visit you again?" He asked, the words falling from his lips before he could try and catch them. As if he wanted to. She intrigued him, the way a new species intrigued those who studied the environment. It was only natural that he would want to visit her once more. Study her, he meant.
Did he?
"You're leaving? What if more of those come back?"
"They won't. We will be keeping a much closer eye on this world and keep it safe."
"We?"
"I did tell you we were gods."
Thor is beside them now, his smile kind as he looked from the red headed woman to his brother. The latter moved to stand and Natalia looked up at the two of them. Her expression was enough to tell Loki she didn't believe him, and he extended a hand to lift her up with a smile of his own, this one full of mischief.
"I cannot bring you up to Asgard, but allow me to prove it."
Fandral stared back at Natalia the entire walk back to the Bifrost site, unable to wrap his mind around the idea that Loki had managed to snag the attention of such a beautiful woman before Fandral was able to. It made Loki smirk but he didn't let it affect him in any other way. When they finally made it to the site Loki pulled Natalia closer to murmur in her ear that he would be back within four to five days. He told her to keep her eyes open, too, and with a quick grin and a peck at her cheek, he slipped back towards his brother and friends. Natalia's gaze was curious, and for one moment Loki could to catch the surprise and shock in her eyes when the rainbow light hit the group and they were pulled back up and into the sky.
Thor couldn't be stopped from boasting when they get back to Asgard about how they saved a poor village from the further terror of the Frost Giants, how Loki was brave enough to find the trail that led them to the beast, and how grateful the Midgardians were of their bravery. He gives credit where it's due, Loki had always admitted, though it's simply a matter of how often he tells the story that will dictate just how often he will mention the part the others play. By the time he retells it to the Allfather Thor had single-handedly ripped the Jotun's arm off, and tracked the beast back himself to destroy the monster, as though he was some Midgardian mortal who thought himself a great hero. What was worse was that the Allfather ate it up as the truth, not bothering to ask where the others were, or what had happened to the rest of the company as to why they were not within the story. That wasn't what bothered Loki, however. Thor was finished with his story and grinning when he brought up Natalia whom he described as the mortal who "thawed Loki's frozen heart."
That, it seemed, was enough to get the Allfather's unwavering attention. His one good eye met Loki's gaze, and his youngest son flushed under the attention.
"Is this true?" Odin asked, voice light, though Loki knew just what it entailed. Nothing good ever followed a question such as that.
"She was intriguing; it was nothing more than a passing fancy."
Thor opened his mouth to deny it, but Loki's eyes caught him first and he went silent instead. The Allfather didn't bring it up again, though his gaze told Loki that he would be paying very close attention to his second son. The black-haired man cursed his brother's ignorance, and slugged him in the shoulder once they were clear of the throne room.
"Did you have to tell him?" Loki hissed, shooting a glare at his brother.
Thor let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Loki you cannot tell me that you are serious about this mortal. She is as you said, a passing fancy. She can be nothing more than that."
But why? Because she was mortal, or because he was a prince and more was expected out of him than what he'd wanted? After all, since when had it ever mattered what plans Loki had had for himself in the grand scheme of things? To the Allfather it was of no importance.
Loki had never been more glad of his ability to traverse between worlds without the use of the Bifrost, and though the old pathways were often dangerous-unstable and easy for others to learn of and penetrate when used too often-Loki promised himself that he would just visit her the once. It was likely she was already married as so many of the Midgardian women seemed to be, and would therefore have duties and expectations set of her that he should not have been interfering with. He was simply on Midgard to fulfill his curiosity, nothing more. He let himself believe that as he cut his way through worlds and reappeared at day break in the village he'd visited before. The weather was more gentle this time, hardly a puff of wind and with the sun peeking out on occasion as it rose into the sky. The beginnings of a lovely day, he thought with a smile, as he strode through the wet snow towards the center of the village where he hoped to find Natalia. Perhaps it was dumb luck that he found her when he did, collecting snow to melt for water just a few feet away from his final destination. Hair like fire, that's what the old woman in the village had said about her red curls, and they caught his attention as quickly as ever. She seemed to sense him before she could even hear him, his footsteps too soft for most mortals to detect when he wanted them to be, and when her head rose it was with a smile on her lips.
"Loki. I suppose I was wrong about you," she murmured, standing and balancing the metal bucket on her hip as she surveyed him.
"I suppose you were. Are you busy?"
She paused, licking her lips as she looked back at her house. Her shoulders were tense, and as he looked closer there was a bruise peeking out from just beneath her collar. He'd seen similar ones on Thor after he'd finished coupling with a wench. Loki must have been right about her having a husband. "I have some time to spare, I suppose. Did you have something in mind?" Her blue eyes were alight with curiosity that Loki found he could hardly stomach. If she was married he ought not to have come back; it was only going to prepare him for disappointment.
"If you have a husband to be getting back to I would not have you getting in trouble on my behalf for neglecting him." Loki said, his tone taking a sharper turn than perhaps it should have.
Her fingers instinctivly pulled at her collar, tugging it over the marks that must have peppered her skin. "I have no husband," she murmured. "Merely visitors. I am sure you can understand what my job is and why the women do not trust me."
Ah. It made his stomach turn even worse; he'd rather she have been married. They stood there in silence, neither quite sure what to say until Natalia invited him inside. "I do not have any plans for the day," she promised him. "And I was just cleaning up so until you decide what you were about to invite me to do you are welcome to a sit down and some breakfast." Her smile was charming enough that he couldn't blame the men in the village for being taken in with her. After all, he was in the same position, more or less, wasn't he? He followed her inside, ignoring the questions he wished to act in exchange for more tactful ones.
"You just moved here, did you not?" He took a seat on one of her rickety chairs, the wood groaning under the weight of his leathers and metals.
"My, someone is a gossip," she flashed him a smirk as she placed the bucket over a small fire she'd started in a makeshift hearth. From there she moved slowly around the room, picking up odds and ends as she went to try and make it look far more comfortable, before she joined him at the table. "Yes, I just moved here from a nearby village; I got caught doing . . . what I do, and it was either I get burned at the stake for being a witch or left before they could get their hands on me." Her shrug was quick, noncommittal, drawing Loki's attention to the marks on her shoulders and leaving him to wonder just how far down they traveled. With a jolt he thought about his own lips making their way down her pale skin, leaving marks of his own while it was his name on her lips, out of genuine delight not forced enjoyment. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable, and changed the topic.
They kept the conversation up for some time, and as promised Natalia didn't have any other arrangements or appointments she had to keep, allowing them to laze about for the majority of the day. As time slipped away from Loki he felt himself being further drawn into her story and her life. She'd been orphaned from a young age, taken in by a kind man, and when he'd died shortly after her seventh birthday she'd been forced to find work where she could, trained as a prostitute until she was old enough to start paying back her debts. She ran away from the whore house when she was old enough, after being beaten one too many times, and had been jumping from city to city since then. The prince couldn't help but be sympathetic, and as he sat opposite her his mind soared as it tried to come up with a solution to her problems. Surely there was some way he could help her.
As he prepared to leave for the evening-though she insisted he was more than welcome to stay, and he hoped that was because she was just as interested in their conversation as he had been-his mind finally crafted an idea.
"If you would like I can assist you with your money troubles. You could move somewhere much nicer, enjoy a higher quality of life." He licked his lips, choosing his words carefully as her head cocked to the side, eyes curious.
"How do you mean? You have magic, yes, but how could you possibly help me?"
He held out his hand and a stack of gold coins appeared in his hand. Natalia couldn't help her eyes from widening; never before had she seen so much money in one place, though she was trained well enough to keep from reaching out to it. He pushed it into her hands, so much that it practically spilled between her fingers, and waited until she put it away, locked in a small wooden chest beside the straw mattress she must have slept on every night. He watched as her eyes resolved to something he couldn't quite read, and when she moved back to him it was with a cant in his hips that was unfamiliar and impossible for him to take his eyes from. She stopped just in front of him, one hand slowly snaking its way up his chest, feeling the leather and gold beneath her fingertips, and stopping only when it curled itself in his hair and dragged his lips down to meet hers. They were soft, yielding to his, and when Loki pulled away she let out a quiet groan. If he wasn't so good at detecting a lie he'd have almost believed she wanted him.
"No-you misunderstand me." He breathed, voice ragged before he cleared it. "I don't need-that's not what I want." Once again words were becoming difficult, especially under her curious, almost hurt, gaze. "It's a gift. It won't disappear, and I do not mean to offend you but I do not intend for you to feel pressured to do . . . what it is you do."
She didn't quite seem to understand, her fingers still trailing down his chest as she stared up at him. "You don't? But that's what all men want."
"But I am not a man, am I?" He chuckled. "And I am sure that you are very, very good at what you do, and you flatter me with the attention but I do not require your, ah, affections."
She still didn't quite get it, but didn't fight his decision, pulling away from Loki. Her head turned so that she could look back at the money she'd just stowed away and Loki tipped her head back to face him. "I told you: it is a gift. Keep it. It makes me happy enough to help you."
"Thank you," she said, biting her bottom lip as her brow furrowed. Loki pulled away from her to step out the door when she stopped him one last time. With light feet and quick strides she crossed over to the other side of the house and picked up the cloak he had given her. She offered it to him, but he simply put his hand up.
"Please, I don't need it back."
As the time passed he came to visit her more and more frequently, managing to sneak away nearly every day to visit her. He began neglecting his general duties, ignoring Thor's questions of where he went every day, and even shrugged Frigga off when she came to him with concern about his absence.
"It is nothing," he assured her with a smile on the second week she came to him, his hands finding her shoulders and smiling down at her. The queen had to admit that she had never seen her second son so happy, though for the life of her she could not imagine why he was being so secretive. Not that he was often so open about his plans with most others, but with her? He was not one to keep secrets from his mother.
"Loki, please tell me." She pleaded, one hand moving up to caress the side of his face, her other seeking his own out. He waved her off, just smiling.
"Trust me when I tell you it is nothing of import." He assured her, and with a quick press of his lips to her forehead he strode off again. When he drew close she could detect a whiff of something not of Asgard. Something mortal. She stared after her son, brow drawing closer in her concern, and resigned herself to keep her worries to herself. If she went to the Allfather there was hardly a way of telling how Odin would react, especially after he'd warned Frigga of his concerns, and what would have to be done if Loki continued to interfere in Midgard.
For a full month Loki took it upon him to visit Natalia, bringing her small gifts of Asgard as well as more money that she knew what to do with. She'd managed to quit her old job, and Loki was happy to see that she carried herself with a bit more dignity, more pep and a wider smile than he'd thought possible. They could spend hours talking and hardly touching, or else she'd invite him to her bed to shuck off his armor and massage the tension of a hard-won sparring session out of his shoulders. They never went further than kissing, though it was clear the pair were looking forward to the day when they did, but Loki wasn't about to push her any further than she felt comfortable with. Not after what she'd been through.
She asked him why not one night, his arm wrapped loosely around her midsection as they lay side by side, her head turning so she could face him. Loki's eyes looked off, staring into the fire that was just opposite them, crackling merrily against the cold of the night.
"You deserve someone who is willing to wait until you want to give yourself to them," he murmured in her ear, voice low as he pressed his lips gently to the soft spot behind her ear. She could barely suppress a shiver as it rolled down her spine, and he smiled against her skin. "I want to wait until you are ready."
Again she shuddered in his hold, but when he pulled away to look at her she was keeping her face closer to the bed. He could smell salt in the air and for a moment he thought he'd offended her. He scrambled to apologize quickly when she turned to him, eyes bloodshot as she stared over at him, and shook her head. One of her fingers pressed against his lips, silencing him.
"Don't you dare apologize for that." She hissed, and let him pull her into his arms as she sobbed against his chest. He spent the night with her that evening, falling asleep with her still in his grasp.
"Brother I would speak with you! Do not walk away from me!" Thor bellowed after his brother's retreating back. His voice echoed down the hallway, and the urgency that laced his words was enough to make Loki falter. A mistake, as it gave Thor the perfect opportunity to catch up. He twisted the dark-haired prince around so that they were face to face, and it started Loki to see how concerned his brother was for him. It practically bled from his eyes as they picked at Loki's expression, trying to break him down.
"Brother you need to stop these trips to Midgard."
Loki stiffened ever-so slightly, face going blank. "I beg your pardon?"
"I know what you are doing. You are visiting the Lady Natalia, and father knows it."
Again Loki didn't react. To react would be admitting to Thor that he was right, and to admit to Thor that he was right was more than Loki wished to bear (even if it was the truth.)
"Do you love her, brother?" Thor asked, stepping away in his disbelief. When Loki neither denied or confirmed Thor let out a harsh breath. "You are the intelligent one in the family, Loki, and I told you to leave it as a fancy. Take her as a consort but love? We aren't allowed it with a mortal."
How dare he? After every rule he bent or broke, after each time he ignored what they were allowed and not allowed to do, Thor was going to lecture him? Loki pulled away, eyes narrowed as he glared at his brother. "I beg your pardon?"
"The mortal, the one with red hair whom you gave your cloak to-do not play the fool with me, brother. I am trying to save you." The blond man was insistent, trying to search past Loki's mask to find some semblance of care within his face. It was for naught. "Father knows about her, and he knows that you have been visiting her and giving her money from the treasury. It may not be a significant amount as she does not require much to live off of, but Father is furious. You must not go today." He reached out again and Loki stepped back.
"Why? What is this new found understanding of rules and regulations, brother? You have a knack for destroying them without so much as a care in the world, yet the moment I so much as tiptoe over the line you all act as though I have committed treason against our father." Loki's voice had grown soft in his fury, his eyes flashing and teeth bared at the thought. He hardly realized what he was saying, the dark words slipping past his lips and tongue without much care. Thor's face looked stricken, the eldest prince not familiar with the art of keeping his features schooled, so Loki could see every ounce of betrayal as it played across his visage.
"I know I am not a paradigm of virtue, brother, but I say this now because I care for you, and I care about your well-being. If you visit Midgard tonight the Allfather will apprehend you and he will punish you."
"I don't care."
"You should, brother. He will bind your magic to you so that you cannot use it; he sees your infatuation as a threat to the realm. I may be reckless, but you are reckless so long as this woman remains so high in your favor. Any could find her and use her against you, and you would do anything and everything to save her. Do not deny it."
Loki couldn't and he knew it. He was a good liar but there was no point when Thor would only call his bluff. Instead he turned away and scoffed, hands balling into fists at his sides before releasing.
"Did you tell him?" he accused, voice quiet.
"No, but he is not called the Allfather for nothing. Loki, you knew it would only be a matter of time before he found out."
There was nothing else to be said, and with a heavy heart Loki resigned himself to the library. Thor called out after him once more and as ever Loki ignored him. He had nothing left to say to his brother, instead burying himself in his studies. Once or twice he considered going to Odin to give him an idea of exactly what he was thinking, but decided against it. To call attention to his father's beliefs would only put truth behind them. If he wished the freedom he had gotten so used to, and had taken for granted, he would have to be patient. He worked throughout the night, not wishing to sleep, yet desperatey wanting for something to pass the time.
It was three days later when Loki was finally able to get away, confident that for once he would be able to slink away. He would only go for a few hours to check on Natalia and ensure that she was still doing well, to promise her he had not forgotten her, and that he would return as often as he could spare. As per the norm, he arrived just outside the village as the sun was climbing above the horizon line. The birds sang merrily in the trees, the snow melting under the heat of the oncoming spring, and Loki felt the usual smile play on his lips as he crossed towards the small house. The smile was short lived once Loki caught sight of the opened, busted door, and the stale scent of copper that clung to the air just outside the house. His stomach dropped to the ground as he raced forward. In the morning light he could see her body sprawled out and bare on the straw mattress, eyes wide as they stared blankly up at the ceiling, her normally pale throat stained with now blackened blood. Her mouth was filled with a scarf he knew she favored, likely to muffle her screams, and Loki felt his knees give way. He stretched out a hand to grab a hold of the table before he fell down, own scream of disbelief caught in his throat as he stared at her limp, pale body. No. No-he was only gone for three days! Once he could walk again he stepped slowly over towards her, his hand reaching out to take hers. It was deathly cold, and he pressed it to his cheek as he knelt beside her and wept openly. Three days. Three days thanks to Thor and the Allfather, and now his Natalia was dead.
As he gasped for breath some twenty minutes later he stared around the room, looking for any sign or clue of who could have done it. The chest she kept her money in was missing, he noticed upon further investigation, and with a sinking feeling he felt guilt rise in his throat. If he hadn't given her so much money perhaps this might not have happened. Perhaps it wouldn't have attracted the attention of a less desirable clientele and Natalia might . . . And why had her body not been buried? The blood had crusted around her wounds, so she had been there for some time, likely for over a day, judging by how cold and nearly blue her body was. Why had the villagers not investigated her? He felt his sorrow turn to rage in his veins, felt himself standing up and pulling her body into his arms. With some magic he conjured a white dress to cover her, and his footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as he crossed out to dig her a grave.
He couldn't help but give himself to his anger the entire time he worked, so that even when he tried to magic the snow away in place of flowers he only set fire to the trees on either side of him. Very well. If his magic would not allow him to do good, then he would do what he was best at.
The villagers had grown used to seeing Loki walking within their village, so his presence no longer attracted the attention it once had. He even was smiled at by one or two passersby, though he didn't return the gesture. There was much business already going on in the market square, and he started there. The first knife left his hand before he fully understood what he was doing, burying itself into the back of a passing man. He cried out and fell to the ground, dead by the time his face buried itself in the snow. There was a scream, and the woman who alerted the others was the next to die, Loki appearing in front of her to bury his second dagger hilt-deep into her heart, not caring that it got stuck in between the ribs; it only made him dig the blade in further. Now there were more screams as the possessed god turned from man to woman to child, slaughtering any who got in his way, and trapping those who tried to run with his magic. All would suffer the way Natalia did.
He was covered in blood by the time the sun was wholly in the sky, and even as he sheathed his two daggers back at his side he couldn't stop from feeling empty. He didn't suppose he would ever feel whole again. He was about to disappear off to some random planet or moon to mourn properly when he was stopped in his place by a young girl looking up at him. Her skin was gaunt from the blood loss, and the black of her hair contrasted so sharply with her skin color it reminded him of someone else. Someone who could help.
Never before bad such a bargain been struck, and if it had not been her father demanding it Hela would have told him to be on his way before she made him pay for his disrespect. Her eyes, black as her hair, stared him down from where she sat on her throne of skulls and bones, her fingers playing with the hardened ivory. As it was, the fire in his eyes nearly burned her alive as he demanded: "I don't care what the cost. Bring her back to me."
"Father, I am not quite sure you understand what you ask."
"Hela, when have I come to you with a request before?" He asked, his eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to her seat. She hissed for him to stay where he was but he ignored it. "I come to you now with one simple task. Bring. Her. Back. I will give you what you want, but you bring her back to me."
"You dare make demands of me? I am the queen of Hel!"
"And I am your father!" His voice echoed through the hall, and she couldn't stop herself from cowering. Never before had he raised his voice to her, and never before had someone ever terrified her so much. Even though she knew she could have his heart in her hand in a moment, torture his soul for all of eternity, he was her father and . . . she was sure she could get at least one good favor from him.
"Fine. I cannot bring her back the way she was before, only put her soul back into another body. Reincarnation, the mortals call it. If you loved her as you claim to have, you will have to prove it to her once more; she will not remember who you were or what you two shared. Understood?"
He nodded, movements jerky as he stared up at his daughter. "When can you do it?"
"You must give me time. This is magic that I have never worked before, father, but she will return, and you will know her when you see her. But give it time."
"What do you want in return."
Here it was Hela's turn to smirk, her expression going coy. "I wish for a favor, one I can call in at any time of my choosing. Do you agree?" She held out her thin, emaciated hand. Without so much as a moment's hesitation Loki took it and shook.
"I do. Just give me Natalia back."
A/N: I don't own any of these characters, they are all the property of Marvel. The title of the song comes from "Breath of Life" by Florence + The Machine. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!