Um...okay.
Well, I was feeling dark and angsty and remembered someone had mentioned a continuance of "Masquerade", and this sort of came shooting forth from that recollection.
I suppose it doesn't have to be considered a sequel, but it would be better understood if you read the aforementioned piece first.
As usual, this is short, and as usual, I so greatly apologize. I simply can't help it with these things ;)
Hope you enjoy, I disclaim all! And be warned that this is dark and a little violent and in some spots might just plain not make any sense o.0 I dunno. I don't pay attention when I write these things down ^.^
His body shuddered, wracked with tremors of an unknown origin.
One knee digging firmly into the ground outside the Shield compound, Thor swayed and nearly slumped forward into the mud when the sickening dizziness overwhelmed him.
He straddled the limp and lifeless body beneath him. His left hand shook uncontrollably as it fisted into wet, black cloth.
His chest heaved and despite his immortality he felt he would stop breathing and die, right there, at any moment.
And if he did, he would welcome it without a thought.
The Bifrost had not taken long to repair—not with his blue eyes practically aglow with rage and his voice loud and fierce, commanding the work to never slow until final competition was met.
He had felt the heat of bloodlust fill his gut when the Allfather had used his power to help pinpoint the location of his prey.
And yes, yes….it was his prey that lay still and cold in the muck and rain and blood that soaked the Midgaard soil.
Thor ground his teeth together and his eyes blurred at the sight underneath his bulk.
He hardly remembered the altercation, aside from the fog of magic that surrounded them and the sudden rush of the blind and agonizing need to kill.
The sound of crunching bones and gargled blood and wheezing breaths echoed in his ears.
As did the wicked sneering voice of his brother's threat in the Bifrost chamber.
And the victorious whisper Loki had spoken into her ear just before taking her away forever.
And the distant ring of her laugh in what was left of his sanity.
Loki's green eyes darkened in death as they stared up at him.
Mjolnir roared and burned his palm as it willed him to keep spilling blood.
Thor felt the liquid heat of tears slide down his face and the sudden loss of all he had ever known and wanted and loved hit his chest like the strongest of Frost Giants.
The sands whipped his cape into frenzy around him as he stared into the clear sky above the Bifrost site.
The grip on the blood-crusted corpse of his brother loosened and he nodded in sudden understanding.
Heimdall would not open the bridge. He would not allow either prince to return to the realm.
His father had not argued when he'd declared his intent to seek and destroy his brother on earth. But in light of the barbaric manner in which he had done so, the King had barred him from the gates of Asgaard forever.
Thor knew this without even needing to be told.
He had intended to bring Loki's body back to them, if for nothing else but to avoid further breaking his mother's heart.
But even that was being denied.
Thor was not angry.
He was not upset or disappointed.
He understood, and he agreed.
He dropped the stiff form into the dust and allowed himself to settle into a slouched position beside it.
Jane's deep brown gaze shined at him when he tried to close his eyes.
He clawed in pain at the dirt underneath his fingers.
A feeling unlike any other had come over him at hearing of her death by his brother's hand. It had grown in intensity as he had watched the Bifrost being reconstructed. It had struck him in full force when he'd laid eyes on Loki as he attempted to sneak his way to a weapon called "The Cube".
And it still whispered dark and cold in his head as he brought his knees to his chest in the dimming light of the desert.
For the first time in his entire life, Thor felt he finally understood something about his brother.
For the first time, he and Loki had found something they shared in common.
He closed his eyes and let Jane's haunting laughter echo in his ears.
They were alike in their madness.