There, a Oneshot.
Okay, i'm taking a small break from my other stories right now, i have a little hectic schedule, so this is it for a while, sorry.
Enjoy!
P.S. First time doing a Loki Oneshot- hope it works!
The causatum that took effect after a large battle was different, every time.
Some days, if the group had managed to stop a global threat, save the day and (in Thor, and Tony's occasion) get the girl; normally a large party or at least movie marathon would ensue.
In the horrible aftermaths of a large fire, or the days they just weren't enough, the group split, vanishing to their designated areas to help deal with the stress and fight off the nightmares before another mission came to their attention.
A few villains seemed to continuously appear while they fought- it seemed that rampaging evil mutants or genetic abnormalities in some insane biological invention was as common as seeing a lady walk a yappy dog. They saw Doom almost every Thursday, sometimes on Saturday if he was planning something big. Hammer managed to scrape up some goons and drones every once in a while, adding to the odd jumble of confusing fights and laughable foes.
However, their number one threat appeared rarely…if ever.
The Avengers had been called together to fight against Loki (How long ago that battle felt) and since then they kept him on their priority list- Jarvis scanning with no rest for a face recognition while SHIELD kept an open eye, no matter what Thor said with Loki being 'returned to Asgard.'
They were always on watch- eyes seeming to always flash to anything a particular shade of blue, or if Thor seemed to stare at something that wasn't there, Natasha's hand would drift to her hip.
But then, he'd shake it off and continue with what he was doing.
It was the ending of one of their weekly battles, Doombots destroyed in large piles while Hulk seemed OCD, setting them in precariously stacked piles of limbs and leaking oil before shrinking to a dazed and confused Banner, who quickly adorned the clothing offered to him by Clint.
"That it?" Steve asked, standing on a car which managed to balance itself on the front grill, letting him balance on the back latch while he scouted the cleared streets (The pedestrians getting used to the drills)
"Looks like it. All clear of metal monkeys up here." Tony responded, zooming between buildings, scanners running before landing on the ground near Rogers where they were re-grouping.
"Nothing on this side." Natasha shrugged, jumping from a broken window and managing to fire-man slide down a nearby flagpole, mindful of the thick ropes.
"I think we're clear to head back." Steve nodded, starting to move to where he knew Stark Towers sat rather boldly in the centre of the city.
"Wait.' Thor boomed, head craned to an odd angle, observing one of the abandoned office buildings, ignoring the shattered windows and the broken cut off reflections as he stared, not moving.
"What is it?" Clint asked, hand drawing an arrow quickly and stringing it loosely, Tony turning and looking around.
"…Listen." Thor spoke voice low and rumbling as he strained his ears, Steve doing the same while Tony increased the audio input, ears now the equivalent of a stereo with a microphone dangling in the air.
"Guys, my audio isn't detecting anything out of the norm in four square miles." Tony spoke slowly, and Natasha frowned.
"No- I hear it. It's a voice." She spoke, clicking the safety of her gun off as she scanned around, looking for the source of the noise.
"There's nobody here. Nobody's talking." Tony stressed and Thor's face looked grave as he quietly set Mjolnir down, eyes still locked on the building across from him.
"Reveal your face, Man of Iron, and listen." Thor grumbled, and Tony sighed, lifting the plate and obediently listening.
He heard nothing.
"Guys-"
"I hear it!" Steve rushed quickly, letting out a low breath as Tony looked at him in surprise, before his eyes narrowed, and he honestly listened.
'….o- h-re…-nd me-'
"What the hell?" Tony blinked, hearing the disturbing whispery voice, causing him to recoil as Steve sent him a desperate look also.
"Okay- that's cool and all Thor, but can you get that voice out of my head?" Clint shivered, and Thor frowned, eyes still locked on the building.
"…I fear not, friends." He spoke, and the voice seemed to pause before picking back up.
'H-rehereher-….-owillrunno-…getawayge-wayGETAWAY.'
Tony winced, pulling back as the voice seemed to be a shriek as the others winced, pulling back while Natasha's fingers flickered to her temples.
"A runaway mutant?" Steve grunted, and Natasha winced.
"I don't think so, Captain, this one seems like he, or she, doesn't know it's projecting." Natasha winced, and Tony flickered his faceplate down.
"No!" Thor roared, grabbing Tony's shoulder and holding him as he looked at the building.
"Whoa! Let go Point Break! Shoulder isn't made to be a squeeze toy!" Tony yelped, loosing balance and falling as Thor still looked at the building.
"Thor- what are you doi-"
'Thor?Thorishere-hideru-wayThorThor-r…'
"Okay, this thing is giving me a headache." Clint groaned, and Thor sighed, letting out a low saddened breath.
"Brother!" Thor shouted, and the Avengers froze, weapons instantly on alert, weapons drawn and pointed.
"Loki? Here- why didn't you tell u-"Steve halted as they felt a cold rush of air, and suddenly, something was in the window above.
Natasha had a gun pointed and her breathing sped up slightly as a humanoid figure stood in the window, impossible to tell the physical features from the distance, but the long intimidating cloak was the only thing that betrayed the person itself.
"Why is he here- we haven't seen him in almost a year." Steve spoke, eyes on Thor, who still didn't try for Mjolnir, and instead watched Loki, who seemed frozen in the shattered window.
'Thorishere-…sters-greenlargehurtpainpainmonst-…' The now recognizable mental stream seemed to vanish and pick back up as it breezily whispered through the air.
'…monstershereglassbrokennomon sternow-…sterstillherepainhurtsightgo nemonthsgonemonst-…hanoshurttimehurthurt-' The mental voice trailed, and vanished, and after a few tense moments Thor gently beckoned.
"Loki? Brother- will you not join us?" He called up, and Clint shot him an insane look, as if testing his mental standings.
"Are you insane?" He hissed under his breath, and Tony frowned, watching the god who recoiled, as if struck and precariously took a step closer to the ledge, whispers increasing.
'OtherstherewithThorlargegree nhurthurtthererunhurtThanosh urttimegonewakepainhurtgone-' The mental stream continued in some insane garbled speech as the god tilted his head, turning it like some sort of curios child.
"Loki, won't you come down with u-" Thor jumped, taking a step forward and stepping on a destroyed robot's arm, accidently firing out a loud blasting bullet before he pulled his leg back, watching Loki stumble back at the noise, and vanish with a loud snap.
They stared at the space where Loki stood, waiting and watching with a captured breath as minutes ticked by. Eventually, the SHIELD cleanup arrived, and they were forced to move back to the tower.
They sat in silence inside the Stark Tower, sitting in the living room and sprawled on the numerous couches each had claimed after late night consulting over battles. They sat; not talking as they silently pondered the oddness of the insane god.
"…He was not always like that." Thor spoke first, voice low, causing the others to look up.
"Who? Professor Snape out there?" Tony asked curiously, causing a confused look from Steve, and Thor ignored it.
"Loki- when we returned to Asgard, our mind healers removed what they could of the control-"
"He was controlled?" Clint spoke harshly, causing Thor to blink solemnly, and give a small nod.
"Indeed, the Chitauri's leader is adept with knowledge of minds. He was able to solidify his claim on my brother's mind by speaking orders through the scepter he held." Thor spoke low, and Bruce swallowed thickly.
He had held that scepter.
"I'm not buying it." Clint growled, looking the other way while his fist tightened, and he scowled.
"…So these alien bugs used your brother's head as a puppet?" Tony spoke, disgust obvious while Thor gave a nod, and they said nothing.
"…After we removed the hold, his mind had been harmed from the time the leader held control. Loki has not been…the safest in mind, and instead of seeking comfort with me and my family, he decided to flee. He has been traveling often now- it is not uncommon to see him hidden in the shadows of the palace gardens', as my friends have told me." Thor sighed, and Steve swallowed.
"You're letting an insane god cruise through the universe at his leisure?" Natasha asked with a lifted eyebrow, and Thor gave a weak smile.
"My brother retains enough common sense to avoid misfortunate places to be not humble with his appearance." He defended, and Clint snorted.
"He showed up here, didn't he?" He scoffed, and Thor said nothing, looking away as the silence set down once again.
It was awkward at best, each casting a look at Thor, who seemed to drop the topic.
Only to start it right back up again.
"…He used to use his tricks to entertain the other children when we were young." Thor spoke after more silence, causing Tony to scowl and Steve to look up interested.
"He'd use his illusions to entertain the others with his pictures of golden dragons and large hawks that flew through the air." Thor sighed, and Steve gave a small smile, the others not saying anything as mostly they recognized this as the time Thor could talk, rant even.
"I was…embarrassed, as the older warriors found his used of Seidr…unmanly, and mocked me for my relations. I often ignored him and instead trained with the Warrior Three and Lady Sif while Loki continued with his learning's, as much as I tried to waver his judgment." Thor sighed, and Tony frowned.
"Loki was better at that Magic thing he does- why didn't the others just accept it? In a fight, I know Loki's hocus pocus is better than any war axe." Tony shrugged, and Thor gave a sigh.
"It is womanly to take up Seidr, and men are shamed to do such an act while the acts of swordplay are much more acceptable." This time, Bruce frowned.
"So you just ignored him, because he used magic? Wasn't it useful?" He asked, honestly confused, and Thor gave a small smile.
"Aye, it was useful. I remember countless times his silver tongue and chanted words saved us. Once, when we were in Hvelgermir to slay one of Nidhogg's fierce offspring the fire drakes, Loki managed to halt all of the roaring beasts as they prepared to engulf us all with flames." Thor smiled, and Steve blinked, baffled.
"Halt them?" Natasha asked, eyebrow lifting as she imagined half dozen large lizards suspended in mid jump.
"Aye." Thor nodded with a small smile. "When we ventured to Mimisburrnr, in quest of the waters of ancient knowledge, Loki managed to teleport us to Asgard to escape the wrath of the well's guardian." Thor smiled, and this time Tony's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding me. Loki- the insane god Loki, teleported you, across worlds to escape a monster which guarded a well?" He scoffed, and Thor nodded.
"That's it- I'm done." Tony groaned, flopping back on his chair.
"I do not see what frets you so, Man of Iron." Thor blinked, tilting his head.
"He's impossible- next you're going to say he has a wife and kids." Tony snorted, and Thor opened his mouth causing Tony's eyes to widen.
"What? Are you kidding me?" Clint yelped, and Thor managed to look amused.
"I kid not, friends. Loki is the father of many, of Lady Hel of Helheimr, Jormungandr, Sleipnir, Fenris, as well as the twins, Narvi and Vali." Thor boasted, somewhat proudly although his smile faltered a little on the last to names.
"What happened to the last two?" Natasha spoke, catching the hitch, and Thor shifted.
"…Narvi passed to Valhalla when the fates punished Loki by condemning Vali to the form of a wolf to attack his brother." Thor winced, and Steve recoiled in shock.
"…Loki's kid killed the other because he did something wrong?" He gasped, and Thor sighed.
"…Crap, what did he do?" He winced, and Thor sighed, looking out the window.
"My brother in a fit of rage after being condemned to a crime he previously denied taking part of; insulted each of the Ladies's and Lords of many royal houses." Thor winced, that had not been a pretty night.
"So they killed his kid?" Clint cried, and Thor sighed, looking the other way.
"What else did they do?" Bruce asked quietly, and Thor frowned.
"Loki always has had a silver tongue, well known and feared throughout the branches of Yggdrasill. He made a bet with two dwarves, in which he wavered his head. He fell short of his bargain, and instead of sacrificing his head for the dwarves anger, the binding of his words sufficed." Thor sighed, and Natasha jumped, Clint this time outright complaining.
"What? They sewed his mouth shut?" He yelped, and Thor frowned, a soft painful smile on his face.
"Aye. I wonder many times what I could have done to change my brother's fate. His silver tongue never brought him trouble before his birth of Sleipnir." Thor sighed, hands holding his head in stress.
"…When did he become a liesmith?" Tony asked quietly, and Thor blinked, looking at him confused.
"I do not understand."
"When did he get the title liesmith?" Tony said again, and Thor thought, blinking.
"My father addressed him such after he denied a part of an act he was convicted of." Thor frowned, and Steve looked at him in shock.
"Did he do it? Did he actually do it, or did you just call him a liar?" He groaned, and Thor blinked, guilt rising.
"I-"
"You know, 'a liar is not believed, even if he tells the truth.' " Tony quoted (1), although from where, Thor did not know.
"If all this crap happened to him and it turns out he doesn't lie, no wonder he went off the deep end." Clint muttered, getting up and stretching before moving towards his room, Steve and Natasha following.
"I'd better go." Bruce awkwardly sighed, stumbling off while Tony remained sitting there, a calculating look on his face.
"You know, when people are convicted of being liars, you'd be surprised what little things you overlooked turn out to be the truest things you ever hear." Tony quietly noted, getting up and retreating to his lab.
'I never wanted the throne! I only wanted to be your equal!'
'I'm not your brother! I never was!'
'I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss.'
'Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you.'
Thor turned, breathing slowly to hold back the slight sob in his throat.
"And I love you too, brother." He whispered quietly, looking out of the window, ambulances and fire trucks still flashing below as they looked at the wreckage.
And he knew, way out there wherever Loki was-
Loki didn't know.
That okay? Hope so,
(1) the quote was actually a Greek quote from Circe. :)
Thanks! Review!
~Oceanbreeze7