Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!
AN: I want to thank Greenloki for all the help she has given me with this story. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to write this chapter. This will be a short story (maybe 5 or 6 chapters), but each chapter will have a pretty decent length. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!
~ We Might Fall ~
Chapter 1
June 14th, Friday.
There weren't many days where police commissioner Nick Fury smiled. In fact, most of the time, he seemed to have a scowl permanently plastered to his face. The fact that he wore an eye-patch didn't help his image either, but today, Thor actually understood why Fury looked as grim as he did. There was a serial killer working his way through the city – his city, as Fury liked to call it – and their investigation wasn't really going anywhere and the people were growing restless.
The police department was working their asses off, doing overtime each day, but still they weren't getting any closer to actually catching the bastard, and Thor – along with all of his colleagues – was starting to feel greatly irritated and angry. Eight victims had fallen so far, but there could be more because as Assistant Superintendent Maria Hill was currently explaining, the killer's MO was always changing.
The first victim – at least, they assumed he was the first – had been a young man, shot twice in the chest as he had been walking home one evening, now fourteen months ago. The second victim had been shot about fifty days later, this time in the head. The third and fourth had been drowned, the fifth had been beaten to death. The sixth and seventh had been strangled with a rope and that brought them to the eighth and final victim, though everyone knew more people would die because of this sick psycho. The eighth victim was a young woman, just having turned twenty-three last month. She had been last scene at a local club by her friends until she had been found the next morning, twelve stab wounds to her chest.
None of it made sense. The victims' ages ranged from nineteen to forty-one and the methods of killings were all over the place. Thor had often wondered how anyone could be certain that these victims belonged to the same killer, but there was now enough evidence to support that claim. The way the bodies were disposed linked them, all of them having been left near the riverbank. The murders always seemed to happen at the same time in the day, too, always after midnight, but before three in the morning.
But even though every cop and detective in the city was working on catching this serial killer, they were nowhere near actually finding him. It only showed that the bastard was smart enough to cover his or hers tracks, though statistics showed that chances were the killer was male. Still, they weren't ruling anything out just yet.
"When do you think he'll snap?" A voice suddenly asked quietly.
Thor turned to look at his right to find Steve Rogers sitting next to him. He had definitely not been present when this meeting with Fury and Hill had started and Thor wondered how on earth Steve had managed to sneak in without anyone noticing. Then again, Steve had been in the army years ago, a special ops team, and sneaking around was one of his many skills.
"When who will snap?" Thor asked, hoping he and Steve wouldn't draw anyone's attention. They really should be listening to what Maria Hill was rattling on about. They were trying to catch a serial killer after all.
Steve nudged towards their Chief. "Fury, of course," he clarified. His blue eyes revealed a hint of concern, but that didn't surprise Thor. Steve Rogers and Nick Fury went way back. They knew each other from the army and everyone knew Steve had been Fury's golden soldier. He still was. "He's been chasing this killer for fourteen months already. I dare say he barely sleeps anymore."
"He won't have a breakdown," Thor replied determinedly, "I'm pretty sure the man would go unfazed should a third world war start." It earned him a soft chuckle from Steve. "Seriously, if anyone will catch the bastard, it's Fury."
"I know, I know," Steve sighed, leaning back in his chair.
Their attention returned to Maria Hill when they heard something about a psychologist and psychological profile. Only when the man stood – having been sitting quietly in the back of the conference room – and walked forward did the gazes of every police officer fall upon him. Had he been present the entire time? Thor honestly didn't know. Apparently, that man had a talent for being invisible because the other officers looked surprised as well.
"Hello, I am Dr. Bruce Banner," the man introduced himself. His kind brown eyes fell on every face before him. He even offered them a faint, but amiable smile. Thor could tell the psychologist was a charismatic man, his entire composure radiating something calm and serene. "I was asked by the police commissioner to compose a profile of the serial killer currently active in the city. I have been given access to all the files and I've visited the locations where the bodies have been dumped. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can work with. The seemingly random victims and methods of killing are all so dissimilar that I'm led to believe that this is not, in fact, a sexual predator." Banner cleared his throat, a hint of unease suddenly visible in his eyes. Was he nervous speaking before this group? Thor could hardly believe it.
Dr. Banner continued, "The absence of sexual assault on any of the victims only confirms my suspicion. The way all the victims were killed also leads me to believe that our killer is still experimenting. He is looking for that one perfect kill that will finally satisfy him."
A hand rose.
Thor raised one eyebrow when he saw it was Steve.
"Uh-" Clearly, Banner had not expected any questions or feedback. "Yes?"
"Dr. Banner, I am detective Steve Rogers," Steve introduced himself. Every pair of eyes – and Fury's brown one – focused on him. "I was just wondering how you could be certain that this is not a sexual sadist when you claim that he is still experimenting. Couldn't it be that he will turn to sexual relief once he finds that perfect killing manner?"
"Yes," Banner answered without missing a beat. He looked to have newfound confidence and Steve's question seemed to put him at some sort of ease. Or perhaps he simply enjoyed answering questions. Thor wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Bruce Banner taught at the local university. "Yes, that could very well be the case. Some serial killers evolve over time, change their methods, and perfect them. We have reached assent that the time between each kill is getting shorter and shorter. The time between the seventh and last victim is only twenty three days."
Steve nodded thoughtfully. "So we can expect another victim within the next month."
"Unfortunately, yes," Banner answered. His gaze slid through the room. "My preliminary profile puts our killer between thirty and forty years old. Until recently, he had a steady, well paid job. Two victims were strangled to death, one being a twenty eight year old man. One needs power and strength to subdue a healthy, strong adult man so we are definitely talking about a male killer."
At this point, every officer and detective had started to take notes, Thor included. He listened intently and penned down every small detail. When the meeting finally ended, officers and detectives alike exchanged notes while Hill, Fury and Banner conversed privately.
"So, detective Odinson," Steve said playfully. He still found it amusing to call Thor that since he'd only become a detective six months ago. "Can I expect you for a beer at the pub this evening? Peggy and I are buying the drinks!"
Thor shook his head. It was indeed Friday evening which meant everyone from the department gathered at the local pub for a few drinks. Steve had promised them a free barrel of beer since he and Peggy had been together for five years now, but Thor had different plans for tonight. "I'm afraid not," he replied, "Jane is leaving for Connecticut tonight."
"Oh, yes," Steve said enthusiastically, a grand smile curving his lips upwards. Even though he was an adult man of thirty two years old, he still held a boyish charm. Thor doubted that would ever disappear. "Is she excited about the guest lectures?"
"Very," Thor answered, feeling proud that his girlfriend had been asked to teach a few classes at Yale University. Jane hadn't been able to shut up about it these last few weeks. Thinking about it, thinking about her, made Thor feel content and amused. "She has been looking forward to this for months."
"Well, I understand why you can't come to the pub then," Steve said, playfully patting Thor's shoulder as they walked out of the conference room, "I'm sure you have big plans." He winked suggestively.
"Dear God, Rogers," Thor said, feigning shock, "could you not meddle in my private life?"
Steve laughed, a deep, vibrating sound coming from deep within his chest. "Say hi to Jane for me," he said after a few moments, "and wish her all the luck in the world, though I doubt she will need it because she is a brilliant woman." He grabbed his coat, preparing to leave the office after a long, difficult day. "I'll see you on Monday then."
~ 0 ~
Angry.
Angry and bored.
It was enough to make a man lose his mind.
It wasn't enough to make one kill, though.
In his case, however, he hadn't been able to stop himself. His first kill had sent him into some kind of overdrive, a wild ecstasy that had coursed through his veins, sharpening his senses, and making him feel alive once more. It had been so very long since he had felt that energetic and…powerful. God, he yearned for power, for control!
But taking a person's life was something terrifying, too.
It was something haunting, ominous, and destructive.
He'd worried about his soul for weeks afterwards, but in the end, those dark desires had overpowered him a second time. After such a long time of feeling worthless, neglected and belittled, he had felt the same darkness claim him, this time clouding his mind, devouring his reason and compassion. No longer did he care about his soul. He doubted such a thing even existed.
He had found a second victim.
And a third.
A fourth.
He never lost count, he never forgot their faces. Thinking about them made his heart race within his chest. It caused adrenaline to pump through his veins. Thinking about them made him feel…dominant and in control. His victims were proof that he was not incompetent, that he was not incapable of performing his job. He would show everyone who had wronged him that they should never have betrayed him. He would show everyone that he was not…ill.
How dare anyone even suggest such a thing!
He would prove himself. And he would enjoy himself.
He was bored and angry.
He needed a new victim.
June 16th, Sunday.
It was only Sunday, about three in the afternoon, and Thor already missed Jane while she hadn't even been gone for two full days. He was starting to think that he had grown way too dependent on her or that perhaps he was just acting childish. Of course he could live without his girlfriend for eight weeks! Besides, it wasn't as if she was at the other end of the world. She was just in Connecticut and if Thor really wanted to see her, he just had to hop on a plane for about two hours.
He already planned on surprising her with a visit in about three weeks, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to miss her now. The house was simply too quiet and his bed too empty. He missed waking up next to her, having breakfast with her, sneaking into her shower when she least expected it, earning him a good smack on the head. Yes, he missed everything about her.
But Thor had enough ways to occupy himself. Actually, now that Jane was gone, he could finally watch all the movies she was adamant about not seeing. He had started with the latest Quentin Tarantino movie and then caught up on some episodes of Game of Thrones. Honestly, he could not understand why Jane disliked that show so much. Then again, she was all about romantic comedies. The mere idea of having to watch one of those sent shivers down Thor's spine.
Just as he was about to start the final episode of the third season, two short, sharp knocks on his front door echoed through his living room. Thor groaned quietly. He was already imagining the old lady from next door greeting him and even though she always brought pie or cake, Thor simply did not want to spend his entire afternoon with her. She only talked about her grandchildren or her garden. She was a very lovely old lady, but very boring, too.
The person standing before his door, however, was definitely not the old Mrs. Jenkins.
"Loki."
He was the last person to expect on his doorstep.
"Hello, Thor," Loki greeted him, his usual mischievous grin plastered to his face. Yet Loki looked different somehow. He looked…older. And tired. His shoulder-length raven hair was slightly disheveled while his usually bright green eyes had lost some of their brilliance. His fair skin looked even paler and he had definitely lost weight.
"Come in," Thor said, stopping himself from observing every detail of his little brother. It had been a few months since he had seen or heard from him, but now that he stood before him, Thor could already guess what had happened. He led Loki down the hallway and into the –thankfully cleaned -kitchen. "Can I get you something to drink? Eat? Some sunlight perhaps?"
Loki snorted, his grin growing. "You sound like Mom," he replied.
"So she has seen you," Thor stated. Even though Loki hadn't actually replied to his offerings, he grabbed a coke from his fridge anyway, unscrewed the cap and handed him the cold bottle. Loki accepted it gratefully. "And she didn't have a heart attack?"
"Almost," Loki said, his smile never faltering. Thor knew his little brother well enough, however, to know when he meant a smile or not. There was just an undeniable sadness to him at the moment, the emotion so intense that not even Loki – master of hiding his feelings – could hide from his emerald green eyes. "I didn't stay very long, though. I only saw Dad for a few minutes."
Thor bit down on his lower lip, forbidding himself from firing all of his questions at him. Firstly, it would be impolite since Loki was his guest at the moment and he had only been here for two minutes and secondly, if Thor pushed too hard, Loki would simply withdraw into himself.
Today, however, was full of surprises.
"You can ask, Thor," Loki sighed. He put down the now half-empty bottle of coke and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed before his chest. His gaze bore into Thor's, almost daring him to be brusque and blunt. "I know you want to ask about it. I'm actually surprised Mom hasn't called you yet to tell you about it, to gloat about it."
"She would never gloat, Loki," Thor heard himself say.
He huffed angrily, his eyes momentarily darkening.
"But it is true then," Thor sighed regretfully, "what I am thinking?"
"Yes, it's true," Loki said, looking wounded and sorrowful, "Sigyn and I officially split up. We filed for divorce two weeks ago and I hope all that mess is sorted very quickly." He rubbed a hand across his face, again showing Thor how exhausted he felt.
Thor had known that his brother's marriage was falling apart for a while now, but he hadn't actually expected them to divorce. They had been together since they were seventeen years old, their relationship having lasted for over fourteen years since Loki had turned thirty one last February. They graduated together and went to College together. They travelled the world together and eventually got married seven years ago while Frigga and Odin never approved of the relationship. Sigyn was a bit of a wild card after all – it was definitely her idea to travel all across Africa for one year - and their parents had always believed Loki didn't belong with her, that he could do better. Of course, Loki had always tactically ignored the disapproval, but now it had all crumbled down.
Thor could barely believe it.
He figured Loki and Sigyn were one of those couples that had always been together and that would always remain together. Whenever he thought about romance and perfect relationships, he thought about his brother, taking an example in him.
"But what…" Thor wasn't sure if he should pose his next question. Loki might be his baby brother, but his love life was still none of his business. He decided to risk it. "What happened?"
Loki's gaze fell to the floor, his shoulders tensing. "Everything I suppose," he answered cheerlessly, "we grew apart, we got bored of each other, were getting under each other's skin. I don't know how else I can describe it. We tried, but in the end, you only grow to despise a person that annoys you."
Thor had a hard time listening to Loki's words. "She annoyed you?"
"All the little things that used to be so adorable," Loki sighed, "I hate those now. And then of course…" He finally gazed up again, tears on the verge of breaking free. Thor hated to see his brother like this. "Well, we are both adults and we have…needs. I would never have acted on them, not before we had given up all hope, but she met another man named Theoric and she… I suppose I don't need to paint a picture to explain to you what they did in his bed."
"Oh, Loki," Thor let out a heavy, burdened breath, "I am so sorry." He meant those words. He meant them with all his heart. He knew Loki loved Sigyn with all his heart – at least, he had loved her – and he knew Loki was hurting now. He just wished he could say something that would take away some of his pain and troubles.
"Anyway," Loki continued, taking in a deep, sharp breath to steady himself. He blinked his tears away, that sad, little smile returning to his lips. "I've moved out of our house and everything I own is in my car, but I cannot live with Mom and Dad, even if it's only temporary. I just can't deal with their 'I told you so'-faces every morning."
Thor nodded, knowing what Loki was asking without actually having to voice the question. "Of course you can stay here for as long as you want, brother," he said, "you can have the guest-room."
"Won't Jane mind?" Loki asked.
"No," Thor replied without having to think about the question. Of course Jane wouldn't mind. She liked Loki and since she was actually one of the sweetest, kindest women on this earth, she would be damned before she would let a friend down. "You should feel lucky that she isn't home for the next eight weeks. She would smother you more than Mom would."
That earned Thor a well-meant chuckle.
"Come on," Thor said, walking across the kitchen and towards the hallway, "I'll help you unload your car."
"Thanks, Thor," Loki said before Thor could exit the kitchen. There lay nothing but sincerity in his voice. "For helping me out."
"Hey," Thor smiled broadly, knowing that his blue eyes lightened up brilliantly, "you are my little brother. I wouldn't dare to abandon you. Now come on, let's get to work because I actually want to watch the final episode of Game sometime today."
"Gosh, Thor, you haven't seen it yet?" Loki laughed and Thor decided he liked that sound. Perhaps it was best that Loki occupied his thoughts with something else but his divorce. "Where have you been hiding the last few weeks? In a cave?"
"Don't insult me," Thor replied playfully as they walked down the hallway. He blithely punched Loki's shoulder. "I know for a fact that you haven't seen the entire last season of Fringe yet. Would you like me to spoil it for you?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
They continued to bicker and banter as they emptied Loki's car. They smiled and laughed and remembered that they always had fun when they were together. They hadn't seen much of each other the last few years, definitely not when Thor had moved to the city and Loki had bought a house at the other side of the state. But now Thor vowed to be the brother that Loki needed right now, he vowed to support him.
He would help him through this difficult time.
June 17th, Monday.
A bad idea is what it had been.
A very bad idea.
Thor didn't know what he and Loki had been thinking when they'd decided to get a drink on a Sunday evening. They had started the evening calmly, not really expected to stay in the pub for very long, but the more they talked and laughed – and Thor had really wanted to keep Loki laughing - the quicker time had gone by and suddenly, it had been a little after midnight! That was when Thor had realized that he couldn't count the number of beers he'd had on both his hands. Another thirty minutes later and he had added another three pints to his list of beverages. There used to be a time he could drink his little brother under the table – a fact he took pride in - but that wasn't the case anymore.
Either Thor could no longer tolerate much alcohol or Loki could do just that. It was actually a very unsettling thought. Loki had always been the responsible brother of the two; never drinking, never smoking, never experimenting with anything, but it seemed that that had changed, too. Thor was certain Loki had drunk at least fifteen beers last night and even though he had definitely been tipsy, he had not been drunk which was only possible if one was used to drinking a lot. Had Sigyn done that to him, too? Had they driven each other so mad near the end of their relationship that Loki had sought solace in alcohol? Thor couldn't believe it.
He refused to believe it.
But now it was Monday morning and Thor was mindlessly staring at the stack of papers on the desk in front of him. He really needed to get to work. He needed to sort through anonymous tips concerning the serial killer, make a few phone calls, and study the geological profile of the possible kill-sites some other detectives had drafted. Yes, he had a lot of work to do, but all he could think about was the raging headache currently numbing his mind.
"You look like hell."
Thor was pulled from his thoughts by the familiar voice and when he gazed up, he found Steve Rogers standing before his desk. As always, the guy looked immaculate. His short blond hair was neatly combed back, he had a faint blush to his cheeks, and his clothes barely had a wrinkle in them. Even though he had left the army years ago, he still looked like the perfect soldier.
"I feel like hell," Thor commented, not bothering to properly greet his colleague. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his rumbling stomach that had received too much alcohol last night and not enough food. "Do you have any aspirin in your desk by any chance?"
Steve snorted, but he walked back to his desk a few meters away. He rummaged through the top drawer and eventually returned with a small, orange bottle full of little, white pills. Thor gratefully accepted it and took two pills, swallowing them down without any water, though he should really try and hydrate himself.
"Thanks." He tossed the small bottle back at Steve who caught it effortlessly. "Remind me to never go drinking on a Sunday evening again."
"Actually, I feel rather betrayed," Steve said, crossing his arms before his chest, staring down at the pale looking detective. His words would pack more punch if he'd said them without grinning slightly or without a hint of mirth in his blue eyes. "I understand that you couldn't go out with us on Friday because of the whole Jane-thing, but now I bust you on going out last night. What are you hiding, Thor?"
Thor dropped his head onto the surface of his desk. It was still early and not every cop, detective or other employee had arrived yet so he could still behave somewhat…unprofessionally. That being said, should Fury or Hill catch him like this, they might suspend him for a few days or worse. But his headache was simply unbearable and all Thor could do at the moment was wait for the aspirin to do its work.
"My brother arrived on my doorstep yesterday," Thor explained, his head still on his desk. For a second he wondered if Steve could hear him, but since he made a small noise of acknowledgment, Thor knew he heard him just fine despite his mumbling. "He just came out of nowhere and I had to get him out of the house for the evening. The guy needed to let off some steam because he's going through a divorce, Steve, so what else was I supposed to do?"
"Don't tell me you got him drunk, too," Steve said, and this time his voice betrayed disapproval and a hint of concern, "please don't tell me you did something stupid that you are now regretting because I have seen you drunk, Thor."
"No, none of that," Thor replied. He lifted his head, feeling slightly better now that the aspirin was starting to kick in. "And Loki wasn't even that drunk." A sigh escaped his lips. "I just cannot pinpoint the exact moment where he became a better drinker than me."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "You sound wounded."
"I am," Thor replied loudly, "it was the one thing I was better at and now I've lost that, too."
Steve couldn't keep himself from laughing. "You're an idiot," he said. He walked back to his desk, looking over his shoulder and adding, "You better get your butt working. Fury and Hill are here."
Thor sighed and slowly got to work, starting with digging through the transcripts of the anonymous phone calls from the tip-line. He didn't really expect to find anything useful, but one could never know. Not ten minutes later, he had forgotten all about his headache, about last night, and about the troubles his brother was going through.
