Alive.
Loki is alive.
This is the thought that has spurred Thor since the beginning—
Since the moment the AllFather took him aside; took him away from the endless mourning and into the night. Thor watched as new runes were scribed into his armor without warning, with whispered words of magic he did not recognize.
This thought was the fast beat of pounding feet towards the stables, steeds racing towards the city edge. The two of them, Thor and his father, charging out to where cold gray dirt diffused into black thickets of forest and the gold of Asgard started to tarnish and break. Flake away into darkness.
He is alive.
That night was a rush of sounds, tearing through the brush and trying desperately to catch Odin's clipped instructions. Nonsensical words curled together quickly and pulled tight through his ears before being stamped out by the galloping hooves of a dozen cloaked riders bursting from the shadows, their pointed ears drawing speed lines in the dark.
The thought scraped across Thor's face like tears ripped from eyes by breakneck pace. A race, towards some unknown point in the distance marked only by a glowing pillar of light. It trumped even Odin's command, this thought. The express command of a king telling Thor to bring it back as they stepped towards the heart of a magic circle drawn into the ground by the Dark Elves, branches overhead clawing through the sky washed red.
Not dead.
And then, just like that, Thor was spiralling away on a crack of black lightning, hurtling through the rip between realms to search.
It is the same thought which strings together Thor's scattered feelings during Midgard's events, the formation of the Avengers, the fight, the struggle, the end. The flashes of action and emotion twine together like a chain linking memories, one by one as pearls on a necklace. Precious.
It is also perturbing, how now Loki must be made to wear chains, as they return to Asgard on a beam of electric blue light.
The swing-swing-clank of the metal links is the first sound to bypass the ringing in Thor's ears.
"Loki," He asks on the sudden outrush of breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
His brother grunts.
"I will take them off as soon as I can," Thor mutters, sweat making his eyelids stick together and lips taste salty. His feet feel weighed down, stuck, and the pungent smell of smoke is crawling up his nostrils.
The blur clears enough for Thor to catch Loki's eyes flicking to the side. As if one, their chins drop to see where they stand. It is a magic circle, ten men's lengths and freshly blazed into the ground underfoot. The pattern looks different from what Thor recalls, lined with unrecognizable runes which are etched into the very soil. It's out the corner of his eye he sees Loki grazing a curious toe across the blackened symbols.
Thor yanks the chamber encasing the Tesseract held between them and Loki's jerked from his reverie. A scowl immediately furls across his face. At least, what parts which are not covered by a muzzle.
There's the sudden phantom grip of guilt clenching in the pit of his stomach and Thor looks away.
The ground feels almost sticky, like they're pulling their way through invisible vines curling around their feet. Thor leads them out into the crisp thickets of surrounding forest, scanning the shadows slow and deliberate as they stagger away from the magic circle's hold.
The air of Asgard is dry, thick, a blanket full of sand settling over the back of Thor's throat. In his short absence he'd almost forgotten its heavy hold. Now, folded under the imposing press of the atmosphere, the events on Midgard seem so very far away. Distorted, like underwater light.
Unexpectedly, Thor sways, and every leaf hanging from the tree line suddenly stands out in sharp relief. His heart is racing.
Kkkkkrrrrttzz!
There is a blinding flash of blue and Thor nearly drops the Tesseract in the force that propels out of it. Electric current flares through the surroundings. Static bounces across the metal of Thor's armor, making his hair stand on end.
He quickly turns towards Loki, who's staring at the Tesseract as though offended. Thor hastily adjusts his grip. Both their hands are gripping the chamber handles with resolve.
The surrounding foliage lays flattened from the dispersion of energy, but that isn't the most confusing sight. The previously dormant runes of the circle are now glowing a bright menacing red. Thor does not know what this means but he has no time to figure things out. Not when he has what he needs right in his hands.
He feels sick.
Thor tugs at the cube's chamber and Loki's eyes meet his, pale green rings squeezing out the pupils into pinpricks. They're in no condition to fly.
Together they steal through the trees, eager to discover where they've been spit out.
Loki is alive but difficult.
"Move your feet," Thor grunts, yanking on the handle yet again and hearing the clink-clank of Loki's handcuffs.
This carries on for some hours— a game of tug of war with the Tesseract.
Let it be said it's never taken long for Loki to deliberately grate on Thor's nerves. No doubt Loki finds purpose in it, trickster and all. Thor hisses when the next swing of Loki's chain slaps hard against the back of his knee. That had certainly been on purpose.
"Do not," Thor grits his teeth against the rise of irritation, "do that again."
Loki stares back with an infuriating look of boredom.
A little while later, the strike of the chain stings Thor again and he mentally burns down Yggdrasil to keep from whirling around.
The trees are dense, streaked through with puddles of gravel and large spills of boulders. Stones glittering with swirls of minerals litter the forest bed, making it a chore to navigate. The paths are sharp and unstable underfoot and Thor drags boots through a particularly heavily packed stream of rocks entwined with roots and leaves; the remnants from previous landslides, no doubt. They're west of the royal city, if that's the case. Way west.
He squints up through the canopy but the tree cover is still thick enough that sunlight flutters down like meagre handfuls of confetti. They must go further still.
Thor pulls hard, picks up his feet in a brutal march until it feels like he's towing Loki, who seems to be trying his best at becoming dead weight.
Thor bites his lip, squinting at the swift sting that comes with the thought. A buzz fills his ears. There's so much to be done, so much that he wants to ask. But there's no time. Not when Father needs the cube back, not when Loki is—
Loki yanks the Tesseract at full force in the opposite direction.
CRACK!
The container smacks against a jutting boulder.
"Loki!" Thor whirls, his immediate anger springing from the fact he hadn't been paying attention, "Cease your—"
BAM!
A bright hot pulse of energy slams out, knocking the wind out of Thor's lungs. He can't even shout as his veins light on fire.
The fast flash of blue sends shocks shooting up Thor's arm, conducting across the broad plane of his armour. It jolts him, the pain of it, and he gasps, lurches, gasping for breath.
The excruciating pain vanishes as fast as it came, and when Thor regains his bearings the overpowering smell of burnt vegetation reaches his nostrils. There are bright dots dancing in his vision and he snorts, shaking his head and rubbing a rough hand through the sweat that's collected on his brow.
When Thor's eyes stop dazzling, he registers Loki's laboured, muzzled breathing. A few wisps of black hair are sticking out at odd angles, a thin trail of smoke curling up. They're both kneeling in the dirt.
"Mgfh," Loki huffs out, incomprehensible and blinking hard. He wrenches the handle of the container but Thor holds tight. The stench of burnt leather and metal is swelling on the back of Thor's tongue but he grits his teeth and Loki shakes his head, rattling the Tesseract's jar again. It twists to reveal a large crack in the glass.
They glare at each other.
Perfect.
Loki rolls his eyes and Thor scowls, worry hooking his gaze downwards to the case.
"Come Loki," Thor snags him by the side of his coat, shaking once, twice, "We've still far to go yet."
And then they're on the move again.
Chrrrkk.
Thor stares at Mjölnir with mistrust.
"I do not understand."
He lifts the slumbering weapon high once more, calling forth the power to come down and make him soar.
Ch-chnkk. A puff of black smoke erupts from the hammer's head.
"This has never happened before," Thor rumbles under his breath in disbelief.
Loki raises lazy eyebrows in a look that says far too much of what he thinks of Thor's hammer.
Thor scowls down at Mjölnir, trying not to feel betrayed, and then twirls it anxiously in his palm.
The sound of static crackles high pitched in the air, like a thousand nails clawing at a slate. Thor grimaces and Loki judders the Tesseract jar which has started to act up. The buzz escalates, deafening to the point that Thor wants to cover his ears— before Loki gives the blasted thing a vicious slap.
The cube quiets.
"Damn all this magic to Muspelheim!" Thor curses.
Mjölnir has been rendered useless by the Tesseract's energy bleed.
Loki stares balefully out from half-lidded eyes and shrugs a shoulder as if to say, how convenient.
Thor quickly shoots him a warning glance.
They can see the magic as it wracks along the seams of the cube's container, tickling at Loki's fingers and threatening to unleash more than just dribbles and short bursts of excess energy. It's wreaking havoc on Mjölnir's power, sparking angrily each time Thor tries to thrust the hammer into the sky, one hand securely clamped at the scruff of Loki's collar, prepared to fly.
Loki lets out an exasperated snort, his breath hot and strong enough for Thor to feel it upon his cheek.
With a quick shove he pushes Loki away.
He wants to remove Loki's binds and ask for advice, but knows that it is not wise.
Reluctantly, Thor turns the hammer around in his palm a few times, scrutinizing the blunt head and shaking it in hopes to be rid of the glitches. Mjölnir is useless. He grimaces before tying it to his belt. Hand free of his trusted weapon, he cannot stop the punch of frustration to a nearby boulder. It splits in two with a sharp snap.
Loki makes a muffled sound from behind the muzzle which sounds a lot like amusement and the chamber hanging from his chained hands shines a mockingly brighter blue.
It seems, for the time being, they're both to be stripped of power. The implications are worrisome, but there's nothing that can be done.
How convenient.
Loki tries to make a run for it with the Tesseract.
And he almost gets away too; just before the forest sleeps, he's fast as lightning on his feet ripping through the throes of twilight. Thor chases Loki out into the stony quarry that stretches out from the tree line. Gray-gold rays from the sinking sun drip across the horizon, pooling in the remnants of mining holes which dot the land.
Even though they're both magicless, Thor has no problem catching him. In fact, it's too simple, too familiar. Thor is careless, throwing a hearty hand to curl on Loki's neck. It's almost like they're still brothers, playing the way they used to in their youth.
Until Loki gives a violent shrug.
But Thor does not let go. Maybe he even grips too tight. The artery under his thumb pulses, powerful and thick. Thor gets stuck glaring back at Loki even though he doesn't truly want to glare. They've always shared too much.
Eventually, the tense moment bleeds away and Loki relents against Thor's grip enough to continue the belligerent trek. Both of them breathe in the Asgardian air for hours, deeply, silently, until the ground evens out and they come upon a city edge.
Warriors and townsfolk amble through the dusty patchwork of roads. Up close, it's more of a village, easily determined by the small simple buildings quilting out from the town square. Near the perimeter there's a stable bracketed by a cozy looking tavern and library. They duck behind the line of horses, smells of ale and old books colliding with the earthy hay crunching softly underfoot.
Thor drags Loki towards a shaded corner, slipping two musky burlap sheets from the feed crates.
They need to avoid recognition.
He flings the cloth atop Loki's head.
Loki scrambles for a second before pulling the sheet from his face. Those green eyes hit Thor with outrage but Thor pays no mind, just tightens the makeshift cloak on Loki even more, fists closing the material tight at his neck.
"Loki, please," Thor implores, but it comes out angrily under his breath.
Loki slumps and allows Thor's ministrations, glaring daggers, but Thor doesn't care. He'll take this—anything—in lieu of the nothing he had before.
Thor stills.
He's comforted by the way Loki acts just as he remembers, blowing out an angry breath and finally shaking Thor off. Loki has always needed to stand on his own two feet, stand atop everyone. Thor watches him for a moment, pacing with a proud arch of the neck, a disdainful sniff. Sentiment creeps at Thor's lips. But it's only for a moment, for he has none to spare. Not now.
The smile drops into a scowl and Thor turns.
They adjust the disguises as best they can before Loki is thumping a boot in the hay, gesturing for Thor to take a crate. Confused, Thor pries one loose from the pile sets its heavy weight with a thud against the soft soil and straw. Loki kneels then upends the wooden box, sending oats to flood around their feet. The horses snort and bat their tails in interest.
Loki takes another length of burlap and wraps up the Tesseract case to mute the glow. He then shoves the bundle into the crate, the cube safely out of sight, the chain binding his wrists rattling against the side.
The stubbornness that's balled up in Thor's chest softens.
They're far off from the royal city, a week or two worth of travelling by foot at least, without Thor's hammer or Loki's spells for aid. Thor longs to call for his friends, but remembers with dread what Odin had said. He must tell no one.
And so they creep through village, sneaking through the alleyways. The sun sets, bathing each stocky building in golden light as the shadows run down the streets like black streaks of dirt being washed away. Thor pushes to keep hidden in these shadows until nightfall, but sadly, it's Loki who better knows how to navigate the dark.
"You're a fool."
This is the first thing Loki says once his mouth is free.
And he says it many times more over the next days as they pass through the village, beginning the tedious climb across the rocky landscape. Unfortunately, there is only so long an Asgardian can go without needing a mouth to imbibe water.
Loki's insults are harmless, however, and the steady stream of disparagement does not deter Thor, for hearing Loki's voice is strangely comforting in itself.
"Hmph," Loki sniffs at the tail-end of a berating spiel. "The pines are coming in."
These rare unguarded words not thorned with hate are what prick Thor deepest.
The royal city stands tall and golden behind the range; Thor can even imagine he sees the spires scraping the skyline. But it would take days yet to thread through the needle-thin footpaths of the hills. Unfortunately, there's only so much hiking an Asgardian can do while chained.
Thor gives Mjölnir a test swing.
Nothing.
Loki makes use of his lack of bindings by attempting another spell. Nothing is forthcoming. He curses.
True to his word, Thor had tossed the encumbering restraints. Of course, as soon as Loki had tried to light Thor's hair on fire and disappear they made the unpleasant discovery his magic was gone too.
The Tesseract hangs between them, a shared burden. Loki digs his feet into the ground. Thor grunts and tugs on the crate causing Loki to stumble.
They both grumble.
It goes without saying that one does not trust the other to carry the cube by himself.
Loki had nearly made off with the Tesseract again, on the horses they'd stolen in the early morn from the previous village. That was, until Thor had thrown Mjölnir and knocked Loki off his steed. At least the hammer was still good for something. The horses had run away though.
A twig snaps beneath Thor's boot. He holds in a sigh.
So now, they walk.
Loki keeps fingers curled on one end of the crate just as steady as Thor.
This is a stalemate, each hanging onto the power that's brought them to this point, unwilling to let go. In a way, it's always been like that with the two of them. Always something in between, a reason to push them apart, a reason to keep them together— An invisible knot, something that could be unravelled if they chose to let go. But no. It's only pulled tighter.
They are tied together by the Tesseract, its volatile energy threatening to spill forth. It's a sort of dreadful dawning of an uncomfortable idea— that they've always been held captive by one another.
"You are stuck with me, Loki," Thor finally says, not even bothering to spare him a glance. In the distance, sunlight glints off the white tips of the mountains and a cool breeze tangles his hair, curling across his vision.
He squints.
"Which does not change the fact that you are a fool. Mark my words, Thor. The moment," Loki shifts angrily, dragging off course, "The exact moment my magic returns, I will take this," Loki rattles the crate slung between their hands, "And you will never find me."
Thor pauses. For a second he thinks about turning around. Wants to drop this pretense and have it out right here, right now. But that tricky little second hand pushes forward and Thor continues, feet trudging steadily in the long grass of a hill that never seems to end.
"And I," Thor jerks the crate sharply, "Am taking this back to Father."
Loki sneers and that's the moment Thor chooses to look back, see the awful expression stretching Loki's mouth. Their eyes catch; and there's something angrily pushing at the front of Thor's skull that makes him want to look away but at the same time, doesn't let him.
"You can try," Loki snorts and presses his lips together in a thin line. He's the first to peel away from the increasingly intense glare and Thor cannot help but feel freed.
"I can try," Thor replies under his breath, trudging onwards again. "Though I would wager the moment your magic returns is the moment Mjölnir reawakens as well."
Loki grimaces.
So yes, they're stuck.
They would have to do this alone. No one is coming for them.
For all of Asgard believes Loki to be dead and no one knows Thor even left.