Fluffystwin: New challenge has arisen! Now, let's see how it works.
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The pain, there's so much of it. I can't even begin to register where it's all coming from. My body feels like it's been broken in half. There's so much pain that I'm not even sure if it's real. I don't know if this isn't just some really fucked up dream. I hope it is or else I'm going to die. There's too much pain for this to be reality. I can't deal with this pain. I can't even open my eyes or scream. All that comes out is a gurgle from the blood filling my lungs. I know I'm going to die, but this is not how I wanted to go out. Not at all. I wanted to go out fighting, not pinned beneath some building rubble because I fucked up. All my mistakes are haunting my mind now as I try to slip from reality. The one thing that haunts me the most is the fact that I still wonder why he did it all. Why I wanted to break out of his spell, but at the same time I never wanted to leave its embrace. It felt like perfection standing beside that man. Something had just clicked and he hadn't wanted to change that. I never admitted that to anyone and now I have to wonder if I should have told at least Natasha. I always wanted to know what really happened to him.
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"Metal Man! We must leave now! Heimdall! Open the bridge!"
No one questioned the god as they suddenly felt themselves whisked away to another planet. None had traveled here before, but at the moment they could care less. All of them were in pain, some worse than others. Thor swept a heavily battered and severely bleeding Clint into his arm and swung his hammer around in his other hand and took off flying down the Rainbow Bridge. Steve cursed and used his shield to push himself up onto his feet. Four people were running towards them after leaving their horses to stand alone. One was a woman with long black hair pulled back into a pony tail.
"Heimdall, the All-Father wants to make sure they are protected and to let him know if anyone is looking for them. Come, we will take you to the palace to heal."
"Who are you?" Bruce asked as he held his tattered pants up. He was wary of them even though he thought he recognized him.
"That is the Lady Sif, I am Fandral, and this is Hogun and Volstagg. We are friends of Thor's and were warned by Heimdall that you would be arriving. Please, come, you need to get off your feet so you can be assessed by a Healer."
Steve accepted the big portly man's help, Volstagg, and leaned half his weight on the man. While Natasha received help from Sif, as she was limping from her injuries. Tony nodded to them and zoomed down the Rainbow Bridge to follow Thor. Bruce sighed and accepted the belt Hogun took off his uniform and tried to hold his pants up. None of them were focusing on their injuries though. They were more worried about Clint knowing that his were far too severe.
Inside the palace, Thor was yelling for Healers and help as he tried to stem the blood flow from his teammate's abdomen. He had never seen this much blood before in his very long life. The healers flowed into the room and immediately set to work. They pushed him out of the room and shut the door in front of him. He roared in anger and punched the wall beside the door. He couldn't believe that they had been so oblivious to everything. It may have cost them their dear friend. He punched the wall again, feeling some release from beating the wall.
"I see you and your friends did not do as well as you thought."
Thor looked to his left to see the still unusual sight of his now mortal brother leaning against the wall across from him. Thor stood up and took in the sight of his brother's now gingery-blonde hair and blue eyes. It was unusual. After so many years of seeing the man with black hair and green eyes and a perpetual smirk, this version in front of him was pitiful. He remembered the day Odin had taken Loki's powers from him and told him that the day would come when he would regain them, but it would not be for many a day. Now, Loki just strolled the halls of the palace. He mainly hid in the library and in his room. Not many saw him besides their mother who tried to rekindle her relationship with him, but it often times ended with Frigga crying. Thor did not truly understand why his brother was like this anymore. He had tried, but now he just couldn't understand anything about him.
"You may want to hide yourself brother. They will all be arriving soon," Thor warned.
Loki rolled his eyes. "I wasn't intending to stay. I'm taking my son and we are getting far away from here. Don't worry, I won't let your precious ones see me," Loki spat out as he marched away from the man he once called brother.
Loki continued down the hallway walking right past Tony Stark, still in his Iron Man suit. He contained the flinch that he felt, but noticed that Tony paid no attention to him. Loki sighed; he truly must look alien to them if even the man he had once tried to enlist now did not recognize him. In a way he was partially glad to be alive, but at the same time be felt like a babe in the fact that he was powerless against anything and everything. The powerless factor only increased more when he realized who was at death's door. He continued through the palace until he reached the stables and quickly slipped inside the one that held his son, Sleipnir. He reached out and patted his neck. Sleipnir nudged his father's face, giving him some comfort.
"I'm glad you recognize me Sleipnir," Loki confided.
"I will never forget my father. I take it we are escaping the palace for a while?" Sleipnir asked. Loki smiled to himself when he combed through the hair with his fingers. It helped his sanity to see that his son still talked to him at least.
"I believe we should be gone for the day. Thor brought back his team from Midgard…the same ones that I tried to kill. I do not think they would appreciate seeing me once again," Loki honestly said.
"Time without your powers has changed you; do you not think they would appreciate that?"
"I tried to level a city, my son. I was not exactly the greatest of men at that moment in my life."
"You will always be the greatest of men to me." Sleipnir nudged his father in the shoulder and Loki smiled before going to grab the saddle. His hands flew through the motions without much thought. He had done this so much over the years that it didn't require any concentration from him. He grabbed the small pack that he always kept in the stall knowing that he might be out all night. "Does the man know how you feel?" Loki stopped working for a second and didn't answer his son, only going back to preparing for the day. It didn't bother him to leave the palace for days on end, but he always had to return or else the All-Father would banish him to Svartalfheim. That was not the safest realm for him either at the moment. "Father."
Loki looked up and out of the stall to where Sleipnir was looking. His brother's band of warriors was leading his team into the palace. Loki patted his son's neck and went ahead and opened the stall for him. Sleipnir came out of the stall hesitantly, eyeing the new people before turning back to his father as he climbed on top of him. Loki didn't spare the Avengers a second glance as he left the palace behind him. Bruce looked over his shoulder and watched as he disappeared. Bruce knew who he was and it bothered him to see that the man was out and about and not caged. Yet, he knew the fact that he looked different was significant. He turned to look at Hogun, but the man turned away from him. So, everyone knew but the Avengers.
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Clint could feel the pain in his body. It was unbearable, but he knew he had to wake up. He didn't know where he was, yet he knew he wasn't in the emergency room. Plus, he was alive. He cracked open his eyes and saw the sight of Natasha asleep on the bed beside him, holding on to his hand tightly. He didn't turn his head for fear of causing pain, but did manage to catch sight of the red, white, and blue in the corner of the room passed out asleep in a chair. Blonde hair swept into his line of vision as Thor leaned over him and smiled down at him.
"Welcome back my friend. It is good to see you awake. Do I need to fetch a healer for you?"
"Where am I?" Clint's voice cracked as he tried to speak. His tongue came out and wet his lips, noticing they were slightly chapped.
"You are on Asgard. I brought you here as you were beyond the capabilities of your healers. We managed to save you."
Clint sighed and closed his eyes again, accepting the welcome embrace of the darkness. It made him happy to know that he was alive, but he had to wonder how close to death he had been. He only hoped he could explore Asgard when he was fully healed. Being on an alien planet was even fascinating while you were close to death. All he missed was the green and gold, the one piece that needed to fit.
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Loki laid his head down on Sleipnir's neck as his son continued the slow trot back to the palace. They had been out all day and night roaming Asgard and enjoying the time they spent away from the palace. He truly did enjoy the time away from the palace. The palace was stifling in the fact that he could never truly leave. It had become a thorn in his side that he could never pull out. He glanced up and groaned. The woman who he had once believed to be his mother was standing outside the stall for Sleipnir, waiting for the pair of them. Loki pushed himself back up and let Sleipnir continue at a sedate pace. Just because his mother was there didn't mean that he was going to make his son try and get there faster. That woman lied to him all his life and still tried to meddle in affairs that he only wished she'd stay out of. Sleipnir snorted and shook his elegant head. Loki smirked; he knew his son wasn't fond of his grandmother either. Frigga waited patiently for them to enter the stall and for Loki to pull the saddle off his son. Loki hung the pack up on a nail in the wall and patted his son's neck. Sleipnir nudged his father's shoulder as the man walked out of the stall. Loki gave his son a small, tight smile before walking inside the palace with his mother.
Frigga was an enigma to him. She had openly accepted him being brought back to Asgard and had lavished him with attention, even while he had been imprisoned. She had been the only one to be against Odin removing his powers as she believed that would be against his true nature. She had only been supportive of him, yet Loki couldn't trust her anymore. She had lied to him all his life that it made him wonder what else she had lied to him about. Frigga slipped her arm into the crook of his arm and led him through the hallways of the palace. He had to wonder what exactly she wanted with him now. She had been trying to use every excuse she could think of to spend time with him and honestly he was bored with it. Frigga nodded to the two guards standing outside a room and they pushed the door open, allowing the two inside. Loki tensed. Frigga had brought him to where they were allowing Clint to heal. He didn't understand why he was brought here of all places. This was a man that wanted to kill him last he knew. And last he looked inside of himself this was the only man he wanted to see, but never harm.
"I told Thor that I would watch over him while he went back to Midgard to talk to some man named Fury," Frigga calmly said to answer his unspoken question. She could still read her son like a book.
"I don't believe I should be here," Loki turned to leave, but was stopped by the wolf that lay down on its stomach in front of the door. "Oh don't tell me you side with her." The wolf didn't make any motion. "Even my own children are against me. This is bloody fantastic."
Frigga smiled softly as she sat down in a chair at the foot of the bed, keeping a constant watch over Clint. Loki took the seat not far from Clint's bedside, trying to put equal distance between his mother and from the man he had once controlled. The wolf came over and stretched out across his feet and he couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. Even if his son did side with his mother Fenrir would still always be loyal to him.
"I just wish to talk Loki."
"You've been trying to talk to me for the last three years. Nothing is going to change."
"Yet, I still try like I should have done from the beginning. I wish things would have gone differently, but I can't change the past anymore than I wish I could change the future." Fenrir whined, but continued to stay at the feet of his father. Loki glanced down at his child and reached down to scratch him behind the ear. Frigga stared at her son before sighing and standing up out of her chair. Loki made to stand up as well, but Frigga held her hand out to stop him. "I need you to stay here until Thor gets back. I am going to check on our guests."
"You can't just leave me here with him," Loki practically begged. He didn't want to truly be anywhere near any of these people.
"You will stay here until Thor gets back. If anything goes wrong just summon a healer." Frigga then swept out of the room without another word.
Loki groaned and slumped in his seat. Fenrir eyed him as he readjusted himself under the chair so his father's antsy legs wouldn't bother his rest. Loki let his arm hang and rubbed the soft fur on his son's head. He enjoyed peaceful moments like this with his children when he wasn't forced to be babysitting a comatose former enemy. He turned his head to the side and actually took the time to look at the man he had once controlled. It was odd to see him looking so pathetic. So completely at the mercy of anyone around him. Loki was almost amused by the frail mortal bodies before he realized that he was now in one. His mood took a turn for the worst and his hand stopped running through the fur of his son. He was now as frail as the broken man beside him. He could not do anything without fear of harming himself. He wanted his powers back, but he knew that it would be a very long time before that ever happened. Fenrir nipped his father's fingertips before becoming content with his spot once again. Loki took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind when Clint began to move beside him. He froze. He didn't exactly know what to do.
Clint opened his eyes slowly, trying to regain his bearings. He remembered being told he was in Asgard, but that was about it. His hand came up and he turned it over to see his palm. There was a red mark across his palm. He remembered it burning with pain not too long ago, but now all that remained was a red mark. It made no sense. How could he have survived something like this? He heard someone in the room with him, but they moved away from him. His mind was a mess, but all he wanted right now were answers.
"Wait," he managed to say with a dry throat. The movement stopped and Clint watched as ginger hair and blue eyes came into his line of vision. He didn't know this man, but something about his eyes was bugging him. Then he smirked. That's all it took for Clint to make the connection. "How are you still alive?"
Loki immediately turned away and made to leave the room, but Fenrir barked at him when he heard the thump of a body hitting the floor. Loki gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He shouldn't even be in this room. He shouldn't be alive either. That look of shock he had seen in that man's eyes was enough to prove to him that he should have long ago been executed. Fenrir bit his pant leg and tugged. Loki sighed and turned around at his son's insistence to see Clint on the floor, struggling to get up. Loki knew that feeling of helplessness. Before he knew it he was at Clint's side helping the man to sit up. Loki grabbed the glass of water on the table and handed it to the archer. Clint took slow sips while holding the glass in his shaky hands. Clint set the glass on the ground next to him as he stared up at the crouched Loki.
"Your eyes," was all Clint said to him.
Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath in response. He didn't want to talk to the man at all, but something within him wouldn't let him leave the room. "This is my punishment."
"How is this a punishment?" Clint asked as he couldn't quite grasp everything in his still foggy mind.
"I am mortal. The All-Father took away all my powers as punishment. If he saw it fit that they should be returned to me then he would, but otherwise I have to live out my now shortened life span as a pathetic weakling."
"We aren't weak Loki. We do have our own strengths for being mortal."
Loki scoffed at the thought. Nothing could make his life as a mortal any better. "I had power at my fingertips and it was all taken away and now I am like you. I see no strengths in this."
"Why did you do it?" Clint finally asked after so long. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He wanted to know. "Not attack the city, but why did you chose me? Why did you look at me differently when I began to stop resisting the power?"
"You were not what I expected," Loki answered truthfully.
"Why? Because I wanted something more in my life?" Clint spat out. He was angry. All the looks he had received after being controlled came into the forefront of his mind. Every once in a while people still looked at him as if they couldn't trust him. He didn't trust himself. He had wanted to stay at Loki's side, but that was something he wanted to store away and keep hidden from the world. He didn't need everyone knowing that.
Loki sighed and turned to sit down beside Clint. He knew what the man was talking about. He had seen it in his mind when he had once been in control of it. That feeling of finally finding where you belong and fighting to not leave it. He had never expected that out of a mortal, lest of all himself. "Because you belonged beside me, not with them."
Clint laid his head on Loki's shoulder, not caring what the former god thought. "This time I'm not leaving."
Loki rolled his eyes. His son came up and stretched across Clint's lap, his paws coming to rest on Loki's thighs. "You mortals are insane."
"You're mortal now too. Free to choose what you wish to do in life and I know exactly where you'd fit."
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Fluffystwin: I hope you guys enjoyed it. It took me a bit to write it and yes it doesn't have smut. I didn't feel as if their story needed it….yet. Anyways! If anyone would like to challenge me hit me up. I also have a tumblr and I post things there as well. Also, review if you liked it! I like hearing from you guys! Thanks for reading!