A/N: Hello, and welcome to another story! I hope you all enjoy! A later chapter will involve a prompt requested by the amazin futurerustfuture-dust that really inspired this entire story!
No one knew his misery. No one could possibly understand the emptiness that had consumed his very being. Funny how one tiny thing could change a person forever. Ignorance is bliss… Loki rolled out of his bed, forcing himself out of his room for the first time in days, but to him, it felt more like years. He would have stayed, but he swore he would go mad if he stayed in his darkened room for another second. Loki left, shutting his door before silently making his way down a long corridor. He was sure to quietly sprint past the library in case his 'mother' was there. 'Mother…'
Frigga wasn't his mother. She never was-not even for a second. Her and her husband managed to play up their roles quite well. Loki wasn't one to be fooled until now. He recalled the earlier conversation with the man he had called 'father' and felt the need to hide away for the rest of his immortal life.
Loki Laufeyson. That was his true name. His entire life was a lie. He wasn't even sure if Loki was even his given name. For all he knew, it could've been something Odin whipped up when he stole him from Jotunheim, his birthplace. Loki didn't know what to think. All he knew was that he didn't want to be here on Asgard. He needed someone who could understand his internal conflict and suffering, someone who knew what it was like to be made undone…
"What brings you here, Loki?" Heimdall asked in his deep voice. The guard didn't need to turn his head to know who was approaching, for he saw everything.
"I'm looking for someone," Loki began in a quiet voice. He stood beside the man clad in gold armour and gazed out towards the cosmos surrounding them. "Is there anyone out there that is suffering?"
"Hundreds," the man answered.
Loki continued to stare at the black sky flecked with stars. "Take me to someone that can understand and help me, Heimdall," the young god requested. "And in return, I will help ease their pain."
"What has made you come to this decision?" Heimdall inquired, staring at Loki in the corner of his eye.
Loki sighed heavily. "I feel that this is no longer my rightful place. If I stay, the hurt will only grow worse…" He stared down at his hand and flexed his fingers. No blue colouring or Jotun markings… for now, at least…
"Very well, then," Asgard's gatekeeper agreed.
"I will call for you when I wish to return." Loki watched as Heimdall made his way towards the center of the observatory. The young god took one last look at the stars before the dome closed and bolts of lightning flickered throughout. Loki outstretched his arms as a force sucked him up, carrying him into a vortex of time and space.
There was an unexpected chill in the air that didn't bother Loki in the slightest. Snow crunched beneath his boots as he walked towards a small brick building. He happened to spot two men standing on patrol by a fence. They were dressed in heavy wool coats, so Loki decided to whip up an outfit like theirs. Blending in was vital if he wished to stay unbothered. Loki wondered who it was that he was searching for. Did Heimdall even understand his command?
"Faster!" A man's voice barked.
Loki perked up and hurried towards the shout. He spotted a group of men dressed in matching dark coats. They all seemed to be staring at something and Loki wanted a closer look.
"Your time was slow, Romanova! Don't tell me the cold has gotten to you already!" a man snorted.
The three men didn't seem to hear Loki approach them from behind. They were far too busy mocking a young red-headed girl as her trembling fingers fought to assemble a shotgun whose pieces were scattered in the snow around her. Loki couldn't tear his eyes away from the small child. She was terribly thin, how he knew was due to the white tattered gown that showed off her bare arms and legs. Unlike Loki, the cold seemed to be affecting her. As miserable as she looked, though, there were no tears in her lifeless green eyes. She was a fighter, determined to prove the men wrong.
"Romanova!" A mustached man reached for a whip that hung at his side. "You have thirty seconds!"
The girl scowled as she reached for the gun's muzzle.
"You got something to say?!" The man unfolded his whip and lashed at the child's arm.
Loki clenched his jaw to stop a scream. To his amazement, the girl didn't cry out. Only a whimper, and nothing more.
"She'll need more reconditioning," a bearded man standing beside Loki commented.
"Pick up the damn pieces and get back inside!" the man holding the whip commanded. "No dinner for you tonight." He turned on his heel to storm off and his companions followed.
The man beside Loki roughly nudged him in the side as he brushed past him. "Make sure she cleans it up," he snipped at the god.
This must have been who Loki was to confide in. A child. A small, helpless child. He removed his coat and knelt down to drape it over the little red-head's shoulders.
At first, she flinched at his gesture before shooting him a cold glare. "Get away from me!" she spat. The girl resumed rummaging through the snow for any traces of shiny metal.
"Let me help you." Loki softly smiled as he made a small coil levitate into the air. Finally, he was able to see a light within the girl's eyes. "Impressive, isn't it?" he chuckled as she stared at the floating piece in wonder.
She shook her head and grabbed the piece, bringing it close to her chest.
Loki intently watched her, noticing a welt form where the whip had struck her. He reached out to touch her, but she high-kicked him in the jaw.
"I don't know who the hell you are, so don't touch me!" she shouted.
"I can heal you. Hold still." Loki wished she would go back to looking like a tortured soul instead of behaving like a feral beast.
"Where are you even from?" she asked. "Your accent doesn't sound Russian…You aren't one of them."
She should've been glad that she was able to communicate with him thanks to Loki's powers. However, she was clever. Loki had to give her that. "I journeyed across worlds just to find you." The girl stared at him like he was a madman. "Let me take you with me," he beckoned, reaching out his large hand to her. "I assure you that no one will treat you so cruelly…" Then again, Loki wasn't sure what to believe. If he brought her back, there was a good chance Odin would toss her out. "How about we visit a new world for just the two of us?" Loki grinned. Heimdall could find a far off world where Loki could take the child forever. "There will be no more pain, no betrayal…"
The red-head's gaze softened as her eyes met with the god's. "Did someone hurt you, too?"
"Yes," he admitted. "I fear that you and I have experienced all types of hurt, Romanova."
"Natalia," she muttered. "My name is Natalia Romanova."
"That is a very pretty name, Natalia," Loki kindly smiled. "How about you let me take you somewhere safe?"
"I can't," she quickly answered. "I need to stay here and train to become stronger."
"You seem quite strong to me."
Natalia stared past Loki's shoulder towards the brick building. "They'll find me if I leave. They always do…"
"I swear to you that no one will find you if you join me."
"The bad men will kill you," she warned.
Loki arched a brow. "'Bad men?' Have they always mistreated you?"
Natalia hugged the wool coat closer to her shivering body. "They're bad to all of us. They call us worthless pieces of shit unless we perform well… They don't even see us as human. We're dolls for them to break…"
Loki rubbed his hands together as he focused on Natalia's face. "What if I could make the bad men disappear?"
"Are you a magician?" she asked.
"You may refer to me as one, if you like," he smirked. "Here." He opened his palm and summoned a piece of warm meat into his hand. "Eat. You must be starving."
Natalia eyed the piece of food and began to shy away. If she was caught eating, she knew she would receive more than a lashing. 'No dinner,' the bad man had said. What if this was a trap?
"Go on," Loki encouraged her. "Eat while I have a word with the bad men…"
The scent of fresh meat grew stronger in Natalia's nostrils and she could no longer fight her stomach's growls of protest. She snatched the food from Loki's hand and quickly devoured it.
Loki chuckled as he watched her eat. It reminded him of how Thor chose to consume his dinner. His smile fell when he noticed the jacket fall from the girl's shoulders. All along her arms were thin scars, some newer than others, bruises, scrapes… "I swear that I will take you somewhere we can both find happiness." Loki left a small loaf of bread atop a patch of snow before he made his leave towards the building.
Natalia watched him walk away and wiped her greasy hands in the snow. "Wait!" she called out, making him stop. "You never told me your name."
"Loki," he said with a grin before disappearing into the building.
She pursed her lips and reached for the fresh bread as he left her side.
Loki sauntered through the door as if he had done it a million times. Even without the coat, he was still wearing the same matching uniform as the three men sitting at a wooden table, chatting with their glass bottles of vodka.
The man with the whip shot Loki a sideways glance. "Your face is new," he dryly remarked, taking a swig of his drink.
"And it is a face that you will never regret," Loki added. He summoned a sharp knife into his hand, forcing the bearded man to jump from his seat.
"He's armed!"
The mustached man wielding the whip snapped it at Loki, only to freeze up as the raven-haired god caught the tip of the whip in midair.
An evil smirk formed across Loki's lips as he jerked the whip forward, forcing the man to fall flat on his face. "You've tortured Lady Romanova for the last time!" Loki growled. He leapt onto the man's back, grinning widely as he heard ribs snapping beneath his boots. Loki saw the two cronies lunge at him. The one was taken out with a clean slice across the neck with his blade. The bearded man, however, managed to grab Loki's neck and refused to let go. Loki let the tip of his knife sink into his opponent's wrist, forcing him to scream bloody murder. He fell backwards, allowing for the god to return his focus to the man he had seen harm Natalia. Loki flipped the man onto his back, scrunching his nose as a mixture of blood and spit hit his cheek.
"Romanova sent you?" he choked out. "Who the hell are you?"
The god slowly drove his blade into the abuser's chest, taking pleasure in his broken cries. "I hope you suffer far worse in Hel where you belong!" Loki spat. He took a moment to contemplate whether to carve off the man's face first. Perhaps chop off the fingers one by one…
"D-don't touch him!" the bearded man demanded as he rose to his feet. He reached out to grab a fistful of Loki's dark locks.
The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the tiny room. Loki whipped his head around just in time to see the bearded man fall sideways with a bullet wound through his ear.
"Thirty eight seconds," Natalia glowered, her shotgun ready to fire again. "My fastest time yet, you pieces of shit!" She shot the man whose throat had been slit in the skull, leaving only one more alive… The main offender.
"Natalia…" Loki's mouth fell open at the sight of such a tiny, young thing staining her hands with blood. The rage burning in her eyes was what frightened Loki the most.
"Step away. He's mine, Loki," she breathed.
Loki slowly stepped away, refusing to break eye contact with Natalia.
Natalia's thin legs trembled beneath her as she stood ready to shoot. The man was going to die… After the beatings, the incessant yelling, the weekly injections, it was all about to end. One bullet to the head stood between Natalia and freedom from her oppressor. One clean shot, and her suffering would be over. So why was she so hesitant? It wasn't as though the doctor could punish her for killing him. Unless karma chose to mess with her. Natalia flinched when she felt Loki's cold hands against hers.
"Steady," his velvety voice murmured into her ear. He helped Natalia straighten her posture.
Having Loki at her side suddenly made Natalia feel stronger. Safe, even. She took a deep breath and let her finger pull the trigger. Loki's hands covered her ears as a shot rang out. As if in slow motion, Natalia watched as the bullet dove into the man's skull and the light left his eyes. It was all over. "Loki, I'm ready to find happiness! I-" The high she had gotten off of the kill faded as she turned to see that the magician had disappeared. Even with newfound freedom, Natalia felt helpless and alone.
"What have you done, Loki?!" Heimdall demanded.
"I never asked to return!" the god yelled, wiping the blood off of his cheek. "Take me back! I am to take Natalia to safety!"
"Loki…" The gatekeeper sighed. He had been fully prepared to tell his King of the crime the boy had committed, but Heimdall felt that he was responsible for this. Just this once, he had to let it slide. It wasn't as though Loki had done a horrible thing. Yes, he murdered, but it was to protect a child… "You should be grateful that I will not tell the King of this incident."
"Take me back to her!" Loki barked. "Heimdall!"
"Be gone, my Prince," he instructed. "Perhaps I will allow you another visit tomorrow."
Loki felt his temper begin to cool down. "Tomorrow," he repeated.
"Yes…"
Unbeknownst to Loki, time worked in mysterious ways for the two who lived world apart…
"Troubled times
Caught between confusions and pain
Distant eyes
Promises we made were in vain"
Separate Ways ~Journey
