I am… Loki.
Yes, that sounded about right.
I am Loki... of Asgard?
Hmmm…
"Didn't work out the way we expected, but… can't say I am sorry," the voice carried over to his consciousness, interrupting the forming thought and Loki opened his awareness to the reality around him.
Blinking his eyes and looking around, he decided he should have left them closed, things being as they were. This was a very familiar place, however he would like to not say so.
Was it all a dream? Am I in the Void?, panic raised in him, even though a part of him knew it was not where he was.
Harry was sitting across him, in the same chair he used so very long ago… or will be, in the future. Or not-future? Ugh! The Master of Death had a look of concentration on his face, eyes looking beyond Loki at the moment, into the Void. Given the dire situation they were in, Loki could not help but feel envious of the calm aura Harry exuded. The trickster god didn't feel like himself and his mind was still jumbled out. He massaged his temples as a way to bring more clarity to everything that was happening around him.
He had four sets of memories in his head. He had lives as Harry Potter and lives as Loki Odinson. Which made sorting out his identity a tad bit complicated. He believed himself to be Loki, just because those memories felt more raw and had an intensity to them that the Harry Potter ones lacked. But his existence as Loki was branched out. There was a common path up till his fall… and then, they diverged. One ended in the Void and made a deal with the Master of Death. The other escaped the Void, only to make another deal with Thanos.
Both felt so authentic. And real.
He also had the memory of the merged Harry-Loki life, which was not bad, as it was a very short one and ended up till a moment ago, when both decided to separate their souls. But then again, he also had the memories of the Master of Death.
He shuddered.
If Loki thought he had it rough, it only paled before the Master of Death existence. It went for eons. Lonely and suffering. And in the end, uncaring. Wishing for a death that would never touch him.
Immortality has been Harry's Void.
"I guess it worked out well enough," said Loki, after capturing all the thoughts in his head running amok. He could differentiate more of himself moment by moment, something that Harry was working on. But this was not going to be easy. "Our souls are still joined, though," concluded the scholar, after assessing more of his current state of being.
It was good to have the Master of Death's knowledge about souls.
A serene smile appeared in the other's face, focusing on him for just an instant before going back to concentrate on his task.
"I am doing my best, but I already know it won't be enough," confessed Harry sheepishly. "Because I messed up, we'll always be bonded. Just trying to tip the scales a little," he explained. "More of Harry on this side," he pointed to himself, "more of Loki on that side," pointing to Loki. "Like Death said, we shall see. I am optimistic though."
"Yes," confirmed Loki, "we are having our first conversation as separate identities. The memory generation has also stopped being on both sides. That is promising."
However, if he will it well enough, Loki could feel himself experiencing and merging again with Harry, stretching infinitely in this place and sorting, ordering, cataloging, moving, coloring and graying pieces of themselves at an incredible pace.
"Try not to lose it, you are not making my job any easier," admonished the Master of Death, gently turning him away. "We'll have plenty of time to play with the bond later. Focus on getting your body back."
And with that, Loki felt the push towards consciousness.
Pathetic is not the right word, but it keeps ringing through his mind. Enough, he tells himself, stealing a quick glance at the bed. If his brother were ever to find out about this treacherous thoughts, even in the privacy of his mind, Thor just knew he would lose Loki forever.
There would be no chance of redeeming their relationship. Not at all.
Another glance at the bed and he cannot help but think that Loki looked so weak and small, his breathing shallow and skin pale. Nothing like the powerful warrior he knew him could be.
When they got to the tower after the fight, Thor never imagined to find his brother crumbled on the floor, unmoving. Loki was a survivor. He wouldn't die. Not from a Midgardian force. They were Asgardian princes. Gods to them.
The sight hit him like a Hulk's punch, taking the air out of him.
The unknown figure kneeling by his brother was also a surprise. The Avengers threatened and some even attacked the boy, who ignored them all. A force field shielded both from everything they threw. Thor wasn't sure who did what, as his eyes stayed with his brother while a rising panic started to take hold. They had already mourned Loki in Asgard. Saying goodbye once was terribly enough, would he have to do it again? What was he to say to Freya? Mother was so hopeful…
He was about to reach out for Loki, Mjolnir in hand, when the boy bent down and kissed his brother.
The reaction was immediate. A powerful energy exploded and pushed them against the wall. He couldn't breathe. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It felt ancient and wrong. Unnatural. Thor remembered recoiling against it, the feeling of taint washing through him, through them all.
He shakes his head to remove the memory from the forefront of his mind. Everything fast forwarded after that. The boy collapsed on top of Loki, and the shield disappeared without a trace. Both were brought unconscious aboard the Helicarrier.
The unknown boy was locked in a cell. He was completely healthy, only unconscious. Not much to do but wait for him to wake up and interrogate. Naturally, he was kept as far away from Loki as they could. He still had remnants of that strange energy spiking around him, frying all electronic devices attempting to analyze it. Dr. Banner and Stark were working overtime trying to crack the puzzle.
On the other hand, Loki was secured in a cage similar to the one they used before, except this time it housed a bed and medical equipment, monitoring his vital signs. There was not much Midgardian medicine could do, besides praising his resilience. Loki should be dead by all accounts. His internal organs were mush, Stark's words, not him. Even with all the technology and drugs, Loki's condition was not improving. But he was not dying. Yet, anyway.
It was just a matter of time for Dr. Selvig to figure out how to calibrate the Tesseract and get both of them back home and into Eir's care, an expert healer. She would have no issues restoring Loki back to health, he knew by experience.
But it was a matter of time, and Thor didn't know if time was on his side.
Coming full circle with his thoughts, the god of Thunder caressed his brother's face, bringing Loki's hand to his forehead and giving a silent encouragement.
"Be strong," he murmured, closing his eyes.
Please, do not die. Not again.
"I didn't know you cared, brother of mine"
Sharply opening his eyes, Thor didn't recognize the voice, before the strange boy appeared out of thin air.
His hand found Mjolnir.
This place is so bright, was Harr…, no, Loki's first thought coming into consciousness. The other was watching, the Asgardian could feel it, but he was busier working on their tangled mess more than anything. Harry was doing a very fine job of putting things back into place. Handling souls was a delicate business, Master of Death or not, so he refused to rush the job.
It was easy to slip his captors, leaving an illusion behind. One of the advantages of having meshed themselves together, was learning a bit of each other's magic. Though Loki doubted he could ever wield the powers of Death, he might retain a sensitivity to it. They'll just have to see.
It was no issue roaming through the halls of the Helicarrier, stealthing thru the corredors in a mix of illusions and Notice-Me-Not charms.
The mind fog that had accompanied them since last meeting Death was lifted the moment their bodies kissed. It was incredible. Everything was so clear, so evident after that. Initially, they thought it was to stop death taking over, as they had so many questions for this person… They didn't realize that touching Loki's original body would resonate with their souls to the point where they could realize they were two, merged together. Quickly, they consumed the sliver of Loki's soul left in the body and set to repair themselves. The memories rushed free and instantly.
Now they were both sharing a body, but not for long. Loki was following the pull, knowing exactly where his body could be found.
When he opened the cell door, the sight that greeted them was a bit familiar.
I thought you dropped the cage? roused Harry, remembering himself pushing the button, knowing full well Thor would survive.
They must have had a backup plan, shrugged the Asgardian. Smart, not bad. Walking silently inside, they noticed the new arrangements and the visitor sitting by the bed. I'm touched, he jested.
Loki took a few seconds to assess the situation. He still hasn't processed how he really felt about his… not-family.
"Be strong," murmured Thor, anguish present in his voice. The God of Thunder was having a hard time, it seemed. After the battle between them, Loki didn't know what to expect from Thor. He appreciated his worry, it was endearing.
"I didn't know you cared, brother of mine," mocked Loki, dropping his spells. Seeing Thor's evident concern, made him warm inside, but he still wouldn't relinquish so easily.
He was nothing if not obstinate.
Even though a crystal wall still separated them, Thor stood up wielding Mjolnir, assuming a defensive position in front of the bed. Several emotions flashed through his face, confusion, fear, relief... finally setting on rage.
"Is this another one of your games, Loki? No more!" Thor yelled, lightning streaking across the hammer. "It's the last time I fall for one of your illusions."
The change was immediate. He made for an imposing figure; eyes flashing in his fury, knuckles going white.
Sensing the threat, Harry pushed through to the front, putting his progress on hold. Both shared control just fine, as they had been one up until a few hours ago. Sighing, they shook his head, a sad smile spreading on their face. It was never going to be easy between the siblings, right?
He is not my brother, complained a part of him.
You may try to lie to yourself, Loki. But you cannot fool me, answered Harry. We long for Thor. His affection is the shiny piece that's missing in our life. We thought of him during the torture we endured with the Chitauri.
Managing their internal turmoil, they sighed, oh boy. This is so confusing. The pieces were still too strongly connected, as Harry knew for a fact he had never been Thanos' prisoner.
Lady Death was right, it was a mess. A fun one, mind you. Harry couldn't remember the last time he felt so alive. His magic was singing out of excitement, and he was having issues keeping it wrapped around himself and not short circuiting the whole airship.
"That came out wrong, and for that I'm sorry," the wizard apologized, hands raised trying to placate the god of Thunder. "I can assure you this is no game…" to Loki, at least. Harry was having so much fun right now. "I can explain everything later, but we are on borrowed time. Your brother is dying, you know."
There was that look again, fear. Like a balloon, Thor's anger quickly deflated, leaving a very unsure Asgardian behind. His burst of anger brought a false relief, and now Thor was taking his words back; wishing it were one of Loki's pranks.
All considered, he wouldn't mind, he swears.
"They cannot do anything for him," the Asgardian explained tiredly, glancing back at Loki's prone figure.
Harry assented. They thought so. With a wave of his hand, the gate opened, allowing them to set foot inside the crystal cage.
"He needs to be saved, but I am no healer." Far from it, they both were more adept at killing. "Loki needs to return to Asgard," they affirmed before stepping into the glass cage.
"The Tesseract will be ready within the week and with it we can go home," offered the Asgardian with a guarded expression and following every movement they made. They were glad he was choosing to continue the conversation instead of demanding answers.
Thor was out of ideas. He didn't know this mage; he could be an ally of Loki. Here to take him away. But if it gave him a chance at surviving, how could he say no? The Midgardian healers didn't have high hopes of Loki surviving even one more day, and have requested multiple times for him to say his farewells while he could. The God of Thunder refused to even entertain the thought.
Loki figured that Heimdall had already alerted Odin and Freya about the situation. No visitors from Asgard meant the Rainbow Bridge was still broken. Harry would have to take direct action, then. He approached the bed in slow motion, stepping beside Thor to look at the figure.
Suddenly, the door to the chamber opened, and the rest of the Avengers spilled into the room, all weapons ready.
"Halt!" commanded Fury. "We will need you to step away from the bed and come to answer some questions."
Raising his hands in the air, Harry turned.
"I just want to help," answered the wizard, stepping back and bumping into the bed, an innocent grin on his face. "I promise we'll be back for the Tesseract."
Before anyone could do anything, Harry reached out to touch Thor's arm and Loki's hand, side along apparating them through the realms toward Asgard.