I looked into him, shocked. There were scars old and new, some red raw wounds, some dark purple bruises. All of his chest and stomach were criss-crossed with wounds, the neck also... And there was something that looked like chemical burns on his forearms. I wondered how he'd been up and talking until now, how the hell he had done to hide the pain for weeks and act as if nothing was wrong.

But there was something more important.

"Who did this to you?" I asked, meeting his eyes again.

The look he gave me, all proud and confident, reminded me that this man had once been a prince.

"That is not your concern, Captain."

"It is! This is not right, Loki, this...Plus, I am the one treating you so I should know how you got these injuries to be able to heal them properly..."

"You do not need that information. It is an Asgardian matter and does not concern lowly Midgardians like yourself."

Well, even if he was in the insulting mood again, at least now we were getting somewhere.

"So, this happened while you were on Asgard?" I asked, even if I was almost sure that the answer was positive. Again, as the last time he mentioned his hometown a look of pain crossed his face. It amazed me, how a simple word would hurt him more than all those burns and bruises.

"I am grateful for your help up to now, but I do not wish to discuss the matter. If that creates some kind of problem to you, you can leave."

I sighed, defeated. This was obviously a sensitive matter for the guy and he didn't know me. And I was working for his enemies and captors.

"Ok, I get it, you don't wanna talk. But if you ever want to, I'm here and I'm told I'm a good listener." Loki only nodded, stern.

I opened the medical kit and starting pulling out some supplies. I didn't even know where to start. After a while I decided to start with the neck wounds and continue downwards. Loki would occasionally cough, sometimes more softly, others more brutally, but that was the only indication that he was not all right.

You'd think, from the way he'd been speaking and acting earlier that he didn't even feel pain at all. But when I started applying the alcohol over one of the worst looking wounds in his shoulder he flinched and looked at it, making clear that he could indeed feel pain, but he just didn't want to. In fact, the slight sign of weakness he'd shown seemed to bother him greatly and he put on again his I-don't-feel-anything mask on and look straight into an undefined point across him.

His eyes were more sad since we brought up Asgard. I wondered what had happened there to hurt him so bad and if Thor was somehow involved. And I wondered if I was ever going to know. I understood things better now, after seeing this. He'd obviously been through some sort of hell and the skill with which he covered it up told me this hadn't been the first time.

"You don't have to try so hard with me, you know. I already know you're a strong guy. I mean, not many people would had survived the beating the Hulk gave you." I told him, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Even I am scared of him. And the punches he gave Thor... I sure am happy he's on our side!"

"I must admit, even I admire that creature. He answers to no one and welll... he does what he wants. He punches both friends and foes with the same vigour. "

When I mentioned Thor another thing occurred to me. After he'd been punched and thrown into the air, he recovered inmediately and after his fight in the helicarrier he'd seemed ok, too. I thought it was because he had some sort of alien speed-healing, but if that was the case, why wasn't Loki healing too?

I continued to go over the angriest looking wounds while chatting about mutual acquaintances. It surprised me that Loki still felt I kind of fondness for Barton, even if he knew that it was definitely not mutual. The way in which he talked about Clint made me think about the time when he was working against us. Had his brainwashed minions the only people he could talk to? And why did I care about it anyway? He was a mass murderer and an enemy and a trickster. I should not forget that so easily.

I kept trying to figure out a way to find out what had happened to him while I continued cleaning and dressing his wounds. I could imagine those proud features unperturbed while he was poked and burned.

"Will you tell me more about your time, Captain? I am quite curious as to how things have changed so fast is such a short time as seventy years."

I conceded, happy. Most people didn't care about time and my stories and just tried to explain me theirs and how it was so much better. But Loki listened carefully and seemed interested in what I told him about my neighbourhood and my friends and my... not so friends. We kept talking about the forties and its wonders while I continued healing him. I spoke about silent movies and the uncanny talkies that came after them, about the war...

Before I knew it, I was talking about about Bucky. After such a long time burying the grief, trying to drown the memories (but never really succeeding) I found, to my embarrasment, that my voice was cracking slightly and my eyes were a bit watery. Damn, when did all this become so intense? I was afraid that Loki would store this information for future attacks or simply mock my weakness but no.

Nothing like that.

"He passed like a true warrior and a honorable dignified death. If you have to die, it is one of the best ways to go, don't you think?"

Yeah. Yeah. It could've been so much worse.

I went back to healing part, now focusing on a nasty looking gash on his side but I was not paying too much atenttion (still a bit distraught by memories) and carelessly shoved the disinfectant into the wound. The strong unmoving column that was Loki, shut his eyes and closed his fists, biting back a scream, obviously in pain.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized, confused. "But shouldn't you be like magically healed? You know, alien heritage and that stuff."

"I was left without my healing abilities. What kind of punishment would it had been if I instantly recovered of every blow? No mercy for traitors."he whispered, eyes still closed.

I was disliking this more and more. Every bit of information I got made me wish I didn't know anything in the first place. But I needed to know. Damned curiosity.

"I have to ask. Was Thor ok with this? What was done to you, I mean. I understand you don't want to tell me the details but I work with the guy and if he condones torture, well... I'll have to have some words with him. At least stop being nice to him."

Loki smiled.

"Oh, Captain, as Midgardian would say you are highly cute" he said, and this time I thoroughly blushed. "And I see what are trying to do here, sly man, trying to get the information you seek on an indirect way. Well, since you seem so interested in the matter and your demand is reasonable, I will tell you. Of the whole ordeal that caused this scars Thor was the only nice surprise. He kept asking for me to be treated as a regular prisoner, to be left alone in the cell, without the flames and the venom and the rest of it...The so called extraordinary punishments. He went to the high council, as heir to the throne, to stand up for a prisoner's dignity. He went to Odin and Frigga as their son to ask for mercy, that fool... He's the first to know there's no mercy for a traitor."

I was horrified. More than horrified.

"Your... your parents had something to do this?" I said looking again at the constellation of injuries covering the black-haired man's chest.

"They are not my parents." He said, looking at me, proudly as always.

I kept his gaze. His parents had let him be tortured while his brother asked for a little mercy, to be denied. No wonder he was so messed in the head.

"Jesus!" I said "But you grew up with them, I mean, they should at least..."

"The Allfather wanted to make clear that I would receive no different treatment for who I was. Ironically, in his attempt to treat me as bad as any other prisoner he ended up treating me worse, defeating the purpose of the whole thing. But you souldn't be so surprised, Captain, you must know taht it is important to make an example of an captive enemy to teach the others not to get near. What would the next generations think if I was just shoved on a cell for the rest of my life?"

"Life in prison is horrible! And it's punishment enough. I don't condone what you did, of course, but burning and slashing is not answer either. We don't torture, never. It makes you as bad as you enemy."

"But there are some people who need to be taught a lesson." He said, darkly.

"This kind of treatment only fuels the hatred even more. If you'd had any kind of support group, any kind of back up, they would have had the right to strike back and... it's a never-ending conflict."

Loki's eyes became icy as he stared at me.

"But I did not have any kind of support, did I? They could play with me all they wanted, with no consequences. No one was coming to save me, that was another part of the punishment. To see yourself become the symbol of all that is rotten, of all that shouldn't be, the disgrace, the worthless traitor of Asgard."

"Jesus!" I couldn't help myself.

This was worse than all I imagined. While I was prey of some mean boys from Brooklyn this man was the prey of a whole country. He was bullied by his family and friends. This man had lived the same thing I did but in a much more epic scale. And much more closer to the heart.

I was horrified but he just smiled at me. He didn't seem that didn't seem crazy or evil... there was only an echo of sarcasm in his expression.

"Don't concern yourself" he said "I don't plan on going back there anytime soon."

My head went back to Selvig and Tony, getting everyday closer to find a way to transport him back to Asgard using some sort of energy signature form Thor's last visit. Up to now I thought it was a good idea (it was his home after all) but now the thought of sending anyone, much less this person who'd become -despite my wildest efforts- a friend to a horrible fate like that made me feel horrible.

Yes, he was a killer and he'd done many horrible things and I had not forgotten any of them, but this was not the way to solve them. If they were trying to break him mentally and physically, how were those Asgardians any better than Loki? How could they be trusted?

It was not right to take someone (no matter who) and return them to his torturers after he'd somehow managed to escape. This was me, being side by side with the bullies once again.

"Is something amiss, Captain?" Loki asked, between coughs.

How could I look at him again, when I was part of the team that was going to send him back to hell again?

"Yes, yes, I... There are some wounds that need stiching and you'll need some antiobiotics for the infection and the cough. I'm not very good with those things but maybe I can convince Bruce to come and finish patching you up."

"Banner? You think he will want to come to my cage to help me heal? On his own free will?"

For some reason, I did.

"Yeah. I'll convince him."

I started gathering my things, still a bit shaken up.

"Captain?"

"You can call me Steve." I said, because that was my name and I'd been calling him by his since day one.

"Steve, then, I only wanted to say that I am grateful for your assistance. You are most kind."

And that was it. Now my heart was melting.

When I went back to headquarters I ran into Stark, who seemed worried.

"You okay, pal? There was some sound glitch on Loki's cell feed and we couldn't hear anything you guys were saying. We were afraid he could be hypnotizing you or something."

Of course. He wouldn't want anyone else to know the story, anyone else to know his weakness, how he'd been disgraced. Just the same I would not tell anyone else when I was a kid and I was beat up, I just went to my room and thought of ways to my fight them back the next time. I didn't want pity or people looking at me differently. I didn't want to be that poor kid.

"Don't worry, he was perfectly civil." I answered "By the way, how is that transport you were working on going?"

"Almost finished! It will be ready in a matter of four or five days, I think, a week tops. I don't want to bore you with the details but..."

"Then don't" I interrupted "I was not going to understand them, anyways."

"Ok, blue-spandex-butt, I get it."

That night I couldn't sleep.

I didn't know what to do. Try to help Loki, somehow? I would be going against all the allies I had (except Thor, maybe) just to help escape a convicted murderer. But I also couldn't bear the thought of him sent again to that horrible place, to be broken, and laughed at, and lose the sanity he still had left when I could have prevented it.

Why was everything so damn complicated?

A/N. Sorry for the long wait, hope you liked it! To make up for it, the chapter was really long. Next up, we'll have Steve's decision and some Bruce Banner, among other things. Hope you're still enjoying!

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