Five days had passed since Jane first arrived in Asgard. Thor returned from Vanaheim, Frigga's condition grew no better or worse, and Jane avoided Loki's cell while smiling politely in the face of Odin's displeasure.
She knew it was only a matter of time before the Allfather called her before him again, and perhaps she'd be cast back to Earth for failing his so-called test. But until then, she was determined to make the most of her time in the Golden Realm. If not exploring the city itself, than browsing the palace's immense library in hope there would be something she could learn from it's great tomes - if only she could decipher the text.
As much as was possible, Thor accompanied her on her outings, to point out various histories of some of the city landmarks, or to read aloud scripts that were little more than an assortment of symbols to her Midgardian eyes. But the war Loki had set into motion when he set out to destroy Jotunheim was not yet settled, and more often than not, Jane was left alone. Or worse, left in the care of the Lady Sif. Who possibly disliked her presence in Asgard even more than the Allfather himself.
Sometimes she wondered if it would be easier to endure Loki after all. Perhaps, she even decided on the eve of the sixth day, she would return to his cell in the morning.
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The Sixth Day.
Asgard was under attack. Missiles fell like rain, shattering buildings undisturbed on their foundations for thousands of years; decimating all who were within them. Great golden spires toppled; elegant even in their crushing descent.
Asgard's great army had scrambled to respond, but they were unprepared. Their enemy planned their attack well; taking out weapon stores and strategic defense positions in their first assault. Only the palace soldiers were able to take up arms, but they could not see who they were meant to fight. The enemy was invisible. Swooping in on ships that could only be distinguished by the slightest ripple in the air and a wind that rose with their passing.
Thor had never known a time when the city's defences had been penetrated. Heimdall had stood guard upon Asgard's cosmic outpost long before his birth, and his ever-watchful eyes had never once failed to keep the Realm free from invasion.
Until now.
Now the most impenetrable city in the whole nine realms was straining under the heavy forces of an unknown enemy. An enemy even Heimdall couldn't see. And as the very palace shuddered with the force of explosions, Thor knew if they could not find a way to stop this attack soon, the city would fall.
Another missile shook the palace, this one closer, causing a shower of crumbling stone to fall from the ceiling above. A chorus of screams rose and cut short as splatter of short sharp explosions rang out.
"Frigga!"
The word ripped ragged through the air, Thor turned to see his father, white-faced with shock, stumbling from the throne room, towards the source of the sounds.
"No father!" Thor ran forward and grabbed his arm, swinging him back around. "Mother did not go that way."
"How can you know?" Odin gripped his son's shoulders with a force that belied his age, his face etched with the expectation of impending grief. "How can you be sure?"
Thor stammered, taken aback by his father's countenance. He who showed no fear or doubt, regardless of his adversary; he whose might caused none to question his rule. He who now trembled before him, racked with fears and uncertainty.
"She is with Jane. I saw them in the library a scant half hour ago. I'm certain they will still be there now."
"Go! Take them down to the dungeon. There is a passageway sealed over by -"
"A passageway?" Thor interrupted, "Father are you sure?"
"Yes boy of course I'm sure!" Odin roared. "Do you think me nothing but a tired old man, unable to recollect his memories?"
"Of course not, but I -"
Another rumbling explosion shook the palace, closer now.
"You will not question me! In the oldest of cells you will find it. With this" Odin grasped Mjolnir between his son's hands and pressed it towards his chest. "uncover the entrance. Lead them to safety."
The sound of fighting could be heard clearly now, and Thor felt Mjolnir thrum beneath his fingers as the battle rage caused it to awaken. He could go now and strike the enemy before they could foul the palace floors with their bloodied footsteps any further; he could do this and still save Jane and his mother.
"I know what you think." His father cautioned, his voice soft and weary. "And I tell you now, you must do as I command. You must lead Frigga to safety. If you wish to save us all, this is the only way."
The clang of swords echoed off the walls, drawing closer. Thor searched his father's face, anguished that he must leave him here alone to face Norn-knows-what.
"Go my son." Odin squared his jaw and drew himself up, regaining the proud tall stature so often lost now beneath the weight of age and weariness. "This is my command."
Thor held his father's eyes, daring to defy him just a moment longer; then he clapped a great hand upon his father's broad shoulder, nodded, and sprinted towards the library.
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Jane stared about herself in numb shock; a nearby blast having knocked her off her feet. The floor seemed to slide out from beneath her as she tried to pull herself to her knees, and when she finally achieved that much she clasped her hands to her ears; blinking desperately in effort to clear her spinning head.
A shadow passed over her and she became dimly aware of Frigga kneeling beside her, hands on her shoulders in effort to help her rise. She raised her head to see the Queen mouthing words and she shook her head in denial, unable to understand - why couldn't she just speak?
Then she recognised the urgency in the older woman's face; the strain in her features. And she understood. Frigga was speaking - she was shouting - but Jane couldn't hear her. She couldn't hear anything at all but muted muffled sounds, as if an ocean filled her ears.
Groggily, she allowed the Queen to help her to her feet. Taller in stature, the older woman leant over her like a mother protecting her child, and tugged her towards library entrance.
"Quick Jane! We must go!"
The words finally broke through, puncturing Jane's shell-shock, and with them all the other sounds of war burst forth, overwhelming her.
"This way!" Frigga pulled her into a narrow aisle shelved with ancient books, moments before the great library doors burst open and the echo of heavy booted feet stamped through.
Stumbling, Jane didn't question how Frigga could have known. Instead she pushed herself to follow, and together they ran through the isles of the great library; Jane cursing the Asgardian dress she wore as she tripped numerous times over its floor-length hem.
Finally they reached the great double doors that opened onto a wide hallway, and Frigga motioned her to wait as she pressed an ear to the door, and slowly pushed it open a crack to peer into the palace beyond.
Judging their exit clear, Frigga pushed the door further and beckoned Jane. WIthout question, Jane followed Frigga's lead through corridors and flights of stairs until they reached the lowest floor.
"Where are we going?" Jane asked.
"To find my son." Frigga's determined reply should have been reassuring, except Jane had begun to recognise her surroundings. The strange flowering topiary in the over-sized pot. The huge gold-plated doors that led into the dungeons…
"I don't understand." Jane said slowly, panic rising. "Don't you mean… Shouldn't we find Thor?"
"We will. Soon enough." Frigga turned back to grant Jane a reassuring smile. "Or rather he will find us. I'm sure by now his father has urged him to the tunnel."
"The tunnel?"
"Yes. It has been long sealed; with a charm only Mjolnir has the power to break. Thor is likely waiting for us already."
Jane wasn't sure if Thor would just wait about in a dark tunnel when his home needed defending, but Frigga seemed convinced, and she supposed a mother knew her son best.
"And where does this tunnel lead?" Jane swallowed tightly in effort to force down the strange lump of anxiety that seemed to have mounted itself in her throat.
"It's a dark path. Known only by a few." Frigga paused, then added. "Known only by one."
"Loki." Jane knew it. Even as Frigga's mouth shaped the name.
"He discovered the dark paths as a child." Frigga had stopped before the towering doors, her hand resting against one although she made no move to push it open.
"It was my fault. I was the one to foster his love of learning. I taught him a rudimentary knowledge of magic - he taught himself the rest. And so, because I encouraged him to become a scholar rather than a warrior, he spent much of his formative days in the library. It was there he learnt of the dark paths. And as it's in his nature to be as curious as he is secretive, he set out to explore them."
"But how could he know this one, if it's sealed?"
"Because one day he explored too far. He disappeared for several days. The whole palace was turned upside down in search of him - he was but a child."
"What about Heimdall? Thor said he can see the universe."
"He had gone to a place where even Heimdall couldn't see." Frigga shook her head. "It was Odin who discovered how he disappeared, and Odin who fetched him home again. Neither spoke of what happened, in fact Loki quickly forgot. Though to be sure, Odin sealed the entranceway with a charm only Mjolnir has the power to break."
"Did it ever occur to Odin that Loki might use Mjolnir?" Jane bit her tongue, wondering if the Queen would take insult to her question.
Frigga cast her eyes to the ground. "Perhaps he knew Loki would never be able to wield it."
Jane wasn't sure what she meant, sensing family secrets behind the Queen's words, but she placed a hand on Frigga's arm, wishing she could think of something reassuring. Something to lift the woman from her sadness.
The touch broke Frigga from her reverie, and she smiled weakly; reminding Jane in that moment of just how drained of strength the Queen was.
"Loki was not always like this, you must believe me Jane." Frigga pleaded. "He was a sweet boy once. A gentle boy. And I believe there still exists in him a part that wishes to do good. A part that wishes for redemption. Perhaps if only for my sake. For I believe he loves me still; even if he loves no one else."
Jane could think of no answer, or at least, no answer she felt comfortable sharing with the Queen. Loki had tried once already to kill Thor. He'd destroyed the small New Mexico town in which she'd lived, and launched an inter-galactic attack upon her planet. Not to mention her own experiences with him during which he demonstrated he was clearly still a lunatic... Frigga's maternal bond must run strong, as Loki was a creature only his mother could have any hope for.
"Come, we must -" Frigga broke off her words as her hand touched the golden door, her face straining suddenly before a strange unsettling blankness took over.
Jane stared from face to fingertips, shocked as Frigga's eyes rolled back and her fingers trembled against the door. Or was it… The door trembling against her fingertips?
"Something's coming." Frigga managed at last as she pulled in a ragged breath. And then she was snatching her hand away and pulling Jane backwards; back towards the direction they'd come.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Jane looked desperately towards the door. Wasn't Thor down there? "Where are we going?"
"Something's wrong. Thor is not there." Frigga's grip upon Jane's arm was painful, and left no argument that she must comply. Stepping backwards, Jane saw the great doors were vibrating, ever so slightly. And then there was a sound, a thrumming sound, like heavy rainfall or hard-running footsteps. Dozens of footsteps.
Both woman realised in unison what was happening, but it was Frigga who reacted first, pushing Jane towards the topiary in its over-sized pot. "Stay out of sight."
Then she stepped into the middle of the wide hallway and moved towards the direction they'd come from, her eyes steady on the golden doors; short sword ready in her hand. "And when you have a chance, go - run to Loki and release him."
"What!" Jane exclaimed. "Look, I know you love your son but he's dangerous!"
"I will not have him trapped down there!" Frigga's eyes hardened as Jane hesitated. "And once Thor uncovers the dark path, you need Loki to lead you through it. It's the only way to save me - you must trust what I have forseen."
"What you've forseen?" Jane's fingers dug into the edge of the large round planter as her body screamed for her to take flight. "What the… What?!"
"My sons will find me. I have faith in them." She threw Jane a level look. "You must too."
Jane couldn't help but feel trusting Loki was akin to trusting a caged wolf, and setting him free was foolhardier still, but she wasn't about to argue the Queen's decision. After a moment's hesitation she gave a short nod, but her affirmation was lost as the doors burst open and a horde of men surged forward; men in the garbled clothing of the Marauders.
Wedging herself deeper into a gap between the topiary and the rough wall, Jane watched as the first of the crowd ran straight for Frigga; lunging towards her with bare hands or weapons likely gleaned from fallen guards. The rest seethed past, eager to cleave their own path of escape.
The leafy foliage allowed Jane to watch without being seen, but as the initial surge of prisoners caused her to lose sight of Frigga, she pressed back into the corner until she felt the stone bite into her skin and wet warmth trickled down her back. Finally the flow of prisoners ebbed away to just a few. The few who were in combat with the Queen.
Despite her malay, Frigga fought like whirling dervish; thrusting and parrying against the four prisoners who had not yet fled or fallen by her sword. Her expression was determined, even menacing, and those who fought her did so with a measure of wariness. The bodies she stepped over to reach them was a testament to her skill.
"Go Jane, now!" The Queen commanded during a brief respite when one fell beneath her blade and the remaining three shifted uneasily before her. Although she never looked once in Jane's direction, the authority in Frigga's tone was clear, and it prompted Jane's legs into moving, even before her brain had quite made the decision to obey.
Skirting past the topiary, Jane fled to the dungeon entrance, terrified one of the remaining prisoners would break away from his confrontation with Frigga and run a blade through her back; equally terrified she'd open the doors to find more Marauders on the other side.
Gritting her teeth against the fear, she hauled one of the heavy doors open, relieved to find the darkened corridor empty beyond. Hesitant, she turned back to Frigga. The Queen was now turning tight wary circles as the three remaining Marauders circled her like sharks. While she held her chin high and haughty, Jane had the sense that she was tiring, and she couldn't help but feel her combatants would see this too.
Perhaps sensing Jane's reluctance, Frigga renewed her command in a sharp shrill voice. "Go now Jane! Release Loki and find the path. Thor will find you!" And then she lunged towards one of the prisoners with renewed vigor, running the blade through his throat before turning swiftly to the next.
"Jane run!"
It was the last bit of motivation Jane needed to slip through the doors and run headlong towards the dungeons. Perhaps running to Loki was madness, but nothing in this world seemed to be working out particularly sane for her anyway. What did she have to lose?
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When the air strike on Asgard first rumbled the palace, Loki felt it roll through his very bones. Ignoring his fine chair carved in Asgardian oak, the dark-haired prince sat on the floor beside the energy shield; his attention in a book upon his lap.
It wasn't that he didn't care for what horror might be raging upon the realm he once called his home. It was just that… he didn't care. Why should he, if his Fate was to spend eternity in this cell?
Then an explosion rang from within the very dungeon he was housed in and the frantic cries of the prisoners rose up. Finally he felt compelled to lift his eyes from the book, in time to see the first freed prisoner run past, quickly followed by more.
Curiosity aroused, he rose to his feet and glanced down the row of prison cells. A huge, horned beast was making its way down the aisle, freeing the clamouring prisoners as it passed, until finally it stood opposite Loki's own heavily-warded window.
Silently they assessed one another; the creature offering no freedom, the dark prince asking no release. He was in no rush to take flight with the rest; his leave would come soon enough.
But this creature intrigued him. It was, he knew, a weapon. A force of destruction that would bring Asgard to its knees, should it be allowed to escape. He granted it a long, measured look; recognising a kindred spirit of sorts. An equal by measure of the destruction they could both cause.
As the creature turned to join the surge of marauders at the base of the stairs, a chill of foreboding coiled through him. This was a weapon no being in all the nine realms could stand against; not even the mighty Thor. It would achieve what it came here for, regardless of what path it took, and who it took in its path. Leading it away from the direction of his mother's chambers, however, was the least he could do.
"You might want to take the stairs to the left." His voice rang out against the din. The creature paused and he wondered if it could even understand his words, but then it gave a small nod of acknowledgement and changed direction, moving away from the crowd that surged the right-hand stairway like rats from a sinking ship.
Satisfied, Loki returned to his seat on the floor, stretched his long legs before him, and resumed his air of indifference as he returned to his book and waited for what might come next.
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"How can you just be reading a book!"
Jane's exclamation fell from breathless lips as she arrived wild-eyed and panting before Loki's cell; only to find him nose-deep in a heavy tome. As she clasped her knees and leant forward in effort to catch her breath, she looked up from beneath dishevelled locks to stare in disbelief as he slowly pulled his gaze from the page, and glanced to her with poker-face clearly in place.
She shook her head in disgust, not expecting an answer, then stepped forward and pushed the triangular stone in the wall; triggering the hidden door. Removing a shoe, she used it to wedge the door open before triggering the second.
To her complete lack of surprise, Loki remained in his position, seemingly unfazed by her obvious attempt at a jail break; even returning his eyes to the book.
Jane removed her other shoe and jammed it in the second door, then stepped forward and nudged him impatiently with her foot, causing him to glance up in surprise at her audacity.
She ignored his pointed look, and pulled a face. "Come on!"
Sighing aloud with apparent resignation, Loki slowly closed the book, his thumb serving as a bookmark between the pages; as if he might return to reading should the offer of escape hold no appeal.
"Must I?" He asked lazily. "I truly was enjoying this book. It took an effort to get into, but now I'm quite thoroughly hooke-"
"Just shut up and come on!" She leant down and snatched up the book. "Frigga's fighting a horde of your prison buddies and expects you of all people to help her!"
The lie fell easily from Jane's tongue. Frigga had urged her to release Loki only to find this secret passage and wait for Thor. Not to urge him to save her. But she couldn't in good conscience leave the tiring Queen without some kind of aide. Even if Loki was the best she could offer.
"Oh, I'm sure she can hold up well enough on her own." Loki sighed, batting for his book. "She was quite the Valkyrie in her day."
"What the hell's wrong with you!" Jane tossed the book across the cell, unmindful of the way the ancient pages flapped helplessly as the book sailed through the air.
Loki's open-mouthed protest was cut short as she snagged the sleeve of his coat and tried to jerk him to his feet - her efforts as effective as if she were attempting to hoist up a rock troll. "C'mon move it!" Stubbornly she wrapped her hands around his arm, dug in her heels and hauled at him again. "I'm not dying down here with you!"
Placing a cool hand over her own, Loki calmly disentangled Jane's fingers before casting her a withering look and rising gracefully to his feet.
"I forget your lifespan is so brief, you must do everything in haste." He sighed as he brushed down his shirt and glanced towards his book in regret.
"Not a word!" Jane snapped. "Now move it!"
Without waiting to see if he'd followed, Jane moved towards the door, snatching up the shoe that held it ajar as she did. With a small smile of satisfaction she heard Loki grab the door and follow through. Of course he'd follow her out - no doubt he was already plotting how to ditch her and enjoy his newfound freedom.
Freeing Loki was surely an action that would get her banished from Asgard forever. But she had no choice. Thor obviously wasn't down here unearthing a secret tunnel, the palace was overrun by people looking to kill anything that wasn't one of their own, and she'd left the Queen to fight them when she was obviously weak and tiring. She had to free Loki. She had to trust Frigga was right in her belief that Loki was - somewhere in the inky depths of his cold black heart - halfway wanting to redeem himself.
She had to have faith in Frigga, as the only other option was a kernel of paranoia. One that cautioned Frigga's requests came not from herself, but from the terrifying darkness that lurked within her. What if the command to free Loki had come from the dark spirit? What if this was what Loki meant when he said he had everything 'under control'?
It was a possibility Jane couldn't dare think about; not now that Loki had been released by her own hand and was standing behind her.
Stepping out onto the stone foyer, Jane was snapped out of her thoughts by the surrounding scene. Several bodies lay strewn where they'd fallen. One or two wearing the strange attire of the Marauders, others clearly the yellow-cloaked Einherjar.
She felt breakfast rise from her stomach at both the sight of such brutal carnage, and the realisation that she'd run right past these fallen men during her headlong flight, without even noticing. Clasping her hands to her mouth, she clenched her eyes shut as she pressed the horror back down.
"Such a delicate little sparrow you are." Loki's soft mockery broke through her wave of nausea. "What little hope you must have of being Thor's wife if you cannot bear the butchery of battle. You know he revels in the slaughter, don't you?"
Jane ignored him, knowing any response would only encourage him further. Shuttering her eyes to the sight of the slain, she breathed a deep calming breath and focused on the stairs across the foyer.
Just a few steps. She told herself. And only one or two bodies in my path. Nothing to freak out over.
Aware of Loki's eyes upon her as he no doubt waited for her to drop into an unconscious heap, Jane pushed herself into stepping past the first fallen guard. With that achieved, she crossed the outstretched arm of another, sidestepped a pool of blood, a clump of something with hair and bone fragments and other bits she didn't wish to examine… And she was at the foot of the stairs.
Whirling around, she smiled triumphantly. "You were saying?"
"Oh well done." Loki allowed a slow clap as he casually stepped over the bodies. "You ran the gauntlet of the dead. I shall speak favourably of you in Odin's ear the next time we meet. Perhaps you'll find yourself awarded a nice shiny -."
"Shut up." She scowled, before turning her back on his laughter and starting up the steps.
Lost in thought as her mind began thinking ahead to all the possible ways Loki might piss her off next and how she'd like to have an open window to shove him through, she didn't hear him hissing her name until he grabbed her arm and spun her towards him.
"Are you an idiot!"
Startled, Jane opened her mouth to deliver a retort, but his hand whipped up to press against her lips, smothering her attempt; his eyes vibrant as they blazed into her own.
"You can't just go charging ahead with no thought to what may lie in wait at the top of those stairs!" Loki kept his voice low and his anger leashed, but the contempt in his tone shone through. "Especially when you make the kind of racket that only a fool could fail to hear."
"What do you mean?" She whispered harsh and indignant after he cautiously withdrew his hand from her mouth. "I wasn't making a racket!"
"Thus you prove me correct." Loki retorted with a smile. "Only a fool could fail to hear."
Then he was releasing her, ignoring her profanities as he stepped past. "Keep behind me. And try to pick up your feet."
Jane scowled as the Trickster threw the last remark over his shoulder; a genuine grin broad across his face. Then he was bounding up the stairs with the softest of footfalls, and she was left to stare morosely at her heeled boots.
"Of course you win that one." She muttered to her surroundings. "You're wearing soft-soled prison slippers for Christ's sake."
Resigned, Jane removed her shoes and padded quietly after Loki with footwear in hand. Soon they'd reach Frigga and perhaps Thor was already with her. Perhaps now one of them was reaching for the handle of one of those great dungeon doors. And then what? Would they continue with this plan to travel some secret path to a 'safer place'? Would Thor take her home? Everything had been turned upside down, and so abruptly. Is this what living amid the Aesir was like?
"Woolgathering again?" The cynical voice broke unwelcome into her thoughts. "Or just plain feeling sorry for yourself?"
Jane frowned up at Loki, noting he'd seated himself on a step, elbows resting on knees, chin in one cupped palm, and expression of long-suffering boredom clear upon his face.
"You're sitting. Why are you just sitting?" She asked, baffled.
"Because you're so sloooow." Loki drawled.
Jane stopped, affronted. "I was just a few steps behind you!"
"At first, yes." Loki agreed. "But then you began dawdling, so I thought I'd take a seat and wait for you to get over your marriage angst, or whatever it is your ilk fret over."
"I wasn't fretting!" She protested. "And certainly not about marriage!"
"No of course not." Loki conceded, although his tone suggested he believed otherwise. "I suppose it's quite normal for your bottom lip to scrape the ground like that."
Jane spluttered; speechless and indignant.
'Nevermind. You can share the burden of your miserable little existence with me, if you like." Loki patted the stone step beside him. "I can feign a very sympathetic ear when required."
"You're joking, right?" Jane felt a hot flush of anger creep up her face. "Tell me this isn't some kind of weird come on?"
Loki's beguiling expression didn't falter for a moment. "Of course I don't jest about feigning a sympathetic ear. I'm remarkably good at it - you should ask my brother."
Then, without answering her second question, he stood and awaited her approach. "Oh." Loki's tone lifted as she caught up with him. "But what I wanted to tell you is, the fighting has stopped."
Jane stared blankly for a moment, then shifted her eyes beyond him. There stood the great golden doors that separated the palace from the dungeons. They had reached the top already. And all was silent.
Briefly, she wondered if this was all just another one of his tricks. And if so, was it simply one of his annoying but benevolent ones, or did he have some kind of dark scheme going on? But he was right; it was too quiet out there. It hadn't been all that long since she left the Queen's side; if she was still in battle they'd hear the clash of swords. If she had defeated the enemy, wouldn't she have come after them by now?
"The doors are heavy. Maybe we just can't hear them?" She offered weakly, her eyes fixed on the doors.
"You know that's not true."
Something in his tone caused her to look to him sharply. He had turned his head away, his posture still as tall and proud as ever, but she could see him clenching his jaw so tight she was surprised his teeth weren't grinding. She wondered if he wanted to believe her paper-thin optimism, despite himself.
And despite herself and all the reservations she had about this aloof and angry demi-god, she reached out and laid a hand upon his arm. Lightly. A wordless attempt at reassurance. Wordless, because her tongue suddenly felt thick and she knew if she made an attempt, she'd only choke on her words.
Then he was arching an eyebrow in scorn before frowning at her fingers on the leather of his sleeve, and pulling himself out of her tentative grasp. The moment passed with the smoothest of efforts as he spun on his heel and crossed wordlessly to the door before she could inflict any further fumbling reassurance upon him.
And she was glad. Really. Glad to have been spared of whatever grief or regret he was nursing. She wanted no reason to sympathise with the devil.
Watching as Loki pressed one ear lightly to the door, she slowly stepped towards him, her bare feet silent upon the cold stone slabs, but her anxious heart pounding so violently in her chest she half-expected he'd find cause to chastise her for the racket.
"You know, she's probably off saving the realm with Thor." Loki's suggestion broke softly into her thoughts, and she wondered if he was trying to convince her or himself. "Valkyrie and all…"
His words trailed away, the half-pie attempt at humour falling flat, even on himself.
Without reply, she studied Loki's face, noting the worry lines that now creased his smooth forehead. His stance was tense, as if holding himself straight was an effort, and it suddenly struck her that he'd sat on that step and waited for her not because he was feigning boredom, but because he'd already guessed what they might find when they opened this door. He'd guessed as much, and he couldn't bear standing to digest the news.
Her mouth moved wordlessly, and she ducked her head and raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a cough. Or a sob, truth be told. She had expected this. She had known the Queen would fall. From the moment Frigga had shouted for her to flee, she had known. And now she wondered, in the same way she had when she last crossed this doorway, what would be waiting on the other side?
"Oh don't be so dramatic." Loki attempted, and when she looked up she realised he'd been studying her in the same manner she'd so recently assessed him. Except he had already smoothed out the grief in his eyes.
But she had seen it. The despair. And she knew then - she knew - Frigga had been right. Loki loved her. He may have spiralled into madness and found revel in the pain of others, but the one part of himself he had never lost, was love for his mother. No matter how hard he could try to pretend otherwise.
He glanced away then and pushed the door open just enough to peer out, reminding Jane with a sudden pang of his mother when she had made the same cautious gesture. For all their differences, did he know how similar they were? Would he care?
When he turned back to her, his face was impossibly pale. "Nothing moves - it's safe to go out. But I'll warn you, there are a lot of bodies."
"You yourself said she was quite the Valkyrie." Jane smiled with forced bravado.
"Yes I did." Loki answered softly, but still he made no move to crack the door open wide and step through..
"It'll be okay you know." This false optimism was ridiculously transparent. "We can do this."
We can do this. Her words surprised them both. We. At what point had they gleaned any kind of comradeship? At what point had she assumed they could be on equal ground?
Loki looked at her long and hard, eyes narrowing. No doubt wondering the same thing. Until slowly, ever so slowly, that disparaging sneer settled back into place. She had a sense then of a wolf backed into a corner and forced to defend itself. Regardless of whether what stood before it was friend or foe.
"Stop it. Your lip is dropping again." Loki hissed. "Let's stop wasting time and get moving, shall we?"
She stared, stunned and angry at his sudden spite. Why couldn't he just drop the malevolence for one moment? Then, before she could find voice for her anger, he stepped towards her, grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly towards him.
"What the hell are you doing!" She tried uselessly to shake off his grip.
"Getting you through this doorway. You're not going to walk by yourself, are you? You're just going to stand there all day gaping like a fish."
And then he was pushing her past him and shoving her beyond the gold doors, into the wide corridor of the palace beyond...