TITLE: Ruiner
AUTHOR: RedMetalWitch (ao3), Kichi ( )

SUBJECT: Loki is attacked by a horrible creature of legend and finds himself changed for the worse. Eventual Loki/Jane

FANDOM: Thor (movies), Avengers (movies), Avengers (comics- just threw in a few characters for support or back story)

WARNINGS: blood and death (not major character death- just random innocent civilian death) and DEFINITELY some sex :)

NOTES: I refuse to believe that Loki is dead and I am ignoring Infinity War. Actually, I really don't know where this would fit in, so it will just have to be an AU. Also, 'Ruiner' is a Nine Inch Nails song.

ALSO: I edited every damn chapter and put (~) Tildes between each scene so it would be easier to read and when I just uploaded the edited chapters NONE OF THE MARKS SHOWED UP. I don't know why, but I'm very angry. I put tons of spaces between each scene at first and that didn't work, so this entire fic looks like its just mashed together and I hate it. I'm sorry if it's hard to read, but I promise it's not because I haven't tried to fix it. (UPDATE 11-29-2018: I'm trying to fix it all now I FINALLY figured out how to add the horizontal lines. I hope.

You had to give them all a sign

didn't you? Didn't you?

"Let me in there! Damn it Tony! Let me in!" she was nearly screaming. Loki lay curled up on his side. He clutched his head and they could easily hear his shuddering gasps.

"FRIDAY, allow Jane Foster entrance to Loki's room then seal it." Jane saw a brief flicker. "Hurry." Tony said and she crossed the threshold. She ran to Loki's side and fell to her knees next to him.

"Loki! Can you hear me?" his entire body was shaking violently. His hands went to his throat and she could see him shiver as he tried to swallow. She looked around and saw the blood on the floor seeping out of the bag. "What the hell did you do?!" She screamed, turning to glare at Tony. He flinched and took a step back.

"What are you talking about?" he said, his eyes wide.

"What is in here? Strychnine? Arsenic?" she cried.

"No! What?! I would never-"

"Then what did you do to him?!"

"Nothing! Jane I swear! It's just donated blood, I promise!" Tony said. "I don't know what the hell is going on, I swear to God!"

"Stop." they heard Loki gasp. Jane brushed his hair back from his face. His breathing was easier, and the tremors that raced through his body had subsided somewhat. His eyes were still tightly shut, and he was still curled up in a ball on his side.

"Loki!" Jane cried, feeling tears spill down her cheeks. "What happened?" his eyelids fluttered weakly and then opened. Jane gasped in shock. The iris and pupil of his eyes were a horrible bluish-gray, like that of a corpse. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand. "Loki?"

"I'm ok." he said, his voice weak.

"What happened?" Jane tried again. His eyes closed again and she tried not to sigh in relief. His eyes were dead. They were the eyes of a corpse. The only difference was they were not caving in and sinking into his head. She shuddered.

"I- I can't-" he grimaced. "It's cold. It made me sick. I can't-"

"Shh.." Jane said, rubbing his back and shooting a glare at Tony. Her expression softened immediately when she saw the dismay on his face. "Just relax." she returned her attention to Loki.

Natasha, Bruce, and Steve returned to the Tower and as soon as they reached their floor, they heard shouting.

"At least help me get him in the bed!" They heard a woman who sounded as if she was crying. They glanced at each other in confusion before sprinting down the hall towards the bedrooms. They saw Tony with his hands gripping his hair. A woman knelt in a doorway, and they saw right away she was indeed crying and her expression was furious.

"What the hell is going on?" Bruce said, eyeing the woman in concern.

"Tony, who is she?" Steve said. Tony froze and turned to face them and they were surprised to see naked relief on his face.

"Guys! I-" he shook his head. "I don't know what to do."

"Who is she, Tony?" Natasha repeated Steve's question.

"I'm Jane Foster!" she snapped. "Someone please get in here and help me get Loki onto the bed. This coward-" she hissed, glaring at Tony. "Refuses to help." Tony threw his hands up, his expression aggrieved.

"You found Loki? Why didn't you tell us?" Bruce exclaimed.

"I've done more than enough!" Tony shouted. "He's dangerous, and I'm sorry if I don't want him feeding on me like some God damned leach!"

"Go to hell!" Jane cried, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Tony," Steve began, trying to diffuse the situation. "You're done here, ok? Just go calm down."

"I would LOVE to! But don't blame me when he kills you! He's in bad shape- I tried to help, but I failed, ok?! I'm not doing it on purpose!" He snarled the last comment at Jane.

"Come on, Tony, come with me, ok?" Natasha said, gently grabbing his elbow and leading him away.

"I said this was a bad idea from the beginning, didn't I?" Tony snarled under his breath as Nat steered him back down the hall.

Bruce and Steve watched him and Natasha until they were out of sight. Then they drew closer to the woman crouched in the doorway.

"Did he put up a barrier?" Bruce said and Jane nodded, wiping her eyes angrily.

"Miss Foster, can you tell us what happened?" Steve asked.

"Can you please just help me get him in bed? He's unconscious."

"FRIDAY, can you let us in the room?" Bruce asked. The barrier shimmered for a moment and they quickly walked in as Jane scrambled to her feet. Loki lay on his side not far from her. A bag of donated blood lay on the floor, still slowly leaking.

Loki was breathing slowly and shallowly. His eyes were closed. Bruce and Steve picked him up and put him on the bed and heard Jane sigh in relief. She pulled the covers over him and brushed his hair back from his face. Bruce and Steve exchanged confused glances.

Jane sat beside Loki and continued to run her fingers through his hair. She sighed and looked at Bruce and Steve.

"I was kidnapped by the Mandarin, I'm not sure how long ago, but a few months at least. I created the device that opened a gateway between dimensions. The creatures that attacked Loki and changed him only made it here because of me." She stopped then and could no longer look at them. Her fist clenched and they saw more tears falling. Steve looked around until he spotted some tissues and went to retrieve them for her. She smiled briefly and took several tissues and wiped her face. "Once I outlived my usefulness they threw me in Loki's cell, intending him to feed on me. But he never has. He says my blood smells different and that he doesn't want it. And when I'm with him he doesn't feel thirst. So far I am the only one. But he didn't hurt my friend Darcy when she visited after he brought me home. But he can't go long without.. blood. He's starving now. His eyes turned this horrible gray that I've never seen before." She stared at Loki and they saw more tears fall. "He's starving.. Tony gave him donated blood but Loki said it made him sick. He won't let him leave, and I know it's wrong to let him go. But what if he dies?"

Steve and Bruce weren't sure what to say. They didn't know when Thor would return, and Loki did look terrible.

"Jane, this isn't your fault-" Bruce began, but Jane shook her head furiously.

"Yes it is!" she cried. "Didn't you hear me? I opened the gateway. I brought those things here, and they attacked Loki! It is all. My. Fault!" Bruce and Steve both sighed, unsure how to respond.

"I suppose we can only pray that Thor gets back soon." Steve said softly. Jane nodded and continued to run her fingers through Loki's hair. He groaned softly and his eyelids fluttered.

"Loki?" Jane gasped, scooting closer.

"Jane?" his voice was tired. Bruce and Steve grimaced when they saw his eyes. They were completely gray, even the pupils. He blinked again, squinting. He sniffed the air and Steve and Bruce both unconsciously took a step back. "Who else is here? I can't see a damn thing." Jane leaned close and touched his cheek.

"You can't see?" Jane said, her voice breaking. He put his hand upon hers and then patted up her arm, and his eyes grew wider still.

"Why can't I see anything?" he said, his expression growing alarmed.

"Loki, it's Bruce and Steve. We're here too, ok?" Loki gazed in their direction, sitting up slowly. They saw his eyes dart back and forth and fail to locate them. Steve glanced at Bruce and saw dismay clearly on his features.

"What?" He sniffed again. "Are we- where are we?" he said, turning his face in Jane's direction.

"Tony Stark brought us to New York. Don't you remember?" Loki's brow furrowed. He shook his head slowly.

"Not really." he said slowly. He brought his hand up and waved it in front of his face.

"Why can't I see?" he said, his voice rising fractionally. Jane took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"I'm not sure, but your eyes look very different." His expression crumpled in misery.

"Loki, Thor is trying to find something to help." Steve began. Loki nodded but his expression only grew more distraught. Jane wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. His hands rose to cover his face and they saw him shiver.

"Jane can we get you anything to eat?" Bruce blurted, unwilling to watch Loki fall apart in front of him. Jane shook her head, her expression dark.

"You expect me to eat in front of him?" she said. Steve glanced at Bruce and shook his head.

"Jane, please eat." Loki said softly. "You are still recovering."

"No." Jane said with a scowl.

"Jane." Loki said and sat up, looking in her direction, but not seeing her. "Please won't you just eat a bit? It would make me feel better if you did."

"Don't you dare try to manipulate me like this!" she snapped. "How can I eat when you are starving?" Loki sighed and turned towards Bruce and Steve. His dead eyes scanned for them but never quite managed to settle on their position.

"You bring her food, please." he said, ignoring her protests.

"We will." Steve said, happy to do anything to help. He grabbed Bruce by his elbow and made for the door.

"What are we going to do?" Steve said once they got to the kitchen. Tony and Natasha sat at the bar. Tony held a drink that he stared at morosely.

"Let's just get her something to eat for now, because frankly I have no clue." Bruce sighed.

"Has anyone heard from Thor?" Natasha asked.

"No." Tony said glumly. "We never know how to get a hold of him. Loki was the only one who had ever used the phone I gave him."

"He did?" Bruce said, his expression amused. Tony sighed and faintly smiled. Steve began to search the refrigerator for food.

"Yes I made the mistake of mentioning that I disliked Justin Bieber and so Loki sent me about a thousand fucking pictures of him-" Bruce, Natasha, and Steve all began to laugh. Tony tried to scowl but eventually began to grin. "Then he somehow got a hold of my phone and changed the ringtones to all Justin Bieber songs."

"I remember that!" Natasha said, laughing harder. Tony rubbed his face as if exhausted and drained his glass. He poured another and Natasha grabbed a glass for herself and he filled it.

"Yeah, yeah." Tony groused, his expression rueful. "It's not that I don't like him, I really do, even if he makes me want to punch him. But what the hell are we going to do? Even if Thor finds some magical way to help him, he killed more people-"

"Do you really think he wanted to?" Bruce asked, his expression somber. Tony sighed and shook his head.

"No, I really don't. He knew I was going to keep him confined when he got here and he didn't even try to stop me. I honestly think that if we all betrayed him he wouldn't be surprised at all. At first I was irritated when I realized this. I mean, he's the God of Lies- or at least that's what humans thought when they first encountered him all those years ago- but I really think he doesn't trust anyone- not much anyway. And now I've given him reason not to."

"Tony," Natasha began, "If you believe he doesn't want to hurt anyone, don't you think that includes us? If he thinks that the only one he can safely be around is Jane Foster then I don't think he would argue with being kept separate from us."

"I agree." Bruce said. "He can't even see right now, but he's trying to be ok with it. If he cared so little he probably would have attacked me and Steve."

"I know you guys are trying to help, but this is actually making me feel worse." Tony sighed, taking another drink.

Steve brought a tray of food back to Loki's room and almost blushed at the scene he was greeted with. Loki was using Jane's lap as a pillow. His arms were wrapped around her knees, and she still ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes were barely open, but he looked utterly content. Steve cleared his throat and ordered FRIDAY to allow him inside the room. Neither Jane nor Loki moved other than to look in his direction. Jane's expression hardened when she saw what he carried.

"I appreciate that, Mr. Roger's-" Jane began.

"Please, call me Steve." he said with a smile.

"Jane, you have to eat. I can hear your stomach growling very loudly." Loki said, his voice soft, as if he was exhausted. Steve sat the tray down next to her and smiled even broader.

"He's right. I can hear it too. Just try to eat a little." she scowled and stared down at Loki as she began to rub his scalp. Loki sighed deeply.

"Please Jane. I will feel better if you eat." he said.

"Fine." she muttered. Steve and Loki both smiled.

"Please let me know if you need anything else." Steve said and left them alone.

The expression on his face when he returned to the kitchen drew stares.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked, her eyes narrowing. Steve flushed.

"I'm not trying to be a gossip, but does anyone know what is going on between Loki and Jane?" Tony finally perked up.

"Oh, you are such a boy scout! I'll be the gossip then! He was sleeping in her bed when I found them- not in the middle but on the side. And she had just woken up when I arrived, I could tell. Not only that- I sat down on her couch and it was cold. No one had been sleeping there."

"This is really none of our business." Bruce said, frowning.

"I think it's sweet. I've never seen him even look at anyone with anything resembling interest of any kind." Natasha said. When she saw Bruce, Tony, and Steve all exchange amused looks she scowled. "What?!"

"We've all caught him checking you out, doll." Said Tony with a smug smile. She felt her face grow pink even as she rolled her eyes.

"Is it just me or does her name sound really familiar?" Bruce said. Steve nodded.

"I know what you mean, but I can't think of where I would have heard-"

"Are you guys serious?" Tony cried. "She's the one who discovered the Einstein-Rosen bridge!" Bruce, Natasha, and Steve just looked at him expectantly. Tony sighed. "She was the first person to meet Thor! He told us about her, don't you remember?"

"Vaguely." Natasha said.

"Well, a lot has happened since then." Steve said.

"And Thor can be... Chatty." Bruce said. Tony couldn't help but snicker.

"Especially when he's been drinking." Tony agreed and emptied his glass. No one said much after that.

Jane ate some grapes, and a plum, and some cheese. She was nibbling on a cracker when Loki smiled faintly.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his voice still faint. Jane sighed.

"I am not hungry anymore." she said. "But you are." Loki's expression grew dark.

"I've done enough damage, don't you think? Thor will be back soon-" Jane snorted.

"Maybe he will for you." she said, her voice suddenly irritated. Loki frowned.

"You think he abandoned you?" Loki said.

"I don't think it. I know it." her answer apparently distressed Loki.

"Jane, that was all my doing. He was forced to destroy the bifrost because of me."

"Loki. I know that, and that's not what I meant. I meant after the Aether." she sighed then. "I can't really blame him, it was as much my fault as it was his. We were both busy." Loki chuckled at that and squeezed her legs.

"I'll never be too busy for you." he said. Jane smiled.

"I hope so." she said.

Thor stood at the foot of a mountain of bones. The sky was roiling with black clouds. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed and it had nothing to do with him. Dark shapes flitted through the clouds. He saw massive, feathered wings. He saw cruel talons longer than his arms. He saw raptor birds that spewed lightening from their vicious black beaks.

He began to climb the mountain of bones.

The sun was beginning to rise and Loki was already asleep. Jane could barely keep her eyes open. She grabbed Loki's pillows since he was still using her lap and shoved them behind her back and the moment she was comfortable her eyes closed and she nodded off.

Thor brought down his hammer and shattered the skull of the magnificent raptor. It pained him to destroy such a creature, but he had no choice. The Thunder bird fell from the sky and crashed into a mountain of bones. Thor shielded himself from the skulls and bones that rained upon him then clambered up the back of the beast until he reached the head.

He pulled away bits of skull, feathers, and brains until he saw a glowing stone. He pulled it free with a sigh of relief and for a moment stared at the lovely color. It was like a pink and orange sunset.

"Finally I have it. Heimdall! Send me to Midgard!"

Jane awoke to see Thor entering Loki's room. His face lit up when he saw her, then softened when he saw his younger brother using her as a pillow. She sat up, her expression hopeful.

"Thor, can you help him?"

"Aye, Jane. I wish it had not taken so long, but the Thunder birds are hard to find and even harder to kill." She looked confused and he pulled a gorgeous gem from a small bag hanging from his belt.

"It looks like a fire opal!" she gasped at it's beauty. Thor smiled.

"It is an Eagle Stone. It will restore him to his former self." He gently rolled Loki onto his back and motioned for Jane to move away. She hesitated, but climbed off of the bed and stood next to Thor.

He tore open Loki's shirt and placed the gem upon his sternum and it immediately began to glow. The stone grew brighter until she could barely look at it and then the glow covered his whole body. The brilliance made her eyes burn and she squeezed them shut. She heard a deep sigh as the light faded and she cautiously opened her eyes.

"Oh!" Thor said, "Oh dear." Loki skin was blue and Jane nearly screamed in terror, thinking him dead. His eyes opened slowly and she saw they were blood red.

"What did you do to him?!" Jane cried.

TBC...

edited 11/29/2018