oOo

Chapter 10 – Souls

His body was in agony.

It screamed when he awoke to pain and soreness. He wiggled his fingers, but only managed to move them a little bit. He could feel his sore throat from the screaming he had done before and tried to make a sound, but his voice escaped him. He felt so submerged in misery that it was hard to make out what he should truly feel.

He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room, yet he was welcomed with silk sheets and a comfortable bed. The room was lit by a lamp on his left and it made Loki think of Earth.

"Where am I?" Loki thought to ask, but the words still escaped him.

His body felt like jelly as he guided the sheets off him.

"How did—?"

Loki noticed the change of clothing. It was replaced by a softer green tunic that he usually wore at night, as well as loose black pants, also for bed. He also felt surprisingly clean and comfortable. Strange. Loki realized that DarkThor must've changed him after—

Loki stopped there.

No, he didn't want to think about it.

It was all a dream.

Nothing more than a nightmare.

Why?

Because Loki couldn't remember beyond DarkThor doing… doing that. He remembered the room, how he helped clean Thor's bloody skin, then Thor touched him, used him, made him feel miserable and useless. Then that sharp stab, and after that, Loki couldn't remember.

He somewhat thankful, but part of him wasn't.

He was afraid it was real.

"I need to get out of here." He thought. "I need to go home."

Loki had to get away as far as possible while the horrible Thor wasn't there. In his panic he got out of bed and abruptly stood up. It shot a wave of pain through his spine, down to his lower back.

"Ow!" Loki whined.

His body fell to the floor on his knees as he slumped forward, embracing himself as he waited for the sharp stab to fade. He slowly sat himself properly on the furry carpet and leaned back on the bed, staring at the dresser by the wall, next to the large door on the left.

"No, it's a lie." Loki thought. "It's a trick."

It was just a nightmare, wasn't it?

"It was an illusion."

It couldn't have hurt him for real.

Those strange creatures that resembled his family were nothing more than a horrible reminder of how he was trapped there, under this powerful being's hands. It couldn't have been real. If so then that would mean he was— that Thor— that Not Thor did that to him.

It would make it difficult to face his real brother.

If it wasn't real…

Why was Loki afraid?

"Running away again, are you?" Thor said.

Loki spun his head to see Thor come out of the next room that was by the corner. He was wearing a dark tunic and tight leather pants. Some of his hair was braided just like the real Thor's and Loki couldn't help but stare at the copy.

He looked so real.

Although his eyes weren't as genuine as Thor, the rest was exact.

"I thought we already established this running away the first time we met." Thor continued as he inched forward. "I figured you'd have learned your lesson by now. Given the things I did to you."

"How did—?" Loki swallowed. "I don't—?"

"You're confused."

"What did you do to me?"

"What do you think?" Thor laughed at him. "Of course you wouldn't remember."

"That's—"

"Not true?"

"Stop feeding words into my mouth!" Loki spat.

"Words weren't the only things that came out of your mouth." Thor grinned as he knelt in front of Loki. "I like the sounds you made."

"Shut up."

"I also love how your body fitted mine perfectly."

"Get away from me." Loki hissed.

"Feisty now that you've been satisfied, little Jotun?"

"Leave me alone."

"I like you."

Thor reached his hand to caress Loki's face, but Loki slapped his hand away without thinking about it. Thor grinned at this before Loki realized it was too late to take it back. Thor smiled at Loki, who sat there with a questioning gaze.

"Do you remember?" Thor whispered, tucking a strand of Loki's hair behind his ear.

"I don't." Loki frowned.

"Why would you?" He smirked. "You always seem to bury your memories when it suits you ill. It's quite a talent to have, even unconsciously, you do it."

"Play along." Loki thought.

"You feel sore, do you not?" Thor grabbed Loki's waist, rubbing his thumb around Loki's hips. "You still feel me, do you not? How I loomed over you? How I felt inside you?"

Play along.

"Did I hurt you, little Jotun?"

"I don't remember." Loki stated dryly.

"Well, that doesn't matter." Thor shrugged, still holding Loki's waist as Loki's hands reached to his arms. "You buried the memories inside because it was too painful, wasn't it? Not just physically, but it put a strain on your mind given your relationship with—"

Thor eyed Loki.

"Never mind," He smirked. "You wouldn't be able to understand, little Jotun. You're too confused, too hurt and too mad aren't you?"

"I'm okay." Loki said softly.

"Sure you are."

Play along.

"I'm okay." Loki repeated.

"Keep telling yourself that." He whispered.

"Where are my things?" Loki asked. "More importantly, where are the crystals my brother gave me?"

"They're all gone." Thor held him in place as he mouthed Loki's neck. "But I left a reminder, I saw you using them. Those glowing crystals, I figured they'd be useful. We can play with it. We can have fun."

Loki tried to push Thor away from him, but Thor dug his nail as he continued to mouth his neck, making Loki shiver.

He shut his eyes and tried to stay as silent as possible. He had to figure out an escape plan. He was smart and very cunning. He would be able to think of something under pressure. He always had and this wouldn't be any different.

Play along.

"Little Jotun, I'm not letting you forget this." Thor mumbled. "I want you to remember writhing underneath me. I want you to remember the scratches you gave me, and the sounds you whispered when you felt delusional."

"Ignore his words." Loki told himself. "He's goading you."

"I even took your clothes off and changed you like a pretty doll. A beautiful trophy with soft skin yet has the scars of struggle. It's beautiful and intoxicating."

"Lies."

"So beautiful, and you're mine. We made love."

"That's a lie."

"Is that what you'd tell yourself, little Jotun?"

"You must've done something to me, you could have fooled me into thinking we did something before we reached the room. You—you could have used my weakness, my panic, to—to form memories, a nightmare."

"So the pain on your back is a lie?" Thor grabbed the back of Loki's hair and tugged at it, making Loki wince. "You think I just hurt you, but not used you to my advantage?"

"What else could have happened besides that?" Loki asked.

"You think I faked it?"

Thor picked Loki up and pulled him into the bed, pinning him by the side of the bed. He hovered over Loki, who looked at him in confusion and fear. Thor mouthed Loki's neck, while Loki was distracted and mesmerized with the idea of the truth and the lie. He tried to figure out which was which, and what was what.

He was lost.

He snapped from his thoughts when Thor bit him.

"Ow!"

"Got your attention then."

"Get off me!" Loki tried to push, and kicked his legs. "Stop it!"

"Do you remember?" Thor whispered.

"I told you!" Loki angrily hissed. "I don't!"

"You killed her."

Loki stopped struggling as Thor lifted his head from Loki's neck to meet his eyes. "What?" Loki gasped, hands frozen on Thor's chest. Confusion spread all over his face as he watched Thor's eyes for any lies hidden in those words.

"That woman, the healer, you killed her." Thor laughed, voice filled with mirth. "What was her name, Geitiri?"

Loki blinked.

"You kept stabbing her, over and over again. You wouldn't stop until she bled to death. She begged, you know. Told you she was sorry, but you ended her. You thought it was your little Jotun form. You wanted to kill that part of yourself."

Loki was speechless. "You lie."

"You had blood on your hands, the Lord did nothing but encourage your actions. It was your choice."

"Stop filling my head with lies!"

"I'm not."

"You are!"

Loki tried to push but Thor held him down.

"Why does the thought of killing hurt you so?" Thor wondered. "You killed many."

"I had to!"

"Ah, you had to, but this is different?"

"She didn't—"

"Deserve it?"

"Stop feeding words into my mouth!" Loki shouted.

"I love it when you argue." Thor grinned. "But you do, don't you. You hate the thought of killing. You've always hated it, yet you have to in order to survive."

"Shut up." Loki whimpered.

"What if I want you to kill me?"

Loki blinked, staring at him. "What?"

"Would you kill me?"

"I—"

Yes?

"Would you dance on my grave and be happy seeing my dead eyes stare at you?" Thor whispered darkly. "Would you feel satisfied, that you would no longer be trapped, that you would be free from everything?"

Everything.

Like being Thor's shadow.

"Do you really want to kill me? You've tried before, and it pained you. Didn't it?"

No?

"Tell me you want me dead."

"I—" Loki stuttered. "I— I don't know."

Thor smiled at him, making Loki forget for a moment that this wasn't the real Thor. It looked so convincing, but he knew he had to forget it.

It wasn't real.

"Remember when you first got that present?" Thor tried to say. "Before you left your room, you had the dagger, you saw it and you started to rip all of your belongings like a mad man. You used the ink you use for your parchments and scrolls to write what you thought of yourself on the walls."

"No!"

"You took the potion from that healer when she was distracted. You poured it in your drink. You thought it was the doll. No… it was all you. You are mad."

"I'm not." Loki cried. "I'm not mad."

"Yes you are." Thor wiped his tears away.

"How do you know this?"

"I was told, and I saw some parts."

"You're not Thor."

"No, I'm not." Thor answered. "But do you want me to be?"

No.

Never!

He wanted to say.

Not if Thor would do something like this, and he wouldn't.

They were brothers.

But Loki couldn't voice it out.

"The books in that large library you had, it was you." DarkThor said. "Your magic is so unstable, little Jotun. Your messed up mind has caused it all to be real for you."

"I don't believe you." Loki sobbed.

"Then don't."

"You're lying to me, over and over."

"You never asked why your magic wasn't working." Thor mouthed. "You can't focus, you can't grasp it. You felt like you've been betrayed by anyone, everyone, including yourself. No one wants you but me."

"I don't believe you."

"It matters little to me, little Jotun."

Loki allowed his hands to hover to Thor's shoulder, unable to figure out where to place it as he tried to keep his distance from this strange torturing Thor. Suddenly, the copy got bored, confusing Loki even more. He dug his fingers on Loki's hips, making Loki whimper.

Thor pushed himself off the bed and jumped out, walking over to the shelf on the other side of the room.

Loki pushed himself up on the bed to look then turned his gaze to the door.

"I wouldn't run if I were you." Thor said, not looking back.

Loki flinched.

"You won't get that far, and you'll only make it worse for yourself."

Loki's eyes widened when he saw DarkThor pull out a chain with a collar attached to the wall with a lock. It was something Loki never wanted to experience ever again. Thor seemed to be testing it out, and he wickedly smiled when he turned.

Play along.

Loki's mind seemed to say over and over.

He tried to look helpless, but he was already like that. If Loki wanted to escape, he had to play with the rules and bend them.

He had to.

It was his only choice.

"I'll make you remember, my love." Thor grinned.

oOo

"When we're done with this, we need to get Steve a date."

"You've been trying, haven't you?" Clint asked.

"I've been setting him up with anyone I can." Natasha smirked. "Like that girl from the desk, Lizzie?"

"You tried to partner him up with the nose piercing girl."

"He needs entertainment."

Natasha and Clint had heard Loki's scream and ran for where they thought he would be, but it only got them more lost than they ever were before. They ended up at the middle of balcony of the Clock tower. Above it was the rusted clock and a maze of stairs parallel to each other, often times twisting and turning.

"Damn it." Clint cursed. "How the hell do we find anyone now?"

"The crystals don't look like they came from here." Natasha said, looking at the bottom of the Clock tower. "Maybe they were markers?"

"You think Loki made them out of nowhere?"

"We aren't even sure if they came from Loki."

"Okay, but still."

"No, I'm saying they aren't from here so maybe Loki got them from somewhere." Natasha glared. "We never did ask Thor anything other than the fact that only the doll was left."

"You're right."

"Something's bothering you."

"Loki's scream."

"What about it?" She crossed her arms, looking attentively.

"There's a pain you can't fake," Clint frowned. "It's raw emotion, there's no doubt about that. You just end up knowing, and I hate it. Hearing it makes me think about everything that happened."

"We're past this, Clint."

"I know that, doesn't mean I can't look back at it."

"You shouldn't."

"I'm worried." Clint stared at her. "Do you remember what the Queen of Hel said?"

"When?"

"Back at the castle."

"Oh, that." Natasha nodded. "I asked what souls they were."

"You did ask that."

oOo

"What would we expect these souls to be?" Natasha wondered.

They had walked into Hela's castle, and Hela turned to them, whispering for their ears only. She had a smile on her face, while they all listened attentively. Her fingers glided to through the wall, caressing it.

"Good question."

"Are they murderers?" Clint had asked.

"Criminals?" Tony joined in.

"Or just lost people?" Bruce piped.

"Are they all human?" Steve asked.

Thor merely stayed silent as he walked by Hela's side, shaking his head at the lack of knowledge the humans had, but who was he to judge. He knew a few things, but that was his life, he couldn't blame them.

"The first and last question is the best." Hela smirked. "They can be anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes, human billionaire."

"Like what?"

"They can be Aesir," Thor answered. "Vanir, Elves of Alfheim and Svartalfheim, Kree, Skrulls, Phalanx, Symbiotes, Achernonians, the Apha Centuarians, The Chitauri—"

"Whoa, Chitauri?" Clint frowned.

"Great." Natasha huffed.

"There are more yes?" Thor turned to Hela.

"Oh there are more than just those pesky creatures." Hela laughed. "There's Kronans, Levians with blue skin and are like human, Lumina, also somewhat human, there are Reptoids, Tribbitites, Wobbs, Xandarians, Xartans, Yirbeks, Zenn-Lavians—"

"All I heard was aliens listed from A-Z." Tony said.

"Rude human," Hela glared.

"There are a lot of races that Midgardian's have yet to know," Thor stated. "Some races, I have yet to meet."

"Fury won't like that." Clint said.

"Fury doesn't like a lot of things."

"Needless to say," Hela continued. "These souls are souls of many creatures formed to make an entire world. Most are probably not human, but they have human emotion just like any other being. They know how dead they are, they know how life is for them and they will always regret it."

"They're vengeful?" Steve asked.

"Some, not all."

"Can you tell us?" Bruce politely said.

"Some seek friendship to be able to give what they cannot have. They will replace the person you care about, so they can be cared about in the same way. Much like they long to be loved, and to be noticed, something they have not done properly when still alive, hence why they went to Hel in the first place."

"Sounds intriguing," Tony said.

"There are some who would seek out forgiveness, to beg and desperately gain back what was his, perhaps because he lived a life he tried to forget, only to have it be the only life worth living."

"I get what you mean." Natasha said.

"There are also souls that are lovers. Passionate, caring, has his heart out to satisfy and to crave lust and pure emotion, but it is possessive. It is a love that cannot be, nor cannot have been, a lover who had lost too many and would give to gain back what was lost. It is to use anyone, to give and gain satisfaction, even if it meant harming."

"That is something to fear." Thor muttered. "To have someone as deranged and desperate, it is unnerving."

"Indeed."

"What else is there?" Tony wondered.

"There are many, who wish to do battle again, to relish the thought of being one with the field and his weapon. The races like the Chitauri, Kree, some Skrulls, but not limited to those three, there are more. They do not have morals. Some creatures are also not pleasant to look at."

They listened intently.

"Some souls are heartless," Hela continued. "Some full of emotion it would be the worst. You will be able to tell, because all of them are desperate to have what they could not."

"And Thanos offered it to them." Tony concluded.

"Indeed, Human.

"So we have to avoid them." Clint stated.

"If you can," She answered. "These souls would do anything to get what they want. They are as real as you make them to be, the ones who are given purpose are the ones you should look out for. They are the realest they could be."

"Shit." Tony cursed.

"Then we need to be prepared." Steve said.

"They will use the images of those close to you, but they are still the souls of who they were. They are hardly friendly, and they will feed off your nightmares. So be careful, humans."

"We understand."

oOo

Clint rubbed his temples, trying to recall every single thing necessary to stop these creatures, but it only ended up making Clint feel worse about himself. Natasha looked at him with concern.

"Stop being worried." She said.

"I'm worried when we'll end up meeting one of the souls she was talking about."

"Let's hope not."

"So far, we've only met foot soldiers."

"You're right. The creatures we found had no purpose." Natasha said. "We've been lucky today."

Suddenly, they heard a scream and it wasn't Loki's. They were prepared, Clint had his bow and arrow aimed above while Natasha held her own weapons, some weapons still riddled on her body.

There was a staircase to the left and right, and there were platforms parallel to each other with wires hanging everywhere.

"Is it just me, or did this place change?" Clint wondered.

"It's not just you." Natasha glared. "The metal changed, they weren't rusted before."

Someone screamed again.

She was screaming for help at the top of the platform railing, and the wires were moving, making it look like she was trapped there. Natasha and Clint were suspicious, but it could be anything. They could be a friend, or a foe, they wouldn't be able to know.

"Want me to check?" Clint asked.

"I'll do it."

"I got your back." Clint aimed.

The assassins looked at each other and they both nodded and said 'Be careful' to each other. Then Natasha made her way to the right staircase where Clint could see her coming up the first platform then onto the next, as she made her way to up.

But something caught Clint's eye, a reflection.

He saw Natasha go right, but he could have sworn the reflection went left.

In that brief distraction, Natasha was gone.

"Shit." Clint cursed, running up the left of the stairs.

He got up two floors through the circular clock Tower, and the next time Clint turned, he saw Natasha nearing the lady, struggling by the railing. But Natasha didn't look like she came from where she was supposed to. Clint took a closer look at Natasha, he couldn't see anything wrong, but when he turned to the lady, he saw her reflection through the partly rusted metal of the Clock Tower.

His eyes widened at the scene.

"NATASHA!" Clint shouted at the other side. "IT'S NOT REAL!"

Too late.

The lady melted through the metal, down towards the bottom of the tower and the platform Natasha was standing on gave way and in her hurry, she jumped and she fell, but her footing got lost as if someone sabotaged her.

She got caught in the wires as it wrapped around her neck and arms.

"TASHA!"

oOo

Thor opened the door, and saw a lot of dead bodies. He just tried to suck up the smell and walk through it. He had seen parts of war and death, but never something like a slaughter house before. Thor walked forward and eyed the butcher like table and the knives.

"No." He gasped.

On the table was Frigga, with her body ripped open and insides gone.

Her eyes dead and empty as a plain parchment would be.

"No, I need to focus." Thor ripped his gaze away from her. "I need to find Loki, or even one of those purpose filled souls. Maybe if I destroy them, this world would break."

Out of nowhere, Thor heard metal clanking.

He went to the door and heard ravens. When he pried the door open, he saw another crystal by the hall and quickly walked to it to pick it up.

Loki was here.

"Oh brother," Thor frowned. "I had hoped you did not see this."

Thor felt sorry that Loki had to see all of that, but he knew that Loki wouldn't have been through the staircase he had gone through and all those dead bodies. If Loki did, he might not have been able to move, so Thor figured he took a different route.

"Where are you?" Thor desperately wanted to hug Loki.

He squeezed the crystal and brought it to his chest, muttering a soft prayerful hope that his brother was alive. He pocketed the crystal the same as he did the first.

He kept walking.

"Norns, let me find my brother."

Then heard a gurgling sound through the far end corner to the left, and when he turned, he saw Odin kneeling over a body. His teeth barred to the person's neck, while it still shivered with life. He was a mess. Odin was full of blood, clothes torn, eye gouged out and missing, one was white and beaded and he was thin and wrinkly.

When Thor realized that he kept staring, Odin was already on to him.

"My boy!" Odin shouted. "My boy!"

Thor readied Mjolnir, gripping it tightly as the ravens squawked above Odin. He released the body he was eating, making his way to Thor.

"My son, I'm so sorry!" He shouted. "I've not been a good Father!"

"Stay away." Thor ordered.

"My son, please!"

"I warned you, stay away!"

Odin stopped and laughed. "I'll make it up to you! Just like the other one, the other boy! A chance! I need a chance boy! I'll make it better! I'll be better boy! I'll do it!"

This wasn't Odin.

Thor glared, clenched his fists.

Hela had warned them of this situation.

There are some who would seek out forgiveness, to beg and desperately gain back what was his…

"Anything you ask boy!" Odin smiled, his teeth and mouth bloody. "Anything!"

Perhaps because he lived a life he tried to forget, only to have it be the only life worth living.

"No." Thor stared at him.

"My boy, please!"

"Where is my brother?"

"He ran! He ran from me!" Cannibal Odin laughed. "Got away!"

"Thank the Norns." Thor thought.

"He hid, he got away! I tried to find him, he slipped! Ran! I asked him, he wouldn't give me a chance. You'll give me a chance."

"Aye," Thor said, getting ready.

These souls would do anything to get what they want.

The ravens squawked dangerously and Odin's face scowled.

They are as real as you make them to be, the ones who are given purpose are the ones you should look out for.

Odin started to laugh, as he picked up the axe he used to kill his prey. It was a huge axe, bigger than Thor's hammer, and long enough to swing. The old Cannibal no longer looked like the frail hungry person he was, but now, he looked like a warrior, ready to do battle.

They are the realest they could be.

Odin launched himself at Thor, and Thor was as ready as he had to be.

oOo

"This isn't a game, Tony." He said to himself. "These things don't just randomly spawn and scare the shit out of you. That's different. Does it? Do they? Aw man, I need to calm down, get my priorities straight."

Tony was panicking.

He stayed in the corner for a few minutes now.

He sat there with no idea on what he was going to do. He kept eying to sewer like pool and wondered if he drowned, would anyone be able to see him. You can't even see halfway through it, and Tony was scared something might come out.

"Zombies aren't real." He muttered. "Oh man, I should've stayed."

He debated.

"No, that's idiotic, we want to save Loki, not leave him to his doom. But now, look… I'm the damsel in distress and I'm waiting for that damn prince charming to save me. Holy shit, I'm insane."

Tony knocked the back of his head on the door.

"I'm talking to myself."

At the same time, a bubble appeared from the pool and it gurgled before it disappeared. Tony straightened himself and eyed the pool in fear.

"Oh man, shit is going down." Tony muttered. "I'm going to die. I am so going to die."

Tony figured he couldn't stay in the same place any longer.

He had to move.

So he slowly got up and started walking at the side of the pool, being really quiet and careful not to fall in. There were more bubbles that came up the pool, making Tony freeze. Damn, he was already halfway past the pool to the door to the left, but the pool just had to do something. Tony started to hyperventilate.

"I need a drink after this." Tony figured.

He slowly edged himself to the door, and tried to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge.

"No, no…" Tony said. "Don't do this to me now."

He tried to push it, and it still wouldn't budge.

"Now I have to try the other door." He huffed. "Great, just—"

Suddenly, the door moved on its own, making Tony freeze.

"What the hell?"

He waited for a while, but it suddenly banged, moving the locked door towards him. Tony's eyes widened as he backed away from the door slowly. The banging kept happening, over and over and Tony wasn't sure what to do.

He was glad it was still closed.

"Just my luck."

When he turned he saw something white by the bleachers.

"No, no… oh man, don't do this." Tony took a deep breath and turned to his right where the stands were. "Oh no."

Tony saw a little girl wearing a white dress covered in blood, and it was staring at him.

Tony slowly inched back from the door, but a few more steps would lead him to the edge of the pool. Tony stared at the girl, then the door that kept banging over and over. He couldn't run to his right to get to the door there, because he'll get trapped if the girl follows him. He sure as hell have no place else to go.

When Tony turned to the banging door, then to the girl, the girl was gone.

"No… hell no."

Tony looked around.

"Where is she?"

He looked behind him, but she wasn't there.

The next moment when Tony turned, the girl was right in front of him running.

"Shit!"

That got Tony's adrenaline going, but he backed away too far in his panic. He knew it would happen, but he couldn't prevent it.

He fell into the pool.

And it was freezing cold.

It brought back memories of his waterboarding in Afghanistan, and it wasn't a pleasant memory. Tony tried to kick his legs to rise up, but as soon as he did, there was a transparent plastic sealing the pool.

No!

Tony did not want to die there.

Tony heard a banging noise from above. That literally meant the door was opened by someone, but Tony couldn't think. The cold was too much. His brain was beginning to get foggy. He couldn't see anymore, the sewer like color from the pool was too thick.

He could just feel something pulling him.

He didn't know if it was up or down, but he knew he was a goner.

oOo

Loki watched as Thor approached him. Loki already had a plan in his head and all he had to do was to swallow his fear and man up. Thor walked forward with lust in his eyes, something Loki never saw in the real Thor, or maybe never noticed?

Maybe Thor had the imagination, but of course, had self-control.

Loki wouldn't ever know.

"Eager, aren't we?"

"No." Loki said softly.

"Humble too."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that, little Jotun."

Loki watched as Thor released the chain, and advanced on Loki, placing the collar on the bed and pulling Loki forward. Loki tried to struggle, and put up a fight, but Thor's hand already looped around his neck for another game.

Loki had no idea why he kept getting into situations like this.

The Norns hated him.

And they secretly enjoyed his misery.

"Little Jotun—?" Thor mumbled. "I'm going to keep you here forever."

No.

No you won't.

Rage.

Rage passed through Loki and it swelled up inside of him. The memories of always being in Thor's shadow, always following Thor's rules, being at the end of all of Thor's mistakes, it was enough to rile Loki up.

As DarkThor continued to play with him, ignoring the collar on the bed, Loki felt distant.

The real Thor abandoned him.

The sudden realization made Loki angrier.

"This isn't Thor." Loki told himself. "This isn't him."

As DarkThor was distracted, Loki reached to his right to get the lamp.

"Fight back."

He could feel Thor reaching down to his waist again, and he wasn't going to allow him anywhere near him again. Thor had his guard down, and this Thor was more of an idiot than his brother was.

"Thor had told me I needed to fight back."

When Loki touched the lamp…

"I'll try."

He swung it with a heavy grip at Thor's head. It had collided and Thor was thrown off to the side. The sudden rush startled Loki, especially when Thor looked up with rage in him. While he was disoriented, Loki swung the lamp to the other side, making Thor fall off the bed. Loki panted, gripping it tightly. He quickly raised the lamp and dropped it down towards Thor's head.

Loki released the lamp and backed away in fright, taking shallow breaths in fear. He saw Thor try to get up, growling.

Loki watched Thor bleed from his head.

It wasn't this easy.

It was never easy.

"You dare—?"

Loki picked up the collar on the bed and locked it on Thor's neck, and then he ran to the other side, opening drawers to find the crystals. By the time Loki rummaged through the drawers DarkThor was already up.

Thor ran to him, given the long chain.

So Loki ducked out of the way and ran to the other side, opening the other drawer. He saw the crystal and grabbed it. Thor sped towards him, and Loki jumped on the bed to run to the door while Thor tried to pull the collar off.

Loki pushed at the door, but it wouldn't budge, making him whimper in fear when he heard Thor's footsteps on the other side of the room.

"How dare you?" Thor panted. "I cared for you!"

"No you didn't!" Loki shouted back. "You ruined me!"

"I cared!"

"You ruined the thoughts I had for my brother! You ruined it! My relationship with him is ruined because of you!"

The adrenaline rushed through Loki.

"You dare—!"

"Yes! I dare!"

Loki slammed his shoulder on to the door and it was starting to unlock. Loki kept hitting the door, hoping to escape. Thor looked at the blood on his hands when he touched his head, and Loki managed to turn to him. Loki saw his face flicker into someone else before turning back to Thor.

"You know me—"

"You are not my brother!" Loki shouted.

Loki kicked the door down and ran as soon as Thor pounced at him.

The chain wasn't enough to get pass the door, making Thor growl and tug at the chain. Loki panted, leaning heavily on the wall, staring at DarkThor. Loki held the crystals close to his chest, hoping it would give him strength to keep moving. Loki felt tears in his eyes, and his body shook.

He couldn't believe he had done that.

He escaped.

Loki wanted to keep going, but the idea of Thor in a collar mesmerized him. All that rage from one person, it hurt to see this man, whoever he was feel like this. So desperate, so hurt, so painful…

"I am not the only one you should fear Jotun!" Thor shouted. "There are others!"

"I don't fear anyone else!"

"You lie," He laughed. "You fear this man I look like. I've seen your fears. You only managed to slip by me because you simply tried, but you'll fall back into that state. You won't be able to fight me nor anyone else!"

"Stop it." Loki whispered. "Just stop talking."

"I'll get out of this."

"I'd be gone by then."

With that, Loki ran as far as he could.

All he could hear was DarkThor's screams echo through the hallway. Nothing else bothered Loki more than hearing Thor's pained cries. The adrenaline was disappearing, and Loki never felt so alone in his entire life.

oOo

TBC…

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