Avengers: The King of Kings.
Summary: "One year after Ceil Zak'Vael's defeat, tensions are running in all new highs as anticipation for the Black Hunt's return takes its toll. After reaching a breaking point with Loki, who has grown distant as "the inevitable" looms closer, Thor returns to Earth in hopes of clearing his head before the fight that is to come. However, his "pity party" is quickly interrupted when he inexplicably reunites with the Avengers, who give him some disturbing news: millions of people have been disappearing, and some of the biggest cities in the world have gone dark. With S.H.I.E.L.D scrambling for answers, they're finally forced go after the one man they believe capable of such chaos- Loki. Now, tasked with saving the Earth from certain doom- and his brother from wrongful imprisonment- while at the same time trying to find a reason to keep fighting, Thor's got to decide what's worth what and, most importantly, why, before an old enemy returns to wreck havoc on the one place that was supposed to stay safe- and with a near-silent, morose Loki by his side and constant infighting within the Avengers to boot, Thor's got his work cut out for him… but when tragedy strikes too close to home, it's time to get serious again."
Warning: "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of some blood, violence, angst, some language, a character death or two, and other adult situations. So, to be on the safe side, we'll be going with Rated T. I have watched the Avenger's movie and all relating Marvel movies, but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know about, and I'm bound to forget or misuse some small detail. So, with that, please forgive me if I screw up, and just enjoy the story."
Disclaimer: "I do not own Thor. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."
Author's Note: This story is dedicated to PhantomLilac AND MischievousChaos."
N._.s._.S
Chapter Ten: Bad Are Good II.
"I learned that bad guys are not always bad..."
- Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Loki felt like screaming. He felt like raging; stamping his feet, screaming until he couldn't scream anymore- until his throat bled from it and his voice gave out. He felt like standing somewhere open, with the world, if not all the Nine Realms staring him down, and screaming at them all.
But instead, he stood, trapped, within a world of infinite darkness and silence-
Trapped within his own collapsing, dying mind.
A product of the pain and fever he knew were wrecking havoc on his body at that very moment.
… But he could still hear a voice beyond the blackness.
He had always heard them, of course, ever since the beginning.
He could hear Odin's, on the rare instances he was conscious at the same time his father came by.
He could hear Eir's, Axel's, even Jane's voices in the background when he paid attention.
But one stood out from those; one who spoke louder, stronger, than them-
One voice that could shatter the glass that kept reality at bay.
His brother's voice wasn't like the others.
The God of Mischief slowly ran his fingers through his hair, his thin, dark brows cinching together as he strained to hear what that powerful voice was saying. It was so close- just beyond the veil of glass and blackness, but Loki could not reach it, could not respond to it, no matter how much he wanted to.
You must keep fighting this, The voice said, muffled through the glass surrounding Loki's damaged mind, just barely getting through, You must fight, brother.
Loki smirked and shook his head.
This isn't over.
There is a small tremor in the glass, and Loki knew he'd reacted subconsciously to those words, though he had no way of knowing how- it could have been anything, really.
A smile, a laugh, even.
Maybe even just a cry.
Or just a blink.
He didn't exactly have a lot of control here.
The Hunt have taken Midgard.
"That isn't possible," Loki answered, as if Thor could hear him from within his own mind, his voice annoyed and defiant, even, "That isn't..."
The Hunt had no reason Loki knew of to invade Midgard.
He hadn't even considered that place as an option of any kind for them.
Midgard was covered in water- water was the Vael's weakness.
Just like the Jotunheim-
But hadn't they entered that place, as well?
The one place Loki had thought truly safe?
"No," Loki has no idea how many times he'd said that word- he hadn't even been aware he'd been speaking until he heard his own voice, "No way. That's not possible."
It is possible, Loki, Thor's voice said, They're there, and they've taken many mortals already.
The glass above him cracked, and Loki could now see something sitting directly above it- something glowing bright gold, like a light at the end of a long, desolate tunnel made of the ultimate darkness...
Loki raised his hand toward it, ignoring the tears gathering in his eyes.
Brother, please.
The blackness around him began to shatter- and with it, the glass ceiling caved in as well, bringing down the golden light with it, falling as if in slow-motion toward him, unbidden by the sharp glass bursting in air around it, shattered to dust by its very presence.
I need to know how to stop them.
Loki reached up with both arms to catch the golden light.
He isn't aware of the tears that flow freely down his face.
Because everything suddenly went white.
N._.s._.S
"All of you have given up."
It's not a statement as much as it is an accusation.
The only person to look irritated at it was Axel Hernsson- he folded his arms over his chest and shook his head, his bright, maroon eyes flashing.
Odin and Eir didn't say a word.
Jane's gaze shifted between the four of them.
What would you have us do? Axel finally asked, a hint of challenge in his normally calm voice, You have been told countless times before, the Curse cannot be reversed. There's nothing more-
"So we just let him die, then?" Thor interrupted, darkly, "Is that it?"
Don't, This time, the Honored King sighed in defeat, unfolding his arms and nervously running a hand through his long, dark bangs, That's not fair, and you know it. If there was anything to be done, all of us would have sacrificed anything to do it. But that's not how this works. The Curse will run its course regardless.
"I won't give up on him," Thor told them, quietly, "I haven't."
This time, Odin spoke up.
"There's something else, isn't there, my son?"
Thor folds his arms and stares at the closed doors of the Med Wing, which he'd exited to find the four of them (Eir, Odin, Axel, and Jane) waiting for him.
"The Hunt have invaded Midgard."
Jane's eyes widened in surprise- and horror.
Eir, Odin, and Axel exchanged startled glances.
Impossible, Axel said, slowly, The Hunt have no reason to invade such a place.
"They have, and they have been abducting mortals."
"For what purpose?" Eir demanded, instantly.
"We don't know."
For the first time, Axel Hernsson looked afraid.
"Abducting mortals," Odin said, thoughtfully, turning to Axel, "What sort of things can they accomplish?"
Aside from taking and killing them for the fun of it, you mean? Axel replied, darkly, I can't say. Mortal souls are far more breakable than Asgardian and Jotun- if they were extracting the souls, they'd have to have billions, if not trillions, of them in order to cast a decent Curse at all.
"Curse?"
Sure, Axel answered with a shrug, In order to cast a Curse at all, you either give part of your own, or take another- that is how Remus Zak'Vael Cursed Loki. He took Loki's soul and poisoned it in order to Curse it- that is, essentially, what a Curse is- a poison.
"Then the more souls you sacrifice, the stronger a Curse is?" Jane asked.
Exactly.
"What sort of Curse could they cast?"
All Curses are the same. The only thing that varies is the strength of it and the pain it causes.
"What would it take to Curse an entire world?"
Thor had spoken, his voice thoughtful, and Axel looked over at him, his maroon eyes narrowing a little with the question.
In order to do such a thing, one would have to essentially harvest an entire nation, if not more if he were dealing with such breakable souls like Human's.
"That's what they're doing," Thor declared, "They sacrificing Midgard to take Asgard."
Odin's one good eye narrowed.
"How do we stop it?" He asked, turning to Axel again.
If they have not yet cast the Curse, then the souls can still be saved- all that needs to be done... Axel's voice turned grave, Is to defeat the castors in order to stop it from happening.
"Then that's what we will do," Thor declared, already starting toward the stairs.
Odinsson!
Thor looked back over his shoulder to find Axel right behind him.
Take heed, the Honored King warned, though gently, A Human soul can only last so long without shattering- and even then, continuous leave from its host body will result in irreparable damage.
You will loose people.
Thor only nodded and continues down to the Bifrost, Jane following quickly along at his side.
N._.s._.S
"I want to come with you."Jane declared as they reached Heimdall.
"You know I can't allow that."
"But-"
"Midgard is far too dangerous for you now, Jane," Thor told her, firmly but gently, taking her hand, "You would only be taken by the Hunt or killed in the crossfire of the battle."
"I don't care!" She burst out, "I want to help!"
"And you will," He promised, kindly, cupping her face, "You will stay here and ensure Loki is safe. And when he wakes, you will be the one to tell him where I have gone and what has happened."
Her eyes grew bright and Thor embraced her.
"I will return," He added, "As I have always done."
"Give or take a couple years," She answered with a watery chuckle.
"This time is different," He promised, "I will return as soon as I can."
He kissed her then.
And so, eventually, Jane Foster found the strength to let him go again, and watched as the God of Thunder disappeared in a burst of golden light- a light brighter than even the one he had first arrived with, four years ago, in a tiny town in New Mexico, come to change her life forever.
N._.s._.S
Loki stood alone, surrounded by light.
He'd been here before, of course.
In his hands, he held the bright, golden light he had caught when the glass had shattered, and now looked down at it for the first time, turning it in his hands.
It looked and felt exactly like his own, except that the green glass had shattered- while he realized, with a sharp jab of surprise (and dismay) that the jagged scars remained, cutting through the gold light with black and gray, that shifted through with slow, steady beats-
Like it was infected.
"The shell broke," He said, aloud, startling himself with the fear in his own voice, "It broke."
Did that mean he had died, gave in to the pain?
Was his body lying in the Med Wing right now?
Had they discovered him yet?
Loki clenched the soul with both hands and stared into it, watching it pulse black and gray, like the beat of a heart, as though it was somehow alive.
"You haven't lost yet."
Loki knew that voice, too.
He turned and smiled a little as Frigga emerged from the light.
"Back again," She said, with a small smile.
"Again," Loki answered with a short nod, holding up the golden soul, "This isn't mine, is it?"
"Why would you think not?"
"It's color has changed."
"And so?" His mother replied, with an amused smile this time, "Why can it not change?"
Loki doesn't have an for that.
N._.s._.S
Hi! XD
I've got at least one more in me, I'm sure!
See you all soon!
And tell me what you think, too, as always! XD