It's been a while, I know. I wanted to take my time on this chapter and get it right. That being said, I must mention that it is a darker chapter and not as light toned as the others.

WARNING: Mentions of torture (Not too graphic, but still), mentions of suicidal thoughts/actions (not too graphic, we all know what was probably going through Loki's head at the end of Thor 1), and swearing.

Chapter Eleven: This 'Spells' Trouble

"I don't get it," Pietro mused as he turned the stone over in his hands. "It's a rock."

"A rock that just so happens to have a rune carved into it," Loki said.

"Ruin?" Bucky asked. He was already awake from his nap by the time the brothers joined them back at the car. Bucky looked somewhat refreshed from his nap, but the messy hair and dark circles under his eyes gave away his exhaustion.

"Rune. R-U-N-E" Loki corrected. "Runes are letters or symbols that are mostly used for magical rituals. There are many kinds, like Greek runes or Roman, but this one is Nordic. And I know the person whom this rune represents."

"Ah," Bucky said, the confused look on his face fading only slightly.

"So this Amora chick is teaming up with an evil, sword-wielding skeleton guy who has the Power Stone?" Pietro asked in order to recap the brothers' story.

"That is what we believe," Thor replied with a nod.

"And you can use this hunk of rock to find Amora in order to rescue your family?" Bucky asked.

"Yes," Loki replied. "I need to find other items for the spell to work, though."

"I don't get it," Pietro spoke up as he leaned against the hood of the Mustang and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I thought you couldn't use magic."

Loki nodded. "I personally cannot, but someone else can."

"How does that work? You said that only people naturally born with the ability to use magic is able to do so without dying a painful death," Bucky pointed out.

Loki sighed. It was going to be hard to explain to three non-magic users the concept of magic. Even Thor didn't know the most important aspects of magic, and he grew up in a land of magic.

"Everyone emits an essence or aura. Those with born with magic are more easily traced because their aura sends off flares of pure energy every time they use their powers. It follows you around, even when you are not using it; much like an invisible fog. Do you know how you can sense electricity or a storm coming without seeing it?" Loki asked. Everyone nodded in response. Wonderful; so far so good.

"It's like that. Auras are different colors which is why my magic looks green. Skilled users can change their auras into different colors or shape it into something to create objects 'out of thin air,' but its still there and you cannot cover it up. You can block magic, but the presence will always be there. Each aura and personal store of magic is different and unique to each user, but they are all traceable," Loki explained. He looked around to make sure the others were paying attention, which they were. Perfect. Moving on...

"Bucky, you are right. If someone who doesn't hold the innate ability to possess magic, then their body will practically burst from the strain of holding it as it consumes them. Since magic is tuned into each person, only they are able to control and possess their own magic without much danger to themselves," Loki continued.

"So, like spontaneous combustion?" Bucky asked.

"Yes!" Loki practically shouted with a small jump. At least someone was getting it. "Exactly like spontaneous combustion! Those cases when people randomly burst into flame is most likely from them using someone else's magic, with horrific consequences."

"Lit," Pietro said with a small smile before chuckling at his own joke.

"Anyways, non-magic users can use universal magic, which is much safer, but you need assistance from a spellbook or some other source of magic; and even then you can only perform small spells," Loki finished with a grin spreading across his face. This was the first time that he could openly talk about his magic (excluding Sigyn) with his audience actually interested and not mocking him for what he was saying.

"Won't they be able to track us?" Bucky pointed out.

"No!" Loki said with excitement in his voice. "Since none of you have ever performed a spell before, your aura will be so small and unnoticeable compared to others out there. The only chance of anyone tracking you is if you perform a lot of spells, but there's a bigger chance that you would die from over exertion before then."

"We're going to die?" Pietro's showed visible concern.

"No, not if you do it only once. Spells feed off the performer's energy supply; doing too many could kill you but a single small one won't."

Pietro heaved a sigh of relief. Loki put his hands on his hips and looked around the small group.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Loki questioned.

"We're waiting for you to tell us what we need," Thor answered, causing Loki to blink.

"Oh, Yes! Well, we have an object that the person touched. All we need is juniper, a clear piece of quartz the size of a modern phone, a map of the earth, a horn of a male ram, sand from a beach in Norway, and a silver viking coin," Loki listed matter-of-factly.

Everyone blinked in confusion.

"What the heck?" Pietro muttered.

"How are we going to find all those things?" Bucky asked.

"Why do we have to sacrifice a ram?" Thor questioned.

Loki held his hands up to stop the onslaught of questions.

"I have it figured out. We'll have to split up-"

"Nobody is going off on their own," Thor interjected with a glare aimed at his brother.

"We can go with a partner. Thor, you and Pietro can get the juniper, sand, and quartz. Bucky and I will get the rest," Loki ordered.

"Wait, hold up!" Thor boomed. "It's late and we need some rest. And you are not leaving my sight." Thor pointed at Loki with meaning behind his stare.

"I will be fine, brother. You can call me if you want. 'You will miss a lot of joy and happiness if you constantly worry about losing someone,'" Loki quoted, turning what Thor had said earlier against him.

Thor sighed and gave up the battle that he knew he couldn't win

"Alright, but we need to eat and rest before we set out on a search mission," Thor said.

Everyone agreed to that and willingly began to set up a small camp on the hill as the sun sank behind the horizon, covering the town with a starry veil of darkness.

/\/\/\/\

The stars shone in the night sky like trillions of little diamonds, lighting up the camp with a soft glow. The moon also shone brightly, reflecting the light of the sun onto a figure sitting on the top of a hill.

It was a peaceful night; frogs sang their nightly chorus, crickets chirped unseen, and nocturnal animals crept out and about on their own little adventures, but it wasn't peaceful for one man.

After the rag-tag team of four had found some food in Thor's home in New Asgard, they had started a small campfire and went to sleep right away.

That was almost two hours ago, and it was just past midnight. Anxiety and constant worry made Loki toss and turn on the surprisingly soft ground. He had eventually given up on sleeping and was now sitting on the edge of the hill, staring down onto the town, lost in his thoughts.

Usually, people bragged about having a vivid and creative imagination, but now Loki was hating himself for having that gift. His brain came up with horrible -and unrealistic - scenarios that only made Loki's fear for his girlfriend and kids grow even more.

For most of his life, Loki had felt alone. Nobody really understood him. Thor - bless his soul - had tried to, but he didn't count since he was Loki's brother. Older brothers were supposed to care for their younger siblings; and Loki was grateful for Thor's friendship and protection.

Instead, Loki wanted someone his age who understood what he felt. He had met Sigyn at a very young age and had started dating not soon after. It was nice having someone to talk to, someone who was actually interested in his magical gifts.

When Sigyn came into his life, it felt like a blessing. Loki never really had friends, but that girl was something else. It was like they were made for each other. Thor always teased Loki, saying that he practically worshiped the ground that she walked on. And it was true. There was nothing that Loki wouldn't do, nothing that he wouldn't sacrifice to spend the rest of his life with her.

The memories of his children were still a bit foggy since Odin's curse to make them forget one another was still wearing off, but they were happy memories. Odin had looked at Loki's children with disdain and disgust. Loki, on the other hand, tried to give them the chance to prove themselves. They weren't monsters, they were wonderful beings.

Sleipnir was a shy genius who had helped sort out many problems before fights started. Jormungandr, who seemed cold and angry on the outside, cared deeply about his family and would sacrifice himself to save them. Fenris was a literal ball of energy and sunshine. Everywhere he went, he brought smiles to people's lives. Hela was a sweetheart and the best damn ruler Valhalla and Helhiem had ever seen. The people of Valhalla loved her, and she actually cared about her people. Loki had heard many people say that she was the best thing that had ever happened to the two realms.

Loki had lost many years with his kids; years that he had lived without even knowing they existed. He had distanced himself from Sigyn after the New York Incident, but she forgave him and they made up. He had vowed to be the best father and boyfriend he could be. And for a while, they were all happy...

But now they were gone. Stolen from him as easily as one takes candy from an infant. His entire reason why he lived - excluding Thor - was in danger, and it seemed more and more likely that he would never see him again.

It had been a couple days since their disappearances; every moment could only bring them closer to their deaths.

He hated waiting. He hated his stupid imagination for showing him vivid images of Sigyn lying dead on the floor of an abandoned warehouse, Hela crying as she sat in a pool of her own blood as her brothers lay scattered around her, each dead and badly bruised and bloody…

A hand on Loki's shoulder made him jump and whip his head around with one hand hovering over a hidden dagger sheath near his ankle.

"Whoah, relax," Bucky said while holding his hands up in surrender. The moonlight shone onto his face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. "I just came to check on you. Can't sleep?"

Loki slowly relaxed and turned back forwards the town as Bucky settled himself next to him on the grass.

"I just can't...not with them out there. They need my help, but I have no damn clue where they are," Loki muttered. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and yawned before bringing his legs into his chest, hugging them close, and resting his chin on his knees.

"I know how you feel. When I was in the army, I spent most of the nights worried about my family back home, wondering if I made the right choice to leave them to fend for their own as I fought for their lives. It really makes you tired, though; all that worrying when you know that they're fine," Bucky replied softly.

"But I don't what Amora and Gorr wants with them. Those two working together only means a terrible further for us. Plus, with the Mark of Th-Th-him in my backyard. All this and the Power Stone has to mean something, doesn't it?" Loki asked, looking at Bucky expectantly.

Bucky shrugged. "I don't know, but just the thought of it sounds terrifying."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Why are you even here?" He blurted out suddenly without thinking. "I mean, you really don't know me and you have nothing to gain from helping me."

Bucky frowned. A wave of sadness washed over him. "Because I'm just like you. Before my dad died, he told me to the man of the household and to take care of my mom and siblings. Being the oldest, it was my job to keep everyone line and fed. The Depression hit us hard, especially since we didn't have that much money to begin with. My mom couldn't work since she had to watch my baby brother, so I did everything in my power to keep them safe and food on the table. I worked several jobs, stopped bullies, and helped with homework. Once I went away for the army, everything went south. There was an attack at the park where they were at. I lost my mom and brothers in the span of two days. My sister escaped, but she joined the army. I tried to convince her to go home, since it was more dangerous there instead of home, but she didn't listen. I couldn't stop the Hydra agent from shooting her in the head..." Bucky looked up at Loki, his eyes brimming with tears. "Maybe the reason why I'm here is because I couldn't protect my own family, but maybe I can try to save yours."

Silence hung in the air for several, tense moments. Even the crickets seemed to sense the high emotions between the two ex-villains.

"I-I'm so sorry," Loki finally managed to say.

Bucky wiped his eyes with the back of his human hand and sniffed. "I've had time to figure things out, but it still hurts."

"Of course it hurts. Nobody can ever forget losing a family member, especially not like that," Loki exclaimed. He paused before speaking again, "Were you close to them?"

A hint of a smile tugged on Bucky's lips. "Yeah. They could be annoying little twerp at times, but aren't all younger siblings the same way?"

Loki gave a small chuckle. "I wouldn't know. However, I can guarantee that Thor has been annoyed by me countless times."

A flicker of sadness crossed Loki's features and he hugged his knees closer to his chest.

"All my life, I looked up to Thor. He was my hero, and I wanted to be just like him. I guess that idea faded a long time ago," Loki muttered.

"What do you mean?" Bucky asked curiously.

"Look at me," Loki ordered sadly and spread his arms out. "I've killed people, innocent people, which has only fueled people's hatred towards me. Even growing up, everyone liked Thor better. He was the 'golden child after all; I was nothing more than a disappointment."

"I'm sure that's not true," Bucky interjected.

Loki shook his head in disagreement. "Odin always played favoritism towards Thor. It was painfully obvious, too. I was the one who always got in trouble. I was the one who got yelled at for not being like Thor. I was the one being scolded for studying magic instead of learning how to world a sword," Loki continued. "I tried to impress Odin by defeating Asgard's enemy…"

There was a slight pause. Bucky waited in anticipation for Loki to continue.

A small voice broke the heavy veil of silence.

"I never told anyone this, but when I let go of that staff, I did so with full intentions of dying," Loki whispered softly. Bucky stared at the other man in quiet shock. This was a whole new side of Loki that he was surprised to witness.

"I never intended for it to go this far. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Now, innocent people are dead because I was too blind to see the damage that my actions were causing." Loki's voice hitched and he sniffed before adding: "Th-Than-He wanted me to assist him with his plans to assemble all the Infinity Stones. He thought that because I let go of the staff, I was willing to help him. I refused so many times. He tortured me, hurt me, over and over and over again."

Loki rambled on about his time in the void in vivid detail before turning to face Bucky. Tears were streaming down his pale cheeks. It was clear that the fallen prince was reliving painful memories, and talking about them made it worse.

"And that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that I broke. I gave in and let him take control. He owned me. I nothing but a slave used for his entertainment. If I never broke, imagine how many lives would be saved. I should have just died; it would be better for everyone..."

The eerie sound of Loki's quiet crying filled the open air, making the shadows seem longer and darker. Loki didn't know why he told Bucky all that. He never went into detail about his time in the void. Sigyn and Thor had an inkling of what happened, but nothing more than that.

"I'm sorry," Loki apologized while wiping his cheeks with a tissue. "I don't know why I told you. I shouldn't have…"

"It's alright," Bucky interrupted gently. "I know how you feel, being unable to control your own actions, being broken and used for other people's benefit. I couldn't take I anymore, not after DC, and just wanted to end it all. I was so damn close to pulling the trigger, but I realized that Steve wouldn't like that. After all, he fought to bring me back to my senses; I couldn't let his efforts go to waste."

Bucky placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Whatever you do, just know that there are people out there who genuinely care for you. Let them be the reason for you to keep on living. I know it's hard to talk about your thoughts, but talking with someone how you feel helps."

"How am I supposed to stay positive when five of the reasons why I'm still alive are missing?" Loki questioned. "And the one person who ruined my life is possibly involved in this. How the Helheim am I supposed to be hopeful...I thought that he was done thing my life, but it turns out that he might possibly be alive. And somehow connected to all this!"

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "We will find them. They will be alright. If I know one thing, it's that it takes guts or just plain stupidity to mess with someone's family. And I'm telling you as a friend, we will find them and kill whoever's ass that was responsible for this," Bucky exclaimed with a new fire in his eyes.

Loki stared at the ground. "A friend? I've never had a friend before…"

Bucky didn't comment. Instead he scooted closer to Loki and gave him a hug. Whatever force had compelled Bucky to do so left him in question, but he knew deep down that Loki was someone whom he could trust.

Loki jumped a bit as the ex-assassin wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on his shoulder. After a while, Loki relented and hugged Bucky back. The two sat like that for a whole before Bucky pulled away.

"Come on and get some sleep," Bucky said. "You don't do them any good being tired when we save them."

Bucky stood up and extended his human hand towards Loki. Loki gave a small smile and grateful let Bucky pull him to his feet.

The two highly wanted criminals walked back towards the camp, high on emotions and newly formed bond that was quickly turning into a lifelong friendship.

Let me know if I missed a spelling or grammar mistake. It will be a while before I post again, since I'm going on vacation for a week and then getting my wisdom teeth removed after that. I will be 'out of commission' for a while because of that and I still have to start writing the next chapter. On the other hand, leave comment if you enjoyed this chapter and what you are looking forward to. I got the spell idea for. The TV show Supernatural, so I'm sorry if you are a bit confused on the laws of magic. I tried explaining it to the best of my ability. I hope that all the subplots make sense as well. If you want to learn more about Bucky's family's backstory, check out my story "Oh Suzannah, Don't You Cry For Me."