Thank you so much for your continued support. I'm not writing at a snail's pace on purpose, had a creative slump couldn't not seem to get a chapter out, so basically I have no excuse. Nope scratch that I'm going to blame Thor, yep its Thor's fault. No more questions. But seriously I am going to finish this story, it may take me a while to update sometimes, but I will finish it. Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy so without further stalling the story continues.
Thor had just donned his roughly patched armor. The Shield agents had quickly replaced the ruined stiff leather backing with a material he was not familiar with. The relatively short man that had delivered it had apologized saying his cape couldn't be salvaged; however as the small man spoke his eyes kept darting back to the obvious dent that Thor had recently pounded into the metal table. Perhaps Thor had been in a worst mood then he had previously thought, because the small man flinched when he glanced up from the table and reached out for the newly repaired armor.
Thor was now standing in front of the window. He had thought he'd seen movement in the corner of his eye and had been staring intently inside the room the white medical room. His brother had fallen into a fitful state of sleep, and was twitching on the plain bed S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided. Thor turned at the sound of people approaching, the Captain had returned with Natasha, Clint, and a third S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
He glowered at the Archer as he shuffled in behind the others. After seeing that Thor was staring at him his eyes flicked away, suddenly interested in observing the room. Thor blinked as he realized Steve was trying to address him. "Thor, Director Fury wants us to try to talk to Loki."
Thor's eye brows furrowed, "He is too unwell to be awoken." Thor looked to the unknown female agent as she stepped forward holding up a syringe.
"This contains medication that should wake him up enough to speak to him for a while."
Thor spoke looking back to the Captain his voice disapproving, "What do you expect to gain from this? " Thor's tone did not seem to leave much room for argument, and at that particular moment Steve had paused noticing the new dent on the table.
Natasha stepped forward and spoke, "Loki hasn't been very forthcoming with information until you returned with him, and out of all of us he seems to know the most about what's happening. If we are going to defend him then we need to know what's coming. The best way to do that is to try to talk to him before he gets any worse."
Steve sent her a grateful glance before looking back to the stormy Avenger, "Thor you'll be there, right beside him while we're talking." Thor's expression softened slightly, but he still looked unhappy as he glanced through the window behind him.
Clint shrugged behind the Captain, "He can't get much worse." He said bluntly. Thor sent a dark expression his way and Clint threw his hands up in surrender. "Just stating a fact."
The female agent cleared her throat, "We should act as soon as possible." Thor's gaze lingered on the Archer for a moment, before giving a nod of assent toward the female agent and the Captain. "Very well, if you can bring my brother to his senses we will speak with him."
They all exited to the hallway, only leaving Mjolnir in the room, and awkwardly waited to file into the next room. Steve watched Thor with concern as he waited, looking slightly agitated, as Agent Kelly entered the passcode for the room. "Thor, are you alright?"
Thor answered distracted, pushing forward closer to the door as the lock clicked. "I am healing well Captain." Steve made a mental note to question Thor later, ask about why he dented the table… Agent Kelly opened the door and they all followed her in. Thor took station next to his brother's head immediately. Steve calmly walked over to stand next to Thor at the trickster's feet. Clint, Natasha, and Agent Kelly stood on Loki's other side.
Agent Kelly pulled back the sheet and started examine Loki's right arm. Steve watched as Loki twitched in his sleep. It was so strange, seeing the super villain in a hospital gown. When his eyes had been open earlier and he had hardly moved, but now that he was as asleep his muscles looked like they wanted to jump from beneath his dead looking gray skin. "Why aren't his veins black anymore?"
Agent Kelly continued cautiously prodding at the arm. "The toxin spread to the rest of the body. It was so concentrated to his right arm, if he lives through this there might be permanent damage."
Thor shook head, "If you can find a way to release this plague from him, I believe his body will heal itself given enough time. " The Agent glanced up at him saying nothing. She pulled out the syringe from her belt again; she circled around to Loki's left arm causing Thor to move back slightly and held the syringe at the ready.
She alternated her eyes around the group, "We don't know how long this will last, and anything else we've given him has worn off almost immediately. The ingredients here are super concentrated for the desired effect." She looked at Steve. "You might have ten minutes."
Steve nodded "Go ahead." Agent Kelly slid the nettle into the god's upper left arm.
Loki blinked trying to focus his eyes. He couldn't think. Everything hurt. His limbs didn't seem to want to respond to him when he tried to move, so he focused on the dark shapes around him. He grunted as something dug into his side.
"This one's still alive."
The beings slowly came to focus in his vision; a Chitauri looked down at him. A golden armored Aesir was standing in the shadows nearby with his back to him, a gleam of gold giving him away. The Aesir warrior turned and walked toward him coming into the bleak light of the rocky scape around them. The Aesir's face soon became recognizable in the light. Loki looked in confusion, he was staring at himself.
The other Loki looked down at him in disgust. His own smooth voice was cold as it came from the other Loki. "Dispose of it how you will."
That's not me… The Chitauri's claws latched onto his wrist. Unable to move, Loki recoiled in revulsion as he realized his skin was that of a frost giant's. This isn't me… The Chitauri started roughly dragging him away as if he was a dead carcass. Rocks dug into his various wounds as he was dragged. His vision occasionally failed him they continued. He was eventually deposited on a stone slab. His vision blurred for a moment as he once again attempted to regain his sight.
Finally the object in front of him finally came into focus. Had he been able to move, he would have thrown himself backward. The clouded eyes of Thor's corpse were staring at him just feet away. No… Loki's mind tried to work. This didn't happen. Beyond his once brother's body the area was filled with the slabs of stone all filled with other corpses. Loki recognized several Avengers in the throng. Six Chitauri encircled the corpse of the Hulk. The body of the Archer lay farther away, his face contorted in rage even in death. Another Chitauri suddenly stepped in front of his line of sight, sharp instruments in each claw. The normally emotionless mask that was Loki's face betrayed him, he felt his eyes widen and the creature chittered out the equivalent to a laugh. The creature's garbled voice reached his ears as the instrument crept closer to his arm. "Your turn."
His pain became more defined as the sharp instrument met his skin. His mind was slowly coming back to him. He fought to make his limbs respond to him. Sharp laughter filled his mind. The mad titan's voice reached him, "There will be no rest for you."
Agent Kelly removed the nettle. Steve looked watched Loki's face contort slightly, "How long until he wakes up?"
The Agent answered, "I'm not-" Loki's body started thrashing. Thor quickly lunged forward to hold the trickster down, shoving Agent Kelly to the side; his hands came down like iron on Loki's shoulders. Steve threw his weight down on the trickster's kicking legs. Natasha and Clint had both jumped back drawing weapons.
"Loki? Loki!" Thor bellowed shaking his brother's shoulders. Loki continued thrashing, but his eyes flew open. They showed panic as they darted around the room but seemed to see nothing. Thor yelled toward the Agent. "What have you done?"
Had to put something creepy in chapter thirteen. Review! Is it good? Is is bad? Do tell. Remember I read every review. What happens depends on your reactions.