Author's Note: Hello again! So I got a new computer. Yay! Sadly my mother only allows me 2 hrs a day on it. Bummer. I know right? Oh well.
WARNING: THE BOLDED PART OF THE REST OF THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE MEANS SLIGHT CHAPTER SPOILER! DON'T WANT TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME? DON'T READ!
So there's a dream sequence in here. More like a nightmare. It's itallicized for you so if you queasy people out there don't like mentions of lots and lots blood and death then and other horror film like things DO NOT READ!
ENJOY!
Thor took a deep breath of fresh Mexican air and let out a sigh. Everything was so quiet here. Peaceful. He was glad that Heimdal had opened the Bifrost in this particular location. It was just what he needed after Asgard. He sighed again, not wanting to leave, but, also wanting to see Jane more. He swung his hammer around by the strap and took flight.
After half an hour of travel, he landed in the town. As soon as they saw him, the people greeted him cheerfully. Some of the children came over to tough his cape.
The children...
He shook his head. He didn't know what would happen if he brought Loki here. If he saw these small mortals. They would most likely remind him of the ones he believed he killed. He couldn't see them yet. Not yet.
Thor forced himself out of his darker thoughts when he saw Dr. Selvig approach him. "Well hello Thor. It's been a while hasn't it?" he said. The god nodded. "It has been a while since we have seen each other. Things have been quite busy on Asgard." he admitted. Selvig nodded. "What brings you back to Earth Thor. No wait...you guys call it Midgard right?" he said. Thor nodded. The doctor seemed different, more unfocused than usual.
"I am here to visit Lady Jane." the god said. Selvig sighed. "I'm afraid Jane's away on a business trip. But, I'm sure she'll be back soon. She told me a couple more days." Thor nodded. "Then I will wait for her return." he declared. Selvig smiled. "Come on. Let's have a drink to get you settled in." the man beamed. Thor nodded. "I tink I could use one right about now."
Loki tried to roll over, but, his legs caught on the chains that bound them. He began to panic, seeing that his hands were also bound. He began to pull at the restraints harshly, trying to break free.
He felt something wet and cold touch his leg and looked down. The piece of partially rotted pink and black flesh wriggled toward him again as he tried to nudge it away with his thigh. As he looked closer he saw it looked like a... tongue.
A dry rasping sound over to his right drew his attention away, only for another horror to greet him.
The girl couldn't be any older than five years old, clothed in tattered rags that had once been fine quality silk. Vanaheim silk.
Loki looked at the girls face, unable to to move. He stared at the blood pouring from her mouth down the front of her body, blackened from rot. She reached for him and he began to cry.
"You see what you have done, Trickster?" the Other's voice rang out loud and clear across the cavernous dungeon. Loki shook his head. "No...I didn't." he sobbed. He could see the girl moving toward him now, her flesh rotting away with every step. More dead children joined her.
"Make it stop! Please! Please make it stop." Loki begged. All around him, he could hear the Other laughing at his distress.
Loki pulled at his chains, desperate to get away, but, the chains were too strong; he too weak. He jerked as he felt something cold and wet drop onto his cheek. He ignored it, focusing all of his strength on using his weakened magic to free himself.
The drops kept coming, however, some of the liquid getting in his eyes. For a moment all he saw was red, before his eyes teared up from the burning and tears cleared his eyes. He caught a glimpse of the liquid on his clothes. Wet and sticky. Red. He cried out as the torrent suddenly came faster, drenching him.
The children were upon him now, clawing at his skin and hair.
"Why did you do this to us Loki?" they asked in unison. Loki cried openly as they tore him apart, piece by piece. He tried to draw his knees up to his chest, but, the chains were too short. He began to scream as dead flesh dropped onto his own living flesh, sticking to him with ease with the help of the blood.
He could feel his skin tearing, melting away painfully as the children clawed at it. The blood suddenly became unbearably hot.
'I deserve this.' he thought.
He sagged against the bars against his back, letting the darkness claim him. Letting Death have her way.
He groaned when he felt someone began pushing at his shoulder insistantly, probably trying to get at his throat to tear it out. He sighed, lifting his head.
He could do nothing as he watched his own intestines ripped from his body and thrown across the room. Strangely, he didn't even really feel it.
"Loki wake the hell up! It's just a nightmare. It's not real!" Tony's voice called out to him distantly. Loki slowly opened his eyes and saw that his chains were disappearing, being replaced by his bedsheets, that were now cutting into his skin. He forced his eyes to open again, focusing on the voice above him.
"You ok?" Tony asked. Loki took a shallow breath. He closed his eyes again. "I think we should get you off the floor now. That can't be comfortable can it?" the inventor observed. He grabbed the pendant off the floor where it had been ripped from the god's neck. He touched it to Loki's skin before trying to touch him. Loki stiffened.
"Do not touch me mortal." he growled. Tony backed away. "Ok, calm down. No one's going to take advantage of you. This isn't prison. You didn't drop the soap." Loki bit his tongue to keep from casting a curse on the man that would probably be fatal since he didn't have much control of his magic at the moment.
Loki gathered all of his remaining strength and pushed himself to his knees before pulling himself back onto the bed. He winced at the blossoming pain in his hip from thrashing around on the floor for so long.
"You sure you're ok Loki?" Tony asked. He looked at the god worriedly as he curled into a ball. He bit his lip as Loki began shaking, choked sobs tearing themselves from his throat. Tony sat down on the edge of the bed, fingering the pendant. He placed it into Loki's hand. "Can I touch you?" Tony asked. Loki gave a slight nod and Tony smiled, dragging his fingertips over Loki's bare back.
It's ok Loki. It was just a bad dream. Everyone has them at least once in their life." Loki began to cry harder and Tony sighed. "I'm going to get Frigga. Maybe she'll be able to make you feel better. Stay here, alright." the inventor ordered.
"No." Loki said in a shaky, muffled voice. Tony stopped. "You want me to stay?" he asked. Loki took a deep breath before he gave a nod.
"Yes. Please don't leave me. Not now. Not ever."
