"Why are you still so weak of mind Jay after all I have taught you?" Loki criticised harshly as he pulled Jay by his civilian clothing.
The only part of Jay he hadn't focused on was his mind because he had been so all consumed with training his body to withstand most gruelling training and punishment, his body had just simply learned to adjust to the pain often inflicted upon it. His mind however had been tested on more than one occasion, including being controlled by the mind stone which was still residing within Loki's sceptre but other than the events that happened in the cabin his mind had barely been touched since.
Jay's pov
"Fuck of Loki...don't you dare...don't you fucking dare pin this on me...this was not my fault." I pulled against Loki in defiance, he had my tunic in both fists in what looked like concern but also anger, I can't believe he was blaming me and not Clouse.
"He killed them for no reason...no reason!" I shouted with a tinge of sadness.
"There is always a reason...you gave him a reason...your very existence and that of your brothers. Clouse held you accountable for what happened." Loki raised his hands in a vain attempt to be neutral.
"It pains me to say this but…Cole was telling the truth….it was because of him that I sought out to follow you and, your actions which led up to this event were dare I say it…..simply reckless! In simple terms you put yourself in clear and apparent danger and for what?"
"For what? Are you kidding? I didn't put myself in danger and I'm not reckless plus I don't appreciate the tone you're using or Cole's earlier…I'm not a child Loki…..fuck off."
"I did it for my parents." I stated.
"I could feel it, I could sense his loss was just as great as yours is now." Loki replied without emotion.
"His loss! Don't make me laugh...he didn't lose anything you moron, he was evil and he deserved everything he got...you sensed his loss...give me a break!"
I was appalled by Loki's lack of sympathy but then what was I expecting really? So he chose to tell me he could feel Clouse's loss at the hands of me and my brothers, well Lloyd actually for the sake of blaming someone...I should say that we took on the responsibility as a group...as a whole...we were in it together.
"Do you not truly see the gravity of your crimes as a singularity...or as a team?" Loki scolded with an eyebrow raised questioningly, he was struggling to see how I was being so blind to my alleged past crimes at being part of the vigilante problem that my realm has gotten used to…..'yeah right douchebag what crimes are these exactly?'
"Are you truly blinded by hate and revenge that you failed to see him as a person? even after the sheer loss he suffered."
I looked incredulously at Loki who was attempting to get me to see the horrid turn of events from that of the guilty person and from that of the killer. I guess I didn't expect anything out of the ordinary from him of all people he was evil after all and yet he seemed to sympathise with those closest to him in evil stature rather than seeing my loss. Yet a tiny niggling part of me which had been altered by Loki was willing to accept the reason freely and this small insignificant part made me listen to his reasoning….'I so wish I could just switch off to him and his acidic words…maybe he is right, maybe I am weak of mind.'
I kind of knew it to be true but it didn't stop the pain and torment of losing my parents so brutally….no what are you saying Jay….'I'm not guilty of anything except helping people right?'
Being helpless to stop Clouse from committing the act was just as bad as doing it myself, I should have been able to stop him, to stop Clouse. But no I am not going to give in to Loki's accusations, Clouse was evil dammit.
"He was evil...deal with it." I spat in frustration at the accusing tone issuing from his mouth.
"And, what of you? are you not evil too, even now?" Loki questioned.
"N-no I-I'm not...my slate is clean." I looked shocked and betrayed at him, at the man in front of me….he was blaming me, 'what is your problem Loki?'
"Yes you are Jay, you have killed so many people since your agreement with me, your slate is dripping with red...it's gushing, with the blood of all those you have slain in battle...the civilisations of all the realms you have helped me to take over...all those lives you ended with my sceptre or with your own powers...all the pain, misery and death follows you as it does me."
'What? No"…I was hurt and shocked by his words they cut like a knife.
"I did it f-for you...and you gave me no choice...I had to do it."
I looked down at my hands wanting to wipe the smirk of his face, was he trying to anger me on purpose?
I looked down at my hands to see nothing, I was expecting crackles of electricity and lightning to silence his accusations and venomous drivel but all I had was barely static...something was wrong…very wrong.
Loki smiled with an evil grin plastered on his face "You always have a choice...you could have said no during any part of this journey even in the beginning...I could show you an alternate universe where you chose the other path….in fact every choice you ever made with me." Loki cackled and his laugh sent shivers down my spine.
Not this again, mind control to teach me a lesson on how to strengthen my mind so mind control again…"Maybe all this mind control has made my mind weaker you asshole." I whispered and he heard me because right at that moment he looked me in the eyes with a crooked smile etched on his pale features which was akin to a smirk but laced with a plan most evil…no doubt.
All I want to do is grieve and I can't even do that now…all I want to do is rest and spend some time with Kai and maybe Nya…but no typical Loki again.
"Well after you so eloquently put it, my mind control has not made you weaker in mind, but this will be my treat Jay." Loki paused thinking of an idea.
"Because you are so unenthusiastic about this whole concept of being under my direction…I have come up with an idea." His face contorted into a wide Cheshire cat grin before revealing his idea to my unsuspecting brain.
"Well, let's just say it might serve to make you more grateful of what you have and also STOP YOU FROM DEFYING ME ALL THE DAMN TIME." Loki sneered and pulled me at a punishing pace towards the royal Asgardian palace.
I didn't like the sound of this at all, he made no reference to what he was about to do, no, he was keeping that to himself and that was what made me unsure about being back here. In this realm he could get away with anything because he was still the king even as a disguise he could still be cruel…to me. Loki had a firm grip on my hood and I was being pulled like I was his teenage son who had just stolen his damned car…the Einherjar warriors seemed to smirk at it….because to them it looked like Odin.
'I don't see what is remotely funny about this situation….that's bullying behaviour ya know and yeah I'll hunt you down and find you both, don't think I won't.'
I heard them laugh as I was led past the two guards stationed at the middle of the rainbow bridge…I made sure to note their faces so I could confront them later about this…just who do they think they are?
"This will help to make you stronger in mind Jay, to finally accept what you have been given and what I expect of you in the long run." Loki stated, he wasn't even out of breath.
"Why aren't we using the horses for the god's sake…my legs are killing me."
"Quit whining Jay, we are almost there…" Loki hissed.
I let out a long overdue and overly annoyed sigh…the type of sigh that you give someone when you are completely bored or emotionally drained….it worked Loki rolled his eyes, his grasp was beginning to hurt my neck until I unzipped my hoodie and watched as Loki pulled it clean of my back. Now I would have found that hysterical and I admit I laughed a little as Loki stopped abruptly with his arms by his side when he realised he wasn't pulling me anymore. His face was like thunder, so unforgiving and not an ounce of humour…just an odd look of concern aimed at me.
"I'm worried about you and I believe this will help, besides what choice have you got?" Loki walked back up to my side and grabbed my wrist before grabbing me again and pulling me at his side.
Well that's just great I really don't like the sound of this one bit but I really need to get out of here and back to Ninjago. The time travels so slowly here even mere hours are days and any more than two days will be a bad thing…I can't miss the wedding or the bachelor party Kai will kill me for sure.
Loki's mind was made up he would show Jay what would have happened thus giving him the choice to live either life. But this would need to take place later once Jay was suitably relaxed or unconscious which ever came first.
'But first…how to get him angrier...I need him to snap so he can open his mind to me, maybe the guards can anger him enough' Loki thought and smirked.
"You had a choice Jay...I gave you plenty."
"Ah ha...yup but each time I did you punished me or if I recall correctly, I would have bled to death initially!" Jay sighed in defeat before admitting the overarching truth.
"I-I am evil I guess, we all are in a way...We let it consume us, revenge for Sensei Garmadon revenge for Zane...heck even revenge for Cole becoming a temporary ghost by Sensei Yang and Nadakhan."
"Clouse served his master as you do with me, but you and your team killed him and his master leaving him as a ghost floating for all eternity with unfinished business." he stated coldly "The reason his ghost didn't return when I killed him was purely due to the fact that his unfinished business was finished when he tortured you in mind."
"In mind!...uh what are you saying none of it was true…imaginary? preposterous!…because it looked pretty real to me." Jay sniffed and hung his head solemnly.
"I did not go into the homestead I figured you did considering the duration of your stay...of course, it could have all been an elaborate hoax of which an extraordinary master of dark arts lost his life in by misjudging his formidable opponent." Loki smiled at Jay, but Jay wasn't believing of him, he wanted to go back to see for himself because he believed them to be dead.
"Formidable opponent….you mean yourself?"
"Of course I mean myself," Loki taunted, "You were weak of mind Jay I have already told you of this…yet, had you taken my advice and the potions the pregnancy wouldn't have affected you so."
Jay rolled his eyes, "I was setup Loki, and how exactly would I explain all those potions to Cole and my brothers? You expected me to take an entire case full…it looked like a frickin pharmacy." Jay laughed in sarcasm.
"For your own good" Loki shouted, "But you, are obviously so stubborn you chose against my better reasoning….at your own cost I should add…and now, I guess you are remorseful of your actions, alas contrition should come naturally."
"No I'm not remorseful at having you kill Clouse for me, not at all…but for not being there for my mum and dad when they needed me...that I am remorseful for."
"I've never felt remorse for any of our past enemies…why would I or we? We dealt with them as a team, it wasn't one sided ya know."
"All of your past enemies are not my concern Jay, you dealt with them all as a team whilst believing the course of action you took was the right one….just as vigilantes do." Loki smirked again and Jay grew frustrated.
"Sensei Yang, hmm yes, well after the events that Cole discussed with me recently indicated that he had indeed worked out his personal issues with this ethereal person and thus became a stronger individual for it." Loki turned his back on Jay and pulled him along the rainbow bridge at the same fast pace as before, one hand grasping Jay's arm.
"Judging by Cole's present physical appearance would mean that he succeeded in his endeavours?...he accepted it, eventually, and didn't dwell on it but saw it from his enemies' point of view."
Jay shuddered violently at the sheer memory of witnessing Cole turn into a ghost, the pain he suffered from the loss of his body and the pain Nadakhan inflicted when he wished to be human again...but Jay hadn't done anything in revenge he had merely tagged along with his team and joined in as the valued team member he had always been. Up until recently, when he began to go alone thinking himself invincible against all odds...he was, up to a certain point invincible; thanks to his unique dual elemental abilities. But the act of going alone had caused the problem, the act of revenge had tipped him over the edge into uncertainty and into madness the never ending downward spiral of despair.
"The loss you feel will pass I'm sure but you need to ask yourself why this happened." Loki said in an almost patronising tone of voice.
"This course of action could have been avoided...had you listened to me and taken my advice."
"Great, so what pearl of wisdom would that have been then...stay here in the realm eternal with you? take the potions Jay...do this Jay...do that Jay!"
"Well to be fair you have just answered your own question, I do not feel it necessary to provide you with the information you need considering you came to the conclusion yourself."
"So you are blaming me...just so I'm clear? unbelievable fucking typical omnipotent Loki, the only God who is perfect above all else...fuck you and your perfect self." Jay retorted sarcastically but meaning every word to be in jest.
"Please do not swear!" Loki said and added with a smirk, "But I thank you for your admission and sarcastic childish retort…I guess I do see myself as omnipotent hahaha." Loki laughed.
"Alas this unfortunate turn of events has shown a weakness in your psyche that we still need to address...a weak mind will never do Jay not for a warrior who has a rather eventful future yet to be paved out."
"And by unfortunate you mean because my parents were killed...cos ya know it's not like you can sympathise...you still have a father right? I mean other than the one you killed!"
"What are you insinuating Jay...please be mindful of where you are going with this." Loki's eyes narrowed, glinting with evil, he was taunting Jay and stoking the fire enraging him enough to snap when the time was right.
"You have Odin, you have Thor...you still have family, you even have a wife who loves you...and I-I have NOTHING...nothing...was that the idea all along?"
"Odin is not my father Jay, and Thor is not my brother." He sighed and looked away "Yes, Sigyn is my wife of course...it does not mean I love her though." Loki paused licking his teeth he didn't want to make Jay hate him considering how fragile his mind was at this current time.
"It was never my plan, my idea was never to make you feel all alone because all you will ever really need is me, and, in a way it just happened save for Nya of course...but that was a necessity to make you stronger...she was holding you back and if you didn't stop I would have employed Amora to despatch her as Odin did with Jane Foster."
"Wait!..what! Amora?" Jay recoiled as if he'd been bitten by a snake, an uneasy feeling came over him but then got side tracked by Loki's admission of it being necessary.
"Did you say it was a fucking necessity...yeah there's that shitty excuse you pathetic piece of scum...holding me back really?" Jay's scarred eyebrow was twitching.
"Loki we can't choose who our families are, we're just dealt with that hand and we have to learn to live with them and their quirks...why are you so stubborn to see that they love you."
"No, you're right Jay we can't choose...but I didn't have a choice in the matter I was taken against my will...it wasn't done for love."
"It was love...they love you Loki, they did it because you were an innocent child." Jay looked downwards and sighed, "but of course I have nothing now...no love, no family all because of you."
Jay wiped his wet face, gobsmacked at Loki's blindness to the love his family had given him over the years.
His eyebrows were bunched together as tears rolled down his face, Loki didn't understand at all what it meant to lose your family or to lose someone who loved you almost as much as you loved them.
"You-you've made me a loner so w-when you tire of me you'll cast me aside to wander the r-realms alone. And then when you're bored of your p-precious wife you'll come and fuck up my life again or rape me like you did with N-Nya...the only woman I ever loved." Joy openly sobbed, he was angry at himself for allowing Loki to see him cry…All Jay wanted was a reaction from the God something to show that his words did have meaning.
"SHUT UP JAY, just stop already...please before I do something I'll regret." Loki shouted with his fists clenched ready to lash out, he was getting tired of stopping and starting, all he wanted to do was sit and ponder about the events leading up to this disagreement he was having. He stopped walking and turned again to face Jay who had an angry smile on his face waiting for Loki to punch him in vindictive retaliation.
"Go on I fucking dare you to try it go on Loki fucking hit me…everything you touch has turned to shit...my life is a mess and it is all because of you. So why can't you just be grateful for what you have, why do you have to ruin my life...Odin loves you as a father would love a son even Thor loves you."
"You are wrong Jay, they do not love me because love is not important."
Jay slapped Loki hard across the face enraging the God "What is wrong with you Loki? snap out of it, Hel I can feel it even if you can't...ya know. And here was me thinking that the potion you gave me would destroy that part...guess what Loki it didn't." Jay cried, he was shaking nervously as the torrent of emotions flooded his sensitive system.
"When I died and before you gave me that antidote something happened when I killed that man...Sigyn told me what you did...but the strange thing was the fact that I could still feel love but I felt jealousy too and the two combined making me feel desire but it's a poisonous chalice Loki and it keeps me from loving her...I satisfy her needs and the needs of every woman I fuck and they with me but it feels wrong...incomplete and unnatural….you've turned me into a monster…like you."
"My parents, I guess I have a deep seated affection for the way they raised me and a different type of love, not a physical one...maternal almost."
Jay sobbed and a rogue tear ran down his face. "It hurts Loki, it hurts so much...I want to feel love's keen sting, I need to feel it again...I can't live like this...I can't live without it...meaningless sexual relationships can not and will not sustain me for all eternity Loki...I'm not a machine I'm a person with feelings and needs."
"Jay you are a machine, you are a weapon of great importance...you will be by my side when the nine realms are reborn, our child will recreate the future we want...free of all things that weaken us and weaken each individual race...the people will be free of freedom of life's great lie and I will rule them as the god and king I was meant to be."
"Fuck off Loki, don't be so stupid how do ya know that is even going to happen...Ragnarok is just a myth?"
"I know Jay because it has already happened in my lifetime and it had already started...you saw Yggdrasil for yourself...she is dying and as she does she will weaken releasing the great Midgardian serpent to destroy earth in coalition with Cole enveloping the planet with tremors and quakes, Jotunheim will be destroyed with help from Zane, Helheim will be destroyed by Kai and so on."
Loki smiled " And you will be taking on anyone who tries to usurp me from my rightful place on the throne of Asgard. All whilst I recreate a new and better Asgard for our child."
"That plan is insane, I'll die trying to take everyone on...besides I never agreed to that we were supposed to fight side by side...right?"
"Maybe you will die." Loki smirked with a loose shrug of his shoulders, his lack of concern made Jay take a step back. "Yes I did agree to that didn't I before I realised Ragnarok would be come a reality which set the wheels of action into creating another plan...you are still my protector...my sole protector so it will be your responsibility to make sure nothing happens to me...because if it does it will be done to you tenfold as is the binding contract we used in our initial spell...the one that turned you."
"Great, so whilst I fight all possible enemies you've accrued over these centuries; you're saying you'll be relaxing on the throne and watching me get bloodied up whilst simultaneously brain washing our child? yeah right, that is never going to happen Loki...never because I won't allow it...I would rather die." Jay hissed and pushed Loki away forcefully.
"You probably will with that attitude…but what does it matter? Ragnarok isn't just the dawn of the gods it's a rebirth too, and once the dust settles the gods will be reborn and I will take my rightful place with our child by my side."
"And what about me and my brothers? Ya know once we've taken on each realm on our own."
"You'll likely perish in battle…well some of your brothers may. Besides only the gods will be reborn so it will just be me and the child."
"Fuck!…so you set us up for this Ragnarok event knowing full well that we could die…NO…I'm not doing it…not anymore and neither will they."
"ENOUGH!" Loki snarled "You won't have a choice in this matter because you are not a god and you can not decide what is best for the child no more than a goat can."
"Well I could probably do a better job than you Loki..." Jay said as he punched Loki's hand away from his arm expecting to receive a blow back but nothing came.
Jay smirked an evil yet insane smile was etched on to his face. "Why won't you fight me Loki...what are you scared of?"
Loki looked to the side and into Jay's eyes as they walked towards the palace, "I am not particularly fond of hurting you in this state because you cannot fight back for some reason...whatever happened has affected you negatively."
"Ehehehe that's so funny 'this state' like it's a disability or some sort eheheh! …..BUT let me get this right, you don't mind beating the crap out of me normally because you secretly get off on hurting me…oh yeah I've seen it in your eyes before but don't worry your secret is safe with me…"
Jay's eyes sparkled with just as much evil as Loki's his words coming straight from his heart which he knew to be true, Loki was far too evil to care for anything, his quest for the throne blinded everything else from his visions.
"I don't want to fight you because you will lose." Loki snarled.
"I can fight back you know I can...I am more than capable of beating you because I've done it before."
"No Jay you can't you are too weak...you have no power against me." Loki quite possibly chose the wrong words because everything he said after was the wrong thing to say.
"I'm not weak Loki...I'm anything but weak and if I am it's because of you and how you treat me." He stood up straight with a determined look in his eyes ready to prove himself.
"Put me in that arena and I'll prove it to you, you think I'm weak? strange cos when I beat you in front of my brothers I was anything but weak...you weren't even standing when I had finished remember."
"I remember going easy on you...But no Jay, I will not do it to prove a point...why can't you just accept it? You are in no fit state to fight and you have no strength no elemental ability and no fight."
"If you don't allow me to prove it to you if you won't let me fight then I fight the guards or I'll go to earth and seek out these inhuman super soldiers who are still baying for my blood."
Loki cringed at Jay's words he knew that if he was pushed too far he would keep to his word and in his current state would end up dead or dissected by Hydra.
"Fine Jay, because you won't accept it from me you can have it your way but don't say I didn't warn you or give you fair choice...you are so very stubborn." Loki hissed at Jay before turning his back 'maybe if the guards subdue him before he goes to visit the healers then he won't be able to fight, then he can recover.'
Loki tried to think of a small but quick way of taking him down in his weakened state, 'it couldn't be anything too severe because he was still recovering...maybe a small tussle but Jay would need to be the one to start it so the guards would merely be defending themselves.'
"So when do we fight? I can take you on anytime Loki."
"You want a fight? you really want to fight me after I saved you today after I delivered the antidote to you...this is a new level of ungratefulness from you Jay...I am disappointed...but as you requested so petulantly we will fight and I'll give you an hour to prepare...but I will admit I won't make it easy for you." Loki smirked, he was flat out lying and he wasn't going to fight at all, he wasn't even going to turn up in the arena...neither was Jay but he didn't know that.
"I'll be there in an hour sure...but why the fuck did you bring me back here...why? answer me Loki dammit...don't I get a vacation...Hel I didn't even get Christmas off cos you kept me in the dungeons."
Loki dragged Jay down the rainbow bridge shoving him up against the bridge gate entrance to the palace…the shove was a little too harsh as all the wind was duly knocked out of Jay in the process.
Loki loosened his grip somewhat and seemed appalled and shocked at his own strength until he reasoned with himself. 'Clouse must have weakened him with the spell…of course dark magic requires light and life living strength. Jay was the only one with immortality and Clouse used it unknowingly but how to get it back into him without revealing my true self or over powering him?' Loki thought before answering Jay who was still waiting for an answer as to why he had been brought back.
"You're back here because you are unstable...you're falling apart." Loki huffed and looked directly into Jay's eyes wishing secretly that he would just accept it, this journey had been long enough without the bickering adding to its arduous duration.
"Is that all! b-because I'm ill…ya know I could have just stayed with my brothers in Ninjago…they were more than capable of looking after me."
"Stop testing me Jay or I swear on my father's grave you'll never see them again, you are not going back to your realm ever again if I can help it." Loki sneered at his protector seeing a look of complete and utter betrayal etched on his pale face coupled with an immense sadness at his words.
"WAIT, you're saying I can't go back….c-can't we work something out?"
"They poisoned you! for the Gods sake will you stop questioning me Jay." Loki said exasperated.
"You will rest here and recuperate with me until you are well at which point we will leave for Midgard….we will not be going back to err Ninjago because it is apparent that you need constant supervision."
"Fuck...off…I'm...not...a...child, give me two reasons then why I need to stay." Jay fumed.
"Two reasons why you were brought back here...hmmmm, one of which is that you need additional help from our healers as you refused to head my warning back in your own realm, choosing to disregard your brother's help...secondly I don't know what is wrong…but you are really testing my patience." Loki hissed, he was worried though normally he would need much more bodily strength to hold Jay back but he was showing no strength at all, he could barely push Loki away.
"What so I couldn't just stay in Ninjago, ya know like maybe bury my parents so their bodies don't rot away...no fuck you Loki you did this for personally selfish reasons."
"Don't be so quick to write them off Jay…it may have been a ploy to get you to give yourself freely." Loki smirked again further annoying Jay.
"So you wanna go again do ya is that why you bought me back? ...you want this body for yourself right...take advantage of me like everyone else does!"
Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise wondering where Jay's mind had wandered off too, did Loki really create that deep seated feeling of unease in his protector making Jay think that Loki had wanton desires and lust for Jay's male body…'no not at all…female of course now that was a different matter.'
Jay had foolishly promised and agreed to give himself freely when Loki requested, it was his payment for freeing Nya from his personal service. Loki bit his lip and felt the heat rising thankful that his dark clothes hid any blushes or other bodily twitches…his mind had wandered but he was quickly pulled back into reality as Jay's arms were thrashing about wildly he had a look of wild panic on his face, something wasn't right….something was missing and Loki could see it in Jay's face.
"Get of me...let me go Loki get off me." Jay spat in anger confused as to why his elements wouldn't work properly. 'what is wrong with me…I can't even get a spark going wh-what's happened to me?' Jay's face turned to stunned realisation…had Loki done this?
"You did this to take my body again didn't you? a ploy to get me away from them so you could turn me and fuck me!" Jay accused with a sudden gush of fury and vitriol in his tone.
"No Jay." Loki hissed avoiding Jay's flailing arms and fists "I didn't do this and don't want your body at this minute...what happened was a-a mistake..." he paused and bit his tongue….'Wrong choice of words.'
"A mistake...wow thanks Loki...a fucking mistake...so is this a mistake then too." Jay asked as he revealed his impossibly toned abs again expecting there to be something visible.
"Yes...obviously because I didn't expect that to happen." Loki bit his tongue before asking a delicate question. "How many months now?"
"Five...you asshole," Jay snarled back "A mistake...FUCK YOU LOKI."
Jay hissed "my mistake was accepting your fucking offer in the first place." He opened the gates and walked on through not looking back at Loki who was left standing there with a smile on his face
"You would have died, are you really that foolish?" Loki shouted in response, "you ungrateful miscreant."
Loki smiled as Jay walked away, he would bide his time and wait until the guards had subdued him before he played and manipulated his mind showing him the errors of his ways but he would need someone else to help….another person with the same level of magical talent capable of mind manipulation, altered time lines and power transference. He wouldn't be able to do it alone because he knew it would drain him and leave him vulnerable potentially revealing his true state as Loki of Asgard and not Odin.
Jay spat and walked away from his prince and back into the palace…the very place he had thought he was going to miss and he had but it felt like he'd never left yet now he was pining for his brothers and the fact he didn't even tell them where he was going meant they were now stranded, technically that wasn't a bad thing because they were safer away from him and Loki and his evil domineering plans.
Everything still looked the same but then it had only been two days since he'd left. Jay would have to be meticulous about his stay this time because in less than two Asgardian days he would be due to accompany Kai on his bachelor party as well as deliver a fitting speech after the wedding.
He couldn't stay here any longer than a day at most so he would need to make Loki understand his plans, but without divulging anything…as far as Jay knew Loki hadn't been invited and for good reason.
He was getting strange looks from the guards who didn't recognise him in his civilian clothing. Even when he stood outside his own room he had to look up at the guards who were standing outside keeping watch so they would recognise him.
"Why are you standing watch outside my door?"
"At the kings request...Prince Jayson."
"MOVE away or I'll knock you over." Jay said with his head cocked to the side waiting for them to respond.
"We don't want to hurt you my liege...but this is for your own protection and you are required to see the healers in the soul forge to assess your body straight away."
"It's just…just don't tell me what to do." Jay sighed and attempted to grab his door handle which was partially blocked by a guard who didn't move fast enough.
Jay pushed past the guards knocking into one of them on purpose, he slammed his door as hard as he could muster before walking to his large sumptuous bed and sinking into it. He yelled as loud as he could in anger and resentment at being bought back without any choice in the matter, everything had been left outside his parents junk yard which had all probably been stolen now.
He couldn't contact his brothers at all now everything was back in Ninjago, well everything from his room but a thought came to his mind maybe he could quickly check his brothers rooms two floors down.
"Shit I can't stay here….I need to get back." He whispered to himself.
Jay rushed to his large windows as quickly and quietly as he could without making too much noise he knew he wouldn't be able to leave because the guards were stationed everywhere. He looked down and saw the balconies below his own balcony sweeping down and away from his room, beautifully decorated balconies sweeping outwards like an gigantic ornate golden cathedral organ.
"Nope the drop is too steep." Jay sighed wiping the errant tear from his face.
Jay opened his door gently and spoke to the guards at his door, his request was simple and it would take no more than a few minutes.
"I am sorry for my earlier outburst…it was not my intention to cause any harm to you."
The guards looked up at him with genuine smiles glad to hear a pleasant voice after dealing with the disguised king and his negativity for so long.
"What would you like us to do our liege?"
"Well I guess you would have to accompany me as I can't go alone can I?" Jay smiled feeling uneasy at the new title they were using.
"Where to…we can't be gone for too long as the King will be sending guards to retrieve you soon."
"Retrieve me for what? Ah no it's fine let's just go…two floors down if that's okay?"
The Einherjar guards nodded and led the way down two flights of steps and down a long golden corridor similar to the ones above, Jay motioned to one of the doors and the guards unlocked it. It was swathed in green and golden accents…'Lloyds room' Jay thought a sad smile came to his face as he walked in looking desperately for a beacon of hope he could use to make any contact. He searched as quickly as he could in the drawers and tables, nightstands and wardrobes but he found nothing.
He shook his head and left that room, the guards were getting tetchy and watching the sun go down which indicated a few minutes was all Jay had left.
"Please you gotta help me…I need to find a small device no bigger than this." He said as he gave an example of how small the device was using his fingers and hand. "Please…"
The next room Jay walked in was almost jet black, the drapes pulled closed to preserve the immaculate condition of the room. Cole's musk could still be smelt in here coupled with the subtle smell of petrichor and earth. This room was the same as the last there was nothing here, everything had been taken out by Cole himself, the only things left behind reluctantly was the bedding which Cole had secretly loved.
One guard had managed to find a small device in Zane's room, but Jay noticed immediately that something was wrong with it. He thanked the guard sincerely and sighed when he was given the device 'a prototype maybe…' he thought as the guards led him back to his room quickly pulling him like a criminal.
He was let back in his room and the door was locked behind him securely, he walked across to his bed and slumped on it backwards. He looked at the device in his hand and inspected it carefully noting signs of damage and burns and singe marks signifying that something inside had burned.
He hurriedly opened the device with a simple click of either side of it popping open in his hands. "Ahh that's a problem, an electrode has blown and the circuit board needs new solder...dammit my elements won't work otherwise I coulda done it...shit." He turned around on his bed accepting his fate.
Did he even have the tools here…Zane didn't he'd taken them back to Ninjago, did Jay have the time to repair the device…the simple answer to that was no….he would have to leave tomorrow if Loki wanted him to or not because he had too much to do. He closed his eyes in defeat and let the bed swallow him whole, his tears free falling until he fell asleep.
A few minutes had passed before his door was opened abruptly by a large amount of Einherjar guards who marched to his bed and hauled him up with his hands restrained.
"Gahh…..get of me what is the meaning of this?" Jay struggled under their firm grasp, shocked by their unnecessary rough manhandling.
"You are ordered to attend the soul forge for assessment...an order from the King directly and you will comply with him unless you fancy the dungeons as your new sleeping quarters." An Einherjar warrior replied with a struggled grunt, he was struggling against Jay's wrist.
"Get off me, this is not how you handle people...I'm not a criminal gahh get off me" Jay got a hand free and punched an Eiherjar warrior sending him spiralling painfully towards the floor, but the remaining warriors piled on top of him delivering a few of their own punches which effectively subdued him enough so they could carry his body into the healing room and soul forge without any further trouble.
He was dragged part of the way until some females saw and appeared shocked at which point he was carried the remaining journey until they arrived near to the healing rooms and soul forge. He was then placed gently on to the table by the warriors who were quick to leave as soon as the healers appeared, two however stayed behind to keep watch as per the express instructions of the King of Asgard.
"His pregnancy progresses well but he is weakening and this is extremely detrimental to his body...has he even taken the medication we supplied?"
"I suggest not…" The assistant spoke and touched the swirling red mist above the sleeping prince, "The child takes any remaining strength he has…I'm surprised personally that he is still alive and also a little perplexed that he isn't showing any outward signs yet."
"Maybe the child of a God…it has been known to happen before…a demi god perhaps can stay undetected until the maternal carrier is ready to birth their offspring."
"But I've heard that can take years because of the bonding process…" the assistant questioned.
"Not always it can take mere months depending on the physical attributes and strength of the maternal component."
"His body shows no signs of any of the potions we suggested…save for trace elements of the Mistletoe draft and resulting antidote which has almost completed healed his body." The assistant added.
"That is excellent news the King will be pleased, he was dubious as to the antidote being successful considering how toxic the poison had been after all these centuries." The senior healer seemed relieved and smiled.
"I must say his body is unlike anything I've ever seen before…does his male race normally conceive children?" She queried her elder.
"No I don't think so…this was as a result of dark magic, he was transformed into a woman if you remember….but yet we don't know who did this to the prince…it is a terrible crime to do to someone so important and yet someone so who is so vulnerable and delicate…I fear that if he wasn't here he would be dead…who ever gave him his strength must care for him…unless it was the same who made him with child." The senior healer responded with concern before chastising the sleeping prince.
"He has not given himself enough time to recover from the matured mistletoe drafted poison and his mind had just suffered a tremendous loss. Hmm he has new injuries consistent of a recent fight...I'm sure the king requested he was free of injury when he arrived...Guards please can you elaborate?"
"He put up a fight and some of the guards subdued him, he went down very quickly actually so he's not his usual self and not the person we have known to train with...he's almost akin to an impostor."
"Yes well, he is not an impostor but he is unwell and his strength has diminished by a small act of dark magic…now I can heal him and his malaise quite easily by way of this." She said and tipped a vial of gold fluid into his mouth wiping at the resulting dribble which fell down his neck and settled at his bare collar bone.
"Maybe one of our sorcerers can help with replenishing his strength further after all the golden one will improve his mood somewhat and heal his injuries." The younger healer removed the vial from his soft pink lips before rubbing traces of it onto his bloodied head. She smiled when she heard him mumble throatily, she was being as gentle as she could by massaging the golden liquid onto a small wound near his already scarred eyebrow.
"Do we know how he came by this scar? he was lucky not to have lost his eye considering the scar it left." She was met with no response but continued to rub the golden liquid into his head wound and mouth.
"Please notify the king of my assessment, he will need to find a suitable sorcerer because without his strength he will die if the pregnancy doesn't claim him first."
Loki was duly disguised as Odin and was in the vicinity of the healing rooms waiting for any news as to Jay's apparent deterioration. The assistant came out to find him and brought him inside the room to the soul forge which Jay was laying under as a perfect liquid version of his body floated above, the healer was duly touching things to complete her findings.
Loki was annoyed at seeing new injuries marring Jay's face considering when he had left him his face and body was otherwise healthy except for his fragile mind which was shattered like a mirror. He was only expecting a swift knock to the head, but this looks like he was taken down by force.
"What happened to him? I expressly requested him to be unharmed because of his inability to protect himself, so why is he still bleeding?" Loki was lying he had expressly forbade his warriors to inflict too much harm a simple hit would have sufficed but this was more than that.
"That you will need to raise with your guards my liege, he was bought in like this...we have been trying to revive him for a while now."
"How long had he been un-responsive."
"Two hours at most..he is sleeping, his state suggests a long overdue deep sleep." Loki let out a large sigh, he licked his lips and let out an involuntary tut. The soldiers obviously needed more supervision and training as to what was expected of them.
"Fine thank you, please keep me updated of his progress and I will source a reputable sorcerer...how much time before he is beyond help?"
"No more than a few hours at most, his mind cannot live without his body and vice versa...sadly it is a mixture of many things all contributing to his demise just like Baldur my liege...he needed to recover but I assume he is just as stubborn as Thor is."
"Yes I believe you are right...but Baldur! what makes you say that?" Loki questioned.
"Just his appearance really, I'm surprised you haven't noticed my liege, he is almost a thinner version of him a doppelganger if you will."
Loki looked again at Jay in another light and another way different to how he would normally see him, he always saw Jay as someone underneath him, a lesser mortal until he was turned and even now a lesser person under a god, he was not a god and he would never be a god...not in Loki's eyes. He was his protector in his male form and Loki's concubine as his female form and the mother of his unborn child.
The power he had absorbed from Clouse could be the power he himself had taken from Jay during the spell, but how could Loki transfer it back to Jay without leaving Loki at risk of being seen for who he was? The act of power transference was risky to both Jay and Loki, if it was done incorrectly Loki would be exposed as himself and would then lack the relevant magic to disguise himself. Then Jay would possibly end up with all of Loki's magical abilities and the effects of which would cause him to go insane….the power alone would consume him.
Yet if Loki didn't do anything; Jay would undoubtedly die a rather painful death after the child was born but the child could at least be sustained in Asgard, the healers were capable of looking after magical children but not so much with other worldly creatures such as Jay.
But there was one other who could do it, someone whom he had taught years previously...a woman whose mind he had expanded exponentially, giving her the same power he had himself. She could do it and he could make her if he stayed disguised as Odin Allfather.
But there was the slight chance that she wouldn't do it knowingly for free there would need to be a bargaining chip and that was what troubled Loki. For all Loki desired he had…he wanted for nothing anymore because he had the throne, a protector, a child and a team all to himself.
Jay murmured fitfully in his sleep, he was stirring enough to know that Loki was in the room with him because he mumbled clearly.
"I-I need to go b-back...m-made a p-promise."
Loki smiled reassured by Jay's comforting voice, "I don't think you're in any fit state for interstellar travel Jay...whatever deal you made won't be so important as to be unmade besides I'm sure they will understand."
"NO, you don't understand I-I need to go back...I can't stay here for more than one day...please" Jay opened his eyes pleadingly at Loki, he didn't want to divulge why he needed to go back just that he did...that should have been enough for Loki but it obviously wasn't because he would undoubtedly find out...he always did.
"Unless you are planning on disobeying a direct order from your king I suggest you stay here...unless you would prefer a cell in the dungeon to recuperate in." Loki added with a smirk of pure evil, which to Jay meant he probably wasn't joking. He turned his back on his ill prince and motioned to the assistant healer to meet him outside.
"You will keep me duly notified of any changes in his health and I will attempt to find a suitable sorcerer who can rectify his ailing health."
"You can't keep me here! ...my liege, you promised me time off..." Jay shouted to his side where he could still hear Loki outside of the room.
"Please you need to let me go….I need to get back." He whispered to the senior healer who seemed to look at him in sympathy. "I can't stay here….I made a promise."
"My prince you need to lay down, you are not well..." the healer pleaded as she tried to hold him down but failed against him and his reluctance to get up. The assistant healer rushed back in and was quick to help soothe him with an ointment infused cloth which she applied over his nose and mouth until he stopped struggling and fell back to sleep….a smile reappeared on his calmed face removing all traces of grief.
Loki walked away into the great ceremonial room where the golden throne sat pride of place atop the golden sweeping steps. He smiled and walked up each step carefully enjoying the feeling it gave him...the power of being the king of the nine realms made him the most powerful person in the cosmos until the time when Odin would wake. Loki turned around and sat on the throne, the days were winding down he could feel it, the impending doom of his adoptive father waking from his Odin sleep...and the impending elation of Ragnarok which would soon follow and see all nine realms obliterated as the gods of old fought whilst Loki would sit and watch, his team of ninja would destroy each realm on their own and Jay would have the battle of his life against any and all who opposed Loki being the ruler.
He shook the exciting thoughts from his head because he had a task to focus on, he needed Jay to be at the peak of physical and mental fitness and other than Loki there was only one other who could do it. Loki looked to the sides of the throne where two black ravens were perched, he looked at both and spoke as if they could understand him clearly. He spoke with clear and precise emotionless tone at the ravens who seemed to listen intently as he communicated with them.
"Huginn and Munnin I need you to find Amora...tell her it is a matter of urgency, Odin requires her services." The black ravens flew away from the throne squawking as they left the golden room they flew straight out of the window and off into the impending sunset.