Notes:

I just wanted to let you guys know that this chapter has A LOT of references towards "Chapter 11: Home is…"
Remember the underground docking Loki used to offer Steve an escape?
Remember the old spaceship that could have brought Steve home, but Steve decided to stay?
Remember the Deity lurking in the waters only to crawl onto land and trying to attack Steve and Loki had to save him?
Remember all of that? Awesome! Then you're good to go! If not... well, maybe it would be wise to just quickly scan through that chapter before reading this one... of course you don't have to! It's all up to you!

Anyway, I truly hope you will enjoy this chapter.
Lots of love~

A body without movement was locked inside a golden birdcage. The floor and metal stained in red, blood dripping from hands and wrists. Lean fingers were still intertwined with golden bars, blue skin underneath bloodied fingernails. Pale and chapped lips slightly parted and an eye – one glazed, ruby red eye – staring without life.

'…No,' Steve whispered under his breath upon seeing the unresponsive body, slumped in its cage. He froze, blood running cold as it felt like his heart stopped beating. '…Loki.'

It took him mere seconds to dash into the room, his fingers instantly wrapped around the golden bars. He bared his teeth, shaking the birdcage with all his strength. 'Loki!' He let his fingers intertwine with those of the god, a violent shiver rampaging through his body.

The raven was cold as Death.

Steve panted heavily, barely able to keep himself calm. He yanked at the small door and tried to open it, anger embedded deep within every strained muscle. It was in vain, a lock glistening in dim light, its rattling echoing through the chamber.

He took a step back and took a firm hold on his shield, bashing the edge into the lock until it shattered. He threw the weapon down as Loki fell forward, straight into his arms.

'It's okay. It's okay now, Loki. I'm here. I've got you,' desperation shimmered through his words as he held the trickster close against his body, on hand pressed against the back of the raven's head as the other wrapped tightly around his waist. 'I-I'm sorry I took so long. Please, just… please,' he begged as he carefully placed the trickster on the cold floor. He let his fingers hover just above the raven's wrists, wanting to check his vitals, only to freeze at the amount of blood seeping from the wounds.

He started to panic, his fingers running through tousled raven-black hair. 'Loki, come on, look at me. Look at me.' He cautiously placed his hands on the god's cheeks as he barely dared to touch him, afraid to cause more harm. 'No,' he whispered softly as tears formed in his eyes. 'No, no, no. You can't do this to me, Loki. Come on!'

It was only now that the captain got a good look at the trickster. His skin was a pale shade of blue, dark and delicate lines adorning his face. His eye was red and dull, staring at the ceiling like a broken doll.

'Loki, please,' Steve whispered as he quickly placed his index and middle finger on the god's neck, searching for a pulse.

Nothing.

No, this could not be. Loki could not be dead. Steve refused to accept it. He held his ear just above the raven's parted lips, hoping to hear his breath as his eyes were completely focused on his chest, searching for any movement.

Still nothing.

Steve immediately tore the raven's clothes from his upper body, examining his chest for any major wounds before starting chest compression. 'Come on, come on, come on,' he chanted with every push onto the trickster's sternum.

He quickly pressed his lips against those of the other, tight and desperate as he breathed air into his lungs. 'I'm not leaving you here, Loki.' It was a desolate oath, a form of reassurance to himself. 'I'm not going home alone. I'm not leaving you behind, so you better-!'

A voice started to whisper silent sentences in the back of his mind. It breathed words of blame, of utter failure. It told him how he was never able to save the ones he loved. How he had failed to protect Bucky and lost him to the icy depths of the Danube River and now, the great Captain America, loved and idolized by so many, failed yet again as Loki's lifeless body rested at his feet.

Steve fought to keep his tears at bay, to keep the voices of his past from taking control as he continued to perform chest compressions. His heart beat painfully in his chest, his body trembling with each ragged breath. He could still hear Bucky's voice, screaming as he fell. His expression, a mixture of distress and defeat, still haunted him at night. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus on his bloodstained hands.

Minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow, as the blond artificially pumping blood through the god's heart. He soon realized he had to do something, he had to get the trickster out of this dark and rotting cell and search for help.

But where would he go?

He could not leave Loki long enough to run back to Thor and ask for his help. Neither could he ask the guards, for he truly doubted whether they would listen to a mere Midgardian's plea. And even if they would, even if someone from this damned Realm would help them, Steve wondered if he would ever be granted to see the trickster again afterwards.

He looked at the god's wrists and gulped as he remembered Thor's story. What if Loki had tried to take his own life? What if he had planned on closing his eyes, never to open them again? Thor would never let Loki from his side if he were to find out…

Steve cursed, wanting to scream at himself. Scream at how useless he was, how he had managed to lose yet another person he had come to love. He clenched his teeth till his jaw hurt and forced himself to ignore the lingering voices in his mind. He had to come up with a plan on his own. He could not rely on anyone else.

At least, not from this Realm.

The captain's bright blue eyes widened in realization. If he could not find anyone in here to help him, then maybe he should look somewhere else. He knew that on a different planet, a different Realm, friends were waiting for him to come home. Surely Bruce would help tend to Loki's wounds, and maybe Tony would be so kind as to let the god rest in Stark Tower.

The blond quickly shredded two large pieces from his cloak and wrapped them around the trickster's wrist as fast as he could. He cautiously lifted Loki on his back, making sure to move him as little as possible. 'You can't die on me, Loki.' He tried to speak with a steady voice as he wiped a tear from his cheek. 'Just… hang in there a little longer, okay?'

He grabbed his shield and started running. He climbed up and down countless stairs, dashing through seemingly endless halls, passing by grand chambers and splendorous passages. His filthy boots tapped hard against the floor, staining the shiny marble with blood and sludge.

The mortal cared not, the divinity of this palace only fueling his rage.

Steve let out an agitated growl as he spotted two guards standing watch further down his path. The two Asgardians instinctively raised their spears and shields as they saw the bewildered mortal storming towards them like a rabid dog.

'Hey! Slow down!' One of them shouted as the captain showed no sign of stopping. 'I said slow down!'

The blond cursed under his breath, knowing the two would never let him pass. He made sure to hold Loki tightly against his back, feeling his blood soaking his shirt. He jumped up and kicked one of the guards with all his strength, crashing him into the other.

The two Asgardians were only down for a couple of seconds, dazed in shock and pain. They quickly scrambled to their feet, pursuing their attacker. 'Isn't that…?' one mumbled to the other as his eye got caught by the god of lies resting on the mortal's back.

'Are they planning to escape,' the other guard grumbled and grabbed a horn strapped to his thigh. He took a deep breath and sounded the alarm.

The horn's call, deep and powerful, echoed through the entire palace. Steve panted heavily, fearing what was to come. His stomach turned, every nerve on edge as an ominous silence followed.

It did not take long before soldiers came storming from every corner, their shields raised, their spears and armor rattling like a thunderstorm.

'Ready the archers!'

A voice bellowed through the halls. The captain looked through passing windows as he kept running, noticing an entire platoon of bowmen gathering in the courtyard.

'Man the walls!'

Steve barely managed to dodge a spear which would have pierced his skull would it have found its mark.

'Close the gates!'

The command was followed by the sound of heavy portcullises falling shut outside, turning the palace into un unescapable fortress.

Steve just told himself to keep moving, to keep running as fast as his legs could carry the two of them. He took sharp turns, choosing paths which would lead him to the long forgotten dockings. It was clear that the guards were not calculating for the captain to choose such isolated and ancient routes.

The blond's heart was beating loudly in his chest, his blood rushing through his veins. He turned around just in time to see a wave of spears falling down on him. He crouched, knees scraping the floor as he raised his shield to cover the silent god resting on his back as best as he could.

Spears came down like rain, colliding with the mortal's Vibranium shield. Each single weapon came crashing in with a heavy blow, making it almost impossible for the blond to keep protecting the one he held so dear.

He quickly jumped to his feet again as the guards came closing in, feeling Loki slowly slip from his back. 'Shit,' Steve nearly crushed into a wall and stumbled on his feet to find his balance again. 'I'm so sorry,' he managed to wheeze as he was nearly out of breath, tears stinging in the corners of his eyes as he heard no response.

His fingers dug deeper into Loki's legs as he tried his best to support him. He just had to keep running. He just had to get them to the dockings where an ancient spaceship would take them to Earth. Everything will be okay once he had escaped this Realm. Loki will be fine once they would be reunited with his new friends.

At least, that is what Steve kept telling himself, refusing to believe he was carrying a corpse.

A smile nearly formed on the blond's face as he noticed he was getting closer. Soon the tight and damp passages would lead him towards the enchanted wall which Loki once guided him through. Soon he would be able to go home.

'We've got him now,' One of the guards grumbled as he saw the blond stumble upon a seemingly dead end. 'Lower your weapon, mortal!'

Steve turned around and stared at the wall of soldiers blocking his path, pupils constricted with ferocity and rage.

'You have nowhere to run to, Steven of Midgard.'

The captain's eyes widened as an all too familiar voice moved towards him.

'I suggest you release my brother right this instance,' Thor moved through his army and stepped forward. His soldiers moved like chest pieces, every step precise and in union as they cleared a path for the Allfather.

Thor's eyes were lit with wrath, with betrayal. His hand clasped tightly around Mjölnir, his body wrapped in shining armor, a flaring red cape draped from his shoulders.

'I can't, Thor,' Steve spoke determinately, gasping for breath. 'I can't let you lock him in this palace any longer. I can't let you hurt him. Both for his sake… and your own.'

'You know I have no other choice!' Desperation and uncertainty were almost to be found in the god's voice if not for his anger. 'He would not listen to me! He never will!' Thor gulped and bared his teeth. 'Now, you will unhand my brother, and I will see to it that Death will take your soul without endless suffering.' He raised his hammer, 'Consider this mercy for your service during the war.'

The captain merely shook his head, 'I can't. You would kill Loki.'

'Kill L-?' Every muscle in the god's body tensed, thunder moving through the clouds with the sound of a thousand roaring lions. 'What kind of twisted mind game are you playing here, Midgardian?! You know what my brother means to me! You know I would never murder him!'

'You may already have.'

Steve's eyes were stinging with tears as the words parted his lips. Loki felt cold against his back and he only now realized he had yet to feel the raven's chest heave for breath.

A terrifying realization turned Steve's body into stone. The possibility of Loki's death was still something he simply could not accept.

Yet it was a possibility he found harder and harder to ignore.

Thor's eyes widened in horror and shock. 'You are lying,' he whispered and looked at his baby brother.

The dirty pieces of cloth strapped around Loki's wrists were soaked with blood. His face was pale and red eye dull.

'Loki,' Thor's hands began to shake. 'Tell this mortal he is deluded.'

No words came from the god of mischief as he rested in silence on the captain's back.

'Loki,' the Allfather's voice boomed through the narrow hall. 'Loki, you-' He gulped, nostrils flaring as he took deep breaths. 'You tell this piece of filth-!... Tell him you will be fine!' Thor waited for a few seconds. His entire body started to tremble, his face slowly showing the uncertainty and devastation that held his chest in a painful hold. He then shouted with all his might; 'Tell him!'

Steve took a step back as another painful silence followed the god's outburst, tears rolling down his cheeks. He turned around and walked straight through the barrier which Loki had lifted using his Seiðr mere days ago.

He heard the guards gasping and murmuring in shock before Thor's heavy voice commanded them to follow.

The captain had to squint his eyes as the bright, pastel-colored crystals casted their light through the cave. The water shone brightly with blue and green hues, purple blood, now dried, still stained the floor from where Loki had fought with one of the deities of the sea.

He ripped the cover from the spaceship, its engine instantly starting at which the object began to hover. He opened the small door and cautiously placed the god in the one-person seat. 'We're almost out of here, Loki,' Steve panted, voice soft and wavering as he brushed a lock of raven hair from the trickster's face. 'Just… just hang in there a little longer, okay?' Tears blurred his vision as he pressed a gentle kiss against the god's temple. 'Just a little longer…'

Steve's chest heaved softly as he fought for control over his emotions. His eyes were stinging, his breath harsh and uneven.

It was the splashing sound of water that caused him to turn around.

There, staring straight at him, stood a man and a woman. Their bodies were nothing but skin and bone, their eyes gone, leaving empty sockets. Their clothes were soaked, only remnants of what used to be glorious garments remaining. They both wore a crown, the metal and ornamental gemstones unpolished and dull.

'I- I don't want to fight you!' Steve shouted desperately as he came to realize who the creatures were. 'I just want to go home...!'

Ægir and Rán, the god and goddess of the sea kept staring at him. Their bony hands were resting on the swords they carried on their hip, ready to charge.

'I am not an Æsir,' Steve continued to try and convince the two, his heart only pumping louder as nine deities crawled from the water and joined their mother and father.

They must have been called out here by the horn that was blown by the guard that had chased them. It was a sound of battle, a cry for war.

Steve remembered Loki explaining that the god and goddess disapproved of Asgard using their waters to gain advantage during warfare. They must have been here to defend their territory and stop the Allfather.

'I am not with Thor,' the blond tried, raising his hands in surrender. 'Please let me through! Please let me help him,' he took a step to the side at which the eleven deities could see the trickster god strapped inside the spaceship. 'He is a victim of Thor's cruel hands, he needs help!'

The King and Queen looked at each other, their nine daughters patiently waiting.

It was the sound of an army breaching through the enchanted wall that caused them all to turn around.

Thor stood at the front, his eyes clouded with grief and madness, his hammer raised to charge straight towards the captain.

Ægir and Rán looked at the mortal as they unsheathed their swords.

It had been a long time since Steve felt so scared and so absolutely helpless. He knew he could never defend himself with only his shield at his side. He could never defend Loki.

The blond gritted his teeth, his shield strapped tightly around his arm as he decided he would fight till his very last breath.

He did not know if it was possible for the zombified deities to cast him a warm and comforting smile, yet Steve could swear he saw a glimpse of the gesture just before Ægir and Rán turned around and charged towards Thor and his army, followed by their loyal daughters.

Steve stared in complete awe as the gods' weapons clashed, battle cries and horrifying screeching filling the cave. A spear landed just before his feet, crushing the stone floor. The captain quickly turned around and ran for the spaceship.

He tumbled to the floor as another spear pierced his leg. It penetrated his skin, moving straight through his calf.

Steve gritted his teeth, forcing down a loud cry as he pulled the weapon from his leg with brutal strength. Blood splattered from the gaping wound and across the floor as he threw the spear into the water.

He tried to stand on his feet, but the damaged muscles caused him to fall again. He crawled towards the spaceship, dust entering his lungs, small gravels cutting his skin. He heaved himself into the device with a restrained growl, making sure to throw in his shield first.

The blond panted heavily as the door closed behind him. He rested his weary body against that of the raven, the vessel humming softly as the auto-pilot took over.

He looked outside one last time, watching as Thor came charging towards them like a wild boar, his hammer raised and charged with lightning.

Steve's eyes fell shut as the god of the sea blocked the Allfather's path. He let his body rest, his mind slipping into peaceful nothingness as the spacecraft plunged into the water, taking them home.

Notes:

All I can say is... I haven't warned in the beginning for any "Mayor Character Death" ... so let that be a form of reassurance to you ^^
Again, lots of love and hope to see you again in about a week or so!