If Loki had had a body, he would have taken in a deep breath.
The guardians were done, they had done all they could for him. Setting up what he needed.
The giant forge master stood ready and Rocket was twirling around himself as if he was chasing his own tail. "HEY! Zeikon dude!" he shouted. "Mr Vanisishing act, we did our job! Gimme my payment."
"Not yet." Loki said as he suddenly appaeared and the Racoon screamed as he fell down on his back.
"DUDE!" Rocket shouted as he sat up. "We did our job."
"Partially." Loki said. "Come on you know what I am paying is worth much more." he sighed.
"Oh no I knew it!" Rocket grabbed his face with his small paws. "We've been had, we're still poor."
"You need to make a delivery to King Thor of Asgard." Loki said
"Wait, King?" Rocket asked. "YES! We're still rich!" he cheered.
Loki rolled his eyes. "The forge is cold, I am going to use myself as a conduit directing the suns energy into the forge." he said as he turned to the giant. "He will forge a new weapon. Able to penetrate a Titans skin. You will deliver this weapon to King Thor. Then you will be paid."
"Wait… Titan?" Quill looked up. "You want to… Kill a Titan?" he asked. "No don't tell me, you don't mean?"
Drax the blue alien looking up. "Are we killing Thanos?" he asked.
Gamora as well stood frozen.
Loki smirked grimly. "At least we are trying to. Before he collects all six infinity stones and kills half of all life in the universe."
There was stunned silence between the guardians, they looked at each other. Then at Loki.
"This must be fate!" Drax exclaimed. "Aiding in Thanos's defeat. Friend! I swear to you on my honour that this weapon will be delivered. You don't need to pay."
"WHAT?!" Rocket shouted. "Of course he needs to pay. Dude!"
Loki halted. "You want to kill Thanos?" he asked.
Seriously they all nodded.
"Oh." Loki blinked. "That's good, then when you arrive on earth. I am sure they would love to have your help."
"Earth?" Gamora asked. "Peter that's your home planet isn't it?" she asked.
Peter blinked. "Yes…" he breathed. "I havn't been there since I was a kid. Wow… Earth." he breathed then his face darkened. "Thanos is going to earth?" he asked.
Loki nodded seriously. "There are three infinity stones on earth right now. Thanos is coming for them."
Peter paled. "That's my home!" he exclaimed. "Guys!" he turned to them. "We have to help them! We.."
They were all silence, serious.
Then Gamora stepped forward. "Of course we will." she said. "We'll get there, as quick as possible."
Loki was stunned… He actually didn't need to trick these people at all. He could just have told the truth from the start and gotten the same result.
Wow that had to be a first.
Then Loki squared his shoulders as he stepped forward, just hoping this wouldn't tear his astral self to pieces. "I'll keep it open for as long as I can." he said. "But I don't know for how long I can… Please be quick."
The giant nodded. "I will work as fast as I can, but good work takes time. And what you require is my best work."
Loki nodded. "Yeah… It is." then he sighed as he let his visible self fade away so he could center his magic. He stepped between the forge and he opened up and then he felt it, the raw energy running straight through him, using him at the conduit and the forge lithe up.
Everything became a warm orange colour and the Guardians had to step back to shield themselves from the forge as the metal started to melt down, then become white as it boiled and bubbled.
"YES!" The master smith shouted as he grabbed the boiling put of metal so strong it could only be boiled by such power shouted. "THE FORGE LIVES AGAIN!" shouted.
Loki even though he didn't really have a mouth or lungs in this form was screaming, he could fill himself being filled up with this energy, tearing his concious self apart bit for bit and he had to hold himself together, hold himself together at all cost as the hammer fell down in great clangs.
"LOKI!" a voice sounded, an astral voice. There was another presence here, female. "LOKI WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she sounded horriefied.
"Must… Thor is not strong enough on his own." Loki replied in a gasp. "He needs this weapon! He needs it!"
Sif was quiet for a while. "Loki, you are slipping away from your body. You're vanishing. I see it! Maybe he needs this weapon but he also needs you. You need to come back, and come back now!" she exclaimed.
"You said you would protect Asgard! This is also for Asgard!" Loki exclaimed. "If you are concerned, HELP ME!" he shouted. "Give me your energy!"
There was silence, Loki was screaming, he knew that Sif could hear his screams though no one else could and then the presence came closer.
And Then Sif grabbed Loki, and she held on as Loki felt himself being held in place. "Do what you need to do!" Sif exclaimed. "But I will not let you go. I am anchored to earth, the second you are done. You are coming back with me!" And then the energy entered Sif as well and she screamed. "I am not letting go!" Sif screamed as she held on to Loki. "NEVER! NEVEEEEEEER!" she screamed as Sif held on.
And even though Sif didn't know it, it was her will. Her will held unto Loki and forced his concious to stay in place, holding it together as the energy was trying to rip Loki apart and the hammer fell, again and again.
Then suddenly the guardians covered their ears.
"What is that awful sound?!" Quill asked.
"The man who gave us this task!" Mantis shouted. "He is in pain, he is in so much pain directing the energy at the forge! These are his screams!"
"I am Groot." Groot complained holding where his ears had to be.
And the hammer fell, again and again. In big clanks. "This energy, it's different!" The giant proclaimed. "Filtered through a sorcerer and a warrior! Your power will be infused into this! This truly is my master piece!" he shouted and the hammer fell again and again.
And Loki. Loki was breaking apart, even as Sif tried to hold unto him.
"Almost there…" Loki cried. "Please… I can't for much longer. Hurry."
"I wont let go!" Sif cried. "Don't you dare, don't you even dare."
"Three hammer strikes more!" The giant shouted lifting his hammer and slammed it down… One.
Loki screamed as it tore through his spirit.
Two… Sif cried, but he was slipping through her arms like he was liquid.
Three.
"THREE!" Sif screamed. "He's done! GOOOO!" and she pulled Loki out of the energy stream, then wrapped herself around Lokis concious and pulled on the string tying her to Strange and Helbindi.
Immediately she felt herself being dragged through the entire universe as she held unto Loki. They zoomed across stars and planet, towards a little blue one and then suddenly.
Sif gasped as she opened her eyes wide. Then she laid there, gasping for air.
"Are you hale?" Helbindi asked concerned as he stood above Sif.
"A… Aye…" Sif gasped. "Lo… Loki?" she asked.
Helbindi turned and so did Sif now seeing Strange bowed over Lokis still figure.
There was silence, absolutely silence then Strange sighed deeply. "He's back." he informed and Sif let go of a deep sigh of relief.
"However this time Lokis conscious has retrieved deep into his own body to heal." Strange informed. "He wont wake for a while, not even his conscious self. He tore it up pretty bad." he admitted.
"But it can heal right?" Sif asked.
Strange nodded. "Rest will heal it." he assured.
"Thank the norns." Sif groaned. "What a stupid dumbass. I sure hope this was worth it Loki."
"What was he doing?" Helbindi asked. "Where was he?"
"At the giant master smiths forge." Sif informed. "Commissioning a weapon. We need to look out for a delivery the coming days."
"I hope it was worth it." Strange snorted.
"I do to… Believe me." Sif groaned deeply. "Now stay put asshole." she demanded weakly of Loki. "Asgard needs you!"
Helbindi looked at Lokis still frame then walked over to him, turning to his frost giant self in the process.
This time Strange didn't stop him as Helbindi laid both his blue hands on Lokis face and Sif turned her head, watching as the blue colour spread to Lokis entire body. Even his finger tips, his nails becoming black. And finally, as every last little inch of Loki was blue Helbindi removed his hands.
This time it took a while longer, but finally Lokis fingertips seemed to turn white again and then the rest of him. All the blistered skin now pale white.
Sif swallowed finally sitting up on her bed. "Is… Is he healed now?" she asked.
"You mean completely? I doubt it." Strange said as he laid his hands over Lokis body, them glowing orange as they moved up and down before it vanished and he looked up.
"Well?" Sif asked.
"Obviously he healed some." Strange said. "But his eternal damages still seem to great, and then there are the damages to his conscious self."
"What if I touched him for longer?" Helbindi asked.
Strange shook his head. "The things which were going to heal from your touch are healed. It wont help any more to touch him again."
"Oh." Helbindis head fell down. Then he looked at his hand, and then at Lokis still form. His eyes clearly puzzled.
"What are you thinking Helbindi?" Sif asked.
Helbindi shook his head. "Nothing important right now. But perhaps in the future…" he halted then shook his head. "We should worry about our current problems at hand!"
Sif halted but didn't ask any more questions.
In the evening Helbindi and Sif were sitting together playing a game of dice, that was when Thor and Bylestir both returned.
"Sif! Prince Helbindi!" Thor greeted them both happily, his smile being as bright as ever.
"Hello Thor." Sif smiled sweetly up at him.
"No trouble happened while we were gone I see." Thor commented then chuckled. "And you two are getting along as well, that's wonderful."
"I am learning much about Jotunns these days." Sif admitted.
Helbindi smiled kindly then looked up. "Well met Brother. King Thor." he addressed. "I hope your day was productive."
"Royalty and leaders, they are the same at every realm." Bylestir commented. "To much talk, never enough action."
"I think it went fairly well." Thor sighed. "So what have you two been doing?" he asked Sif and Helbindi
Sif and Helbindi looked at each other, then up at at Thor. "Nothing much" Sif then finally said.
"A very boring day indeed." Helbindi replied.
"That's good." Thor smiled. "Boring is good."
Bylestir nodded seriously and finally the two kings left none the wiser of the days events or close Loki had been to be lost forever.
"You didn't tell them." Helbindi pointed out to Sif.
"Neither did you." Sif replied and they looked at each other.
"Our job is to serve them and ease them of the burden." Helbindi commented.
"Yeah…" Sif sighed. "I am starting to get that. How-ever. It is nice having a friend to talk to about it."
Helbindi smirked then nodded. "Agreed. Lady Sif."
