Fractured Mind
Cautionary Warnings: Rated M for Mature due to sexual and psychological abuse, graphic violence, strong triggers, language, and disturbing content.
Chapter One (Prelude): Your New Eternal Home
"Look at this!"
"Look around you!"
"Do you think this madness will end with your rule?"
"It's too late. It's too late to stop it."
"No. We can. Together."
"Sentiment…"
After facing the fury of the Hulk, Loki planned his escape. Having been inflicted serious wounds, the only way he could move was to drag himself. He could still see the Chitauri still attacking from the skies on their solo-piloted vessels. One by one, each were shot down as Iron Man blew past. The god growled at the display, continuing to drag himself upstairs.
By the time Loki has made it to the roof, he witnessed Widow holding his scepter in front on the Tesseracts portal generator. Without any way to stop her, he watched as she used his staff to penetrates the portals field.
Blinding light filled the skies of New York with the destruction of the portal generator. The wormhole is created started to collapse in on itself; a strong gravitational pull came with it. Pieces of skyscrapers broke off their foundation as they were sucked into the wormhole. The Chitauri and their warships had no chance to escape the pull.
Loki watched as the Avengers retreat inside the safety of the tower, never noticing him. The god brushed them off and slowly crawled towards the Tesseract. Suddenly, Loki felt the pull of the wormhole tug at him. Without any strength left in him, he scrambled t find something to grab. Bits of rubble started to rise around him and flew upward. Loki was able to get a death grip on a slab of concrete right as his body started to lift off the ground. He started to get pelted by debris, growing larger and larger in size.
The creaking of metal drew Loki's attention on the other side of the rooftop. A large air conditioning unit was being held on by mere screws. It didn't take long for it to break loose and hurtle towards him. Without anywhere to go, Loki braces for impact. One of the units' metal corners gashed him right above his brow. He lost his grip and helplessly flew towards the abyss.
In the corner of his eye, he could see Iron Man. He was holding a large missile and heading straight for the portals opening. Loki tried desperately to find floating debris to cling to, in hopes of slowing his ascent. The air conditioning unit was still within reach. Grabbing onto it, the god pulled himself inside the vent on top. He needed something, any type of shelter for what was to come.
As air unit was pulled through the opening of the wormhole, so was Iron Man- and his missile. The portal was near complete collapse. Loki thought, for sure, Stark would be trapped in here with him. Instead, Iron Man released the missile. Activating his suit's thrusters, Stark made escape right as it closed.
With the portals gravitational pull gone, Loki floated aimlessly through space. The god started to climb out of his shelter, assuming the worst was over. Unfortunately, he saw the missile still here. The bomb was heading straight towards the Chitauri's mothership. Loki's eyes widened before scrambling back inside his vent.
There was no sound of the impact; the physics of space did not yield to that. The only thing that alerted Loki of the explosion was a blinding white light. It was followed by a massive amount of nuclear radiation disintegrating the air conditioning unit around him.
After that… nothing.
(Unknown Date; Unknown Time)
A dull throb in the back of Loki's skull pulled him into consciousness. He let out a small moan as his senses came back. It took a few minutes before he found the strength to open his eyes. The god was only met with darkness; the smallest fraction of light emitted in the distance.
To Loki's surprise, he wasn't in any pain- sore, but that was about it. He was able to remember the last moments before the missile explosion. Surely, that would have gravely injured him. The only thing he could rationalize was that he must have been unconscious for a long time. Within that period of time, Loki's body was gradually able to heal himself.
The god slowly grew more self-aware of his surroundings. He struggled to sit up as he felt a tug of added weight on him. Glancing down, the dull light of the hallway revealed the source. Thick, brass cuffs bound his wrists, ankles, and neck. All were interconnected to each other with heavy chains, causing limited movement.
Loki smirked at the thought that these captors think these chains could hold him. He reached out for his magic. The warmth of his Seidr flowed through his fingertips- a familiar, comforting feeling.
Once obtaining enough, snapped his fingers to break the binds. A pulse of glow light covered the brass. As quick as it came, it fizzled away. Loki furrowed his brow. Surely that would have been more than enough to remove them. As he went to try again, he stopped; a small hum vibrated off of the cuffs. Foreign encryptions once hidden were starting to glow blue. When Loki leaned in closer to decider the symbols, he was greeted by a strong discharge of energy coming off of them. The pain was intense as it raced through his nerves. He bit his tongue to hold a startled scream.
The pain only lasted for a few seconds before dying out; with that, the symbols on the cuffs faded. The experience left Loki leaning over himself, panting heavily.
I guess they were more clever than I though. Loki thought.
His captors have figured out how to suppress the Seidr- a terrible discovery indeed. Nevertheless, the trickster knew he could escape. Now, he finally had a chance to survey his surroundings. Loki was in a cell, of course. The area looked haphazardly made. Dug out of rock walls, it barely was a seven by seven-foot area. The only thing that looked well made was a strong metal grate blocking the only exit. Otherwise, there were no outlets. It was just a cold, damp cave with moisture dripping from the ceiling.
Loki got to his feet, shaking a little at their lack of use. The only thing he could do was test the strength of the grate. It hurt to move; all the binds have been enchanted with some resilient metals. Loki estimated them all to weigh 150 lbs minimum.
The scraping of his chains on the floor gave away his movements. With trembling hands, Loki grasped the bars. Even his long, slender fingers didn't encompass the girth of each cylinder.
The sound of heavy doors opening came from deep within the hallways- something was coming. Loki backed away from the grate and searched for something to use as a weapon. Multiple sets of footsteps echoed closer. The god gave up looking for a weapon and stood tall and proud.
"The little prince is finally awake I see."
The gravely voice called in the distance. The hallways warm glow drew harsh shadows on the oncoming figures. Chitauri- two of them.
Loki swallowed thickly and tried his best to put on his trademark smirk.
"I'm surprised to see any of your weak creatures survived such an explosion. I take it your ships didn't take it as well?"
The gruesome creatures stood at the grate as they ignored the trickster's snide remarks. One Chitauri opened the door with ease; the enchantment must have only been on the inside so no one can escape.
"You have had The Master waiting for far too long."
Loki didn't show concern to their statement as he stood tall. He knew who "The Master" was. Thanos. The god had failed his mission, failed Thanos.
"You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice, where he cannot find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something sweet as pain."
An invisible shiver ran up his spine. Standing still, the trickster stayed unreadable.
"Come with us on your own terms," one spat, "Or we will drag you."
Loki said nothing and proceeded forward. His chains scrapped the ground, making his gait awkward. One Chitauri leads the group, while the other stood behind. The halls were unknowingly long, and the silence was tense. Loki grew bored.
"It amazes me to think Thanos kept your kind alive," Loki spoke as in casual conversation, "One would say that it was you creatures who failed Thanos, not me."
The Chitauri from behind growled and slammed its foot down on Loki's chains. The god didn't notice at first but taking a step he felt the pull. The chains jerked him to a stop sending him falling forward. Both Chitauri cackled as he crashed into a painful heap on the floor.
"You are lucky The Master wants you to speak," one growled, "Otherwise, we would have cut off that silver tongue of yours."
Loki's lip curled as he went to push himself off the ground. The leading Chitauri bent down and grab the main connecting chain in his claws. Yanking them forward in a swift motion, Loki fell face first back to the ground. They mocked him again as they dragged him the rest of the way.
It felt like hours he's been dragged along the unforgiving rocks. Every time Loki tried to regain his footing, the Chitauri would only pull on his chains again, causing him to fall.
Loki allowed himself to be dragged after his multiple attempts. Instead, he busied himself by staring up at the cave's ceiling and contemplating his escape.
The caves textured change before vanishing, revealing the open sky of stars. Loki already knew where he was; he was at the realm of The Other. As Loki stayed occupied in his mind, he was thrown from it by a jerk of the chains. They pulled so hard that it sent the god flying forward and landing in front of them. He didn't dare give them the pleasure of a groan from his lips- staying silent.
Loki pushed himself up to see why they stopped. His stomach dropped as buried memories unearthed. He stood at a tall staircase- a familiar one. Loki's eyes followed each step, too afraid to look up immediately.
And there it was… the throne that sat on the plateau. Polished metal covered its surface, reflecting back to the vastness of space. The seat sported a tall backing and was swiveled around, hiding its host.
"I see the lost prince has finally awakened."
Loki swallowed the growing lump in his throat at the voice. Its tone gave away a sense of disappointment.
A figure stood up from the throne. Loki quickly pulled himself to his feet before it could see him. The purple-tinged man turned and glanced down the staircase to the god.
The Chitauri ran forward and kneeled to Thanos presence. Loki suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, he instead stood tall and unfazed.
Thanos descended the stairs. He wasn't wearing his heavy armor, as the man felt no threat in this realm. He took the steps by two due to his sheer size. Thanos stayed poised and unreadable.
This worried Loki; he had no idea of his intentions. Covered in binds and chains of metal and his magic suppressed, he was no physical threat. At the very least, the lie-smith still had his silver tongue.
Thanos reached the bottom of the steps and stood in front of Loki. Still separated by a few yards, the sheer size of the titan was daunting. Loki forgot just has massive he was.
Thanos spoke first, "It seems you've come back empty-handed."
Loki didn't allow himself to tremble at his words.
"A mere setback," Loki smoothed, "I must have left them behind. Allow me to return to Midgard and I shall retr-"
"You failed me." Thanos interrupted.
"Failure is a strong word," Loki said, "I would call it a 'learning experience'."
The lie-smith glanced at the Chitauri before facing Thanos again.
"For example; I have learned that the Chitauri do not have the intellectual capability to follow my command, thus allowing themselves to be easily defeated by Midgardian warriors."
The Chitauri growled and lunged forward to attack him. One quick glance from Thanos, however, stopped them dead in their tracks. The creatures resumed their kneeled position, still seething.
The titan returned his attention to Loki, "And why should I trust you again?"
"Because I can get you both stones, and more." Loki lied cleanly.
Thanos raised his brow, a look of pure amusement.
"Little one, you speak with such confidence for a banished prince."
Loki smirked, "I would say the term misplaced is more appropriate. I am still the rightful ruler of both Asgard and Jötunheim."
The titan quickly grew tired of Loki's self-righteousness.
"Your lies and twisted perceptions are your biggest downfall."
Loki scoffed lightly, "There are no lies here, only promises."
Thanos, impassive to the god's comments, breaks the space in between them and proceeds forward. The titan's large hand reaches out and quickly snatches the god off the ground. His massive fist easily wrapped around Loki's torso.
Although pulled into the air and held hostage by one of the most powerful creatures in the universe, Loki stays unruffled.
"I can see it in your eyes, little one." He sneered, "Your mind is mad, unhinged, and dangles at the brink of insanity."
He drops Loki and watches him fall it the hard ground, the heavy chains land on the god's chest in a heap. It crushed him, but Loki only let out a silent puff of air.
"I give you tools to be victorious, but you failed." Thanos spat, "It is your feeble mind who cannot take commands. And now, you come back to me not loosing one, but two of my stones. And yet you still believe that I will give you a second chance?"
Thanos snapped his fingers and the Chitauri jumped up. They ran up to Loki and dug their claws into each of his arms. The titan stepped mere inches from him. Towering over him, narrowing his eyes at the trickster.
"I am leaving you here at the mercy of the Chitauri. I will command them to make you suffer for eternity; never to enjoy the forgiving embrace of Death."
Thanos pauses and leaned down to Loki's level. He took his large hand and pinched the god's head to stare him in the eyes. Unable to shake his unbreakable hold, Loki had to gaze into those soulless, black orbs.
"I will take great pleasure in seeing them break you, little prince. That smile you so confidently bare will be ripped forcefully from your face. Your pride stripped to nothing. What little sanity you have left, will die. Maybe then, you might be of use to me."
Thanos released his grip and stood back up. He waited for a response from the lie-smith- but nothing came. Loki lips stayed pressed together, but his eyes flashed dangerously.
"Throw him back in the cell. Strip him of his armor and, most importantly, silence that poisonous tongue of his. And then…" Thanos smiled, "do whatever you please with him."
Dragged back down the halls, Loki said nothing. More Chitauri joined the two in taking the god back to his "new home".
When he was thrown in the cage, Loki expected them to leave him- he was wrong. The creatures flooded the room. They pulled at the chains, detaching them from the cuffs. Loki quickly tried to call his Seidr but was met with the same electric shock. He grits his teeth to hold back a scream. Even though the chains were gone, the infernal cuffs and collar stayed.
They start to tug at his clothes. Loki starts to panic of the mass of hands touching him. They held him down as he struggled under their grip. The creatures start to unfasten buckles and peel off armor. Loki spat obscenities as they continued. One pulled off his tunic; although rough, the Chitauri oddly kept his clothes intact- for some reason. The god's cursing stopped when he felt one unbutton his trousers. His breath quickened as he tries to kick it off. Both his legs are grabbed, and his boots are slid off. The one Chitauri slowly tugs down his pants.
By this time, he's down to only a small undergarment on his waist. The same Chitauri starts to play with the hem of the fabric. Hyperventilating, Loki gained enough strength to free his leg and plant a solid kick to its face. The creature fell back in pain. Other ones move in to attack their fallen comrade.
"Stop!" A Chitauri calls.
The frenzied mass of them stop and turned to the voice. Loki's breathing calmed a little at their recoiling hands. It came from one of the original Chitauri that escorted Loki. It looked over him as the god laid pinned to the ground.
"Let the little prince enjoy the last of his pride." It flashed a crooked smile.
Another Chitauri approached the leader, holding a device in its hands. Loki studied the item carefully; it looked like some sort of crescent-shaped metal band. In the center of the curve had a plate, tiny spikes lined its surface. Loki grew more and more concerned of its purpose.
The leader took the object and held it up to admire it.
"Good. This will work nicely."
The creature started to lean down towards Loki. With his limbs pinned down, he couldn't pull away. Like Thanos, the Chitauri reached over to grasp the god by the jaw.
"That clever tongue of yours won't be much help now."
It was obvious to Loki what it was now- it was a gag. The crescent shape would curve over his mouth and the spiked bit would silence his tongue.
"Open your mouth, Lie-smith." The creature ordered.
In pure rage, Loki was able to crane his head up enough to spit in the Chitauri's face. The leader only responded with squeezing the god's jaw harder to force open. It took pleasure in jamming the bit deep into his mouth. The small spikes pierced Loki's tongue and held it down, rendering him unable to speak.
Loki let out a garbled curse as the taste of blood filled his mouth. The one Chitauri held it in place while another came up from behind. It held a similar metal, crescent-shaped piece, but without the bit. Loki couldn't see it, but he felt it rest on the back of his head. Both metals fused together to encircle his skull and hold the gag in place.
Others put his chains back on before they all stood back, leaving the leader in front. It smiled, unfazed as it wipes the spit off its scarred face.
Loki struggled to sit up. He pulled his weighted hands to his face, feeling the gag; it was certainly not going to come off easy. The more he moved his tongue, the more blood pooled in his mouth. Not wanting to swallow it, Loki tried to spit it out. It ended up dripping down to edges of the gag onto the floor… a humiliating sight.
"The mighty God of Lies has been silenced." The leader barked.
The creatures jeered and mocked the muted god. Loki didn't retaliate. He sat in silence on the ground. Gagged, bound, stripped, and drooling blood, Loki tried to riffle up any sense of pride he had to keep an impassive expression.
They stood and ridiculed him for some time before leaving him alone in the cell. Loki took a deep breath through his nose and tried to pass all this off as a mere inconvenience. He's been through worse… he thinks. Like all the other times, the God of Mischief always found a way to escape.
They would not break him.
Next Chapter: The Alien in the Basement
Word Count: 3,331
Updated on: 8-29-2019