CHAPTER SIX
If the Avengers thought everything was going to be easier going forward, they were truly mistaken.
Nick Fury, after multiple meetings and what seemed like a million phone calls, had gotten the United Nations and the judge to agree to giving the defendant's team more time to create a case for Loki's innocence. While that agreement had taken only a few days, the team was granted a week to accomplish the task.
Everyone had gotten to work: Tony and Bruce were creating charts and scientific essays to better explain what exactly had happened to Loki while he was under Thanos' control. Clint and Erik Selvig (though Selvig took some convincing) had been major contributors to this research as they were often in the labs with the two scientists running tests. Even though time had passed since the Battle of New York, Bruce explained that some of the magic involved still had physical and mental residues which was why they were so effected on the day they had collapsed.
As instructed, Clint had been in and out of the SHIELD base between his lab dates with Tony and Bruce to check for any irregular activities in the atmosphere. Having a very good eye for detail, the archer was surprised he had caught nothing by the middle of the week. He could remember sensing the very real danger both Loki and the Earth were in when he had gone under but there was no sign of a raging alien from space. Still, he remained sitting at the highest point in the building looking down at a hologram of Earth and its surrounding atmosphere. If something was coming, Clint was determined to catch it.
Thor had not been seen by the team for more a few minutes as they only stopped by Loki's cell to give him what minimal updates they had. The god had been by Loki's side since the first confrontation and refused to leave. While Thor's presence had been useful when Fury had decided to move Loki to a new cell, his role had become glorified babysitting. Tony had a bet going for how long the situation would last before Loki killed him. The running bid was two days.
Steve and Natasha were going to every one of Fury's meetings and press releases, relaying any new information regarding the "fateful Friday," a term they had coined for the court date, to the rest of the team. No significant news had been released since their one week extension but the media seemed to be growing in a frenzy over the change.
One particular press event almost ended with Steve punching a Breitbart reporter in the face after he asked, "Captain America, what does it feel like to welcome a new age of dictatorship by saving this criminal after failing to save innocent lives against such powers during World War II?"
It took three agents including Natasha to get Steve out of the room.
"And they say Bruce is the 'hot headed' one." She muttered once Steve was sitting in a smaller nearby office, trembling from head to toe from anger.
"I'm sorry." He didn't look up from the floor as he tried to even out his breaths. "That's not like me to do that. I don't know what took over me."
Fury's voice rang out. "You haven't slept in days." He looked at both of them from the doorway. "Neither of you have. I want you out of this building and back at the tower. We have a lot to do but we can't do it with the team out of shape."
Natasha didn't bother to fight back, grabbing Steve by the arm and all but walking him out the door. As they made their way down the hall, Fury yelled out. "And Steve? Don't even pull anything like that again."
He didn't respond but Natasha saw him nod next to her.
This was going to be a long rest of the week.
When the elevator opened into the shared living area back at the tower, Natasha and Steve were surprised to see Tony pouring a scotch in the kitchen.
"You left your science den, I see." She said.
Tony looked up in surprise. "Hey— yeah. I had to take a mental break. JARVIS just told me that Bruce and I haven't slept in about 42 hours. That's nothing new for me but I'm starting to think it's getting to Bruce."
Steve must have given a worried expression because Tony swooped in, clarifying, "Oh no, he's not hulking out! Everyone's safe here. No… he's just getting a bit snide with me and it's getting on my nerves." He nodded to the two newcomers. "How come you're not with Fury?"
Natasha kept it short. "We got released." She glanced over at Steve, wearily, "We're… also not doing that great."
"Are you talking about Steve practically punching that reporter in the face because that was crazy to watch."
Steve looked like he wanted to vanish on the spot. "How do you know about that?"
Tong shrugged, "It's on every media outlet." Steve groaned as he took a seat on the couch nearby. "Don't worry. These stories are news for one, maybe two days and then it's like it never happened. Everyone punches a guy at some point in their lives—"
"I didn't even touch him." Steve said. He turned to Natasha, "You were there. I did not punch him!"
She raised her brow, accusingly. "But you clearly wanted to."
"Regardless," Tony cut back in, "you're going to be fine. They always make it sound worse than it is. I mean, TMZ is running with this crazy story that you were an undercover Nazi back in the war—"
"Not helping." Natasha sternly interrupted. Tony looked over to see Steve with his head in his hands, clearly upset. It was not a side that Tony was use to seeing and, if he was being honest, not one he was comfortable with. The two were tolerant of one another, to say the least, but their rocky start had never turned into smooth sailing. However, as much as Steve would deny it, he wore his heart on his sleeve and Tony could see when someone needed a hand.
Tony walked over to the couch and stretched out his glass to Steve. "I think you need this more than I do." Steve took the drink and gave a small but grateful smile. "Thanks." He replied, softly.
Tony smiled back. "Don't mention it." They stayed that way for about three seconds before Tony was suddenly uncomfortable. Shaking the moment off, he returned to the kitchen to pour a new glass, throwing over his shoulder, "Maybe, in a bit, we can go out and get a proper drink!"
"After he gets some sleep." Natasha glared at Steve who nodded before getting up from his seat. He silently gave a cheer towards Tony with his drink before walking into the elevator where he took a sip and pressed the button for his quarters.
As the elevator left, Natasha turned to Tony. "Can JARVIS make sure he falls asleep?"
"Absolutely."
She smiled. "Good."
"Hey," Tony walked towards her, new glass in hand, "do you think we should send someone to check on Thor? I know we believe Loki and everything but…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence for her to understand his concerns. They had discussed them openly as a team before deciding to go through with everything. There was a worry that Loki could be possessed at any moment and, because of that, kill Thor or any other SHIELD agents in the vicinity. Thor had been quite unphased by the hypothesis and requested to stay in the cell. Clint hoped that their weird connection to one another that caused the first incident would tip him off to anything abnormal going on between Loki and Thanos. The team had been able to agree, though, that Loki had proven he was of sound mind and had changed since he last brought havoc to Earth.
He was still an asshole at times, though.
"I think they'll be fine." Natasha replied.
"Whatever you say, boss." The genius saluted with his vacant hand and headed back in the direction of the labs. Natasha called an elevator to take her to her own quarters, all the while a single question ran through her mind:
'Thor, was going to be alright… right?'
"Thor, I swear, if you pace anymore you're going to create a hole in the ground."
Loki was currently laying on his back on the bed in his cell while his brother was walking back and forth, clearly unaware or unaffected by his brother's irritation. SHIELD had removed Loki from the large room he had been enclosed in before to a smaller cell that closely resembled a poorly furnished bedroom. Fury couldn't whole heartedly give the Asgardian more freedom while they waited to clear his name so he compromised by giving him a bed and some books. Loki truly didn't care either way but took the act as an olive branch.
"I am quite capable of being locked up on my own." Loki continued, his gaze on the ceiling. "You don't need to be here."
"But I want to be."
Loki turned his head to look at Thor who stopped pacing to stare back.
"What?"
Loki stared even more intently. "You are an enigma to me. You know that?"
"In what ways?" Thor asked.
"We spend an entire childhood as friends, I manage to ruin your coronation, I try to take over Asgard. I fight against you, I seemingly die, I am captured and forced to fight you once more and yet," Loki shook his head, "you're still here."
Thor didn't seem to be following his brothers meaning as he shrugged with a small smile.
Loki continued his quizzical look. "Why?"
"You are my brother—"
"A term we've only recently rediscovered—"
"But one that has never lost its meaning for me." Thor turned to Loki, "You have and always will be my family, regardless of how it came to be."
Loki didn't respond but trailed his gaze back to the ceiling. Thor eventually took a seat.
"Can I ask you something?" Thor's voice was significantly quieter than before.
"Depends on the nature of your question." Loki asked, still clearly irritated.
"Why do this?"
Loki turned to face his brother. "I do not know what you mean by—"
"Why risk your life for a realm that means nothing to you?" Thor did not raise his voice but his intensity was not lost on Loki. "Last we spoke when we were both of sound mind you were more than happy to destroy the peace between the nine realms.
The trickster scoffed. "You don't believe me?"
"It is not that I do not believe the truths you so willingly shared with us the other day." Thor shook his head, "No, what I do not believe is that the brother who fell from the bifrost would be willing to risk his life for the lives of humans he so desperately wished to rule."
Loki turned his gaze back towards the ceiling. "I didn't do it for you, if that's the answer you were hoping for."
"Why do it at all?" Thor asked.
"You do not understand the nature of that period under Thanos' spell." Loki snapped his head towards Thor, "You of all people could not even begin to comprehend the pain I had to undergo; the sweltering heat, the constant fears running through my mind, the suffocating grip at Thanos' sheer strength."
"Then tell me!" Thor was back on his feet, "I cannot understand if you do not try to explain what happened."
A sickening laugh came from Loki as he sat up on the bed. "Have you even felt true pain?"
"Yes," Thor bowed his head slightly, "when you fell before my eyes and we mourned your death."
Loki stood to face his brother, "That is nothing compared to what I have been through. How could I expect you, the favorite, the golden child, to understand where I, who sat in your shadows all those years, am coming from?"
"Loki," Thor sighed, "I can apologize for the past, for the unfair treatment you did nothing to deserve, but I cannot change it. I can only hope to be better moving forward and I want to be a better brother for you. That is all I desire but I will not play this self-deprecating game with you."
"And I will not sit here and say 'I did all of this out of the kindness of my heart.' You continuously fail to understand that I am not good and that is never going to change."
A look of realization flashed across Thor's face. "Loki—"
"I see it every time you look at me." Loki looked at his brother with sadness. "You look at me as though you expect to see the brother I was in my youth: who is good, who will stand by your side and join your idiotic team to better the universe. That is not who I am nor who I intend to be." Loki took a seat on the edge of the bed, unable to continue looking at Thor, "Take my warning and my information as a truce but I cannot return to what I was. I am not worthy of it."
Thor took in his brother, seated with his eyes glued to the floor. He had not seen Loki so defeated in their lifetime and was finally beginning to understand this new brother he had failed to acknowledge all those years ago. Silently, Thor crouched down to his knees, lightly placing a hand on Loki's shoulder.
"You are worthy of what you make yourself worthy of."
The younger god's head snapped up in fury. A biting, whispered voice replied, "Need I remind you of who my true parent is, son of Odin! That I am the monster children are afraid of at night! That I am the monster who broke our mother's heart…"
Loki's voice choked in his throat. Immediately, his hands covered his eyes as he began mentally wishing he was anywhere but there. Thor took the hint and rose to his feet once more. Grabbing Mjolnir from the corner it had been resting in, he headed for the cell door. Before he could leave, however, Loki's voice called out once more.
"…maybe I am helping you because that makes me less of a monster. Helping you makes me better than the monsters like Thanos because I do not lie, Thor." Loki's head rose from behind his hands, his eyes shining in terror. "Thanos is beyond any horrors you could imagine."
Thor looked him in the eye. "You are not Thanos, brother."
Loki let out a small laugh. "You may save the world here on Midgard but you cannot save me."
Without replying, Thor exited the cell, closing the door as Loki laid himself back onto his bed, his gaze making its way back up to the ceiling.
