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Chapter 15: Of Selfish Desires and Game Changing Decisions
"Lady Sakura. Mikan… Allice has made of you a terrible weapon. Both capable of restoring him back to greatness and triggering the happening of Ragnarok."
Mikan's jaw went slack. She had now established for a very long time that she was a very unlucky person. But this? This was taking everything to whole new level! Suddenly, a laugh threatened to bubble out of her chest at the ridicule of her own situation. It remained stuck in her throat. All Mikan found in herself the power to do was to stare at the Asgardian ruler incredulously as she tried her best to decide on whether this was all an elaborate joke, or Frigga had completely lost her mind. She opened her mouth hesitantly as if to speak, closed it, unsure of what to say, then finally opened it again:
"Yo-You can't be serious?" Mikan stammered, still in disbelief. "R-Right?" she added faintly.
"Ragnarok is no laughing matter, dear child." Frigga assured her.
Mikan shivered, hardly biting back the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. She gasped for air as it seemed weighted around her and she suddenly became too aware of the chains bounding her to the column, which hugged her figure so tightly she feared her ribs would break at any sudden movement. She closed her eyes shut, wishing for the world surrounding to disappear, and worked on steadying her breath. 'If Loki is merely the result of Allice's schemes, why can't I be too?' Mikan thought bitterly.
Frigga's gentle touch brought Mikan back to reality. She sighed heavily as she allowed Loki's mother to stroke her cheek reassuringly. "I know that this is a lot for you to process, and that is perfectly understandable. But I have proof of what I am advancing, Lady Sakura. All I need is you consent and I will show you everything."
"What do you need my consent for?" Mikan asked, barely swallowing down her apprehension.
"I will need to guide you within the Soul Stone."
"Do I really have a say in this anyway?" Mikan replied abashed. She held few doubts over the Sorceress' sincerity. 'Guide me within the Stone, she says. Never heard of something like that before…' Mikan sighed. At this point, she wasn't even sure she cared anymore. All she desperately wanted was to get some rest, find herself a comfortable bed in which she could fall asleep and, hopefully, never weak up.
"You do, Lady Sakura." Frigga assured her kindly. "I won't press you into doing anything you are uncomfortable with."
Mikan nodded dubiously. "If you say so… Then fine with me. Do whatever needs to be done." she agreed resignedly.
A small smile appeared on Frigga's caring features as her hands fell over Mikan's shoulders. She could sense the muscles beneath them tense under her touch. Frigga lifted Mikan's chin with sorcery so their eyes would be at the same level and Mikan's breath caught in her throat in apprehension as the Asgardian ruler began reciting an incantation in a language she knew not.
Mikan never heard the end of it as the world around her turned black. Although she couldn't see a thing around her, Mikan felt herself being dragged forward at a fast pace and, suddenly, she sensed it. It was once again coming towards her. When a familiar warm light encircled her, all of Mikan's fears vanished. It felt so safe, so welcoming, as if she had just been reunited with a lost part of herself. Albeit this time it was coated in Frigga's magical flow, guiding her and paving the way for her within the Stone.
Unlike her previous experience within it, her journey didn't end there. Mikan felt herself being dragged further within its depths. Finally, she perceived two large doors which carvings were similar to those drawn on the doors of the Hidden Stronghold. As the distance separating them from her was closing rapidly, Mikan expected them to open for her. Sadly, it never happened. Frigga's magic, meddled with her own, hit them forcefully.
Then everything went wrong too quickly.
Mikan had no time to sense their connection shatter as she felt herself fall into a pit of darkness that was all way too familiar. The same inside of which she had been trapped in for two whole freaking years. Mikan turned around, looking frantically for Frigga, but there was nothing for her to see. A dark blanket of cold emptiness had wrapped itself around her. She couldn't even sense the Queen's magical energy anymore. Mikan felt herself start to panic.
'No. Not again, please! Frigga, please get me out of here!'
Her voice echoed in the darkness without eliciting any kind of response back.
Abruptly seized by an overwhelming fear, Mikan felt like crying. However, this time was no different: she couldn't even sense her body.
'No. No. No! Not again, please not again! Frigga, if you can hear me, please pull me out of this place! Please! Don't put me through this again! I beg you Frigga! Please have mercy on me!' Mikan implored desperately. She couldn't fathom worse fate than this.
Mikan kept on sobbing, begging and yelling at Frigga until she ultimately came to the hard realization that her pleas were falling on deaf ears. She shut down as she resignedly allowed herself to be surrounded by a deadening silence. It was only then that she slowly became aware of them. What came to her at first like small whispers grew into intangible roaring screams of agony. Unable to block them out, Mikan resumed on calling for Frigga as she desperately tried to cover them up with her own cries for help.
It had been faint, almost too subtle and brief for him to notice, but he did anyway. He could feel it tugging at the magical wards he had drawn few years ago, begging to find its way within the web of protective spells he had cast around it.
'Frigga, I knew that the day would come when the knowledge I thrusted upon you would become of great hindrance.'
Allice sniggered behind his fingers. Not that it mattered anyway. Everything was going according to his plan.
A sharp pain smacked into the Ancient One's back as Loki pinned her forcefully against the wall with the power of just one hand. So hard she saw bright spots at the corner of her vision. A dagger was pressed menacingly against her lower abdomen and Loki's grip had tightened around her neck, although not enough to cut entirely off her flow of oxygen. He had no intent of killing her, at least not today.
Loki had teleported them inside his chambers, just like the Time Stone had shown her. However, it had failed to indicate that she would be reduced to such a defenseless state. 'It wasn't supposed to happen this way…' By now, she should have known that the Stone wasn't a faithful prophet. 'Then maybe… No. This doesn't change the fact that she needs to go. I am so sorry, Mikan.'
The amount of complex charms and spells protecting Loki's room was insanely impressive, almost to the extent of paranoia. 'He made sure no one but him could use Magic in this place. Clever. In a few years, with the proper knowledge, he will be able to defeat Allice.' The Ancient One noted, impressed with Loki's ability to control the distribution of the magical energy within the room, which left her magicless.
"Who are you, Sorceress?" Loki demanded, his voice was hard and betrayed a raging anger he was done keeping in check. "One of Allice's zealots, perhaps? His ally? Asgard's? Tell me!"
The Ancient One's face remained carefully blank as she forced in a steady breath before answering: "No, Loki. All I know about Allice and your sister, Nicolas Flamel taught me."
"I do not care for that, woman. I can see through your ruse. What are you plotting? Why are you wasting my time when your dear pupil's life is hanging in the balance?" Loki hissed out as he heightened the dagger's position, now aiming for her heart.
The Ancient One licked her lips very softly. Her mouth opened and closed several times but no words escaped from it, as if incapable of speaking all of a sudden. Her jaw locked slightly as a new air of resignation crossed her face. The Sorceress lowered her gaze and eyed the dagger for a split second before leaping into action. Loki had barely the time to grip the hilt of the sharp blade to deflect its direction as she attempted to dig it into her heart, transpiercing her gut instead. Grabbing the edge of the dagger's hilt, the Ancient One winced in pain when Loki pulled it cruelly out of her, letting it clatter loudly against the floor. Blood gushed immediately out of the wound and her hand, now pressed against it, did little to stop its flow.
Loki's jaw clenched as his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth for a moment, words not latching together fast enough to explain his fury.
"So, you would rather die than tell me."
The Ancient One flinched under the pain when he slammed her body once again against the wall as if to shake some reason back into her. However, comprehension didn't dawn on her face but on his. Loki's evergreen eyes widened; his breath caught in his throat as the realization finally sank in in his mind. He felt the remaining colors on his face drain and his blood turn cold in his veins.
"You never had the intention to let Mikan walk out of Asgard alive, didn't you?" he accused her, outraged.
The Sorceress' guilty expression was enough a confirmation. Loki hardly resisted the urge to wash it off of her face. 'The nerve of her! Is this why she included Strange in this? Did she want to make sure I wouldn't turn against them afterwards?' Loki's eyes narrowed, from what he had gathered, Strange truly cared for Mikan's wellbeing and saw in her a dear friend. 'I doubt he is involved in any way in this. Or at least, not as much as she is.'
Loki raised his free hand and slammed its palm against the Ancient One's forehead. Jaw clenched, lips pressed in a thin line, her consciousness slippering away as rapidly as the blood pouring out of her gaping wound, she knew her mental barriers weren't capable of keeping any longer the master Sorcerer from getting what he was looking for. 'Pulling out a resistance will be of no use anymore. I have to cooperate or he might find out more than he needs to know.' The Ancient One realized defeatedly. She starred at Loki before admitting, resigned:
"I had no other choice, Loki. Not after what I saw in Mikan's memories. Allice has made of her Ragnarok's catalyst. He wants to use her as a portal to free Hela to thereby overthrow Odin and kill him. You have to realize that Allice represents a much bigger threat than Thanos: he holds in him the power of clouding the Time Stone's predictions and keeping himself hidden from it and I fear he will act on his plans soon." The Sorceress's lips trembled and tears leaked from her bloodshot eyes as she confessed: "I care for Mikan greatly, Loki. I love her more than I have loved any other, but I am no delusional. I will not choose her over the entire Universe. Her death is the only gamechanger capable of granting us a chance of defeating Thanos and Allice. It will both destabilize Allice's plans and make the Power Stone and one fragment of the Soul Stone disappear into a plight of inexistence." The Ancient One drew in a shaky breath, putting all her lasting efforts into keeping herself from sinking into a state of unconsciousness, from which she held few hopes of coming back. Actually, at this point, she doubted that she even wanted to anymore.
"I couldn't possibly let you know, Loki." The Ancient One added inaudibly. "Out of all the outcomes where you were informed, you either had already tricked her into eating one of Idunn's Golden Apples or you took the decision to save her life anyway. Even when you were aware that the whole Universe's fate was at stake. Even when you knew that Mikan herself would be against it. And, this, every single time. You'll always prioritize your own needs over hers and everyone else's around you. You are such a selfish being, Loki. Mikan deserves better than this, better than you and you certainly do not deserve her."
Loki flinched unwittingly under the insult and resisted the urge to punch the Sorceress in the face. Norns, he wanted to. He wanted to lose himself to that rage that had settled over him. His grip tightened over her neck. He watched her throat flex as she swallowed and imagined how the muscles of her throat would jump and tense as he squeezed the life out of her. He didn't act on it. Instead, his face twitched into an ugly expression. "You are one to speak, Sorceress. Aren't you the one who left her to die alone? The one who betrayed her trust?" He smiled, but it was cold and without mirth. "Do I really have to remind you that you are the one who sent her to me? What kind of monster does that make you, then?"
"I know." the Ancient One whispered, unable to hold his gaze. "I wouldn't have if I knew what I know now."
"And then what? You would have taken care of her by yourself? Is that supposed to make it any better?" Loki sneered as he threw her an incredulous look. "I will not ask you this question twice, woman. Where in Asgard is Mikan currently located?"
"Inside the Hidden Stronghold. I didn't lie to you when I said that she'll find out about her real connection with Allice there. Frigga will reveal it to her, Loki." her voice was fading, barely above a rasp. "She has drained Mikan out of all her remaining magical energy to keep her under control. She will soon, if she already hasn't, try to guide her within the Stone. Frigga's spell will bounce over the magical wards Allice drew to safeguard its passageway. It will unleash a dark, poisonous spell meant to 'momentarily shut Mikan down' in case such thing happens. But because of the aftermath of her already weakened state, she is going to die out of it."
"No, Sorceress. Not this time. I will not allow this to happen." he promised.
'So, Mikan is in the Hidden Stronghold.' Loki thought with a furrowed brow as he tried to quiet down that awful feeling of apprehension that had overwhelmed him. 'I can do with that. I know a passageway that serves right into it.'
Shoving the Ancient One out of his grasp, his teeth set with disgust as he looked down at her. He had half a mindset on finishing her off, but going against his better judgment he decided on bringing her back to Kamar Taj instead. His gaze settled on the Eye of Agamotto. It was with a small self-satisfied smirk that he snatched it off the Sorceress' neck. 'I hope you won't mind if I keep this to myself.' Not that he cared if she did anyway.
Frigga's breath caught in her throat the moment Mikan's body went limp and the skin under her touch grew cold almost instantly. Panic had started to kick in and had wrapped itself around her stomach when her bloodshot eyes had opened briefly and she had started suddenly vomiting blood before falling back into a state of unconsciousness. Frigga's bloodstained hands hovered hesitantly over Mikan's shoulders, unsure of what to do. 'I lost her there. Norns what do I do, now? None of this was supposed to happen that way!'
Loud banging on the Stronghold's door tore Frigga off her dazzled state. She jerked her head up and stared at the doors with complete aberration as she sensed Hotaru's presence behind them. 'How did she–? Even Odin hasn't remarked my absence yet.'
"Mikan, open up! I know you're here! I'll give you five seconds to open these damned doors. If you don't, I'll blow them up and we both know you don't want this to happen. One. Two. Three. Four. Fi-"
Drawing Odin's attention was the last thing she needed at the moment. Rising to her full height, Frigga hastily covered the distance separating her from the doors of the Stronghold and flanged them wide open, revealing a furious Hotaru waiting on the other side.
For the briefest of moments, the two women stared at each other. Although Hotaru's expression remained carefully impassive, Frigga perceived the shock and utter surprise in her eyes. Neither seemed to be prepared for such a turn of events. Then Hotaru's gaze fell on Mikan's limp body and on Frigga's bloodstained hands before settling back on Mikan's unconscious form. Shivers ran down her spine at the realization it belonged to her childhood friend's.
'What the is going on?'
Ignoring Frigga's stiff presence, Hotaru shoved her unceremoniously to the side and rushed to Mikan's. She nearly tripped in her haste to reach her. Kneeling beside her, her hands lifted hesitantly to grip Mikan's shoulders. They froze mid-air, stopping before making contact, as Hotaru took sight of the blood gushing out of her nose and her ears, the black marks covering Mikan's body and the blood splatters staining her once blue sweatshirt. Hotaru sat back on her heals and forced in a hitched breath. The air felt weighted around her. 'The Corrosion Alice. Why does she have it? What the fuck is happening?'
Hotaru glanced away from Mikan to face Frigga, the only person currently capable of giving her any kind of explanation on what was going on. "What is happening? Frigga, what have you done? Make it stop. Do something to make this stop." Hotaru demanded coolly.
"I don't know. Hotaru, I don't understand. My spell wasn't supposed to work this way." Frigga admitted defeatedly as she closed the distance separating them. Her hands were trembling and all colors had been drained of her face.
Unsettled by the desperation in the Queen's voice, Hotaru swallowed down her own rising panic and placed her hands on each side of Mikan's body.
"Well then do something. You cannot leave her like that. Unchain her, that's the least you can do." Hotaru's voice was commanding, just enough to snap Frigga out of her panicked state. She shook her head and kneeled down next to her.
"No. I fear this will only worsen the situation. These chains are absorbing all the magical energy emanating from her body. Untying her might aggravate the effects of the curse placed on her."
"You didn't answer my question, Frigga." Hotaru reminded her coolly. "What happened and what were the two of you doing here in the first place?"
Frigga sighed heavily before answering: "Lady Imai, the sorcerer who created your kind, Allice, has made of your friend a powerful weapon. One capable of freeing Hela, a goddess Odin created Ragnarok to vanquish. As soon as he will understand what Lady Sakura is, Odin will make anything in his power to see her killed. This is why I asked Heimdall to instruct her to come here, so I would be able to warn her and help her escape. I never had any intention of arming her, but things didn't go as planned and the spell I cast on her activated this curse." Frigga's expression turned grim as she added. "Lady Imai, I know not how to undo this."
Looking for Mikan's pulse, Hotaru took grasp of her left wrist. She licked her lips in apprehension: she had to make it quick so the Corrosion Alice wouldn't affect her. Mikan's pulse was too faint, almost inexistent, and the skin under her fingers was terrifyingly cold. She let her childhood friend's hand fall back to her side. 'She is dying.' Hotaru realized as her eyes widened in horror. 'For real this time.' She felt her blood run cold in her veins. No. No. No! Fate couldn't be this cruel. Hotaru couldn't find in herself the power to believe it. She shook her head frantically as if it could shake away her shock. She couldn't lose her now! 'Not now. Not after all this time wasted believing she's was dead. She cannot die now, not like this. Not when I've finally found her. Not now! You can't do this to me, Mikan! You don't have the right to die and leave me alone again!'
"There must be something. Anything. This can't be it. Frigga you can't let her die like this!" Hotaru exploded, lashing out all her anger and panic at her. Frigga flinched; she flinched because she knew she was right and because there was nothing in her power to make it happen.
"All there is left for me to do is to try to ease her pain." Frigga answered sadly. She had lost her there. Frigga shivered; unless Mikan found the way back by herself only her body's death might allow it to rest. 'If anything wrong happens to her, you will not be forgiven easily.' Heimdall's warning came back taunting her as she resolved herself to unchain Mikan's limp body.
"What are doing? You said it yourself, removing them will only worsen the situation!" Hotaru reminded her with a horrified expression. Placing herself in front of the Asgardian ruler, she shielded Mikan with her body. "You'll have to kill me first."
"Hotaru." Frigga sighed as she placed a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "We have to let her go. The longer you will remain in denial and the longer we will be prolonging her suffering. In vain."
Hotaru gritted her teeth, now seething with fury. "You're the one who is giving up too easily! Frigga, I won't let you go through with this."
Frigga's comforting hand fell back to her sides and the two women regarded each other for one tense moment, both dreading heavily what was to come next. Only Mikan's strangled breathing was now filling the silent hallway of the Stronghold. As Frigga opened her mouth to bring some reason into Hotaru, she was interrupted by the familiar beeping sound of an alarm emanating from the device they had spent hours conceiving. Both women knew exactly what it meant.
'Loki is here!'
Loki wasn't exactly sure of what he was expecting to find when he transported himself to the Hidden Stronghold. So far, he had safely guessed that meeting his moth-Frigga would be inevitable: she wasn't one to run away from her responsibilities. He knew as well that she wouldn't stop him from saving Mikan. He bit at his tongue as he tried to ignore this ridiculously growing feeling of apprehension that had started to build up in his stomach. The sole thought of her made an unfamiliar pang streak through his heart. He hadn't seen her since the day of his trial. She had been exemplarily quiet that day and had simply stood by her husband's sides, eyes filled with pain and worry. A good wife never disagreed with her husband publicly.
Loki strode down the marble hallway with hurry, although briefly halting when the walls of the Stronghold brought to him the echoes of two feminine voices. He recognized Frigga's immediately, but not the second, which sounded angry but, more importantly, wasn't Mikan's.
He was rapidly closing the distance separating him from them and, although most of their argument was lost on him, he managed to catch a name. Hotaru. It sounded oddly familiar to his ears. His eyes narrowed with frustration; he couldn't precisely recall when he had heard it. 'Probably one of Mikan's childhood friends.' Loki guessed as he was now able to perceive Frigga's and the woman's magical energy. 'Allice's magic runs through her veins too, albeit it is present in a much lower proportion than in Mikan's.' This made him realize that he could not sense Mikan's. Not even faintly. Loki's heart began slamming hard against his ribs. Was he already too late? He picked up the pace, now practically running.
Soon, two women entered his line of vision: Frigga's back was turned on him and was hiding most of the other woman's figure, of whom, from his position, he could only see her wide spread arms. 'She is making a shield of her body.' he realized. 'What is happening?'
Startled by the sound of an alarm that had suddenly went off, Frigga and the Midgardian called Hotaru turned on their heels to face him, finally alerted by his presence. They stared at him with mixed emotions. He read sadness and fearful apprehension in Frigga's eyes and weariness in Hotaru's. Frigga's lips trembled and her eyes grew wet as she whispered quietly his name. Her stomach sank with fear. Her beloved son had been banished. Was he to be caught nowhere near Asgardian territory again, he could face execution for directly disobeying Odin's orders. Her husband's words couldn't have been clearer. Frigga desperately gasped for air as a gut-wrenching wave of panic kicked in.
'Loki. My son, you fool, what have you done?'
'I could ask the same of you, Frigga. Where is Mikan?'
"Loki–" Frigga's voice stuck in her throat as Loki waved his hand to silence her.
"Where is Mikan?" he reiterated his question, aloud this time.
Hotaru and Frigga moved simultaneously aside, finally allowing Mikan to enter Loki's line of vision. His eyebrows arose with surprise as he took in the gruesome sight. Mikan's chin was nearly touching the chains bounding her upper body to the column, blood was dripping from her face which, from where he was standing, was mostly hidden to him, and what was little exposed of her translucent skin was mostly covered in dark marks. His throat tightened as he realized that he still couldn't sense Mikan's spiritual energy. And, although he noticed the faint rise-and-fall action of her chest as she breathed, her body looked like a broken empty shell. His first thought was that she was as good as dead. 'The damages done to her aren't only physical, they are also metaphysical.' Loki furrowed his brow. If this was what he believed it was, then Mikan was in greater danger than he had initially assumed she might be in. 'A fate worse than death that even her own would not release her from…' For a brief instant, Loki pondered on whether the Ancient One had known that this would eventually happen to her so precious pupil. 'And she still dares to claim that I am the monster.' His fingers curled into tight fists in anger. He wished he had killed her when he still had the opportunity to.
"You didn't just activate Allice protective wards, didn't you? You lost her in there too."
It had been more of an affirmation than a question and the ensuing heavy silence that had followed it spoke for itself. The woman called Hotaru shot them a questioning look as she was obviously the only one unaware of the real gravity of Mikan's situation. It was under her carefully scrutiny that Loki rapidly closed the distance separating him from Mikan within seconds in a few long strides. By the time he made it to the end of the hallway, the stink of blood and dark magic made him want to vomit. Loki pinched his lips together disapprovingly and braced himself over Mikan's hips. From the corner of his peripheral vision, he observed Hotaru draw a small Midgardian weapon out of her purse.
"Do not waste your time, child. Those do not work on me." Loki warned her with disdain in his voice, without ever turning his attention away from Mikan once. His gaze lingered on her delicate features. Even in such state he still found himself annoyedly enticed by them. His fingers unwittingly traced her jawline as he stopped her nosebleed and cleaned the blood off of her face. Her skin felt frighteningly cold against his. Loki kept himself from sighing. He had missed her more than he cared to admit. These two days had made him realize how empty the walls of the Mansion felt without her lively presence in it and how much she had grown into him. His hands hovered over her body with the faintest glow as he attempted to determine the nature of the curse she had fallen victim to. It was the first time he could perceived Allice's magic so strongly.
"Don't be too confident. I designed it specifically with you in mind." Hotaru replied.
"You flatter me." Loki sneered coolly.
Her instincts were telling her to back away, but she stood her ground instead and adjusted the weapon's height, making sure to keep Loki in her firing line. Loki chose to ignore her and secured a lock of Mikan's wet hair behind her ears instead. Hotaru's eyes narrowed slightly: he had carried the gesture far more gently than he needed to. She threw in a quick glance at Frigga, her small look of muted surprise confirmed her that she had noticed it too.
"What do you intend to do to her?" Hotaru asked. She had no intention of lowering her weapon yet.
The woman was starting to grow on his nerves; Loki answered her question anyway: "If my intention were hostile, I would have spared myself the trouble of coming here by myself. You seem to have done a pretty good job at it on your own." Loki's voice was biting, his frustration making an unusual show of slipping in his voice.
Loki ignored Frigga's slight flinch and the guilt he was sure he would find in her eyes if he lifted his head up to look for it. He preferred to keep his attention focused on Mikan's unconscious form instead. The Ancient One had not lied to him: most of her magical energy had been drained out of her, the one actually coursing through her veins being Allice's. Just like she had claimed, the curse he had placed on her wasn't meant to kill her. No. It acted in a more vicious way, blocking what remained of Mikan's magic, weakening her body enough for it to succumb to the enormous quantity of Alices within it. With the spell Frigga had placed on her and the chains bounding her, it had simply been overkill.
Loki cursed under his breath. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be able to untie Mikan before her body had been restored with enough magical energy to combat the curse on its own and taking her back to the Mansion was out of question in this state. He highly doubted that she would survive the first three portal jumps, how would she the remaining twenty?
Loki pressed his palms against the cold metal of the chains. They were hugging Mikan's figure so tightly he pondered on whether he would also have to patch some broken ribs once he would be done with them. He frowned slightly in concentration. These chains formed a strong, powerful barrier impervious to any kind of magic. It was what was keeping Mikan from dying, and yet, for now, it also was one of the first greatest challenges he would have to overcome to successfully heal her. However, Loki could already distinctively perceive their limitations. They guaranteed far less protection from their outsider wall and, theoretically, they were supposed to allow small quantity of magic in. Theoretically. One important question remained though: would that be possible without compromising his chances of bringing them back to the safety of his chambers in Allice's Mansion? Loki decided within moments that it was.
His evergreen eyes fell back on Mikan's pale features. Her lips were turning blue. Loki pressed a cool hand against her forehead. She was well below freezing. Loki's frown deepened with worry. He shifted his hands up to unclasp the cloak from around his shoulders and wordlessly covered Mikan with it as he placed a warming charm on it. Saving Mikan was possible. It was easier said than done. Saving her was going to take serious time and energy but, overall, he knew that the outcome would be worth it. First, he would have to restore into her enough energy to safely bring her back to the Mansion. Then he believed that the spells and wards in his chambers might be enough to break the curse she had fallen victim to. If not, Loki held no doubts that his extended knowledge in sorcery would enable him to overcome it. It wasn't the main source of his worries. Finally, the hardest part would yet have to come. Finding Mikan's lost soul within the Stone would be tricky. It might as well take him a day, a week, a month or even more to do so and guiding her soul safely back to her body might even prove itself to be harder to accomplish. However, none of this was impossible and he was nowhere near giving up already.
Loki sighed, he had to act quickly. Mikan's condition worsened with every passing moment. In her current state, he gave her less than thirty minutes to live and he certainly wouldn't be able to keep himself hidden from Odin for that long. Loki jerked his head up to face Frigga.
"I can save her." he affirmed confidently. "This might take some time though and I won't be able to keep neither myself nor Mikan hidden from him for that long. I will let you take care of that."
"I will." Frigga nodded quietly. Relief washed over her. She would have never been able to forgive herself if Lady Sakura was to die in there because of her.
Meanwhile, Hotaru lowered her weapon but made no sign of moving. Her eyes were hard, the skin next to them had tightened considerably and she stood stiffly next to Frigga, greatly annoyed to be left in the dark as to what was going on with Mikan. Her guts were telling her that it was much worse than what she could imagine and, somehow, she couldn't help but think that the two Asgardians in the room were the ones to blame for it. At least for insensitively meddling with Mikan's life the way they had. However, as long as they could ensure her friend's safety, she found out that it didn't really matter in the end. Hotaru observed as Loki placed his hands on the chains tying Mikan and his eyes clenched shut in concentration. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that the god of Lies and Mischief was ready to risk his freedom to save her childhood friend and even less that he had resolved himself to trust Frigga unquestionably into helping him doing so. 'He needs Mikan more than I had first imagined.' Hotaru noted as she quietly observed Loki use his magic to save her friend. Somehow, she found herself wondering on the nature of their relationship. 'She is the kind of idiot who could fall for him. He seems quite enticed by her too and he isn't even trying to hide it.' Hotaru sighed heavily as she realized that she wasn't getting any closer of gathering the explanation she had expected from her childhood friend.
Loki's magic tested the chains, carefully studying the impervious barrier they drew as he tried to find a breach that would allow his magic to break through it. It turned out to be more difficult than he had anticipated. For several minutes on end, his efforts turned out to be vain. Unwilling to let himself abashed by the feelings of frustration and deception that had overwhelmed him, he opted for a different approach.
Sitting back down on his heals, Loki focused every ounce of his energy and projected a powerful wave at the barrier. Once again, his attempt was meet with failure. Not giving up, he directed a stronger wave at it. Still nothing. Loki's teeth grinded harder together. The third blast wave was so powerful that it made the entire walls of the Stronghold shake. His magic finally managed to tear a breach through the barrier.
"Loki, if you keep on like this, I won't be able to hide you." Frigga warned him as she tugged nervously at the folds of her golden dress.
"It does not matter." Loki replied as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I am in."
"Thor," Jane held the palm of her hands against his chest when she found herself trapped in the god of Thunder's strong arms. Resistance would be of no use against these heavy Asgardian muscles. Jane bit her lower lip in defeat and allowed herself to relish in the contact as she breathed in Thor's musky scent. His fingertips moved along her jawline in a manner similar to a caress. Jane smiled timidly at him and Thor leaned in for a kiss.
"Thor, I won't be able to patch you up like this." she sighed.
"Fear not, my Love." Thor reassured her as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, "All these are just minor superficial injuries."
Jane clicked her tongue disapprovingly and tried to free herself from Thor's grasp one more time. He threw her an amused look before unlocking his arms from around her little figure. Holding his hands in a show of defeat, he finally allowed her to apply a wet towel on the gashing wound on his temple and observed her tenderly when she proceeded to clean the blood off of his face.
"What is bothering you, dear Jane?" Thor asked as a deep frown appeared on his lover's face.
"It's just that–" Jane started as she hesitantly caressed the huge bruise that had bloomed along his collarbone with the tips of her fingers. She felt her throat tighten. Bruising Thor so badly was no small feat, "It's just that Mikan is so strong." she affirmed in a small voice, "I saw what happened in New York, in Knowhere and in what state you had to reduce the Golden City to catch her. I mean, just look at what she has done to you. And, to this day I don't think that we have seen her use her power to its full extent, yet. With such powers and with the knowledge in her possession, it's no wonder that she picked Loki's interest. To me, it seems like she has way more to offer than he has to give her. I am just worried to know what he intended to do with her."
"So am I." Thor admitted.
It pained him just to think about it. His brother had changed so greatly since he had learned of his true parentage, to the point he had barely recognized him when he had decided to unleash his madness on New-York. He had grown so distant, so spiteful. Thor hated that their paths had drifted so much apart. He longed for things to go back to how they used to be between the two of them so badly. Yet Thor was neither stupid, nor blind. He knew that this would never happen. It had to never happen. Loki wouldn't be the only one who would have to work on himself to make any kind of reconciliation between them work. The year following his brother's fall off the Bifrost had helped him realize that. Thor was too conscious of how badly he had failed his younger brother. He had help–. No, he had played a major part in making Loki turn into the sour being he had become. Thor bit at his tongue until he felt the taste of blood in his mouth. He was more than aware of how indifferent he had been to the Warriors Three's constant berating of his younger brother. Worse, he had allowed them to and had at times even taken part to it. And it had quickly grown out of control, to the point Sif never made any effort to hide the utter disgust she held toward his younger sibling. All this because of a stupid hair incident. None of his friends had grieved Loki's supposed death, if anything they had seemed more than relieved to know him gone. It sickened him now.
Jane placed a comforting hand on Thor's shoulder, pained to see him so abashed. 'His love for Loki will never diminish.' Jane realized sadly and she admired him for it, even though she was one of those who firmly believed that Loki was far past redeeming. If it was up to her, he should never be allowed to walk out of prison for the rest of his life. 'Not what after he did to New-York, not after he toyed with Erik's mind in such a despicable way.' Jane clenched her fists to her sides as a resurgent wave of anger washed over her. Yet, she couldn't find it in her to admit the personal resentment she held against the Trickster God to Thor. 'He wouldn't understand. He continuously keeps making up excuses for him.'
"To be honest with you, Jane, Heimdall's unwearable faith in Lady Sakura made me hope that she could change Loki for the best. She even managed to make him take a blood oath and, to my knowledge, he had never taken the risk of contracting one before." Thor sighed heavily, "I secretly wished that she could have over him the same redeeming influence you had on me."
"That's not the same, Thor! Your crimes and Loki's were different. You didn't kill thousands like he did." Jane interjected vehemently. "Only prison can atone for Loki's crimes!"
Thor held up his hand. "No, Jane. This is where you are wrong." Thor's cheeks flushed with shame and embarrassment. "My crimes and Loki's are far more similar than you like to think. I nearly started a war between Asgard and Jotunheim, killing hundreds on the behalf of my then wounded pride. I would have killed thousands or more without Loki's intervention. My brother is not evil, he never was. He just needs to be brought back to reason again."
Jane sighed defeatedly; she knew that she wouldn't win this argument. 'He is too blinded by his love for Loki.'
"Fine, if you say so." Jane conceded with a subtle shrug of her shoulders.
The alarm of the device she and Hotaru had spent hours conceiving went off at exactly the same moment. A curse screamed in Jane's brain as she ran over the table where she had placed it. 'He wouldn't dare to appear on Asgard now, would he?' A simple glance at the device's screen was enough of a confirmation. Her eyes widened in surprise. 'Loki is here. I can't believe that he is willing to face the risk of being caught just to save Mikan.' She shook her head in disbelief.
"Thor. Loki is here, we should go check Mikan's cell immediately." Jane informed Thor. She grabbed the phone Hotaru had given her. She had no idea of what advanced technology was behind it but it even worked in Asgard. She quickly put it inside her pocket and reached for another one of Hotaru's clever creation, a gun she had claimed to be capable of arming Asgardian flesh. When she lifted her head to meet her lover's eyes, she was stunned by how suddenly pale Thor had become.
Was his younger sibling to be caught anywhere near Asgardian territory, he would be passible of execution. Thor's stomach sank with fear and apprehension. He had to do something, anything. Forgetting Jane's presence, Thor ran to the doors and threw them wide open. He ran at a full sprint down the multiple golden hallways and the staircases separating his chambers from the doors Dungeons, parkouring the distance in all of forty seconds. He ignored the surprised shouts of Luca, Sif and the Warriors Three as he flew past them, although he could hear them running at his heels. Thor made sign to the two soldiers guarding the doors of the Dungeons to make way and they scurried to open them up for him, letting him in.
The silence inside the Dungeons was deafening. Surprisingly so. Suspiciously so. Thor's breath caught in his throat and for a brief instant, he stilled, his traitorous legs refusing to close the small distance separating him from Lady Sakura's cell. Thor gulped, yet walked over to it anyway, each step bringing him closer to it feeling like a death sentence.
Relief crashed into him as he found Mikan lazing about in her, seemingly unaware of what was happening. As she took notice of his presence in the cellblock, the young woman approached the field separating them and threw him a small smile. It was taunting, yet kind. 'Loki, could it be that you have found your match in Lady Sakura?'
"Thor!" Luca exclaimed, his tone was filled with worry and teared Thor out of his dazzled state. "What's going on?"
Thor froze. He had forgotten about them. He spanned on his heels to face his friends; a fake smile stretched across his face. One that was meant to be reassuring.
"Nothing." Thor assured. "I just wanted to make sure that Lady Sakura hadn't teleported herself away from her cell."
Thor bit at his tongue. This was the reason why he had always left the lying to Loki. He just sucked at it.
Thor's gaze lifted to meet Jane's. His eyes were pleading, desperate. The skin around Jane's eyes tightened and she curled her hands into tight fists. No matter how badly she wanted Loki to rot in a cell for the rest of his life, she refused to play a part in his possible execution. She would never do that to Thor. Jane bit at her tongue and threw her lover a subtle reassuring smile.
"Indeed. I shared with Thor my concern that the force field of theses cells might not work on Mikan the same way it would on a Sorcerer. And there he is, rushing to the Dungeons so fast that he was already here when I realized that he had left." Jane lied along. She sounded slightly annoyed. Their company seemed to buy it. Thor's shoulders relaxed slightly and he threw her an apologetic smile, once more greatly thankful for Jane's compassionate nature.
"Where is Hotaru?" Jane then asked Luca. "I would like to have a word with her."
"I haven't seen her since you guys caught Mikan." Luca admitted. "It's been at least three hours I saw her." He realized with worry. He hadn't thought too much about it since he had simply wanted to give his friend some space.
"This is about the same time Volstagg and I saw her head toward the city." Fandral stated.
Volstagg nodded along. "She was mounting Loki's horse." He noticed how Thor seemed to tense slightly at his words and added with a small frown: "If she has not been venturing out of the Golden City, she should have been here by now. The night has fallen already"
"Then Thor should probably go look for her." Jane offered a tad bit too quickly. If Loki was truly in Asgard, then Hotaru would probably be the first to know. Indeed, she highly suspected that the young inventor had more cards up her sleeves than she had been willing to share with them. And, although her guts were telling her that Hotaru was trustworthy, it was at time hard to when she wasn't willing to trust them back.
"I'll come with you." interjected Luca, who had started to over his friend's safety.
Thor shook his head disapprovingly. "There will be no need. I know the city and its surroundings quite well. We will not be long."
With that Thor and Jane dismissed their friends and headed hastily toward the stables.
He had finally breached the other side. Loki breathed a sigh of relief as his magic broke through the barrier and began to reach Mikan's veins. This whole process was too slow for his liking and too costly in energy. Less than a third of the magic he had to deploy managed to reach his Little One's veins as the rest of it unfortunately went to waste. He wished there was some way to rush things out. Unfortunately, none crossed his mind.
After five minutes some colors started to appear back on Mikan's face and, although her body was still entirely limp in his arms, her skin felt warmer against his. In a few more minutes, he would be able to take her back with him to the Mansion, with barely enough resources to make it there.
A beeping sound pierced the tense silence that had settled over the Hidden Stronghold. Loki lifted his head to identify its location. He observed a deep frown appear on Hotaru's face as she reached for some device which was not familiar to him.
Loki is here, where are you?
"Hurry up, Loki. They know you are here." Hotaru stated wearily. 'I almost forgot that Jane has one too.'
Loki cursed under his breath. 'How could they possibly know?'
Loki's gaze fell back on Mikan. She hadn't regained enough energy for his liking but he was certain that if he took her with him now, she would survive the trip back to the Allice's Mansion.
Hotaru's eyes hardened as she watched him take care of Mikan. Her whole stature stiffened as she readied herself to do something both incredibly stupid and immensely crazy. But, as long as Mikan's life was hanging in the balance, it didn't matter. She would always stand by the side of those who could ensure her safety. And, for now, she decided that it was Loki.
"How long do you think it will take to heal Mikan?" Hotaru asked him.
Loki weighed the question. He hated that his first thought was: 'I don't know.'
"It is a variable. It can as well take a week, a month or more." Loki admitted reluctantly. "To make things clear, I am taking Mikan back with me." he then added matter-of-factly.
Hotaru nodded, somehow approvingly. If what Frigga had told her was true then her staying in Asgard was simply out of the question.
"A tracking spell has been placed on you." Hotaru blurted out. "Make of that information what you wish."
She could have sworn that she saw him blanche a little.
Loki's thoughts whirled. It was with an overwhelming feeling of frustration that the confrontation with a certain Midgardian wizard came back to his mind. 'Does this mean that the Mansion's position is compromised?' The unpleasant thought suddenly crossed his mind. Two weeks had already passed since then. He decided that since no one had attempted to take it under assault, going back there was still safe. They would probably just have to lay low for a while and he would have to extend the protective spells in his chambers to the whole Mansion. 'This might take a while too.'
With one hand still conveying his energy through the chains, Loki closed his eyes, forcing as much of his consciousness into his magic as he could. He inspected it as he tried to uncover the foreign presence that had been meddling with it. After two whole minutes of searching, he finally sensed it. Almost too faint for him to notice but he did. Although, Loki would never admit to it aloud, he was impressed with the wizard's capacities. Simple but efficient, it had now been fooling him for weeks. His shoulders relaxed a bit as he shrugged the spell off. It was one less problem off of them.
Then, with no time to waste, Loki scurried to vanish the chains bounding Mikan to the marble column. Beneath him, she breathed so hard it actually rocked him in his place on her hips. It was with dreadful apprehension that Loki removed his cloak from her and lifted her sweatshirt, just above her bra, to examine the physical damage the chains had caused to his Little One. He pursed his lips into a thin line as he saw the blooming marks they had imprinted on her torso. He quickly evaluated the damages and narrowed them down to two broken ribs. Nothing that he wouldn't be able to patch up.
Loki adjusted Mikan's clothes and covered her back with his charmed cloak. He then removed himself from above her and secured her back in his arms, as gently as he could.
"If you fail to save Mikan, I'll make sure to kill you myself." Hotaru threatened.
Frigga opened her mouth to interject but Loki beat her into it:
"It won't happen and I would like to see you try." he growled at her, slightly annoyed, as he snuggled Mikan closer to his chest. Then, turning his attention back to Frigga, he added in a much gentler tone: "Do not blame yourself for what happened today. This is entirely the Ancient One's fault, not yours."
With that, he vanished into thin air as he transported Mikan and himself back to the safe walls of Allice's Mansion.
Thank you for reading this chapter! Constructive criticism is always welcome, please leave a review!