Chapter 7

"You have to-to take it out." Loki stuttered. He felt as if his tongue was tied, his hands shook within the restraints and Loki could feel the numbing cold creeping back into his blood. He raised his voice. "I can't hold on any longer. Not without my magic."

"We can't unrestraint you," Captain said matter of factly.

"It's too risky." Black Widow agreed coldly. Hawkeye glared at Loki for even voicing the thought of being released and turned away in disgust. Thor stood by the side, uncertain.

"Yeah, who knows if you will go berserk and break more of my windows," Stark added as he hurridly rushed by the medical table with surgical tools, "you're paying for that by the way, plus for other damages."

Loki broke out into cold sweat. He heard a whisper in his ears.

You will beg for death.

He didn't want to beg for death, he didn't want to, he shouldn't. He wanted to live so much.

But he couldn't do it anymore. A single tear fell out of his left eye. "Either give me back my magic," he paused, "or just kill me."

"We aren't going to kill you. Just stay still while we surgically remove the gem." Banner assured with a look of concern for Loki's distress. "Look, I'm a doctor. I can remove it." Banner looked at the quick image they took of the mind gem while Loki was unconscious. "I think. Maybe I need to do more test, take some MRI, FMRI and X-rays just in case."

Loki laughed tiredly. "Even the best healers on Asgard would be unable to remove the mind gem without killing the inhabitant corrupted by the gem."

Everyone turned to Thor for confirmation. Thor sighed. "It's a delicate procedure that not even the best healer in Asgard can prevent damages from corroded mind gems. Often than not, the slave died in the process or afterward. It was a rare case, for there was no need to save a slave from an implanted mind gem. After all, they were slaves."

Hawkeye shooked his head in dismay. Steve frowned. Stark gapped. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Loki chuckled dryly. "Don't look so surprised. I studied that part of human history very well and it is far less promising and more or less the same. The only problem is you still have slavery in some parts of your world even today." Suddenly, Loki felt the weight of the crime he committed and actually looked at the ways Avengers looked at him.

Some had hate in their eyes and others had eyes of distrust and uncertainty. Even their sad little attempt at the surgery was just a contingency for some reasonable explanation of why he suddenly came to decimate the Earth and rule. It wouldn't be a loss if he died and if he did not, he would be interrogated, maybe tortured, for answers he would willingly give, but untrustworthy.

A fitting end for a slave.

"Shut up!" Loki grunted. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He felt a numbing pain resonate in his head with building pressure. He felt the mind gem flare up once more and his body turning heavy and cold. Blood trickled down from his nose and ears and Loki gazed up at the ceiling, fading in and out of the conversation. They soon became nothing more than background noise under the keening sound that began to crescendo.

"He's bleeding!"

kiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-

"Internally?"

"Brother!"

"How the hell do I know? I'm not a doctor, you are!"

"Why isn't he healing? I thought he could heal."

"His magic is restrained!"

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-

"Put him under first and give him ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers."

"Wait, where is that stuff?"

"It's right there, beside my medical kit!"

"I found it, here, catch."

The voice sneered in his head.

And still you squirm to live like a worm you are. To charm your way out.

Beg for death Prince of Lies, beg.

No, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction. He no longer wished to feel powerless or tortured. Not when he had control. He would die, by his own accord. Loki opened his mouth, and then bite down on his tongue.

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-

"Shit! he's bleeding from his mouth too." He felt his mouth being forced to open, but he didn't have energy to fight. In fact, he felt peace in his heart.

"Someone grab a towel!"

"Looks like he bit his mouth."

"I have a towel!"

"Why did he go do that for?"

"Brother, it's alright. My comrades have you."

"Was he talking to someone?"

"Hey, we are going to put you under. Don't worry."

Loki flickered his eyes. The world was tilting to the side and disoriented figures came and went like a shadow. As the darkness crept in, he heard the last person speak.

"You're in good hand."