NOTE: Hope you all stay safe from COVID-19. Guess I can make bulk progress on these stories tho.

Chapter 11

Loki collapsed on the red couch near the hanger. He has climbed the staircase from the hospital bay up to the top floor where broken shards still remained with shattered tiles. Yet the window remained broken and a welcoming night breeze flew into the building. He felt the strange necklace humming along and doing its job and his magic slowly healing his broken thumbs, along with the rest of collaterals. He felt like he could breathe again.

He was no longer drowning in the blue waves.

Yet, he didn't know how long this will last.

He contemplated his last action- undoubtfully a cowardly action before he was put under. But, he already was beyond the term "brave" that used to follow Thor like a loyal dog with a leash in comparison to his own "sliver tongue" that latched onto him like a snake bite. He thought it wouldn't even make a dent in his history. Not with the genocide of Middle Earth in his mind and also his dealing with the forsaken Titan. Suddenly, such thought made him nauseous and he would have vomited, yet his stomach was hollow and empty.

So, he sat on the couch and waited anxiously.

Banner glanced at the screen as Steve and Thor continued to argue while Stark tried to settle both of them down. Banner frowned and squinted his eyes. Like playing find the difference, he glanced at the screen and then blinked to see if he saw correctly. Like lightning, he realized there was no one under the restraint on the screen.

The intercom came alive with a voice.

"Loki has escaped from his restraints."

"What?" Steve shouted. He bolted up straight. "Show me where he is right now." On-screen, Loki was sitting calmly on a red couch, looking nonchalant as ever.

"Shit! Why didn't you tell me he woke up?" Stark shouted.

"I felt that the discussion you were having here was fruitful," Jasper replied.

"No shit, really?" Stark said. They all scrambled to the door and onto the main floor where the broken pieces of glass littered the floor.

The morning sunset was peeking from the horizon and morning sunlight trickled into the shattered building like a new dawn. Loki didn't bother to block the sunlight that shone onto his face. Instead, he bathed in the warmth.

When was the last time he had felt warm? The Void has been freezing and everything else with his jumbled up memory was always filled with cold. He tried not to think of it. The memory was overwhelming and he could not, would not be buried underneath again. Didn't he deserve at least, to exist under the sunlight just like everyone else?

A frost giant, craving warmth? Cold is what you should be seeking. In coldness and darkness, is where your true form lies.

Loki took in a shuttered breath. He had to forget, forget and-

The sudden crunch of glass made him open his eyes. There stood the four men that would rather see him in prison, punished for his crimes.

Stark already had his iron hands, ready to shoot, Banner stood by the side off in the corner looking anxious, Steve stood calmly, assessing the situation to determine the best course of action and Thor looked worried.

"How the hell did you get out of your restraint?" Banner exclaimed. Loki twitched his thumbs that were slowly being healed. "I broke my thumbs."

"Don't do anything funny." Iron man said. "I'm running on Redbulls and energy drinks so I might just accidentally fire it if you move an inch."

"Raised your hand where we can see them," Steve commanded.

Slowly, Loki raised his hands over his head. "If you put me back on the restraint, it's like a death sentence for me."

"We said we couldn't risk giving your magic back."

"And I told you I need my magic to heal."

You mean to keep your sanity.

"We checked your condition. You don't have any internal injuries and most of your scars, well, they are old scars. As long as they aren't opened by accident, I don't think you will need your healing ability."

"It's not something you can see with your (pathetic) mortal eyes and instruments," Loki said venomously. Then, realizing how he sounded, he tried to gloss it over with a calm breath, but instead, he sounded haggard. "I can feel it. It's the mind gem. It's slowly degrading my body. Even if you stopped it degrading my mind, it won't stop wreaking havoc on my body."

Banner had the restraints in his hands. They were like durable yet light metal cuffs. "Just think of them like probational ankle monitors." He said gently as possible as if trying to capture a wounded dog.

Loki's body trembled. "Stay away." He warned as his hand began to crackle with energy.

"Loki, just listen to Banner. He knows what he is doing." Thor said reassuringly and quickly, a hopeful light that lit in Loki's emerald eyes as he looked at his brother Thor fell like fallen stars.

How pathetic. Even your brother trusts his 'friends' than his own brother. But when has he ever looked at you in brighter light compare to his loyal friends?

Steve closest to Loki, studied his face and his eyes and deep in them and he saw the same emotion he saw when he gazed into eyes of soldiers that laid in the battlefield, clutching on his shoulder as half of their bodies were burnt beyond recognition or paralyzed by gunshot wounds.

They screamed always just one thing.

I don't want to die.

Suddenly, Loki started coughing as if the instigation pulled a trigger. Slowly, he swayed onto the couch with his head bowed as coughs rattled his bones and lungs. Covering his mouth with his hand, blood dribbled down from his mouth to his neck like a stretched red string. Loki wheezed as he felt each breath he took felt like glass shards going down his throat. Then, he collapsed on the couch like a puppet with broken strings.

Startled, Banner and Steve rushed toward Loki as Thor stood by in between surprise and a shock.

"He's breathing." Banner said in relief.

"That's it!" Stark shouted as he put down his iron hands to his side and disabled them. "I can't deal with this. I spent the last 48 hours or so making an object that was sorely based on theory. I'm going to bed."

"But, what about my brother?" Thor asked in bewilderment.

"I don't know! He's your brother! He's not crazy anymore and he's practically on a death bed. You take care of him. " Stark shouted, then mumbled something about babysitting as a worst occupation and left for the hall.

Banner looked at Loki awkwardly at this situation and back at Stark walking away into the hall. "Uh, I guess Thor, you stay with Loki. I'm going to find a ventilator for him."

Then, Banner left quickly back to the hallway downstairs to medicine bay. Steve sighed and shook his head at a typical Stark reaction and gave Thor a look. "I'm going to find a room for Loki to stay in. There should be one for guests in this tall building. Keep an eye on him." Then, Steve also left.

Thor looked at unconscious Loki and thought for a long time.

Later in bed, Steve told himself he should have no guilty conscience. Yet, he did.