A/N: I'm going to start posting every two weeks, okay with everyone? Also: my beta is on vacation, so this chapter isn't beta'ed, though I had some help with figuring it out. Thanks to the Loki and A03 Discords for helping me out!
Loki saw himself in the visible ruins of a battlefield. The sky was hazy with smoke and dust, obscuring the sunlight. He winced at the dislocated arm and grimaced at the acrid smell of blood in the air.
"Thor!" He screamed out, trying to spot the Thunder God. He climbed over the debris and bodies of the Chitauri. He looked down to see the body of Captain America, his shield broken in half. He continued to scramble through the rubble, flinching at the fallen Avengers as he passed each of them. Finally, he spotted Mjolnir standing alone.
"T-Thor." His words were cut off as he spotted his brother, laying only a few feet from the corpse of Cul.
He threw himself to his knees next to his unmoving brother. "T-Thor. Get up. You-you can't have died!"
The God of Thunder was dead, his brother was invariably gone. Loki set a protecting arm over Thor's mighty chest and sobbed quiet tears until there were no more to shed.
There was a sinister chuckle behind him, and Loki stood, turning on heel to see Thanos. The Mad Titan grinning ear to ear, his brawny hand encased with the Infinity Gauntlet.
"You…bastard. You killed my brother." Loki hissed; his fierce eyes flashed with considerable anger.
Thanos chuckled again, "And you naturally have yourself to graciously thank for that, little Prince. You led me right to it."
Loki's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?" he growled.
The Mad Titan's eyes narrowed, "Don't play dumb with me, tiny Jotun. You know exactly what I am talking about." With his other finger, he pointed to the blue Space Stone in the Gauntlet's inlay.
Instantly, Thanos' hand was gripping his neck, plucking him off his feet and nearly mid-air. Loki struggled in his grip, wheeling his legs helplessly as he tried to escape that awful vice, to no avail.
Behind him, even with his vision blurring with lack of oxygen, he could see the outline of Odin. His mouth was moving, and it took some moments for him to understand what was being said.
"My son, you must fight."
'Fight?' Loki thought with a shudder running down his back, 'Fight Thanos? How?'
Too late. He instantly heard a snap, his body going numb, and eternal darkness overtook him forever.
Loki startled awake, gasping for air as he tried stopping the terrific pounding of his heart.
Damn these dreams!
The need for adequate sleep had disappeared from his mind, replaced with a fleeting sense of...restlessness? He couldn't put his finger on what he was feeling.
Loki glanced out at the moonlit night from his window and decided he needed some fresh air. He rose from the bed, threw his covers off, and sneaked to the hallway. He pushed open the door and discovered steps that went all the way up to the roof. His ribs reminded him that they were in pain as he ascended them slowly. Loki struck yet another door, where the night air was seeping through under the gap underneath it.
He looked out to the city, taking in its beauty and grandeur as buildings added a nice bit of illumination to its surface. The former Trickster gingerly leaned against the high ledge, a gentle breeze grazing his skin and causing him to shiver. He could catch the vague sound of Midgardian vehicles passing by, and the horns of others. The street Strange's Sanctum stood on was relatively quiet. So quiet in fact, that he could hear the tree leaves rustling in the wind. From the roof, he could see a mysterious body of water, from which lights were equally prevalent from its other shore.
"It looks beautiful, doesn't it?" inquired a deep voice from beside him, making Loki jump slightly and regret that someone had managed to sneak up on him.
"Couldn't sleep, again?" Wong asked, piercing a tense silence between them.
Loki glanced over to him, wondering how easy it was to read him these days, but answered with only a shake of his head.
"You know, I had trouble adapting to New York City at first," Wong began, disturbing the silence. "It's much bigger than Kathmandu." He bobbed his head towards the city, "It is not nearly as big as here, though it's nearly as densely populated."
Loki tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "Is that where the tallest mountain on Mid-on Earth is? I remember reading in one of the books provided to me during my convalescence that Mount Everest was the most notable mountain in the world."
The sorcerer nodded, "In Nepali, we call it Sagarmatha; it means 'Sky Head.' The entire country is called, 'the rooftop of the world' because we sit on the highest elevation. The Kamir Taj, the temple where I now assist the Sorcerer Supreme, was the place I was born in." There was a pause, and then, "Perhaps one day, you will join and train alongside the others.''
Loki glanced at his hands, unimaginably doubtful he could use any magic, let alone his own.
"The Sorcerer Supreme could tap into your power in another way, perhaps." Wong added, as if reading his mind.
Loki sighed miserably. He confided, "It was my mother that willingly gave me the gift of my seider. Odin is the one who took it from me. I don't think I can gain it back now that she is gone."
"Perhaps you had your magic, and your mother just nurtured its power." Wong commented.
Loki stared wistfully at his hands again. "Thor actually has magic too, though it was not given to him, more inherited from fa-from Odin. It's what allows him to exert his lighting power." He sighed heavily, "He remains the only family I have left."
"How you speak of your brother makes you sound like you miss him." Wong observed.
Was he that transparent? Nevertheless, Loki nodded.
"You know, Stark or rather, Avengers Tower is only a 45-minute drive from here." Wong broke off for a moment, swiping two fingers in the air in a circular motion.
Gold sparks formed what Loki recognized as a portal. "We can get there even faster with this, though."
It was just for one night. Loki wondered what he was doing as soon as they stepped through the portal. On the other side was the Avengers' sitting area, where the kitchen was attached. All of them looked up with more than a little surprise as the duo appeared.
Wong bowed slightly, "Forgive the intrusion at this late hour."
"I-is Thor here?" Loki began to wonder why he suddenly felt uncomfortable in this space. Even though they had undoubtedly saved him, Loki could recognize the considerable tension, mainly from Romanoff and Barton.
"Yeah," Steve answered, looking out from the communal kitchen where a buttery smell was emanating. "Jarvis, call Thor down, would you?"
"Right away, sir." The A.I. answered.
It took only a few moments for the God of Thunder to appear in the living room, his eyes locking on Loki the moment he stepped in.
"Loki?" He took his wayward brother by the shoulders. "What are you doing here? Are you hale?"
"Would you rather I not be here, Thor? I can compel Wong take me back." Loki snapped.
"No! Nay, dear brother." The expression on Thor's radiant face was a mixture of confusion and happiness. "I am just surprised you came here with such little notice."
"Uh yeah," Tony interrupted, "Next time, call first before you decide to pop in. Okay, Point Break?"
"I... profusely apologize, Stark." Loki stammered, as if it were the first time he had begged forgiveness for anything. In an even more hushed tone and before he could stop himself, he intoned, "I am sorry for everything I have done."
Clint glared fiercely. With a sneer, he added, "It doesn't mean we exonerate you, asshole. You don't deserve that. C'mon Nat, I can't even look at him."
When the two spies stormed from the room, there was an uncomfortable silence.
"Maybe I should go." Loki whispered gently, turning back to the portal.
"Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves." Bruce remarked mildly.
"Mahatma Gandhi." He and Loki said simultaneously, though Bruce's eyebrows shot up.
The former god wheeled around and just shrugged, "Strange possesses many books about the East."
"We done waxing poetic?" Tony interrupted, "Wanna join us to watch a terrific movie? He gestured to the wide screen tv a few feet away. " We're introducing Steve to the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise."
"If-if you don't mind?" Loki replied. He remembered the looks of dismay and evident annoyance when he had asked to join Thor and the Warriors Three on their glorious adventures. To be invited by his former enemies to watch a film together seemed…odd, if not welcomed by him.
Wong bowed, "I need to catch up on some reading. Please don't hesitate to telephone me if you wish to return." In an instant, both the portal and the master of mystical arts had disappeared.
"Come brother, sit next to me." Thor called from the luxurious couch as he comfortably settled into the plump cushions of a plush white sofa.
Loki did so hesitantly, looking around at the familiar others who were also relaxing back in their preferred seats.
"Why?" Loki rasped, which garnered their attention. "Why are you being so kind to me? After all I've caused?"
"Because you're genuinely trying to straighten your complex life out, Loki." Steve remarked. "And sometimes you just need a little help."
"I'm glad you're here, brother. Please don't feel you're unwelcome. Have a seat."
When he saw how concerned the God of Thunder looked, he lingered for only a moment before taking his seat next to him. Loki's hands were clasped between his knees. "Thank you," he sputtered, 'thank you for allowing me to join you.'
"No prob, Reindeer Games. JARVIS, lights! And start the movie." Tony called to the ceiling. To Bruce, Tony said, "I've got an idea about JARV, Bruce. How about we talk in my research lab later?"
It still confused Loki why he was talking to the walls but shook his head and focused his attention to the screen in front of him. The movie was about tiny creatures called Hobbits who go on a mission. One named Bilbo caught his attention. During the first part of the movie, he was complacent in his life and home, much like Loki was when he was on Asgard, though he and Thor had ventured out beyond that to different realms. Seeing the little hobbit act so nobly for his mission and friends made Loki feel something he hadn't felt in a long time, guilt. He wished he'd be braver, more honorable, and as noble as Thor had become, or as accepted as him.
You had her tricks, but I had her trust.
He bit his lip, pondering. Could he ever be as trustworthy, courageous and decent a person as Thor? As his mother hoped that he would be?
Loki could not bring himself to look at what was in front of him. He had run away from his problems or accused others for his being less of a warrior than his brother. Practicing his magic to cheat was his clever way through potential problems, in addition to using it to avenge his wounded pride.
'Always so perceptive, about everyone but yourself,' his mother had said.
One could not salvage or 'fix' Loki but himself, with the help of the magic of his own creation, he might be able to save what remained.
'Is something wrong, brother?" Thor asked, causing Loki to startle slightly.
'Nothing,' Loki breathed with a slight sigh. 'Just stop talking during the film.'
'Aye brother. I apologize to you all.' The Thunder God returned.
The room became peaceful again as the film continued. Loki felt sleepiness tug at him gently. He gently pressed his head against Thor's mighty shoulder, eyes drifting resolutely shut. The last thing he recalled was hearing his brother chuckle softly in amusement at something on a glowing screen before finally succumbing fully into sleep.
TBC...