A/N: I'm posting two chapters this time, as in November this story will be on hiatus while I work on National Novel Writing Month in November.
Loki stood watching at the window as the leaves on every branch began to fall. They blanketed the ground below in orange patchwork.
"So, Loki," Xavier began, "How have you been sleeping lately?"
Loki turned; mouth pursed for a moment. "Why do you need to know? Is there nothing that I can keep to myself?!"
Xavier's eyebrows rose at Loki's asperity. "I only want to help you, Loki. While you resided in Avengers Tower as it's now called, you kept having nightmares to the point where you had to be sedated. And you woke up screaming more than once. It is often helpful for trauma victims who have nightmares or memories that they would rather not think about at night. To have someone interpret these dreams so that they can work through their trauma."
The former God of Mischief's eyes swung towards him, He turned away to the window, seeming lost in thought for a moment, but said nothing for a while.
"You know, Captain America-Steven has nightmares about his best friend falling from a train during World War II and crashing his plane into the ocean. So does Tony Stark; he has memories of when he was held captive and tortured by the 10 Rings in Afghanistan." Xavier added.
'Held captive and tortured.' Loki repeated in his mind. His torture had been so brutal and painful that it felt as if his very essence was being stripped away from him. Loki let out an audible sigh as he replayed what had happened in his head. He let out a shuddering sigh and slumped into an armchair.
"Do you dream of when you were…attacked by Odin?" Xavier inquired.
Loki shook his head, "No." he whispered. "When I…. fell, I ended up on a ship that held me captive for several months…perhaps even a Midgardian year. I was beaten, starved…. coerced into finding the Tesseract on Earth. The magic, the mind stone he placed in the scepter was too powerful, I could not shake its effect on me." To himself, he uttered, "I don't fear Odin as much as those who held me prisoner."
"Who was it that held you captive, Loki?" Charles insisted. Loki looked startled, but only shook his head. "Very well." He relented, "I won't force you to talk about it if you don't want to, but that's what these sessions are for. Bringing your trauma to the forefront and facing it will help you to be a better person in the future; for yourself and your brother."
Loki kept quiet as he looked out into the distance, contemplating the subject.
"Do you like autumn, Loki?" Charles asked curiously.
The trickster turned his head and shrugged. "It is…...pleasant. The cooler temperatures and vibrant colors are…...lovely, I suppose." He glanced at Xavier, "And before you ask, no we don't have autumn on Asgard, per se. The tree leaves do change color and fall, but that is all. There is no change of weather." Something of a grin appeared on his face, "When I used to sneak off of Asgard, I would sometimes come to this very city, the last time was… 400 years ago."
Xavier's eyebrows rose. "You got off Asgard without using the Bi-Frost."
Loki grinned, "Master of magic, remember? I had pathways to leave Asgard of my own accord. "
They'd had a lot of freedom back then, even as princes of Asgard. When they were not attending to their royal duties, Thor and Loki as well as the Warrior Three went on adventures not only on Asgard, but off world on other realms as well.
When it was clear that Thor was not as welcoming to inviting him along, Loki found a way to strike out on my own. With the skill of Amora, he learned the magic necessary to travel pathways that were not from the Bi-Frost. And it gave the second prince not only a sense of accomplishment in his own magic, but the ability to see worlds on his own terms.
"That's when I discovered Midgard." Loki explained, "I was able to see it when it was called the 17th Century, and then I returned to different parts of it to discover what was new in the realm."
'And how old were you when you first started jumping through those pathways?" Xavier inquired.
Loki seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "I was about 13 in Midgardian years."
"Is that how you arrived on Earth during the Invasion of New York?"
Loki flinched as if he had been struck, and Xavier knew exactly what had made him so defensive. The Asgardian's face was blank with pain and shame, His own actions had been responsible for this suffering on earth. "That was not my doing, I only teleported myself, and ended up in SHIELD's experimental transporter room. "
"Did you know that you had mind controlled two people and killed three others?"
Loki shifted uneasily on his feet and avoided looking at Xavier for a moment. The young god knew that he couldn't escape or hide from what he had done any more. And it made him wonder, would he ever be free? He sat in despair as he thought about everything he had done and what it had led up too.
"T-that was not my doing either. The scepter I arrived with….it had the Mind Stone; The Avengers might attest to it since they confiscated it when I was…. captured. I know not what happened to it afterwards, however." He paused, weighing his words carefully. "The Mind Stone affects those in different ways. It can show those who are under its influence uknown potentials, such as with Selvig and his knowledge of space.
"And warped his mind." Xavier returned, coldly. "Luckily Barton did not have that same adverse reaction as him, but it brought him great mental stress and what we call Post Traumatic Stress disorder."
Loki raised his eyes to the Professor, "I know. When I…. possessed their minds, I too had been…. overtaken by the Mind Stone's power, and by the one it controlled. When Thor confronted me the second time, Thor asked me if the madness would end my rule. That's when I broke free for a moment and saw the destruction. I was facing my end, either by the Avengers or y captors. There was nothing left for me except for despair and revenge. Any hopes of appealing to my brother were gone." Loki rasped, shaking his head.
He closed his eyes, wishing to banish the memories from his mind. Loki turned his head away, "I am glad that Hulk thrashed me as he did, it finally freed me from the Stone's grasp." Loki's breaths were shallow, his face haggard as he looked at the Professor. Xavier even saw Loki's eyes mist with tears.
"You have been diagnosed with the same condition as Barton, Loki. We will be treating this like how he was treated so that your recovery may begin." He glanced at Loki's sullen expression, "But not today, you've been under enough strain for today."
Heimdall's gaze upon the two princes on Midgard by a figure striding down the Bi-Frost and to the connecting Observatory. He needn't wonder who it was, for the gleaming gold armor told all.
"All-Father." Heimdall bowed his head with reverence as the King of Asgard approached.
Odin's face was impassive. "How fares my son?"
"He fights alongside the shield brothers and sister of Midgard. He is not doing so today, however. The Crown Prince resides in the son of Stark's tower."
Odin's face remained impassive. "And my traitor of a son?"
The Gatekeeper turned towards the portal. "He speaks with a man, a doctor in an odd home on Bleeker Street in the city known as New York."
Odin's expression became tense as he inquired, "Does Thor not have Loki with him?"
"No, All-Father." Heimdall answered mildly.
After demanding, "Take me to Thor," Odin waited in stony silence.
TBC...