Note: Oi I feel as if I am rushing this whole little story forward, but I hope this answers any of the questions about what's happening. I tried for the bag of cats Loki and not sure how well I did.
A bit of brotherly love is ahead next chapter, maybe too much, depends. As well as death sentence to deal with.
When Loki's tongue had turned to dead weight the guards had hauled him away with little struggle, the addled mind of the trickster easy enough to take back to his cell with little defiance for them to deal with as they sat him to the ground and shackled him.
Now laying back against the wall once more, it was as if he had done nothing in any form of accomplishment, more like a step back, his hands now forced up into the air by the cuffs that held him to the wall, stretching his muscles and making his shoulders ache as he leaned forward trying to digress the problems that sent him swirling into a dark pit of forever going whirlpool of fatigue. Gaze downcast and shut off from the lonely world of his cell, Loki couldn't bring it in his command to force his eyes open. Instead they held shut heavily with weak silent pleas of sleep to pull the weight away and let the fool rest. The mind on the other hand was chaos twirling with new strands of problems by the second. Scolding himself, Loki struggled in his position, not looking for comfort but for attention from his physical being, he needed it to comply as well as his mental to get through this. Scars and sleep were a thing in the past at the moment, just anchors that had him falling down quicker in his decedent into exhausted madness. It didn't matter now, he needed to think.
Step one, organize, put the things together, take the puzzle piece and boarder the edges and work to the middle, form the frame and get the picture later. Which one to pick as his first piece? His death seemed well enough to try and note in his mind, accept it maybe? Taking a large breath Loki took what focus he could, his thoughts a rolling ball now. Odin had been planning his death..when was the death sentenced first? Not when he first arrived surely not, no Odin spoke of having to think about it after the second breach, which he would get to later in his thoughts. Posing a threat, Odin took it in his duty to deal with it and went for death penalty for a traitor and criminal that had done more than enough to deserve it.
So, death, it was coming and by getting loose tonight he had just moved up his date and cut precious time from his life. Frighteningly so Loki could accept this, that his death was near, under the hand of that which claimed to be his father. It didn't bother him as much as it should, he for one blamed being deprived of sleep or the sudden feeling that he knew this day would always come. Next on the list, Odin and the second breach..both he needed to figure out, which one first he wasn't sure.
Loki knew lies when he saw them, he knew fibs when they rose about, and he certainly knew truth when it crossed his path so bluntly. Odin and his truth, the maddening part of it all. It had been truth and Loki could not escape from that fact. Now he had to figure out where the lies were, obviously had to go within the night Odin had visited his chambers to tell him of his punishment. While either memory stood both could not be true for they opposed one another. Odin had not seen him since he had come back to Asgard. He had to point that out now, not lose the fact. So he never came into the cell. Burying that within the side of his thoughts he went forward. So where were the lies within his cell? The marks of the event were evident that something had occurred; he knew he wasn't mad enough to just image the whole thing.
Lips pursing Loki back tracked, a second breach had been made, the only breach he was aware of and counted as the first was the meeting he had with The Other about the Tesseract, something that was so brief and so fast, something all of these days, moments and minutes seem to have in common with his life suddenly, so swift that it was not helpful with all the conflicts he was piling into another corner of his mind.
Loki's eyes snapped open with a blink that was literally painful for the lids and made them ache with weight and stretched pain in the sudden heaved movement that such a simple task. But it was out of a thought, an idea, formulating and dots with connections being put together that had drawn him to look into his cell blankly.
The Other, he had penetrated the forces of his cell, all the tricks and shields others of the realms had used to contain Loki, they had gotten through and summoned him. They had been the first breach…the only breach.. The Other had gone through another breach, something Loki had not caught and yet must have done something to interact with him.
Odin..the lie, there it was, how Loki had not caught it before hand he wasn't sure, but he had the puzzle pieces, just had to fit them together. Odin and the lie, there were lies that night, that event of assault, and it was the presence of the Allfather. It had not been him, for Loki now knew that fact, it had not been truly Odin himself. So..the breach, something of another had to cast such perception of vision down, had to get into his cell with abilities only one had proved able to do and that was The Other. He had come down on Loki's punishment like a devil, horns ready and posed them to Loki as one of his true weaknesses, his ..adoptive father. Why would they manipulate him into such physiological pain rather than kill him? No he knew why they wouldn't kill him; it was the gesture of cruelty he did not understand.
There was always a purpose for what is done with him, and lately he was discovering himself a pawn, a manipulated pawn, not only for Odin it seems. Having enough energy to feel anger as he glared into the dusty dark space of his cell, Loki did his best not to struggle in his restraints, feeling the need to yell. How dare they, did everybody think him no more than just a monstrous pawn for their own needs?
Taking a few large gulping breaths that stung down his ribs from the chill that had spite for his lungs, he calmed his nerves back down, face steel and compressed more than ever but his mind was a raging coaster taking each turn curtly and sharp as new things were unhidden from the dark.
Okay, The Other had interacted with a vision of Odin in his cell, in which had Loki hurting, torn, and broken. Why did they wish to break him down? Closing his eyes again, Loki was able to keep level breathing as he traveled through answers. Thinking back on how he had felt within the communication with such authority, another thing seemed to click. He had wanted to stay, not be back in the cell and would do anything to stay in that encounter for as long as he could to keep from Thor. They had used the fact of his brother, and Loki's reactions to such a set up that he was harming his brother into baiting him to their hook, urging him to bid their doings, follow the vow with more determination and more speed within his time. A nudge with the pitchfork into hell..They wanted Loki to wish to be there, willing to do anything to get from his cell, and they had helped him like some little animal scared to take scraps of food. How could he be so stupid, such a fool, to be so weak, and letting them see his weakness, use it, play it, and dangle it at his face to make him turn back and run to the dark side away from the blinding light of love.
No one manipulated the God of Mischief and got away with it, he would make them pay, make them learn once and for all that he was just as balanced threat as they were and that they should fear him. The betrayal he really didn't care for, more or less he expected it sooner or later from what happened in the chaos he created down on 'Earth' it was the fact they used his family against him that had Loki ready to backstab, he had planned for it, but now he would go to greater lengths.
Till then Loki needed to escape from death's clutches, but right now he was ready to fall into another night of darkness that did not drown out the hellish reality that had become his life. And not that he would admit it anytime soon, but he was allowing, subconsciously, allowing the thought that since the encounter with 'Odin' had not sufficed as true meaning and it wasn't really him, he allowed himself to think that Thor's pain was just as false as Odin beating his face apart. That ghosted and wrapped into his mind. Loki was able to slip into slumber carefully, his strained arms pulsing with blood from outstretched position, but he gave no mind to it.
Loki wasn't sure if it were dreams in which the voices whispered within his head, many people calling out, calling out for what he could not hear, could not understand as the tones plead to the darkness of what he wasn't sure. Children's laughter began to surface, the noise churning to dull sobs the more the volume grew soft and then lost to the silence. When the silence ventured farther and only echoes of something close to shimmering voice of young boy proceeded to enter his head, Loki felt sudden awareness. He was awake, eyes still closed, drums of his ears still vibrating in the sounds that haunted his thoughts. For easy reasons, Loki felt as if he had not slept a wink, that the guards had dragged him in few moments ago and he just closed his eyes to think. It was as if time had not gone by, but didn't stop either, it was a lapse in memory if he had slept. Even if he felt time had not gone by, he felt his life moving quickly again, quicker than he could manage to hold.
Deciding in opening his eyes, Loki was given the sight of Thor, whip and hammer absent this time, but the betrayal made due to be there in the blue eyes that sat down on him with intense fire. Why had Odin allowed Thor into his cell once more? Had he not learned the lesson? His son was gullible, easy, naïve, yet he let him be in the cell with the trickster after he helped him escape? Hammer or not it was foolish. He could parade in his thoughts all day and point out the stupidity in Odin and Thor themselves in their previous actions of today..last night?..yesterday? Whenever that time of freedom from the cell was. Relaxed into the wall, Loki tipped his chin up at Thor, staring into the gaze. Loki's thoughts were reset; guilt no longer residing within him, not anywhere that he would let it be present anytime soon. Thor had earned his hurt expression, for the lack of guard and large amount of trust in his 'brother.'
"Loki" there it was, the whispers, they were back, calling his name now , the plea still there as they spoke his name, listening for all he could, the whisper soon turned into a rumbled vibration, deep and masculine, with each whispered –"Loki.." What did they want? He was listening now with all his might, tuning into the now single voice, it changing once more to impatient as if they wanted him to respond. He was about to, but there again the whisper, "Loki." More demand within it now like it didn't already have his attention. Then Loki realized, the voice, it was Thor, and it wasn't a whisper, it was him being tuned out and him raising his voice to be heard past the barriers of Loki's hearing. Focused once more he looked over Thor, the sudden sight of food on a tray in Thor's hands making his stomach twist with hunger he didn't know he held. What really caught his gaze was the cup, water. Now he knew he had to comply, Thor held his water and food for the day, and unless Loki could learn how to eat with his feet he would have to settle with the aid from the blond god.
"Thor." Simple impassive approach seemed safe enough. His throat sore just enough for Loki to not care that he would be fed like a child, he looked over the cup of water once more. The tray and cup looked like they had been taken straight from the morning feast of their dining areas, which it must be. Loki could care less of the food, but he wouldn't deny himself of it, and neither would Thor, knowing him. "Care to share some of that." Going into a state of innocent curiosity, Loki felt it proper for the situation as he looked to Thor with bright green eyes openly.
Thor looked down onto his brother, caution within his blue glittering spheres as they tread the map of Loki's slightly placid expression, rippled bits of youth smoothing itself into it in a way that made Thor feel a tug at his heart. He seemed ready to already step back into the trust he had for Loki and give the food with no talk about the escape or Loki using him, but he also seemed to be trying his best to not fall for the trap he knew Loki was. But he couldn't help it, he loved his brother for everything he was. Settling himself to be sitting on his knees in front of Loki, he set the tray down at his side, taking the cup and offering it to Loki.
Legs moving they had to part for Thor as he perched between them to be in front of Loki. Waiting till the rim was placed to his lips, he tilted his head as he took down the gulps of water with unseen gratitude. The cool water went down his throat, clearing down the aching sides and getting rid of the irritated heat of sore throat. Another gulp and it seemed to refresh his tongue as well, letting the dead weight drop and feel relaxed by the soothing temperatures and refreshing sense that let his body feel levels of it all like a cleansing. Not one to be showing that he was grateful for the drink, Loki turned his head away from Thor when he was done sipping, looking at the tray of food with raised brows. Beef in strips and grapes, odd choice.
Chewing thoughtfully on a grape that Thor had slipped into his mouth, Loki was content in the silence between them, but Thor had to go and ask anyways.
"Why Loki?" Thor was sitting back on his heels, a slight frown wrung on his face as he looked to his brother with expectant gaze.
He sighed looking at Thor with shake of his head. "Thor let's not do this now."
Thor was ready to argue but Loki shot him a look that made him hold his tongue. It was not an angry look, but a worn one, telling him that he was too tired for any of it. He wouldn't speak of it, instead he would try other things, though it was kind of hard since all recent things had to do with Loki and his punishment.
For the next two weeks Thor made it a routine to come to Loki cell and give him food and drink, sitting with him for hours on end, talking to him like the old days. But Loki only went along to entertain Thor, he would listen, reply, give a joke or two. Thor's love was his greatest gambit, it was a great move to always make because Thor was too open hearted and loving to turn on Loki when he offered the weakness of love back to him or any vulnerability. In the end suffering through some love was worth what he earned in the long run.
Today's visit to his cell, broke their routine once more, for today was the day before his execution.