A/N: Hoping that Shakespeare in the Park doesn't get rained out today. We'll let you know if we see Thor and Tony there XD

Part Three

Thor crossed his arms, smug smile crossing his lips. "So...I was right. There is a dragon."

Loki smacked him in the arm, exasperation overtaking him. "Clearly! Clearly you were correct there is a giant , massive dragon in this cave. Congratulations. Instead of drowning or being buried alive, we're going to be eaten by an oversized lizard with enormous teeth."

Thor smiled for a moment longer before a dawning realization caused him to grab Loki's arm. "We need to move."

"You cannot simply keep making obvious statements to be right." Loki said.

Thor rolled his eyes. "We are near her egg. There is no way out up here."

Loki's eyes widened. "Oh. Damn. She'll come to protect it."

"Yes."

The beast roared again and stamped a large foot against the floor, causing the vibrations to run all the way up to the ceiling. The spears of black rock vibrated, the polished stone shimmering with the movement. Loki watched the movement. The stone was so polished, much more so than in other caves and formations he'd seen and studied. It looked more like glass. His eyes fell back to the golden dragon, and her flaring nostrils.

"Why hasn't she looked up here? Perhaps she is looking for another baby?" Thor asked.

"Gods that's all we need." Loki murmured. "Thor, I think those rocks might actually be glass."

"Why would they be glass?" He continued to stare blankly at his brother's less than patient glare.

"Do you ever pay attention during lessons?"

Thor grinned broadly. "I know that whatever I don't remember, you'll be there for."

If they hadn't been staring at a very angry, very protective dragon, Loki might have found the statement endearing. "Fire!" he hissed.

"Oh." Realization set in. "Oh!"

They had moved to the far side of the ledge, looking to move down it as quickly as they could, but they had also moved away from the egg. The dragon reared up at once, eyes blazing and smoke pouring from her nose. She inhaled, and both brothers knew what was coming next.

"Over the side!" Thor yelled, shoving Loki.

The dark haired prince stumbled, unable to take his eyes off of the beast as she readied to burn them beyond recognition. He felt Thor's strong hand around his collar just as the dragon let loose her fiery breath, scorching the wall next to where they had been standing.

They stared in wide eyed fear at the scorched stone, the black edges identifying how the ceiling had come to be. Thor squeezed Loki's arm and started pushing him forward again.

"Go. We have to get by it and through the back."

Loki moved, albeit unwillingly. "So we can be roasted in the back of the cave instead of the front? What if there is not a way out?"

"Then being eaten by the dragon will be a faster death than waiting for starvation or dehydration." Thor said. "Now go."

Loki scrambled over the edge and back towards the ground -back towards the teeth and fire, how is this a good plan?- and sensed the beast shift again when he was halfway there. He froze, fear overtaking his desire to not be clinging to the side of a cave wall.

"Move!" Thor barked. The command was sharp and Loki obeyed. It wasn't until he reached the ground and pressed himself into a crevice that he realized he did not have the attention of the creature as he should for coming so close to it. He turned and saw Thor throwing jewels at it, the brightly colored gems bouncing off its head. Loki's breath caught as the dragon opened its mouth and let out an outraged snarl followed by a cloud of flame larger than the first. It enveloped the small space, and his brother with it. Loki cried out involuntarily.

It all happened so quickly that Loki was sure that he didn't process it until after the fact. He saw Thor jumping to hide behind a rock jutting up towards the side, and if he had had perhaps two or three more seconds on the creature he would have made it and possibly avoided the fire that ripped towards him. As it was, the edge of the fiery burst caught him, causing him to cry out and lose his footing over the side of the ledge.

Instinct was all Loki had to work with, and a few words that he hoped were right. Thor's descent was slown down if not entirely stopped, and the thud that he landed with was much softer than the shattering crash that it would have been otherwise. The trickster was at his side in an instant. "Thor?"

The blond god gave a short groan and shifted, face contorted. He'd ripped open the wound in his side at some point, blood beginning to fall freely again from there and multiple smaller wounds from the fall. The left sleeve of his tunic was burnt beyond repair and the skin was angry red beneath it. He cradled his arm close and hissed in pain at his brother's cool touch.

All at once Loki pulled the god of thunder back, both tumbling and Thor howling out in pain. Flames rushed past the opening of the small alcove they were pushed back into with no good way to move about as the dragon came towards them. The wall next to them was hot to the touch and Loki could feel the sweat pouring off of him, his energy drained from the heat. Suddenly a thought hit him. "That's it."

"What's it?" Thor wheezed, leaned heavily against him and watching the dragon carefully.

"She can't see well because of the light. We thought she was moving funny."

"That little thing?"

"Think about it. If you'd been stuck in a cave for who knows how long with no outside light..."

"Fair point."

"Can you move?"

Thor grit his teeth. "I think so, but we're not getting by there as it stands."

"I've got an idea."

Thor blinked, the room spinning and tilting dangerously. He winced and tried to catch his breath. Digging his fingers into the burn on his arm hurt like death but focused his vision long enough to mentally map out the route they would have to run to get behind the golden creature. It was a shame she was trying to kill them, as she would be wondrous to try and tame. Perhaps they could return when they had a certain way out.

"You will attempt to blind it." Thor said.

"Yes."

"We must be quick," Thor said.

Loki touched his face, seeing the pain and grim determination his brother's eyes. "One shot." he said. It was not a question.

Thor nodded. "One shot." he agreed.

The dragon huffed and shifted. Loki straightened and held his hands in front of him.

The ball of magic lit the entire room, bathing all parts of it. The dragon gave a roar and swung her head around, eyes closed tightly. Thor ran behind him, slower than usual and with a limp that was far too pronounced for his younger brother's liking. But his liking didn't really matter at this point, as the angry mother dragon lashed out, fire exploding between them and sending Thor tumbling for the exit and Loki tumbling back. The smaller prince gasped, feeling his chest contract. Heat. Always the damn heat.

"Loki!"

Thor's voice jolted him back to his feet, ignoring his body's protest as he dashed forward. Everything shifted dangerously as another wall of fire hit just behind him and he stumbled again, the floor burning hot so that he pulled his bare hands back away from it. He tried to stand again but couldn't seem to get his legs to work right. Or his lungs for that matter.

One strong arm wrapped around him, pulling him out of the way. The brothers tumbled through the opening. It was not the large one they had been aiming for, but instead a small crevice that seemed to lead to a tunnel. The dragon raged outside, but Loki and Thor leaned up against each other in their hide away, both breathing heavily and using the other for support.

Loki clutched at Thor's arms, trying to get his breathing under control and waiting for the heat in his chest to die down. Thor tilted his head back against the wall, blood dripping off his fingers and splattering against the ground. He shut his eyes and curled his hands around Loki's wrists.

"We need to move." Thor said.

"We just did." Loki pointed out.

Thor did not have the energy to smile, but he felt lighter inside. It could be the blood loss, he knew, but he pushed that aside. Wearily he turned his head from side to side. Taking on the dragon was not an option. If neither brother had been injured before encountering it, he might dared to have attempted it. It would be a glorious feat, taming a dragon. It wouldn't do, not now. Neither he nor Loki were in good enough condition to take it on.

"It will try to cook us out when it smells we are here. We should go further in."

"Okay." Loki said.

Thor looked at his brother and brought a finger to gently chuff him under the chin. "Do not look so concerned, brother mine. There is always a way." He slipped a little down the wall.

Loki didn't feel convinced as he watched his brother's unsteady movement. His usual boisterousness was much too subdued and the younger prince found himself looking to ways to get Thor out if he were to pass out on him. He had been right when he had told Thor that there would be no carrying him out of the caves. Catching him as he had done with his magic had been done out of sheer desperation, but he was drained of everything at this point. His head ached and he was finding it harder and harder to breathe as the moved forward. He could feel the burning sensation that the fire had left against his sensitive skin.

"Loki?"

The god of mischief stopped his slow movement down the tunnel, startled by his brother's sudden voice in the quiet. Thor looked at him with earnest concern. "Are you well?"

Loki shook his head, resisting the urge to lash out. "Badly timed question, I think," he grumbled instead. His eyes fell to Thor's shoulder and he felt his resolve to be irritable crash around him. "I'm sorry."

"Well, I'd suppose you'd be a little testy after-"

"No. Well, I suppose that too, but... I should have kept us from going in there."

Thor rolled his eyes, a good-natured smile tugging his lips upward. "Loki. Brother. It is not your job to watch after me, but mine to watch after you, little brother." He reached out and took hold of the dark haired prince by the back of the neck in a warm gesture. "Understand?"

"But-"

"No, this is when you're a good little brother and just agree," Thor said playfully and took a step forward. His knee gave out under him and he pitched forward.

"Thor!" He reached out and caught his brother's arm, but Thor was either overwhelmed by the pain or leaned into another of his injuries as his other leg also buckled. Loki eased them both to their knees, Thor's forehead against his shoulders.

"Forgive me, brother. I need just a moment and then I will be ready to continue." Thor said.

The pain in his voice was thick and Loki brought one hand up to cradle the blond head. Thor was strong and brave, and had been since they were children, probably since the day the midwives laid him in his mothers arms. Bold and demanding, he went where he pleased and ordered everyone around as soon as he learned to speak. When he was most frustrated, Frigga would come to him and pet his hair and tell him that Thor had great heart, which was why everyone allowed him to get away with so much. Loki always pointed out that he was the heir of Odin, which didn't hurt. Frigga would smile and tell him that all those possessing great heart were in need of one who possessed great mind, and that Thor was lucky to have such a one in his brother.

All Loki's mind could tell him now was that Thor was more gravely injured than they had dealt with before and they were still trapped in the cave. Loki's mind told him there was a hungry dragon waiting to devour them at one end, and a possible dead end at the other. And Loki's mind told him that his bold, brave brother of great heart had thrown rocks at a giant fire breathing dragon to save his life. His fingers tightened in the gold strands of Thor's hair.

"All will be well," Loki whispered, whether as comfort or as a spell of hope he could not say.

"Of course," Thor breathed.

They leaned on each other for several long moments. The only break of the dreadful quiet was Thor's uneven breathing, the occasional roar from the angry dragon outside, and the low mumblings that tumbled from Loki's lips. He had never been one for healing spells. Illusions and magic that caused all sorts of untold mischief had always been his forte, but he was willing to try. He was willing to try anything.

"Loki?" His brother's thin hand tightened against his neck, the words becoming almost desperate. "Loki?" Thor tried again, reaching up to his brother's shadowed face. Dampness met his skin and he felt the younger prince give a short shudder as he tried to hold back a sob long enough to finish the incantation.

Thor couldn't say that he felt much better physically, but his heart was certainly warmed by the dark haired trickster's attempts. When it became apparent that Loki's spell had done all it could he reached a large hand and tangled it in dark hair, gaining his attention. "Thank you."

Green eyes batted open, concentration temporarily broken. "I can do more," he whispered, voice raspy and desperate sounding.

Thor touched his forehead to Loki's, gently resting there as short gulps of air shook Loki's frame and tears slid down his face. He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of his brother's head next to his and the feel of the dark hair under his fingertips and as he did he lost focus on the pain in his body. He could still feel the blood sliding down his side and the coppery scent of it filled his nostrils. There was a good chance he may not make it much farther and he knew it. He could make it far enough. He could get his baby brother out of this cave if it was the last thing he did.

"No need. What you have done is more than enough and great help." Thor said softly. He thought perhaps next time when Loki really did want to stay in the library all afternoon, he would agree.

Thor shifted ever so slightly, not enough to pull away from his brother, but enough to test the broken things inside his body. His breath left in a small shudder; it was perhaps the worst he had ever felt. Still, he would do it again.

The end of the tunnel was sudden alight with fire and they both drew back instantly, Thor pulling Loki behind him even though the flames did not reach. They had learned the hard way long ago that Loki did not take long exposure to sun or flame well. Now that the dragon had discovered them, it was sure to pursue by flame or by clawing down the rocks.

"We must move." Thor said, stiffly pulling himself to his feet and reaching a hand down for Loki.

"It can't get this far back," Loki murmured, half as if he were trying to convince himself of the fact.

"Yet. Give her time, she'll get in. Come on."

They shuffled further back, both limping and hobbling their way deeper into the tunnel. Thor stumbled once, nearly taking Loki with him as the younger prince tried to right him. After several moments they stopped, both breathing hard and feeling as if they might collapse.

Loki's face was flushed bright red, the burns showing starkly against him. He gave a worried glance behind as the roars continued, sometimes sounding even closer than before.

"Do you feel that?" Thor asked, eyes darting into the darkness. "There's a change. Fresh air."

"I don't feel it," Loki whispered, leaned heavily against the wall. "Can't we sit a moment?"

"No, we're almost there." Thor urged his brother away from the wall and to continue. He couldn't stop, not now. Not when they were so close. If he were to stop again he worried he might never muster the strength to keep going. If he were to lose consciousness here Loki would never leave his side, he was sure of that. They would both die in some forsaken cave that no one knew about with a dragon biting at their heels that no one believed in.

Each step took more effort than the last, but it began to pay off as warm, fresh air seeped through the rock.

After what seemed like hours, but could only have been minutes, they reached a steep incline and at the top a thin opening into the freedom they so desperately sought. Thor gave Loki a hand up the first few feet until his brother had a handle on where the handholds could be seen. The blond could feel the tiniest of trembles in the ground beneath him, but he could not swear if it was the cave or his exhaustion.

"Keep going," he encouraged gently.

"Why are you not coming?" Loki demanded, pausing in his climb.

"I think we should test these rocks only one prince at a time, brother." Thor said. "Now climb."

Loki continued his ascent while Thor waited below. As he climbed, dread pricked the edges of his mind. The gap at the top was too small for even him to slip through. They would have to move some of the rocks away in order to get out. Working from the top was better than from the bottom, but they still risked causing a rockslide in the process. "You might was well get up here. We are going to have to do more work before we get out of this forsaken hell hole." he called down. Finally at the top, he turned to offer a tired smile to his brother only to find Thor turned back towards the way they came. A new fear joined his thoughts. "Thor?" he called.

The trembling of the ground increased. Thor closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose as his instructors had taught him, letting it out slowly through clenched teeth. He could make it to Loki in twenty seconds, use the rest of his strength to break the rocks away and get Loki out of the cave in fifteen more. The dragon, growing ever closer would be upon them in less than a minute. The rocks giving way to her fury caused the stirring beneath him. She was not roaring now; there was no need. She thought that they had no way of escaping.

Thor half turned, knowing he could not conceal the grim knowledge in his face. When he met Loki's green gaze, he thought suddenly of the first time their mother had let him hold Loki as a baby. She had made him sit in one of the big overstuffed chairs in the bedroom she shared with Odin, all the way to the back of the chair and made him promise he would not try to get up while he was holding his brother. He remembered that, his first promise to be careful with Loki, his first promise to protect the life placed into orbit within his own. It would always be his first promise, and his last.

"Don't you dare!" Loki screamed, voice nearly shrill with panic. "Don't be stupid, Thor! Hurry up!"

"She'll be here before we go. I'll hold her off."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You are and you will!" Thor snapped, putting as much force as he could behind his voice and it rolled against the walls like thunder in the sky. He turned from his brother, blue eyes focused on the oncoming enemy. He couldn't look at into those hurt eyes or he would lose resolve. Loki knew just what to say to get exactly what he wanted. He always did.

TBC

A/N: Insert something witty here.