There's nothing left to prove
There's nothing I won't do
There's nothing like the pain
I feel for you
-Not Enough by Our Lady Peace
Thor stepped forward to run after Loki, but a firm hand stopped him. Loki disappeared into the building, and Thor yelled after him. Odin's hand constricted around his shoulder, and Thor hung his head. It was hopeless to try and escape Odin's hand, and it was even more hopeless finding out where Loki had gone in the building.
The next minutes passed achingly slowly. Every moment, Thor waited to hear a sound signaling Loki's return. Every moment, he heard nothing. He paced around the entrance, anxiously looking into the empty cavern. Not much time was left before the building fell apart. All of the agents inside of the building had been evacuated along with their patients. All that was left was for Loki to return.
That was when the wall exploded. Debris flew as the energy smashed into the wall, sending fragments across the pavement. A looming figure raced out of the gap that was formed. Thor's blue eyes scanned through the dust before falling. The figure that escaped was not Loki.
The agent hauled her partner out of the building, making her way towards the crowd. "There is someone still in there!" The woman slid her partner to the ground. She breathed heavily as she looked up at them. The agents stood still for a moment before sprinting into action. One called for a team to enter the building, but Thor was already running. Someone was in there. Someone that had the power to blow open the wall like that. It could only be Loki.
In the darkness of the building, Thor could just see the outline of a figure. Thor opened his mouth to shout, but couldn't speak as the person fell down to the ground. As the figure fell, the building finally caved in. A dust cloud rushed away from the building, catching Thor. The lightning god hacked as dirt made its way into his lungs. He lifted an arm to cover his face before the dust cleared, leaving a jumble of stone and brick.
"Loki?" Thor stared at the rubble before yelling, "LOKI!" His legs dragged him towards the building, but his mind felt blank. Why had his brother not escaped the building like the agents had? Why was his brother always like this? Thor felt as if he could never understand Loki, no matter how much he tried. His fingers strained as he lifted up some of the newly fallen rock. He hefted the blocks off to the side as he began digging through the debris.
Odin towered over the crowd of smaller people, watching his son shove away the mess of a building. In his mind's eye, he could still see Loki. Perhaps his son did not see, but Odin could see Loki. As Loki held up the building, he had given one last look to the outside world. But it was the look in Loki's eyes that Odin did not expect. Odin saw... relief.
Why did Loki feel relief? Odin did not understand. Loki was at the very ends of his strength. He was about to be crushed by tons upon tons of rock. There was no reason for Loki to feel that sort of relief. It wasn't the sort of relief that Odin saw when people thought their life was end. Loki's eyes didn't display relief that his work was finally over. His eyes almost made him look... glad.
Odin looked at the woman who had escaped the building. After depositing her partner, she had returned to help Thor shifty away the debris. Was Loki glad that she and her partner had escaped? That wasn't consistent though. His brow furrowed as he recalled everything that had happened within the past two years. Loki had tried to kill Thor, he had killed Laufey, and had caused the death of hundreds upon hundreds of Midgardians. Feeling relief at the survival of two SHIELD agents wasn't consistent with anything that Loki had done in the past.
A twinge of sadness entered his heart. No, absolutes like anything that Loki had done in the past were not true. A scene played out before him, and his heart shook.
"Father! Father, are you all right?" Loki peered over the white sheets worriedly, his green eyes shining. Odin turned his head to see Loki's sad eyes. He chuckled warmly before lifting a hand up to stroke Loki's black hair.
"I am all right, son. I am just tired. Very, very tired." Odin's eyes glazed slightly. He felt himself being dragged into the Odinsleep once more, but pulled himself to awareness for a few more moments.
"Are you sure? Can I get you anything, father? I do not want to see you ill like this..." The little boy trailed off and stared down at the ground shyly. He shifted from foot to foot before looking up again. Odin smiled softly before shaking his head.
"No... I think I will be all right. Run along now, Loki. I am sure your brother is looking for you," Odin said kindly.
"But-" Loki protested.
"Go," Odin's voice had a slight sternness to it that seemed to get the message through. Loki bobbed his head up and down before walking away, and Odin fell into his slumber.
"Loki..." Odin's voice trailed off. He let Gungnir drop to the ground and took a step forward towards the building. He was stopped by Frigga, who swiftly moved before him.
"What do you think you are about to do?" Frigga spread her hands out to her sides, effectively blocking Odin from proceeding. SHIELD agents stopped to watch the two Asgardians. Odin glanced over to the crowd before looking back at Frigga. "I will not let you hurt, Loki any further," Frigga repeated, shifting her feet on the ground.
A link of her armor reflected the dim street lighting as Odin stood in silence. A few moments later, he gave a soft chuckle. "Is that not obvious, Frigga?" The woman tensed but was unprepared for what Odin said next, "I am going to help a foolish lost child." Odin shook his head slightly before whispering so softly that only he could hear, "I am going to help my son."
Author's Note: The story will be finished next week! ^^ Just thought I should let you all know... I apologize for my late and slightly sporadic updates. I hope you will all enjoy the story until the very end!