Fate of the Fallen Chapter 3, a thor fanfic

There was no biting pain in his mouth when he next woke. No cold metal that prevented people from hearing his words. No muzzle.

Loki's eyes snapped open, light blinding him, causing his eyes to ache in rebellion. He blinked and blinked until he could see the strange things surrounding him. The white sheets, the monitors, the bags of fluid suspended on a pole by his bed, the needle stuck in his arm. The one way window disguised as a mirror on the wall opposite of him.

He wiggled his numb fingers and toes until he could feel them, tried lifting his arm and failed. His eyes drifted down to the leather cuffs holding him to the bed.

So he waited. He waited for his new captors to come into the room and introduce themselves. How many more people would he be passed to? He didn't know. First Asgard, then Jotunheim, then he had been captured by Him… and now, now he was somewhere else in the universe. Somewhere that wasn't with the Mad Titan or the Frost Giants or rioting Asgardians.

Where was he, then?

The door opened.

Loki jumped, surprised.

A man he knew from somewhere came in, then another man, and another. Then a woman. These people were familiar, the memory making his head throb harder. A person from his more recent memories came through the door. Red hair, brown eyes, tight black uniform. She was from his cell. The last place he had been.

"Well, if it isn't Real Power. You back for that magazine?" A tall, dark man with one eye commented coldly.

Loki tried to respond, but only managed a weak cough.

"And here we all thought you had gone back with Thor."

The gears in Loki's mind ground together, trying to process anything and everything at once. Thor. One-eyed dark man. Red-headed lady who was in his cell.

The invasion of New York.

Loki groaned, his head spinning faster. This was Fury. And the two other men were the Man of Iron and the giant green Monster in his human form. The woman was the Black Widow. But he did not know the other woman. And why did both women have red hair? Was that a common thing among mortal women?

"We tried contacting Asgard and guess what? They've been ignoring us. So, you are our prisoner from now on and there are a few problems you get to work out for us. Such as why there are still groups of Chitauri raiding us seemingly without a leader."

Loki choked on the air that rushed into his lungs. Asgard was ignoring him. Thor was ignoring him. Thor still didn't care what happened. And now he was going to slave away for the mortals.

Fury's eye narrowed. "Of course, you won't be working alone. Agent Sparks will be working with you, seeing as the rest of us are busy putting out resurfacing fires of yours from four years ago."

"So I'm only getting chosen for this assignment because nobody else would do it?" The lady named "Agent Sparks" huffed.

"Yes." Fury snapped coldly. "You better get used to it, Agent."

Agent Sparks glared at the Spy. "Yes, Uncle. I'll be happy to do your bidding… again."

Fury turned and walked out the door without another word, followed by the Captain and Banner. That left a seething Agent Sparks and a cold, venomous Widow. Loki watched as Sparks crossed the room and stood right next to his bed, glaring down at him. The Widow lingered in a corner, watching every twitch of his finger.

Loki sighed and closed his eyes, tuning out Spark's angry words, which seemed to mash together in an unintelligible mess. She didn't seem to be talking to him. More like talking at him. Talking to the Widow maybe.

But right now, he was too tired to comprehend anything that had just happened. Thoughts of Fury and Banner, Widow, Stark and Sparks blurred in his mind until it was blank.

He fell asleep.

Cherry hissed in frustration. "He's asleep! I can't believe he just fell asleep while I was ranting!"

Natasha's lips were set in a grim line. "If he doesn't think you're worth listening to, he won't listen. He believes us mortals are all beneath him. He's a god. He doesn't care what you have to say."

Cherry sank onto a chair by Loki's bed, glaring at the man-god. "Why did Fury have to assign me to do this? I know he hates me… but this is just not… not fair."

Natasha leaned against the wall, folding her arms over her chest. "Do you think it would be fair to assign someone else to do this? Other people have lost just as much as you have because of him."

Cherry glanced at the pale person lying on the bed. His hair a huge knot, his face a colorful purple, red, and white. His arms cut up and chafed. This didn't look at all like the conqueror who had been on the news and all over the internet, who destroyed half of New York with an alien army, who killed thousands of people. This man-god-thing looked weak.

"You're right." Cherry whispered.

Natasha's brow rose in question, but she remained silent. Cherry stood up, not casting another glance at the almost dead god. Before she reached the door, Natasha spoke up. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to shoot something." And with that, Cherry left.

Loki and Thor ran swiftly through the palace, leaving their old tutor in the dust. They giggled and laughed, giddy with freedom from that afternoon's studying. The two princes rounded the corner, running into some servants and causing them to drop their trays. But the boys didn't care to stop, they only hurried past the now angry maids.

After a few minutes of running, they stopped to catch their breath. They both paused and looked at each other. A tense, silent second filled the air before they both burst out laughing once more. "Brother! You are most skilled! How did you make that illusion?" The young Thor asked incredulously.

Loki grinned, blue eyes shining bright. "Mother taught me how!" Loki said proudly.

Thor looked utterly disappointed. "Why does she teach you all the cool stuff?" He whined.

"You said just yesterday that magic was for girls."

Thor laughed, punching his brother's arm. "It is! That's why you learned it from mother! Father says magic is for girls! You must be a girl!"

Loki glared childishly at his elder brother. Soon, they were both on the floor, fists swinging at each other clumsily. "Take that back!"

Thor was laughing hysterically. One moment, the brothers were laughing and scheming together, the next they were fighting and hurting each other. "Loki's a girl! Loki's a girl! You'll never be strong like me!" Thor chanted. Loki charged at Thor, but Thor clumsily dodged, sending Loki flying past him. Thor was still laughing, not realizing that his brother was now on the floor crying.

After a moment, Thor finally noticed. He knelt down next to the younger boy. "Stop being so sensitive, brother!" Thor said heartily. Loki looked at him with a broken look that Thor would remember for the rest of his life. "What is wrong this time?" Thor asked, slightly impatient.

"I want to be like you! I want to be strong!" Loki said, tears sliding down his cheeks.

Thor's brotherly compassion finally kicked in. "I am sorry for what I said, brother. I didn't mean it…."

"Everyone else does! They all say I'm small… and you're so strong! Father likes you more than me because you're stronger."

"Father doesn't like me more!" Thor protested.

"Father has always favored you… Even mother favors you. She only spends time with me to make me feel better. I'm nobody's favorite." Loki sniffled.

Thor wrapped his arms around the younger boy. "You're my favorite." He said, patting Loki's back. "And I will slay any who say that you aren't!"

This brought a smile to the younger prince's face. And just for that moment, that small little moment, Loki felt truly happy. He may not be Odin's favorite, but he was Thor's favorite. Even though this experience would be forgotten quickly and replaced by a new one, Loki knew that someone loved him. On that perfect day in Asgard, in the perfect golden halls of a perfect palace, all was peaceful.

The corners of Loki's mouth perked up, causing the doctors surrounding him to wonder what vile thing he was dreaming of.