It descended upon him. It was loud, with sound and fury. They talked around him, but he couldn't hear…all that he was in that moment was a trumpet blast…a siren…a sound…
He shook in the seat next to Thor.
"Loki?" Thor looked into his brother's face.
And he stood, trembling. "I…"
Frigga was calling for him. He turned toward Odin. "Odin…I fear that I…"
At that, a page boy ran in "Prince Loki! You are needed in Asgard immediately!"
Dread filled him…He looked at Odin, and the All-Father nodded.
He disappeared, and folded space and time as quickly as he was able.
His heart would not admit what his mind was insisting…
And Loki materialized next to Frigga, and this was what he saw:
Torben, crying, and being held by a servant.
Frigga, kneeling next to heap on the floor…
Carmine liquid seeping out from…
Jane.
Jane…
So much blood…
He screamed…it was inhuman (especially apt, since he wasn't) wrought, terrified, torturous, and insane. He pushed Frigga aside in his anguish, and knelt next to Jane on the floor of her bedroom.
"No no no no no," he repeated. His hands hovered over her abdomen.
There…he discovered an alien metal in there…it had ripped her innards to shreds…
Get it out of her.
His breath heaved and his eyes closed, spilling tears down his face.
Concentrate…get it out of her.
He must be mindful of her mortal frame…he summoned his magic around the destructive metal orb, now splintered and making its way throughout her body…the energy curled around it and he began to tug…
Stop. Pulling at it might cause more damage on the way out.
He should disintegrate it…destroy it…and he redirected his magic, and the bullet fizzled into nothingness.
He began to painstakingly examine her insides for any other bits of the abhorrent metal…and yes…he found some…and one by one he destroyed them.
"Frigga…" he began as he slowly repaired the tissue inside of Jane with his tendrils of magic. "What happened?" his voice was labored, and it cracked with emotion.
"Torben…Sigyn must have gotten to him…he had used a Midgardian weapon…and I had seen that something was going to happen…that perhaps…" she stopped. "But I never saw this…"
Loki stopped and rocked back.
He sent Jane to the infirmary.
"Tell me, Frigga, what good is your sight?" and he stood, blood on his hands, on his knees. "You see but shadows…mere dreams…nay…shadows of dreams…yet you could not have seen this…this horror of a nightmare…this escaped you?!"
"Loki…"
"No! Do not speak to me! You can say nothing to quell my despair…" he turned toward Torben. "And you…" his hand reared back, and when it rushed forward, Torben was flung to the far wall, smashing against it.
"Loki! Stop! He fell victim to her…do not punish him!"
"Do not punish him?! He nearly killed her! She may die still!" and he went over to the youth, a viscous glare burned his eyes. "And so help me, if she perishes from this injury, there is no place that you can hide where I won't find you…no realm…nor death even, will stop me from hunting you down and avenging her…"
"I…I didn't know…I thought that…I don't know…" Torben was beside himself.
"What a vapid youth you are," Loki responded. He shook and his breath was erratic.
Frigga looked at the servant and gestured to take Torben away.
"Come, Loki…I wish to show you something," and she looked at his face.
He appeared to be in a trance…as though he were seeing through her…not able to focus…
Frigga touched his arm, and took him to the tapestry room.
She directed his gaze to one particular tapestry, it held an image of him with his horned helmet…he was holding a scepter…he was with Thor…they were on a building…it appeared to be a Migardian city.
"What?" Loki began.
"And this…" Frigga pointed.
And there was Jane…she held Thor's neck and they were embracing in a strange sepia expanse…he was nearly sick…
"And here, Loki…" and Frigga showed him a different tapestry…
And then he saw himself once more…and he was with Jane and they were in the garden, looking at the stars.
"I don't understand…" Loki said, looking at Frigga.
"I have known, for quite some time now, that Midgard held for you either great destruction or redemption. I have also known that a mortal was involved, that this mortal would either be a salvation of sorts for you or a passing fancy of your brother's. And because I love you so very much, I opted to intervene a bit, and see to the former as best I could. I had no idea if what would grow between you would be romantic in nature or not, but I knew that she would help you…"
"And she loved Thor as well?"
"No, Loki…that is a different path…and Jane never loved Thor…she was merely drawn toward him," and she smiled.
"I cannot believe that Jane would find anything remotely interesting in Thor…"
Frigga laughed. "Dearest, she loves you. These were what might-have-beens…I sent Thor to her to tutor the wards before any of these other things could be set in motion…"
Loki nodded.
"I love you, Loki. I only want your happiness," she paused. "I'll see to the sorceress…"
"No," he stopped her. "I'll go. She is too dangerous…you go to the infirmary and sit with Jane. I shall be there forthwith…"
And he looked at his wife. She shook with a cackle. She slunk around her cell with a mischievous snigger playing upon her lips…
"You made him do it."
"Just a bit of fun…" her voice was hollow…it seemed to bounce with a stale life from her cage. "What's it worth doing if not a bit of fun…I saw the mortal weapon…was curious…?" she made but little sense.
He quadruple enchanted the cell…it would take her weeks to undo it…
But she would.
"And I am to have no peace…no serendipity for my mind…"
"Poor little Loki….no peace for Loki…poor little Loki…" Sigyn said in a sing-sing-y voice.
He left her there and materialized on the rainbow bridge.
Its luminescence was blinding after the gloom of the dungeons.
And there stood Torben, peering over the edge.
"Falling from here into the void will do little to quell your pain," said Loki, walking toward him.
"Stay away!" the youth shouted.
"Hush your insolence! I wish to speak with you," and noting the doubt, "I mean you no harm."
Torben relaxed and looked at the Prince.
"Did the sorceress…did you visit her, and she told you things…?"
"Yes…I don't know what I thought would happen…it had made sense at the time…but there was so much blood…so much blood…" and tears fell from his eyes.
Loki nodded. "They are fragile, mortals are…"
"I love her," he responded.
"As do I."
"Do you think that you deserve her?"
Loki sat on the bridge, and then rocked back, putting his hands behind his head and laid down on the glowing structure. "No…but I can attempt to earn her."
And Torben followed suit, laying prone next to Loki, and he began to point to various stars in the sky, as Loki named them.
He appeared in the infirmary many hours later, and saw Frigga sitting next to Jane's sick bed.
"How is she?"
"Better…more at peace."
"Was she wrought?"
"Her face had contorted much as if in pain…but she soon succumbed and then she was easy once more…"
"But not awake?"
Frigga shook her head. "No."
Loki went over to the other side of the bed and sat down…he placed his face in his hands.
Frigga noticed that her son's shoulders were shaking a bit. "Loki?"
And his hands fell, revealing tears spilling from his eyes, his breath was quick and erratic…
"Oh, my son…" and she went to him, and wrapped her arms around him. "Hush…you saved her life…she will be fine…"
"She is in danger here…" he choked. "And what if she does die? It is still possible…"
"We all of us die, Loki."
"I know, mother…but Jane is mortal…I've put her in danger here."
Frigga smiled. "I like it when you call me mother."
He coughed, and sounded less frantic. "Perhaps she should return to Midgard."
"What?"
"She will be safe there," he finished, and looked at the Queen.
"Stop that now. You are in love, Loki. It should be cultivated, not pushed away."
"I don't know anymore…"
"Of course you do…you love her…and that is all you need to know," Frigga paused. "Odin and Thor have returned."
He wiped his face with his hands. "I did not see them…"
"No…there will be a meeting tomorrow with primary players from Jutenheim. I told Odin that you would be there only if Jane awakens."
Loki nodded.
"Is there a message you'd care for me to deliver to them?"
"Tell them…" he began. "Tell them that I am well…that I forgive…and that I shall see them posthaste upon my lady's awakening."
Frigga nodded and kissed his forehead.
She disappeared.
Loki turned his attention to Jane. He took her hand and began to trace small circles in her palm with his thumb. "I am so sorry, my elf…this is all my doing…if I hadn't gotten married in haste and desperation…" but no. Everything that he had experienced to this point had gotten him here. He could not regret any of it.
He cleared his throat and started afresh. "In the beginning, before the sanguine luster kissed the apex of the abyss…the elders gathered for a reading of the truths of existence…" and Loki began to weave the cosmos into life, for what else could he do…to recite his fanciful raptures to an unconscious mind would do no good…
Two days he had held vigil…he had created all of the realms…and his tongue was thick with dryness…he was exhausted in his enterprise.
He had finished the long tale, and sat staring at her face.
"Please, Jane," his voice pierced the immobile air of the infirmary. "Please…come back…I cannot reach you where you are…do not leave me alone…" and he thought that this was his plea just a few days previous…that this was his greatest fear…that since he had discovered his companion, the one whom he had been searching for, that somehow she would leave, and he would be left in solitude, just as he had been in that cage.
He laid his head down next to her, his forehead touching her throat.
He fell asleep.
So cold…
It was so cold…and dark…and she was looking for something.
"Hey Jane!" said a voice, oddly familiar.
Jane turned to see Charlie, the first boy she had ever kissed…"Charlie?"
"How's it going? Sneaking out again?"
"No!" and he leaned down and kissed her.
"Charlie…" she pushed him away. "I need to find something…"
"Whaddya lookin' for?" asked a girl's voice.
Darcy.
"Darcy?" Jane breathed.
"Hey. Still doing that physics stuff?"
"Sorta.." and Jane smiled. "I've lost something…"
"There's light up there, Jane…maybe you should follow it."
Jane nodded, and followed the light.
It was getting warmer…
The glow was caressing her skin…
And she felt a press of warmth on her neck.
Yeah…so two updates! Ask and you shall receive…but this was terrible, as I had written the chapter, and then in my idiocy, deleted it. So, this is actually about 200 words shorter than my first attempt. Sorry…:/
Tomorrow, Jane shall wake up!