Loki's cell was a 10 foot by 10 foot box with a series of cameras, motion tracking guns, and wobbly cat walks suspended over a shaft that dropped down 600 feet with no walk ways or passages exiting it in any direction. He was lying on a cot covered in a blanket. Other than that he'd been stripped of every article of clothing scanned, x-rayed, and then left completely alone. The doctors found something long and biological was lined down his spine behind his esophagus. They weren't sure what to make of the strange mass. He heard them talking about it and his mouth quirked up. The rudimentary science of this world could see what Asgard hadn't bothered to look for. Even though he seemed blind to all as a battle of wills raged between him and the rasping parasite in his head. The god of mischief had never completely been broken to the will of Thanos and in the end when the Tesseract had awoken they changed their plans. Only his dead mother would he have trusted to know something was amiss with him. Now this child of Midgard had announced without his prompting the truth and his fight was public something Thanos hadn't wanted. Though he wasn't doing much besides stopping the beast from making him try to break out of the cell. The assault on his body was a constant drain on his energy that both helped and hurt him in the struggle.

The sound of the heavy doors opening caught his attention. His magic felt her like a breeze. He loathed the hope it raised in him and he despised the forces around him. He would rejoice in cutting them all down to the man especially that sniveling Banner. Loki pushed his hatred down deep in the recesses of his mind. The energy field around him prevented his magic from truly touching them but it didn't matter; he didn't have the strength to fight both them and it. Even now its insidious whispers tried to force him to kill the girl before she could heal him.

As agreed Thor walks in first the shackles and gag that would bind Loki prone and quell his magic held in one hand. "Brother I come to ensure no harm comes to the lady Althia while she attends to your wounds. Do not fight me as I have no desire to cause you more harm. Know this; though I love you still brother, I will not hesitate to end your life to protect her. I have given my word she will come to no harm by your hand." He stated in a calm voice before he shifted his brother to the floor and activated the restraints.

Loki was not in good shape, Althia didn't remember how much damage they had inflicted on him or had there been a struggle to cage the raging god? No, Bruce would have said if there had been an additional incident. Guards were spaced around the cell, each carrying a gun designed to take out the injured god. She was told by the team before entering that she should try to free Loki during or directly after his body healed. The hope was that such quick action would prevent whatever or whoever has been controlling him from being able to attack her when Loki's body was still so damaged. For the sake of the guards Dr. Banner agreed to wait outside if anything happened he could enter in case the Hulk was needed. His last words still rang in her ear "Don't worry there's not enough distance that the big guy can't get to you in a blink if Loki tries anything. Nothing in this room can hurt the other guy." She swallowed a knot in her throat and tried to take heart in those words but honestly she wanted the big green Banner beside her instead of a jump away but he was still too volatile near Loki.

Soon Thor had Loki prone on the floor the collar, gag, and shackles made Althia shudder; they remind her of '…no don't think of that. Remember your lessons; remember what you are here to do is heal.' She fought to push aside the fear; to keep walking into the cell. She jumped a little as the catwalk swayed; her angel was right behind her suddenly whispering in her ear. Breathe slowing, listening to her instructions again and the terse command to follow them exactly. Stripping off the overalls she step out of them and walk into the cell. It was strange to feel the confines of the protective suit clinging to her body. Stark designed it specifically to reduce any chance of damage to the wearer being snatched around by the Hulk. Though a bullet would penetrate it fire, blade and fist would not reduce the body within to a corpse. It also held a tracking device, and monitoring equipment so if as Fury told her "The good doctor decides to carry you off into the sunset again we can find you faster than last time and bring you both in without incident."

Taking a deep breath Althia knelt by the horrible sight that was Loki Odinson. She already knew he had multiple cracked ribs, a wealth of bruises cover almost every inch of his skin, there are at least 8 bullet wounds any of which would have killed a human. His eyes were the last thing she looked at. His beautiful pale blue eyes were different. She could see the struggle he was having to just lay there and not fight. She smiled at him hoped it encouraged him and leaned forward balancing to prevent hurting him something in her memory surged up. "Your pain will fade as if a dream. I come with light to wipe it from you like dust. Be at peace the night ends now." the archaic phasing rolls easily of her tongue her voice and face changed subtly as she spoke. Leaning back she saw the calculated look that entered his eyes and she waited for him. When he gave her the barest of nods she touched his face one on the spot she'd healed. The other hand barely grazing his bruised brow. Her hands starts to glow as with a feathers touch she began to ease the stabbing in his temples before sliding his hair through her fingers to feel the cracks in the dense bones of his skull fade. Her hands brush down until they touched the gag and she realized she couldn't heal his broken jaw through it. Sitting r hands under the chains coming off his chin and down the strong column of his throat. Her eyes locked on his as she fell. The power flowed through her blocked the fears and torments of her past. The other was quiet letting her heal the body but she could sense it is still there struggling against the will of the prince. As her hands eased across the sharp pain that was his fractured collar bone both moaned. Even the echo of the wounds to his body were so strong she started to cry feeling them.

Loki felt her hands glide down his arms one at a time a soft touch, warm and healing. She didn't feel the ache in her back from being bent over because the echo of his broken ribs and hands over shadow it. Nor did she feel the tears Loki watched flow freely from her strange eyes. All she could see was the damage to his slender and sculptured form. There was nothing of waste or gluttony on the body beneath her hands. Every sinew tight and nearly humming with strength. The men and women watching faded to nothing as the glow spread from Althia's hands to her chest, legs, arms and face. Power filled her skin with pale light as she use it fully and completely for the first time in her memory. Loki watched her revel in the ecstasy and pain the healing created and to the feel of his magic react to her. A gold and green she couldn't see but knew stirred inside the Asgardian and she didn't even realize she'd moved when she straddled his hips. The call of his magic was irresistible and thoughtlessly she removes the terrible gag from his battered mouth. Her hands caressed each bruise as her body bowed her head to his lips. The gag skittered across the floor cast away by her own hand.

Thor was standing frozen in awe didn't register the act, Tasha's banging on the communications panel was distant and unimportant, nor was Bruce's steps thundering along the cat walk real. Nothing touched her no fear, no distraction, no uncertainty as she responds to her powers urgings. Carefully she pulled the zipper down the front of her body leaving a pale line of light between the inky blackness all the way to her groin. Hands on his arms she stretch out along his body. He was too tall for a perfect match but it wasn't important what was important was to align and touch as much of his body with as much of hers as she could. The thin strip of bare flesh from her collar to her groin like a magnet drew her to him. His power like chilled silk against her skin, his eyes watched her face but no words were spoken. Laying down she felt her power spread. She cried out but not alone a perfect harmony from the demigod beneath her. 'His pain is your pain. Your pain is his pain.' The near sensual urge pulled the fragile mind of Althia Sacmich into the darkness reaching out of the prince's mind.

Within the Mind

A flash of memories flickered between them; old wounds long healed. A battle beside Thor where an archer got lucky and grazed Loki's shoulder. A woman's arms shaking her as she screamed over his death. The laser searing into her belly. The scar on his left hip after a fight with the beasts below Niflheim's mountains. A man's foot coming down on his jaw shattering the bones. The weight of men pinned her down as he slid a knife in the skin between her breasts. Memories mixed between them. She was being chained to a wall her eyes focused over one shoulder watched as three men move forward with thick metal rods swinging loose from their hands. They were covered in blood as they stabbed thin hot pins into his body. The crushing pressure broke every bone in her small body. The utter darkness and press of space as he tumbled timelessly; Odin's words echoing around him. She couldn't stop them, the memories were all pain and helplessness. The wrenching pain in her swollen belly as the spear twisted gouging her womb. Her mind shrank back fracturing. 'HELP ME! Please, Loki, Please!' her mind cried out in desperation.

Something cold stirred and she shivered. As the line of her torso touching his felt the true form of a Jotun Prince pressed against it. She was unaware of that his blue eyes had gone red as blood and blink from skin blue as the sky.

Loki watched the fragments of her memory; felt her horror and the fragile mind of the healer revolted against her own memories. He could see and sort all that was happening but couldn't stop it until she focused on him. She was incredibly powerful but helpless to control what was happening. She flinched from the worm and Loki seized control of her for a moment.

'Ask nicely little one.' his voice whispered her mind. The moment expanded for them as he pushed down the worms influence on her. Loki had little that the worm could use against him where as she was a wealth of despair in its clutches. 'Please my prince I die. Without your strong arm to protect me there is no future or past for me but pain.' Her mind pleaded and that green and gold silken ice touched her again. He could feel her mind bend towards him.

That's when she knew the memories over loading her mind were not her power or his but the others. Seeking to break the both by blending them together. She relaxed into the chilled silk and relinquished herself to Loki. She felt as if she's been wrapped in a thick fur. Loki took control not only of his own power but her power as well molding the two and she let him have it all. She felt him caressing it, stroking it like a lover till it was bright and strong again. She writhed and purred as he embraced her picking the information he needed from her thought. He laughed as she nuzzled under his chin purring. His laugh was musical and filled her with delight. 'Well my dear lady. You are full of surprises aren't you?' His mind spoke calm to hers and she relaxed into his control. 'Let us first deal with this annoying pest then we shall see where this leads, yes?' She purred louder and all tension left her. Her will and body were under his control. He felt her faith and surety of him like a soothing balm balancing and calming him and for a moment he relaxed into it. Dipping into her mind he found broken memories pieces like a puzzle were scattered about or buried under decades of pain. Her power was growing hot against him as he toyed with it before the joint minds of the cunning prince and the woman who was not a mortal looked deep into the recesses where the other hid. 'A worm how disgusting! Be rid of it I don't want to look at it…' She hissed suddenly a feral scream more cat than woman issued from her. Within the joined minds she start to struggle against Loki's mind and magic but his arms and will lock around her forcing her submission. Thor's voice broke through and they heard him.