Hey guys. Hows it goin'? Ive been busy. Sorry. A family member is coming home. YAY! I've missed him so much. Even though he is coming home I still want reviews. I know I sound kind of bossy but deal with it. If you have read the first story and are now reading this sequel then you must be able to put up with it. READ ON!
Very Much Alive
Bloody Thread
Katelyn softly kissed his forehead. She knelled in front of him and they put their foreheads against one another's. Katelyn was still holding his face. She pulled back and lifted his head to look him in the eye. Sapphire crashed with Emerald. Katelyn thought "Can you hear me?" Loki answered in her head, "Yes." Katelyn sighed with relief before getting up and pulling Loki by the hand to the door.
Katelyn and Loki walked hand and hand together down the halls of the golden palace of Asgard. Katelyn let go and pushed open the doors to the throne room. The council was just sitting down and Thor was talking with Odin to the side of the throne. Katelyn thought to Loki, "We made it in time." Loki answered, "Yep. We sure did."
When they reached the middle of the room everything went silent. Thor sat up on the throne with a worn out expression. Loki knelled putting his fist to his heart. Katelyn bowed her head lightly, locking eyes with the hammer wielder. Thor looked away as he said,"Rise, brother." He sounded stressed like he didn't want to talk. It was still power filled but was unusual coming from Thor.
One of the council men stood from his seat at the long table to the side of the room. He was short and a little round with a red orange beard that was half as long as Volstagg's crumb filled beard. His voice was loud and powerful as he spoke, "Two thirds of the council agrees with Lady Ashwood's claim." A second council member stood three people away from the other. He was bulky like a body builder with a mop of light brown hair on his head.
His voice was nice and a little rough as he said, "The other third says that is unacceptable that someone should suffer for Prince Loki's wrongs on Midgard. We do not agree with the claim." "I claimed them. I shall suffer the consequences. It is my choice. Loki had nothing to do with it." Katelyn spoke with her silver tongue.
"You have been with him since he was born! You choose him! That's why you made the claim. He probably talked you into doing it with that serpent's tongue of his." the short round man said towards Katelyn with a criticizing voice. Katelyn looked him hard in the eye. Worry grew in his brown eyes as gray dominated them.
"What part of 'nothing to do with it' do you not understand?" Katelyn said like she thought him dumb. Her voice and mask of no expression never cracked as she stared the man down. "Enough! Katelyn has claimed the wrong doings of my brother. She did it on her own. She shall have the consequences that were set the night she first stated her claim." Thor said powerfully but wearily.
Katelyn glanced at Loki through the corner of her eye. He looked pale as he stood quietly with his hands behind him. "Katelyn Ashwood, you have been given the punishment of having your lips sewn. You will be kept in a cell for two thousand days. After the first thousand you will have a day on Midgard but your lips shall still be sewn. Do you accept?" Thor said plainly like he wanted this over with. "I accept." was all Katelyn said as she locked eyes with Thor again.
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"Well, I'm out of ideas right now." Stark said getting up from his desk at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. "That's not normal. Are you OK?" Bruce said looking up from his work at Tony who was stretching. "I just can't think right now but I'm fine. I just need coffee." Stark said walking out of the lab.
"Hey Dr. Banner." Natasha said walking in right after Tony left. She looked around the room looking for Tony. "Where's Stark?" Natasha said with a confused look. "He went to go get some coffee. I'm worried about him. He just said he's out of ideas. That's not normal." Banner said looking at the door that Stark used to exit the lab.
"Maybe his mind is overstuffed with what just happened. You know, the whole thing about
Loki confessing his love for Katelyn. I know I'm a little shocked still." Natasha said while hopping up to sit on the edge of the counter. "Yeah maybe thats it." Bruce mumbled going back to his work.
"Hey." Clint said dropping from the ceiling. "You know I was thinking about why Tony cant think. Maybe its because Katelyn is one of the only connections to his father. You know, she gave his that watch and she knew his dad way back when." Clint said plopping down in Stark's chair.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Barton." Banner said looking up at Hawkeye who was wearing a smirk of success. "Sorry. You know I think its a little weird that she has a past with all of us. I've been thinking of why she ignored Stark's question of why she was on earth. I think its cause she didn't want to see us. I mean she looked heart broken when she confessed her relation to us all. Some a little more than others but she knows us all in some sort of personal level." Hawkeye rambled staring off into space towards the ground and using his hands to gesture a little.
"That does make sense but how does she know Fury and that Dr. Shepard? Also what trouble did she cause?" Banner said taking off his glasses and resting the tip on his lower lip. "That story is for another time." Fury said walking in through the door tony used earlier. "But I will tell you that scar the the doctor had is from Katelyn scratching her in their last accouter. The trouble she caused was a little more scaring." Fury said leaning against the door frame.
"Hey. Oh I didn't know we were to have company. Bruce you forgot to clean the lab. Gosh your such a bad science wife." Tony said walking in past the director wearing a smirk at his own comment. "We aren't married until you get me that microscope I wanted." Bruce said with a chuckle.
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"Remember to go visit them for me." Katelyn thought to Loki as she was was chained in the cell she was to stay in. The guard who was chaining her was Prax. A friend of Katelyn. He was given his job of being her guard when she went to town the day after she came to Asgard. She had met him in a bakery a little ways from the palace. They instantly connected like friends. Now he was putting her in her cell.
Katelyn looked down the whole time she was taken to the dungeon. As Prax walked out he looked back at her and said, "You will always amaze me." Katelyn looked up and Prax smiled at her and gave a wink then left. Katelyn looked back down as the heavy door shut leaving the room dark except the light coming from the bared window on the door. It was small but still let a fair amount of light in.
She was on her knees with her hands behind her. Katelyn sat crossing her legs. She closed her eyes and replayed the scene over in her head.
Katelyn walked between the two guards that were to take her to the dwarves for the sewing. "How come you guys don't ever show any emotion?" Katelyn asked the two emotionless men. She was trying to keep off the subject of the pain she was about to be in. "How come you didn't let Loki take the responsibility for his actions?" the one on her left asked never breaking his blank face. "How come you cheated on your wife?" Katelyn asked crossing her arms and looking up at him.
The sliver of a smirk that was there vanished from his lips. "Yeah that's right I can read your mind. Personally I think your wife is better looking." Katelyn said looking forward wearing a face of opinion. "Heimdall, take us to the land of the dwarves." The guard said as they entered the bifrost trying not to snap at the girl with them. "You can't add a please?" Katelyn said giving him a sour look like a kid who didn't like rude people.
They shot towards Nidavellir. They landed with a soft thud as their feet hit the dirt. They stood in front of a small village. "Well this is the last thing I wanted to see today." A dwarve commented as he came out of a shop to meet them. He was short, like all dwarves, with a dark brown beard of fuzzy looking hair matching his head. Katelyn gave a disapproving glance over him.
"Ah it's Loki's lady. How pleasant. Here to get your lips sewn?" another gruff looking dwarve said walking out of the same shop to stand next to the other. He had red hair that looked burnt orange. "Actually yes." Katelyn said glancing over the new tiny man that stood before her. The two looked at each other with surprise. "What's the catch?" one said looking up at her. "There is none." Katelyn said looking dead serious.
They, by now, where inside the shop. Katelyn lay on the table with a sand bag under her head. The guards were outside the shop waiting. She closed her eyes listening to the sound of the things going on around her. The room was dark and musty. It smelt of fire and poison. Katelyn could hear all the little sounds like the thread that was soon to be bloody being pulled through the needle.
Katelyn heard the dwarve shift on his seat towards her. Her eyes snapped open to see him leaning over her with the needle in his hand. "Ready?" the dwarve said with a smirk as if to say 'I'm gonna enjoy this'. He tried to grab her upper lip and Katelyn hissed like an angry cat. The hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
"Hey Stogin. Check out this beauty's teeth." the dwarve said leaning back and yelling for the other. The one named 'Stogin' walked into the room. He was the one with red hair. "What?" Stogin asked walking into the room. Katelyn shot him a glance. "She's got some pearly whites. Like a feline." the other dwarve smirked as if to ask 'can we take them'. "Shut up and get to sewing." Katelyn hissed, becoming restless.
The dwarve gave a disapproving glance and started to get to work. Katelyn closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the bloody thread being pulled through her lips. "What a shame it is to ruin such a perty mouth." Stogin said apparently have some thoughts Katelyn didn't want to know.
Katelyn felt the cold end of the needle touch her lips starting to put pressure and piercing the tender skin above her lip. As the dwarve pulled the thread through her lip she could feel the burning of the poison used to help it through. It felt terrible. The feeling of each stitch causing blood to run down her jawline and onto the sandbag. The taste of copper filled her mouth, growing steadily. She swallowed the blood trying to keep from drowning. She kept her eyes closed. Katelyn knew the dwarve was smirking. She had played a few tricks on the a while back but kept them harmless. Loki also played some. The dwarves hated the two of them.
Katelyn got lost in the pain by the seventh stitch. She felt worn out like she had just lost a lot of blood. Oh, wait she had lost a lot of blood. The pain took over her and she pasted out. The thought of all the...
Katelyn heard the door open. She snapped her eyes open and looked up. She had fallen asleep. A tall dark figure stood in the doorway. Katelyn squinted trying to see clearly. The light behind the person made them look solid black. It was Loki. It took her a while to realize it but she had just woken up so she had to give her self some slack.
"I came to check on you. Just to see if your OK." Loki said walking forward moving to her side so she could see him better. He knelt next to her with a pained expression. His emerald eyes gazing at the bloody mess of her mouth. "I want to see." Katelyn thought to him. They were both still wearing the rings. "I don't think thats a good idea." Loki said never looking away from the red. Katelyn gave him a glare that said 'I want to see no matter what'. Loki sighed. "OK." he said defeated.
He held up his hand in front of her. His palm turned into a mirror. Katelyn's eyes widened at the sight. She squeezed her eyes shut then looked again. Her lips had dry blood around them. She counted the stitches. Ten in all. Each one coated in red. The thread was dark black with hints of blood. Crusted blood lined her jaw lines. It was a dry mess of blood on her chin and down her neck. Katelyn looked down at her clothes. Blood stained her gray shirt and the tops of her jeans on her thighs. Some had dripped on to the top of her boots on the way back.
She looked the opposite direction, away from Loki's face. He put his hand down and sighed again. "Let me clean you up." Loki said a little unsure if she would let him. "Fine." Katelyn sighed through her nose and looked down at her lap. A small puddle of blood had gathered in the middle of her crossed legs on the floor. Loki waved his hand over the ground and a bowl of water appeared with a wash rag. He dipped the rag into the water and made Katelyn look at him using his hand on her chin.
Loki quietly dabbed at the mess lightly wiping the blood off. The water was warm and soothing to the mini injuries. Katelyn stared at his eyes as he watched what he was doing. He finished her mouth and was now cleaning her jaw lines. Katelyn kept watching him. Leaning into his touch. It hurt from the pressure but she didn't care. He wiped her neck off after rising the rag in the bowl. The water was red from the liquid off the cloth.
Loki was cleaning her necklace that was soaked with the blood when she spoke, "I don't regret what I did." "You didn't have to do it you know. I was watching the avengers last night. They miss you. They care for you." Loki thought back to Katelyn. His face never moving from it's concentrated look. "Did they know you were there?" Katelyn asked back, ducking down and looking at his face. Loki looked up into her eyes and answered aloud, "No." He got up taking the bowl with him.
He stopped in the doorway looking back over his shoulder. "I will visit them tonight." he said closing the door behind himself. "I love you." Loki thought to her after the door clicked close. "I love you too." Katelyn thought back while looking back down. The room was dark and quiet again. She drifted back to sleep.
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Steve was training in the gym at Stark tower. The avengers had moved in after the repairs when finished. He hit the punching bag with all his force. His mind was racing with adrenaline helping. Steve gave the last final punch breaking the bag open spilling sand onto the ground. He collapsed onto his knees breathing hard.
"Can't sleep?" a female voice said from behind him. Rodgers knew it was Natasha. "I can't get her out of my head." he admitted lamely. He looked down at his hands that were wrapped in boxing tape. "I can't either. Katelyn was like a mother to me when I was younger." Natasha said walking up next to him.
The Black Widow squatted next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with pain and worry in his baby blue eyes. He felt tired, exhausted and restless all at the same time. "You should go take a shower and get some sleep." Natasha said helping him up. The captain nodded and unwrapped his hands as he left the gym.
"He seems troubled." a silver voice said from behind the widow. She whipped around to find Loki leaning in a dark corner. The shadows covering his shoulders and up. His eyes glowed a bright green like a cat when you shined a light in its eyes at night. "What are you doing here?" the widow hissed. "Katelyn requested I visit from time to time. So, here I am. Visit number one." Loki said walking out of the shadows spreading his arms as if to say 'tada'.
"JARVIS get Stark down here." Natasha said keeping her gaze level at the mischief god. "Miss Romanoff, Mr. Stark is asleep." JARVIS replied. "I don't care." Natasha hissed back at the voice. "As you wish." JARVIS answered. "He should be down soon." JARVIS said a little while later. "Good, thank you." Romanoff said.
"What do you want?" Tony asked grumpily rubbing his eyes as he entered the room. "Oh." Stark said a little surprised at the sight of the demigod. "Hello to you too." Loki said sarcastically looking at Stark. "What's he doing here?" Tony asked Natasha and pointing a finger at the god. "Katelyn wanted me to visit. To check up on you all." Loki said causally.
"So you came at one in the morning?" Tony said hardly believing his ears. "Yep." Loki said simply. "I need coffee." Tony said rubbing his eyes and turning to leave the room to search for coffee. Natasha followed after Loki, keeping an eye on him.
When they reached the kitchen they found Bruce pasted out at the table. He was drooling on some papers with a pen still in his grasp. Tony just chuckled and walked past. Loki gave him a wide birth and Natasha sat down next to him. Tony hit the on button on the coffee machine. "So let me get this straight. You came here to check on us for Katelyn?" Stark said still a little foggy.
"Yes, that is correct." Loki said sitting up on a bar stool and leaning on the counter. Both of the men turned at them sound of a groan. The groan came from Dr. Banner who was being waken up by the Black Widow. Loki gulped and got up to stand on the other side of the island next to Tony stark who smirked. Bruce sat up and stretched, yawning in the process.
"Hey sleepy head." Iron Man chirped at the sleepy Hulk. Tony walked over with a cup of coffee for the tired doctor. Tony sat next to him and sipped his own coffee. "What? Where are Katelyn?" Banner mumbled unintelligently as he looked around the room. "In Asgard." Loki said walking over to the table using the side furthest away from the man. "Oh. Right." Banner mumbled to himself and picking up the mug of coffee in front of him.
After sipping his coffee for a while, it hit him. Loki was here. Banner sprayed his coffee from him mouth onto the table. "WAIT! What are you doing here?" Banner said looking at Loki with disbelief as a drop of the strong drink dripped off his chin. Tony chuckled then said, "He's visiting." Bruce's only response was a confused look.
"What's with all the noise?" Barton asked shuffling into the kitchen with a plush bow and arrow in his hand. The other hand rubbing his eyes like a tired child. "Nice toy." Tony commented looking at the stuffed objects in Hawkeye's hand. Barton dropped his hand to his side and stood in shock. "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE!?" Hawkeye asked pointing at the mischief god who sat in a chair a seat away from the red haired assassin. "Shh," Black widow started, "your gonna wake Cap." "Too late." Captain America said walking in.