Chapter five) Complicating things further

Loki awoke slowly to the dark room. No matter the times he blinked, the room did not brighten. It made him wonder whether he was opening his eyes at all, as the darkness surely was vast. It did not frighten him, but the fact that whenever he tried to move his limbs he found he couldn't, did. So this was how the world would contain their rightful leader?

Part of him wished this to be a dream, a nightmare, but it was not so. Stark had let SHIELD take him, because "there was no other way". Did Stark really believe it himself? What bothered him most at the current moment was that him not being able to see anything didn't mean no one would be able to see him...

He tried to pull his hands free, but he was well bound down. The same went for his ankles and a firm strap around his waist. He didn't know whether to feel flattered or not, that they thought he was dangerous enough to strap to a bed. A very uncomfortable bed.

How long was he to be kept here? Until they were sure to have eradicated all the danger? In that case he would never see a day outside of SHIELD anymore. He needed to plan an escape and he needed to do so quickly, for he felt little for wasting his time in this institution.

He would rule everyone and the first thing he would do was slaughter everyone that had opposed him now. He would personally find out who had strapped him to this bed and torture them for everyone to see, to teach the lesson that he was almighty and unforgiving of such crimes.

He was unsure how long he had been lying here and wondered how much longer it would take for anyone to show any interest in him. It certainly was boring to be here. More so, he continuously felt tormented by thoughts and memories, now there was nothing to direct his attention elsewhere.

Fiercely he continued to struggle against the bounds. He tried to wiggle free his hand, twisting and turning it. But the bound was so tight around his wrist that it only resulted in his fingers tingling from the loss of blood. After a moment he let out a frustrated sigh and forced his muscles to relax, as it would only pain him later.

The door opened, suddenly, and Loki was blinded by the light that came from outside. He shut his eyes firmly, head throbbing from the sudden flash. On the back of his eyes he pictured the image that he had managed to catch right before his eyes had pressed shut. A dark figure against the bright background. A tall, strong man...

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Thor?" Loki sneered, opening his eyes once more now the door had shut. A moment later lights flickered on in the room and although they were still blinding, Loki kept his eyes open.

"Loki, my brother-"

"Please spare me your sentiment," Loki interrupted him, snappily. Was Thor here to torment him further, or save him perhaps? Or was it merely an occasional visit? Did Thor perhaps like to see him in this place, captured by the very people he tried to gain control over? "Was this your grand plan? For me to roam free, only to be taken captive by this pathetic corporation?!"

"I never meant for this to happen, Loki," Thor spoke. Loki tried to flinch out of the way, but as he was bound to the bed it was hardly like he could go anywhere. Thor's hand connected to his shoulder and squeezed softly.

"Untie me," Loki said. "Or be gone."

"Fair enough," Thor replied, much to Loki's surprise and he felt how the God of Thunder started to pull on the ties. Not too long after that he could pull his hand free from the loop. Immediately he started on the other hand, while Thor started at his ankles.

"I will not be held captive by these puny mortals," Loki growled.

"That is not my decision to make," Thor replied, to Loki's disdain. First Tony and now Thor. Did anyonedare to stand up for anything?! "I have not banished you with no means of return, brother, but it is only when you meet these terms that your fate, once more, falls to me." Loki had no clue what 'these terms' were, but was certain they weren't terms he would agree to anyway.

"It seems I'm forced yet again to do this on my own," Loki replied, voice cold. His other hand was now also freed and he started on the bound around his waist. Thor had almost finished untying his second ankle.

"I am there for you," Thor spoke, looking down at his brother now he was free from the bounds. "But I cannot tell you what needs to be done for you to redeem your magic," Thor spoke, shaking his head a little. "I am sorry, but this is your fate and you will have to take it into your own hands," Thor spoke. "Do not twist my words, however, brother. As you do not stand alone as one man in a world," Thor spoke, "I support you."

"I don't need your support, nor your protection," Loki spat, pushing himself up from the bed. He looked down at himself and saw that he was not wearing the same clothing as he had done before. "How dare they," he sneered softly.

"Loki, you must cease this behaviour," Thor spoke. "You cannot make people bow down to you as in many eyes you do wrong, you commit crimes," Thor spoke, "they are the people that are punished, not praised and definitely not worshipped. Like this, you cannot rule, if that truly is what you desire - which I will not let you do, would you be capable, as you will only inflict damage on the realm that I protect. You need your magic, Loki, as you need to return to Asgard."

"Stop telling me what I do or don't need to do!" Loki shouted. "Stop ordering me around, Kingof Asgard! I am not your puppet and I never will be. Deal with it, that time has been and gone and I will remain the brother you never wanted, the brother that you always saw as second choice," Loki spoke with a tone that showed his emotion so clearly, his anger and pain, his fierce longing to be someone... someone wanted and worshipped.

"You are not second choice now! Don't you see how much effort I'm putting into your banishment? How much it takes to not just take you back home?"

"Asgard is not my home! And you are not my brother, Thor! I was always a substitute, someone to come to when your proper friends weren't there!" Loki shouted, his voice loud and filled with pure anger. "Nobody has ever wanted me, Thor! Nobody!"

"I want you now, now stop this nons-"

"But not for who I am!" Loki's voice was an urgent scream, his jaw trembling. His head hurt, he was tired and worn down. He didn't feel safe, nor trusted, nor loved, nor did he feel alone, as he had no privacy to be so... but at the same time he was the most alone person in the world. "Look at me!" he suddenly shouted and obeyed, looking at him. He could see in the King's eyes that this touched him emotionally. "You want me to be that brother that took you with me when we pulled pranks instead of me pulling pranks on you. You want me to be that boy who is fine with you having your own life, but is always there when you need him. You want me to be the Son of Odin, like you always believed me to be. I am not even like you, Thor. My entire life is a lie, an enormous lie and that's why you don't truly care. Because you want that lie, not me."

Loki had stepped closer and closer to Thor as he spoke. Threateningly his voice grew softer and softer as he came closer, his eyes growing fiercer and filled with more sadness and madness. These were not eyes Thor could continue to look at and thus he looked away, proving that, indeed, he believed in the lie.

The both of them fell silent for a while and as Loki turned up to look at his brother, Thor placed a hand on his shoulder, but got pushed back instantly. "If you truly don't want me, then leave and indeed leave my fate in my own hands instead of steering it in the direction you want it to go," Loki spoke, looking up at his brother, only cold emptiness visible in his green orbs. Thor let out a sigh, shook his head, then took a step back.

"I love you, brother," Thor spoke. "I love you even now."

"Because you have hope in me becoming the boy I once was. The naive and ignorant boy," Loki replied. "No longer do I suffer from such traits. I am destined to rule and I will break out of here, no matter how much it will take and you know that," Loki said, stepping towards his brother, looking up into his blue, upset eyes with his own mad ones. "Now leave me to my fate."

"I wish you luck, my brother. I will be forever waiting your return," Thor spoke, turning his back on Loki, taking a step towards the door.

"As I will await your downfall," Loki replied, a wicked sneer on his face. He stepped to stand before Thor, the door now right behind him. Thor gritted his teeth, his eyes catching Loki's, who started to laugh menacingly. "Run home, little princess."

Thor's fist raised and collided with the door behind Loki, which crumbled under the God's touch, breaking a hole into the hard wood of the door. Loki grinned, shoved his hand through the door and opened it from the outside. Nobody could harm Loki while Thor was watching and thus, as the door opened, he started to run, Thor right behind him.

He was looking around, while never ceasing his speed. He knew it would take only a few seconds for Thor to catch up with him, but he wasn't actually trying. Did he not want Loki to escape? And as he fell under Thor's protection at this given moment, he was granted the opportunity of an escape, as long as it looked like Thor tried to catch him.

He rushed into one of the hallways, though knew he would have to do better than this as alarms were ringing and people were starting to get aware of the happening, which meant that more and more would try to come after him. Or worse - pop out of hallways before him. Quickly he changed course, rushed into one of the rooms and threw the door shut behind as it was an automatic gesture that would, at least, slow Thor somewhat. Ah, he'd picked a good room to walk in to. Filled with electronics and machinery he didn't understand. Surely there was somethinghe could use?

If only he'd asked Tony what to look out for in a situation like this. The door was hardly left intact as Thor slammed it open.

"Brother! Don't do this! You'll only complicate things further for yourself!"

"As always, your fate in me is warming," Loki sneered coldly. He reached one of the tables and grabbed something that looked like a gun, of some sort. He pointed it towards Thor, knowing it would hardly harm him at all. Probably. He could always pretend he knew about these things, could he not? Suddenly his attention was turned away from Thor entirely, as he took hold of the weapon in his both hands, looking down at it in amazement and fear. It was so small... "How is this possible?" he mused, confusedly. "We took it, did we not? We took everything..."

"What?" Thor asked and he stepped towards Loki, who immediately turned his back to his brother and studied the weapon further. He was going to be caught, yes, but he would not be caught empty handed. He pried at the puny weapon, unsure what it's purpose was and what it was doing here. Yet, out of all the weapons here he'd picked up this small one and it had not been coincidence. He had been led to it, by something he had come to loathe, but loved still.

He took out a thin glass tube that looked like some of the things he'd seen in the Tower. The liquid within the tube flickered a brilliant blue as he held it up, but before Thor could grab it from him, he threw the rest of the weapon towards him, momentarily distracting him as he automatically caught it. Loki tried to open the tube. Yes, this was it. This was exactly the piece of the puzzle he'd been missing and right when an entire squad of agents entered the room, holding him at gun point, he drank the tube's entire content.