sakiko of soleana: Sorry! I'll pass you some tissues. *gives tissues* Hope that helps!
ONE STEP FORWARD, FOUR STEPS BACK
A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION
CHAPTER TWENTY: Shadows
Things had officially settled down for Thor and Loki. They had been in one place for a little over two weeks, and it looked as though they were safer with Jane than anywhere else. Erik had been monitoring S.H.I.E.L.D. carefully, but no suspicious or threatening activity had been detected yet. Thor found it odd that S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't called anyone else in to capture Loki, but was also grateful for the peace that he was feeling with Jane. Their relationship was strengthening, and Loki and Jane had grown very close, Loki seeing Jane like a sergeant mother. For the first time in a long time, Thor was content.
On the third week of their stay, Loki's emotional state was crippling quickly. Nothing anyone did could calm his breakdowns anymore. His nightmares and night terrors were increasing dramatically in number and he spent most of his time asleep. Not even elder-Loki could get the boy to talk about what was bothering him so badly. Loki would numbly shake his head when asked and then block out the world for a while. Thor was so sick with worry that he couldn't feel that peace that he had in the last week. He broke down and called Beth, who told him to be patient with the boy. She assured him that Loki was going to get better, but that it would just take time. With no comforting words anywhere, Thor had to just trust that Loki would pull through. Loki was a strong-willed person, he always had been. Thor felt that there was nothing that could truly defeat Loki's strong spirit. He really hoped that he wouldn't be proven wrong.
The Thursday of the third week came around and Loki was cuddled into Thor's side. Both were still asleep, Loki muttering quietly. He was dreaming about Bruce Banner again. Since Erik had begun to take an interest in S.H.I.E.L.D., Loki's dreams about Bruce had increased dramatically. He was worried that the person that Thor called Fury would hurt Bruce the way that Margr-Vígaferli had hurt him. Loki had been having very livid dreams about the man, almost to the point of relieving his own torture sessions. Loki trashed about, smacking Thor in the face. The man tiredly sat up and rubbed his reddening face.
"Ow," Thor said sleepily, glancing over to a thrashing Loki. He blinked and shook his head, knowing what was going on. Thor was shocked to find that either Loki was literally sweating out the contents of the Mississippi River, or he had soaked through his Pull-Up. Either way, this had clearly been a bad night for the boy.
"Loki, it's alright," Thor cooed softly. "Wake up now, I'm here." Loki did indeed wake up, tremors shaking his entire small frame. He instantly began to sob and Thor pulled him into an embrace.
"All is well," Thor said gently.
"No, it's not," Loki muttered after calming down enough to speak.
"Why not?" Thor asked.
"Wha' happened t' Mr. Banner, Thor?" Loki asked. Thor sighed.
"Loki, I don't know. However, Banner can take care of himself. You have nothing to fear." Thor reassured him. Loki shook his head.
"'Kay, but I feel like somethin' bad's gonna happen," Loki told him in a whisper. Thor blinked; is that what has been bothering the boy so badly? Why did Loki feel that way?
"What sort of bad thing Loki?" Thor prompted.
"I dunno. J'st somethin' bad." Loki told him softly.
"Loki, I cannot help you if you do not share with me what troubles you," Thor said.
"Thor, 'm afraid someone's gonna come take me away!" Loki blurted out suddenly. Thor pulled the boy in closer, the man's heartbeat calming Loki down.
"Loki, that won't happen. I won't let that happen. I will protect you, I swear." Thor said. Loki squirmed out of Thor's grasp and held out a pinky finger.
"Pinky promise?" Loki asked. Thor smiled affectionately and nodded. His gigantic pinky finger wrapped around Loki's small one.
"I promise, Loki."
Since the first initial week at Jane's, Loki had been engrossed in lessons provided by the adults of the laboratory. Every morning from nine until noon, Thor, Jane, Erik and sometimes even Darcy would take turns teaching the boy. They all felt it important for the boy to learn seeing as he wasn't in school and his mind craved knowledge. This particular morning found Jane and Loki at the table in the kitchenette doing a reading lesson. Loki wasn't really focusing, however; his mind was still on that sense of foreboding that he had woken up with. Jane was patient with him, and helped him write out the word "dog".
"No, Loki. Lower case 'd's go like this. That's a 'b'." Jane corrected gently. Loki shook his head.
"S'rry," Loki said, erasing and trying again. Jane took his hand and got him to stop. Loki glanced up. "Wha'?"
"What's up buddy?" Jane asked. Loki shrugged.
"Dunno," he muttered.
"Did you not sleep well?" Jane questioned.
"I ne'er sleep good," Loki answered.
"Come on Loki. Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me." Jane reassured him.
"Well, I j'st feel like somethin' bad is gonna happen; tha' someone is gonna take me away from Thor." Loki explained softly.
"Oh, Loki, that won't happen. No one is going to take you away." Jane cooed.
"Tha's what Thor said," Loki informed her.
"And do you trust Thor?" Jane asked. Loki nodded his head.
"Uh-huh," Loki replied, a thumb traveling up to his lips. He had picked up thumb-sucking as a comforting tool at some point in the last few weeks. Thor couldn't remember when it started, but everyone thus far had told him not to scold Loki for doing it. He was still young and it wasn't really hurting anything. Jane smiled fondly at him.
"See? Everything is going to be just fine." Jane told him. Loki's face parted into a small smile, his thumb still between his lips.
After lunch, Loki had asked to go outside and play. It was a nice fall day and Thor allowed it. Thor watched him from the sliding glass door leading to the back yard, which wasn't fenced. He warned Loki not to venture out too far. After handing the small boy a jacket, Thor kissed Loki's head and opened the door. Loki smiled and went outside, elder-Loki at his heals.
"So," elder-Loki began, "what's the plan for today little one?"
"I wanna play an' seek with you," Loki told him.
"Alright. Do you want me to count?" elder-Loki asked. Loki nodded.
"Uh-huh. 'M a good hider." Loki said. Elder-Loki smiled.
"I know you are," he replied.
"Now, shut your eyes an' count t' one hundred," Loki commanded. Elder-Loki nodded and shut his eyes.
"One, two, three, four…" Loki darted off and hid behind a bush in the yard. Thor, glancing out and no longer seeing Loki, opened the sliding glass door and poked his head out of it.
"Loki? Where are you?" Thor called. Loki peeked out from his hiding place and scowled at his brother.
"'M right here, brother. You're gonna give away my hidin' spot! Me an' Bjarte are playin hide an' seek." Loki cried. Thor rolled his eyes; Loki could be so dramatic.
"Alright. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Thor said, shutting the door again. Loki hid his face again and waited for elder-Loki to stop counting.
As elder-Loki approached one hundred, he thought he heard branches rustling and shaking from above his head. He opened his eyes and glanced up, a look of horror spreading across his face; in the tree sat Clint Barton, a loaded bow aimed right at Loki. Elder-Loki glanced around and saw Steve Rogers creeping toward the giggling little boy, a gag ready.
"Shit," elder-Loki muttered. He sprinted to where Loki was hiding, the boy's face falling.
"You didn'-" Loki was cut off by elder-Loki shushing him urgently.
"Loki, stay here and don't move. I'm going to find a way to get Thor out here. Stay low and quiet." elder-Loki commanded. Loki shivered and nodded, crouching down lower. He didn't know what was happening, but knew to listen to his Bjarte. Elder-Loki patted the boy's head, then sprinted inside the laboratory.
"Thor!" he called, knowing full well that Thor couldn't hear him. "Thor, you idiot, where are you?!" Elder-Loki began searching high and low for Thor, the clock ticking. He glanced back and knew he was running out of time.
"THOR!" he bellowed. Nothing. He was truly invisible to everyone but one little boy. "Damn, what am I to do!" As he said that, he heard Loki scream.
"No, Loki!" elder-Loki raced outside to see, Loki squirming in Rogers' grasp, attempting to get away. He knew not to use magic. It would be channeled through the boy, and that would make the situation worse for Loki. He wouldn't be able to control it and may end up hurting or even killing Barton or Rogers. That would cripple Loki's emotional state, and it also left elder-Loki out of options.
"Thor! Help!" Loki cried, his eyes meeting elder-Loki's. "Please, Bjarte, help-" Rogers successfully gaged Loki and signaled to Barton. Barton nodded and hoped down. The two men began to dart off when Thor reached the door. Elder-Loki breathed a sigh of relief; Thor had come.
"NO! LOKI!" Thor called, his hammer in his hands. Barton glanced back and shot an arrow, it hitting Thor in the knee. Elder-Loki's eyes widened as Barton continued to shoot arrows. The arrows obviously had a chemical on them, Thor unable to pull the one out of his knee, though he tried. Barton shot more, some hitting Thor and others snagging the man's clothes and pinning him to the ground. One arrow pierced Thor's side and he bellowed in pain, smashing Mjölnir weakly into the ground. He struggled to get up, but was unable to do so. Barton and Rogers were now out of sight, Loki with them.
"No!" Thor sobbed, unable to do anything, his body pinned to the ground by Barton's arrows. He was still struggling when elder-Loki slumped down on to the ground next to his brother, his hands in his face. Guilt was rising in elder-Loki's chest as well as confusion. He should have risked using magic. If he had, the boy would still be in the back yard with Thor. Elder-Loki was confused as to why when Loki was kidnapped that he wasn't forced to follow. He had always felt compelled to be where Loki was, like a string was binding them. Now that string was broken, meaning that the boy was alone just like he was in Fjørlag-Bryggja.
"I'm sorry, brother. I should have been watching him." he whispered guiltily to his now sobbing brother. Jane came rushing out side and gasped.
"No, not Loki, please not Loki!" she cried. Thor's watery blue eyes met Jane's brown ones.
"Aye. S.H.I.E.L.D. took Loki." Thor told her. Jane's face crumpled and the tears began to fall as Loki was taken farther and farther away. Elder-Loki sat there, wondering why he hadn't been stolen too.
The ground was bumpy and Loki was getting a headache. His tear streaked and pale face glanced up at Steve every so often, but he couldn't speak since he was gaged. Steve followed Clint to a small plane and Clint commanded Steve to keep a hold of Loki. Steve nodded and gripped the boy tighter. Loki whimpered softly, Steve glancing down. Their eyes met and Loki was shocked to see gentleness in Steve's eyes. Loki whimpered again, Steve's face softened a bit, though the man didn't speak. The door of the plane opened and Steve carried Loki inside. He sat the boy on a seat and quickly strapped him in. Steve then removed the gag and Loki coughed in relief.
"Keep him quiet. He'll trick you if he talks too long." Clint said, the plane roaring to life. Loki's bottom lip trembled, a few more tears escaping his eyes.
"I won' trick anyone. I j'st wan' Thor." Loki said to no one. Steve winced a little; he hadn't liked this job from the start. He didn't like the idea of kidnapping a five-year-old even if that five-year-old was Loki. From what he knew, the little boy had little to no memory and was innocent. Why kidnap him? He wasn't hurting anyone. But Fury forced Steve into it, telling him it was a matter of national security. Steve doubted that, but knew better than to argue with Fury. He always lost when he did. Steve sat next to the shaking boy and strapped in.
"Hello, my name is Steve," Steve said gently. Loki glanced over.
"'M Loki," Loki replied, his little voice cracking.
"Yes, I know," Steve said.
"I know my older self is bad, but 'm not. 'M good! Thor says so." Loki told him.
"Really? You like Thor a lot don't you?" Steve asked. Loki's frightened face brightened a little at the mention of Thor.
"Yeah, he's the best brother e'er. Why'd you take me away from him? I didn' do anything wrong! 'M not my older self! 'M good!" Loki cried, tears running down his face once more.
"It wasn't my decision to make, kid. I'm sorry." Steve informed him. Loki wiped his nose on his jacket sleeve and squirmed a little in his seat.
"I gotta go potty," Loki told him.
"Sorry, kid. You'll have to hold it. It doesn't take too long to get back to base anyway." Steve said.
"I wanna go back," Loki whispered sadly, "I can' sleep without my Da."
"Your Da? What's your Da?" Steve asked.
"My Da is my stuffed goat my daddy gave me," Loki explained.
"Oh, sorry," Steve replied softly, feeling guiltier by the second. The more the kid talked, the more it hit home that he had just kidnapped a little boy. That felt horrible. Steve stood for freedom and justice, but this act was cruel and he knew it. There just was nothing he could do about it unless he wanted to suffer the same fate as Pepper, Tony and Bruce. He had heard stories and wanted nothing to do with that. He hadn't realized how truly awful S.H.I.E.L.D. could be until now. Loki yawned loudly.
"'M sleepy," he said.
"Then sleep. I'll look after you." Steve told him. Loki nodded and rested his head on Steve's shoulder.
"Thanks for bein' so nice t' me, Mr. Steve," Loki said tiredly. Steve found himself smiling fondly at the boy.
"Any time."
The rest of the ride was uneventful, Loki drooling on Steve's shoulder. Clint scowled but said nothing. He knew how big of a heart Steve had for kids and didn't expect much different out of him. Clint didn't see a little boy, though. Clint saw that malicious monster, and Steve was allowing that monster's head to rest on his shoulder. It disgusted him to the core. The plane landed and the bumping of the tires on pavement woke Loki up. He whimpered but Steve shushed him. Loki looked around frantically for a moment, unsure of where he was. He thought it had all been a bad dream. Clearly, he was wrong.
"Am I goin' home?" Loki asked tiredly.
"No, you're going to the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound, remember?" Steve said gently. Loki nodded and sniffled.
"Yeah, but I thought it was a bad dream. I wish it was." Loki muttered, his lip trembling.
"I wish it was too," Steve said, standing. Clint was now standing next to him, handcuffs in his grip. He gestured for Steve to unlock Loki's seatbelts and Steve did so, the little boy grabbing his hand automatically. Clint scowled and grabbed Loki's wrists, locking the metal handcuffs around them.
"Tha's too tight," Loki whined. Steve shushed him.
"Yes, I know. You'll take them off soon." Steve said.
"Can…Can I hol' your hand Mr. Steve?" Loki asked. Steve smiled.
"Of course. The only reason you have handcuffs on is because everyone thinks you'll escape. I don't think holding my hand will help you escape, will it?" Steve said. Loki giggled lightly.
"Nah, I don' think so either. 'Sides, I won' 'scape anyways. Thor's gonna come save me." Loki said, taking Steve's hand.
"Oh yeah?" Steve asked. Steve wasn't sure if it was even possible for Thor to find this place let alone rescue the boy, but didn't want to discourage the boy. Loki's hope in Thor may just keep him alive.
"Yeah. He saved me from Fjørlag-Bryggja an' the Shadow, so he'll save me from this." Loki explained. Steve's brow furrowed.
"What's Fjørlag-Bryggja? Who's 'the Shadow'? What are you talking about?" Steve asked. Loki took a shaky breath. He really didn't want to talk about it at all, but knew he should elaborate for Steve.
"My father sent me t' Fjørlag-Bryggja t' be punished for stuff my older self did. The Shadow is the one tha' punished me. It h'rt a lot an' I don' like talkin' 'bout it." Loki said.
"Oh my God. That's what Bruce was talking about." Steve said, realization hitting him like a tidal wave. Now this seemed even more wrong. The kid had already been locked up and tortured for weeks on end and Fury wanted to do it again. There had to be something Steve could do to stop it. Just what, Steve didn't know, but he'd think of something. He couldn't just sit back and allow this to happen.
"You know Mr. Banner?" Loki asked, his small voice full of surprise. Steve nodded.
"Yeah. He and I are…friends." Steve said, not really sure if "friends" described their relationship correctly.
"Neat! Can I see him?" Loki asked. Steve shrugged.
"Um, maybe," he said with false cheeriness. Loki probably wouldn't want to see Bruce if he knew what sort of conditions the man had been under since arriving.
"I like you Mr. Steve," Loki said, his tiny hand taking Steve's. Steve smiled.
"That's good. I'll look out for you until Thor comes for you." Steve told him. Loki smiled weakly at him. Clint led them to the holding cells, saying that Fury would see to Loki later. Steve nodded and led Loki to a cell.
"Is there a specific cell that he's assigned to?" Steve asked. Clint shook his head.
"I don't think so. Just stick him inside one so we can leave." Clint replied. Steve led Loki further down the hall, the boy keeping quiet. Steve knew he was scared and also knew nothing he said would make him feel better. Steve took Loki to a cell that appeared to be occupied by someone. There was a lump underneath the blanket on the bed. Loki glanced up at Steve in confusion.
"You got room for one more?" Steve called. A grunt sounded and the lump got out of bed. Loki gasped a little.
"M-Mr. Banner?" Bruce had lost a lot of weight, he had cuts and bruises on his exposed skin and was shaking slightly. His face fell and brightened at the same time when he saw Loki.
"Oh no. Not you too." he said softly. Bruce gestured and Steve unlocked the cell door. He undid Loki's restraints and the boy ran to Bruce, the man picking him up and holding him. Steve heard a sob and was amazed at what he saw. Bruce Banner comforting Loki as he cried. It was a sight that Steve never thought he'd see in his life time for many reasons. He had heard that Bruce and Loki had a strong bond, but underestimated just how strong it was.
"It's alright, I'm here," Bruce cooed softly.
"Bruce, when you said you loved the kid, I didn't know you really meant love," Steve said.
"How could I not?" Bruce replied simply, as if loving Loki was as easy as loving pie or your pet dog. Steve didn't think it was that simple. Little boy or not, Loki was still Loki, right? Perhaps, but if he wasn't evil then maybe it was easy to love him after all. Steve shook his head; it was beginning to pound with all his thoughts running wild in his head.
"Well, I guess it's our job to take care of him until Thor is able to rescue him," Steve said.
"So they didn't get Thor?" Bruce asked, adjusting Loki so the boy was on his hip.
"No, we didn't take Thor, but Barton pinned him to the ground with those arrows with that chemical on them so he couldn't stop us. God, I feel like a real bastard…" Steve trailed off and heard a small gasp. He glanced up to meet Loki's wide eyes.
"You said a bad word, Mr. Steve," Loki told him, Bruce holding him bringing him instant comfort. Steve smiled slightly.
"Yeah, I guess I did. I'm sorry." Steve said.
"It's okay, j'st don' say it again," Loki replied. Steve chuckled lightly.
"Alright. Look, I have to go. Clint will rip my head off if I stay for too much longer." Steve told them. Bruce nodded.
"You probably should go. Thanks for bringing Loki to me. He couldn't survive in a cell by himself." Bruce said. Steve sighed; that he knew. How could Fury justify what was happening? How could he make this seem okay? Because it wasn't okay, no matter what Fury said.
"This is wrong. We shouldn't be holding a five-year-old here! What the hell is Fury thinking?" Steve cried angrily. Loki scowled at him.
"You keep sayin' bad words," Loki scolded. Steve flinched at the sheer innocence ringing from everything Loki said. This wasn't right! What was Fury thinking? How was a five-year-old boy a threat to anyone?
"I'm sorry, kiddo. It's just…you shouldn't be here. You haven't done anything wrong." Steve said. Loki shrugged.
"'Kay. But Mr. Steve, Mr. Banner will take care of me. 'M not as scared anymore." Loki said.
"I'm glad you aren't as scared. I'll see you later, okay?" Steve said. Loki nodded.
"'Kay," Loki replied. With his free hand, Bruce shook Steve's hand.
"Thanks again for bringing Loki to me. Pepper and Tony aren't healthy enough to care for him." Steve nodded and Loki gasped.
"Miss Potts an' Mr. Stark are here? An' they're sick? We shoul' fix them!" Loki exclaimed.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, Loki. Keep your eyes open Steve." Bruce said.
"Right," Steve replied, leaving. Loki rested his head on Bruce's shoulder.
"I was so worried 'bout you," Loki told him.
"I was worried about you too," Bruce replied, walking over and sitting down on his bed.
"I had bad dreams 'bout you a lot," Loki said.
"Really?" Bruce asked as he adjusted Loki on his lap. Loki nodded.
"Uh-huh. I really missed you." Loki responded.
"Oh, Loki. I missed you too." Bruce said, cuddling him close. He had never been good with kids, nor had he ever cared for a child the way he cared for Loki. It was almost unsettling. But for Bruce, Loki represented purity, honesty; things that the world around him lacked in so many areas. He let his guard down around the boy, allowing the boy to see the true Bruce Banner. The Hulk had no voice around Loki. When Loki was around, Bruce had his own mind. That's why it was so unsettling; he wasn't used to it.
"You did?" Loki asked.
"Of course," Bruce replied. Loki sighed.
"I miss Thor," Loki said, his bottom lip trembling. Bruce sighed sadly and allowed the boy to rest his head on his chest.
"I know."
Loki caught Bruce up on everything the man had missed in the month or so that he had been absent. Loki told him about his daily lessons with Thor, Jane and Erik, about how he had been healing, and about Bjarte. When Bruce asked to meet Bjarte, Loki's eyes widened; his elder-self was nowhere to be found. Elder-Loki had not followed Loki here. Loki's eyes watered a little, but he pushed the tears back. Loki merely told Bruce that Bjarte had stayed at Jane's house. Bruce didn't ask again and Loki was grateful. He didn't understand why elder-Loki wasn't there, but wished that he was. Elder-Loki made great company. At around two in the afternoon, Loki heard footsteps coming down the hallway. He was about to ask Bruce if Steve was coming back, but Bruce shushed him. The man wrapped his arms around the boy securely and waited with a solemn look on his face. Loki looked to the cell door and saw a tall black man with scars and an eye patch on his face. The man was dressed in all black and looked very intimidating. Loki had begun to shake slightly and Bruce held him closer.
"Banner," the man said, revealing his deep voice.
"Fury," Bruce responded, Loki's eyes widening. That was Fury, the man who took Loki away from Thor. Loki's face burned in anger. How dare he take Loki away from Thor? He had no right! Bruce must have sensed Loki's mood change because he held him all the more closely, which Loki was grateful for.
"I must speak with the boy. Alone." Fury commanded. Bruce scowled.
"Will the two of you truly be alone or will someone else join him?" Bruce asked bitterly.
"That is none of your concern. Hand the boy over." Fury said. Loki glanced up at Bruce who had a clenched jaw.
"And if I refuse?" Bruce asked.
"You don't want to," Fury replied. Bruce sighed heavily.
"Loki, go with him. I promise that you'll come back. Just answer his questions and he'll let you go, okay?" Bruce said slowly. Loki nodded fearfully.
"'Kay," Loki whispered, hopping off of Bruce's lap. He cautiously walked toward the door and glanced back to Bruce.
"Go on. I'll be here when you get back." Bruce reassured him. Loki nodded and walked through the open door. Fury then handcuffed him and dragged Loki away, Bruce full of worry.
Fury led Loki down a long hallway. They didn't stop walking until the near end of it, Fury unlocking the cool metal door and pushing Loki inside. The boy frantically searched the room for possible threats and his eyes locked on a familiar figure; the woman who talked with Bruce the night he and Thor fled Stark Tower was in the room, her back against the wall. Loki froze for a moment, unable to move. Fury pushed him impatiently and the boy numbly responded.
"Sit down," Fury said coldly, gesturing to a metal chair. Loki nodded mutely and did as he was told. Fury sat down on as well, a table separating them.
"You're probably confused as to why we brought you in, aren't you?" Fury asked. Loki nodded.
"Well, I know tha' older me did lots of bad things but I didn'," Loki replied timidly.
"You see, Loki, it is because of the things that your 'older self' did that you are here. You weren't supposed to return to earth until Odin told us you weren't a threat. We never got that call. In my eyes, you are a threat to national and international security. Understand?" Loki shook his head.
"Not really. How d' you know my dad?" Loki asked.
"Thor told us that was the agreement. I assumed you knew."
"I really don' know anythin', Mr. Fury. Thor didn' e'en tell me 'bout older me's crimes 'til after we 'scaped from Mr. Stark's house." Loki informed him.
"Don't assume that changes anything. You are a criminal." Fury said. Loki shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. Older me is." Loki retorted. Fury slammed his hand on the table, making Loki jump a little. That woman from before was now holding a gun.
"Listen up and listen well. You are a criminal and will be treated as such. You have violated the agreement made with us by Odin and therefore in my eyes never paid for what you did. Believe me, Loki, you will pay. Step a toe out of line and just see how bad things can get for you." Fury threatened, spraying Loki with spit as he spoke.
"'M s'rry," Loki muttered, hiding his face, "I didn' mean to."
"You should be. You have caused me a lot of pain tracking you down. There was a lot of interference by some unknown force making it hard to find you or Thor." Fury told him. Loki's eyes widened.
"Thor? Don' take Thor! Don' h'rt Thor! He didn' do anythin' wrong!" Loki begged. Fury's eye narrowed.
"He didn't? As I see it, he did. He's the one who brought you here, wasn't he?" Fury replied. Loki began to shake.
"Well, y-yeah b-but tha' was only 'c-cause I was in Fjørlag-Bryggja an'-" Loki was cut off by the woman clearing her throat.
"What's Fjørlag-Bryggja?" she asked.
"Fjørlag-Bryggja is the most scary prison in all of Asgard. Father sent me there t' be punished for the stuff older me did. I was gonna die if I was in there much longer, so Thor saved me an' took me t' see Mr. Stark. Then Mr. Banner gave me medicine an' shots an' x-rays t' make me feel better. Then Mr. Banner tol' me 'bout the tooth fairy an' he an' Thor played with me lots. Then-" Loki stopped when Fury raised his hand. Apparently if the boy started talking, he'd never stop and Fury didn't have time for Loki's chatter.
"You mentioned that you would have died if left in this prison. Why is that?" Fury asked. Loki took a shaky breath and gulped in an attempt to swallow his fear.
"Um, well, the Shadow would h'rt me once a day e'ery day for a hour. It h'rt a lot and e'en when I asked nicely for it to stop, it wouldn'. I got scars on my tummy from it." Loki explained. He heard the woman take a breath, but wasn't sure if she truly gasped or not. It was hard to tell.
"It's nice to know that you were indeed punished for what you did, even if it wasn't for too long." Fury said shortly. Loki's face got hot.
"I didn' do anythin'. Thor says my time in Fjørlag-Bryggja was wrong." Loki hissed. Fury glared at him.
"You really don't want to push my buttons," Fury warned.
"You aren' gonna take Thor, are you?" Loki asked, his thoughts returning to the looming threat that Fury had made.
"That's the thing. I won't take Thor if and only if you take his punishment for him." Fury said. Loki cocked his head to the side.
"Wha' d' you mean?" Loki questioned.
"Thor did something bad. He has to pay for it unless you're willing to pay for him. Too bad you won't. You're Loki after all. All you care about is yourself." Fury mocked. Loki scowled. His face burned in anger and now it was Loki who slammed his hands on the cool metal table.
"You don' know what you're talkin' 'bout! I love Thor! I'll take it! I'll take it for him! J'st don' bring him here! He doesn' need to come here!" Loki screamed. Fury smirked.
"Excellent. Agent Romanov, take Loki to Banner's cell." Fury commanded. Romanov nodded and gripped Loki's arm. She dragged him back to the cell and pushed him in. Bruce stood up instantly.
"Are you alright?" Bruce asked and Romanov undid Loki's handcuffs. Loki nodded weakly.
"Yeah. I j'st gotta take Thor's punishment for him for a little while. I hope it won' h'rt as much as the Shadow's did." Loki explained.
"What? You agreed? Why?" Bruce exclaimed. Loki glanced up at him, confusion in his eyes.
"Why wouldn' I? He's my brother, Mr. Banner an' he shouldn' be in here." Loki said.
"Yes, but neither should you. Did you really think they would actually arrest Thor?" Bruce asked. Loki nodded.
"Uh-huh," Loki began, "Fury said he woul'. I didn' wan' that so I said I'd take Thor's punishment for him." Bruce sighed loudly and pulled the boy into a hug.
"Oh Loki. Fury baited you. He wanted you to say yes. They were never going to hurt Thor. They only wanted you." Bruce explained.
"What?" Loki asked.
"They tricked you," Bruce rephrased. Loki's lip trembled.
"You mean they say tha' I trick people an' then they go an' trick me? Tha's not fair!" Loki cried, a few tears running down his face. He had never tricked anyone that way. The biggest trick he had ever pulled was telling Thor that Frigga knew that Thor had pulled Sif's hair and that he wouldn't get in trouble if he gave Loki all his candy. He had never tricked anybody the way Fury just tricked him.
"I know it's not fair. But that's just the way it is." Bruce said, pulling the boy close. If anyone could understand how unfair life could be, it was him. He could only hope Loki would never truly come to understand as a child the harsh reality that was life. But he knew, deep down, that Loki already knew. Whether it was left over from his adult life or learned in his short time as a boy, he knew already. And that shook Bruce to the core. He wished he could fix it, but knew that nothing he could do would fix it so long as they were trapped inside Fury's grasp. And no one knew that better than Bruce.