Life in a Gilded Cage
Chapter Three
Loki climbed into one of the ruined buildings to rest. He might be a God, but that didn't stop his aching body needing time to repair itself. The fall through space, his shattered spine, the fighting, and then the over use of magic, it was too much for his body, long weakened by its captivity. The rooms inside the ruined hotel were still fairly safe and in good condition, climbing to the penthouse suite he claimed it as his own. It was complete bar one wall being missing, but it was outfitted in the best of everything. It would do, for now.
He sat on the dust covered sofa and looked out on this new world he found himself in. What place did he have here? What had been his brother's plan when he had sent him here? This world hated him as much as his own people did! He could hardly blame them after he had tried to destroy their world, and bring it to a peaceful reign of his own. If only he had succeeded then things would be so much easier for them all. But they just hadn't understood that some loss of life was natural in such matters. You had to take out the trouble makers for the greater good!
Loki searched the room, finding a cold box full of small bottles. They smelt somewhat like the drink back home, so gathering a cluster, he sat back down and started to drink, eating some strange sweet tasting wrapped blocks he found as well. Although his body had little need for imbibing food, it would help him to heal faster, and it was something to do while he rested. Something to try and keep his mind off of his life, a small comfort to him. His thoughts turned back towards that girl outside and his urge to help protect her like she was his own family. It was a strange dilemma to him, why had he exposed his presence on this World just to save one human? He'd killed so many hundreds of people, why should just one make a difference to him now?
Deeply in his own thoughts, Loki almost missed a noise in the room behind him. He jumped up, spinning around staff raised to defend himself instantly thinking the worst. He stopped the point of his weapon mere inches from the Captain's chest. He had left behind the stars and spangles, and was now dressed in a more average shirt, jeans and a jacket.
"I'm not here to fight." Steve said holding his hands up in surrender.
Suspicious, Loki retracted the staff and returned it to his belt. "I am not your plaything for you to come and gloat over the outcast God."
"I just came to talk to you, no SHIELD, no Avengers, just two guys having a conversation about life." He offered.
"I have little need of friendships with lesser creatures, I am a God!" Loki replied losing interest.
"A God hiding in a ruined hotel, in a city in the middle of nowhere, sounds to me like you could use a little help, if you aren't too proud to accept." Steven said.
"You really think that you can help me?" Loki scoffed, "This is like a moth offering to carry the burdens of an ape like yourself. You would be crushed under the weight of the problems of a God!"
"Does not look to me like you have many other options?" Captain said slowly sitting down across from him. He pointed to the dozens of empty wrappers and mini bottles. "Does it help any?" he asked.
Loki sighed and shook his head, "Not really your mortal drinks have not the potency of Asgardian liquor."
Captain nodded, "Since they pumped me full of those drugs, I can't get drunk either, but it doesn't stop me trying. Body works 8 times faster then a normal person."
"How do you stand this mortal place? The boredom, the stagnancy of this day to day living? Where are the great battles to be found that your children's children will still be singing songs of?" Loki asked, "This place is insanity, millions of little ants running around doing what they want. No leadership, not control, destroying each other and the realms you exist in?"
"Like the one this morning?" Steve asked, "Thankfully they are few and far between. The humans, they are aggressive and volatile, but we hope in time they will learn to be better."
"Thor, what do you expect me to do here? Among these animals?" Loki demanded looking towards the heavens.
"Did your brother send you here?" he asked, "You said you were in a cage before? Did he help you escape?"
Loki glared at him, trying to control the anger he felt at his people for what they had done to him. The misery of the existence he had been forced into, not the way a God should be treated. "Lifetimes of your mortal existences, trapped in a room with no windows, deep underground, no visitors, no company at all, and a pile of musty old books about the Kings of old. I knew every since centimetre of that gilded cage, I wanted for nothing. I had the best food, the best wines, but not the things I needed. My freedom, fresh air and someone to speak with. The more I tried to escape, the longer my sentence became."
Steve Rogers was shocked, this really was a more complex creature then he had first thought. He had seemed just like a monster, now it looked like under the monster was a man who had been through far too much. The pain was so clear to see on his features at his history, he knew that Loki was a fantastic liar, but surely no one could lie as well as this?
"Thor, my brother, I hated him for so long. Blamed him for what had happened to me, the punishment I had been issued. Then suddenly he broke me out, no questions asked. Sent me to this god forsaken place, with no idea what he expects me to do! The whole of Asgard will be out in force to find the rogue God. Worry not, little man, I'm sure soon enough they will hunt me down and you will be rid of my concern." Loki had to choke back tears, he would not cry in front of a lesser being. He had to be strong, to be the God he truly was, as always. Hide away these dark thoughts and feelings. Keep on existing, cause what else could he do!
"Now that's where it all gets tricky, "Steve answered, "You saved a member of my team, put yourself at risk to do so. Which makes you my responsibility. On the other hand, you slaughtered hundreds and tried to destroy my world. Which makes you a great threat to mankind?"
Loki just looked at him tiredly, defeated in his heart. "Go ahead, take your best shot fancy boy. My father will have me put to death for escaping him anyway. Unless I can find a large enough power source to escape this world before he finds me. Even then I will be keeping one step ahead of the Gallows, so if you want to try and kill me feel free."
"That's you plan, to keep on running?" he asked.
"To cheat death as long as I am able." Loki said sadly.
"Ever think your brother sent you here to learn the same lessons he did? To discover if you can be more then just a murdered?" Steve pushed.
Loki had been pushed too far now, his small patience worn through. He'd admitted too much to this mortal already, he was a ruler and this was a subject. Not a friend, he didn't have friends. That was Thor, everyone loved his brother not him. "Oh be silent you foolish mortal. What do you know of the ways of gods?" he demanded, "You just sit here, 70 years out of your time. You are no more a part of this world then I am, but you have the audacity to try and tell me how to live my life!"
"I know you saved someone and I bet it's eating you up inside wondering why? What made this girl so different to all of the others? Why didn't you just allow her to die as well? Would on more soul really make any difference to your tainted soul? Or perhaps you finally understand what Widow says, that you have red in your ledger and you would like to wipe it out?" Steve asked. He was pushing this guy too far, he knew it, but how could he not when he was so close to a break through.
Loki shot to his feet and started pacing, his cloak swirling out far behind him. "Do not presume to know me mind lessor being!"
"I'm right then!" Steven commented, standing wondering if he should leave while he still could.
"You know nothing!" Loki snarled, the immortal anger running through his veins. "You don't know what I think, what I feel inside! No one does! Not my fake brother, not my fake father, not the frost giants and certainly not some little hero! This is not a game, this is my existence!" he kicked out at the sofa and it hurled itself out of the window, crashing onto the ground far below. He wanted to smash something so badly right now, to hurt, to kill, to make this pain go away for a second. He blasted a whole in the wall with his staff, ignoring the fact the human was still there. "Get out of here while you still can." He warned softly, as he smashed the wardrobes into kindling. He had to release this anger before he hurt someone.
Steven wanted to put a hand on his shoulder, to comfort him slightly. He remembered how he had felt when he had first woken up, so far out of time and place. So much to learn, he really did pity this creature in front of him. He could hardly believe that he was the same person that had tried to kill them a few months before. Perhaps the time in a cell had grown him up a great deal. The old Loki would never have given him a chance to leave. "Just think about it, and come and find me. I won't be far away." Steve offered. It was all he could do, anything else would risk his own life getting near a God with anger management issues. He walked slowly and carefully towards the door as rumble flew around him as Loki destroyed the room.
"I promised my brother, that I would be good." Loki commented leaning on his staff for support his weakened state draining his anger somewhat.
"Did you mean it?" Steve asked.
"Of course not!" Loki scoffed.
"So why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.
"Thor said that he was sorry for making me feel left out. For always over shadowing me, my whole life. How can I let him down after that? How can I betray the trust of a man who risked his life to free me?" Loki asked, the tears finally falling as he could hold them back no longer.
"Come with me to SHIELD, we can work this out somehow?" Steve offered.
"To be locked in a cage, and prodded like some animal. That always works out so well for all of us!" he replied, "I don't think I could survive a cage a second time."
"What if I give you my word that you won't be harmed?" The Captain asked.
"Somehow I don't think that you have that kind of power, to grant such a request for a war criminal. Even if you did, there would be too many others involved to allow such to happen." The God answered.
"Then I could take you to Stark's, we meet there away from SHIELD now and then?" he offered again.
"And why would you help me?" he asked.
"Because you saved Rogue, that to me gives you a chance of redemption. I swear if you are lying or faking, then God help you, I will tear you apart and feed you to the Hulk." Steve said.
The brought a slight smile to Loki's face, "I will think on your offer, you may leave me now."
"Keep talking to people like that and they won't want to help you/" Steven commented.
"How else would a God talk?" Loki asked bemused, "I am supior to you, it is not boastful it is the truth."
"We have a lot to talk about I see." Captain commented.
Loki sighed and tried again, "Please leave me lesser being, for I have a desire to ruin this building. If you stay you will be crushed under 100 tons of rock and rubble. Is that better?"
"Don't do anything you might regret." Steve warned.
"I have no desire to die, but thank you." Loki answered, it was the first time anyone had taken such an interest in his wellbeing. He watched the human leave the building, before he started up again. Blasting holes out of every visible wall with his magic. Smashing lamps, tables, beds, anything he could find as he strode around the corridors.
"Why did you curse me with this place brother?" he demanded as he smashed a door off of the hinges. "Why couldn't you leave me in that cell to die?" SMASH, an entire stairwell fell into ruins. Then he blasted a hole straight through a wall to the outside. The upper level shuddered and collapsed. As did the God, his strength finally gone. "Why brother? Please just tell me why! I am so lost!"
Loki hoped so much that Thor would appear, even if it was to take him back to Asgard and back to the cell cause right now, he felt more afraid then he ever had there. At least then he had known what would happen each day, now he was lost and alone. He waited long moments, but nothing happened. No one appeared to advise him, or give him punishment.
Depressed, Loki dragged himself off towards the nearest room, which turned out to be a bar. Most of the bottles were still intact. Uncorking a few, he took a sniff, most were as weak as those in his room. As he worked his way along the bottles, a dark brown liquid took his interest. He sniffed it, it smelt strong and very alike one of their own cocktails. Taking a sip, he nearly blew the liquid out again. This was certainly more like it, "Perhaps this world is not a complete loss." He muttered. Finding himself a glass and a comfortable seat without too much damage. If he couldn't help himself right now, perhaps a little homely comfort would do instead and then tomorrow.
Tomorrow he would work out what to do, he was a God, and he had to have a plan of attack. He was a master of his gifts, he would find a way out of this situation, somehow. Either that or he would be too hung over in the morning to care! It mattered not to him either way, he was a dead man walking, and whatever he did could never stop that. Just keep him alive a little longer.