Summary: The war between Jotunheim and Asgard draws to a close, but thanks to a horrible twist of Fate (or perhaps not), the nameless runt of Laufey-King is not discovered by Odin and so begins a remarkable journey of life that should not have been. Jotun!Loki AU. Set pre-/during-/after Thor/Avengers Assemble. MCU-verse only.
Warnings: ANGST! Loki-whump! Language, adult situations, violence, child abuse, dub-con, sexual assault (also of a minor), substance abuse, one abortion scene (sort of), slavery, sex trade (maybe), some mild original character/Loki M/M pairings.
Comments: This is not a slash fic. Sorry. It's Loki-centric, although I definitely show the rest of the Avengers and etc. Please review! Constructive criticism welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers. Marvel owns it. I do not get paid for this piece of work. Sadly, but understandably. LOL.
Thanks to all who reviewed! Those faithful few! (feels like Henry Vth at Agincourt)
To: wbss21 (Loki is BAMF! I hope.), ClaMiAl (we'll see how Thor takes it...), Winter Cicada (welcome!), DragonsFlame117 (Toh was top of her game... and got cocky. heehee), Immortal Sailor Cosmos (yep. life can get difficult...).
Winter Cicada: Welcome! It's great to meet readers - and it's nice to hear from people who may not necessarily have an account here at FFNET. I am so glad you are enjoying this AU and the worlds involved and the OCs, such as they are, and Loki. XD I'm so glad and encouraged! Thanks again! -KI
And also a great shoutout to everyone who has fav'd this fic or is on alert or fav'd me. Thanks so much - and don't be shy~! I don't bite... much.
For those who want to see pictures that I've drawn for this fic (since there don't seem to be any fanartists out there)... visit my profile. There is a picture of Toh (sorta) and the Battlehouse layouts and a few other things. XD Or you can visit my tumblr - kakashidiot. Particularly if you wanna read a cheery Tom Hiddleston & Loki friendship fic. :D
Warning! Slavery! Warning! Angst! Warning!
Distortions In Time
[Bitter Desolation, Incandescent Harmony]
Chapter 27
Rising
Silence.
[... in the gaps between the pounding bass and whining strains of brass...]
[... there it is...]
He lay there, eyes closed, content to just be and listened to the unfamiliar silence of the room he was now in. No sound. Nothing. An empty silence.
Kol'la shifted uneasily. Stirred. This was not the same after all. Not the same not the same not the same not the samenot the samenot the same – No place could ever be home, be icy, dim wastelands under pale, grey moons, be towering black mountains blanketed in eternal snows, be the edges of existence, be the rim of the worlds, be open to the ebb and flow of the stars' magical tides, be filled with the voices of Realms and the song of Jotunheim's Heimsrsal herself – be – just be –
[... in these gaps...]
[... there it is...]
[... Nothingness...]
Kol'la came to his senses in the dark. Darkness was an old friend. It was the Void which haunted his childhood dreams and called to him with deep whispers. It was Nothingness – or it was the hope of peace. It was the medium of all things light and magical and it was the hunger of all things dark and meaningless. It was him.
"Kol'la?"
A voice spoke out into the darkness and then there was light. The small head-lamp jutting out from the wall beside the bed he was lying on flared with an electric hum. Kol'la's eyes flew around the bare room instantly. A bare room with grey walls. The High-Security Containment facilities then, he thought tiredly. Ignoring the aches of his body, Kol'la attempted to pry himself upward, only to find that his wrists and neck had been tethered to the bed's side rails. He sank back with a heavy sigh. Turned his head to find Thor – Exon, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time, Exon, you dou'ma – sitting there beside him.
Why is he here? Kol'la wondered to himself. Why are you here, he wanted to ask. What is it that draws you to my side time and time again?
Silence.
Then Th – Exon drew breath: "Toh is dead."
A pebble falling into a still pond. The first cracks of a thawing mountain stream. Kol'la did not say anything. Merely grimaced, his pale lips tightening into a hard thin line.
"I did not think it was in you to do such a thing."
You know nothing –
Silence.
You know nothing, repeated Kol'la coldly in his mind. You come to this world. You live a short time here and think to know us all when we can barely know ourselves. You place us in the box of your imaginings and expect us to perform – I will. Not. Perform. I will do as I please. As I want. As much as I may with the power that is given to me.
"This was your first time to kill?" Thor asked after another long moment.
"No," Kol'la sighed and then frowned at the memory of the Slaver smoking with the heat of his fire. An innocent kill, in a way, during more innocent days.
"Then –"
"I do not wish to discuss it."
A pause. Thor's big feet shuffled and then the brawny, young warrior heaved a gusty sigh.
"Toh was saying that you –"
"I. Do. Not. Wish. To. Discuss. It. Exon."
"But –"
"Silence!" Kol'la's rose with pitch and intensity as he attempted to hit the oaf and failed, wrists and ankles aching with his sudden thrashing. He fell back panting, eyes wild and promising Thor pain should the young warrior ask again. "I have no wish to speak of it – what part of this do you not understand? Or is your understanding that of a dumb beast? It is none of your business and I have no wish to speak of it!"
"It is my business!" roared Thor in response. "Particularly when my good friend and shield-mate strikes out so – and is imprisoned for it! You are in trouble, Kol'la. More trouble than before. What if – what if –" Thor faltered then. "Do you remember that time you were beaten for my misdeeds –"
"Which time was that?" Kol'la rolled his eyes. "There have been so many –"
"The day Shax had the Third Madame whip you with the Visha'anas – and what if they decide to inflict you with that punishment again – but longer? Thoza said that it drives men mad when –"
"You can't believe anything that comes out of Thoza's mouth, that oma'auzha. Wait –" Kol'la raised his head again to glare at Thor better. "Why are you even talking to that piece of dirt-side trash anyways?"
"Well I –"
"Thor," Kol'la dropped his head back to ease his aching throat. "You will be the death of me – what now?" He had caught a glimpse of delight on the warrior's face.
"You called me Thor!"
"A mistake, Exon. A mistake!"
"You never make mistakes. That is what you told me –"
"Aha. Aha," Kol'la said dryly. "My first mistake was to let you live –"
"As if you could bring me down with those little tricks of yours," laughed Thor easily.
"You always fall for it," Kol'la sniffed, "and you always will."
They spoke no more of Toh, no more of Toh's cutting words and dark promises, no more of their tainted first victory. Instead, the two young slaves talked of weaponry and strategies and armour and the weak spots of the Skrull and Kree – and other lighter things until both were too tired to speak anymore – but Kol'la did not mind. Such banter, mindless as it was, filled up the empty spaces and the gathering dark.
In those precious moments, he felt he could hold it off at bay – the voices and the emptiness – hold the Void off until he discovered how to destroy it. Even if it meant destroying himself.
-0-0-0-
In the end, Kol'la was gifted with ten lashes of the Visha'anas and a short commendation from Master Shax on his abilities within the ring. As punishment and reward, Kol'la found himself on the sand at Thor's side from that time forward. As Shax predicted, Kol'la learned to find some joy in combat, even though it was not his preferred way to spend time. There was a sense of accomplishment to be gained from a good victory – a sense of style, a sense of growth. It isn't a difficult life, Kol'la had to own. It could be worse.
And so, another week passed.
[... and time however short or quick bound the two...]
[... it was Fated perhaps...]
[... for all time...]
Beneath the perpetually grey sky and gaudy lights, beneath the thick stone and metal struts, Kol'la slept and ate and fought. Side by side, the two young warriors found a kind of rhythm between them and striding forward to their doom, Kol'la and Thor wielded whatever the Norns would give them. Halfway through the second week of fighting, the third week of Thor's captivity, the two were in their dormitories nursing their bruises and discussing their next strategy to astound their growing and adoring followers, when Kol'la asked the question that had been haunting him since day one of Thor's arrival.
"You say you are Prince Thor," he said, green eyes darting about to make doubly certain that no other slave was lurking about to catch some gossip or rumour.
"I am Prince Thor." Indignant. "I told you so already."
"Yes, yes," Kol'la flapped a hand. "That makes you son of Odin – Odin Allfather, who is perhaps the most powerful being in the galaxy."
"Of course."
"So... why isn't he here yet?"
Thor shook his head and glared at his broad, callused, warrior's hands. His leather-clad foot moved forward to nudge at Kol'la's shin annoyingly, teasingly. He glanced up at his fighting partner, blue eyes calculating – and just as he was about to speak, Fandral (now known as Skorax the Fair) and Hogun (renamed as Tuan the Dour) entered the room arguing over the merits of tempered steel, iron and the titanium ore found on Tarnax III. Kol'la's face tightened at the memory of the planet and said nothing when they sat themselves uninvited on either side of Thor on said warrior's bed. Kol'la, seated opposite, glared at the intruders. The two men were far from his favourites, for Kol'la thought that Thor's brashness and overconfidence were bad enough without flap-tongued encouragement from the side-lines in the form of Fandral and passively silent agreement in the form of Hogun.
"What were you speaking of so seriously?" laughed Fandral. "You two look as generals do before an army gives battle. Come, are you planning some adventure?"
How he keeps his idiotic optimism is beyond me, Kol'la thought eyes wide with disbelief. It must have something to do with his low intelligence or maybe they put something in Asgard's water...
"Kol'la and I were talking of how we came to be at this place – and how that might affect the search for us."
"Ah," Hogun nodded, calmly. "That is a fair question indeed."
"It was Muspelheim," Fandral said without further ado.
"Muspelheim," repeated Kol'la dryly.
"Muspelheim. You know it? Have you been there?"
"Slow down, Fandral," Hogun chuckled then.
"I have heard of it, of course. And read about it," Kol'la frowned, "but I have never been there."
"It is a hot place," Thor put in then. "A very strange and wild land – and full of fiery creatures who thrive in such an environment. You may not know it - but even now in Asgard few things can provide me much challenge -"
"That, I somehow can believe," Kol'la mumbled.
"- and so I travel many places to find the unjust or the beasts with whom I may do battle. For this purpose, I have hunted many beasts and creatures and beings far and wide."
"You can say that again," sighed Fandral. "I have worn through six boots on the strength of it. Although we have not traveled everywhere."
"Well," Thor agreed, "not everywhere, but that is my desire: to traverse all Nine Realms and beyond, to show Asgard's might and power and to provide justice for those who deserve my hammer's wrath -"
"Creatures from Muspelheim, for example," Kol'la interjected here with barely concealed disgust at Thor's unrepentant superiority.
"Indeed, dark creatures who prey on travelers - and one day, I will deal with Jotunheim -"
"Oh no," Hogun groaned, rolling his eyes, "here we go."
"Thor is very focused on Jotunheim," Fandral explained further at Kol'la's confused look. "It is true that we cannot trust them -"
"But the war is over," Kol'la replied blankly. "A long time ago."
"Not so long ago, really - and can you really trust a Frost Giant?" Thor laughed heartily. "Indeed not. So when they reveal their true colours, as the savage beasts we know them all to be, I will be waiting. Asgard will be prepared and waiting."
A stark wasteland rose in Kol'la's mind at Thor's words - devastated and empty. The empty Gothahus, the faithless inhabitants driven into empty, mindless fear. The treacherous yet superiour Older Brother... the shadowy, unknown forms of parents who had abandoned him a long time ago. All that he knew of his Father was that the Lord King of Jotunheim was tall, for the statue bearing his father's resemblance had taken damage and the lordly visage of King Laufey had long since crumbled away. Lying, uncaring folk - but no different, he thought, no different than these. And yet, the chasm between the Jotunn and Asgard remains wide and unsurpassable. Kol'la wondered if he should feel sad.
"Muspelheim, Thor, Muspelheim," Hogun interrupted Thor, shaking his friend out of what was clearly a very strong topic for the Prince.
"At any rate, I thought it the perfect challenge for the son of Odin –"
"You would," Kol'la snorted, "since you consistently fail to think things through."
"Thor knows what he is doing," Fandral said, defensively.
"Not all the time," Hogun disagreed. "Remember Helheim –"
"That was hardly –"
"Helheim was interesting," grimaced Thor. "Father and Mother did not agree, however –"
"You attacked Helheim?" Kol'la asked, stunned – and also disturbed that he could still be surprised by new discoveries of Thor's various levels of stupidity. "Are they not – well – not allies, surely, but neutral citizens of the Nine Realms?"
"It is an army of the undead!" Thor protested, obviously still not wholly repentant about the matter. "Perfect for practice."
"Thor," hissed Kol'la, "The Army of the Undead are not mere snakes to poke at and enjoy for a short time – it is their duty to protect the borderlands of Death's Kingdom and as such, your little... jaunt... may have caused damage and –"
"He seems to be getting quite worked up over this," Fandral said in awe, noticing how Kol'la's shoulders were already tense. "Your Mother would love him. Let us hope they never meet lest they collude and attempt to hold us back from –"
"Well, that is because as a seithr user, he has less a spirit of adventure and of the warrior and no doubt would be happier occupied with the interests of old men – OW!" Thor broke off as the hard tread of Kol'la's boot met his shin.
"That is a lie – my magicks and workings have saved our lives time and again in the Rings," Kol'la said fiercely. "An idiotic 'auzha such as you would never understand –"
"Yes, yes," Fandral flapped a hand as Thor nursed his shin petulantly.
"And as for Helheim, what souls could have escaped the borders and returned to their homes in a vain attempt to see the ones they loved again?" Kol'la shook his head. "Attacking Helheim? That is a new kind of stupidity, even for you."
"It was stupid," agreed Hogun quietly. "We should not have been there. But at any rate, the Prince and we, as the Warriors Three –"
"And Sif, don't forget her," added Thor.
"And Sif," Hogun sighed, "we have a habit of seeking out quests. As you may have heard."
"Yes," Kol'la said sourly. "The Realms and all that lie beyond sing in praise of it. Foolishness."
"Come now –"
"Be quiet, Fandral," Hogun glared at his blonde friend. "With Volstagg and Sif, we three journeyed to Muspelheim to make battle with such things as the fire drake and lava serpents. It was a quiet part of Muspelheim that we landed upon – with the aid of a Court Mage's apprentice – and no inhabitant was in sight, but just as we were on the trail of a fire drake, we came upon some strange beings –"
"Ugly as Helheim."
"Come now –"
"I had heard of them before," Hogun continued, ignoring Fandral and Thor's interjections. "Slavers, we call them – and we attempted to do battle – for the fire drake of course. Yet, in the end, the fire drake scorched Lady Sif and Volstagg took her off and we three fell to the Slavers' might. Therefore, it may depend on how quickly Volstagg may find aid for Sif and how quickly they may find a means of returning home - if Heimdall hasn't already noticed what had happened... Kyrr, you know - Mage Flarathir's apprentice who hid our presence from Heimdall and opened the pathway to Muspelheim, is a cautious man and would most likely alert the Guard if we were too long gone. Otherwise, alarm may not be raised for some time. From now on, I think Asgard will treat the Slavers' might with -"
"Might?" Thor scoffed. "It was those strange weapons they held in their hands –"
"Superior technology," sniffed Kol'la, "and superior intelligence. Those can be a form of might as well, Muscled Moron. They capture great creatures all the time – picking up a few youths of Asgard would be no challenge to them –"
"I AM PRINCE –"
Kol'la snorted. Thor lunged forward and there was a breathless moment as the four of them tussled – and accidentally broke some other fighter's bed, which was when things became a little less unfriendly and Kol'la only just barely managed to wriggle out from the Asgardian pile on top of him. Only to turn about and poke at Thor's lower back with mischievous glee. More fighting ensued and after fifteen more minutes, resulting in several bruises and a cracked rib on the part of Fandral, they lay back, panting and Kol'la said impudently:
"Well, then, Prince Thor, the matter is clear then. Your father no doubt had thought you would return and when you did not, he will search for you –"
"Heimdall has no doubt found us," Thor said, "then Father will muster the men and wage war on this planet."
"So, he will arrive soon."
"Yes," Thor glanced at Kol'la, "I should think so." A pause. "You are worried."
"What if he does not come?"
"He will," was the prompt reply.
"But... what if he does not come?"
"But he will," Thor repeated blankly.
"Of course he will," Fandral agreed easily, poking at his sore rib with a quiet grunt.
Hogun said nothing, glancing at Kol'la's hard mouth and cold green eye speculatively. Kol'la refused to meet the quiet warrior's perceptive eyes and kept his focus on Thor who stared back at him in bewilderment from his seat on the rough floor. Fandral was laughing now at Kol'la's stupidity, but eventually his lone laughter petered off as he realized that Kol'la was entirely serious.
"He will come," Thor repeated softly.
"We shall see," Kol'la sighed, rising then and stretching, enjoying the crack of bone and tight stretch of muscle. Ah. Yes. "We shall see."
"I don't understand," Kol'la could hear the puzzled quality of Thor's voice as he left the room.
"No, you wouldn't," Hogun agreed. "You wouldn't."
[... but the day came when...]
[... the skies filled with pure, crackling light...]
So distant and yet so close, destruction reigns. Every moment, there can be seen the endless circle of birth and life which is this endless cosmos - and Frei'thovee of the Empire of the MahKo'nai found itself once again caught up in eternal dance. Bathed in fire and blood, the planet lay smoking and silent as its warriors lay thickly upon the ground, mourned by the women folk and children. The survivors, the weak, the civilians and those who had surrendered, easily paid the price for their lives with the information which the Aesir sought.
The destination of the Nu'Mahvee'sako captained by Thoko and his dare-devil crew. Nu'Mahvee'sako which had borne Lei'satho, Lei'safrei, and Lei'sa'a of the Nu-Run to Sharda'aa.
[... on Sharda'aa, the Planet of Pleasures, Den of Vice and Counterfeit Gold...]
[... when they came to the Shamarxes System...]
[... when Asgard descended...]
Be sure to chat and leave a review! I love hanging with my readers!
Author's Note: There is a sense in the films and other 'verses that Loki lives and operates very much "under wraps". That is a horse term to say that Loki often fakes failure for other reasons. He pulls his punches physically and metaphorically when it comes to Thor – until he is pushed to the very end. I feel like this Loki, unhindered by filial love, would not be so socially incumbent to pay respect to Thor and as a result can spew his full ire upon Thor.
Update in five days or so.
-KI
Numbers (for this quadrant):
0 - nai
1 - sa
2 - tho
3 - frei
4 - ah
5 - ko
6 - yul
7 - vee
8 - mah
9 - lei
Alien Glossary:
'auzha – fucker
Dou'ma – idiot
r'senk'ne – a kind of deer/cow hybrid
n'ch'nka – a kind of cow
chi'iano – a radioactive piece of rock similar to uranium
kol-sava'atha – a titanium-rich ore
Morning-star - a mace.
oma'auzha – mother-effer
udji'oo – a drug, like opium
Jotunheim Glossary:
Aldinn Stathr – Ancient Place
Atfirth – energies
blakkrbjorr – black beer
Blakkrbjorn – black bear
blakkrgras – black grass
blargras – blue grass
Dagaheim
dvegr – dwarf
dyrspeki – zoologist
Eybjarg (Chasms of Forever)
fauld – a part of armour around the lower midsection
Flara River – Treacherous River
For-Eldra – Ancestors
Forn Vegr – Old Ways
Gastropnir
Gnottvatn (Lake of Abundance)
Gothahus – temple
Grarfjall – Grey Mountains
grarulfr – grey wolves
Griotunagardar
hafnathr – sea serpents
heillgrjot – healing stones
Heimsrsal – Soul of the Realm
heithrsker – crystal flowers
Holdra River – Hero's River
holkimurtr – small flat fish
Holkn Vollr – Flat Plains
holmganga – a method of ending feuds/disagreements
hota-eik – white oak
hvaeta – wheat
Innaheim – Inner Realm
jarnkottr – iron cat (beast which Laufey released in Thor)
jarnvithr – iron wood
Kaldrfjall (Cold Mountains)
Kero Fornvetr – Casket of Ancient Winters
kostrboth – a method of proving virility for the purpose of marriage
lagreinn – small one (epithet)
Lengi Ofrithr – Long War
luthrblom – trumpet flower
manisilfr – moonsilver
melrakki – white fox
Myrkr Skogr – shadow forest
Nattura – spirits
Northri Stjarna – North Star
silvralmr – silver elm
silvrfiskr – silver fish
Sithr Efingi – True Heir
Skalldi
skordyr – Jotunheim goat
snaerharra – snow rabbit
Storrholl – Great Hall
thurblakulfr – giant black wolves
tunglbom (moonflower)
ulfrbarn - wolf child
Utanheim – Outer Realm
Utgard
vaetki – nothing
ventrmellin – winter melon
villrkyr – wild ox
Virtha Aevi – Coming of Age
Vollrvatn – Lake of the Plains