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. Also F/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.
Hello.
Well, I'm back. I'm sorry for the impromptu, unannounced hiatus. A ton has happened since my last update. A TON. It's not that my summer was super jammed, but I was so busy finding some relaxing time finally, that other things got pushed to the wayside. Then, I volunteered to sub at my friend's school to help them out. Then, my computer crashed. Then, I lost all my files. Then, I had to write this chapter from scratch. If the quality is lacking, I apologize. Sincerely do. It's just so demoralizing to write a pretty good chapter and then lose it all.
Hopefully it'll not happen again... and if it does, sorry again. On the other hand, this is definitely writing on the wall for me – to get a new lappie and I've already chosen one, I just need to save up.
Still, losing all my data was so depressing. Goodbye music and English lesson plans and pictures and screencaps and games and ALL MY FANFIC AND ORIGINAL FIC WORK I WORKED ON THIS SUMMER! [I was working on a few original pieces because I think it'd be cool to try to sell my stuff...]
Needless to say, I went into shock. I may have shed more than a tear or two. Then, I had to move on. That's what I'm telling myself. I still can't get over the fact I lost a chunk of written work just because I forgot to back it up. Farewell that work I have just wasted my life upon. [waves goodbye]
OK. So that happened. And you know what's ironic or sad? None of my unimportant stuff which I could have always redownloaded (like my anime and tv shows and Tom Hiddleston YT movies) were lost. I just... [shakes head]
Moving onward.
Here's the new chapter. Once again, if you see any errors, if you see anything that disagrees with previous plot, if you see any plot holes, let me know. Please do let me know. I can debate as well as any author about reasons for writing or not writing certain material (see my author's notes below), but when it comes to nitty-gritty, con-crit, I'm def open.
Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and letting me know that they enjoy this fic. Especially when it came to the romance of Thor/Jane. I don't wanna throw cold water on the canon, but I really wanted to make it a bit more realistic and you guys really got behind that, so thanks! You guys give me extra power to push through depression and etc to continue with this fic even though I'm tired and ridden with allergies and head colds and sadness over massive data loss. You guys rock. You know who you are.
To: InsolentKatt (thanks for your patience and daily encouragement, I appreciate no end! you're an awesome friend!), vincent1875 (for hanging in there and chatting with me about stuff and not being afraid to question/debate), soupcan (for your regular support), Elizabeth (also for your support!) and Chiharu-Angel (it's OK - life always gets in the way, glad to have you back)!
Responses to non-member reviewers are after the chapter! Thanks!
OK. To the fic.
Distortions In Time
Chapter 73
The Dark Road: On The Edge
[…silence fell…]
All was stillness. Loki, crouching beneath a hanging flat green leaf of the giant spore giants, forced his breathing to slow as his dark red eyes watched the slow shuffling gait of the black and green furred, rabbit-like animal he was currently hunting. Earlier in the day, he had set his traps and now, revisiting each one, the exiled prince, now grimy jungle hunter and anonymous prison inmate, checked his traps for any prey. On arriving at his last trap, a long oblong, jagged toothed wooden contraption, Loki discovered that one of the jungle's more common herbivores had hopped within the soon to be cage, its black nose twitching as it pulled and nibbled upon the bright purple fruit which dangled invitingly in the middle.
[…silence…]
[...but in the silence...]
[...beneath it all...]
[...Can you hear it?...]
[...they are coming...]
Loki sat there, muscles tense and cramping. He waited. He waited until the final SNAP and sharp crack of wood as his trap closed about the unfortunate, unwary creature. Then, like the others, Loki slit the writhing creatures throat efficiently, skinned it, gutted it, packed its meat carefully in green leaves and hung its fur from his pack with the others. A day's hard work, now done.
Swiftly and silently as a shadow, Loki passed through the greenery of the thick dim jungle, keeping an eye out for any of the larger predators or crazed inmates roaming the jungle. When familiar grey rocks began to peek through the dense bracken and the sound of the wide river's splashing could be heard, Loki finally felt as though he could breathe again.
He was home.
Not home, he corrected himself quickly, grimacing as splashed his way across the shallows of the river. Never home.
-0-0-0-
Jela's forest jungle lay in quiet beneath it's night skies, and, looking up at the grey clouds passing overhead, Loki sat uneasily upon his high perch on the tallest most south-western tip of the small mountain range which broke the seemingly unending vista of jungle canopy. He sat there, gazing upward at the distant, unreachable stars, the bright span of light which showed him the map of the galaxy in which he now found himself abandoned.
It was not a clear night entirely but the clouds scurried across the planet's atmosphere herded by the wind as though they were an unruly flock of sheep tended by a stern shepherd. It was not the clouds which gave Loki pause.
It was the shadow, the subtly disturbed pull of the dark, of the Void. He could feel it strongly, even here, could sense it reaching out, could perceive the strong pull of its dark call and its evil design and desires. A song sibilant to despairing ears.
A song of war.
A song of Death.
[…the call of the deep…]
[…the song of the abyss…]
[…across the worlds over…]
[…Can you hear it?…]
The first signs were the ominous silences which slowly enveloped the section of the jungle in which Kol'la's band now camped out. Trees swayed gently in the wind and gentle rustles the bracken indicated life, yet there was nothing else to be heard. The birds fell silent and the small creatures shivered within their hiding places and lairs and waited. Everything waited, breath drawn as if in anticipation of something. A terrible predator or a natural disaster. One of the usual great storms. Perhaps, Loki shivered at the memory of the last storm he had endured upon Jela, it heralds the coming of a storm. It is common enough during this season, if one is to believe the others.
Then, on the second night, the jungle sprang to life in a panicked rush. Wind rushed across the forest canopy, whipping the leafy heads of the spore giants and the broad leaf trees. Far off in the distance, Loki fancied he could hear a dull, throbbing hum. Something was coming.
Stationed as he was on a high peak of the southern foothills, Loki could see along the mountain canyon running to the east and glimpses of the jungle floor to the west. He gazed in consternation as a black cloud formed on the horizon and the air filled with the call of jungle cat, the chirrups of the nut-hoarders and the harsh croak of the reptilian giant lizards. Caws and screeches filled the air as the cloud drew nearer, resolving itself into a panicked mass of flying creatures, great and small.
Loki's attention was jerked downward as the bracken suddenly parted, revealing various creatures running helter-skelter down the narrow valley by the mountains. Yelling and shouting incomprehensibly, a couple familiar and a few unfamiliar prison inmates passed by.
Hopping down to a lower level of rocks, Loki called out their names, but sheer panic had appeared to have taken hold of them. Only instinct remained and before long, their grimy orange jumpsuits disappeared around a bend, never, he thought distractedly, to be seen again. Running his hand through his dark mane of hair, Loki considered his options.
Clearly something is coming, he thought, but what? If it is something from the planet, then remaining here must mean certain death. On the other hand, if it is something from… above, from off planet, then there may be a chance of escape and getting aboard their craft. Perhaps. Perhaps…
Poised yet undecided, he stood on the edge and was just about to jump down and make his way down to the now rather busy path leading into the mountains, when Loki caught sight of a familiar figure. A familiar face. It was Aeto, looking less frightened and more concerned.
"Aeto!"
The Half-Breed Aedian's eyes darted upward and then, baring his teeth in a fair approximation of a smile, Aeto waved back and began to climb the rocks hastily.
"Kol'la!" Aeto finally reached Loki's side, panting a little. "I was afraid I had missed you! So many have fled to the mountains – I thought – perhaps – you had gone already – but – obviously I underestimated your bravery yet again – or your stupidity, I don't know which one is to be blamed."
"Well," Loki smirked, "you figured it out yet?"
"No…" Aeto sighed. "But I will one of these days… At any rate, I thought I had missed you-"
"Missed me?"
"In the rush," Aeto gestured as another flock of blue-black bat-birds swarmed over and three fawn-coloured, deer-like grass-grazers loped by. "You can smell it in the air, hear it in the trees." The Half-Breed shivered and twitched, glancing back over the rustling canopy. "Can you hear it?"
"The others?" Loki asked quickly after the rest of his small band.
"Bolted. Like the rest. You know how nervous L'oh gets on the best of days. Idiot creature."
"Like mindless beasts," Loki's white teeth were bared for a split second with a shark-like grin and his red eyes glinted like cold gems. Derisively he jerked his chin as another pack of animals and inmates passed by. "Mindless beasts, that is what we have become. Running from what is as yet to be seen, herded by fear. We do not know what it is yet, and already they run."
"Can you blame instinct?"
"Perhaps not... Yet, thinking about it rationally, it is merely some new mischief cooked up by the guardians of this place."
"Well, some of them appear to be running for a cause," Aeto shook his head. "I managed to slow down a Halfer and it babbled something about a ship harvesting folk-"
"A ship?" Loki asked, red eyes darting to the sky.
"The Halfer wouldn't say. One of the karm-root smoking folks from the ragtag gang over the ridge."
"I assume they are not scooping just anyone?"
"I suppose so," Aeto sighed. "I understand their fear. On the other hand, if it is a ship, they'll get who they want – easy enough – and if they don't want you, your running will have been in vain, for they will no doubt leave you in peace. Well, then, there you have it-" He paused as his comrade in distress climbed up to the first sentry, stationed on a flat, raised bit of rock, and sat down, legs crossed and eyes fixed on the far horizon. "What – what are you doing?"
"This is the only chance to get off this planet," Loki replied. He glanced down at the grey-skinned, black-eyed Half-Aedian who gazed back at him in perplexity. Loki laughed then. "What have I to lose?"
"You have no idea who or what they are!"
"Who was just saying something about the futility of running?" Loki laughed then.
"At least get to a more defensible area-"
"You pointed out, rightly, that hiding or running may end up an exercise of uselessness. If their tech is high enough, they will be able to pluck us out of the heart of a mountain."
"You cannot - you do not know where they will take you!"
"Better than here."
"You cannot know that!"
"Well it is moot either way," Loki pointed out, returning to Aeto's and his original conclusions.
"I didn't say that… exactly. My conclusions were based on the panicked ravings of a korm-root sniffer!" Aeto threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Aeto," Loki's face grew suddenly serious. "I do not know about you, but I am an innocent, taken captive by forces fueled by greed. I do not belong on this Hel-forsaken planet – and I cannot afford to – to waste time-" Loki rubbed his eyes then, pinching the bridge of his nose wearily, overcome by all the things he could not explain. "Never mind," he finally said, voice low. "You cannot understand. Go now – while you can."
There was a short rattle and scuttling, scrabbling sound and then some crunching and Loki glanced up to find that the narrow faced Half-Aedian had taken a seat beside him bony orange knee to bony orange knee. Loki raised a tired eyebrow, but he said nothing further.
They waited together then. In silence.
[…silence fell…]
[…skies grew dark…]
The sun had set when a distant hum vibrated across the valley. Below the rock formations upon which Loki and Aeto sat, animals and inmates continued to pass by, shouting, cursing, braying and grunting. Far in the distance, they could see the stars warped by the field of what most certainly was an invisible shielding device. As it drew closer, the throbbing and grating of the ship's engines as well as the size of the field promised a large spacecraft, no doubt capable of intergalactic flight.
Beneath it, the trees tossed their branches, leaves whipped about and bits of greenery and flew about in the small maelstrom created in the wake of the invisible spacecraft. Slowly it roved over the valley and every now and then a light blue ray like lightning shattered the dark. A transport beam.
Watching the dark unseen mass approach, Loki's gut tightened, yet he said nothing.
Then it was upon them.
All sounds of life disappeared beneath the roar of engines and cogs and the machinery of a giant airship. For a second there was nothing but heat and wind whipped about as it slowly loomed over the two warriors now standing on their rock. There was dark. There was heat. There was an overwhelming pressure. There was an overpowering flash of blue.
There was nothing.
-0-0-0-
"We got every last one of them, sir," the co-pilot turned to the captain seated in her chair, looking through the incoming data as it scrolled across her datapad. The newest updates of information on the cargo they had successfully culled from the ranks of the lowlife criminals on the prison planet.
Not as much as I had hoped – but enough, she thought. Fifteen above Eno'vee. I will be paid well for something attained with little trouble to myself. Remaining here, however, would gain us little. The bribe allowed only for a day… Best get a move on. Her talon-like fingernails hovered over the revolving holo of a bulky Phalanx. That one could be trouble, she thought. And…
The reptilian Captain paused at the glimpse of a lanky, blue-skinned humanoid. According to the databank, it was an unknown. The Captain smiled appreciatively at the lightly muscled back and the capable, clever-looking hands. A delicate, beautiful creature, the Half-Skrull captain thought. Never mind the odd magickal markers, he would fetch a fair price on the slave market as he is. The red eyes, the colour of blood were calm however and gave Captain Ko'li pause however. A promise of trouble, she mused. Never trust the quiet ones.
"A puzzle for sure," the First Mate's voice jolted her to awareness. "When I first saw him, I thought of my Oma's stories for sure."
"Stories?" Captain Ko'li stowed her datapad away in its side pocket and turned to her Noradian First Mate.
"Myths," First Mate Soran smiled vaguely. "If you ever get to Norad one day, you'll see what I mean."
"Soran," Captain Ko'li raised an inquiring eyebrow, "have you been sniffing again?"
"No!" Soran protested with affront. "It's a tale my Oma told me – about some blue-skinned race called the Phylloxians."
"Soran," the Captain said slowly. "You are aware there are many blue-skinned races out there?"
"Yeah, sure but none with lines."
"Hmph," the Half-Skrull captain shrugged dismissively. "Is the course plotted?"
"Yes, Captain," the pilot turned his chair slightly to look back at Captain Ko'li. "Set, laid and ready. Master T'cho'kal did a grand jo with the new nav-tech equipment."
"Let's get to the Dark System then," nodded the Captain. "I don't know about you folk, but I'm ready for pay day."
With a cheer, the Ovar'on's engines revved to life and with a giant jerk, the battered, yet trusty ship jumped through the void and whirled past the stars.
-0-0-0-
Looking about the containment room in which he and a good twenty other beings were held captive, Loki's stomach clenched. With no apparent doors or windows, the room presented smooth grey metal walls. There was no obvious clue as to who had kidnapped the lot of them, nor was there any hint or announcement as to where they were being taken. Dim lights flickered ominously overhead, bathing everything in a gloomy grey-brown light. Straining, Loki could barely catch the muffled rumble of giant engines and the occasional clatter overhead, which told him that the room in which they were being kept had been sealed off with various shielding, including sound.
Seated between Aeto and a Xandarian, opposite a Skrull and a Half-Breed, Loki battled unease and fear as old memories surfaced. Old memories of constrictive honeycomb cells, of forced feedings, of incredible loneliness, of the numb silences. Glancing about, Loki could guess that many of the beings locked up with him were similarly worried - although, beside him Aeto slept easily enough. The grey-skinned, scrawny Half-Aedian had attempted to open his mind to any aboard the ship, but the cell, apparently had magickal dampening, effectively restricting his abilities to ascertain who had captured them and why.
There is nothing to do, Loki thought morosely, but wait.
A few other occupants in the cell, half-wild from too long years in the jungle or naturally being of a violent nature, had battered the imposing, impenetrable walls of the cell. Exhausted, one by one, they eventually subsided to sit with the other calmer prisoners.
Finally, after some time, which was impossible to measure, thanks to their lack of time-keeping devices, a comm crackled to life. It was a Captain Ko'li, welcoming them to their destination and new life. Those unwilling to accept the new job offered them would find themselves escorted to freedom via the ship's airlock.
When the guards burst in, toting weapons and barking orders, Loki, like many of the others around him, followed the commands immediately. Facing the wall, with his hands laced behind his head, Loki watched out of the corner of his eyes as the others less willing were shot or stunned into silence. Forcing himself to stay silent, Loki glared at the wall and hoped that his friend would not be so foolish as to resist. Jerked by the elbow away from his spot, Loki followed the bellowed orders of the guards, feet stumbling uncertainly as he was pushed out of the room and up a few rickety metal grating stairs to a cat-walk.
Turning slightly, Loki glanced back, hoping to catch sight of Aeto. The last glimpse of the room chilled Loki as he watched the silent Phalanx, Anorin, finally succumb to several blaster shots from the Corinor AX-560 laser rifle toted by the squadron's commander.
Escorted to freedom, indeed, Loki shivered. Via the ship's airlock… and then out to the Void itself. There is only one way now, he told himself. This is the path you have chosen, Loki. Or perhaps this is the choice forced upon you – but you will make do. You always have.
You always have.
[…forge one's destiny…]
[…not look back…]
[…there is only forward…]
[…the path to the stars…]
[…the path to the void…]
Light blazed. Sirens wailed. The morning shift officially began with harsh white light and a deafening clanging. Alongside the five other mages in the employ of the Chitauri's foraging ship, the X'ol, Loki scrambled off his bunk and stood to attention as his platoon's commanding officer stalked into the room, barking orders, cursing the unfortunately slower crew mates. Joilo, a spatial-distortion warp artist, was kicked several times before she finally pulled herself to her feet. Loki, forcing his eyes away as the slight, barely educated Ylezian girl staggered to her feet, tried his best to keep his heavy lids open as the Chitarui platoon commander began to bark at them the orders for the day in distorted Basic.
Platoon Commander Y'lrk, unlike the usual lower rank Chitauri, was able to communicate quite well with other breeds as well as his own kind, being equipped with an self-regulated link to the Hive. Like all Chitauri, Y'lrk's tiny yellow-brown eyes seemed to stare right through the mages lined up before him. His grey skin and bio-mechanical enhancements did nothing to improve his looks – and his temper and personality were just as ugly.
Now under the enforced employ of the Chitauri Army, Loki knew all too well why the Skrulls and the Kree had treated the race with disdain and care. Driven by unfathomable ambition, the repitilian and insect-like creatures had been spreading across the Midgardian galaxy for some time now. Loki could remember the occasional conversations Odin, Thor and the King's Council would have on the subject of the Skrull, the Kree and the Chitauri. Thor's opinion had been standard – wipe them all out.
For once in his life, Loki could not agree more.
As he stood there listening to his commander give the spare details of their mission (protecting the Chitauri forces landing on the planet as they foraged for energy resources), Loki wondered yet again how he was going to get out of this. Unfortunately, he was alone.
I am alone.
Dressing quickly and silently into their black baggy serviceman uniforms under the watchful eye of the Platoon Commander Y'lrk, Loki considered his options and found no easy way out. As usual, the commander had them line up at the door in order of their "enlistment" numbers and there they clipped on the usual gear: the nav-pad, the utility belt, the sig-nav and the shackles which controlled their magickal abilities. The others said nothing as they trooped out of their small sleeping quarters and down the halls to the canteen where they were given a bare fifteen minutes to wolf down the slop with which they were fed. Surrounded by the guards and his fellow crew members, yet with no hope of contact with the outside world, Loki felt the walls closing in on him even more than usual.
I am alone.
No one complained. Complaining led to beatings or deprivation of food or bedding. Declining the Chitauri's "invitation" to work invariably led to death. Loki had as yet to see what revolt would lead to, but he had a feeling that it was a dark path which would take him to a place from which he would not be able to return. Without Aeto, without Nesta, without Mal, without Thor and any of his family at his side, Loki could trust no one but himself.
I am alone.
Fatigued from overusing what abilities he had had regained from Odin's spell, Loki, like the other mages, felt constantly weak and tired. Living in magic-suppressing quarters, the Jotunn warrior-mage whiled away the hours sleeping or meditating, trying to shore up what power he could. No doubt the rigorous schedule of work set out for his crew mates and himself was an attempt to ensure that none of them would be able to use their abilities to break free or cause trouble.
Today, like any other day, Loki and the others joined a platoon of Chitauri, rode with them down to the surface of a rather undeveloped rocky planet and set to work on raising barriers and setting energy-finding sigils. After successfully retrieving several containers of crystals, the platoon's small shuttle rose upward and disappeared, leaving behind an empty vista. Sitting in his seat, with Joila on one side and Ki'rilu, a Half-Breed, on the other side, Loki stared straight ahead at the Chitauri sitting across from them.
A grey, twisted creature, he thought. Mindless and without will. Unable to be suborned or overcome by reason. Serving only the one. The Other. Loki shivered. They are many. I am only one.
I am alone.
As per routine, the group of mages were escorted back to their shared quarters and locked in with no hope of escape. Without further word, the others pushed past to take their usual spots around the room: Joilo at the datapad charging station, Storinn on his bed, Razz and Kiri'lu on the sagging couch in front of the holo-comm monitor.
Loki, looking around the wide square room, sighed at the sight of the smudgy, grey-black walls and equally grey lighting. Along the far side of the wall, five beds stood in a neat row with storage containers built in below each one for clothing and what personal items they were allowed. At the end of each bed, another personal chest stood, where their uniforms were stored and any of their less "harmful" or "dangerous" work tools were stowed away.
To his left, a group of synth-food machines and a square metal table stood surrounded by six chairs. A tiny shelf with rows of plugs offered the mages a space for their datapads and other technological devices to charge. It was a cramped area and a poor excuse for a kitchen, but the group of five mages had learned how to make do with that they had been given.
To his right, two orange and purple, battered couches stood in front of a large holo-comm monitor which offered a limited choice of entertainment. Other containers stood against the wall, holding a variety of datacards and other broken items left from previous employees of the Chitauri army. A door on that side also opened to the cramped showers and toilets available to them. Two showers and two toilets.
Not entirely conducive for good relationships, Loki had thought, but considering how we are treated and how little they think of us, I suppose we should be thankful that we got anything at all.
Moving forward to take his usual spot on the second couch, Loki leaned back, allowing his dark head to loll a little on the slightly shredded back of the couch he had chosen. The hard studs of the couch's metal frame now working their way through the thinning fabric of the ancient piece of furniture did little to alleviate his aching neck muscles. With a groan, Loki shifted a little only to yelp sharply as a metal stud suddenly jabbed his lower back.
"Damn this couch," he grumbled. "I would settle for wood at this point."
"Or stone," Razz, a genial half-human fire-user, laughed.
"Only you would find that funny," Kirilu's black mandibles clicked with annoyance, her multi-faceted eyes glittering. "As a Kloidian, I can only be glad that I do not have the annoying szoft fleszh you OtherZ have been born with."
"Kol'la can shape-shift if he wanted to," Razz pointed out.
"Too tired," Loki sighed.
"We are all too tired," Kirilu, an empathic insect-humanoid nodded. "They exzpect too much from usz. At thisz rate, they will work usz all to our deathsz."
"I hardly think-" Razz began but Joilo, looking up from her datapad, shook her head.
"Kirilu is right," the Ylezian girl sighed, rubbing her dark-ringed green eyes. "There will be no end to this."
This was an old conversation – an echo, a repeat of what they had all voiced before. Loki could already tell what each of them would say – or not say. Joilo would predict doom, as would Kirilu. Razz would hope for the best and believe that their "mission" such as it was would eventually come to an end. Storinn said nothing. The Xandarian rarely said anything, preferring to stare up at the grating lining the ceiling, hiding inside his head.
"They will take what they want from us and then they will kill us."
"You always say that," Razz rolled his eyes. "I overheard a conversation between two of the villagers from the planet we visited a few days ago – or was that a week…" A pause. "Anyways, it seems that there are other ships also with the same mission and that this is all preparation for an attack of some kind. I am pretty sure that we will be let go once the Chitauri are finished preparing."
"Why would they let us go?" Loki asked, raising a dark eyebrow. "I wish that were true, but I hardly see them as the charitable types."
"Agreed," Kirilu's clicked with rising ire. "They are preparing for an attack – that much isz obviousz... and it muszt be a great disztancze from here, otherwisze they would not need usz to aid them in their foraging for energy sourcesz."
"Besides," Loki went on, "just because they are targeting someone else in their war, does not mean they will show us mercy."
"Szeriouszly, Razz, I do not know how you szurvived to this day with szuch a low amount of brain cellsz within that carapace you call a szkull," Kirilu poked the Half-Breed with a spidery finger. "If they had other energy alternativesz, I do not think they would have szcouted usz."
"Or maybe they do have something else in mind," Razz protested. "There is stuff out there that can pack a punch! If what you say is true, why aren't they going out for stuff like that?"
"Your way with words is encouraging, Razz," Loki said dryly, "but you prove a good point. I suppose their plans are not entirely set in stone as of yet – and they are looking at a variety of possibilities. There is, after all, as you say, "stuff out there that can pack a punch", but perhaps it is not so easily reached as one might think."
"Ah… you mean items of great power," Joilo said. "I have heard of Asgard and its Vaults before… and other nameless items of great power."
"Asgard?" Razz's forehead wrinkled. "That's just stories, isn't it?"
"Oh, szo you are the exzpert on the universze now," the empathic Koloidian insect-humanoid chittered in a short laugh.
"Asgard exists, my friend," Loki said, "but surely the Chitauri would not attack the Golden Realm without a great army."
"Or maybe they are crazy enough to think they would succeed," Joilo said from her corner by the data-pad charging station. "Before I was picked up, I heard that the Asgardians have fallen silent and none have come out nor gone into the Realm. Perhaps, the Chitauri know the why of the matter and consider the Realm weakened."
A broken Bifrost rose up in Loki's mind and the blue-skinned Jotunn winced. A weakened Realm indeed. Then, recalling determined set to his father's shoulders and the far-seeing golden eyes of Heimdall, Loki forced himself to find breath again. Asgard is in good hands. Asgard's allies, however, will not be. Asgard's allies…
"I hardly think they would have the temerity to attack Aszgard," Kirilu said dismissively. "Not with the army they have now."
"Maybe it's bigger," Razz pointed out. "It's not like we have access to their information."
"Only you would szay szomething like that," Kirilu snapped in disgust. "Whosze szide are you on, Razz?"
"On no one's side," grumbled Razz, glaring the holocomm monitor as the game show he had been watching gabbled on. "I was just pointing out the obvious. Really the only one who has actually seen anything of the Chitauri fleet is Storinn…"
At that, everyone glanced over at the silent Xandarian and shivered.
"And he's not saying," Razz ended lamely.
"Well, Asgard is in good hands," Loki went on hurriedly. "There is Odin All-Father and Heimdall and a host of warriors. I am certain they will be fun. Us, not so much."
"Agreed," Kirilu nodded. "And the alliesz of Aszgard, perhaps, may find themselves at a diszadvantage."
"The Elves can take care of themselves," Loki pointed out.
"Elves exist too?" asked Razz, brown eyes widening.
"Woah," Joilo raised an eyebrow, eyes focused on her datapad. "Even I know my species."
"Yes, they exist, Razz," sighed Loki. "Where did you come from? Under a rock?"
"Nooo…" Razz huffed and went back to glaring at the holo-drama.
"Anywaysz," Kirilu shrugged. "I waszn't thinking of the Elvesz – I wasz thinking more of the humansz – of Midgard."
"Midgard," Joilo frowned, head jerking up at the word. "What's on Midgard?"
"Other than a ton of humansz?" Kirilu's mandibles snapped sharply and she raised a black, segmented finger. "There'sz alwaysz the treaszuresz sztored there by the Ancientsz or the Aszgardiansz."
"I thought Midgard was just some Skrull hoax about… never mind," Razz trailed off, catching the scandalized looks from the others about him.
"Treasures?" Loki decided to ignore his idiot of a crew mate and focused on the topic at hand, running his fingers through his long black hair worriedly. "There were rumours of the Tesseract, but… I thought it was just that – rumours."
"The Infinity Gems," Joilo supplied the answer to Razz's no doubt unspoken question. "Some say they are stones, others say they are magickal and technological devices of great power. Ylezian priestess had pictures of it at the Temple… the Tesseract, the Aether… some of them were taken by Asgard, or given to great Dragons or the Ancients for safe keeping…some were destroyed, others were lost. The tales are many," the young girl ended mysteriously, "but the truths are few."
"'Let he who seeks knowledge, take heed, therefore, that he may not obscure the meanings of all things, hide or lock away the Truth and so keep it as useless treasure for the sacred few'," Loki quoted softly, remembering the ghosts of Meerauk and Neo-Meerauk. "If the Tesseract is on Midgard, then to Midgard they will have to go, but it is a long way off… which…"
The blue-skinned mage glanced at Kirilu and then Joilo meaningfully. Razz, glancing from one mage to another, blinked uncertainly.
"Which would account for their need for energy sources," Joilo ended. "Midgard would account for a lot."
"Aszgard will not let it passz."
"Unless as you say, Asgard is in some way on lock down," Joilo pointed out. "It's the perfect time then."
"Surely…" Loki's stomach, now roiling as the weight of this possibility settled upon him. "Surely not. Midgard could-"
"Now who'sz szounding like Razz?" Kirilu asked shortly.
"If they wish to reach Midgard in good time with such a great army, then they would need energy sources – which we are finding, but surely not enough…" Loki said slowly. He added then, "Unless…"
"Unless…" Joilo prompted.
"Unless… they find a mage strong enough to locate the Tesseract, awaken it and use it as a portal…"
"Is that possible?" Razz asked. "In Mam's bedtime stories, the Tesseract is only yea-big." He gestured a small sized box. "Like, it could fit your hand."
"Szmall yet mighty," Kirilu nudged him, "and capable of reaching across the sztarsz, binding one placze to another. They szay that in your bedtime sztoriesz?"
"Uhhh…" Razz scratched his short brown hair, frowned and then shrugged offering his friends a lop-sided smile. "Well, either way – whether they are headed for Midgard or not, whether they wish to challenge Asgard or not or whoever, it doesn't really concern us in the end. If we try to warn anyone – well, we can't – but if we tried, you know what would happen to us. Escape is impossible. Resistance is… well… forget about resisting, am I right – or am I right?"
"He's right about something for once, Kol'la," Joilo sighed bitterly. "There is really nothing we can do… and if you go poking your nose where it doesn't belong, Kol'la, you'll end up dead – or worse, under the scrutiny of the Chitauri Examiners."
"The Chitauri Examinersz," Kirilu explained, "juszt another word for interrogatorsz. Chitauri you would never wiszh to meet, I asszure you."
"Ughhh…" Joilo twitched. "Just as bad as going down planet-side for one of the High Command meetings with Ylrk."
"High Command meetings?" Loki sat up then, interest piqued.
"Of course you would want to go. So did Storinn," Joilo jerked her head at their ever silent crew mate. "Look at what it did to him."
"He just went down there and… he came back like that?" the exiled Asgardian prince asked sceptically.
"You can hear it, smell it, feel it, can't you?" asked the young Ylezian girl.
"The Void," Kirilu added. "The voice of the Void. The heart of the darknessz."
"To draw so close to the Abyss, to peer into it's depths," Joilo shivered. "It changes you. For some, forever."
"What did he see exactly?" asked Loki.
The others shrugged, glancing at each other uneasily. Even Razz looked a little spooked.
"The truth," Storinn's dull voice broke the heavy silence. The words were the soft rustles of dead leaves, unused as they were to being spoken. "The truth of What Was, What Is, What Must Be and What Will."
Everyone turned then slowly, eyes widening as their gaze fell on the usually mute Xandarian. Storinn did not move, his dark eyes fixed on the ceiling above him, hands at his sides.
"What truth is that?" Loki found voice to ask.
"There is a darkness that never sleeps." A pause and then lower: "It was freed and now it plots to douse the light of the stars and bring all worlds into the arms of Death."
"You saw it?" Loki's voice rose sharply. Kirilu's mandibles clicked nervously and Joilo had put away here datapad.
"Those who are so gifted may see the Shadow within the shadows and hear the sibilant call of the Void." Storinn's voice trailed off. He added in a whisper, "Can you hear it? They are coming for you."
[…the call of the deep…]
[…the song of the abyss…]
[…across the worlds over…]
[…can you hear it…]
They came for Loki a week later, marching him without a word down several passageways and stairs until he was escorted into a small launching bays for the more convenient shuttles. There, the Commander waited and, catching sight of the tall, slender mage, nodded and then turned back to barking orders at a row of Platoon Captains. Meanwhile, Loki was led up the short ramp and forced into a small seat beside two other mages he had as yet to meet, obviously from other squadrons. A Chitauri barked out a harsh order for silence, but judging from the stark, panicked look on the other two mages' faces, Loki guessed that talking was the last thing anyone of the captive crew members had in mind.
Looking out the small round window, Loki watched as lines of soldiers streamed past for parts unknown in the ship. When Commander Yrlk and his two other co-Commanders stepped in, Loki and the mages quickly set to buckling themselves in, fingers fumbling frantically, while the pilots slipped into the front of the small space vehicle and began the routine pre-flight checks. After a good fifteen minutes, the door shut and the shuttle rose smoothly up and out of the ship before curving down and around to the dark planet's surface.
His small porthole was barely large enough to see anything, but Loki fancied he glimpsed a vista of dark, blackened earth spotted with metal and purple rock and vegetation. A dying world, he thought, as he realized that the sparks of glinting light were in fact small, singly manned spacecraft and satellites and probes and space debris. A dying world, a dying carcass of the world, surrounded by buzzing flies.
Then, the depressing view was swallowed up in dim light as the shuttle descended lower and lower into the atmosphere, rattling and roaring as it rocketed downwards. A dark world, Loki added to his mental list of notes. His red eyes darted from spot to spot, cataloging the odd rock formations, the lack of water, the obvious atmospheric enhancement mechanics and the various asteroid like platforms hanging in mid-air, no doubt held in place by some kind of grav-machine or electromagnetic technology… or magick.
Someone's will hung in the air, pressed down upon them all as though a cave of darkness were falling in on them. A will, a power so strong it threatened to crush them as they sat there, as the shuttle came to a hovering stop before lightly setting down. The other two mages beside him had stiffened, faces set in stone, petrified. Feeling as though a great rock had been placed upon his face, Loki found his breath coming in jerks.
Inhale. Exhale.
Unbuckle your seat fool. Move your fingers.
Inhale. Exhale.
Get up. Get up. Getupgetupgetupgetup.
Inhale. Exhale.
Follow the others. Eyes forward. Feet moving. Keep your feet moving.
Inhale. Exhale.
As he set foot on the planet, the young Jotunn mage gasped out sharply, earning him a sharp cuff from one of the accompanying guards. Forcing himself to keep marching forward, Loki strode in step behind the other two mages, trying to keep focused on his surroundings, on his breathing, on his feet. It was difficult, but somehow, sheer will enabled him to endure.
Glancing at the two Chitauri guardsmen and the three Commanders ahead, Loki wondered how the creatures could move so easily beneath the blanket of oppression. Perhaps they cannot feel it, Loki thought, perhaps they are beings entirely without magick and so can never feel the effects of whatever power is instilled in this place. It would explain their need for other mages… Or perhaps they have grown up in such dire circumstances, it is no great burden to them.
It did not bear thinking on. Loki instead allowed his head to turn a little from side to side, the barest twitching of his sharp blue chin, allowing for a wider range of sight. Now on the ground of the planet, Loki felt as though it was even worse, if possible than he had expected. The ground was rough and blackened as though a million fire mountains had exploded upon it. Great chasms appeared to gape open here and there across its charred surface, revealing dim red glowing. The exposed heart of the world.
There was no sun. None immediately visible to the eye at least. Is the planet floating outside of a system? If so, how is it sustaining life? Not that it looks as though it is sustaining any life at present, Loki corrected himself as he glanced yet again upward at the unfamiliar stars. Still there is gravity to consider - and air. Although the atmospheric mechanics are no doubt compensating for the oxygen. Still…
His red gaze drifted slowly over the vista before him as they moved down the long road to a great metallic tower, buzzing with furious activity. Hovercraft and other one-man vehicles whizzed past, towing supplies and crates and bulky anonymously packaged articles. Overhead a few Leviathans (Kirilu had described them enough for him to identify them immediately) glided eerily quiet, their bulk and girth at odds with their smooth manoeuvres through the air.
Gruesome creatures, not even creatures, really - more like things, Loki shuddered. How many Chitauri are carried by each of those, I wonder… Then the captive Jotunn warrior-mage stumbled suddenly as his wandering gaze, following one of the Leviathans, caught sight of something which nearly stopped him dead in his tracks.
A Muthr'a'Ginnung. A Muthr'a'Ginnung.
Right on his doorstep.
The Eye of the Void. Fed, he saw, slowly by a now rather diminished sun. Perhaps, the celestial fire ball had once had its own system. Perhaps this planet was the remnant of a complete microcosm – until it had drifted into the path of the ever hungry beast.
The Muthr'a'Ginnung. The black hole.
Trails of asteroids, no doubt the crumbled remains of planets, trailed downward and inward as well. Stardust, a long forgotten nebulae swirled about the black hole's edges. Even the planet he now walked upon seemed to strain against the pull of the beast. Or perhaps it was on the cusp. Or perhaps it was protected and sustained by the dark magicks which blanketed the place.
Anything seems possible. Impossible, yet somehow… possible. Loki ignored the rough push of a blaster against his back, forcing his pace to quicken. His eyes followed the trails of the asteroids as the circled downward to the black hole. Almost, he thought, horrified, a stairway into Hel itself.
I am on the doorstep of Death's Realm.
On the doorstep of the Void.
Standing on the edge and looking in.
…there is a darkness that never sleeps…
Storinn's dead voice echoed in his memories.
…it was freed and now it plots to douse the light of the stars and bring all worlds into the arms of Death…
A dire forewarning of something even Loki could not imagine, something that Storinn could not, could never perhaps, fully voice.
…who are so gifted may see the Shadow within the shadows and hear the sibilant call of the Void…
With each step, Loki could feel the dark tentacles worming into his head. His forehead throbbed, his body ached with the pain of staying upright. One of the mages had fallen down and taken to crawling on its hands and knees, but Loki refused to succumb. He would not kneel. He would not kneel.
I will never kneel.
…Can you hear it?...
Somehow Loki managed to keep walking, ignoring the gasps of pain from the other mages, as the other staggered onward in front of him and the third now dragged along in the merciless grasp of the guards on either side. There was a door, another door. Too many doors. Halls. Passages. Loki could barely understand. Could barely keep track of his progress. They moved on quickly, without pause.
One foot in front of the other.
Inhale. Exhale.
Then they were passed some imposing doors. They were in a large room. There were others. So many others, gathered around tables and various council circles. The center of the Chitauri hive.
The center of it all.
Loki came to a halt behind his commander's chair, back to a pillar, eyes trained forward, blurring with unshed tears, jaw tense, bones literally creaking with the pain of staying on his feet. A few other mages were being dragged out, he noticed hazily. Others remained. They are powerful, no doubt. More powerful than I.
What are you doing here? Loki asked himself, derisively, his spirit sinking in despair as the full realization of his situation now sank in. You have restored some of your magick, but it is barely at the level it should be. There is no chance in Hel you will have the endurance for this.
The room's activity and noise quieted as a hooded pale, hunched figure entered the room, followed by a purplish-blue-skinned, bright blue-eyed alien, the like of which Loki had never seen before. He was tall, muscled and commanded attention – his face stern and unreadable. Unlike the dull, grey armor of the ugly creatures about him, this warrior stood apart with his splendid, polished armor, no doubt forged in the heart of some star.
Without further ado, the hooded creature, addressed by some Chitauri spokesperson as the Other, hissed a welcome of some kind and proceeded to speak rapidly, discussing a variety of issues. There was, apparently, some mage who would arrive and aid them in their quest. Last minute adjustments to the plan would be made this evening, taking into account their new, anonymous ally. An ally, the Other revealed, who sat poised at the heart of their enemy and would fight at their side, for the glory and the right to worship Death herself.
Enemy? Loki thought disjointedly. Where? Which enemy? The Skrull? The Elves? The Dwarves? Surely not... surely not...
Turning to the giant beside him, the Other nodded.
"Any last words, my Lord?"
"YOU SERVE WITH WISDOM-"
YOU ARE MINE.
"YOU FIGHT A BATTLE ALREADY WON."
YOU ARE HERS.
"YOU ARE THE SOLDIERS OF THE GREATEST ARMY EVER CREATED – THE WORSHIPPERS OF ALL THE VOID CALLS HOLY-"
YOU ARE OURS.
"DEATH, HERSELF, WELCOMES YOU ALL INTO HER RANKS! DEATH!"
With that the air hummed and vibrated and cries rose up among the ranks, chanting with the their leader.
"DEATH!"
"DEATH!"
"DEATH!"
With the last cry trailing off, the Chitauri split up into various groups already pre-ordered, no doubt communicated through the hive mind.
DEATH.
Loki, breath coming in swift and shallow, fought to keep conscious as the Commander brought up his holo-screen, projecting a green and blue world into the middle of his circular table. A green and blue world with swirls of white and grey and the faintest glimpse of brown. A living world. A populous world. A world he had only seen depicted in holos and in books.
Midgard.
Midgard was the target after all. Midgard was – Thor. Thor was there. He had to tell Thor. Asgard has to know. How – how – Thor – Loki's fists clenched and unclenched as the headache, spreading across his brow began to pierce inward to his temples as though someone had grabbed his skull in a hard vise and had started to tighten it.
Someone – someone was in his head – someone was in his head, in his head – get out! Get out! Get out! Getoutgetoutgetout! Resistance – it was all futile – he had to get out of there – he had to get it out – he had to –
Loki's hands rose to head, as he doubled over in a silent scream.
Midgard.
Thor.
Thor!
This needs to stop –
They need to be warned –
…they are coming for you…
Storinn's voice echoed eerily. The dry husk of a man.
...they are coming for you...
Darkness crowded in on him. Loki's world tilted sideways. He glimpsed a glint of metal and the dark shadow of Ylrk rising, looming – and there was a dark laugh. Somewhere. Someone was laughing. Was it him?
YOU ARE OURS.
…they are coming for you…
…they are coming for you…
OK. Well, now we got Loki in a REALLY terrible place. [rubs hands gleefully] I really was looking forward to this... and I hope I can do this section justice. Needless to say, next chappie... has a lot of terrible stuff happening. [cackles]
PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU ENJOYED~~~
Onward to some replies to reviewers and questions:
RE: Tagging - I have tagged F/M on the fic. I'll prolly go back to the beginning if I decide to edit this beast and add it there.
RE: Sigyn - I have not planned Sigyn to show up. If she was going to be in this story, I would have mentioned her earlier. Mentioning her at a later date (or now) would be very after the fact and forced and just feel like I need to pair Loki up so I gotta put him with -someone-. Which I dislike doing. Furthermore, I'm not sure if the Sigyn I would wanna make would be ANYTHING like the Sigyn in the comics. Frankly, I don't like the comics all that much and there's a reason why I'm writing for MCU and not posting this in the comics section (I'm pretty sure some comic!/Norse!fanfic authors post here b/c there's more traffic in MCU, but the only real link to Loki of MCU is his looks... anyways, I'm not going there). Anyways, all this to say that Sigyn, I am sorry, will not be around unless I can think of a really interesting way to put her in. Until then, Loki is on a singular path.
RE: Bolded Capitals - Yes, they are THANOS. Fufufu. I had him way back in the first chapters. Scary, right? He's been there all along in Loki's mind. Creepy deepy, if you ask me. I must admit I think that the amount of foreshadowing I put into this fic is kinda impressive, but maybe that's just me. Best not toot my own horn.
RE: Mal - Mal is not over. That's all I'm gonna say. She's not forever, but she's not over yet.
RE: Thor - The last Thor chapter was the last Thor chapter. The next time we see him is in the Avengers section. Sorry for Thor fans out there... I hope it works for you!
Information on Levels of Mage/Magical Abilities
Level 1 – Eno'sa
Level 2 – Eno'tho – Thanos
Level 3 – Eno'frei
Level 4 – Eno'ah – Elven Mages/Odin
Level 5 – Eno'ko – Asgard/Jotun/Any Other Healthy Realm Mage/Prince Loki before Odin caps him
Level 6 – Eno'yul – Sharda'aa/Regular Mage
Level 7 – Eno'vee – Uncollared Kol'la/Current Prince Loki post-Fall (past Sleen & Jela)
Level 8 – Eno'mah – Collared Kol'la/Current Prince Loki post-Fall (up until Sleen)
Level 9 – Eno'lei
Level 10 – Eno'sanai
Alien Glossary:
'auzha – fucker
bollen - boulders/monoliths
chi'iano – a radioactive piece of rock similar to uranium
cho'ai - lover
Dou'ma – idiot
Eno'Keshi'ko – the system of Eno, a type of magical level measurements
Fen'chi Galaxy – Andromeda Galaxy
gan'ga'war – steel balls
gan'ko – ganka'jya chon, a steel beetle
iz'kyr – a kind of frozen stone powder which is used as a narcotic for some species
Janah – similar to dammit
Ka'autha'ndarna - Reality
kalo – a kind of purple-red fruit, similar to a pomegranate or dragonfruit
Kholathan – Safety Belt/Protected Zone
kol-sava'atha – a titanium-rich ore
kolm (sniffer) - a kind of drug like weed
kon'bi – short for konji'bifu, space bat
lasu – space rat
l'gon – storyteller
Morning-star - a mace
myech'myena - shape-shifting
Mye'hyoi Peyt – Milky Way
n'ch'nka – a kind of cow
Nord-Stjarna – north star
Nyr'Fjor - Jotunn's original name for V'slozh'noi
oma'auzha – mother-effer
oto'oa - big sister
pu'lotni – plutonium
pye'nee - a kind of bird
Ra'ska'yeh o Phyllo'xia – Tales of Phylloxia
roobyn – a red stone
r'senk'ne – a kind of deer/cow hybrid
Shen'grid – the Protected Zone, the zone in which habitable planets orbit around a sun
Shi'nuwu – Reality/Yggdrasil
sigan – short for yan'sigan, rock-worm
So'shah – Earth/Midgard
syem'fyerma – family/community farm
Tai'shu – The Void
tro'watal – perseverance
udji'oo – a drug, like opium
whota – wheat