cut
Everyone was ready to get out of the jet before they landed properly. Thor looked at Steve when the soldier placed his hand on Thor's shoulder, and Captain America nodded at the God of Thunder.
"We're going to find him, Thor," Steve spoke in full certainty. "Wayne knows the way to the castle. We've informed Fury and backup is on its way. We'll find him and save him. I promise."
Thor swallowed difficultly looking away from his friend. "I should have been there," he pressed out through his teeth. "If I only…"
"Nothing guarantees that you're presence would have changed anything," Clint interrupted him and Thor frowned. "For all that we know, both of you could have ended up as prisoners, and then what would we do?"
Thor's lips stretched into a thin line. He knew Clint was right; that didn't make him feel better though.
"Let's go," Wayne spoke up to break the silence. "I landed a little outside of town. If we rely on stealth, and try to hold the element of surprise for as long as possible, we should reach the fort in a day."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They didn't like it, but they knew that for as long as they had the element of surprise, their chances of saving Haruven and coming out of there alive were bigger.
"Let's go." Thor said. Everyone nodded and stood taller.
Their friend needed them.
They would not fail.
cut
He grunted as he tripped and the gunshot wound in his side reminded him of its presence. He got separated from his team when the mission went badly, and he was on his own. This was what he was afraid of the most when working with Muggle Agents from whatever Agency.
He knew they feared him more than they actually respected him. On one hand that was good; he didn't need to worry about them not listening to him. On the other hand that meant that they would instinctively abandon him the moment shit hit the fan, because they were convinced he could take everything alone. While there was no doubt that he could, it didn't necessarily mean he should. If it were that easy he would work on his own all the time. It would spare him the trouble of saving some over-confidant, self-absorbed idiot's ass. It would also spare him the trouble of having to prove himself to everyone over and over and over again.
After some time it became quite annoying.
He fought too many damn battles, went to too many practically suicide missions, to be forced to suffer some idiot questioning his authority and knowledge.
This time was no different.
It was supposed to be a simple mission. They were supposed to infiltrate a Neo-Nazi base in North Germany, take care of the damn extremists, destroy all data and get out of there. Everything would have been fine if their eyes and ears on the field, their Handler, didn't fall asleep in front of the screens. He failed to warn them that they were walking straight into a damn trap.
Of course, shit hit the fan before he could say 'Quidditch'.
They opened fire, and suffice to say, most of his teammates lost their heads. Only his experience saved most of their lives, until the moment one of the extremists decided to pull a suicide stunt. He and two others were separated from the rest of the infiltration team, with the rest of the extremists right beside the three of them.
Of course the extremists opened fire again. They took out one of his team mates, while he pulled the other one behind himself to shield him, only to earn that wound in his side for his efforts when the idiot tried to return fire only to have the bullet bounce off the inner side of the shield, and lodge itself stubbornly into his side. As though that wasn't enough, the idiot fired another bullet, which (un)luckily killed him.
He managed to kill the extremists and get out of there a moment before the others blew up half of the Neo-Nazi base.
Unfortunately they didn't kill all of them.
So that's how he found himself running through this Merlin forsaken forest, bleeding like there was no tomorrow with at least 10 extremists on his tail. The sky was clouded so he couldn't determine which direction he was going in, and his sense of direction was jumbled with two consecutive explosions and the annoying pain in his side. His reserves were running low since killing 13 extremists with a single Avada Kedavra took a lot, even from him.
So all he could do for now was run and hope that those idiot teammates of his didn't decide to abort the mission.
He ducked when a bullet flew over his head and rolled behind a tree.
Keeping his breathing steady and trying to calm his heartbeat, he listened for the sounds of his enemies. He looked around and frowned when something glimmered in front of him. He thought he saw a cave of some sort.
Daring a look behind the tree he weighed his options.
If he continued to run forward there was a chance he wouldn't be able to dodge a bullet aimed for his back in time. If he indeed found a cave and decided to hide in it, depending on the topology of the cave, he would maybe be able to trap them inside and kill them, one by one if need be.
He looked in front of himself again and sighed.
"I'm getting too old for this shit," he muttered, held his breath and broke into a run.
The muscles in his legs strained, his senses came into an almost intimidating focus, and everything seemed to have slowed down. He let go of a triumphant 'ha' when he realized he indeed found a cave. He ran in, ducking at the low entrance.
"Lumos!" he snapped, but it was too late for that. With a shocked yelp, he tripped and fell. He didn't know for how long he tumbled down, but when he came to a sharp stop he groaned. Every bone and bumped muscle in his body screamed in pain. He could feel his wound bleeding again, even though he was sure it never stopped bleeding at all.
Not that he gave it time or proper treatment to stop it from bleeding.
He lied still for a few moments. As his breathing and heartbeat calmed slowly he dared open his eyes and look around. He frowned in confusion when he saw a bluish light coming from a backwater of the cave. Ever so slowly he got up.
He hissed and winced when the top of his head met the roof of the cave, and crouched lower despite the objections of his strained body.
Even though his magic was still somewhat drowsy, he summoned his wand and slowly made his way deeper into the cave.
He frowned when he found himself at the end of the way, in what seemed to be some sort of a temple. The room was pretty bit, with stone pillars around a small lake. In the middle of the lake, facing the opening he came out of was a big, round mirror.
The air was stale and filled with something he never felt before. It was practically crackling with something that wasn't exactly magic, but had a similar feel to it. The moment he stepped on the edge of the lake the water in it shifted in concentric circles. What sounded like the reverberating sound of a gong echoed through the cave, and he winced when the pressure in his ears shifted, sending a wave of pain down his body.
'Who enters Our domain?'
He winced and took a step back. The reverberating sound grew in strength and he covered his ears with his hands. His wand met the ground soundlessly and his knees almost buckled under him, but he held on, refusing to fall to his knees. He opened his eyes, not really knowing when he closed them, and looked at the mirror that was some 30 feet in front of him.
"Who is asking?" he pressed out, voice broken and raspy.
'Who enters Our domain?!'
He grunted and pressed his hands harder over his ears. His magic was coursing wildly in his body, and he realized that the voice wasn't physical; it was trying to speak through his mind. The reverberating gongs were the consequence of his mental walls.
'Who dares to enter Our domain?! Speak!'
He almost screamed because of the pain. Deciding to take a leap of faith, he focused on his inner shields, and with a single push of magic, his shields fell.
He regretted it immediately.
The moment they were down images flashed though his mind, followed by so many sounds his head felt like it would explode.
It took him a moment to realize he was on his knees and screaming his throat raw as his whole life passed in front of his eyes. His heart and mind broke with every memory. Everything, both the good and the bad was revealed to whoever broke into his mind.
At one point it all became too much, and with a relieved smile he fell into blessed unconsciousness.
cut
He woke up to gentle fingers running through his shoulder long hair. His head rested in a warm lap, his body ached, but there was a comforting silence in his mind. Ever so slowly he opened his eyes.
'You are finally with Us, Harry James Potter.'
The woman above him whispered. Harry blushed furiously when he realized she wore no clothes and only her long hair gave her a semblance of modesty.
"Who are you?" he whispered, not able to speak any louder because of his sore throat, and decided to ignore her nudity for the sake of his own sanity.
She giggled and looked up. He followed her gaze and frowned when he saw two more women. One was sitting on top of the mirror. She had the appearance of a teen-aged girl. The second was floating beside her above the lake, and both of them were focused on him. All three of them wore no clothes; all three of them were transparent, their bodies glowing like liquid mercury in the moonlight.
'We are the Norns, Thunder Child,' spoke one of them. Her voice was soft and gentle. Harry realized that the one floating above the lake was the one who spoke when her lips tilted into a smile and she tilted her head to the side. Her silvery eyes were observing him knowingly, while the one that was sitting on the mirror smirked and rested her chin on her hand.
'You wondered into this Cave, not knowing the secrets it was hiding,' she spoke into his mind. 'You are quite foolish.'
'Don't be rude, Skuld,' chastised the one whose lap Harry's head was resting in and the one named Skuld stuck her tongue out at her.
'It's true, Urd! He wondered in without really thinking it through,' she said with a bored stare. 'It's a nasty habit of his. It's a wonder he hadn't gotten himself killed by now.'
'Don't mind her, Child.' The one Harry couldn't name yet offered him a kind smile. 'She is only bitter. Your future is possibly the only one she can't see properly.'
'You're too unpredictable for our youngest sister,' Urd spoke and Harry looked up at her, ignoring her quite big bosom, and concentrating on her moon-like eyes instead.
"Too unpredictable?" he pressed out over the pain and Urd giggled.
'Quite right,' she said. 'We are the Norns, sweetness. We are the Sisters that watch over the destiny of every single creature in Midgard and all the other realms.'
Harry frowned and looked at the other two. Skuld was sulking while the third sister gazed upon him with eyes full of mysteries.
"What happened to me?" he asked.
'We need to apologize for that.'
'Why would we need to apologize for anything, Verdandi?!' Skuld whined indignantly. 'He is the one who wondered in here with that shield around his mind! If it weren't for that we would have been able to see who he was immediately and he wouldn't have been hurt.'
'You know his past just as well as we do, Skuld. Don't be childish.' Urd spoke sharply. 'Those shields are necessary for him. I am sure he would have taken them down had he known where he was.'
"Excuse me," Harry interrupted their bickering and the three looked at him. "Would you mind telling me exactly what is going on? I'm kind of tired, sore and bleeding here, and I would like to get out of wherever here is as soon as possible. My team…"
'Your team has long returned to their base. You are listed as Missing In Action if we're not mistaken,' Verdandi said and Harry paled.
"What?" he blurted out in shock.
'Time flows differently here, Child,' Urd said and started to run her fingers through his hair again. 'It has already been three days in the outer world.'
Harry swallowed over the bile that suddenly gathered in his throat. "Kingsley's going to kill me," he muttered.
Skuld snorted, while Verdandi and Urd giggled.
'He will be happy to know that you are alive. I do believe that your teammates have gotten the scolding of their lives for abandoning you during the mission. I am sorry to say that they didn't even try to retrieve you and the other two who died beside you,' Urd spoke with a sad gleam to her ethereal eyes.
Harry's heart skipped a beat.
'You need not worry, young one,' Urd said. 'You will be alright.'
Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't know what was stopping him from panicking, he didn't know what made him feel safe, but he wasn't about to argue with it. It has been a long, long time since he had felt safe and calm.
'You poor, poor child.' He opened his eyes and frowned when he saw Urd's gentle, sad eyes focused on his face. 'You give and give, and ask nothing in return. Your heart is breaking daily, you know no peace, and yet you keep on fighting. You lost so many loved ones; so many friends. You face the evil of this world alone, and yet you still manage to stand tall.'
'We are the Norns,' Verdandi spoke. 'We know everything about every single creature in this world, and yet we cannot seem to see what it is that makes you wake up every day to continue fighting.'
Harry frowned. His hands were fisted on his stomach so hard his nails were digging into his palms.
Weren't those the questions he continuously asked himself?
He lost everything.
He lost Ginny first. Then Ron died in a raid. He lost Hermione twice; the first time when she decided to leave the Wizarding world, and then he lost her for good just a few short months ago. Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie and George were still there, Neville and Luna were still there, but he couldn't find the courage to face them.
He snorted in self-depreciation.
He faced terrorists, murderers and criminals of all sorts on a daily basis, and yet he couldn't face the people he was doing it for.
He couldn't face them and let them see the man he was.
He couldn't allow them to look into his eyes and see monster he has become; the monster hidden beneath his skin.
'You are not a monster.' He looked up when Urd spoke sharply. 'You are a hero, Harry.'
"Scratch the surface of any hero and you'll find a monster lurking beneath," he recited dully.
'You never harmed an innocent, Harry. You always fought to save them. You may have failed on occasion, but that wasn't your fault. It was never your fault, dear child. You are so self-sacrificing, so good at heart, and yet it is all buried under so much pain.'
Harry turned his head away from Urd. He couldn't look at her. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
'Haven't you given enough?' he opened his eyes and looked at Verdandi. 'Haven't you fought enough?'
"I don't know how to do anything else," he muttered before he thought his answer through.
'Of course you don't. The only thing you've ever done is save those ungrateful, measly little humans!' Skuld spat out and Harry looked at her with shock written all over his face.
'There are other ways to do that, Harry,' Verdandi said and Harry looked at her with confusion written all over his face.
"I can't be a healer. My magic is too strong for that. I only ever learned how to be a k…'
'You are not a killer, Harry. You are not a murderer. You are a warrior; a guardian of peace,' Urd insisted and Harry snorted.
"I killed so many people, Lady Urd. Killing in the name of peace," he snorted and closed his eyes. "Killing to save," he muttered. "It sounds so twisted; so sick and disgusting."
'There are other ways to save people, young one,' Verdandi said and Harry shook his head.
"I know no other way." He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "I am sorry to have disturbed you. I should make my way back." He stood up. Thankfully his magic already started to heal his body.
'If We showed you another way, would you agree to resign from your current position?'
Harry stopped in his tracks and his shoulders tensed. He slowly turned around and looked at the Norns.
"What?"
Urd shared a glance with Verdandi, while Skuld scoffed and looked to the side.
'If I can show you that you can save people without killing, would you resign from your current position?' Urd repeated her question. Harry frowned and looked at the ground.
"Is there another way?" he asked quietly.
'You wouldn't have to fight. You wouldn't have to kill. You would find peace…'
'Urd-'
'No, Skuld-'
'We aren't allowed to mix in!'
'He is different!'
'How is he different?!'
'Skuld! Urd! Do not fight!' Verdandi interrupted the argument and Harry looked at her. 'There is another way, Harry. If you choose to walk it, you would find what you are looking for.'
Harry swallowed difficultly. "I don't…"
'It is purely your choice, Harry James Potter,' Urd said, 'but know that if you continue walking this path, it will only bring you more pain and suffering.'
Harry nodded slowly. "Can I – Can I think about it?"
Urd and Verdandi smiled at him while Skuld snorted and rolled her eyes.
'Of course, Harry,' Urd spoke warmly, 'now you know where to find us. Once you have made your decision come back.'
Harry nodded and licked his lips. "I will," he said. "I'll see you later then."
He turned his back on them and left the cave. The moment he was out of sight Verdandi and Urd looked at Skuld, and the youngest among them glared at them.
'What?!'
'There was no need for you to be so rude to him, Skuld; especially since you know who he is better than we do,' Verdandi reprimanded her young sister.
'It doesn't matter. The way he's going they will never meet,' Skuld muttered into her chin.
'Of course they'll meet, silly,' Urd said. 'They are destined for one another.'
Skuld snorted and turned away from Urd while Verdandi smirked.
'What are you planning, Urd?'
Said Norn giggled and floated over to her Mirror, touching it with the tips of her misty fingers. 'It has been a long, long time since we have had a Sanctuary on Midgard, do you not think?'
The two looked at her with almost matching, confused frowns.
'A Sanctuary?' Skuld asked.
'Oh!' Verdandi gasped. A moment later her eyes glimmered happily and a smile tilted her full lips. 'He would do great.'
Urd smirked. 'My thoughts exactly, my dear sister,' she said and looked at the mirror Skuld was sitting on. 'My thoughts exactly.'
cut
Harry took a deep breath as he entered Kingsley's office. He looked at the Resignation Papers in his hand and steeled his stance. This was the correct choice.
He was tired. He was tired of fighting, of killing; of constantly having to prove himself.
It was time for things to change.
It wouldn't be easy, but he had no other choice.
He entered Kingsley's office and the older man looked at him with a sad gaze. "Are you sure about this, Harry?" he asked as Harry approached his desk. Kingsley had to suppress a smile at the sight of his best agent.
Even though he wasn't happy about losing Harry, Kingsley could already see a change in him. Kingsley couldn't remember when he saw Harry in anything else but a uniform. Now Harry was dressed in comfortable jeans and a loose plaid shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His shoulder long hair was bound at the top of his head, with messy bangs dancing around the handsome face.
Harry looked years younger like this, but his eyes were still dark and shadowed. His shoulders were still tense. His muscles were still taut as though he was ready for a fight.
"I'm sure. It's time I pull back from this and let others fight the battles."
Kingsley nodded. "You have fought enough, Harry. I am sorry to see you go, but I understand why you're doing this. You have given enough. I will do my best to keep everyone out of your hair, but…"
"I know," Harry interrupted him and Kingsley's lips tilted into a smile which didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's alright."
Kingsley sighed and shook hands with Harry. "Thank you, Harry. I dare say that you've been the best Agent anyone can ask for. I hope you find what you're looking for."
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Kingsley." He placed his resignation papers on Kingsley's table and took a step back. "Take care."
"Don't be a stranger, Potter." Harry smiled, nodded and got ready to leave.
"I'll try," with that Harry apparated out of the room.
Kingsley chuckled and shook his head. "I'm going to miss that kid," he muttered and took the resignation papers in his hand. "I'm sure going to miss him."
cut
Harry took a deep breath when he appeared in front of the cave in North Germany. It was midday and the sun was high in the sky. The forest animals were going on with their daily lives and there was nothing in the air that made it feel like this was a turning point in Harry's life.
He chuckled weakly.
Usually, in a movie, everything would probably be still, it would be either raining or the sky would be shifting with clouds.
The only thing that was making this all feel real was his quickly beating heart.
"Well," he muttered and moved forward, "now or never."
Harry remembered to take his shields down before he entered the underground temple. The moment he stepped in the surface of the lake rippled and the shadows in the Mirror shifted.
'You have made your choice.' Harry shivered when Urd appeared in front of him. He looked around waiting for Skuld and Verdandi, but Urd smiled and shook her head. 'From this moment on, my sweet, it will mostly be just you and me.'
Harry tilted his head to the side. "Why?"
'Skuld and Verdandi have many other obligations, Harry. I am the Norn of the Past. I have very little to do.'
Harry nodded slowly, forcing down a swallow and taking a deep breath. "What do you want me to do?"
'I want you to live.' Her words made him frown in confusion. 'What I want you to do, Child, is to seal everything you did in the bottom of your heart. All of that is who you have been, but from this moment on, upon that you shall build a new future for yourself. You will become who you are destined to be. Not a harbinger of Death, but a Carrier of Peace, Balance and Hope.'
"Peace and Balance?" he snorted. "You must have the wrong person then, Milady, because I hardly know either peace or balance; definitely not balance." To his surprise Urd giggled and glided over to him. A warm wind danced through his clothes and hair, and he tensed up when Urd enveloped him in a loving hug.
'You will find both, my Child, and then you will earn your new name.'
"New name?"
'Yes, your new name. Once you find peace and balance, you will become who you were born to be. A breath of fresh air in spring, a Guarding and a Guide to lost souls; the Son of the World. You will be the Sun that shines in the darkness, the one that was Victorious in his fight against Evil. You will be the Crossroad in which the Past moves on into a better Future.'
Harry's breath caught in his throat as power started to build up around him.
'Your new name will be Haruven Sigurdsson, and one day, you will be complete.'
cut
Haruven woke up with a start. His breath hitched in his throat and his body was shivering.
"Calm down, Master Sigurdsson. You must calm down."
Haruven looked at the young woman at his bedside and tried to calm his quickly beating heart. His magic was roaring in his veins and his mental shields were collapsing, but he couldn't calm down.
It was too much.
It was becoming too much for him to handle.
"You must calm down," she spoke again and Haruven started to breathe deeply. The gem was heavy and warm on his chest. His whole body was aching, his magic was running wild, but ever so slowly he started to calm down.
'Thor, hurry up. Please. Please, hurry up.'
"He isn't coming."
Ven looked to the side and saw Loki standing at the doorway. The girl moved to the side and bowed her head obediently.
"How do you mean…"
"My brother isn't coming, trust me." Loki approached the bed with a small smirk on his face. "Even if that human managed to find a village, it would take him days to reach my brother and I am sorry to say that with the way that you're going even if he did manage to find out were we are, Thor will be late to save you."
Haruven swallowed difficultly and shook his head. "He will find me, Loki," he whispered and Loki frowned. "Even if it will be too late for me, Thor will come. He will stop you."
"Yes?" Loki mocked. He took a seat, confidant that Haruven was too weak to bring him harm. "You say that he will stop me…" He leaned over Haruven and the Wizard choked up because of Loki's smell, tainted and dark as it was. "He and what army?" Loki growled maliciously in Ven's ear and the wizard's heart skipped a beat.
"He won't need an army to stop you, Loki," Haruven voice was hardly above a whisper, his throat was sore, and he had never felt this weak in his life, but he couldn't keep quiet; he wouldn't keep quiet. "He won't need an army, because he is stronger than you are. He is better than you in every possible way, and once the Allfather deals with your little Chitauri, he will make sure you are sealed in the deepest, darkest dungeon in Asgard, and you will never see the Sun again, you monster." Even though he couldn't see Loki's face, Ven felt it when Loki tensed up and shivered because of his words. He drew little satisfaction from that fact though.
"Well..." Loki muttered and a cold shiver ran down Haruven's body. "I guess it takes one to know one, Harry James Potter. Or should I call you Boy-Who-Lived; or one of your other aliases, hm?"
Haruven's breath caught in his throat again. Loki moved back and Haruven swallowed heavily, finding the Sorcerer staring down at him with a leering grin.
"You say that I'm a monster. What does that make you?" Loki stood up and left the room.
Haruven started breathing again the moment the door closed. The girl stood beside the bed, her unseeing eyes pointed at Haruven.
'I'm not a monster,' he thought to himself and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. 'I'm not. I'm not a monster. Not anymore.' Ever so slowly, darkness started to descend on his mind again. 'Not anymore.'
cut
Thor stopped in his tracks and looked at the darkening sky. A shiver passed down his body just a moment ago, and some sort of pain gripped his heart.
"Oy, Smiterer!" Thor looked at Tony who opened his visor. "No stargazing right now."
"I felt some sort of pain." Everyone tensed up at that. "I can only assume that Haruven's condition is worsening."
"We need to hurry up," Bruce urged and looked at Wayne. "How much longer do we have?"
"Just behind that mountain. It should take us no more than 6 hours to cross." Wayne pointed and Thor nodded.
"We must hurry," he said, only to lose his breath in the next moment.
"THOR!"
The God of Thunder heard the voices of his comrades but couldn't answer them. He was brought to his knees by a horrible surge of nerve-burning pain, and a loud whistling sound echoed through his mind, followed by a pained scream. 'Thor, hurry! Please!' Thor's breath caught in his throat, and to everyone's surprise he jumped to his feet and started to run.
"Thor!"
"I can hear him!" He called out over his shoulder, starting to spin Mjölnir. "We need to hurry! He's dying!"
"Bruce!" Steve snapped and the Gamma-scientist quickly turned into Hulk. "Can you carry Clint and Wayne?"
"Hulk, carry!"
"Stark! Tasha and I need a lift!" Steve called out.
"Thor's running in the right direction, I assume?" Tony asked as he hurried towards Steve and Natasha and the two took a firm hold of him.
"It must be his bond with Ven! Just follow after him!" Natasha urged and Steve nodded.
"So we're throwing the element of surprise into the four winds," Wayne stated more than asked.
"Oh, trust me," Clint drawled and checked his arrows and bow. "he'll be plenty surprised."
cut
Loki frowned when he felt a disturbance in the force-field he had in a 2 mile radius around the fort. He walked over to a window and looked out. The sky was darkening as the Sun set, and the air was buzzing with something ominous. He heard low growling coming from behind, and turned around to look at a huge black wolf that stood in the doorway.
"Master Loki. My brethren and I felt shifting in the air," rumbled the wolf and Loki's eyes narrowed.
"Surround the castle. Howl if we receive any unwanted visitors." The wolf nodded and left.
Loki growled and looked out the window again. A cruse escaped his lips and he summoned his staff. He made his way to Haruven's room, his power dancing around him. He slammed the door open and felt a shiver run down his spine when those soulful, pained emeralds focused on him.
"Loki, what…?"
"You're coming with me," he growled, grabbed Haruven's arm and pulled him out of the bed.
"Master Loki!"
"Be gone!" he waved his staff and the girl was flung into the closest wall. With a sickening 'crunch' she fell on the ground, dead.
"No!" Haruven cried out, trying to run to the girl, quickly reminded of his weakness when every single atom of his body screamed in pain.
"Come on!" Loki snapped and dragged Haruven out of the room.
The Wizard could hardly walk. His aching body protested against the rough treatment, and his mind was working serious overtime, but he didn't have the strength to voice his questions. His head was spinning, and his magic was running wild in his veins. It seemed almost excited.
In that moment Haruven's eyes widened. His breath hitched in his throat and his legs failed him. 'Thor!' His knees met the floor. Loki looked at him and Haruven swallowed difficultly as he looked in Loki's eyes. "It's over for you, Loki," he breathed out and Loki sneered at him hatefully.
"Nothing is over," he growled, grabbed Haruven's arm again and started to drag him along towards the main entrance. He stopped in his tracks when panicked howls echoed through the fort.
"They're here..." Haruven whispered breathlessly and Loki looked at him, grabbing a hold of Haruven's messy braid, ignoring the pained yelp, and dragged the hardly resisting wizard towards the main entrance.
"How did they find this…" he stopped and growled, "that pathetic, disgusting, lowly, hairless APE!" Loki roared and all but ran, making Haruven stumble in his steps.
Ven was losing his breath and his heart was beating loudly in his ears. The entrance came into sight and Loki was about to wave his staff to open the door, but at that moment the door was blown apart and a black wolf skidded down the entrance hall to stop and Loki's feet.
"Knock, knock! Anybody home?!" an elated smile tilted Haruven's lips and he would have sagged to the ground had Loki not wrapped his arm around Haruven's waist. Haruven winced and tried to push himself away from Loki, but the Sorcerer just held him tighter, and Haruven cursed his own weakness.
"Haruven!" he looked up and let go of a wavering breath when Thor marched into the room in all his glory, followed by Steve and Natasha. Clint walked in after them, with Wayne by his side, both aiming arrows at Loki. After they entered Hulk stepped into the doorway with one wolf in each hand. He roared and the room shook, but Haruven was certain that he had never heard a better sound than that of his friends and lover barging in like that.
"Not another step!" Loki snapped and pointed his staff at Haruven's face. The wizard winced and tilted his head back as much as he could. He could feel his magic just under his skin, and the gem around his neck suddenly became scorching hot and heavy.
"Loki…" Thor growled and gripped Mjölnir tightly glaring at his brother from under his eyebrows. Snaps of electricity danced around Thor and his eyes shone bright with rage. "Release him!"
Loki laughed mockingly. "Or what, brother?!" he snapped. "You will attack? I don't think so; not while I'm holding on to him. You're too afraid to hurt him." The rescue party tensed up. "Look at him!" he shook Haruven, who couldn't suppress a whimper of pain. "He's weak and in pain. Would you really risk his health?" It seemed as though Loki was having fun.
"Loki…"
"What?!" Loki roared at Thor. "He's dying, brother! No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you can't save him anymore."
"Don't listen…"
"Shut up!" Loki snapped and pushed Haruven away. The Wizard hit the ground and Loki pointed his staff at him, and a moment later Haruven screamed in pain, trashing on the ground under continuous surges of electricity wrecking his weakened frame.
"Haruven!"
Hulk roared angrily while everyone cried out their friend's name.
"Leave him be!" Loki looked at Thor and smirked. The electricity stopped and Haruven was left convulsing on the ground. Everyone could hear Ven hiccupping and gasping for air. Everyone could see his convulsing muscles. Everyone could feel his pain.
"Why are you doing this?" Thor whispered brokenly and Loki grinned at him.
"To get what I rightfully deserve. Asgard will be mine, brother. I will be King. It should have always been me, not you, and most certainly not this miserable thing you call mate." Loki spat out. His staff was still pointed at Haruven who looked as though he was barely holding onto consciousness.
"Oh, please. You wouldn't be able to rule an aquarium full of dead fish!" Tony drawled and Loki looked at him.
"You're not half the man Thor is," Steve challenged and took a step forward.
"I'm more of a man than my brother will EVER be!" Loki thundered angrily.
"No, you're not…" Everyone looked at Haruven, when the Wizard spoke up weakly.
"Ven…!"
"You're just a pitiful, spoiled child," Haruven interrupted Thor and looked in Loki's eyes. "You're pathetic." Loki's eyes glowed in anger. "You disgust m…"
In that moment Loki flicked his staff and Haruven was flung towards him, and Loki wrapped his hand around Haruven's throat and squeezed. "How dare you speak to me like that, you worm?!" he growled and pulled Haruven closer, smirking as the wizard struggled to breath around Loki's strong hold on the delicate throat. "You pathetic, weak, st…" the words hitched in Loki's throat. He looked down with wide eyes and saw a piece of wood imbedded in his stomach, and his gaze snapped up, meeting Haruven's dark stare.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Haruven pressed out, and Loki stopped breathing. "NOW!"
Loki pushed Haruven away just in time to dodge Wayne's arrow. Clint's arrow grazed Loki's cheek and all of a sudden he was defending himself against Clint's arrows, Natasha, Steve, Wayne, Hulk and Tony, while Thor ran over to Haruven.
"Ven? Ven, look at me." Thor whispered as he cradled Haruven in his strong embrace.
"Thor?" the wizard gasped weakly, unfocused gaze meeting Thor's frantic eyes.
"I will get you out of here. I swear. You will be fine." Thor comforted the both of them as he caressed Haruven's face and ran his fingers through mated raven strands.
"I'm sorry. I should have…"
"No, no, it wasn't your fault. You did great, you did…" In that moment the castle was shaken by an explosion and Thor looked up, covering Haruven's head with his arm protectively.
"You will all pay! The moment my Chitauri descend upon Midgard, all of you will die! YOU WILL ALL DIE!" Loki screamed and vanished in bright light.
But there was no time for rejoicing.
The moment Loki was gone, the gem around Haruven's neck went berserk.
"THOR! HARUVEN!" everyone cried out and Hulk roared.
Thor swallowed a scream as the energy that exploded from the gem threw him back. He landed on all fours and looked up at Haruven. The Wizard was screaming in pain as shock after shock wrecked him body. Thor pushed himself on his feet and ran back to Haruven's side, falling to his knees beside Ven and gathering him into strong arms.
"Never again!" Thor growled, grabbed the gem with his powerful hand and pulled. With almost no resistance the chain snapped and Thor flung the gem to the other side of the hall. In that moment Haruven choked up and arched his back, and a wave of incredible power exploded from him, flinging Thor into the closest wall.
"Thor!" Hulk roared.
"What's going on?!" Natasha screamed. She was holding on to Clint who had his arms around her protectively. Hulk was shielding them all with his strong body.
"The gem was holding his power inside him! It's all coming out now!" Wayne shouted.
"I've never seen anything like that!" Steve shouted.
"He's going to bring down the castle!" Tony yelled over the howling wind.
"Haruven!" Thor roared as he raised himself up. He moved against the wind towards his lover.
Haruven was practically floating some two feet above the ground. He wasn't screaming anymore, but there was blood running down his cheeks like bloody tears. There was blood coming out of his nose and ears, and his muscles were convulsing. His eyes were rolled back and it seemed like he was choking on his own breath.
"Damn it!" Thor growled and pushed against the waves of magic coming off of Haruven. "I have only just found you…" he barely stopped himself from tripping, "I have only just started to bond with you!"
With each step Thor was closer to Haruven. With each step he was closer to saving him.
He couldn't give up.
He couldn't let Haruven down.
Not now.
Not again.
"You will not die, Haruven Sigurdsson!" with everything he had, Thor took that one final step and grabbed Haruven into his strong arms. He hugged Ven to his chest, cupped his face in his strong, warm hand and tilted the wizard's head up. "You will not die..." Thor whispered brokenly and bowed his head. His lips were just a breath away from Haruven's. He entangled his fingers in Haruven's hair and choked back on the tears that wanted to fall. "I cannot lose you."
And then he kissed him.
The air around them burst and the others huddled closer to Hulk who was leaning over them to protect them from the falling rubble. Howling echoed in the air as night descended upon the castle.
One incredible wave of raw, unrefined power shook the fort.
It seemed like the very foundations of the world were shaken.
'I will not lose you!'
cut
Thor swallowed heavily as he looked upon the pale face of his lover; all cleaned up and dressed in white. Gentle hands rested on his stomach and raven strands surrounded the lithe form like a dark halo.
"Thor?" he had to force himself to look away. Bruce placed his hand on Thor's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "Wayne just left. He said he would help us locate Loki with everything he has. We will find him. Sif is already working with Tony and that new girl, Jane, to try and open the communication links from this side."
Thor nodded. "Will my mirror be of any use?" he asked and Bruce nodded.
"It will be." Both of them looked at Haruven again. The silence was tense. "That was some very powerful magic," Bruce muttered. "It flattened everything with the ground in a 30 mile radius." Thor swallowed heavily and nodded. "It's a wonder we survived."
"He protected us," Thor said and Bruce looked at him in confusion. "He protected us as well as that village. Even when he lost control, he still cared about others."
"Thor…"
"We were late," Thor choked out and fisted his hands on the white covers of Haruven's bed. "If I only tried harder, if I listened to my instincts…"
"You couldn't have known!"
"It's my fault!" Thor snapped and stood up. He took a step closer to the bed and covered Haruven's pale hand with his own, warm one. He bowed his head when he felt the coldness of Haruven's skin. Last time he touched Haruven's bare skin Thor could feel his magic, his life flowing just under that pale skin like a powerful, raging current.
Now he could feel nothing.
Nothing.
"Thor…" Bruce took a step closer. "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself. We've gotten careless. We've gotten lulled by the peaceful times we lived in. This won't happen again. Not one of us will allow it to happen again."
"We have learned this lesson," Thor whispered brokenly, "but at what price?" he turned to look at Bruce who bowed his head.
It's been two days; two days since they went in to save Haruven.
Fury's men had arrived in time to see Hulk dig everyone out from under the rubble of the castle. When Thor managed to push his way out as well, their hearts stopped beating.
The moment they saw Haruven's beaten, bloody form lax in Thor's strong arms was the moment their world stopped spinning for them.
Everyone was quiet. Bruce didn't even know that there were people in S.H.I.E.L.D. who had worked with Haruven when he was still an Unspeakable.
The room was decorated with various bouquets. Most were taken into another room as not to crowd this one. The air was heavy without the scent of flowers adding up to it.
Bruce looked at Thor when the man sighed and took a seat on the bed, reaching up to gently caress Haruven's pale, cold, indrawn cheek with the back of his fingers. "I have failed him," he whispered brokenly.
"You didn't fail him, Thor," Bruce insisted and Thor snorted at his words. "You did your best to save him. If this is anyone's fault its Loki's, and trust me when I tell you, he will pay." Bruce's eyes glowed green for a second. "Come. You must eat something." Bruce patted Thor's hunched shoulder.
Thor looked at Haruven's face again before he sighed and stood up. He hesitated for a second before he leaned down and placed a single, feather-light kiss on Haruven's pale lips.
He turned around and nodded at Bruce, who waited for Thor in the doorway. Thor took a deep breath and followed Bruce out of the room.
"Thor?" he stopped just as he turned into the hallway and his breath hitched in his throat. Quicker than he thought was possible Thor returned into the room and grabbed onto the wall to stop himself from falling.
His breath was kicked out of his lungs when his eyes met drowsy, shadowed emeralds.
"Ven?" he whispered and slowly took a step closer to the bed. A small, weak smile played on Haruven's lips and Thor let go of the breath he was holding.
"Hey…" Haruven whispered. "Sorry for keeping you w…"
"Haruven!" with a joyous cry, Thor launched forward and wrapped his lover into his arms. He kissed Ven for all it was worth, with every piece of angst and worry and pain he felt for the past two days. They didn't hear rushed footsteps or the relieved sigh Bruce let go of when he entered the room. They didn't hear Bruce run down the hallway screaming at the top of his lungs that Haruven was awake; that their friend was with them again.
Once they parted Thor looked down at Haruven, shivering when the slightly smaller man licked his lips with a content sigh.
"I thought that I had lost you," Thor whispered brokenly, not caring about the tears that were trailing down his cheeks. "I thought I hadn't reached you in time. I thought I had f…""
"Hush…" Haruven whispered lovingly and hugged Thor with all the strength he could muster at the moment. "I know. I heard everything. I was too weak to wake up. I'm still too weak. I never felt this empty in my life."
"You'll be fine…" Thor blurted out and kissed Haruven's forehead. "You'll build up your strength with time. You'll be fine." He hugged Haruven close.
The Wizard smiled lightly and rested his head on Thor's strong shoulder. His smile widened when the rest of the Avengers piled up in the doorway. Even Pepper was there. They all looked excited and relieved. *Thank you.* Haruven mouthed to them and they nodded at him. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Thor's shoulder. This was far from over, but for now, just for this little moment in time, he chose not to worry. For now, he would simply rest in the arms of his lover, his protector, his prince, and pretend that he had nothing to worry about.
Just for this little moment in time.
cut
Admit it; you thought that I had killed him for at LEAST a second there.
Do you think so LITTLE of me?