I hope everyone had a happy Christmas day! My sissy got me a Thor cup and made me a magnet with Thor and Loki hanging by a thread. T'is so adorable. Have a happy new year, everyone!
The moment Natasha felt Loki's fingers wrap around her neck, she knew she could not hesitate. She fell onto her back and curled her legs up, kicking Loki hard in the chest as he fell upon her. He flipped over, crashing onto his back opposite of her, but she barely had time to pull herself up onto her knees before he was already on his feet, ready to strike.
This isn't real, Natasha thought as she groped behind her for anything to use to protect herself. Loki's eyes were so blue that they nearly burned. This isn't him, this isn't real, this is—
He darted toward her again and she reacted immediately. She hooked her ankle around the leg of the wooden lamp table beside the couch and swung it in front of her, hurling it toward Loki before he could reach her. He tumbled over it before it could crash into him.
Recalibration recalibration recalibration recalibra—
He struck her; she slammed against the wall, her head spinning so hard she could barely breathe. She had barely enough time to process before his fist came flying at her again. She spun out of the way; his fist sank deep into the plaster, reopening old wounds.
This was not Loki's fighting style in the slightest. Whatever had gone wrong with him took more than just his mind—his body was a puppet.
"JARVIS, call help!" she said, diving behind a coffee table just in time before she could be thrown out the window.
"Right away, Ms. Romanoff."
How could JARVIS sound so calm at a time like this?
She crawled out of her refuge, using a magazine rack to catch Loki's foot before it could stomp down on her. His ankles caught in the metal grating, she twisted the rack hard, making him lose his balance and fall onto his side.
Before Natasha could gather her offense, Loki's body jerked, curling inward as if shrinking away from her. His hands flew to his eyes, covering them from view, his mouth twisted in a pained snarl.
She hesitated, her breath heavy and arms poised to attack.
He kicked violently as if someone abused his reflexes—as if a phantom was wrestling him. His teeth were clenched, both hands over his eyes as if he wanted to tear them out.
"Loki?" she said breathlessly.
If he still had a voice, he would be screaming. His body twisted , his nails digging into his forehead. He was writhing.
He's fighting, thought Natasha. He's fighting it off, he's fighting and he—
In a split second, Loki went from thrashing in pain to a cold, murderous warrior. Suddenly, he was on his feet again, his face unmarred with agony as he sprung at Natasha, shoving her back until she tumbled backward over a chair. She hastily reposed, grabbing hold of the edge of the chair before she fell from it and using it to push back Loki.
"Loki, you have to fight it!" said Natasha. "Whatever it is, it's not you. You have to fight it!"
His eyes were positively glowing.
She clenched her teeth, mentally apologizing to Loki as she swung her leg around and slammed her foot against the side of his head. He stumbled back, bleeding from the temple. There was not a single sign of pain on his face.
His horrifyingly apathetic face was what scared her the most. It was as if he wasn't even alive.
She jumped over an armchair before he could attack her, falling roughly against her back behind it. It nearly knocked the breath out of her, but she mustered her strength to kick against the back of the chair and send it flying toward Loki, colliding with him.
He fell back against the coffee table, sprawled on the marble. She searched wildly for something—anything to subdue the powerful god. A vase against the head? A taser, even? Before she could consider, she realized with alarm as the blue in Loki's eyes unexpectedly flickered. That very moment, his eyes widened and his hand flew to his face to cover them again. His body revolted as his bones fought against the outside force as if his limbs were chained back.
"Loki, you're almost there," Natasha said, trying to catch her breath. "Loki, you can hear me, can't you? You're almost there. Fight it off—you can do it. You can do it. You're stronger, you're better—No!"
Before she could finish, Loki raged forward, his face completely erased of its previous battle. She grabbed the tall lamp from the corner of the room and swung it dangerously. He ducked easily, stealing a moment to swipe the letter opener from the bookshelf and hurl it at her. It caught her side and she swallowed down a gasp of pain.
Damn you to hell for leaving letter openers lying around, Stark.
She looked up to Loki and she nearly screamed.
A cruel, unprecedented, insane grin—Loki was now smiling.
Her heart beating wildly, she swung the lamp around, catching his shoulder. He did not shy away from the blow, and his body distorted itself despite it with such power as if she never dealt him a single blow.
"Loki, stop!" Natasha said. His fist came flying toward her and she barely had time to parry his wrist, twisting his arm until he bent just enough for her to use a kick to slam him against the ground. He was on his feet as soon as he fell, despite the blood and bruises.
"It's the Mind Gem that's doing this to you," Natasha said. More to herself than to Loki (this isn't real, this isn't real). "Loki, wake up. Wake up!"
She saw no green in his eyes and she wondered if she would ever see them again.
(And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull.)
Before she could yell, the door flew open with a deafening crash. Clint was at the doorway—his eyes fell upon the scene and they widened with anger and horror. She saw the bow in his hand. She saw his fingers curling around the arrow.
"No!" she said. "Don't shoot him!"
The grin on Loki's face slid off, leaving that dauntingly blank slate once again. He turned to face Clint, his cerulean eyes flashing. Clint strung the arrow immediately, aiming it straight at Loki's chest.
Natasha snatched the heavy vase from a table and held it aloft, ready to strike the back of Loki's head with it. Just as she brought her hand down, Loki's hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop the vase to her feet. He twisted her arm until she gasped, her bones searing.
Twang. An arrow pierced Loki in the shoulder. He let go of her and she backed away immediately, raising her eyes desperately at Clint. Clint's face was contorted with fury, another arrow already properly strung and pointed at Loki.
Loki advanced toward Clint. Clint released another arrow, but this time, Loki swiped his arm and knocked it off its course before it could come in contact with him.
"Don't hurt him, Clint!" said Natasha.
"Easier said than done," said Clint just before Loki's fist collided against his chin. Clint stumbled back before running forward and tackling Loki to the ground. The two tumbled onto the floor, trying to wrestle their way to the advantage.
"Clint, let him up—let him raise his head," Natasha yelled, grabbing hold of the neck of the vase again.
"Are—you—kidding me?" Clint said.
"Trust me on this!" said Natasha.
"Oh, goddammit." Clint took in a deep gasp as if he was about to submerge in cold water before letting himself fall onto his back, letting Loki have the upper hand on top of him. The moment Loki was on all fours above Clint, his fist raised, Natasha slammed the vase against the top of Loki's head. The vase shattered on impact and Loki fell immediately. Clint threw Loki off of him, rolling out of the way.
That very moment, Thor and Steve came bounding into the room as Loki cowered in pain on the carpet, shards of the vase still caught in his hair. Thor's eyes landed on Loki and without asking a single question he raced to Loki's side.
"Thor, be careful—" said Natasha.
"What have you done to him?" Thor said, his mouth curled into a snarl.
"What has she done to him?" said Clint, pushing himself off the ground. "Don't you mean what has he done to her?"
"What happened?" Steve said, his eyes wide. "JARVIS said something about a fight—what happened?"
"You, grandpa, are the slowest asshole in the goddamn world," said Clint. "Couldn't you have gotten here a little earlier?"
Thor ignored everyone. His hands curled around the arrow still jutting out of Loki's shoulder, more than half of it snapped off from the tussle. Pinching the splintered ends, he yanked it out in a fluid motion. Loki jerked in pain and he pounded his fist against the ground.
"Loki, are you all right?" said Thor, pulling Loki into a sitting position and brushing the pieces of porcelain from his head. "Loki, what happened?"
Loki was breathing heavily, blood dripping from his face. When he raised his eyes to Thor, Natasha couldn't help but release a sigh of relief; his eyes were blessedly green and pure. He jumped at the sight of Thor, backing away slightly, his hand pressed against the side of his head.
"We better get Bruce to check that out," said Steve. "He'll bleed out if we don't."
"Whoa, whoa, wait up a second here," said Clint. "Aren't we going to ask the really obvious question of why the hell Loki was attacking Natasha in the first place?"
"He attacked you?" Thor said, turning sharply to Natasha.
"He wasn't himself," said Natasha, her mind whirring with realization. She crouched in front of Loki, putting her hands on his shoulders. He winced. "His eyes were blue. Blue like the Mind Gem."
"Blue eyes?" said Steve. "Like—like Clint, when he was under mind control?"
Clint stopped short, his eyes hardening at the thought.
"Something like that," said Natasha. "Loki—Loki, something entered your head. Something that made you fight us, and when you had control over yourself, you tried to fight it."
Loki brushed his finger across his eyes. A look of dread passed across his face.
"Was it Thanos?" said Natasha. "Loki—was it Thanos that was in you?"
"How do you know?" said Clint.
"It was as if Loki was completely gone from his own body," said Natasha. "As if someone was in him, fighting with him, seeing…seeing for him."
She looked deep into Loki's eyes. They were brilliantly green and she could see the distress, the confusion and panic so easily in them.
"JARVIS, bring Bruce here," said Steve. "He's bleeding all over the place. You two did a number on him."
Clint grunted. Natasha pressed her lips together and pressed her hand against Loki's wound. Loki suppressed a wince.
"Every time you came to," she said, "you tried covering your eyes. As if you wanted to stop seeing. Why?"
Loki turned his head away from her. She grabbed his chin and turned him to face her.
"Loki, this is important," she said. "Is Thanos seeing through you? Is he using your mind so you could see and think for him?"
Whatever color Loki had regained in the past several days had drained away immediately, his eyes never leaving Natasha. Finally, he gave a stiff nod.
Natasha backed away, numbed. Steve bent down, using a pillowcase to stem the bleeding on Loki's head. His lips were pursed with anxiousness.
"I always see you bleeding now," he said to Loki.
Thor's eyes darted nervously from Natasha to Steve.
"Agent Romanoff," he said. "Are you suggesting that Thanos possessed Loki to spy on you and the others?"
"Yes," said Natasha. She rubbed her wrist; they were bruised from Loki's sudden grip on her when she tried to hit him across the head. "Thanos was trying to use Loki to get information on us."
Loki turned his head sharply. Steve steadied him, placing more pressure on the wound.
"Don't, Loki," said Steve.
Loki's hands gripped into quivering fists.
"Loki kept trying to stop himself from fighting or seeing me," she said. "Thanos was trying to get Loki to attack us so he could see how we fought. And he learned how to counteract us—quickly."
Clint stiffened, his hands still gripping his bow protectively.
"He did that with the aid of the Mind Gem?" said Thor. "But how? And why now?"
"I don't know that," said Natasha. "Loki, do you?"
Loki sat up straighter, flinching when his wounds twang.
"Well, shit," said Clint. "If Thanos can tap into Loki's mind like some Harry Potter plot twist, what the hell are we going to do? We can't let him near anything related to SHIELD or us, or anyone."
"You will not lock him away," Thor said immediately. At the suggestion, Loki swallowed hard.
Before Clint could argue, Bruce came running into the room, still clad in his sleeping clothes. He nearly tripped over the fallen magazine rack and when he saw the state that Loki was in, he groaned.
"What the hell happened this time?" said Bruce.
"Loki got hurt," said Steve.
"Really? Because when JARVIS called me down here urgently, I thought I was getting invited to a tea party." Bruce kneeled at Loki's side. Steve squeezed himself out of the way, stretching out his arm so he could still keep a hold of the cloth against Loki's bleeding head from the other side of the couch. Bruce checked the shoulder and the cuts, his eyebrows furrowed with concentration.
"These wounds are strained," he said.
"His body kept fighting even when he got hurt," said Natasha. "They would have hurt them even more."
"Which brings me to my original question," said Bruce. "What the hell happened?"
"Loki got possessed by the Mind Gem—or Thanos," said Thor, watching Loki's face carefully. "It prompted Loki to attack."
Bruce drew the reddened cloth away from Loki's head and grimaced at the sight. Loki pushed Bruce's hand away, a scowl on his face.
"This is no time to be arrogant," said Bruce.
Loki's glare only sharpened. His eyes fell to Natasha's side and he clenched his teeth. She glanced down, only to see a splotch of her own blood on the side of her T-shirt. She clapped a hand quickly over it, mentally cursing Tony and his letter openers all over again.
"What's wrong?" said Bruce, noticing Loki's glowering. Loki reached out and tugged Natasha's hand away from her wound. Clint made a sound of indignation at the sight of Natasha's bloody side.
"It's nothing," said Natasha, slapping Loki's hand away. Loki's bottom jaw twitched. "I just got clipped on the side."
"I'm going to need a bigger first aid kit," said Bruce. "Everyone raise your hand if you're injured." No one's hands moved. "You are all awful liars."
"We should tell SHIELD about this," said Clint.
"We're not telling SHIELD shit," said Tony.
"Loki's like a security camera that Thanos can infiltrate," said Clint. "I don't really know why Thanos would want to know our fighting skills and how to get around us, but that's probably not a good thing."
"What would Thanos want to do with information about us, anyway?" said Steve.
Bruce consented to treating Loki's wounds, much to Loki's displeasure. He had tried to approach Natasha first, but Natasha gave him such a death stare that probably made the Hulk cower inside.
"He probably wants to fight Earth," said Bruce. "And he knows how you guys fought off the Chitauri last time; he'd probably make sure you wouldn't be a threat."
"But if he got a hold of that Infinity Gauntlet thing, wouldn't he already have the power to destroy us without any effort?" said Steve.
"He probably doesn't have it yet," said Tony. "He's biding his time. Wants to wipe out Earth while he's waiting for it to satisfy his woman."
"And he needs the Mind Gem, still," Natasha said, her face drawn. "He must have known enough that we were keeping him around to send the Chitauri here. He knows to get to him, he has to get through us."
Clint ran a hand down his face, stress drawing lines down his face. Natasha shot a nervous glance at him.
Loki suddenly grabbed Thor's sleeve, his nails digging into Thor's wrist. Thor put a hand on Loki's bleeding shoulder.
"What is it, Loki?" said Thor. "What do you want to tell me?"
Loki clenched his teeth in anxiety, his eyes darting around him at everyone else.
"He wants to speak to me in privately," said Thor.
"Let me treat his wounds first," said Bruce.
Loki shook his head pushing Bruce away with one hand. Bruce pulled back, irate and confused, but he reluctantly gathered his supplies into his first aid kit.
"After you're done, I'm working on you immediately," said Bruce, rising to his feet.
"Whoa, whoa, wait, you're actually consenting?" said Tony. "What kind of doctor are you?"
"An unlicensed one," said Bruce. "Make it quick, all right?"
"Wait," said Natasha, though she had nothing more to say. She felt this gnawing desire to stay behind, to find out what Loki had to say to Thor and to Thor only. She got stabbed by a puny letter opener of all things—she deserved to know the truth.
"Nat, just leave them alone," said Clint.
Natasha turned sharply to Clint, but she took in the bruises brushed on his face and she sank in silence. She glanced back at Loki and Thor, reluctance drawing her back. Loki did not take his eyes off of her—they were hardened like marbles.
"Okay," she said.
No, it wasn't okay. Loki just got possessed to attack her much like what happened to Clint years ago (why was it always her?) and now he must have had some profound epiphany that only Thor was allowed to know. But she like everyone else filed out of the room, shell-shocked at what it was that actually occurred.
"Dammit," said Clint the moment the door closed. "Dammit, I was afraid this was going to happen. I knew something like this was going to happen."
"Which part?" said Tony, cocking an eyebrow.
"We're dealing with the ex-war criminal that bit off more than he could chew, and now that Thanos guy is more and more dangerous," said Clint. "Thanos plus ex-war criminal? No. Not a combination I want. There has to be another way."
"Another way than our way? What is our way, even?" said Natasha.
"Keeping him around and not having any safety precautions," said Clint. "Because of him, Thanos knows our advantages, Nat. If we ever have to fight against him or his forces, we're screwed. We can change up our style all we want, but Thanos wasn't looking for a pattern—he found a state of being."
Natasha felt a lump form in her throat. "Then it's too late in our case, isn't it?"
"What if he passes information to Thanos about Thor? Or Bruce, or Steve, or Stark? What if when he was at SHIELD, Thanos got front row seats to the agency that tries to protect the entire planet?"
"Loki had almost the same advantage when he was attacking New York City that one time," said Steve. "He got you and everyone else whose minds he took over to talk about everything you guys knew, didn't he? He knew a lot already. He knew about the Avengers, he knew about Bruce and the other guy, he knew about SHIELD, all that. But we still were able to beat him."
"One can argue Loki knew more than Thanos does," Natasha said, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Doesn't mean the threat still exists," said Clint. "He's a danger here, though. To everything and everyone."
"We're not handing him over to anyone," said Tony.
"I know we're not doing that," Clint said, glowering. "No matter where he is, Thanos can get to him. Unless we find something that actually caps the Mind Gem without killing everyone."
Tony's face hardened. "Yeah, well, you're very free to design a successful prototype by yourself and I'll fashion you a nice gold star as an award."
"Guys, let's not start," said Bruce.
"We cap the Mind Gem, it has no power to do anything," said Clint. "If we just figure out why that his magic just explodes out of nowhere like that—"
"Maybe it's like Stockholm Syndrome," said Tony.
"What's that?" said Steve.
"When a prisoner becomes emotionally attached to their captor," said Natasha. "Stark, what do you mean by that?"
"The Mind Gem has been quashing Loki's magic for who knows how long," said Tony. "Maybe—maybe the moment its influence was gone, Loki's magic just got so attached—maybe literally, maybe figuratively—to the Mind Gem that it just went wild."
"I thought you didn't believe in that kind of stuff," said Clint.
"I'm trying to adapt," said Tony. "He needs something to channel that magic safely—to keep it from bursting out intermittently from everywhere. If that's the case, then I would think the Mind Gem can be capped."
"So, a staff," said Clint.
They all turned bewilderedly at Clint.
"Where'd you get that idea?" said Steve.
Clint shrugged, averting his gaze. "When I was under Loki's—leadership, I sort of…well, he talked to me and I talked back. I asked him once why he had a staff. He told me it was to direct and concentrate his magic…makes it easier to focus it. So if Loki had a staff, his magic would have somewhere to flow, and not explode like it did before."
"Oh, thank goodness he only needs a magical staff. I was wondering when I could use the stack of those I bought for wholesale a month ago," said Tony.
"There's the one in SHIELD that he used years ago," said Steve.
"You're suggesting giving him the staff that could take over people's minds?" said Natasha.
"Hearts, not minds," said Clint.
"What's the difference?" said Natasha.
"A hell lot," said Clint.
"Why, do you not trust him with his little glowstick of destiny?" said Tony.
"That's not what I meant," said Natasha. "It's a no-go, anyway. SHIELD has put it under the tightest security. Only certain people are allowed to come in the same room as it. And they're not going to go soft on us just because we ask nicely."
"Do they think people will steal it and take over other people's will with it or something?" said Steve.
"It's a pretty logical fear," said Clint. "Only Agent Hill, Doctor Selvig, Fury, and Agent Vulk are allowed in the room."
"Who is Agent Vulk?" said Bruce.
"She's head of security," said Natasha.
"All right, so we can explain the situation to Fury," said Steve. "He'll give the staff to us."
"Oh, you naïve, innocent and ignorant soul," said Tony. "You really think SHIELD will hand Loki back the staff, no matter what his intentions are? The world council already demanded Loki be executed; if they catch a whiff of this, whether SHIELD consented to it or not, they'll go batshit insane on our asses."
"Well, it's pretty reasonable, considering we are the reason a couple of our colleagues are dead," said Clint.
Tony opened his mouth but closed it, having nothing more to say.
Natasha turned sharply to Tony. "What do you mean, executed?"
"Oh. Right. I didn't mention that, did I?" said Tony, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't worry. Fury already put his foot down, apparently. At least, that was before the whole exploding magic incident."
"He's already been brought to justice," said Natasha. "Why would they execute him? Without even a trial or anything?"
"If you haven't notice, Nat," said Clint, "not everyone's exactly a Samaritan."
"Fury doesn't agree with the council, so why wouldn't he let us have the staff?" said Steve.
"Fury's probably the only guy in SHIELD that doesn't want to kill Loki's guts," said Tony. "He might agree, but if anyone else in SHIELD finds out, you can bet they'll turn us in. And Loki's ass won't be the only one on the line."
"It was an accident," said Steve. "Loki didn't mean for that one day to happen."
"Yeah, well," said Bruce with a grunt, "I'm not entirely sure that makes a difference."
"So," said Clint. "We get to choose between getting blown up by Thanos or getting blown up by the council and SHIELD. Great."
"We're getting that staff," Natasha said resolutely. She stared challengingly at the others. "If Thanos wants to blow up the world, he's not going to do it through us."
"I'm in," said Tony.
"Are we going to talk about how we're going to get around doing it first?" said Steve.
"I don't know if you've caught on yet, Cap, but our plan of action is typically squeezing our eyes shut and counting down," said Bruce. He gave a short nod. "I'm in. It'll be essentially us against the world, but it's got to be better that than the potential destroyer of the universe, right?"
"I really ought to get used to these impromptu plans," Steve said with a rather wry smile.
Natasha forced herself not to turn to face Clint. As much as she desperately wanted Clint to agree, to take arms with them, she knew she couldn't force him. He had as much of a choice to say no as he did to say yes, and she knew too well if she turned to look at him expectantly then that choice would be squelched.
"Do we have any idea what we're getting ourselves into?" Clint said.
"You put it pretty brilliantly yourself," said Tony. "We die or we die."
Clint closed his eyes before giving an exasperated sigh. "Let's get that goddamn scepter."
Natasha was suddenly overtaken by the desire to wrap Clint in a bone-crushing hug. She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it supportively. Clint returned the grip, his face clearly saying, Don't make me regret this.
"In the meantime," said Bruce, raising his eyebrow at Natasha and Clint. "You two no longer have an excuse to avoid me checking your wounds. You aren't leaving until I treat them, and then we can go on this potential suicide mission."
Clint and Natasha exchanged glances, swallowed their pride, and let Bruce tend to them in the hallway.
Thor carefully mopped the blood from Loki's forehead with a large wad of tissues, trying not to wince when he saw how quickly the blood seeped through the paper. Natasha no doubt dealt an effective blow on Loki, but who was to say that the influence of Thanos would not return in the near future? If they had to bash Loki on the head every time, they'd no doubt destroy his brain cells.
Loki was trying to edge away from Thor's tender hand, gripping at Thor's sleeve anxiously. He kept licking his lips, but his tongue was forcefully silent. His breathing quickened as his panic began to settle like oil and water; he held Thor's wrists possessively, trying to transfuse his thoughts into Thor through his skin.
"Loki, we must tend to your wounds first," said Thor.
Loki rolled his eyes and pressed his hand against the wound, closing his eyes. Before Thor could protest, the deep cut slowly knitted itself closed, the blood receding into his skin and fading away. As the wound healed itself, Loki's skin grew paler, his breathing heavier. Thor hastily pulled Loki's hand away, but not before the wound disappeared.
"Loki…" Thor said. How was he supposed to feel? If Loki didn't heal himself, he'd be hurt. If Loki healed himself with his magic, he'd still be hurt. There was absolutely no balance or middle ground, and Thor could only exist in a perpetual state of paranoia.
Loki raised his eyebrow challengingly at Thor before sobering immediately. He sat up straighter against the couch, pulling open his shirt to reveal his chest.
"Are you hurt?" said Thor.
Loki did not indicate an answer. He pressed his fingertips against his chest, his jaw set in concentration. As his nails dug into his chest, glowing blue lines carved themselves down his skin, macabre stitches of electric blue forming an X where the Chitauri had sliced him open. Thor realized that despite knowing of it for a long time, this was the first time Loki had ever revealed it to him willingly.
"Why are you doing this?" said Thor. He wished he could look away; to see even further what the Chitauri and Thanos had done to his brother made him nauseous with vehemence.
Loki took Thor's hand and brought it to his chest. Thor stopped him immediately.
"Are you mad?" said Thor. "Do not think that I do not know what happened to you when Banner touched your scar."
Loki punched Thor in the wrist before pulling at his hand more forcefully. Thor curled his hand into fists to keep his fingers from straying close to Loki's skin.
"Loki, I do not want to hurt you," he said. "What is it you're trying to show me?"
Loki clenched his teeth, looking as if he had every intention to rip his tongue out from frustration. He opened his mouth, trying to force a single sound from his throat, but he could only sputter frantically and silently. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself, before locking eyes with Thor. Thor noticed how Loki's eyes shone painfully.
Trust me, said Loki's hands as they took Thor's again, much more gently. Don't you trust me?
Thor held his breath. Why would Loki ask Thor to hurt him? He looked into Loki's eyes for any silent explanation, down to Loki's glowing chest, and he sighed, letting Loki guide his hands.
The moment Thor's fingers met Loki's chest, he was taken away. His body was sucked into a vacuum into nothingness and everywhere, everything, was heard. Voices, disembodied, as if every being was concentrated into pure sound. They were so clear and crisp it was like shards of glass slowly sliding into his skin.
Midgard will fall so soon and so easily and he will not escape—
—nothing will stand in your way Master not foolhardy Chitauri not Earth's savage heroes not even the All-Father himself and you will stand before all their corpses—
Thor could hear everything—the thoughts of voices so gravelly he wanted to scream just at the sound of them. He could recognize Thanos' voice immediately, but the others—the others, he did know. How could Thor hear them all, if he was here on Midgard with the others?
Asgard will fall, Jotunheim will fall, Alfheim will fall, all will fall—
And Death will be pleased, be jubilant, be mine—
Suddenly, Thor understood that he had a body—he had nearly forgotten how it felt to be solid. But despite this refound epiphany, Thor knew that this was not his body—not the one he was born in or the one he could master. This body was weak, was battered and tired, aching at every muscle and bone as if it had lived many millennia battered with a club.
This body was crouching on its knees against gritted glass—no, coarse earth. It was holding its breath, but why did it feel like it was crying?
A large, rough hand was running its hand down Thor's face, his hair, his neck and collar bone, down, down, down, and Thor inexplicably wanted to scream—
Something jerked his spirit away, as if a hook latched onto his nape and pulled him out. He stumbled back, fully in his own body and conscience, nearly crashing into the coffee table. His head spun and he heaved for air, his stomach churning unpleasantly. Loki too pulled back, gasping for air, his eyes squeezed shut.
"What—?" Thor coughed, thumping his chest. "What in the Nine Realms was that?"
Loki pressed a hand against his mouth, his face looking a pale tint of green. Thor sat up straight immediately, the throbbing in his head not ceasing.
"What is it, Loki?" said Thor.
Loki shook his head and slowly pulled himself onto his knees, crawling toward the wide windows that lined the living room. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, forcing himself to breath steadily in and out. One hand clutched his stomach as if he was about to be ill.
"Loki?" said Thor. He placed a comforting hand on Loki's back. Loki immediately spun around and knocked Thor's hand away, his eyes wide. When they landed on Thor, he recoiled slightly, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his fear barely subsided. Dread pervaded Thor's thoughts as dawning realization rose in his mind.
"Were those your memories I nearly saw, Loki?" Thor said.
Loki did not acknowledge the question. He closed his eyes and swallowed.
"I shared your mind, for a moment," said Thor. "I heard what you would hear should the Mind Gem take its toll on you. You heard—you heard Thanos as well, did you not? He spoke of…he spoke of Midgard and all the other Nine Realms falling. He spoke of Death."
Loki stared intently at a pile of fallen books instead of at Thor.
"And—other voices saying something similar," said Thor. "We tapped into their minds, did we not? They were thinking of warring against Midgard, and soon everyone else."
It hit Thor all of a sudden. He had read into Thanos' mind. His mind!
"You can tap into Thanos' thoughts. What he thinks and what he wants," said Thor.
Loki nodded fervently.
"And we can understand what it is he plans to do next," said Thor, his voice raising. "You're using his cruelty against him."
Loki gave Thor a crooked smile that was nowhere near reaching his eyes. He took Thor's hand, pulling it toward his chest again. Thor could feel Loki's hand shaking.
"Are you sure about this?" said Thor. "Are you all right?"
Loki waved his other hand to dismiss the question before pressing Thor's hand against his chest. What Loki could not tell the others of what he saw, Thor could experience first-hand.
The sensation of being unmade. The sounds that solidified into shadows. The voices that snarled and spat.
The Infinity Gauntlet is not a challenge, and yet—
The Chitauri are failures, they are not the answer—
If they cannot succeed subtly in Asgard will Midgard be any better will it b
Death will have her war, will have her feast—
Where is my monster my monstermymons ter my MONSTER?
We are two steps closer my master two steps two closer steps is that not
The All-Father prepares for you my lord he seeks vengeance against you is that not wha
The voices distorted, and Thor saw bloodstained rocks. He saw shattered bones, and an uprooted head. He felt pain, but he could understand why.
He could feel Loki trying to pull him away, but Thor inexplicably could not let himself leave his brother's memories—his mind.
He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked down. Blood and brown smeared his skin.
His stomach churned.
He flew back, falling onto his back. Loki crashed against the glass, hands pressed against the side of his head, his teeth bared, eyes squeezed shut.
Thor felt sick; realizing the gravity of Loki's memories. He pushed himself from the ground and swiftly pulled Loki into his arms. Loki squirmed, pressing his hands against his ears as he sucked in breath through clenched teeth. He thrashed in Thor's embrace, fear overpowering his perception of reality for a moment before he fell resignedly into Thor, arms wrapping around his shoulder.
"It's okay, Loki," said Thor. "It's all right. You're safe here. You are safe."
But Thor could not help but feel his insides wring at the revelation he had just heard inside Loki's head. Thanos was not dormant, and if Odin was truly seeking to take arms against him, then war would be nearly inevitable.
Loki pulled away from Thor, holding up his fingers uneasily. Thor saw that they were tipped with blood. He jumped, thinking that Loki had hurt himself, only to remember that Loki had been holding onto his shoulder earlier. He stared incredulously at Loki's hand before reaching behind him and fingering his shoulder himself. It stung on contact, and his fingers became wet with his own blood.
"What is this?" said Thor. He tried to turn his head to see his wound. Had he knocked it against the corner of the coffee table when he jumped back?
Loki's face was endlessly troubled. He pulled down the collar of his shirt until he revealed the arrow wound on the back of his shoulder that Clint had given him. It had slowed its bleeding, but the wound was still gaping and dark.
"Does it hurt?" said Thor.
Loki forced Thor to turn around and tugged at the collar of his nightshirt until his bleeding shoulder peeped out. With difficulty, Thor turned his head to see what Loki saw. From the reflection against the dark window, he could see a familiar gaping hole lined with blood on his back.
"It looks exactly like yours," Thor said.
Loki drew away, his face white. Thor pulled back on his shirt, his thoughts spinning.
"I shared your mind," Thor said faintly. "I shared it enough to know what you heard. To—to remember what you remembered."
Loki looked ill.
"But it did more than that, didn't it?" said Thor. "The longer I was linked to the Mind Gem with you, the more I was linked to you. I shared—I shared your body, for a moment, didn't I? I shared your life."
Thor remembered how the blue tendrils of the Mind Gem's power curled around his hand when Loki overexerted his magic that day in the streets of New York City—how worn and faded he felt for a moment afterward. His eyes lit up and he reached out to Loki again; Loki backed away immediately.
"You could take some of my strength to heal, then," said Thor. "Share myself with me, Loki. The Mind Gem cannot take you completely if I am here as well. Your wound is not so strong that it will weaken me, but I am well enough to overcome it for you."
Loki shook his head, a look of absolute and frustrated incredulity.
"Don't pretend you wouldn't do the same for me," said Thor. "Considering you nearly drained your life out for me in the first place."
This is different, Loki's eyes said.
"This is madness," said Thor. "If two people delve into the power of the Mind Gem, they can read the same thoughts. Soon, they understand the same memories, relive the same details, become the same power of life. They become one within two. For everything is practically dependent on the brain, so if two people essentially share one…"
Thor rose to his feet, pacing back and forth, his mind racing. He had nearly melted his life into Loki's; whether it was a good thing or not was purely debatable. He had almost become one with Loki, meaning he bore the wounds that Loki bore, and Loki surely must have taken the health that Thor possessed. They had broken into Thanos' mind, broke into his thoughts, his plans, his—
"Then Thanos plans to wage war in the near future," said Thor. "He said he is two steps closer to possessing the power of the Gauntlet, yet he is absent of both the Mind Gem and everything else, and yet—"
Thor caught sight of the meaningful look on Loki's face and he jumped.
"He moved on while we lingered here on Earth," Thor said quietly. "He must have found a way to possess other Gems, or infiltrated Asgard to plan invading it himself. It must be the Chitauri, else—"
But Thor stopped short, his eyebrows furrowing. "But Thanos…he said that the Chitauri had failed him. That they were useless. I had assumed they meant on Midgard, when we fought them off, but he claimed that there were warriors in Asgard as well, and that they did the same in Midgard…surely they did not attempt to bring a mere platoon into Asgard and expect to succeed. Thanos is cleverer than that."
Loki rose to his feet hastily, standing in front of Thor. He spun his finger as if to make Thor repeat his last thought.
"Er—surely Thanos did not attempt to bring a mere platoon into Asgard and expect to succeed, as he tried on Midgard?" said Thor.
Think, Loki's eyes said. Remember.
Thor felt frustration turn against himself as he tried to understand. He was never as sharp as Loki, nor nearly as wise. How was he supposed to figure out what Loki was thinking when he had evidently failed for most of their time growing up together?
"Thanos said," he said slowly, "that the Chitauri were failures…they were not the answers. Right? And that they failed to be subtle on Asgard, and he wondered if they would fail on Midgard as well…"
Thor's eyes widened. Of course. They had failed to be subtly successful on Asgard. First on Asgard. Whatever Thanos had in store, whatever he had planned to use with the Chitauri, had yet to reveal itself fully on Midgard.
And if Thanos was two steps closer to taking the Gauntlet, which was on Asgard—
"Oh, brother," said Thor. "We are in quite a lot of trouble, aren't we?"