NOTE: The words in Italics that are not contained in "" [and that stand alone, not in a sentence] are the characters thoughts and not intended for others to overhear. [ although it does sometimes happen.]
The words in "Italics" are a conversation intended to be heard between the 'mind link'.
This is an M ( mature)
WARNING: some language/ violence.
Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own these characters. All rights belong to Marvel etc.
Chpt 2
(In need of a heater)
Tony groaned.
I'm dead.
I'm cold and I'm dead.
I'm REALLY cold.
Fuck this, I'm not dead.
Tony opened his eyes and immediately shut them again as the dim light was too much for him. He slowly started opening them up again, his eyelids sticking together with a crust of ice. Tony had heard of this happening in space, at least he thought it did.
Wait, there's no flat surfaces in space. So what am I laying on?
He sat up suddenly, feeling more of his body creak in protest. Tony grimaced as his joints gave off waves of pain and leaned his head down on one of his knees.
This was worse than any hangover he had ever experienced, including the time he bought a bar and hosted a sleep over in it. He was struck with the realization that his body was no longer safely tucked into his armor. He looked around, panic welling up in his throat. His suit was compacted into its suitcase form just a few feet away. He let out a relieved sigh that turned into a fit of coughing. A soft, groaning sigh came from somewhere in the shadows beyond his armor. Tony jumped and shuffled back a little against a wall.
Huh...walls.
"Yeah so, you over there in the shadowy like area, how about you stay there while I grab my suit?" Tony flashed a fake grin and shuffled a little closer to his suitcase.
A wheezing chuckle came from the shadow before they spoke,
"I would not worry, Stark, I'm not in any condition to harm you. It seems rather contradictory after I saved your life."
Tony's body froze, if being more frozen was possible. He knew that voice, although it was lacking that usual confident, psychotic, bag-of-cats tone.
"Loki," he responded, voice low with anger. "What exactly are you doing here?"
Tony felt himself heating up with anger. It hadn't been that long ago that the god threw him out a window. Tony could hear the sneer in the god's voice from across the frigid room.
"Stark. Considering you do not even know where we are, I would say you have no right to complain about my being here," Loki replied before emitting another weak wheezing sound.
Tony was a naturally curious creature, and considering that it took a lot to make a god sound weak, he had to investigate. Standing up, still shaky, Tony moved toward the shadowed area. He heard a soft whimper and a shuffling sound as he got closer and realized that Loki was trying to move away from him.
Tony held his hands up to show he was unarmed, seeing as his one and only weapon was packed away right next to him. "Look, Reindeer Games, I'm not gonna' hurt you. I just want to see who I'm talking to."
He shifted closer and peered into the corner, his eyes adjusting to the dim light around Loki's hiding spot. Tony stopped moving forward when he saw the god, pressed up against the cave wall. Loki's skin was blue and his eyes were a dull glowing red.
Uh, That's new.
His eyes followed the small white lines that graced the god's skin, noticing that Loki's body was at a weird angle. Actually, a lot of his body seemed to be bend in all the wrong places. Tony nervously shifted from one foot to the other before creeping closer again to get a better look.
"What's going on, Rudolf?" Tony asked, as he sat down cross legged in front of the god. "I heard from Jarvis that Hulky smashed you around a bit. Is that all from him?"
Loki rolled his red eyes, exasperated. "No, in fact, this is not from your precious green beast. I had already healed from that before rushing after you to save your sorry, mortal hide. "
Tony smiled at Loki's terms for the Hulk before the rest of the sentence sank in His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait a minute...let me get this straight, you saved me? How, and more importantly, why?"
Loki glared at him, taking a deep shuddering breath to say something nasty, but closed his mouth again.
Tony arched his eyebrows and scooted closer to the god. "Or you could just, not answer. That's good too cuz', you know, I don't mind being stuck in god-knows-where with a psychopathic, blue reindeer." Tony couldn't hold back a smirk at the look in Loki's eyes as he spoke.
Loki hissed through his teeth, "If you could shut your blathering mouth for a moment, I could answer your idiotic questions. Seeing as I have told you twice already that I saved you, I can see this will take some time to get through your dense skull."
Loki took another shuddering breath and glared at Tony once again in a threatening manner. Tony kept his mouth shut, miming a zipper motion over his lips.
"I doubt you could understand the entirety of what I'm about to tell you. I shall try to use tiny words." A crease grew in Loki's forehead as a flash of pain crossed his face. He took another shaky breath, before the usual mask of indifference returned to his features.
"When I ...Fell from Asgard, from the Biofrost, I fell for a long while. I do not know how long exactly, for it felt like an eternity. After some time passed I fell to a planet much like this one. The Chitauri's leader, Thanos, took me in personally and helped me heal. I was weak from a very long journey through the void and I had old wounds that never healed. What I did not know was that he was slowly gaining control of me. In my weak state, I did not even notice the power of his own Tesseract seeping into me."
Loki frowned and tried to push himself up higher against the wall before giving up with a painful gasp.
" I t-thought... I truly believed he was trying to help me. I was a fool to even dream of trusting another being again!" Loki's red eyes filled with hatred, glowing more powerfully than before.
Tony felt a mix of pity and fear. It was a puzzling concoction of emotions.
Loki took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, "Thanos pushed my fears away and fanned my desires. He fed me lies and let me drink up his poisonous flattery. All those promises were just weapons in his arsenal to gain control over me. This continued until I was in a rage, a mindless rage...Úlfhéðnar." He muttered the last part with a sick smile.
Tony opened his mouth to ask what the hell a Ulfaderwhatever was but closed it quickly with another glare from Loki.
"I am painfully aware of my actions on Midgard." Loki's face flashed a small grimace before he continued. "Although, I was not entirely in control. It was as though I were sleep walking. A constant roar in my ears, a goading little whisper telling what to take what is mine and prove my worth. "
Tony was fidgeting from cold and unable to stop himself from interrupting anymore. "You're seriously trying to tell me you we're under some alien dude's control this whole time? You smiled like you had a sack of cats in your head; meanwhile you destroyed half of New York City. All this and you were just some guys bitch? What about the blue eye thing? Your eyes were green when we talked." Tony shut his mouth again, realizing he had said a bit too much.
Let's not comment on the fact that I know his eye color.
Loki sighed and finally managed to push himself up with wall a bit more, as his body was clearly beginning to heal. "I did warn you, ignoramus, that you wouldn't understand me. I ask again for silence so I may finish. Is that much too hard for you?"
Tony rolled his eyes and rolled his hand dramatically for Loki to continue.
The god began again. "I was, indeed, under the control of the Teseract. Perhaps it was a much deeper kind than your arrow shooting friend. The only reason I am even conscious of what I am currently doing is due to the massive trauma to my head after your green beast battered me against the floor."
Loki's face fell into a disgusted sneer and he fell silent. Tony shifted and crossed his arms, waiting for something more from the god. When nothing came, he began, " Soooo...you saved me, because you aren't a crazy sack of ca-"
"ENOUGH WITH THE CATS!" Loki bellowed before falling into a fit of coughing.
Tony couldn't help but laugh, seeing Loki's blue cheeks flush a darker shade of blue. He continued to chuckle as his mind ran through a list of questions.
Why are you a member of the Blue Man Group?
Why did you 'fall' from Asgard?
You still didn't have to save me.
Oh wait, that's not a question..Okay, how about...
"So where the hell are we then?"
Loki glanced at Tony wearily and looked out toward the mouth of the cave.
"We are on my 'home' planet," he said softly, still looking away.
Tony glanced around the freezing cave and frowned. "This is Asgard? I was expecting more...gold...and furs, lots of furs."
Loki scoffed quietly as his face grew more solemn .
"Asgard is not my home." He turned to face Tony again. "Nor, I suppose, is this. I was born here, but I never lived here."
Tony began to worry.
" Where are we, Loki...?"
Loki turned back and looked into Tony's eyes sadly.
"Jötunheim."
"Jotten him?" Tony asked, staring blankly at Loki.
The god winced. "I would prefer if you did not say the name, if you are going to mangle it so. "
Tony wasn't listening. His chapped lips pressed together in a thin line of concentration. Loki saw the gears in his head turning, already anticipating what questions were to follow.
"You're Asgardian, right? You are Thor's brother, Odin's son and all that jazz." Tony frowned and started to wiggle around, his butt was starting to freeze to the floor.
Loki swallowed and sat up straighter, looking out the mouth of the cave again. He sat in a tense silence for some time.
"I am nottruly anAesir of Asgard. I was born a Jötun, a Frost Giant. I was a whelp, too small to survive this life. " Loki gestured at the icy landscape.
"Odin had led an attack here many years ago and decided to bring me home. I was a prize from the war or some precious artifact meant to keep 'peace' between our realms." He let out a bitter laugh, a hint of madness returning.
"I was raised as a brother to Thor, but never an equal. I truly did not mind at first, I enjoyed being council to my foolish brother. I was there for him, to nudge him into the right direction when he went astray. I knew he was lacking a good sense of judgment and the level head that is needed in a king. "
Tony scoffed. "Point Break, level-headed. Sure. "
Loki frowned, confused for a moment before recalling that the ridiculous nick-name belonged to his brother.
"Indeed. Even as you have met him now he is already much improved. He was always reckless, running about and starting fights. I sought to teach him a lesson, show him how his actions can have dire consequences." Loki looked down at his hands, flexing his blue fingers slowly. They looked less broken than they had a few moments moments ago.
He looked up again and frowned at Tony. "I do not often admit to my mistakes. I so rarely make them. "
Tony muttered under his breath, "Attacking Earth; mistake."
Loki continued to stare at Stark for a while before responding. "I never truly wanted to. Earth was a means to an end. It could have been any realm. May I continue without further interruption, or do I need to treat you like a child, and silence you myself? "
Tony reflexively leaned away from Loki.
Loki smiled slowly and leaned back against the wall. "We came here, Thor's friends and myself. The attack on Asgard had him riled up, as I intended it to. Of course, Thor began a fight with the Frost Giants until we found ourselves painfully outmatched. I had thought beforehand to warn my fa- Odin of our departure. I had hoped he would arrive to fix everything between King Laufey and himself, then bring Thor home to teach him a lesson. It was truly that simple of a plan."
Loki's face fell into a frown again, looking down in thought. Tony opened his mouth as if to speak but reminded himself of Loki's threat.
At last, the god spoke up again. His voice was softer. "Before we could return, I was touched by a Jotun. Just an arm, but I watched as my skin changed to blue. I was terrified and confused, as Juton's flesh typically burns those from Asgard. After our return, I soon found that I was King Laufey's son."
Tony's eyebrows shot up. He opened his mouth in shock, starting to say something, when Loki flicked a hand in his direction. Tony continued to try to speak even as no words came out. He struggled a moment longer before crossing his arms, glaring at Loki and mouthing obscenities.
With a little concentration, Loki pushed his thought into Tony's head.
"Will you behave? Or shall I keep you silenced like a brat?"
Tony gaped at the blue god in front of him, turning as if to look at his god let out a small bubble of laughter as he watched in amusement.
"You may try to answer me , you know. If you relax a little I shall be able to hear you easier," he thought again to the mortal.
Tony kept his eyes turn down from Loki, his face tense in concentration. In his desperation to hide his thoughts, he projected one rather loudly.
He's gonna see all my back up nicknames that aren't as funny.
He's gonna see all my back up nicknames that aren't as funny.
He's gonna see all my back up nicknames that aren't as funny.
Loki laughed outright, a charming giggle of a laugh that was completely out of place coming from the sober god. Tony found himself smiling. The laugh was infectious.
Loki spoke again into Tony's mind.
"You needn't worry, I will not be poking around in that cesspit you call a brain."
Tony's smile fell and he made a face, finally managing to control a thought.
"Well you can crawl back into your own shit logged-"
Loki spoke out loud, "Yes, yes, may I finish? I am nearly done explaining my self."
Loki eyed him before speaking again, a little more rushed.
"I was confused, angry. I felt betrayed. Of course, nothing went as planned. Thor was banished away to your planet, Odin fell into his sleep, and suddenly I was to stand in as king. I never wanted it, and to know that I never deserved it was..." Loki gritted his teeth. "A monster has no place on the throne of Asgard! I had no where to belong in the nine realms."
There was a long pause where Loki unclenched his jaw and shifted his weight with a flinch. "I attempted to attack the Jötun. I set up a trap to lead them into Asgard and let them believe they would be able to kill the king. I stopped them and I... I may have...killed my real father, Laufey."
Tony couldn't stop himself from thinking loudly.
Patricide.
Ah Well, there were more than a few times where I considered killing my dad too.
Loki quirked an eyebrow at this and tilted his head to one side like a curious animal. Tony watched him, having never seen that sort of expression on the god's face before. It a little too cute for a raving murderer.
Whoa, careful... He might hear that.
If Loki did, he made no sign of acknowledgement.
Tony cleared his mental throat and concentrated on his next thought.
"So, you're a king here? If you are, why are we hiding in a cave?"
Loki sighed and looked down once more, one of his fingers picking at the white lines on the back on his hand. "Because I am the last of the Frost Giants. They died when the Biofrost shattered too late to stop the destruction I unleashed upon them. There is no kingdom here any longer, just an empty planet barely holding itself together."
There was a silence after he spoke that stretched too long to remain comfortable. Loki could tell Tony was starting to feel the cold. He was unsure how he felt about explaining his life's failures to this mortal. A recent ex-enemy, even. Tempted as he was to poke around in Stark's brain, Loki decided to save his magic to heat the cave instead. With a wave of his hand a greenish fire rose from the floor, soon joined by a thick log to keep it burning. He watched Tony's appreciative face and smiled a little at how easy the mortal was to please.
Tony watched the fire spring from the floor and burn alone before a log appeared.
"Magic..."
Loki smiled wider and responded, "Yes, it can be very impressive when it works. Move closer, you are starting to look as blue as I."
Tony shifted closer and took a good look at Loki, his thoughts rushing by at incredible speed. He lost his concentration as his eyes traveled around the god's body. He could see that Loki was unwell, with hollowed eyes and blue skin that still looked pale and dull. Although he looked less like a broken marionette, he was clearly still suffering from severe injuries.
He forced his thoughts away from Loki's condition and focused on something he suddenly realized.
"Wait. Isn't Jota- uh ,here, nowhere near Earth? How did we even get here?"
An impressed expression flashed over Loki's face before settling into a confident smile.
"Now, at last, you ask a good question. The portal between the Chitauri and your planet had already disconnected. All that was left was a mass of energy and magic. I simply harnessed it and used the power to send us to the first safe planet I could think of. "
It was Tony's turn to look impressed. "So you sling-shotted it. Nice."
At this Loki raised an eyebrow and let slip a thought:
Does he even understand the words that he, himself, utters?
Tony laughed, or tried to. He felt his body shake with the laughter, but no sound escaped him. Grinning, he thought,
"Hey, as fun as it is listening to your thoughts, I would like to actually speak again."
Loki flushed with irritation, flicking a finger to undo the spell. Using magic, even so small a spell, was tiring to him. He cast a weary look over Stark before closing his eyes for a moment. He jumped a little at the sound of Tony's voice.
"Is it some sort of tradition to be blue on your home planet? I mean, I love the blue, you're like a more chill version if a Ninja Turtle. You just don't seem very comfortable like this."
Loki frowned, forbidding himself from opening his eyes. He knew they were still red, another ugly reminder of his monstrosity.
He muttered, "I am unable to keep my typical form due to the temperature and my weakened magic."
He had not wanted to remind the mortal of his weakened state, but had needed to find some excuse for his disgusting form. He felt almost apologetic for showing Stark the monster inside of him.
There was a soft shuffling sound, and Loki felt a presence closer to him. His eyes snapped open, greeted by the liquid brown eyes of Stark. Instead of jumping back, as Loki had expected, Stark stayed right in front of his face.
Tony was leaning over Loki's body, leaving him trapped between the mortal and the wall. Loki did not enjoy the feeling of being trapped.
Feigning calmness, he hissed, "I know your curiosity is unmatched by few, but I don't appreciate being stared at like some sort of animal in a cage."
Tony blinked, confusion clear on his face. "That's not how I was looking at you. I wanted to get closer to admire the pattern on your skin. I have every right, as a connoisseur of design."
Tony paused, his eyes slowly moving over Loki's face.
You're
"It's Beautiful."
Notes: Úlfhéðnar is a sort of viking berserker.
If you don't know what Jötunheim is by some chance, you will get a chance to find out next chapter.
PLEASE review!