"LOKI!" Kara's voice screamed over the comm.
Clint grimaced, wondering how long it would take before he could hear right again and looked to where the god had been fighting a group of the frigging Svartálfar. The dark elves were all but down; the few still not dead or comatose were being dealt with by the Hulk. His eyes fell on Loki and his gut clenched in sympathy and fear as he saw the barbed head of a nasty looking spear protruding from the blue abdomen. "Oh, shit. Nat, Loki's wounded, it looks bad." Just past the injured prince he could see another figure; it was half dark and half light…Malekith. "It's the bastard that broke Kara's back. Motherfucker." The enemy was carefully keeping Loki in front of him; there wasn't a shot for him to take. "Do you have a clean shot?" he asked.
"Negative and I'm a bit busy here."
He searched the field and finally found Nat's fluid spattered figure kneeling behind a pile of Jötnar and Svartálfar bodies, working on one of the Jötunn. Gymir was down and covered with the dark purplish blood that was evidently a Jötnar trait. "Christ, what happened?"
"He took on a large group of Jötnar traitors solo. Took them all down, but they cut the hell out of him first. The bleeding is finally slowing. We're fine here for the moment, go help Loki and Kara."
Taking off at a run, he headed at an angle toward Loki's position. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hogun heading that way as well with a number of the Æsir close behind. Where the hell was the Hulk? A roar caught his attention and a good dozen dark bodies flew out from a central point revealing Bruce's other in all his bright green glory. "Hulk!" Clint yelled. "Help Loki!" he told him, pointing toward the impaled prince. He continued to run, hoping that Loki or Malekith would move, just enough, so that he could put an arrow through the evil bastard's eye.
… …
Odin staggered and leaned heavily on Gungnir. "Husband?" Frigga asked worriedly. "What has happened?"
"Loki." He smiled grimly as Thor leapt to his feet. "Son, there's nothing any of us here can do. He will save himself or they are lost." He allowed his wife to guide him back to collapse on Hlidskjalf. "I am so sorry, my boy," he whispered, not trying to hold back the tears that slipped down his cheek and not truly certain to which son he offered his apology.
"I can take Lady Eir to him," Thor suggested. "If he is hurt…"
"No. It will do naught but endanger her."
"But father!"
"Do not argue with me! Think you that I want him dead after all that I have done to try and see him happy?" His head bowed with the weight of his grief. If Loki did not prevail he would lose two sons this day; one to death and the other to despair and guilt. By Yggdrasill, he prayed that Heimdall was right.
… …
"Prince Helblindi!" an unfamiliar voice called out urgently. "Svartálfar have invaded, they attack your half-brother and his people!"
Helblindi surged to his feet and called out to the guard captain on duty. "Get help out to the plains now," he ordered. "Everyone available. No mercy to the Svartálfar or to any who aid them, understood?" The captain nodded, saluted and ran from the hall, calling out to his lieutenants.
"Brother?" He looked back and saw Býleistr stroll out of their private wing. "What did I hear about Svartálfar?"
"They're attacking Loki, probably after the Casket, we must stop them."
Býleistr grinned and quickened his steps. "Sounds like our half-brother needs us."
He shook off the feeling of dread and headed for the plains exit. He'd have expected a disdaining comment from his brother, something along the lines of 'small loss' or 'oh yes, we must save the Casket'. This supportive comment didn't make…he spun and sidestepped and the blade of ice Býleistr had created whooshed past his head. "Traitor!" he snarled as he manifested an ice blade of his own.
… …
A thundering roar shook the very ground beneath them. Loki was having a difficult time concentrating; little things kept stealing his attention, such as the fact that his blood in this form was almost purple in color. Shaking himself out of the pained stupor he realized three things. First, the beast's roaring was going to trigger an avalanche, the howling of the storm had subsided enough for the vibrations to carry. Second, the Casket was still feeding him energy and that while the blade of the spear had sliced into his meng mein, it was not leaking energy as he would normally have expected. Third, Malekith was likely convinced, by the angle of this thrust, that he had impaled him directly through the meng mein, not simply grazed it. He could work with this. "Why do you want it?" he asked curiously, taking care to let pain and apparent weakness color his voice. If he could keep the egomaniacal fool distracted, perhaps he could still walk away from this. Malekith was protected from magical attack and anything Kara could throw at him, no doubt. But the Svartálfar would not survive being buried under tons of snow. Avalanche, damnation. He switched to English. "Get back to the fortress, all of you," he ordered under his breath. "An avalanche is building, flee or die."
"Loki," he heard Kara begin in a sobbing voice.
"Go, you promised. I'll survive this, he cannot."
"Christ almighty, Loki, I'm almost in line for a shot," Hawkeye snarled over the comm.
"Turn back, now, it's your only chance. Get the women out of here."
"You'd better not fucking die on us, Kara will lose it, you know."
He could see the man switch directions, heading at an angle that would take him to join Kara and likely urge her back to the fortress. Kara would more than 'lose it' if he didn't survive, but he refrained from admitting that. They'd never get to safety if they knew his death meant hers. "I've no intention of it, hurry."
"Last words to your beloved, Loki?" Malekith asked as he stepped around him, oblivious to the dangers that were closing in. "I'll take that," he added as he reached for the casket with a heavy blanket of silk.
"I think not," Loki told him as he shifted the Casket behind him. Reaching down he contracted his abdominal muscles around the shaft, snapped off the head of the spear and tossed it to the side as Malekith's shields wouldn't have allowed him to stab the half breed Álfar with it. He took a step or three forward and the shaft of the spear fell behind his body. Malekith's eyes widened. Deciding not to let the accursed one guess of his affinity with the Casket, he gave a nonchalant shrug and claimed "You missed." Gathering his power he raised his shields around him and solidified them as much as possible in his weakened state. "Give my best to Hel, would you?" he asked as the green behemoth known as The Incredible Hulk slammed into Malekith from the side.
… …
"Come on, Kara, we've got to get out of here," Clint told her as he grabbed her around the waist and started dragging her back to the fortress. "Shit, you've put on weight," he groused.
"Clint, no, I have to help Loki!" she insisted, fighting his grip.
"You heard him, there's an avalanche starting, he'll be fine. Come on, move it." They'd reached Hogun and Fandral. "Retreat to the fortress, and move it, Loki says an avalanche is imminent."
Hogun stared up to where they knew the glaciers stood, but like them, he could see nothing through the storm. "I hear the rumbling," he finally said and gave a sharp whistle and hand signals. The other Æsir took down the foes they currently faced and then turned and ran for the fortress.
"Somebody, give me a hand," Nat called out over the comm. She was trying to support a staggering, blood covered Gymir. "He's hurt badly!"
Kara broke away from Clint and hurried over to them, Hogun and several of the Æsir she couldn't identify close behind. "Each of you take a limb," she ordered. "I'll work on him while you carry him." She looked down at the groggy Jötunn who was again trying to get back on his feet. "Stay still, you aren't going to do Loki or Helblindi any good if you bleed out. Let me help you while I can." She didn't add that if Loki didn't make it, there'd be no more help from her…for anyone, ever.
Insulating their hands with the ends of their cloaks, the Æsir pulled him from the ground and started back to the fortress at a swift trot. She ran along beside Gymir, gauntlets tucked into her belt, hands hovering over his waist. "How bad is he, your highness?" a grating voice asked.
She looked up as Slingard reached them. "He'll live, I think. He's lost a lot of blood, but most of his organs are fine, a few have minor damage. It's mostly the blood loss." Kara's eyes widened. "Wait, if both of you are here, who's protecting Helblindi?"
"Our prince is safe within the fortress," Slingard claimed.
"Safe my ass; Býleistr is out to get him. This would be a perfect opportunity for it. Get back there and find them, and pray it's not too late!" Turning her attention back to Gymir's abdomen as Slingard ran for the fortress at a blinding speed, Kara pulled energy from, of all places, the storm. She'd have to figure out how that was possible later, assuming she had a later. Redirecting the energy to augment the Jötunn's natural healing didn't seem to be any different from doing it for a human or Æsir. It must be something that was universal. The overhanging entry to the fortress loomed over them and she turned to stare out over the plain. The Hulk was still roaring…oh, no; that was the avalanche. She collapsed to her knees in horror. The man she loved more than life itself was about to be buried in tons of snow and ice.
… …
Malekith groaned. It shouldn't have been possible to feel the impact through his magical shields, but he had. He opened his eyes to see a misshapen face set in an angry snarl a thumb's width from his own. The huge beast bellowed and the vibration of it was answered by shaking in the very ground. He scuttled back away from the creature and struggled to see through the whiteout conditions. What he could not see, he could hear. Snow and ice was sloughing off the tops of the glaciers and was gathering force, speed and mass as it fell. The plain would soon be buried as would all that remained on it. Staggering to his feet he began to run for the point where he could slip into the branches of Yggdrasill and escape the frozen realm. A heavy weight landed atop him and forced the breath from his lungs. "Puny dark-elves," the thing snarled and unconsciousness descended as a shock traveled from his head on down.
… …
Loki smirked as the beast played with Malekith. Banner's other wouldn't be able to kill the Álfar, not through his shields, but if he managed to render him unconscious, the avalanche would do the rest. He measured his energy…he did not have enough to shift away in time. What had the others called the creature? "Hulk!" he called out as loudly as possible, disdaining the comm unit. The other wouldn't be using the thing. "Hulk, we must go, now!"
The green giant appeared through the blinding snow and wind. "Puny god?" he asked, sounding confused.
The appellation didn't sound angry. "Yes, it's me. We have to get out of here, the snow is coming." The features relaxed, oh no. If Banner regained dominance at the wrong moment, he would die. "Pay attention you crude beast!" he yelled, slapping him across the face. Anger returned and the green glow of the eyes intensified. "You must get away or even you will be crushed," he tried to explain, hoping the beast could understand.
The great brows drew down over the Hulk's eyes. "Puny god-friend," he said with what Loki could only call a sneering grin. The beast grabbed him and slung him over his shoulder and ran towards the fortress in leaps and bounds. Perhaps they might make it.
… …
"No!" Kara screamed as a wave of rolling white engulfed the plain, covering the green speck that had been moving toward them steadily. Two Jötnar grabbed the huge doors and pulled them closed. A reverberating booming filled the corridor as though fists the size of an elephant struck them repeatedly. "We have to help them," she said, turning to one of the Jötnar guards. "How do we get out there?"
The giant shrugged. "We wait until it melts."
"What? No, my husband is out there, and my friend. We have to dig them out," she told him.
He bowed. "You have my sympathy, princess," he said. "You are too young to be a widow."
"I'm not a widow, not yet; we have to dig them out…" She trailed off as he turned away from her and began checking on Gymir's wounds. "Don't ignore me," she insisted.
"Kara, take it easy," Clint said. "Didn't you hear the snow hit the doors? Those doors open out; they're not going to be able to get them open again until most of that snow is gone. I'm sorry, really, but there's nothing we can do. Look, I got to like the guy, a lot. I mean, I wanted him to be my kid's godfather, but there's no way he survived that. Bruce, maybe, but I wouldn't put money on him, even."
A door at the far end of the corridor slammed open and Helblindi strode down the hall followed by Slingard. "It has hit, I take it?" he asked the nearest of his people.
"Yes, my prince. The report is that the snowpack is up to the second floor and rising."
The crown prince sighed and looked around the room. His annoyed look morphed to a worried frown and he scanned the occupants again. "Where is my elder brother?" he asked.
"He did not make it inside, my prince."
"We need to dig them out. Bruce had him, they're…" Kara stopped talking as she noticed blood pooling on the floor. Following the dripping up her brother-in-law's long leg she gasped at the sight of the object that hung from his waist. Býleistr's sightless eyes stared out at nothing; several locks of his midnight hair suspended his head from his brother's belt. She swallowed, remembering Helblindi telling Loki what he would have done if Laufey had treated him as he'd treated Loki. Apparently he hadn't been exaggerating. "I…I take it he tried to kill you. Are you hurt?" she asked.
"Not badly." Helblindi's smirk reminded her of Loki's. "He was always talking; he was never willing to put in the work." He dropped to his knees beside her. "I am sorry that we've lost Loki. He was a worthy brother and I regret not having the chance to know him better." He sighed. "I am also sorry that I could not leave Býleistr alive for your revenge, but it was important that I prove myself impervious to betrayal. Loki will be remembered with much honor here."
Kara shook her head mutely, stunned at the gruesome sight. It took several minutes for her to focus again, long minutes that Helblindi spent giving orders for healers to tend to all of the wounded, Jötnar and Æsir alike. "Kara, let's go, you should lay down," Nat told her as she placed what was meant to be a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He's not dead, Nat. We have to get out there somehow. I can find him; we've got to dig him out."
"Honey, you're in denial, you…"
"God damn it, I am not in fucking denial!" she screamed. "I am a fucking empath and I am telling you he is still alive!"
Helblindi turned to stare at her. "My sister by marriage," he said quietly. "It is possible he is still alive, at this moment, I will grant you that. But not even a full-blood Jötunn could survive the crushing weight of the snow for more than a very short time. Loki is not a full-blood. Even were we to be able to get outside, we would not be able to find him in time. I grieve with you." He sighed and went back to seeing to his people.
"Nat, he's still alive," she whispered to her friend. "We have to get him out, we have to."
"Kara, I'm sorry."
She fought down the hysterics, swallowed the angry words she wanted to say. "Tell Tony and Pepper goodbye for me, Nat. They've been good friends. You guys, too, but you're here." The tears began to fall.
"Kara, don't talk like that. You promised us before you would try to go on without him, don't give us this bullshit now. Yes, this hurts, but please, we all love you, we'll be there for you," Clint said as he dropped down on her other side.
"I'm sorry I won't see the baby," she told him, not able to focus on his face. "Tony and Pepper would be good godparents. Tony's, well, Tony, he'll spoil it rotten, but you know he'll love the hell out of the kid. Pepper will take care of all the practical things."
"We still want you," Nat insisted.
"You don't get it," she hissed. "You won't have me. If Loki dies, I die; finis, that's it."
Clint shook his head; that much she could make out. "That's…I know Odin said if you died, Loki died, but that was it, it wasn't the other way around."
"That's all he said in public, Clint. He didn't want anyone to know it went both ways. It's the only way the key works. Our life energies are tied together. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you; Odin didn't want anyone else to know."
"Son of a fucking bitch." Clint lurched to his feet. "Hogun, Fandral, get your asses over here."
… …
He filled them in tersely. "We've got to get out there. I don't know about you two, but I'm not going back to Asgard and saying I sat on my ass safe inside while Odin's son and daughter-in-law died."
"I agree, Hawkeye," Fandral said. "But I do not see what we can do. While we could go out the opposing exit, climbing the glacier would not be manageable, certainly not in what little time we might have left."
"Windows?" Hogun asked.
"Shit, yes. Helblindi? Are there windows that are still above the snowpack?" Clint asked.
The crown prince of the Jötnar stood from where he'd been reassuring a wounded Jötunn warrior. "I expect so," he answered. "Why?"
"We've got to get out there. Kara can find them, she's sure of it. I know you think it's impossible, but we've got to at least try. If we don't, Odin won't take it well, and you don't want him blaming your people. After all, it was your little brother who's responsible." He held his breath, hoping the Jötunn would believe that Odin would hold them responsible.
"If you had not noticed, the windows are quite narrow. We cannot fit through them."
"I could," Kara said. "So could Natasha and Clint and maybe a few of the Æsir. We've got to try, please."
Helblindi nodded. "You, go find windows that are not too high over the snowpack." The Jötunn he'd given the order to ran to do his bidding. "Slingard, find the diggers and have them ready their tools and take it to the window that is chosen." The guard saluted and left as well.
"My prince?" Gymir called from where he sat with his back against a wall.
"Yes, my friend?" Helblindi said, taking a knee beside his shield-brother.
"Rally the children. Loki was kind to them at meals and gatherings. They will help, I think."
"They might well, in truth. I will do so." He stood and loped down the corridor and was soon out of sight.
"Thank you," Clint said to the giant.
Gymir shook his head. "No thanks needed. Your lady and your princess are the reasons I live. A debt is owed, I will repay it."
… …
Helblindi strode down the corridor, fighting a grin. Loki had indeed made himself popular with the children and he had not even noticed it happening. Of course, since he had not yet been blessed with offspring, perhaps he did not pay them as much mind as he should. What would he do without Gymir's sharp eyes? Nearly a dozen younglings still small enough to fit through the windows had eagerly volunteered to help. To be fair, part of their enthusiasm doubtless was the result of having the opportunity to do something their elders could not, but if it would save his only remaining brother, he would take it. The mortals and a dozen of the Æsir and their princess were waiting by the selected windows. His sister by marriage had already been rigged up to safety cords by the diggers and several bright wraps had been wound about her torso. "I thought the cold did not bother you?" he asked her. Her gold armor would keep her visible against the snow and the dark ice.
"I can compensate for it, but I want to conserve my energy to boost my empathic ability. Knowing they're out there and alive is a lot easier than pinpointing their exact location."
That made sense. The two humans were rigged, but had not closed their head coverings. Several of the Æsir were in the process of being strapped into the safety lines. His brother's wife did not seem to be waiting for them. "Wait, you cannot go out alone," he insisted.
Her covered face turned toward him. "I have to find them alone, otherwise I'm going to have competing emotions to try and sort out. It will be quicker if I start out by myself. Hawkeye has his comm unit out and turned to speaker, so you will all be able to hear me and I can be pulled in if I'm having a problem."
Helblindi watched, biting back additional useless comments as she slipped through the narrow window and was lowered carefully down to the snow pack. The top layer was soft and she sunk in nearly to her knees. "Stop," he called out to her. "You'll need snow flats, it's too soft." Turning to the diggers, he accepted the pair of child-sized snow flats, oblong frames strung with netting. He dropped them down to the woman. "Strap them to your feet once we pull you clear of the snow." She'd obviously used something similar before he thought as she quickly strapped them on and signaled to be lowered again. This time the surface held under her redistributed weight.
"Okay, give me some slack and play the rope out as I move," she said and her voice emerged from a tiny device the Hawkeye had entrusted to Slingard.
"Can you hear us as well?" he asked.
"Yep, loud and clear. But everyone please be quiet for a bit so I can concentrate." They waited as she picked her way across the drifts and then stopped. Kara slowly turned around in place until she had faced all directions for a few moments, then stopped and turned back to one point. "They're this way," she informed them.
He looked over the group in the room. The children were now wrapped in their own colorful outerwear with safety harnesses securely rigged and the Æsir and humans needed only close their face coverings to be ready. All were holding snow flats. "Are these the only Æsir brave enough to go?" he asked derisively.
"We're the only ones slim enough to fit through the window," the loquacious one informed him. "We did have two more who could force themselves through, but it might do them an injury and that would hinder their efforts."
"And be more trouble than their help could be worth, I agree. My apologies, it weighs upon me that I cannot do more to help."
"You're doing what you can, but you might want to consider widening a few windows at some point in the future and fitting them with removable plugs in case of future emergencies," the mortal called Natasha told him.
"That had never occurred to me," he said honestly. "I will look into doing so, though it will be too little and too late for my brother."
"Don't count Loki out yet," the Æsir who had accompanied his brother to the plain each time said. Helblindi frowned at the least talkative of his brother's companions. "He defeated a níðhöggr with naught but illusions, four knives and his own two hands," the warrior concluded with a shrug.
The níðhöggr were huge four-eyed six-legged serpents with two long curving horns and a spiked tail that were notoriously difficult to kill with less than a small army. They also hated both Æsir and Jötnar with a passion. The giants of Muspelheim were the only two legged beings they tolerated in their territories. That his brother had killed one, alone…ah, the horns on his dress helm, that was their significance, interesting. "I will count him out only when his lady does," he told them.
… …
Kara could feel Loki's agitation clearly. What she did not feel, and that concerned her, was Bruce's anger. Were they not together or had Bruce calmed down and shifted back to his normal form? That would be disastrous for him. The level of agitation was slowing, that was worrisome as well. It could mean Loki was drifting into lethargy. She trudged forward holding on to the emotion, wondering if a projection would help. "Guys?" she said over the comm. "I feel Loki, but not Bruce. I'm not picking up on an angry emotion anywhere. I'm going to try a projection of anger; if Bruce is calm he's going to die if he isn't dead already."
"Roger that," Clint responded. "Try not to overdo it. If he's with Loki we don't want the Hulk attacking him by mistake."
"Good point. I've got to give him that chance, though. I won't be able to live with myself if we find Loki alive and Bruce has frozen to death."
"I know, Kara. Just be careful."
She rolled her eyes, not that anyone could see it. Concentrating as she followed Loki's empathic trail, she sent a small feed of anger out. A few seconds later rage exploded on her senses and in the same direction she was headed. A tendril of mixed relief and fear accompanied it. "I think it worked!" she told the others excitedly. I'm now picking up emotions from two different sources. One is rage, and the other relief and a bit of fear."
"Loki is probably having a flashback to tangling with Bruce on Tony's tower," Nat said dryly.
"No doubt. Well, if he gets…oh my god. The snow is shaking over there, pretty close to the main doors. That must be it, send out the troops with the equipment and bring some extra blankets. I'm going to have to calm Bruce down quickly as soon as he's free so no one accidently gets hurt and he's going to be damn cold."
"The Hawkeye instructed me to tell you that the 'cavalry' is on its way," Helblindi said. "What is a 'cavalry'?"
"I'll explain later, it's a Midgard colloquialism and it's complicated." She looked over her shoulder. Several figures were already on the ground and hurrying in her direction. It was the children. The humans and Æsir were mostly on the ground but were having trouble negotiating the terrain, even with the snowshoes…snow flats, as her brother-in-law called them. "Hey, kids," she said, pulling her face plate up as the children reached her. "See where the snow is churned up? That's where they are, I think they're about…" she trailed off as she tried to translate the measurement. "Um, about twice as deep as Gymir is tall."
One of the children was a bit taller than the others began issuing orders and they fanned out on one side of the disturbance and began digging a shallow trench towards it. They angled it down so that the closer they got to the indicated point, the deeper they were. "That will ensure it doesn't collapse in on top of them," Nat said as she arrived. "Good strategy, it's one we were taught in Arctic survival school."
"I wouldn't have thought of it, I'd have panicked and dug straight down."
"And risked being trapped yourself," one of the girls near the edge of the group said with a grin. "We're all taught these skills when we are very small," she added.
"Good to know. What do you want us to do?" Kara asked as Clint and the four slenderest of the Æsir arrived.
The boy that was directing the others looked up. "Take those shovels and lengthen the dig. If they are that deep, we need to make the ramp at least twice as long."
"Okay, folks," Clint told them. "You heard the man, grab a shovel and let's get that ramp dug longer."
The boy beamed at being referred to as a man, his momentary pride all but covered the shift in emotions she felt from under the snow. Bruce was calming down and Loki's fear was increasing. "There might be another movement under the snow," she called out loudly. "Be careful!" After they acknowledged her warning, she sent out another tendril of anger. A heavily muted bellow assured her it had worked before the snow began to shake. The movement occurred at the same spot as before. "Good, that's definitely the right location," she told Hogun who'd stepped up beside her and handed her a small shovel.
"We will find them in time," he said, just loudly enough for her to hear through his face covering and then put his shovel to work.
… …
The snow was flying, much faster from the shovels wielded by the Æsir and young Jötnar than it was from hers, Natasha thought. But still, every bit helped. She rolled her shoulders to get some of the tightness out and dug in once more. Kara was stopping periodically, focusing on the target, and then resuming her shoveling once the slight shaking and muffled sound that emerged indicated that Bruce was still with them. Her friend was stressed and Natasha was certain it was more for worry over Bruce and Loki than it was for herself. She wouldn't be surprised if Kara was blocking that knowledge out from herself entirely. "Only a few more yards," she said over her comm unit.
Kara glanced up at her, face plate still up. "I know; it's getting harder and harder to get Bruce mad, though. I think even the Hulk is weakening. Loki's emotions are getting a lot more erratic and thready as well."
That didn't sound good. "If the Hulk got really mad, do you think he could break through the rest?"
"Maybe, but the part he pushes past might bury Loki."
"Best not take the chance, then." Tossing another shovelful away she frowned. "Have you ever tried projecting heat instead of fire?"
"Yes, but it's very delicate work and I don't think I have the concentration I'd need to do it without burning them at this point."
"Damn. Then I guess we keep digging." Kara nodded miserably.
"Kara!" Clint called as he ran up the ramp to them. "Think you can heat the walls of the ramp near the bottom just enough to make them wet? They're hoping to have them freeze hard to stabilize the snow behind it."
"I think so. Let me try up here first where it doesn't matter as much."
"Good idea." Clint stepped to her side while they waited for Kara to do her thing. "You warm enough, Nat?" he asked.
"I'm fine. And no, I'm not overdoing it."
He chuckled. "I didn't think you were. You could outwork me any day of the week, I don't care how far along you are at the time."
She smiled. "Smart man."
"Well, yeah. I fell in love with you, didn't I?"
Kara shot them a look over her shoulder. "Wow, you two are going to be front runners for the cutest couple award if you keep it up."
"Smart ass," Clint said. "Is it freezing?"
"It is, and fast, too. Not sure if it will be as fast down near the bottom since it's more out of the wind, but I can do a small section first to find out."
"Let's do it."
… …
Helblindi watched anxiously from the narrow window. The younglings were working well with the Æsir and the mortals. It was an inspiring sight to see, three races working side by side for a mutual goal. It boded well for the future. Of course, if Loki didn't survive, Odin would blame his people. That would be…it could be war; or at least the end of any hope for a fair treaty and mutually beneficial trade agreement. He looked to the side as Gymir joined him. "Should you be up?"
"My wounds heal quickly. The princess is a skilled healer."
It was true; Gymir's deep cuts were already scabbed over, something that would normally take a day or two. "Well, let us hope we can get her husband back and keep her favor."
"And keep her alive," his best friend whispered in his ear. He stared at him and waited for an explanation. "They didn't realize I could understand so much of their human language. Though it's changed much over the many centuries, I could still get the root of it. If your brother dies, his wife dies with him."
His eyes closed. Odin would not forgive them the loss of both his son and his daughter by marriage. "If I could kill him all over again, I would do it with far less mercy," he grated as he glared down at his brother's head.
Gymir's grin was mirthless. "Agreed."
A flurry of movement caught their attention. The children were digging frantically with their bare hands, the shovels tossed aside. "They must have found someone; else they'd still use the tools."
He turned sideways to give Gymir a chance to see out. "There," his shield-brother said, pointing. "I think it is the scientist, he was very green when he changed his form."
Helblindi's heart fell. "Where is Loki?"
… …
"Get the blankets over him, now!" Kara told the kids. "I'm going to calm him down and he's going to shrink and…" she broke off as the Hulk pushed back and stood. Was that? Yes! Clutched tightly against the behemoth's chest was a half-conscious Loki. "Oh, thank you, god," she whispered. "Bruce! Uh, Hulk, can you bring him this way? Everyone you see is a friend; they helped dig you two out!"
Bruce's other turned toward her voice. A wide grin creased his face when he saw her. The children and Æsir backed away hurriedly when he turned to avoid colliding with Loki's legs. "Kara, Puny god hurt," he said, much to her surprise managing a fairly complete and comprehensible sentence.
"I know, bring him here so I can help him."
He nodded and trudged up the ramp, his feet, still encased in the arctic gear thank goodness, plunging ankle deep into its surface with each labored step. The Hulk stumbled about halfway up and hit his knees. Kara could feel the anger fading away to an overwhelming sense of relief and exhaustion. "Quick, kids, get the blankets ready, he's going to change back to a mortal human." Bruce managed to set Loki carefully down on the packed snow before the change fully processed and he collapsed backwards into the heavily wrapped arms of the Jötnar children. They quickly wrapped him in blankets and then stood aside to allow one of the Æsir to pick him up.
Skógi, one of the younger Æsir that had comprised the elite squadron, lifted Bruce as easily as she could a child. "I've got him, your highness," he said. "Attend to your husband."
"I will; thanks." She dropped down on her knees beside Loki. He was completely unconscious and his features were tired and drawn. But his pulse was steady and the wound wasn't bleeding, though that might change when they got him inside. Holding her hand over his abdomen she gasped. "Oh, shit."
"What is wrong, my lady?" Fandral asked.
"There's damage to his meng mein. He's leaking energy, not a lot, but enough to be a problem."
"Let us get him inside so you may help him." Fandral gently raised her to his feet and then he and Hogun lifted her unconscious husband. Fortunately the arctic gear S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided for the two men insulated them enough.
She followed, trying to swallow her fear, as they made their way back to the narrow windows. Helblindi reached through and took Loki in his arms as Fandral and Hogun lifted him up. "Follow me to my chambers," he told her as she was pulled up on the safety rope and entered the fortress. "We'll tend to him there." Helblindi hurried down the long corridor and she did her best to keep up. Hogun and Fandral were at her back in moments. The chambers they entered were far more opulently decorated than others in the fortress. Helblindi grimaced as her eyebrows rose. "I have changed nothing yet," he muttered.
"Ah. Good to know." She shut the faceplate and pulled her helm off entirely then pulled her gauntlets from her belt and dropped them in it. "Guys," she said to Hogun and Fandral. "I hate to ask, but he's leaking energy faster. Would either of you be willing to donate energy? It hurts, but it won't do deplete you for more than a few minutes."
Much to her surprise they both stepped forward immediately. Whether it was because they wanted to please Thor and Odin, or because they really wanted to help Loki she didn't know and didn't care. "I'll do it," Fandral told Hogun. "You stood for him at the Tribunal." Hogun nodded agreement and stepped back.
"Okay, grab that chair and make yourself comfortable and just try to breathe through it. Don't worry if you get dizzy, that's expected. I won't need to take too much, so you shouldn't pass out. At least, I don't think you will." Fandral nodded and she held her hand over his meng mein. Her mouth opened as she realized that Fandral's energy was different than Loki's and Thor's. "Um, something's wrong. Hogun, could you try, please? For some reason Fandral's energy isn't compatible." The men switched places and she tried again. Hogun and Fandral's energies were the same, but both were far different than Loki's. "Oh shit. We've got a problem."
… …
Author's Notes: Yes, I've done it again. I'm armored up and am hiding behind one of Kara's blast shields so do your worst, I'm ready for it!
Regarding the níðhöggr, that's pure artistic license. There is a legend of a serpent named Níðhöggr that chews at the roots of Yggdrasill, but I've found no name for the species, nor a description for it.
I finally got around to watching Iron Man 2, and I'm surprised no one has yelled at me about Pepper being made the CEO way back then. I got lots of comments about the strawberries. You're slipping folks! :wink: