AN: Whoa! It has been a while! I apologize! For the last few weeks, I really stepped up my studying game. Thank you all for your well-wishes! I will find out in a month how I did, so now I must wait. Hopefully I studied enough!
Thank you everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I can't believe it! You guys are amazing, and I have the best reviewers! Updates should be far more regular, especially since I have most of the final chapters completely planned out ( or written! ). It will be sad for this to end!
Please enjoy the new chapter, and thank you all again for all the reviews and well wishes! I seriously love you guys :)
Chapter 34: Negotiations
It felt like her arm was being pulled from its socket, the way he pulled her through the twisting tunnels below Asgard. Above them, beyond the dark, web-laden stone ceiling, were sounds of screeching and thunder cracking. Letting out a sigh of relief, the goddess realized that Thor was still living to fight another battle. Casting her gaze ahead in the dark tunnels, the doctor looked towards the man dragging her ungracefully, the tight grip of his fingers digging into the flesh of her wrist.
"The others are fools for fighting in the open." Loki spat, whipping her around a corner, "Do they not know of these tunnels?"
Cringing, Eir jumped as she heard a large explosion above them. Asgard was laced with secret passageways-tunnels that connected the palace to the outskirts of town. They were built as a way for the Royal family to escape in case of attack, but like any door, they worked both ways. Not unknown to the rest of Asgard, attackers were often left to die in their confusing patterns or fall prey to the many traps. For her sake, she hoped Loki remembered how to correctly navigate them.
"I doubt they used them as extensively as us." She remarked, her teeth clenching as they turned around another corner hurriedly, "Your brother needn't sneak out of the palace as we did."
In the glow of the green stone, she could see the faintest of smirks flash across Loki's face.
"How fortuitous for us, then."
Jumping again, another loud boom echoed through the tunnels. From above the sound of lasers and firearms drowned out the sound of her beating heart, and the chime of screams replaced the usual city banter. In the wake of such horrors, the healer couldn't stop herself from feeling guilty.
"Do you not think we should be helping them?" she asked quickly, her guilt becoming more palpable with every scream, "What good are we in these tun—"
"They will fare fine, Eir." Loki interrupted harshly, his voice in a tone that startled her, "You heard my brother; we must get to the palace."
Another crash shook through their stone surroundings. Swallowing hard, Eir could feel her heart racing as a metallic slither rang through the maze. In the distance, she could hear the loud clanking of metal on rock—a distinctly alien howl shaking the humid air around them. In its wake, Eir felt the grip on her arm loosen and a wave of horror wash over Loki's face.
"Do you hear that?"
The handmaiden felt a chill rush down her back as a low purr resonated in the background.
"They're in the tunnels." She whispered, her voice shaking, "But how—"
Loki grabber her shoulders before she could finish.
"You need to run."
"And leave you?" Eir asked scandalized, "I won't leave yo—"
In the light of the gem, the healer suddenly saw the desperation on Loki's face.
"You don't get better!" he yelled, the grip on her shoulders tightening, "I can die and you'll save me."
Her heart dropped when she realized why he was dragging her through the tunnels.
"If something happens to you…" his voice had trailed off, "I—I can't bring you back."
Biting her lip, the Asgardian looked into the eyes of the banished prince. His hands were tight against her, and his face was filled with a mixture of anger and frustration. There was a flash of the man she had seen in prison, his green eyes glowing with a type of craze she had long tried to forget. Putting a hand on his shaking ones, Eir watched as his face softened just enough in the darkness.
"Do you know how horrifying that is to me?"
Another metallic purr echoed past them.
"Please." He begged softly, "I will be fine."
While it must have only been a few moments, the scenarios that ran through the doctor's mind seemed to last for ages. Did she take his advice? Part of her knew he was right; if she died, there was no magic that could fix her. But if she left him? She knew well enough that there were injuries even she couldn't fix—every good healer knew their limits. Could she really live with herself if it got to that point? It wasn't even a question anymore.
Hearing the footsteps getting louder, Eir gave Loki a defiant glare and grabbed his hand.
"What are you—?"
"Which way towards the palace?"
In the background she could hear him giving her directions, telling her how to step and which turns to avoid, but she was only half processing. From the thick darkness behind them, screeching and gunfire rang through the walls. She could only barely see their faces, but they looked like monstrous aliens she had only read about in books. The Dark Elves were easy to pick out—their soulless masks staring them down—but there were others. Included were what she could only guess were Chitauri, their animalistic howls sending shivers down her spine. Loki had truly kept poor company in his absence.
Squinting her eyes, Eir could make out the faint outline of a staircase in the distance. They were so close, the security of the palace within reach, but as the gunfire echoed and reflected off the walls towards them, she knew they would never make it. Calculating the last few minutes in her head, the healer put her hand in her satchel and gave Loki a nervous look.
"Hold your breath."
Throwing vials on the stone floor, the woman jumped as shattering glass rang through the darkness. Clouds surrounded them, the stone corridor becoming a suffocating death trap. Grabbing onto the prince's hand harder, Eir cringed-the end was so close, but everything hurt so badly. Her chest was burning, the want to take a breath unbearable, yet she couldn't. Behind her, she could see the soldiers grabbing their throats and screaming. Their voices were positively guttural, and when they fell to the floor and grabbed their chests in an attempt to extinguish some invisible flame, she knew she had won.
The last few steps were a blur, but she could vaguely remember arms pulling her up from the cold, toxic maze—her body left to gasp for breath atop gilded floors. Swallowing hard, the healer said a silent prayer as she stared at cathedral ceilings she knew well, and gave a small smile towards the coughing man next to her.
"Are you daft!?" he asked breathlessly, "That was positively reckless!"
Closing her eyes and smiling to herself, the goddess only half listened to the reprimand she was receiving. Loki had never been good at showing emotion, and it was something she had to get used to. She had to get used to the fact that he wasn't like the other men she had read about in beautiful poetry or heard about in court songs. He was not like the men the other handmaidens courted—he was not the type to give flowers or shower her in terms of endearment.
But behind the hard exterior, there were subtle clues. The way he spoke, or the way his eyes would shift, said volumes. Listening to him now, behind all the words calling her actions foolish and unnecessary, she knew exactly what he was trying to say in so many words.
"You could have died." He hissed, "What would I have done witho—"
Pulling his armor towards her, the handmaiden silenced the angry prince with a kiss.
"Loki, please stop talking."
"Do you see anything, Stark?"
Listening to static for a moment, Captain America looked around the golden palace. He had made it to the center of Asgard successfully, though only barely. Had Thor not distracted the hordes, he would not have had enough time to escape the mass. There were so many of them, creatures he had never seen before and others he wanted so desperately to forget. They were everywhere, crawling out of tunnels and buildings, almost like an infestation.
But the palace was nearly empty.
"Negative, Rogers." Tony's voice finally answered, "Banner took out a lot of them in the gardens."
There was static between them for a moment.
"Anything in the palace?"
Turning a corner, the solider saw another empty hallway. Aside from the rotting bodies of Asgardians, he was alone. For whatever reason, the enemy had avoided this place—but why? It didn't make sense.
"There's nothing here." Steve remarked quietly, "This doesn't feel right, Stark."
Opening a door, Steve cringed as he saw piles of Asgardians who had passed some time ago. There appeared to be a massive struggle, with tables turned over and glass shattered over evening gowns. Blood stained the walls as if it were paint, creating deathly patterns against elegant carvings. The people were almost unrecognizable, their decay ripping their clothes and altering their faces…he wanted to throw up.
"Captain."
Jumping, the man turned around to see an exhausted Black Widow.
"Glad to see you're alive, Cap." She smirked, "Have you seen anything?"
Shaking his head, the man just looked at the room once again. He had fought both Thor and Loki, and he could remember it being difficult. How could something take out a whole room of Asgardians? They were supposed to be hailed as gods, and yet they were lying defeated like normal humans. If a room full of Asgardians couldn't take whatever they were up against, how could he?
"Hey, Nat…we kinda have a situation."
Broken out of his thought process by Hawkeye's echoing voice, the man followed the leather-clad woman down the hall. As they turned more corners and twisted themselves through the palace, he started to see the remains of a very recent fight. Littered on the floors were defeated alien warriors, some still twitching and some whose guns were still smoking. In the distance, Hawkeye stood over a small heap of bodies—his face visibly sullen.
Lying below the master archer's feet were the remains of some of their Asgardian comrades—the Warriors Three. Putting a hand to his face, Captain took a sharp intake of breath at the sight. They were laid out like war trophies, their bodies cut open like warning signs with their own weapons. Whatever, or whoever, had murdered them had not been the aliens scattered across the halls. Whatever did this had meant it personally.
"I guess we know why there are no aliens here," Hawkeye muttered quietly.
Raising an eyebrow, Steve sent a confused glare to the archer.
"What do you mean, exactly?"
Steve watched as Hawkeye gave him a sad look.
"What I mean is, even the fiercest predators will run away from something worse." Hawkeye explained, "Perhaps they are avoiding this place for a reason."
Feeling his chest tighten, the man looked down at the slain Asgardian heroes once more. Sending a determined look to the two assassins, he sighed.
"Well, let's go find it."
With that, the group ran further into the palace—failing to notice the biggest warning sign of all: one missing orange gem.
He was moving like a shadow, his form slithering against the glittering backdrop the palace had to offer. He had been watching his target for some time, the fool distracted by his own emotions and the war around him. Makelith couldn't help but smile—this task Thanos had sent him on would be too easy.
He had smoked them out like common foxes, sending a horde of warriors through Asgard's secret tunnels. Loki was a coward, never liking to be in the midst of battle, and he knew the rat would traverse Asgard's dirtiest tunnels to escape the pain of battle. The prince was a predictable creature, despite what he liked to think. In the end, however, it had actually been his own Dark Elves that had been smoked—some biological weapon wreaking havoc on their bodies. When the smoke had finally cleared, he was met with dead warriors with faces permanently twisted in pain—their bodies blistered and their faces in an eternal scream. He had underestimated that harlot Loki kept as a pet.
Smiling to himself, Malekith watched as the prince walked towards the weapon's vault, finally alone. The Dark Elf had to admit, he was feeling anxious; he had waited so long to play with Loki's pathetic mind, and it was finally about to happen. Loki's mind was in tatters, abused and still unsure. It would be as if he was playing an instrument, each word a stroke of a string, creating a delicious melody of torment. Time on Midgard had taught him much, and the key to manipulating Loki had been one the more valuable lessons.
Looking on, Malekith watched as Loki entered the vault slowly, his trepidation evident. Floating over the scene, the elf passed by many of Odin's treasures. Each one could win him a battle—if he so wished. The Eternal Flame? He could end all of Asgard with it. The Orb of Agamotto? He could use it to see every plan his enemy would lay. The Tablet of Life? He could strengthen his army with super soldiers. But despite all of these powerful relics, the one he was most interested in was the casket.
Eyeing the blue box, bicolored lips twisted into a smirk. Loki's hands hovered over the relic, withdrawing quickly when his fingertips began to take on a shade of Jotun blue. And when Malekith saw the deep shame painted on Loki's features, he knew it was the perfect time to reveal himself.
"I had forgotten that Odin kept Jotuns as pets."
Loki turned around quickly, his green eyes narrowing in anger.
"How fitting finding you here in his vault." Malekith continued, his voice dripping with satisfaction, "You are nothing but a tool, worth nothing more than the items around you."
To his disappointment, the prince remained quiet. Though appearing to stare straight at him, Malekith could see the subtle movement of Loki's eyes to the various treasures. Looking towards the prince's hands, the elf noticed the slight clenching of fists.
"Are you going to use them against me?" Malekith asked, his voice feigning shock, "Oh, Loki. I thought we were friends."
Loki smirked.
"It crossed my mind."
The leader of the Dark Elves couldn't help but laugh.
"How far you have fallen." He muttered, "What do you hope to gain by helping these fools? Don't tell me it's redemption."
The silence that followed was as good as any answer.
"Do you honestly think they will forgive you?" he asked seriously, his laughter dying down, "After everything you've done?"
The leader's eyes watched intently as Loki's eyes glanced down at his still-blue fingertips. There was something in his face, something almost scared and childish, that told Malekith that he was on the right path to breaking the prince.
"Yes." Loki decided quietly, "In time."
It was a pathetic thought, really. Loki had tried to destroy Jotunheim and concocted a plan that almost caused the death of the Allfather. Even if his family learned to forgive him, Asgard would never. Despite what Loki thought, Asgard would always see him as monstrous and chaotic-a harbinger of destruction whom no one liked. He would never be the favored prince.
"You are no hero, Loki." Malekith countered, "Tis against your nature. You art the God of Lies. Lies are vile and have never saved anyone."
Loki remained quiet.
"Your brother will only forgive you to look noble in the eyes of Asgard." Malekith explained sinisterly, "And that woman? She will pretend to love you to become royalty."
"You know nothing, Malekith."
The elf couldn't help but smirk.
"Are you so sure?"
Finally at his breaking point, the dark elf watched as the ends of Loki's fingers sparked with magic. His green eyes were filled with a rage that was far more fitting for the God of Mischief, and his jaw was clenched tight in frustration. Malekith had played the instrument perfectly.
"Did you come here to simply play with my mind?" Loki spat angrily, "I will have no regrets when your blood is on my hands."
"Actually, I came to seek your assistance." Malekith corrected, "Thanos is growing weak. If we work together, we can take the gauntlet for ourselves and spare further bloodshed."
This time, much to the elf's disappointment, it was Loki who laughed.
"The Gauntlet is not something we could simply share." Loki chuckled, the corner of his lips twisting into a wicked smile, "One of us would kill the other, in the end."
"Thanos cannot be defeated by one of us alone." Malekith countered, "Let us end this and when we have the gauntlet…well, may the better man win."
Holding out his hand towards the prince, Malekith watched as green eyes looked into his curiously. There was a silence between them for a moment, the banished Jotun assessing the situation. He had done exactly what he came here to accomplish—get Loki back on their side. Loki was an inherently selfish individual; heroism would have fit him ill.
Feeling Loki's hand grab his in a tight shake, the elf felt his heart start to race as his fingers began to tingle. On the prince's face was a positively sinful smile, his features suddenly becoming far less Asgardian. Trying to pull away, Malekith gasped as his fingers failed to move—the flesh of his arm falling off in black, frost bitten chunks. Looking back to Loki in a panic, the elf was met only with a pair of piercing red eyes, the face of the man covered in intricate markings.
Letting out an animalistic scream, Malekith squirmed as his body became engulfed in ice, his skin burning and his body shaking uncontrollably. Loki seemed to be taking pleasure in this, the look on his face a far cry from the hurt child he had seen earlier. Whether it was a lie or not, the elf couldn't tell.
"You greatly underestimate my abilities, Malekith." Loki hissed, his fingers grabbing the casket behind him, "I am in no need of your help to end Thanos."
With his body fixed in the middle of the weapons vault, Malekith watched as Loki smiled at him, his body turning back to its Asgardian appearance, and walked towards the exit.
"Thank you for the information." Loki grinned, his eyes filled with a spark of mischief, "May the better man win indeed."
Thank you so much for reading! Reviews are always very much appreciated :D
Next chapter: Asgard isn't as empty as it seems, some gods don't live up to their names, and Thanos adds another stone to his collection.
Also, I am excited people want a series of one-shots! I will try to have the first chapter of this ( currently untitled ) series done when this one ends :) You are all amazing!
