A/N: I actually already had this written but I've been so busy I couldn't find the time to proofread it. If any of you looked at my profile, I put a note on there about my busyness of late- oh and btw, if I ever take a long time updating something, I might be too busy to write/post anything so I'll put a note on my profile. Otherwise, I'm probably being lazy and you can try nagging me in a PM or something. ;D
Now, to the actual a/n... Only thing to say is that this fic is AU from the events in Iron Man 3 and probably any other MCU films after The Avengers.
- Chapter 3 -
What's Happened to Our Loki?
Tony Stark had been informed by his cool and always collected AI that a couple of Norse gods had appeared on his landing pad. He had been in the kitchen fixing a snack, but made his way to the landing site within minutes. Thor was walking toward him, his cape flowing in the afternoon sun, always with the damn cape, Tony thought, shaking his head as he approached.
"Hey big guy- woah..." He caught sight of the bundle in his arms. "Is that Loki?"
Thor stopped in front of him, his face saddened. "Son of Howard, may we enter?" Tony couldn't stop staring at Loki. The trickster's eyes were clenched shut, his expression- is he...scared?
Tony finally found his words, but continued staring at Loki. "Buddy," he said to Thor, "how many times do I have to tell you: you and Rudolph basically live here now. Stop asking." Thor walked carefully over to one of the couches. "And, uh, by the way, what the hell is going on?" The thunder god set Loki down as gently as he could. "And what the hell happened to him?" Thor straightened himself and took a few steps back. Tony glanced at Thor, then back at Loki. "He asleep?"
"No," came Thor's immediate response.
Tony cocked his head, confused. "Okay," he leaned down toward Loki, "Lokster..." he drawled playfully, "not happy to see uncle Tony?" Loki didn't respond. Not even to the 'Lokster'? He hates that! He turned to Thor sharply. "What happened to him. I don't like it when my favorite trickster god doesn't even scold me for my awesome and wonderfully creative nicknames. You know I lay awake at night thinking those up-"
"Stark." Thor's voice was low but not threatening, and certainly not in the mood for Tony's antics.
Tony pursed his lips. "That bad, huh?" Thor nodded, his face solemn. "You want me to get Bruce? He's lookin' kinda pale-er than usual and," Tony leaned down, "bloody." He finally noticed several cuts on the mischief god's head, near his hairline. There were also bruises across his face. His eyes suddenly fell on the metal on Loki's neck. "And what's that?" Tony pointed toward it, straightening to look at Thor.
"A collar," came Thor's unhelpful response.
"Yeah, I can see that, oh mighty thunderer, why's he wearing it?" Thor looked down, shaking his head. Well. He's uncharacteristically quiet. I'm creeped out. "Okay. Gotta know. Tell me what's going on or I'm gonna have to revoke your license to live here."
The blonde sighed and looked at Tony. "I am...uncertain Loki would wish me to tell you."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Uhh, okay. And if he's not sleeping, why doesn't he, I dunno, wake up and tell me himself?" But the trickster remained unmoving, breathing steadily, eyes still shut.
"Stark, please. I require your help."
Tony perked up. "Oh? With what?" Maybe I'll get some answers this way, Tony thought.
Thor hesitated, shifting his weight. "Banner once told me of a way that one can see the building blocks of a person, that it is like a map, and that each person's is always different, unique." Tony was confused for a moment, having to decipher the god's strange manner of speaking. Building blocks...
The inventor snapped his fingers. "You're talking about DNA- genes, yeah?"
Thor's face brightened slightly, although not as blinding as it should be. "Yes! He told me that this...DNA is in every part of our bodies, in our skin, blood, even our hair."
Tony unconsciously scratched his head then crossed his arms. "Uh, yeah sure. Whatever. Why? You want me to test you guys' DNA or something? Because that would be really awesome-"
"Does every part of the body have this substance?" Thor moved a few steps closer, eager seriousness on his face.
"Sure. Pretty much."
"And you can compare this DNA to another's? To match them? See if they are the same person?"
Tony was surprised. "Wow. You're a lot smarter than you let on, big guy." Thor stared at him, waiting. "But yeah. If you got two samples from two different people, we can compare them against each other. Why?" Thor stood up straight, crossed his arms and nodded as though deep in thought. "And, uh, should we just leave him?" Thor looked at him. "We gonna leave Lokster here while he fake-sleeps? What if he fake-wakes? Is he," Tony leaned in, whispering, "back to his old self?" Thor furrowed his brows. "I mean, is he gonna freak out? Is he okay? Shouldn't you be around if that happens?"
Thor looked down at the floor. "He is...unwell. But my presence will not help him." Thor's face hardened.
"What the hell does that mean? And since when? He was like a clingy baby monkey holding onto its hammer-wielding momma the last time he was here."
Thor seemed frustrated, shaking his head. "At any rate, I do not plan on leaving him here."
Tony tilted his head. "Okay, then. Off to the lab? Normally I'd let Brucie help you guys, but I've been dying to play with my new Stark toys that don't require any working knowledge of medicine-"
"Will you carry Loki?"
Tony stared at Thor, confused. "What. Why don't you carry him, that's what you were doing, you know, like-" he pointed, "-just now."
Thor rubbed a hand across his face and beard. "I do not have time to explain...Stark, please."
"Okay, okay," he held up a hand, "no more 'pleases,' you're weirding me out." Tony walked over to Loki and squatted down beside the couch. Loki still hadn't moved, his eyes remained closed. This close, Tony could now see clearer the numerous cuts and bruises on Loki's face and hands that he had not seen earlier. What happened to you this time, buddy? Tony was about to ask Thor, but realized it would be a waste of breath. The thunder god seemed determined not to give any details. Still, Tony couldn't resist saying something, "Why do you guys always have to wear so much leather? Gotta be heavy, huh?" Tony place both hands on the couch, readying himself to carry the hurt god.
"Stark..."
"I mean, I get it, sorta: leather is so badass. But still, can't be easy to wear in summer," Tony knew he was rambling. He rambled when he was uncomfortable. "But now...at least he's less 'prince of pirates,'" he poked a finger at Loki's shoulder, "and more, 'prince of Ass-guard.'"
"Asgard," Thor corrected.
"That's what I said," Tony continued prodding Loki, but with three fingers this time.
Loki's voice made him jump. "Stop that, Stark, or I'm afraid you'll find yourself flying through yet another window." The trickster's eyes slowly opened.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Loki had felt panic rising in him when Thor had first taken flight on Asgard. The entire time he contemplated whether or not he should try leaping out of Thor's arms. Would he catch me? he had found himself asking.
But Earth... on Earth he didn't want to feel panicked. He wanted to feel safe again, safe with his friends. So he told himself, spoke to himself. He occupied his mind, recited every spell he knew, tried to remember all the lessons from when he was growing up. Loki had a very good memory, and he had barely scratched the surface when Thor and Tony had begun talking.
Loki wanted nothing more than to greet Stark, or perhaps to scold him, to banter the way they always had before. But somehow it was easier. Easier to remain quiet, to gauge Thor's and Tony's responses. Would Thor tell him what's happened? When he didn't, Loki wondered, is that to respect my wishes? Or does he protect himself? It didn't matter, Loki realized, Thor would eventually have to tell the others if he was to explain why he was taking this 'test.' In truth, Loki minded it less if the Avengers knew what had happened, even if he would have preferred to keep it hidden. He was accustomed to his secrets, after all, but after staying with the Avengers for so long, after they had seen him crack and break and stumble around, his dignity shattered, a long-lost memory that everyone could barely remember, it didn't really matter if they found out about just one more indignity, just one more thing that could be used against him; but that's not why it didn't matter. No. It didn't matter because he knew they would never use it in that manner. They weren't the Aesir. They had proven that a long time ago.
So he had finally spoken. Finally broken his internal mantra, his efforts to ignore Thor.
Tony's face lit up. "Hey there, not-so-sleeping-beauty," Tony cracked a small smile. "The 'not so' being about the 'sleeping' part, not the 'beauty' part. We all know you're pretty."
"Shut up, Stark," Loki deadpanned.
"And now we're back to 'Stark'? What happened to 'Tony'?" The billionaire looked up at Thor. "You know how long it took me to get him to stop calling me 'Stark'?" Thor shook his head. "You still need to work on that, by the way," he said to Thor. Both gods rolled their eyes. Stark always had a way of lightening even the darkest moods. It was one of the reasons Loki opened up to him first- of course it was mostly out of annoyance the first few times.
"Tony," Loki now looked solemn, "can you carry me?" Normally the Iron Man would have made some clever jest at Loki's expense, but Loki's tone and injured nature were no doubt holding his tongue.
Stark winced for a second then smiled slightly. "Sure thing," he moved a hand carefully under Loki's legs. "I mean, you might be like a giant, but you're more like Jack Skellington than anything else." Loki and Thor had learned to take Tony's pop culture references in stride and ignored him. His other hand slid under Loki's back and he, finally, carefully lifted him. "But you're still heavy," Tony quipped. "Yet another reason to stop wearing all the leather, Lokster." Loki was going to pull on Tony's beard for the pet-name, but he didn't feel like it after they passed Thor.
.
The walk down to the labs was mostly quiet, except for Tony's constant rambling, which Loki promptly ignored the entire trip. Thor remained silent, although he nodded occasionally at Tony, as though he were listening. Loki couldn't tell if he really was, his mind refusing to even look at the thunder god's face. The elevator had been awkward, although Loki suspected only to him. Tony continued speaking the entire way down, somehow a strange comfort, and Thor had leaned against the opposite wall, staring at the door.
Loki half expected to find Bruce somewhere around, tinkering with one of his experiments, but the floor was empty, the instruments humming quietly.
"Where is Banner?" Thor was apparently wondering the same thing.
"What? Oh. He's just...somewhere," Tony answered. Thor looked at him quizzically. "What? I have like a million floors of R&D, he's all over the place. If you really wanna know, ask Jarvis." Tony led the three to a computer console near the back end of the lab. There were several other tools and machines nearby and Loki wondered which one would be used for this 'test.'
"So," Tony began, "are you gonna tell me what's going on, or am I gonna have to start asking lots of questions really fast until Loki hits me in the head with something and I keep going anyway?" He set the god down on an empty metal table behind him. The table wasn't long enough and Loki's feet hung off the edge. The cold of the metal at his back reminded him of his room's marble floor; he shivered.
Thor sighed. "Is this the instrument for the test?" He leaned back on a table across from Tony and Loki and pointed toward the computer beside Loki's table.
"Uh, sorta. Yup. A part of it anyway." He tapped on the display then turned back toward Thor. "So, dare I ask whose DNA I'm supposed to be checking?"
Loki glanced at Thor, who shifted uncomfortably. "Mine," Thor finally said.
Tony nodded boredly, "Okay then, because that's not weird at all." He crossed his arms. "And what am I comparing it against?"
"This," Thor reached into a small pouch at his back, then retrieved an even smaller colored vial, the glass dark green. He handed it to Stark.
"Right," Tony grabbed it and immediately uncorked it and peered inside. For a moment he looked confused then yelled, "Oh my God!" He held it away from himself, arm straight out. "What the hell, Thor!"
The thunderer looked at him, brow furrowed. "You said it could be any part, yes?" Loki wondered what was in the vial, my vial, he now recognized. Did Thor take that from my room?
"I said- well, yeah, but," Tony's tongue flicked out in disgust, "eww. Seriously, guy, yuck and ew, and some warning next time would be nice." Tony's arm remained outstretched, as far away from himself as he could manage, only two fingers holding the vial. "What is this? Like a paternity test or something? Did you knock up some girl while you were drunk and now you're wondering if you're the father? Believe me, I've been there, just not sure you're going about this the right way, big guy." A pause. "Not to mention, I think I need a sample from the kid or something..."
Loki suddenly realized what was in the vial, Tony's rambling words fading into the background. Thor...you... That's what he was doing while I was washing up? Loki quickly turned his head to stare at the wall, hoping Tony wouldn't look at him...or Thor.
Tony's voice drifted toward him, "Hey, you okay, Reindeer Games?" There was concern in his voice, Loki wanted to glare at him, but refused to turn.
"I'm fine," Loki lied to the wall, "my...injuries are bothering..." He couldn't finish the sentence, he couldn't even look at Tony but he still wondered what the other two were doing.
"Right," came Tony's voice. "And I'm really starting to wonder about that. Shouldn't you be healing?"
"Stark, please." Thor's voice.
"Alright, alright. It'll take a little time, and...I'll need some of your saliva, Thor." Loki heard movement, Tony's wheeled chair sliding, Thor's boots shifting, some confused noises from Thor. Several moments past and Loki continued staring at the white wall. Test... this is what Thor was speaking of? Using Midgardian technology to prove his innocence? Using...that? He suddenly wanted to vomit again.
"This is seriously getting weirder and weirder," said Tony. "And just so you know, I would never be keeping my mouth shut unless you were my two favorite Norse gods."
"Do you know any others?" Thor questioned. Loki would have thought it a clever response, if Thor's tone wasn't serious.
"Um, no." Stark paused. "But, not the point...or something." The trickster felt a small smile tickle his lips. Tony Stark will always be Tony Stark. It was comforting.
"Why do you not allow Banner to do this test?" Thor asked. "He seems more suited to it."
"Because A, as I've already mentioned, I want to try out my new tech- tons of labs and hospitals are trying to get their hands on it...uh, nevermind -and two...or no, B, I'd rather not have to sit through Bruce's stammering and blushing while he's trying to uncomfortably do this test. And C- if there is a C -or three, whichever, I'm all curious now. I gotta know what's going on."
After that, both Thor and Tony were quiet, but Loki could hear Stark working, tapping and sliding across the floor as he worked.
.
"Congratulations!" Tony's voice crashed in on Loki, making him jump, too loud and too close all at once even though he was still several steps away. "Or, wait. Maybe not congratulations. I guess it depends on what the hell I'm doing this all for."
Thor was walking toward the other two, Loki managed to turn his head to stare at Stark, "What do you mean?" Thor asked. "Is the test done?"
"Right you are, Mr. L'Oreal, we've got a match. It is indeed yours." Loki suddenly jumped off, or rather fell off, the table startling the other two. "Loki?" said Tony's concerned voice.
It was a lie! All lies! His body was moving, scrambling, backing away into the nearest corner. "Lies!" Loki screamed. "They were all lies! I told you, you can't fix this, Thor!" Should have known, I should have known! Not safe anymore! He's not my brother, no please... The other two were moving toward him. Stay away! No more!
"Loki..." Tony's voice, questioning, worried. "What's going on...did I say something? What-" but Thor cut him off.
"Brother, please, I..." No no no, not brother! "I do not understand...it is wrong! It must be! I did not... I swear to you, I..."
Loki couldn't breathe, he couldn't see. His eyes were too filled with tears, his legs were too close to his chest, his arms too cold and trembling. Lies, lies, lies...
"Thor, what the hell is going on?" Stark's voice was harsh now, angry even. "You'd better tell me right now, or I swear I'll bring the fucking Hulk down here to ask instead."
"Stark, I-"
"No more delays! Tell me!"
There was a slight pause. "It is difficult to explain what I do not understand myself!" Thor bit back. The two men were standing so near, too close. I don't want to be here...
"He raped me," Loki's voice was so quiet, whispered, the other two took a moment before looking at him. Did I just speak? Loki's mind reeled. No, I didn't. You were just thinking it...never said anythi-
"What. the. hell." Tony's voice. Loki couldn't read his tone, too lost in his own thoughts to register another's.
He shrunk further into himself, into the wall. Hide me, help me- Why did I say anything? It wasn't like him, just blurting things out- why did he have to speak?!
"It is not true!" Now Thor. He's going to hurt you, kill you, came a voice, he'll kill you both. This was all for fun, he knew he would fail the test. Loki hid his face under his shaky arms, his sobs wracking his body.
Loki's strangled voice again came without his permission, "Please don't let him hurt me again." No one said anything, he wondered what Stark would do, what Thor would do. The silence ate at him.
Finally, Tony spoke, "This doesn't make any damn sense. How can- You wouldn't..."
Does he not believe me? The voice came back, Of course he doesn't. You're the god of lies. Why should he believe you over the golden prince? The glorious god of thunder? Loki suddenly wished the others were here, the other Avengers. Bruce would believe me...or Natasha. She's as good a liar as I am, she would know. And Steve, where's Steve? He couldn't not believe me. There is no way the good captain would leave me here crying and begging.
Loki was suddenly aware of Tony crouched in front of him and he lifted his face to peek. The man of iron winced slightly when he saw Loki's red eyes and tear-stained face, the utter desperation and fear emanating from his entire frame. Loki moved before he knew what he was doing, grabbing Tony around the chest. "Please believe me!" he cried. "Don't leave me with him, I beg you, please!" Loki sobbed through his muffled words. He could feel the hum of Tony's arc reactor through his right ear, the sound soothing and a reminder of his friend. Tony seemed taken aback and Loki began to wonder what Thor was doing until he heard his voice.
"I do not know what to do, Loki...I..." Thor's voice was strained, shaky. Is he crying? "I beg of you to please believe me-"
The dry voice of Jarvis made all three men jump.
"I am sorry to interrupt, sirs, but I have discovered a variation in the samples given by Mr. Odinson."
"What the hell, Jarvis? You trying to give us all heart attacks?" Tony shook his head. "What do you mean? I already analyzed the samples, they're a match."
"With all due respect, sir, the equipment is designed for more than simple genetic tests; I ran further tests due to Mr. Odinson's adamant objections."
"And?"
"While they are a match, there is a slight phase variance between the samples."
"What does that mean?" came Thor's desperate question.
Tony shushed him, "Yeah, what does that mean?"
"Given the evidence, I can only surmise that the first sample came from a different Thor Odinson."
"Just so you know," Tony said flatly, "that doesn't actually make any sense, J. You're not coming down with another bug are you? I just checked him last week..." The last part Tony mumbled to himself.
"I do not believe so."
"Okay then," Tony continued. "Please start making sense now, or I'm going in for a root canal this time."
"I cross-referenced the phase variance I found with SHIELD's database; there is a precedent for this kind of anomaly."
"SHIELD?" Tony frowned slightly. "You broke into SHIELD's files for this?"
"Would you like me to refrain from doing so in the future, sir?"
"No, no. Initiative, I like it." He smiled down at Loki, who had leaned back a little, waiting for Jarvis to continue. "So what precedent?"
"Roughly two years ago, SHIELD encountered a man who shared the same appearance and was a DNA match with one of their operatives."
"Okay, who?
"I do not have that information, sir. SHIELD has recently upgraded their systems, I was only able to retrieve parts of the file that required a lower level of clearance."
"Well, whatever, why did he share his DNA?"
"SHIELD surmised, after extensive questioning, that he had arrived through a tear in the universe, an-"
"-An alternate reality!" Tony yelled to the ceiling, Loki jumped back a little.
Jarvis paused for a moment. "So it would seem." Loki was certain he heard annoyance in the voice.
Loki backed away even more, then stared at Tony's arc reactor. "Stark? I...do not understand."
"Nor do I," said Thor.
Stark stood up, Loki didn't protest, but sank back into the corner. He was too curious to cower, however. What is happening? What is Jarvis saying? But Tony was talking again.
"It's not you," he pointed a finger at Thor. "I mean, it is, but it's not." He beamed. What are you smiling about? "There's this idea, a theory...or I guess it's more than a theory now. But anyway, it says that there are all these alternate realities out there. Parallel to our own, all with different histories and people and where everything is different, but some things are the same." Both gods looked as though he were speaking another language.
Loki was the first to speak from his corner, "Some things..."
"Yeah, like, say...a brother that looks the same but who is in fact evil." Tony raised his hands, as if that would add to the explanation.
"I still do not understand," came Thor's response.
"Look," Tony began, "let me ask you this: what did you do this morning?"
"What?" Thor furrowed his brow.
"Just...humor me."
"Very well," Thor frowned a moment, then answered. "I woke up, dressed, then visited my mother-"
"Okay, there," Tony interrupted, pointing. "Imagine for a second that you...didn't visit your mother. That you decided to, say, go eat breakfast instead."
"But Stark, I did visit my mother."
"Exactly. You visited her. What if there were another you created in that instance. And what if that other you decided to eat breakfast instead. Imagine that that simple decision created a second you, somewhere else. Like a...duplicate."
Thor still seemed confused. "In this...'alternate reality'?" he asked.
"Yup."
"Then that me would have done things differently than I..." Thor nodded slowly.
Tony beamed. "Exactly. Now do you get it?"
"Perhaps...But," Thor leaned on the same table he had earlier, "how did this other me get here?" Loki watched the two, already understanding himself, but still not certain if he believed it. It did absolve Thor- or at least this Thor -of the crime, but the implications gnawed at him. Who is to blame if it is true? Can this other Thor return? And even if it is true that it was not my brother, I will never be able to forget...
"I don't know," Tony began. "But if SHIELD knows that something like this can even happen, you can bet they wouldn't just leave it alone- especially if these people look like us and can pass for us. Serious security breach, you know."
Thor nodded but didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were fixed on his brother. Loki shrunk back, his eyes downcast; Thor still made him nervous. It didn't matter if it was true or not. But he's done nothing. He saved me from the Chitauri. Helped me when I needed it most. So why can I not even look at him? Whether he wanted it to or not, his mind grouped Thor with everything else that had ever hurt him.
"I am still not certain I understand, Stark," said Thor. "If this man is me...why would he..." Thor trailed off.
"...Why would he hurt me?" Loki finished for him.
Stark seemed surprised, as though they should already know. "Well, for starters, if this theory is true, then practically every single decision you guys have made since the beginning of your ridiculously long lives would create a new you," Tony walked a few steps toward Thor. "Just think about it. In that amount of time, in these alternate realities, all sorts of things could have happened. Isn't it plausible that whatever made you who you are," he pointed at Thor, "and whatever made you who you are," he pointed at Loki, "could be very different by now, if only because of a few, or a lot, of different decisions? Everything in your lives could be different there. You could be different there. In fact, every little thing could be changed; I mean, you could travel there and feel like you were...Alice in Wonderland," he finished. Thor eyed Tony, confused. "Look, nevermind. But I think you get what I mean."
Thor nodded, "Perhaps I do. Loki?" Loki jerked his head up, unsure what he should say. What is there to say? Should I believe all of this? What if isn't true, what if Jarvis is wrong?
"How can we be certain," Loki said cautiously, "that any of this is true? Does this..." Loki thought for a moment "...'phase variance' prove something definitively?"
Tony seemed to be considering it, "Well," he looked apologetically at Thor, "not at the moment. But! I will double and triple check it to be sure. I mean really, Jarvis, in case you haven't noticed, is pretty darned smart- I did create him, after all. I doubt he's wrong." Loki nodded. "I'll check it, though, to be sure. Jarvis?"
"Yes, sir. I will double and triple check the results. I have also already transferred the contents of the SHIELD files to your display."
"Thank you, Jarvis," Tony intoned.
"In the meantime," Loki tried standing up, but thought better of it and slid back down, "perhaps you could try and remove this collar?"
Tony nodded. Thor remained where he was, lost in thought.
It only took a few moments, and several scans of the collar, for Tony to announce in a loud voice that the collar was not coming off. 'Sorry, buddy,' he had said. Apparently, it was an alloy of several metals: one called adamantium and the others even Tony couldn't identify. The billionaire had scratched his head, rubbed his beard, and then sighed. Those were never good signs, especially all together. There was no way to take it off without the key.
Loki was tired. Tired in his bones, tired in his mind. His blood felt dead, useless without his magic to sustain it. Will I ever get it back? He didn't want to think about it. As usual Tony had spit out words faster than Sleipnir could run, trying to cheer up the other two, but Loki had had enough. He didn't feel like thinking, much less listening to someone else's thoughts, especially when that person was incapable of filtering himself.
The sun was just going down here, but on Asgard, it was the middle of the night. Sleep was calling. Thor had offered, albeit hesitantly, to carry Loki back to his room, but he remained quiet when Loki said nothing. Tony jumped up instead, claiming he needed a drink anyway, and Loki's room was on the way. It was kind of him, and Loki had accepted, but the situation was clearly uncomfortable for the three. Thor left first and the other two followed soon after.
.
There were people outside. No, not people- monsters. They were oozing down the walls, black tar against an endless white marble. The sky was a midnight black overhead, no stars, nothing- or was that the ceiling? Three deep echoes flowed into the empty room. Empty, except for the god of mischief who lay on the floor, perfectly centered. There was no breeze, no air. Neither cold nor hot, empty. Quiet. Sinister. His blood flowed out, sticky, behind him, under him. But he didn't move. There was a figure nearby, hiding in the shadow of the window. The trickster's mind screamed but his throat had clamped shut, no sound made it out.
The figure was on top of him now, whispering, but he couldn't understand its words. Then it leaned in closer, its cold breath like ice against his ear. "Your future is mine..." Loki shivered "...eternity bleeds..." He didn't understand. He only wanted to move, to get away, to scream, but his body was paralyzed, his throat burning beneath the eyeless gaze. "Soon."
Loki jolted up, a scream strangled in his throat. His sheets were soaked and he couldn't catch his breath. No please! his mind screamed, but there was nothing. No dark figure, no unnatural shadows. Only his room in Avengers Tower, a single dim lamp alight in the opposite corner. He gripped the sheets tightly in his trembling hands and continued eyeing the room suspiciously. Ridiculous fool! Only a nightmare. How many have there been since the Chitauri? He shook his head, sighing. Always something to fear, eh, Silvertongue?
He got up as carefully as he could, his legs unsteady beneath him, and walked slowly, painfully, into the bathroom. The water was cool against his skin as he washed his face, the feeling of what was utterly real calming his nerves. His face was still cut up, bruised. If the collar slows my healing...what if I get hurt even more? Can I die? Am I mortal now? He blinked at himself and shook the feelings away.
He walked back into the room carefully, with hands touching walls and furniture. No need to crack my other knee... He finally reached the bed and sat down with a tired sigh. Did I turn that lamp off? Loki furrowed his brow, thinking, staring at the darkened lamp, the lights of the city now seeping in. Wasn't it on when I woke- Something jerked him back suddenly, pushing him onto the bed. Loki tried to scream but some cloth was shoved into his mouth. Why?! Why again? It's not happening, not happening. Another dream! Yes! Nothing more. You're asleep, Loki, nothing more. His muffled cries were silenced further by a hand as a dark silhouette quickly sat on top of him, pinning his arms to his sides.
"How did I get here?!" an angry voice whispered at Loki. No... He knew the voice, he knew it but didn't want to admit it. The situation so familiar, and so soon after. How is this possible? Again? Loki doubted anyone could have such rotten luck a second time. "Here you are, little prince," the voice growled, "and here I am, again. Are we aching for another try? Hm, princeling?"
Loki was caught off-guard, too shocked to do anything, to even struggle. The silhouette seemed to be looking around, taking in his surroundings.
"And where is this now? Not on Asgard anymore, are we?" Loki's body couldn't respond. The dark form looked out the window, "Earth? We're on Earth?" He laughed and returned his face to the shaking god beneath him. He leaned down slowly, deliberately, Loki tried to sink further into the covers, tears trickling down into his ears and hair. "I'm going to remove the gag now. If you scream, if you make a sound, I will have to hurt you in my favorite way. Is that understood?" His voice dripped with whispering venom, a threat Loki couldn't ignore. The trickster nodded as best he could, blinking away tears.
The hand was removed slowly, then the cloth was pulled out. Loki's mouth was dry, his voice hoarse, "Please don't hurt me again," his whispered voice choked out.
"Oh how nice, you do remember," He leaned down with both arms flanking Loki's head. "Answer my questions and I won't have to." He then waited until Loki nodded in agreement. "I really only have one question, little prince: how did I get back here?" Loki's eyes widened in horror.
How..? What? I don't know the answer to that! I don't know! "I..." he couldn't answer, didn't want to. "I don't know..." Please please, Loki thought, how can I know? "...I do not even understan-" The hand returned, harshly covering both his mouth and his nose, this time.
"Let's try this again," he seethed, "how did I get back here? I know it's you because I arrived where you are, the anchor is you, sorcerer. Tell me now." The hand let up, but it didn't matter, Loki couldn't speak, his entire body was numb from fear. The threat echoed through him, crashed through his head, left him crying in panic. He shook his head violently, wishing the terrible man away. The silence was screaming at him, the darkness deepening. The city lights were ominous, taunting. The cloth was nearing his mouth again.
"Please...please don't. Please..mmf!" But the cloth was already in, shoved so far back he was afraid to breathe. He shook his head again, trying to continue his protest, his plea. Why bother? It never worked before.
Now he was being turned over, the cold air stinging him for a moment where there had once been warmth. Sickly sticky warmth, not nurturing like the sun, or like his brother's smile- Loki screamed through the gag, muffled though it was.
"Last chance, little one. Feel like telling me now?" A hand ghosted over Loki's face, as though ready to pull out the gag. What does he think, I'm lying to him? But a thought occurred to Loki. He nodded. If he removes the gag, maybe I could- The man was chuckling, "I don't think I believe you. I think you're lying." He leaned over and caught Loki around the throat from behind, then removed the cloth anyway.
His body was warm against Loki's backside, and the blood drained from his face. No... Loki gagged when the hand squeezed.
"I was thinking about just killing you, but I don't think that would be as much fun." The squeezing hand let go slightly and Loki coughed, but the hand still held his throat tightly. The man hummed an approval, as though Loki had consented somehow. "Come now, it could not have been that bad..." A warm hand drifted down Loki's back.
Not that bad? A sudden rush of anger flowed through the god of mischief. Not that bad?! A panicked elbow flew back, cracking against a nose. His attacker was caught off-guard, Loki struggled with all his might, ignoring his injuries, his body fueled by pure rage and fear. He dug his fingers into the arm holding his throat and finally wrenched it away. He kicked as best he could and managed to fall off the side of the bed in front of him, crashing to the floor with a graceless thud.
He wasted no time, he knew he couldn't get away, all he had was a small window of opportunity. The word crashed out of his mind, worked its way into his lungs, then out with the loudest scream he could muster: "THOR!"
The moment after he screamed his attacker was on him again, pinning him to the ground, the hand crushing his throat again like iron teeth.
"What? Did you think you could overpower me? Get away?!" He picked Loki up with one arm around his throat and pushed him back onto the bed. Loki couldn't breathe, he couldn't see for all the tears flowing out of his eyes, stinging him. His consciousness was leaving him, the darkness bleeding into his eyes. Please don't be my Thor, Loki pleaded.
A sudden crash echoed across the room as the wooden door flew off its hinges and smashed through every piece of furniture until it hit the opposite wall. And there, as though from a whispered dream, was Thor. His Thor, standing with Mjolnir in hand and red cape bordered by the light of the open door. Loki managed a crooked smile, even through the haze and desperation.
He heard Mjolnir sing as it flew across the room, the air suddenly returning to his breaking lungs, his body now so light and free of its burden. Loki fell off the bed again, choking for air, half aware of the two men fighting. A crash rippled through the floor, then another loud noise greeted the trickster's ears as he regained his illusive breath. Something broke- a table, maybe, the sound of splinters falling. There was a sudden quiet, then a strangled noise from the other side of the bed. Then a thud. And another, and another.
"Loki, get out of here!" he briefly heard, but he didn't want to. He wanted to see this, needed to see this. Loki crawled. He crawled on hands, elbows, and one knee, ignoring the pain and the tears that dripped onto his hands. Another thud and then a muffled crack. Loki rounded the bed, he saw the red. Thor's cape and Mjolnir covered in it. Thor- his Thor -was hunched over, he turned around briefly to look at Loki. The thunderer's body and cape obscured the second man, whose legs still moved.
Loki wanted to see. The light from the city was brighter this close to the windows. Let me see! Thor's fierce blue eyes caught sight of Loki's tears, his desperate look, his trembling, crawling form. The thunder god boiled with fury and turned to bloody the figure beneath him once more with the hammer. Loki crawled around so he could see the other- two Thors! The truth hit him square in the chest, he couldn't hold himself up anymore, his arms gave way as he fell limply to the floor. He stared at the two from his side. His golden brother- my brother, Loki smiled weakly -had come for him. He had saved him again. How could I have doubted him?
Thor finally stood up, panting, just as another form stumbled hurriedly through the open doorway.
"What the- what happened?!" came Tony's outcry. He moved closer. "Oh." He was staring at the bloodied form on the floor. "Oh...woah..." He walked gingerly, taking in the destroyed room.
Thor was walking now, his boots getting closer to Loki. For a split second an instinct told him to jerk away, but the other man was still there, on the floor in front of him, the true danger. No. That is not my Thor. He's just an imposter unworthy of wearing his face. But now the real Thor had stopped, still a few steps away. Tony was cursing again and talking, but neither god heard him. Why doesn't he approach? Why does my brother hesitate? The red cape and boots were too far away, Loki couldn't help it any longer- he scrambled as best he could and lunged toward Thor, falling and catching him around his big brother's feet.
"Loki!" Thor protested kindly. He gently loosened Loki's grip and leaned down on his knees so he could hold his little brother. Loki kept his gaze on the unconscious form on the floor. Imposter, he seethed. He gripped Thor around the neck as the thunder god stood up. Thor hugged him gently for a long moment, holding his entire weight as the younger god's feet grazed loosely across the floor.
Loki was tired and in pain, but he didn't care. He had his brother back and that was all that mattered. Someone else had entered the room- Bruce, his mind told him, but he still didn't care.
He's mine. My Thor. My brother... And I'm never letting him go again.
A/N: Is it just me or are Thor and Loki kinda really possessive of each other? Lol. I must admit I chuckled a bit at Thor's Big Damn Heroes moment at the end there, but I couldn't not do it like that. That other guy needed a good Mjolnir-smashing in the head. XD
Anyway, about the alternate universe thing, I noticed there are alternate universes in the comic books so I figured SHIELD might already know something about that. It's also why the others accept it so readily- it's just not that unheard of in this universe.
Hope you guys are liking the fic so far!