Coterie

By: Shadow Chaser

Disclaimer:

All Marvel characters do not belong to me, they belong to Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Comics. Liberties were taken with the Norse myths.

Story:

Chapter 12

The trek towards consciousness was always a long and muddled process. Hearing seemed to always be the first in his case, but understanding and comprehending what he was hearing was another story. However, his mind was always keen, even when he had been unconscious for a while and Loki registered the near silent hum of machinery near his ear. However, that judgment could not be counted upon since he knew that his hearing was sensitive. The next thing his mind connected was that there was a steady beeping of something followed by low murmurs that had an uneven cadence and tone to be mechanical...voices then.

After hearing, the sensation of touch, sharp, fluid, a little too sensitive at times, registered in his mind as he slowly, cautiously felt out the firm, but slightly soft cushions of what had to be a bed he was lying upon. Nothing metal, stone, painful then, good. There was something adhesive upon parts of him, his wrists, chest, places that he knew to be his pressure points, but how-

Pushing that momentary concern away from him, he could feel a coolness against his bared skin, nothing cold like Jotunheim, but it prickled at him. His arms was bare as was his shoulders, but his chest still felt a cool suppleness of undertunics, which meant that he had been stripped of all clothing except for those-

Pain. Loki had woken upon enough times to pain that he immediately recognized the sensation and automatically suppressed it, his still-too-sharp hearing making sure that the beeping sound stay steady. His mind was already racing with the possibilities and connections as the final part of waking up surged around him, the pain that flared everywhere, down a jagged line across his front, raking his left shoulder blades, but most of all along his right forearm-

His arm suddenly burned in an incredible sharp pain as muscle and sinew were torn apart by the force of a blue-black dire wolf's jaw on it, nearly ripping it from its socket. A hissing sound filled his ears before he realized it was his own voice nearly releasing a scream combined with something dissolving on his arm- No, it was his arm that was dissolving, the angry howling roar muffled as he smelled the sharp scent of animal.

Fenrir.

Loki exploded into full consciousness at the memory of the attack as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. Grey metallic walls with equipment he did not recognize gave way to rows of white beds, some of which were occupied, others which had curtains draw upon them. He saw that two beds down was what looked like the outline of a dark-haired doctor in a lab coat talking to a patient sitting on the bed. He realized that the patient was the soldier Rogers judging by the minute transparency the curtains provided.

He was still on the Helicarrier then, and forced himself to relax, if only a little bit, fighting off the fight-or-flight instinct that had surged within him. If he had been in Asgard, the Healing Hall would not have allowed him to wake up in pain, but he supposed that the mortals and their primitive healing arts did not allow for that. To him, the Helicarrier represented the basest means of safety, that there was no forthcoming attack – at least not at the moment that he was most vulnerable.

He turned his head a little, feeling the shift of what passed for a pillow on this mortal world, crunch in his still too-sensitive ears. What greeted him on his left side was a sight that made him take notice, but at the same time want to throw something. Thor sat in a chair that looked like it would collapse underneath the weight of himself and his armor if not for any movement on his part. A very, very deep part of him was shocked that Thor would be sitting by his bedside of all things, but that part was quickly buried underneath the urge to throw something at Thor's head.

His brother was utterly oblivious to the world judging by the intent, concentrated look he wore staring at some sort of hand held tablet that Loki had seen Dr. Banner occasionally carry around the lab. Two holographic images were projected on top of the tablet as he occasionally lifted a finger to seemingly swipe it down or across the areas; no doubt actually reading.

Loki reached deep within himself to grasp at his magicks, but found them to be as slippery as the other times he had woken up after being injured. He lamented the fact that he could not conjure up an illusion of sorts to play on Thor and instead settled for the next best weaponry he had upon himself – his words.

"Ragnarok has happened, you are reading. Or perhaps not, considering they are moving pictures," he saw the flick of a finger and videos were playing on the holographic screens. He was not surprised to hear how dry and cracked his own voice sounded, but was surprised at how much it hurt. He must have not kept that scream to himself when Fenrir had tore into him as he thought he had...

But his croak, or at least his approximation of speaking got Thor's attention as he looked up from his tablet and made to set it down, but then lifted it back up as if warring with something within him. A sudden burst of fear and disgust shot through Loki as he wondered if Thor was going to say something utterly sentimental or brotherly like that he was alive and readied himself to counter it before his brother suddenly just gave him a small smile.

"You are awake," was all Thor said, his smile not even his usual boisterous one and Loki blinked, surprised at how...unlike himself his brother was acting. He was about to draw the magicks to spell Thor to make sure he was not a doppelganger, before he saw the minute twitching of Thor's hand that held the tablet and stilled his instinct.

The fact that Thor was restraining himself from outright showing affection and sentimentality surprised him, but at the same time Loki wondered if Thor had really taken to heart all of the times he had threatened with a dagger in the ribs and the like. Still, that did not mean Thor was an idiot as he rolled his eyes, feeling the brief scrape of dryness in them against his lids, "No, I am quite fast asleep and you are hallucinating."

"Then it is a pleasant one," his brother retorted and an involuntary laugh that came out more as a cough escaped from his lips before he felt the pull of his wounds and shaking of his injured arm. "Loki-"

Loki ignored his brother's concern at what had to be the pain that he had barely managed to keep off of his expression. He turned his head and finally stared at the elevated remains of his mangled right arm. Jets of blue starlight raced along what remained of, muscles, sinew, blood vessels, and bone, clashing with the slowly shrinking remains of black ichor that he knew was Jormungandr's poison. His arm looked like someone had taken a jagged edge sword and played around in it, leaving gaping holes, wounds that should have been bleeding – probably had bled – and seemingly pockmarked everywhere. Tattered remains of dead flesh along with live ones next to it hung and it hurt as he could now really feel each biting sharp pain that transmitted along still working nerves. Parts of the gaping, weeping wound looked like the frostbitten black burns Volstagg had sustained when the Frost Giants had touched him, but most of it looked like a diseased thing.

Contrary to what the others might think and what Thor probably thought, Loki did not try to shy away from pain, no matter how much he had complained in his younger years during trips to the Healing Halls. He just tended not to like the Healing Halls that much and found the easiest way for solitude was to make himself a complete nuisance, usually driving Eir up a wall. He forced himself to continue to stare at his arm and twitched his fingers, relief flooding him as well as waves of agony as each of his fingers and parts of his palm responded to his mental commands to move.

"Loki-"

"I wouldn't do that, Loki," a shadow fell over his arm and Loki looked up to see Dr. Banner standing next to his bed.

He only arched an eyebrow to which the doctor frowned before reaching out to touch-

A part of him suddenly exploded in panic while the other part of him fought the rising panic as Dr. Banner stopped just short of actually lifting or touching his injured arm and Loki felt his fingers, hand, and arm twitch in an effort to shy away. There was no need for panic as he forced himself to keep his breathing normal, no need – this was not Thanos, not the pain and torture that had been inflicted upon him in the abyss-

"Looks like the cure is working," the doctor gave him a wan smile, but Loki knew that whatever panic he had been trying to suppress had not fooled the doctor. Perhaps he had even smelled it if what the doctor had said was true about the green monster within him. "I think I can let Dr. Streiten give you the good stuff since you're awake," the doctor cleared his throat lightly, "I mean, it's medication that can be used to dull the pain-"

"I am fine," he did not want any Midgardian medication within him, not after hearing what had happened to Thor when he had been exiled to Midgard by the Allfather. It was a jesting tale of how his mortal lover had apparently hit him with her vehicle several times before he had been taken down by mortals with drugs that made him sleep. He had a feeling that it was a little different than the tale spoken, but there had been truth in those words about the mortals drugs and Loki did not want anything he did not know was made out of within him. It would be like SHIELD to offer him something for the pain only to negate a deal that was never made and trap him.

He turned his head a little to glare at Thor who had opened his mouth to protest and saw him close it before shaking his head, clearly disappointed, but at least wise enough not to say anything.

"Masochist," Loki had almost forgotten how pleasant of a cutting edge she always put into her words and a crooked smile worked its way up his face as looked beyond Dr. Banner to see Agent Romanoff walking slowly towards them. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, but she looked healthy enough instead of the translucent death-like state he had scanned her in just days ago – at least he figured it was days ago.

Beyond her, he saw Agent Barton stop short of approaching, seeing him awake, before turning to Captain Rogers' bedside. The soldier was lying on the bed, apparently waiting for either a doctor or nurse after having been examined by Banner.

"Practical," he countered and she acknowledged the repartee with a tilt of her head.

"Acknowledging the pain when needed, accepting the dullness of it when amongst allies is also practical," she said and he pursed his lips.

"Since when was the trust of allies extended? I seem to recall guns pointed at me not too long ago," out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thor flinched at the implications that he could not tell which one was the real Loki. But before Thor could even say a word, Romanoff spoke up again, this time the derision and sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Loki, guns are always pointed at you when show up. Thought you'd be used to that now," her smile was as sweet as a viper's and Loki nearly laughed at it. At the very least, Romanoff had not forgotten who he really was and why he was here, even if she had been incapacitated from the very beginning. "In fact, the lack of weaponry pointed at you is a bit odd. I think I'll rectify that once I'm cleared out of here-"

"Your bedside manner leaves much to be desired," now he was getting a little irritated as he shifted a little and Romanoff only continued to smile at him.

"From what I heard, you were practically a nightmare, berating Thor when he had just come out of it after being poisoned all those years ago. I'll put in a word with Dr. Streiten to make sure he keeps you here for a very long time – not as a prisoner, but as a patient," Romanoff said a little too brightly before turning to Banner, "Doctor?"

"Barton found you," Banner looked like he was trying very hard, and definitely not succeeding, in keeping a smile off of his face. Loki caught Thor looking a little confused and it hit him why Romanoff had needled him like that.

He laughed lightly, managing not to grimace at the sharp jabs of pain, as Romanoff and Banner walked away, no doubt for the doctor to make sure that the cure was doing its work on Romanoff. It took one to know another, he supposed and it proved that Romanoff had most likely woken up much like he did, but stealthily made her escape from the medical ward before anyone noticed. He extrapolated that the doctors more than likely panicked before Agent Barton had found her and convinced her to return.

"Loki...I..." the resignation and hesitation in Thor's voice made him close his eyes, unwilling to see the pity and sentimental apology in them.

"Fenrir was the best at illusions," he said instead, interrupting Thor from saying anything else, keeping his voice light. When Thor had said that he did not trust him, not after everything in the hanger bay, he had felt like someone had stabbed him in the chest. But through that hazy pain, he had felt a sense of kinship and pride that his brother had finally learned – that he could not be trusted. It had hurt, to see the final childhood bonds that Thor had tried to preserve so carefully, shatter, the pieces falling to the ground like broken glass. But he also knew that if it had not been for Thor's caution, he would not be sitting next to his bed, not with Fenrir practically next to him.

The fact that Thor had allowed Fenrir to get that close to him, close enough to stab him in the heart and kill him with an assassin's blade, had driven Loki to be nearly reckless. It was only Fury's hesitation that had made him come back to his senses, made him wary and willing to answer questions that he knew would had to have been dragged from him otherwise.

"Brother-"

"It was how he operated as an assassin, a mercenary for hire. Our teacher refined his techniques and he used them to our advantage during some of our adventures. His impersonation of almost everyone in the coterie was masterful and it was also his downfall," he continued, keeping his eyes closed as he spoke. It hurt less now, his throat getting used to speaking once more instead of screaming. He dared not mention that perhaps a chance conversation with Fenrir long before any of this may have paved the way for what had happened to the coterie. All he wanted was for magick-users to be accepted by the Court. After all, Thor was the heir and he...the spare.

The silence in wake of his words punctured by the murmuring and beeping of other equipment in the medical ward made Loki wonder if his brother had gone back to looking at his tablet before a shift in fabric and the squeak of the chair told him that Thor was still there. "You...have a geas."

"I have several," he replied automatically, but already knew which one Thor was talking about.

"With Thanos," Thor shot back bluntly and Loki kept his eyes closed. It was something he had been hoping Thor would not talk about, but he knew his brother loved to pester and find the truth to secrets not so easily revealed. He expected Thor's next question to be about why he had made one, what had driven him to do it, perhaps about how he would try to help him break it; all nonsensical, sentimental, brotherly, things that he knew Thor would ask-

"Your research last year was not fruitful," that was not the question, or rather, statement Loki expected and an unbidden smile twitched on the corner of his lips.

"But if he promised you Midgard in exchange for the Tesseract, then should not the geas been negated since neither was delivered?" his brother asked and Loki opened his eyes, a little surprised at how insightful Thor was being. He looked over and saw that his brother had a pensive expression on his face, not staring at him, but rather at some faraway point. There was also something else in that expression and he realized it was guilt. Thor felt guilty, but it was not about the geas, he knew that as much.

It hit him then that Thor felt guilty that he could not identify which one of them was really Loki. In turn, he was trying to assuage that guilt by trying to pay more attention, be more insightful, everything that he had been berated for not doing in the past; to think before he acted. And somehow, that annoyed Loki. Yes, there were times Thor never really thought about the consequences of his actions, but sometimes there were times when his brother came up with the simplistic of plans that were also brilliant. There were also times that his statement of the obvious had led to solutions even he had dismissed. Thor being...insightful somehow annoyed him and Loki could not pinpoint why until he realized that far from being physically coddled in sentiment, his brother was trying to express it with the guilt he felt.

Thor was attempting to repair and soothe hurt feelings that Loki was too long used to being hurt and knew that was the source of his annoyance.

"This is not something you can swing with your hammer and get rid of, Thor," he snarled, the vehemence and annoyance startling even himself and saw his brother suppressing a flinch as if he had been punched in the gut. Loki resisted the urge to sigh and clench his fists, including the one ripped apart by Fenrir, in further annoyance as he realized that the message he had intended for Thor to receive had been taken a completely different way.

"It is magicks that would take years of careful research to undo," he continued. And perhaps a question for Lady Death, he added mostly to himself; his teacher was perhaps best suited for geas-related questions. But it would be something he would have to do very carefully and quietly, perhaps in a hundred years or so when the furor of this latest incident with the coterie had died down once more.

"I...understand," he could see that Thor did not quite understand and part of him wanted to say it, but instead, kept his mouth shut as Thor fidgeted a little. "Then I will strive to ensure Thanos' prison holds."

It was far from an apology, that Thor blamed himself for putting Loki in all of this, but at the same time Loki took it for what it was and nodded once, accepting it as his brother sighed and leaned back against his chair. At least his brother understood that the geas and Thanos were beyond his capabilities and to put his talents to use elsewhere, ensuring that the Tesseract prison held – and at the same time to not get killed in the process so that Thanos did not have a bargaining chip.

He made to close his eyes once more, to pretend to at least rest when Thor suddenly flipped his tablet towards him and Loki saw that the video files were that of London battling, or attemtping to battle Hel; of Washington D.C. and Rotterdam battling Jormungandr, and last but not least, of the Helicarrier hanger bay where Loki saw what had happened after Fenrir had tossed him into the quinjet. Next to the various video files, all taken from different angles, were notes describing physicality, potential weaknesses, and what seems to be excerpts from stories about the three.

"Director Fury summoned us for a war council a few hours ago with the intention of a plan of attack against Hel, Jormungandr, and Fenrir. Lady Sif and Volstagg have returned to petition the Allfather for spelled chains to trap at least Jormungandr or Fenrir when we attack at Cardiff. I have been studying their forms and even the stories that the humans have written about them. The man of iron, Tony Stark, thinks he can replicate the manacles used on you a year ago to entrap the others."

"Do you think they will allow you to get that close to them?" Loki countered as he lifted his uninjured hand up and flicked a few videos on Thor's tablet. He stared at what remained of his coterie as they fought the Avengers and SHIELD, his lips pressed into a thin line at how fluid and serpentine Jormungandr looked when he fought in his Asgardian form. Fenrir had stayed in wolf form for a few seconds after doing away with him, but had also reverted back to his Asgardian form after throwing a few stray illusions of himself across the hanger bay. There was fluidity, grace, and power behind the mercenary assassin's moves, but also of injured desperation and fury. When Hel arrived she looked as imperious and as impish as he remembered. One hand was clamped upon Fenrir's shoulder, the other held out, warding off bullets, Mjolnir's lighting bolts, arrows, and repulsor blasts from an unarmored Tony Stark, but clearly with weaponry.

"They will if I am there," Thor replied shortly and Loki flicked a look up at him, shaking his head a little.

"You will never learn will you-"

"I will not hide behind-"

"They will know it is a trap," he cut Thor off before he could protest about how cowardly it was to not go and let others die for him. Loki wanted to call out how hypocritical it was of Thor to profess to him only moments earlier that he was to make sure that he did not die and become a bargaining chip to Thanos, but brushed that urge away.

"Cardiff is a populated center near London, but we have put a plan into place-"

"They will know," he cut him off again, "the coterie is not made of fools you think you could trick. Even if these purported myths about them by the mortals say that they were my children, do you really think if they were my children they would fall for such amateur parlor tricks?!"

Thor sighed loudly and irritably and rubbed his forehead, "Then what should we do, Loki? If you had taught the coterie the deceptions and tricks of one like yourself, then what do we do? They have attacked other cities on Midgard-"

"That is what they are trying to make SHIELD do, respond to the attacks to draw your eye away," he muttered mostly to himself as he thought. His coterie did not operate on brute strength unlike Thor and his friends, even though sometimes they did so to make sure that whoever dared attack them knew that they were not the weak magick-users that many thought mages to be. Vali and Sigyn had been the best at casting the brutish magicks that enabled mass destruction on a large scale.

"Draw away from what-"

He held up his hand to shut Thor up as he continued to think. There had been more than one adventure where they had to use guile and wits to steal a treasure or to kill a particular bandit or even corrupt official that the Allfather had deemed not high on the metaphoric list of concerns. Sometimes it was as simple as luring the target out with magicks that threw their voices as if they were a rival bandit company. Once Angrboda and Narfi had impersonated the official's wife having an affair of sorts. There was also the time when they had hired a fellow thief that Fenrir had known before joining the coterie to help them with a particular adventure, but the thief instead had betrayed them to their target for a few coins – Fenrir had not been happy afterwards and Loki had discovered one day in an outlying village the mage desecrating the body of the thief – a little more disturbed than he had cared to admit.

Ah...that was it.

Fenrir never took slights to his perceived honor as well as the others, even though his profession was that of an assassin and mercenary, where honor meant nothing to others. Loki had gotten used to it by then, the looks at Court, the whispers. The others came from backgrounds where they too had been shunned, but Fenrir had been the proudest of them all. Anything he perceived as a slight would deserve his retribution, sometimes more than what was needed – but Loki had not exactly cared back then, a little too naïve to believe what was whispered in the shadows and darkness. Maybe it was one of the reasons why Death took a little bit of a shine towards Fenrir, teaching him how to become a master illusionist.

"With Fenrir injured, the coterie will be cautious," he said and Thor's brow crinkled, ready to protest, "I said cautious, not stupid. These attacks on the cities of Midgard are not stupid. They are calculated and planned to ensure that you will respond in what seems to be the most effective way, to trap them in a city you think may be worth the sacrifice. They will not care and attack it anyway."

"But-"

"At the same time they will launch a personal attack," he looked at Thor who was staring back with all seriousness, "not upon your persons, but upon the heart."

It took only a second for Thor to realize what he was talking about, "Jane..."

Loki nodded, "Hel will attack this Cardiff you have set as a trap, but it will be Fenrir and perhaps Jormungandr who will attack everyone your friends care about."

"Not just Jane Foster then," he had forgotten that Rogers was in the medical ward along with Banner, Romanoff, and Barton and turned to see him standing nearby, "sorry, I didn't meant to eavesdrop..."

"Fenrir was on the Helicarrier long enough to get you down pat," Barton muttered absently, not unkind, but hardly kind either, "too bad I couldn't shoot both of you."

"And I would disappointed if you did not," he replied back in a light tone as the archer glared at him.

"He probably had enough time to read up on all of our files if he's able to impersonate you well enough to respond to the standoff in the hanger bay," Rogers looked troubled, "which means he knows our friends..."

"Who are your weaknesses," Loki finished for him before Barton was already touching his ear and turning away, talking rapidly to Director Fury as he walked out with Rogers following close behind him.

"Thor, Fury's reported that Sif and Volstagg are back with the magicks and that Tony is almost ready with the manacles," Banner said, "I'll go inform them of this latest development."

"I'm coming with you," Romanoff said as the two left, leaving Thor who had risen out of his seat during the exchange.

"Loki-"

"Go on," he shook his head at the apologetic look his brother was shooting him, "I am invalidated to this Norn-forsaken bed and will not stand to hear you whine about Jane Foster for the next few hours."

"Thank you..." Thor set the tablet down by a small table that Loki had not noticed was there, tucked away in the corner of his bed. He looked like he wanted to at least grasp his shoulder in some sentimental gesture, but instead settled for a smile and turned to leave.

"Thor," Loki did not know what compelled him to speak, but he knew he had to get the warning out, "Fenrir will try it again. All of this...it is something he knows many do not expect because it had failed once, but he will do it."

The smile dropped from Thor's face as he nodded solemnly, "I know..." He turned around again and headed out.

"Do you?" Loki whispered mostly to himself into the nearly empty medical ward, "He will try to kill you again...like when he poisoned you with Jormungandr's venom."