Imitations Carved Deep: Chapter 10
Of course, now that I actually have some free time, each teacher assigns 3 projects and a major test in 2 weeks. My brain!
Please enjoy!
Don't mean to spoil anything, but Thor gets pretty violent and mean in this chapter (I'm leaning towards saying abusive). He won't always be like that but for this chapter he is.
Not a Tony/Loki story. Just friendship.
Be forewarned, I have named female Loki, 'Kira', and that is what she will be referred to for a good chunk of the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own them...so sad.
Warnings: Severe angst. Stupid/Bad Thor (temporarily). Torture (in the past). Implied rape (in past). Don't read if any of these trigger.
Who's Lying?
Thor scowled harder upon hearing Kira say his name. His fist tightened around his hammer.
"Loki, you are to come with me now and face judgement." That got Pepper and the Avengers on their feet. Most looked indignant at Thor's accusation. Clint looked suspicious, but Natasha's face said she finally realized what had been bugging her the whole time. Kira ignored all of that and tried to push herself farther down into the couch.
"Thor! What the heck is wrong with you?! This is-"
"This is Loki, Lady Pepper. Do not let him deceive you. He has been known to occasionally take the form of a woman." Kira tensed as she watched the change in demeanor of her friends. They grew prepped for a fight and suspicious. Their eyes were no longer as warm. She couldn't focus on that for too long, however, as Thor started to advance on her. Kira's eyes were locked on Thor's hammer, waiting for the second it moved towards her. As Thor got closer she used her only weapon.
"W-well, it's not like I chose to be like this. I was forced to change this time. I-" Thor growled.
"Enough of your lies, Loki!" Kira looked to the others, praying to see some sort of support. Her heart cracked when she found none. All she received were eyes filled with betrayal and one pair with hatred. Kira was pulled from her thoughts by Thor's vice like grip on her wrist. The God of Thunder suddenly pulled her from the couch and she fell to the floor.
"Ah! Thor, please, wait! Stop-"
"No, Loki. I will not stop this time. You have deceived me too often." The pressure on Kira's wrist was getting painful, and she was losing circulation in her hand. She tried (futilely) to pull herself free. Thor ignored this and instead glared at the cast on her leg.
"What is this?" Thor kicked her leg, causing her to cry out in pain. That got some protests from Steve, Bruce, Tony and Pepper. "Enough tricks and false sympathy. Change back, now!" Kira felt the tears of pain filling her eyes, and she glared up at her once-brother.
"I can't! That's what I was trying to tell you, Oaf! I'm stuck like this!" Thor dropped Mjolnir on the ground, cracking the marble, and yanked Kira off the ground, a hand squeezing each of her upper arms tightly.
"Have you not caused enough pain, Loki?! What do you hope to gain from this?! Tell me!" Thor shook her violently on the last statement, whipping her head back and forth. Kira could not help the whimper that escaped her. Her whole body was shaking. Her leg and arms throbbed in pain. For the first time in her life, Kira was genuinely scared of Thor.
"Thor! Stop it!"
"C'mon, Hammer Time. This is a bit much."
"Thor, just put her-him down. Let's talk and-" Thor's scowl deepened, though he kept it trained on Kira.
"No, Good Captain. I will not allow Loki to poison your minds any longer. I desire the truth from him." Thor's hands tightened again, forcing a cry from Kira.
"Thor, please!" Thor bellowed in rage and frustration, dropped Kira onto her foot and grabbed ahold of your wrist again.
"I will make you speak the truth," he growled. Thor started dragging Kira out to the balcony, out to the storm, out to the edge of the building. Kira's eyes widened in fear. He will kill me! Thor is going to throw me off the roof! Kira planted her foot as much as she was able and pulled on her arm. She scratched at Thor's hand, trying to get him to release his hold. Begging, pleading words fell from her lips that she was not consciously aware of. It seemed that final resistance was what completely snapped whatever 'patience' Thor had.
"Enough!" Thor gave one good yank on her arm- The resounding pop of Kira's shoulder was enough to make many of them wince. Kira cried out and dropped to the floor, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. Thor had let go of her wrist in surprise, and she immediately pulled her arm as close to her body as she was able. Using her good leg and arm, she pushed and pulled herself until her back was against a wall.
As the Avengers looked at her, they didn't see an egomaniacal psychopath bent on taking over Earth. They saw a scared, abused young woman…for whom they had done nothing to help.
It seemed Thor was the first to snap out of his shock.
"Loki…I- why don't you just heal it with your magic?" Kira glared at the God of Thunder, and none of them saw malice or hatred…only severe hurt.
"I. Can't. I can't change back. I can't heal myself. I don't have magic!" Thor seemed taken aback at the outburst, but took a step forward, face setting stern.
"Loki, we must be gone. Magic or no, it will be healed in but a moment if you let me-" Kira flinched back and would be embarrassed later at the cry of fear she let out.
"No! D-don't…don't touch me." Thor growled, but stopped when a strong hand clamped onto his shoulder. The God of Thunder looked down at Dr. Banner, his brows furrowing.
"Why don't you let me handle this, Thor? I think you've done enough." Thor could hear the reproach in the man's voice, but did not allow it to affect him. He was simply trying to do what was necessary. Perhaps he allowed his emotions to break his control on his strength, but Loki would be fine.
"Bruce, I don't think this is a good idea." Dr. Banner sighed, but continued slowly walking towards Kira.
"Natasha, I don't think Loki's going to try anything. Besides, he knows what happened last time he made me mad." Kira was confused at the words directed at her, but she did not comment. The Avengers spoke as if she had met them before in her male form, but…how was that possible? Bruce crouched in front of her, and Kira shied away from the closed off brown eyes.
"Look, this is going to hurt, but I need you to stay still. You know what, actually, Steve? I need you to help me." The Captain approached and didn't look Kira in the eyes. Kira's heart shattered at that moment. "Steve, I need you to hold his upper body down, while I put the shoulder back in." Kira allowed herself to be moved to a flat position on her back, but panic began to rise when Steve's large hands held her in place.
The Captain still wouldn't look at her. Kira bit her bottom lip, and a tear slipped out, as Bruce took gentle hold of her arm.
"Alright. On three. One, two-"
"Ah!" The doctor had pulled as hard as he could before she expected it, but at least her shoulder was back in the proper position. Steve's hands pulled off of her, as if he had been burned, and Kira rolled onto her other side, curling her knees to her chest. Tears rolled down her face, and she bit her lip to keep quiet. She cast her eyes to the ground, not wanting to see more hatred directed at her. Perhaps…perhaps Midgardians did not like magic wielders or those who can change gender? Or (more likely) Thor had told them about what she had done on Asgard, to the Frost Giants. They probably did not appreciate the Destroyer in one of their small villages either, even though it hadn't hurt any Midgardians.
"Loki, enough. We must leave now." Thor was much more subdued compared to his earlier rage. Kira's eyes slid to the God of Thunder, and she slowly pushed herself up onto her good arm. She flinched back when she felt hands on her again.
Steve's furrowed brow showed how conflicted he felt over everything, but in the end it didn't stop him from helping Kira sit up.
"Thor, how come Loki doesn't have magic?" Thor narrowed his eyes at the Captain and his brother.
"He obviously does, Captain. As you can tell, Loki looks like a female right now. He is just being stubborn and refusing to change back." Thor bit out the last sentence, and Kira's good fist clenched tight. For all Thor terrified her with his strength, she felt a strong urge to punch him.
"Fine, but what about the healing? Wouldn't Loki heal his injuries? He's had this cast on for weeks, Thor. The bottom half of his leg was ripped to shreds and his achilles tendon was cut. Tony brought him here bleeding out. He wasn't healing." Thor's brows furrowed, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
"That is…Loki was trying to get sympathy from you. He simply used his magic to not let his wounds heal and compel you to save him. He is good at playing a damsel in distress in this form." Kira growled at that.
"How about you stop talking about Loki, like I'm not right here! And this isn't just a form, Thor. I'm still me, but my name is Kira." Thor rolled his eyes.
"Loki, I am not getting dragged into this argument again. Father cleared this up the first time-"
"Your father just told me I was a disgrace after you groped me in the corridor before I could tell you who I was! He told me to make sure no one saw me until I found a way to change back. I'm a shapeshifter, Thor. It's what I do. I'm me no matter what 'form' I take….and Mother named me Kira like this." Kira's eyes fell to the ground again, all of her anger draining and giving way to hurt and resignation once more.
"Why do I feel like we're in some weird alien episode of Glee without the singing," Tony muttered, before he promptly got elbowed in the stomach by Pepper.
"Why did she give you a new name? Why Kira?" Tony's eyebrows went up.
"Seriously, Steve? That's what you- Oompf!" Tony was going to have a bruised side by the end of the day. Despite the circumstances, Kira found herself blushing.
"It means…princess or little dark one. She said Loki did not suit me as this. That a 'beautiful young lady should have a beautiful name'." Kira tried to shrug it off like it was nothing, but the embarrassment at having confessed such a thing was rolling off of her in waves.
"How did we get on this topic, again? Wasn't Thor going to take Loki back to Asgard where he belongs? How'd he escape anyway?" Kira's nose scrunched up in confusion.
"I did not escape. Thor dropped me off the bridge." Thor's mouth fell open.
"Wha- Loki! That is not- You let go!" Thor saw his teammate's confused expressions and shook his head. "But that is besides the point. I am talking of your escape from your cell-"
"My cell? What in the Hel are you talking about? I was never-" Kira's mind brought flashes of the cells on the Chitauri world, and she shuddered. But…Thor wouldn't know about those…would he?
"Do not play with me, Loki! Your cell, on Asgard, where you were put after you attempted to take over Midgard." It was Kira's turn for her mouth to fall open.
"I- Have you truly lost whatever mind you had?! I have never attempted to take over Midgard!" Clint snorted from Natasha's side.
"Fine, maybe you as Kira didn't. But you as Loki certainly did. Believe me. I know." Kira could see the conviction in the archer's eyes, and knew that at least he believed he was telling the truth. Kira looked at each Avenger in turn, and none spoke against Clint.
"No…" Kira started out slowly. "I have never tried to subjugate Midgard in any form. I have been without magic since I got to this planet, and the last time I was here I was a child. None of your great-grandparents even existed yet." Tony sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"So you're saying that someone who looked exactly like you, Loki-you, not Kira-you, and said the exact same things as you did came to Earth six months ago and tried to invade with an army of aliens. What did you call them, Thor?"
"Chitauri." Steve felt Kira completely seize up under his hands and looked down with a mix of curiosity, concern and suspicion.
"Lo-Kira?" Kira's mouth fell open and closed a few times, before she spoke.
"I…I was not in this city six months ago. I can prove it to you, but…the Chitauri you say? They are who came with myself to attack Midgard?" Natasha's brows pulled together as she studied Kira. She didn't want to admit it, but she was beginning to believe Kira when she said it wasn't her that attacked Earth. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Kira was on the verge of a panic attack just from hearing the word 'Chitauri'.
"Aye. You're allies," Thor growled. Kira's face suddenly twisted into a violent rage.
"No! No! I would not help them! Never help them! Disgusting, vile monsters! No, no no no no. They wouldn't stop! I just wanted them to stop! Nononononono!" Kira began thrashing about in Steve's grip, yanking on her hair and shaking her head violently. It was all Steve could do to hold her still and not hurt her even more.
Unfortunately, Kira was creating a feedback loop for herself. The words brought up her memories, which made her thrash, which caused her shoulder and leg to throb in pain, bringing up more memories, which she tried to physically fight off, making everything worse. The arms around her suddenly felt like scaly claws, and the cries for her to calm down were ear bleeding screeches of monsters enjoying her pain.
All she wanted was for it to stop, for her to be able to be rid of them once and for all. Her only choice was darkness, and she fell into the oblivion as soon as she could.
The Avengers watched Kira completely lose it in Steve's arms, before eventually passing out, and falling back, limp against Steve's chest. Thor was in shock. He had never seen his brother behave in such a manner for a lie, but surely…surely it was one. He had fought Loki one on one on this very Tower. Surely he would have known if it was an impostor. The Golden Prince didn't know whether to be concerned or annoyed that Loki would go that far. Either way, when Loki woke up, Thor would get his answers.
"What. The Hell. Was that?"
I don't really like jerk-Thor but he works for this story. Don't worry! He'll get decent again eventually! :)
Please review:)