Imitations Carved Deep: Chapter 14

Whoo! New chapter. Happy belated New Year and Merry late Christmas. Please be aware: I WILL BE IN EUROPE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS WITH NO WIFI. I WON'T BE UPDATING BUT I WILL BE WRITING. YOU CAN EXPECT UPDATES NEAR THE END OF JANUARY!

Please enjoy!

Again, dialogue heavy...and short. Sorry! Seem to be on a roll with those.

Disclaimer: I don't own them...so sad.

Warnings: Severe angst. Torture (in the past). Implied rape (in past). Don't read if any of these trigger.

Words

Kira barely registered the pain in her leg or the voices behind her calling her name. Her mind was racing with possibilities, none of them good. She made it to her room and slammed the door open.

Footsteps followed Kira as she raced to the connected bathroom. Her fingers scrabbled at the strap holding her sling in place.

"Whoa, Kira! You're going to hurt yourself. What are you doing?" Bruce reached out and tried to stop Kira from causing more damage to her shoulder.

"I-I need to see. I need to know." When it became clear that Kira was not going to stop, the doctor sighed and took over. He carefully removed the sling.

"Alright. Now what?" The others were crowded at the doorway, half spilling in and the other half pushed out, Thor's head peeking up above the rest from the back. Kira ignored them for the moment, and reached for the hem of her shirt.

"I need to see my back. I need to see what's there." Everyone, even Clint and Thor, were concerned at the spaced out and terrified quality to Kira's voice. Bruce conceded to help and was glad Kira wore a stretchy shirt, making the whole thing less likely to hurt her. He turned to Pepper.

"Can you grab me a hand held mirror, so Kira will be able to see?" Tony's girlfriend nodded and quickly pushed her way back through the group and out of the room. Bruce focussed back on his patient and covered her hands with his own to stop her from trying to lift her shirt.

"Kira, let me do that, alright? I want you to keep you arm and shoulder as still as possible. Is…is there anything in particular that I should be looking for?" Kira grimaced.

"Perhaps," she whispered, fear clogging her throat. Bruce nodded jerkily.

"Alright, well…turn around." Kira did as bid and, just as Pepper returned with a mirror, Dr. Banner pulled the material out and up from Kira's back. The tension fled from the room so fast, the Avengers nearly collapsed. "Kira…" The young woman tensed. "There's nothing on your back." Nothing besides still being able to count your ribs, Bruce 's whole upper body curled forward, as she let out a relieved sigh.

"Dr. Banner, what are you saying? Can you not see them?" The tension was back in Kira's muscles in a millisecond.

"Thor?" Kira's voice was shaky as she called to her brother. "What..what is it?" Tony narrowed his eyes at the Asgardian prince.

"I think you need to get your eyes checked, Hammer Time. There's nothing there." Thor's eyes were locked on Kira's back and he slowly pushed his way forward into the bathroom. Bruce hesitantly stepped out of the way, but stayed close in case Thor hurt Kira again. However, that was not to be the case.

Thor gently laid his hands on Kira's shoulders to keep her shirt up and out of the way and stared down at her back. The doctor was shocked to see the Asgardian so rattled. Thor looked like he wanted to both rip someone's head off and wrap Kira in a hug, quite a 180 from even ten minutes ago. One of Thor's hands drifted down as if to touch whatever he was seeing.

"Thor?" Kira's voice broke Thor's trance, and the blond cleared his throat and shook his head.

"There- uh- there are words here….carved into your back." Thor's grip instinctively tightened on Kira's shoulder, but his hand flew off when he heard Kira whimper. "I- I am sorry." The other Avengers were…skeptical to say the least.

"You wanna fill us in on these 'magical' words that you're seeing and we're not, Point Break?" Pepper could tell that Tony was hoping for a reason to throw Thor out of the Tower, but she could see the sincerity in Thor's body language. The blond man was genuinely concerned for Kira, or was at least concerned about what he was seeing.

"You've said it yourself, Stark," came Kira's quiet voice. "Magic. Thor has some innate magic from wielding Mjolnir. It stands to reason…that if someone with magic did this, only those with magic can see it." Tony snorted and Steve's brows furrowed when he heard the inventor's muttered "Well, screw that."

"Jarvis, scan Kira's back for magical residue and anything else. I want to see what we are dealing with here." Thor rolled his eyes at Stark's blatant mistrust of him but let it be. He was feeling exceedingly generous after he saw his brother's back. It was like the lightbulb finally illuminated over his head. Thor was done making excuses.

"Of course, Sir. If Mr. Odinson would step back so I would have a clear view of Miss Kira's back…" Thor held up his hands in surrender and stepped aside next to Bruce. He watched as Kira trembled ever so slightly and curled protectively around her injured arm. It made shame curl even tighter in his gut knowing he was the one that had done that to her…caused her pain.

A happy sounding beep came, signaling that Jarvis was finished with his scans.

"Sir, scans confirm letters of some kind are carved into Miss Kira's back. The magical residue is also an identical match of the frequencies collected during the Battle of New York." Bruce nodded absently at the ceiling and moved back to Kira. He took ahold of the hem of her shirt and pulled it back down.

"Okay, I'm putting the sling back on and then you are going to sit down and stay off of that leg." Kira's lips quirked at the well meaning scold, and she nodded. Once Bruce had the sling back in place, the doctor felt marginally better.

Suddenly, Kira was seeped off of her feet and cradled against a metal plated chest. She spat her black hair out of her mouth and gaped at her brother.

"Thor! What are you doing!?" The Asgardian ignored the similar calls from the others and gave Kira a small smile.

"Did you not hear, Dr. Banner? You are to stay off of your leg. Where do you wish for our further discussions to take place," he posed to Dr. Banner. Said doctor's jaw was on the floor and he needed a moment to pick it back up before he answered.

"Uh…we can…I guess just to the common room? There's really no need for Kira to go back to the infirmary at this point." Thor nodded and with his destination in mind, set off. Kira's good arm flew up to wrap around the blond's neck.

"Thor! This is uncalled for. Put me down!" Thor shook his head.

"No, Lok- I mean…Kira. Dr. Banner said you shouldn't stay on your feet and I have heard you have an aversion to the Midgardian wheel chair." Kira's mouth fell open, first at Thor actually calling her Kira and then again at the wheel chair comment. After a moment, Kira snapped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What is really going on? Your bumbling self went from dislocating my shoulder in anger and not believing a word I said to what…now you believe me? Why?" Thor didn't stop walking but his false cheer did slide away.

"Can I not…can I not feel guilt without you always analyzing it? I saw those words and…it was like all the proof I never wanted was staring me in the face. I am sorry, L-Kira." Thor kept his voice down so they could have a semblance of privacy, as those closest to them undoubtedly heard it all. Kira was quiet for a few moments, before she slowly nodded.

"This is perhaps the most mature I have ever seen you act. Besides, this is certainly not the first time you've injured me," Kira snorted. At that though, Thor did stop walking. He looked down at Kira in shock and then hurt and shame.

"Loki!" Thor didn't even bother trying to be conscious of his brother's name choice. "An injury gained in sparring or fun is not the same as one drawn through anger. This was most shameful of me and you should not think of it as such. Family shouldn't hurt each other so." Thor stayed there staring down at Kira for a few moments before shaking his head and continuing on. "I never wanted to fight you," Thor said softly. This time Kira really was the only one to hear him, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. She simply tucked herself further against her brother's chest and let him carry her the rest of the way in silence.

The other Avengers walked behind them, their heads reeling from the complete 180 Thor had done and unsure how to proceed. Tony was all for holding a grudge, but Steve and Bruce had learned over the years more when to let things go. Not that Thor had actually really done anything to gain their trust back, but…this was a start.

They eventually reached the common room, and instead of setting Kira down in her own chair, Thor sat and kept Kira in his lap. Tony burst out laughing at their faces, and Pepper didn't even elbow him to scold the inventor.

Kira's face went from shocked to looking like she had just stepped in dog poo while barefoot. Thor looked like the cat who got the canary and wrapped Kira in a protective cage with his arms. Kira growled at the Prince.

"This is entirely undignified. Thor, I require my own seat. Let me go." Thor, predictably, didn't. Instead, he tightened his hold ever so slightly on Kira and settled her further back into his chest like she was an unhappy toddler.

"I feel better having you here. Just humor me. It's not as if we hadn't done this same thing for centuries." Kira scowled and tried to elbow him in the gut. She got nothing but a bruise for her trouble.

"A practice, I would like to point out, we gave up centuries ago." Thor smiled at her attempts to get free and patted her on the head when she eventually gave up.

"I win." Kira scowled harder and whacked his hand away.

"You are such a child." Clint rolled his eyes noisily, and the others ignored him. Steve finally spoke up.

"Not that that wasn't…uh…cute to watch, but I think we've got some important things to discuss." Before he could continue, Tony brightened and popped up.

"Food! Hold it, Cap. Can't have important discussions like this without food. I don't know about the rest of you, but according to Pepper, devastatingly handsome geniuses need to eat three times a day, while the rest of you eat at least twenty. Besides, Kira's still on the good doctor's diet. Twenty seconds, pick a place, go!" Kira flinched when Thor bellowed his wishes for a meal and once again tried to push her way out of his hold.

Thor frowned down at Kira.

"Do I truly make you that uncomfortable?" Kira sighed heavily and looked at Thor with exasperation.

"Do not use those pouting eyes on me. Thor, you cannot honestly expect me to be completely comfortable around you. You may be trying to forgive and forget the past few hours, but for obvious reasons, the consequences of your actions are still quite present for me." Kira looked pointedly at her immobilized arm. Thor's face fell further.

"Yes. I understand that…I just," Thor sighed and rested his head in Kira's black waves. "I am so, so sorry, L-Kira." At this point the others were bickering and bantering just to give Thor and Kira some semblance of privacy.

Kira did not respond right away. She scratched idly at the corner of Thor's armor.

"Mother would have your head if she saw this," she finally said. It was Thor's turn to wince.

"No doubt. I know Heimdall will let slip to her eventually at least partially what happened. I…honestly cannot say what Father will think." Kira snorted bitterly.

"'The traitor must have given you trouble. What took you so long, my son? Was the abomination truly that hard to subdue?'" Kira spoke in a deep mocking tone. Thor was appalled at the cruelty of the words…and how he could not help but feel that his brother was not that far from the truth.

"K-Kira…" Thor didn't know what to say to comfort her.

"Soooo, food will be here in t-minus fifteen minutes." Tony broke the moment, and eyed the two Asgardians. "Hammer Time, wanna fill us in on this whole 180 you did? Gotta say, you've given me whip lash." Thor's brows pulled together.

"I do not have a whip on my person, Man of Iron, but if you are referring to my rather…sudden change of feeling, it was due to seeing the words on Kira's back." Tony was not going to let the Crown Prince off the hook that easily, and the rest all stayed at the ready in case it blew up.

"So, what? You just believe her now? None of the other evidence we showed convinced you?" Clint in the back raised his hand.

"Um, I'm still not convinced." Tony rolled his eyes and waved him off, not seeing Natasha pinch Clint's underarm. Thor answered as if the archer had not spoken.

"I…I had thought that I had truly lost my brother. Some of the things he said when I brought him back to Asgard were just…pure venom spewed from his mouth. It seemed his heart was completely gone. Then I saw Kira here, and I was so blinded by betrayal, I did not want to listen…because it would mean that I had hurt and despised my brother, when he had done no wrong. I could explain away all the other things, but after living with Loki for so long…I know what true magic looks like, dark magic too. Loki, no matter how powerful, could not have inflicted those own wounds on his back, and when I saw them…every excuse I had for my behavior and feelings no longer had any strength or foundation. Suddenly I saw the truth. Someone had hurt and used my baby brother, and I was fool enough to fall for it. I refuse to do so again." Thor's last words held a deep determination and fierce protectiveness. Kira would never admit that it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Again, lots of dialogue, BUT! Thor's done benign stupid! Yay! :) See you in a few weeks! :)

Bwahahaha! You still don't know who did it. You must wait. :)

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