Warnings this chapter: none
A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter! You guys can thank a certain Guest reviewer who gave a really awesome and long review for my story - I've been really busy and didn't really have time to upload this, but alas, her/his review got me to squeeze in the time (yes, your puppy eyes worked; why do you think I love Loki so much? XD). Thanks so much for your lovely words! Reviews like that keep us writers going. ^^ And thank you to all my other reviewers, as well, I love you guys!
Hollow Skies - Chapter 6
Loki buried his face further into his knees, wishing the people away. A medium-sized table with chairs was between him and the entrance to the kitchen, but he knew it wouldn't hide him from whoever was invading.
"Stark?" a woman's voice floated toward him. No no no, not supposed to be here. He'll be angry...angryangryangry...
"What, is he not home?" a familiar man's voice said.
"I don't think so, JARVIS said he was here."
"Hm, right," said the man.
"JARVIS?" her voice was a little louder.
"Yes, Agent Romanoff?"
"Where's Tony, you said he was here."
"Indeed I did, it appears he is unconscious in the dining room."
"What?!" yelled the man.
Loki felt panic rising. They would have to pass through the kitchen to get to the dining room. They would see him. No please, wake up wake up!
Two feet shuffled quickly in his direction. Loki didn't dare look up, he couldn't.
"Oh my- the hell- what the fuck?" yelled the man, so close now, too close!
"Tony!" yelled the woman as he heard her feet moving across the floor.
Loki heard a strange sound next, very close to his head, like a string being pulled taut.
"Tasha!" screamed the man. "What the hell- what are we supposed to-"
The woman didn't seem to hear him, "Stark's okay, just unconscious like JARVIS said," her voice was nearing. "Although he smells like he took a bath with everything in his liquor cabinet. What the hell is he doing here?"
"Hey!" yelled the man. Loki still couldn't look up. "Hey! Loki!"
He heard the woman moving, getting closer. "Loki?" she said. "Clint, back up a little, I think you can shoot him fine without being in his face."
Loki didn't hear a response but he did hear the sound of a string untightening slightly - the man didn't move away, though. What's happening?
"Loki?" said the woman, her voice was blank but not exactly hard. "Can you hear me?" There was a light hand suddenly on Loki's shoulder, he jerked away and whimpered. Unfortunately the movement forced him to lift his head somewhat, and he caught a glimpse of the two intruders. The man was standing and the woman was squatting down next to the god. So familiar... Loki kept his knees close to his chest, but peeked over his arms at the two.
The man shifted his weight uncomfortably, "What the hell is going on, Tasha?"
The woman - Tasha? - shook her head lightly, "I don't know...can you go check on Stark again? Maybe all this is related to why he's been acting so strangely lately."
"What, you think mister god of taking-over-the-world here brainwashed him or something?"
"I don't know, Clint, just go check on him."
The man sighed but did as she said.
"Loki," her voice was now calm, quiet, as though Loki were made of glass, about to shatter at the slightest provocation. "Can you speak?"
The trickster god eyed her warily for a long moment, then nodded twice and hid his face again. No! Don't speak to them! They're intruders, not supposed to be here! He'll be angry, so angry...
"Okay, can you tell me what you're doing here?"
Loki peeked out a little, frowned, and tried his best not to cry, the woman leaned back slightly at his expression, as though confused. Even so, he finally managed to choke out his words, "I...I..." Loki didn't know what to say, he didn't know the answer to that question. "I was...m-making Stark some food."
The woman's eyes widened slightly as she furrowed her brow. Then she nodded slowly. Does she truly understand? Loki doubted it.
The man returned and sighed as he spoke, "Yeah, he's fine. Might have bumped his head a little, but he's okay. Drunken idiot..." he mumbled. "And him?"
She looked up at her partner then back at Loki, "He said..." she hesitated. "He said he was making...food."
"Food?"
"For Stark."
"Say what?"
"And just look at him, Clint." She waved a hand in Loki's direction, Loki flinched. "He's...hurt. And," she leaned closer to the god, he whimpered, "he's bleeding. Look at his head. Not to mention," she chuckled humorlessly, "everywhere else." Her scrutiny made the trickster try to hide away, get away.
The man nodded, eyeing Loki. "You still haven't told me what you think's going on here."
"Look at this," the woman raised a hand, which now gripped the end of Loki's chain. "What-"
Loki hid his face in his arms quickly and tried to push himself further into the wall. He ignored the pain the movement caused and gripped his knees tighter. He started shaking, then crying again. His words trembled when he spoke, "P-Please, please don't touch that...He'll...he'll be angry if you- just leave me alone, I- please don't make me do anything."
"Don't touch what, Loki?" she said.
The trickster lifted his head slightly to peer at the chain in her hands, "Th-that." He continued to stare at the metal for a moment, then buried his tear-streaked face in his arms again. No one's supposed to touch it! Stark even got angry at Loki if he found him fiddling with the metal chain. Whenever Stark wanted him to do something, when he wanted Loki's full attention - not that he ever didn't give his full attention - he would hold the chain. It was now just another part of the god of mischief, another limb.
"Why don't you want me touching this, Loki?"
The mortal man mumbled something about the collar around Loki's neck, but Loki was too busy trying not to run away or to run to Stark's side to scream at him to wake up.
The woman tried again, "Loki. Why shouldn't I touch this?"
He finally looked up, but kept his gaze on the chain tight in her hands. "He won't like it, won't like it. Only he can hold it. Please put it down, he'll be angry with me..." Loki trailed off and stifled a sob.
Both intruders were silent a moment, Loki returned his face to his knees.
"Tasha," said the man in a strangely wary tone, "I know that look on your face, what're you gonna do?"
She didn't answer him, instead directing her attention to the trembling trickster, "Hey, Loki?" He peered at her nervously. "Stand up for me, will you?" Loki immediately shook his head, but she was adamant, "Now." The god looked at the chain in her hand, then back at her, then back at the chain.
"P-Please don't make me-" he cried.
"I said now, Loki." The woman was relentless, her partner eyed both her and the god curiously. When the man tried to ask her what she was doing she shushed him.
Loki didn't know why, but he found himself attempting to stand. His body screamed at him, but he absolutely felt compelled to stand. What am I doing? He stumbled to his feet, using the wall for support. He leaned back against it on shaky legs.
"Good," she said. Her words reminding him so much of Stark. But it was wrong, wrong. She wasn't Stark. He'll be so angry with me, so angry. Don't listen to her! "Now, Loki..." her voice was in his head, telling him what to do. "Come with me to the living room."
Loki shook his head again at the order, but found his legs already moving, following her - or as best he could.
The man - an archer? Loki noticed the bow slung across his back - walked backwards then stopped a few steps away, allowing the other two space. The god tried his best to shrink into himself while walking, arms hugging his chest, although it was difficult to appear smaller when the other two were so much shorter.
The woman walked backwards in front of the mischief god, pulling him with the leash as if guiding him as he hobbled along. They entered the living room.
"This way," she said in a calm voice. Why is she taking me there? Loki was wary of the archer behind him, although he was not following too closely. "Now sit here," she indicated the corner of the couch on the left side.
This time Loki felt panic rising. "No...please don't make me. I don't- I can't- he'll- I'm not supposed to sit on-on-on anything," the trickster stammered. Please no no no...
"Loki..." her voice was a warning, stern but still calm.
The tears came automatically as he shook his head, "Please no, please no...I'm not supposed-"
"I know, but you can sit now. Sit down."
Loki was wracked with sobs as he sat down gingerly on the very edge. He let out a strangled whimper but grit his teeth at the pressure which caused pain to shoot up his spine. He briefly wondered how he had managed to sit so long on that hard floor before the woman's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Loki..." she was eyeing him curiously, there was something in her expression the god didn't quite recognize. "Are you in pain?"
Loki stared at the floor, utter confusion on his face; he didn't understand the question. He was never not in pain.
"Clint," she turned her head to her partner, he looked at her questioningly. "Unzip your pants for me."
"What?!" he asked, incredulous.
"Humor me," she said.
"What- why-"
"Seriously, just...humor me."
He stared at her for a second, then shrugged and sighed. He reached down and unzipped his jeans without preamble. Immediately, Loki whimpered and jerked back, then scrambled backward on the couch with pained noises. The god whimpered out, "No, no please don't, I didn't mean it...don't..." He hugged his chest more and started trembling again, staring at the floor. Even Loki didn't understand his own words, his instincts driving him.
"What the hell was that," said the archer flatly.
"Oh my God..." whispered the woman still holding Loki's chain.
"What?"
She straightened herself, then turned to face the other mortal, "Really, Barton? Are you that blind?"
The man frowned and glared at the other two, "I don't know," he crossed his arms. "Why don't you just spell it out for me?"
There was a silence for a moment, then, "Best guess, it's a conditioned response."
"It's- what?" said the archer.
"Look," the woman began, "the first sign," she held up the chain in her hand. "Loki here doesn't want to listen to us, yet when I order him to do something while holding this, he listens."
"Oh come on, for all we know he would have listened...anyway..." he trailed off, apparently rethinking his words.
She nodded, amused, "Maybe. But I don't think so. He begged me to put it down, then asked me not to make him do anything. He also shook his head and refused to move, despite the fact that he was doing exactly that."
"Right," he drawled.
"And now, after you unzipped your pants-"
"Yeah, how's that?"
"Another conditioned response," she turned slightly around to eye Loki, who continued staring at the ground as he sniffled occasionally.
The man sighed, "To what, exactly?"
She raised a brow, "If I had to guess: rape."
The archer stared at her for a moment, then said flatly: "What."
She looked back at him, "You heard me. There's not a lot that can break someone like this - especially someone like Loki - but there's always something. And in this case, I'd say rape."
"Stop saying that!" he yelled, disgust in his voice. "You are not seriously saying that Tony Stark, okay, Iron Man, raped a super-villain Norse god."
"No," she said slowly. "I'm saying Tony Stark not only raped a super-villain Norse god," the mortal man scoffed, "but that he's probably been doing it for some time - what with this level of blind obedience. Not to mention, where's Loki's shirt anyway? And look at how beat-up he is. And, really, this," she held up the end of Loki's leash.
The man shook his head, "This is crazy, I can't- are you serious? It doesn't make any fucking sense!"
"You're right," she looked back at Loki. "But all evidence points to it." She looked to her partner. "Stark's been acting stranger and stranger these last few months - hell, this last year. We thought it was his break-up with Pepper, but it's obviously been...something else."
"What, oh yeah, I'm sure his behavior points directly to 'Norse god sex slave'!" He sighed loudly, frustrated. "Look. Why don't we just ask him? Loki, I mean."
"Would you believe him?" asked the woman.
He shrugged, "Why not?! This whole thing's out of control anyway! Ask away!"
Loki stared warily at the two, uncertain what to make of their conversation. The second they looked back toward him he lowered his gaze to the floor.
The woman sat next to him on the couch and Loki tried to inch away. She didn't stop him.
"Loki?" her voice was soft again. The other mortal scoffed but said nothing. The trickster flicked his eyes in her direction a moment hoping that would indicate he was listening. She nodded, "How long have you been here? With Stark, I mean."
Loki furrowed his brow, he honestly didn't know. He shrugged one shoulder and eyed the floor, still thinking.
"What date do you last remember? Can you remember that for me?"
The trickster sifted through his memory. Everything was so hazy, everything before...before Stark, and the darkness, the loneliness... He shook his head in thought, a date flying out to him suddenly, "M-May...s-seventh?"
"May seventh?" said the man.
The woman pressed closer, "That was almost a year ago, Loki."
A year...a-a year? How can that be? Loki stared at nothing, wide-eyed. A year? Is that all it's been? That's how long I've...
"Shit," said the man suddenly, covering his mouth with one hand for a moment. "Did you think about...Tasha..." She lifted her eyebrows to him. "Thor is so gonna kill Stark."
Loki suddenly felt a surge of panic run through him, "No no no no! Get away from me! You're not supposed to be in here! Get out, get out!" Not that name! He stumbled off of the couch and scrambled on the floor away from them. The red-headed woman had let go of the chain in shock at the sudden outburst. "Please, please just leave. He'll be angry with me, please just leave." Loki was crying again, crawling across the floor to get away.
"Loki," the woman stood up and approached with placating raised hands. "We're not going to hurt you, Stark's not going to hurt you, not anymore."
"He'll hurt me, he'll hurt me, he'll go away again, go away for so so long." He stared at the floor with teary eyes, "He'll go away and I'll be alone, so alone..." He continued backing up until he hit a wall, breathing hard. "I don't like the dark, please don't put me in the dark again, please! I'll do anything!"
"It's okay, it's okay, Loki, shh shh," the woman soothed. "No one's going to...put you in the dark again, I promise."
She approached him slowly, then crouched next to him as Loki hid, once again, behind his knees. Not that name not that name it doesn't exist. He'll put me in the dark again no more no more please don't. Not that name...
A gruff voice broke the air, "What the hell? What are you two doing here?"
A/N: Yes, yes, I realize this is another cliffhanger. Sorry, couldn't be helped. But at least this was a longer chapter! ;D
I wasn't sure how to go with Natasha and Clint's responses, but I figured even they would feel bad for Loki in his current state. Hope you guys liked the chapter.