"What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death."
Under the cover of night, in a secret location, with Heimdall ever-watchful for potential spies, Thor divulged his plans to his most trusted confidants.
Malekith could sense the Aether's presence. Odin's refusal to move Jane off-world meant another attack was inevitable. And so too then, was the decimation of their people. They had to act. And fast. With no access to the Bifrost or to the Tesseract, there was only one option. And it was a dangerous one at that.
Loki.
He had ways - secret ways - in and out of Asgard. In their youth he had found them and used them for his tricks, his ploys, sometimes even just to disappear for a while. It was only in recent years that his use of them had turned into something far more sinister.
But one thing that Thor knew to be true of his brother, no matter what else had changed, was that he loved Frigga. Truly and dearly. Thor had not seen him as of yet, but he knew that the news of her death would have all but broken him. He would be rageful. He'd crave vengeance. Perhaps even enough to be helpful.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier as Thor made his companions privy to this aspect of the plan. Sif stared at him in utter disbelief and Fandral leaned back, defeated, in his chair.
"Thor, this is madness," Volstagg told his friend, solemnly. "He will betray you."
Fandral let out a long slow sigh in response.
"Not necessarily," he said it almost as if he hadn't wanted to. The blonde man glanced from Volstagg to the crown Prince. "Not if you take his mortal with you as well."
Thor's brow furrowed slightly at the suggestion.
"Reagan?"
"Fandral, don't be ridiculous," Sif hissed.
Fandral ignored her.
"The pair have grown close," Fandral told the group. "Something has... awakened between them. I thought it to be another one of Loki's games - I know you did too, Sif, but... she cares about him. Truly. They are closer than any of us realised."
Beside him, Sif scoffed.
"She fought beside you in Midgard," Fandral went on, speaking to Thor. "She saved my life when the elves attacked. And Loki's threats that he made to the soldier she was rumoured to have burned... I have played that moment over and over again in my mind and... I think they were genuine. I think she means something to him too and he wanted to keep her safe. If you take her with you, ask her to fight by your side once again, perhaps he will be less inclined to act against you."
Thor nodded, weighing the advice carefully.
"Yes," Sif said, coolly. "Or perhaps, you'll render yourself outnumbered."
Fandral turned to look at her.
"If what you say is true, Fandral, then why would she ever pledge fealty to Thor over Loki?"
"Perhaps she, like most, does not wish to see the universe plunged into darkness," Volstagg suggested.
"She's bonded to him," Sif reminded them all. "She is not like most."
Thor sat in quiet contemplation for quite a time before he spoke. And when it did, there was a finality to it.
"It would seem, it is a risk we will have to take."
The guards came for her the next morning.
When the knock sounded at her door, Reagan truly did hope it would be Odin that she'd find standing there once again. She positively leapt from her bed.
Round two, motherfucker, she thought viscously. Bring it on.
She'd tell him how fucked up it was that he sent a goddamn guard to tell Loki about Frigga's death.
She'd tell him she wasn't going anywhere. That she'd burn the city to the ground sooner than stepping foot on that Bifrost.
She swung her door open, still wearing her nightgown, to find herself face to face with six members of the Einherjar, all adorned in their full armour. She studied them calmly, readying herself. But suddenly her heart sank.
Her eyes locked with Skurge's. His expression was grim.
Betrayal flashed across her features plain as day as they stared at one another.
"Reagan Matthews," he said evenly. "You need to come with us."
She didn't answer - she couldn't. Instead, she just gazed at the man she'd thought had been her friend. Her one true ally in all of Asgard who wasn't Loki. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but her chest felt strangely shallow.
"In light of the recent attack, plans have changed. You will not be permitted to return to Midgard at this stage. The city is in total lockdown. It is the order of the King that the mortals be taken into protective custody."
Reagan watched him, her brow furrowing in confusion. But her heart began to race as hope sparked in her. She wasn't going to home then. Not yet.
Or... did Skurge understand her well enough to know that she needed to be fed that lie? That she would put up a fight otherwise. She watched him, at war as to what to do.
"We'll give you a few minutes to get dressed. Be quick."
Skurge moved towards her and took hold of the door to close it, and still, Reagan watched him, unmoving.
When he was close enough, for only her to hear, he murmured so softly that she almost missed it.
"Trust me."
It was all he said, and there was a desperation to it. As he swung the door shut, leaving her alone in her chambers a lump formed in her throat. From the fright. The relief. The confusion. She was so uncertain of what to do. What if she went with them and it was a trick? She'd have to fight her way out. She didn't want to hurt any of them. Least of all Skurge, even if this did turn out to be a betrayal. But she couldn't run either. She knew that. Heimdall would see her. They'd find her.
Reagan kept the interaction shielded from Loki, not wanting to worry him, he was still in so much pain. And she had made him a promise to-
Reagan stilled.
She'd made him a promise.
The very idea of it calmed her.
Resolutely, Reagan began to dress in her leathers. She'd made Loki a promise. She was going to stay with him. So it didn't matter what these soldiers had planned for her. She just needed to be able to burn.
If they took her to the rainbow bridge, she'd burn so brightly that none of them could lay a hand on her. And then she would retreat to Loki's castle. She could stay there, out of their reach, while she figured out her next move.
With fresh determination, Reagan strode towards the door and when she opened it, she was met with Skurge's sombre gaze once more. She didn't speak to him. When he wrapped a hand around her upper arm to escort her and she had half a mind to scorch his flesh. But then, as she scowled down at his hand on her, she noticed it. A small, folded scrap of parchment pinched subtly between his fingers. Reagan glanced cautiously at the other guards in her escort and when she was satisfied that they weren't paying attention, she slipped it from his grasp. Skurge gave her no reaction except for his grip on her easing just a little.
She read the writing scrawled there quickly.
I owe you a debt. There is a plan. We need you and the other mortal together. Burn this. ~ F
Reagan balled the parchment up in her fist and turned it to ash, her heart racing all the more.
The armed guard soon lead Reagan to a heavy set of golden doors which were pushed open to reveal chambers similar to her own, though far less lived in. More Einherjar were already stationed there, alert and at attention. So, she was to be babysat. Another woman waited there already too. Vague recognition passed over her features as she watched Reagan being escorted, somewhat forcefully, into the room.
"You're to remain here until otherwise instructed," Skurge told her when he let go of her arm at last. "A meal will be brought in for each of you soon."
His 'on duty' voice was so different to the way he normally spoke to her. Reagan turned to look at him. He seemed almost reluctant to meet her eye but when he did she could see the upspoken sentiment there. The way his gaze lingered longer than it needed to. The way his brows pinched together ever so slightly. The thin line of his lips. He wanted her forgiveness. She offered him all she could, a subtle nod. But it seemed to be enough, some of the tension in his posture eased just a little before he exited the room.
The moment the doors were closed, Reagan let out a shuddering breath and began to pace anxiously. She loathed the feeling of being left in the dark. And having to lay her trust in a scrawled note from Fandral of all people seemed insane. But Skurge... she trusted Skurge. She just hoped she was right to.
There is a plan.
A plan for what? And how could she possibly factor in?
She was so lost in thought, she hadn't even realised that the other woman was watching her.
"You're Reagan, right?" she said at last, filling the awkward silence. "I'm Jane. I recognise you from the footage in New York."
"Yeah, sorry... Sorry, I... This whole situation has been... a lot."
Jane laughed humorlessly.
"Yeah, you're telling me."
"Did they tell you how long we're going to be held here?"
"No," Jane said, hanging her head in defeat. "No, I- I don't know about you, but I suppose I'm just here until Malekith's next attack."
Reagan nodded, not quite sure of what to say. What could she say to that? There were no words that could bring someone comfort in a situation like this.
"How are you holding up?" she asked. "I mean if you want to talk about it."
Jane grimaced.
"I guess, I'm as good as can be expected. It's overwhelming. I'm having these weird visions and... Whatever this thing is, it keeps knocking me out. It's... It's like this uncontrollable blast of energy whenever anyone tries to touch me."
Reagan tilted her head a little.
"I actually know a little something about what that feels like."
"You do?"
"Not the visions, but uncontrollable energy. Yeah. It wasn't exactly pretty when I first got my powers. A lot of people got hurt."
Jane sighed heavily.
"I bet it wasn't as many as yesterday," she mused.
Reagan studied her and sympathy swelled in her chest. Even in a total stranger, she'd recognise that guilt anywhere. She was all too familiar with it.
"That wasn't on you," Reagan assured her gently.
"Wasn't it?" Jane half scoffed.
"No," Reagan insisted, taking a seat next to her. "There was no way for you to know. Just like there was no way for Thor to know what would happen if he brought you back here. Sometimes it's not anyone's fault. Sometimes things just... are..."
Jane nodded slowly, contemplating.
"I just want it gone," she murmured, staring down at her palms as if she could see the power coursing beneath her skin. "I want it out of me."
Another wave of sympathy swept through Reagan, she understood better than most exactly what the other woman was going through. Except for the power inside of her, it had never tried to consume her, she hadn't been hunted for it. It had been enough to break her, the flames she couldn't wield. She couldn't even imagine if that power had tried to burn her out as well.
"I remember that feeling too," Reagan admitted, her features full of genuine sympathy.
"How did you deal with it?"
Reagan laughed a little. "Not very well, I'll tell you that much. It actually wasn't until recently that someone gave me the advice I needed to fully get a handle on it."
"You mind sharing?"
Reagan lowered her head a little.
"Stop fighting it," she admitted, grimly. It sounded so impossibly simple when she put voice to it. "Sorry, I know that doesn't quite work in your situation."
Jane looked back down at her own hands once again.
Reagan stilled then as she sensed Loki's presence entering her mind for the first time that morning.
How curious, his voice sounded in her mind and her eyes fell closed for just a moment.
She hadn't realised just how anxious she had been to hear from him.
What is it?
It would appear that my brother has decided to pay me a visit at last.
It was a surprise to Reagan as well.
"I didn't realise you were in Asgard," Jane said, still seated beside her. "There have been rumours back on Earth about you going missing. Some people thought you were dead and that the Avengers were trying to cover it up for some reason."
"I've been here since New York. Thor had to bring me back. I, uh... It's kind of complicated," Reagan replied, half distracted by Loki.
Something's happening, she told him. Something's in motion.
What do you mean?
I'm not sure yet. I'll explain but do you need me to-
It's alright. I'm rather interested to hear whatever it is he has to say.
"Oh," Jane said, slightly affronted. "Are you and Thor-"
Reagan almost snapped her neck, the way she whipped around to face Jane, mortified.
"Oh! No, no. No, I almost wish it was something so simple, but no," she muttered under her breath, much more to herself than to Jane. She turned back to the other woman. "Thor talks about you all the time. Believe me. You have nothing to worry about on that front."
And Jane finally allowed herself a small smile.
The smack of Jane's hand rang out through the hallway they stood in and still the trickster laughed.
"That was for New York," she said, glowering at him.
"I like her," Loki grinned coolly.
"So do I."
It was as if the whole universe stood still.
Loki stopped breathing.
The moment he heard her voice - her real voice - he could feel the difference. And he wondered how, for all that time he had spent parted from her, having nothing more than a mere projection of her - how had he ever convinced himself that that was enough? He hadn't even looked at her yet, and every nerve ending in his body had come alive.
Loki turned in the direction of Reagan's voice. Her eyes met his. A spark ran through him. There was an amused smirk playing on her lips to match his own as she gazed up at him.
She moved closer to him slowly, unblinking.
A strange calm settled over him as he watched her draw closer.
And he suddenly felt... steady. Sure.
Matching energy hummed along the bond.
Energy that seemed to say;
It's you... it's you... it's you...
"Hi," Reagan breathed, as she reached him at last.
Loki's smile softened into something genuine.
"Hello there," he murmured in return.
So, you enjoyed that did you? he asked, amused.
Yeah, maybe a little.
She took a small, subtle step closer to him, still gazing up at him with bright eyes.
I thought I had your sympathy, he teased.
Reagan shrugged.
She doesn't know what I know. And don't you remember how badly I wanted to smack you when I first met you?
Oh yes, and what about now?
Well, I can't say there's no desire... Her smile grew all the wider.
Huh. So I was right, he mused casually, as if his heart wasn't about to burst out of his chest.
About what?
You're just as annoying in person.
Reagan couldn't suppress a small laugh and she nudged him affectionately with her shoulder.
I'm happy to see you, too.
Loki could feel their eyes on them - the others - watching their silent little exchange, but it hardly mattered. Nothing seemed to. Not the approaching soldiers. Not their impending escape from Asgard. Not even the Aether. Because she was here with him.
And it felt right.
Reagan dropped his gaze, at last, glancing down at his bound wrists. She smirked.
You know, this is exactly what you were wearing the last time I saw you in person, she teased and tugged playfully at the chains. And as that simple action had Loki's blood unexpectedly rushing to a location that was so wildly inappropriate for their current circumstances, he couldn't help but think that wearing those handcuffs wasn't such a terrible thing after all. He grinned all the wider, unable to take his eyes off her.
He was here. He was here.
The moment Sif had come for her and Jane, adrenaline had coursed through her. She'd watched the warrior take out the guards with ease, how she'd inclined her head for them to follow.
"Let's go," she'd said, and while Jane made her way eagerly towards the doorway, Reagan had hesitated.
"Where are we going?" she'd asked, arms folded across her chest.
Sif's expression had grown frosty, as it always did when she interacted with the mortal.
"Fandral said to inform you that he would be there, too," was all she said on the matter, turning on her heel to escort Jane, whether Reagan followed or not.
And though Sif's words had been coated in disdain, Reagan found herself smiling as she hurried after her.
And now he was really here. Loki was here. Right in front of her.
The energy that hummed between them was otherworldly. If she'd thought there had been electricity between them when she'd visited his cell - that night they'd danced together - it paled in comparison to this. Being near him.
And there was something more too, something she couldn't feel through her projection, but that pull was there. The want to draw closer to him.
She'd felt it, that first day, back in New York. She hadn't understood it for what it was. It had scared her. Made her feel ugly. If only she had known what she knew now. She would have welcomed it. Given herself over to it.
Just like she wanted to do now.
God, she wanted to reach for him, to touch him... even in the most innocent ways. She wanted to brush her fingers against his, just to know if his hands were warm or cold. She wanted to lay her palm on his chest and feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She wanted to lace her fingers through his hair to learn if it was as sinfully soft as she imagined...
But, alas, they had matters to attend to - a city to escape, an enemy to thwart, a universe to save.
How unimportant those things felt for just a moment when they got to be there together, teasing one another fondly. So wonderfully familiar, and yet so very strangely, for the very first time.
It was a comfort - this calm, gentle moment between them in amongst the chaos and turmoil of the past few days - and Reagan was so grateful for it, because this cool, collected composure of his, Reagan knew it was by his own design.
And she could see right through it - the cunning smile he adorned for all the rest of them - even though it had turned into something more genuine when he turned and looked her way, she could feel the truth of it.
The raw pain that he was still deep inside of.
The loss.
The longing to undo it.
Frigga.
But there were other eyes here now, and she knew how badly he needed to hide his weaknesses from them. And so, instead of reaching for him, she wore a smile to match his and played along, pretending this was all just good fun.
Because she refused to let these people see him bleed.
The Einherjar were approaching. Alerted now, to Thor's plan, their orders were to stop the Prince and his companions by any means. They needed to make their move, and fast. After a quick exchange with Sif, Thor led Jane away, a guiding hand on her back.
With Loki by her side, Reagan moved to follow.
A flash of metal caught the light in the corner of her eye and, suddenly, Sif's blade is millimetres from Loki's throat.
Reagan froze, wide-eyed as she stared in shock, her entire chest clenching horribly as panic surged within her.
She hadn't expected it. Hadn't had time to summon her flames to protect him. And he wore those cuffs that concealed his magic and left him vulnerable.
And now there was a blade pressed to his throat.
Reagan's heart raced so fast that she could hear her own pulse thundering in her ears.
And yet Loki was so calm as Sif threatened him. The way he laughed at her threats and he bared his throat to the warrior, it was as if it were something he'd faced a million times before.
And only when Sif removed her blade and allowed Loki to pass did Reagan breathe a shaky sigh of relief. She moved towards him, unable to help herself, taking hold of his forearm. Her grip on him was firm and grounding, though there was a slight tremor in her touch, as if she were trying to reassure herself that he was really there.
Are you alright? she asked him, still shaken.
Loki could feel her panic, her outrage, and he looked at her to find her glaring daggers over his shoulder at the dark-haired woman who now stood between them and the forces of Asgard.
"I'm fine," he promised her gently. "It's alright."
They made their way after Thor and all the while, Loki could feel the way Reagan was trying so desperately to quell her dread. And while he loathed the fact that anything had filled her with such horrid emotion, there was still some small selfish part of him that warmed at the thought of her worrying for his wellbeing.
Her hands were on him. It was a thought that kept looping over and over again in Loki's mind. Her hands were on him, wrapped around his arm, somewhat protectively - possessively, he even dared to imagine - as she walked beside him.
He could feel the warmth of her body beside his - something he'd been pining after for months.
And yet, as they hurried through the palace on their way to commandeer an alien spacecraft, he had no time to savour her proximity.
Still, he indulged himself in a few intermittent glances in her direction, studying the curves of her profile, the flick of her lashes, the way her hair fell around her face.
As if sensing his gaze on her, she glanced up at him and caught his eye. Reagan smiled.
So, this isn't how I thought we'd be spending the day, she quipped.
No. Though, it is rather more exciting.
Oh, definitely. You might find this a little hard to believe, but I've never actually stolen a spaceship before.
Well, allow me to just say what an honour it is to join you in the flesh for your first time.
The pair exchanged grins before Reagan tilted her head a little, still studying his face.
It's actually kind of nice to see you in different lighting, you know, Reagan observed.
Loki quirked an amused eyebrow at her. Oh yes? And am I still just as devilishly handsome as I was in that charming little prison cell?
Maybe even more so.
A genuine grin tugged at Loki's face as he glanced her way once more, but Reagan's attention shifted as they reached the giant black craft which had smashed its way into the palace and now lay amongst the ruins. Volstagg was waiting for them there, weapon in hand. Thor clasped his hand before he and Jane made their way onto the ship. Reagan and Loki made to follow before a large hand collided forcefully with Loki's chest stopping him in his path.
Reagan scowled, resisting the urge to set the man aflame.
"If you even think about betraying him..."
"You'll kill me?" Loki finished for him. "Evidently, there will be a line."
Reagan could hardly fathom how he managed to remain so collected in moments like this. She reached for him once more, taking a gentle hold of his arm and pulling him away from Volstagg.
"Come on," she murmured to Loki. Her voice was soft, in no way pairing with the glowering expression she threw the other man's way.
I swear if one more of them assaults you... Her voice was laced with venom.
And though she didn't finish the thought, warmth spread through Loki's chest.
"No, don't hit it. Just press it gently."
It was surreal, escaping Asgard in an alien spaceship with Thor at the helm, a virtual render of their surroundings coming to life within the ship as they swept over - and occasionally directly through - Asgardian landmarks.
Their lives were at risk. Their freedom. The entire fucking universe. And yet... Reagan felt detached from it all. Because, strangely, the strangest thing of all, was how ...un-strange she found it that Loki was thoroughly enjoying himself in the face of their impending doom. Just watching him, how absolutely delighted he was to be irritating Thor, it did something to quell her fear of the oncoming attacks. It made her feel like everything was going to be alright. And each time Loki glanced her way, wearing that cocky smirk of his, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was doing it for her benefit.
It was too easy, the way he managed to get a rise out of his brother. The way he baited him into bickering matches. And it occurred to Reagan that he'd probably played that very same trick on her too without her ever really realising.
She couldn't quite suppress her smirk at that. Loki caught it, meeting her eye momentarily and shooting her a quick wink.
I've missed this, his voice oozed satisfaction.
I can tell, she replied.
Look how annoyed he is, Loki said gleefully. Watch this, I'm going to make it worse.
And Reagan had no idea why it was that moment, she couldn't even pinpoint exactly what it was about it, but something in her... settled... as if it became permanent. The smile fell away from her face as she watched him, once again distracted by bickering with his brother, not at all concerned about the weapons attempting to gun them out of the air. She and Loki... they were permanent. Even as she'd allowed herself to let him in, admitted to herself begrudgingly - and before long, whole-heartedly - how much she liked him, how important he'd become to her, he always seemed like something fleeting. At first, because that's what she'd wanted him to be. But then... perhaps because he was to be locked away from her forever. Perhaps because she couldn't admit to herself what she really wanted.
But she and Loki... they were permanent.
The matching marks they each wore around their forearms. They never spoke of them. They spoke of the bond, how to get rid of it, poked fun at it, used it to speak to one another. They'd even learned to appreciate it, especially in the moments when they'd needed each other most. But never had they spoke about what it meant. About what they were to each other.
And now, she wanted to. Desperately.
She wanted to admit to him that the marks were right all along.
That she had been an idiot.
That she was sorry.
That she wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything.
And just as she was reaching that terrifying realisation, Thor seemed to reach the end of his tether, and pushed Loki forcefully out of the ship, sending him plummeting towards the ocean below them.
"Loki!" his name ripped from her throat as she ran to the doorway, searching wildly for him.
Unfathomable relief swept through her as she watch him land aboard a Skiff beneath them. A familiar face gazed up from it. She locked eyes with Fandral and could do nothing but blink in surprise.
"Hold onto me," Thor's voice sounded beside her.
She glanced his way to find him with Jane cradled in his arms. Before she had time to talk herself out of it, she wrapped her arms around Thor's, clutching on for dear life and together, they leapt down into the Skiff below. The landing jarred her but Thor took the brunt of it, managing to keep her on her feet even as he held firmly onto Jane. As she watched Loki clamber to his feet, her heart still racing, as he inevitably collected himself and pretended to be unphased.
But he was alright, at least. And that was all that mattered.
Her eyes flicked fleetingly to Fandral's, who gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement. She returned it. And nothing more needed to be said.
It wasn't long before gunships began to trail them. Only one at first, which Fandral took care of.
But then another followed. And another.
And soon another three.
"They've spotted us," Thor called over the roar of the wind stripping past them. "We need a distraction."
"I'm on it!" Reagan shouted back.
She moved to the rear of the Skiff, putting as much space between her and the others as she could before she grounded her footing, extended her arms and, with a deep breath, she summoned her flames.
A wall of fire blasted out over the water, shooting out into the distance before it erupted into a brilliant display of fiery heat. Flames exploded across the water, rocketing skyward, forming a stifling display, taller even than the Statue of Liberty, the pursuing crafts had no choice but to alternate their courses, leaving the Skiff ferrying two princes and their mortals to escape Asgard undetected.
Reagan called her fire back, just as Loki had taught her to do. She took a moment to catch her breath then turned to face the others, only to find all eyes on her.
Thor, who wore a slightly startled expression, having not seen her achieve anything even close to that scale during the battle of New York.
Jane, who even in her exhausted state, looked slightly awestruck by the display.
And Loki, who just smiled at her softly, proudly, as if he'd never expected anything less from her.
It was his gaze which made her blush.
Well done, mortal.
This place is... awful.
Reagan stood aboard the Skiff that Loki now steered through Svartálfheim, staring out at the horizon, arms wrapped around herself as a form of self-comfort as they journeyed through the wasteland. There was a bitterness to the air as if it were tainted by some kind of poison. What little light the black hole above them gave off muted all the colours around them.
Malekith really wants to make the universe... this?
He's served a single purpose for so long that his mind is likely warped as to his true intention, Loki responded.
When Reagan turned, his gaze was already on her and it left her feeling a little breathless. He was sat by the steering axle, manoeuvring the skiff. But those green eyes of his... they were unforgivably intense. As she moved towards him again, he trailed her every movement. And if she hadn't known better, she might have felt like prey. They'd been travelling through Svartálfheim for hours now. Thor had filled them in on the entire plan - to face Malekith, to extract the Aether from Jane safely and to destroy it - and now, the rest was just a waiting game, circling that desolate planet with nothing but time to combat until they caught sight of their enemies reaching the Dark World.
Odin used to tell us the story of the Dark Elves and their desire to claim the Aether. Of what the universe used to be before it was forged. How someday if the Elves succeeded we'd be plunged back into the darkness that came before.
She threw him an incredulous look.
Wow. I bet that lulled you right off to sleep. I swear, your dad is insane.
Loki just smiled up at her affectionately, the smallest of laughs permitted to slip from his lips.
Actually, in all fairness, Reagan self-corrected. My mom used to sing this song to me when I was little about a baby plummeting out of a tree to get me to go to sleep.
I beg your pardon.
Yeah.
You're a liar.
Rockabye baby-
How many times must I ask you not to sing to me?
Reagan smirked a little, as she turned back to survey the wasteland once more.
But then she felt it.
She whipped back around to study Loki.
He didn't meet her eye, knowing.
But she'd already felt it. A pang of discomfort - of pain - her eyes fell to his wrists. She moved towards him slowly, kneeling in front of him. Loki tensed slightly, watching her with a guarded expression as she reached for his wrists, pulling back his sleeves to reveal angry-looking bruises upon his skin. His wrists were decorated in a mottled pattern of red and purple markings. They looked angry. And fresh. And painful. Reagan felt the way he stiffened slightly, fighting the instinct to hide from her - hide his weakness.
Jesus, Loki... What the hell happened? she asked softly.
I believe it was the fall into the Skiff, Loki said, sounding dismissive. I wasn't ready for it. I just landed badly, that's all.
Reagan's brows pinched together in concern as she ran her fingers soothingly over the bruises blooming under the cuffs and Loki was sure he could feel her fire in her touch.
It's nothing, he reassured her.
Reagan shot him a sharp look.
It's not nothing, she said, as she returned her attention to his wrists.
Loki softened as he gazed at her.
It's nothing I can't handle, he corrected gently, wanting sorely to ease her concern. He shifted his hand to graze his fingers comfortingly along her palm. I heal quickly, it'll be alright.
"What's going on between those two?" Jane murmured as Thor came to cover her with a blanket, only loud enough for him to hear. "Didn't she help you all stop him in New York? She was on your side, right? The things he did - I thought she would have hated him. But they're... I don't know..."
She sounded weary. She needed her rest. But ever inquisitive was Jane Foster, and Thor knew well enough that he needed to placate her curiosity if he ever hoped to get her to sleep. He let loose a sigh.
"Things are more complicated than they would seem," he told her gently.
Jane's brow furrowed in question and so softly, not to be overheard, Thor told her of the Marks of Sjelevii, of what they meant and the psychic link that came with them, how long it had been since the bond have been forged. He told her of the Atraxis and how important it was that Reagan be hidden away in Asgard.
And lastly, he told her of just how tumultuous the relationship had been between his brother and the mortal. How they had battled one another. How they longed to be the other's undoing. How they had tormented one another to their very breaking points.
"They loathed each other at first," Thor murmured. "I hadn't realised-"
"Whatever that is," Jane gestured in their direction. "It is not loathing."
"Are these cuffs really still necessary?" Reagan stood and placed her hands on her hips, raising her voice so that Thor would hear. "They're bruising him. And it's not like we're even in Asgard anymore."
"They will remain on for now," Thor said firmly.
"But-"
"What's wrong, brother?" Loki asked casually, his face a mask of snide arrogance. "Worried you might find yourself transformed into a frog again?"
"You know full well what I'm worried about," Thor responded without a trace of humour in his voice, before turning his back to him.
Reagan huffed in defeat, taking a seat at Loki's side. She slumped back, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.
Maybe I can swipe the keys while he's distracted.
Loki smirked at that. My, my... don't tell me I've corrupted you after all.
Reagan shrugged a little.
Not that I wouldn't love to watch you attempt it, but it's not a good idea. I'd much rather he was still an ally to you when Malekith arrives.
And though she nodded, she still looked thoroughly displeased.
Reagan, really, don't trouble yourself. It's not like I've given any of you any reason to trust me, Loki said, half in jest.
I do trust you, Reagan told him firmly, turning to look him right in the eye.
Loki stilled, studying her.
I trust you, she told him again, entirely resolute, as if she were completely putting the matter to bed.
Loki offered her the ghost of a smile, far more emotion behind it than he let on, before the two fell into a comfortable silence, side by side. It was some time before Reagan spoke again.
So... what happens after this? she asked softly. Assuming it's not the end of the universe, of course.
I suppose I haven't given it much thought.
Reagan nudged her shoulder playfully against his.
You're about to be a free man. You can go wherever you want. Do whatever you want.
Something shifted in Loki then, Reagan caught it, though she wasn't quite sure what it was.
Yes, Loki agreed. Though, I don't suppose I'll be able to return to Asgard. All that would await me there are Odin's shackles.
What about Earth?
Loki hesitated. I doubt I'd be welcomed there.
I'd vouch for you, she insisted. That could help. I happen to have some pull with the Avengers.
They smiled softly at each other.
But what are our other options? Where else could we go? Reagan asked, her eyes flickered to his and then away again.
Loki stilled.
We? he repeated softly.
Reagan turned to him again, her gaze softening as she nodded.
Yeah, we, she confirmed. Don't you remember? I promised I was going to stay with you.
Loki cleared his throat a little, trying to compose himself.
Well, there's Vanaheim, I suppose. Peace has been reestablished and it's safe to say that I've made considerably fewer enemies there.
Hogun told me it was beautiful.
I must confess, it does have some rather impressive views.
Or maybe we could just go to Jotenheim? Reagan suggested.
Loki hesitated, recognising her teasing tone. He had to swallow against the sudden tightness that formed in his throat as a realisation hit him. She was playing with him. Playing make-believe. Just as they had just a few nights earlier, pretending that they would be able to speak once more in 50 years' time. This was all just a fantasy. There wasn't really an 'after.' There wasn't really a 'we.'
Loki lowered his head a little.
Maybe not? Reagan pressed gently, misinterpreting Loki's sudden shift in mood.
Maybe not, Loki agreed, grateful that she didn't press the matter.
Okay, so Vanaheim, then, Reagan said quite determinedly, turning her attention back to the horizon of the wastelands.
Loki studied her profile.
It seemed so impossible that only a year ago they had not known each other. That he'd been without her voice constantly nattering away inside his mind. And it occurred to him then that he couldn't quite pinpoint any particular moment when he had come to adore that presence so. When it had become a part of who he was - of who he wanted to be.
He'd been bitter when the marks had first been forged because she had seemed like this thing that he would once again be denied. Something that he was entitled to - something meant for him. A being that was made to care for him - to love him - in spite of all that he'd done and all that he was. And yet all he had felt from her was her disdain - her revulsion at the very concept. He'd been bitter - resentful - that she wouldn't even entertain the idea of him. It had filled him with such a poisonous rage.
It shamed him now to think of how... entitled he'd felt to her.
Because back then, that mark - the Mark of Sjelevii - had meant that she was supposed to be his.
His to covet.
His to command.
To dominate.
Something selfish.
Loki had never imagined for even a moment that it would be he who would so irrevocably belong to her. That the very idea of making her smile held more value to him than anything else in the world. And yet here he was. Gazing at a mortal who found it all too easy to make him laugh, to make him come alive again. Her existence was to be so unbearably fleeting. And yet Loki cared - truly cared - more about her life than his own.
And she sat there, beside him, smiling and promising to stay by his side. But she hadn't any concept of what that meant. Of just how long it would mean that she'd have to run.
From the Atraxis.
From Odin.
From Thanos.
No... that was not a fate he'd ever ask her to endure.
Because, against all odds, she'd come to matter to him more than even he did.
"You should get some rest," he said to her, still only loud enough for her to hear.
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"It's all a waiting game now, it may be hours before we see any sign of the creatures. And you've hardly slept the past few nights."
Reagan glanced away, knowing he was right.
"I don't know if it's such a great idea to leave you and your brother unsupervised," she teased with a small smile.
"It would be a comfort to me," Loki murmured.
She squinted at him just a little.
"And you'll be on your best behaviour?"
"When am I not?"
Reagan laughed before faking a solemn expression, as she leaned forward, businesslike.
"Now, would you prefer the following list of examples in chronological order or by scale of repercussions?" she asked.
And Loki looked at her then like he was looking at a sunset.
It hadn't worked. They'd pulled their plan off to perfection, and still, it hadn't worked.
Loki had appeared to betray Thor, handing Jane over to Malekith in exchange for a front-row seat to Asgard's destruction. The elves had seemed distracted. And when Loki had lifted his magic, granting Thor back his limb and freeing Reagan from his concealment spell, the two had rushed forward, casting the full brunt of both lightening and flame at the Aether to shatter it into oblivion.
It had exploded into thousands of pieces, scattering over the wasteland, and Reagan had smiled, certain that they had done it - stopped the end.
But then, they'd watched in horror, as the element had reforged itself before their very eyes.
And it had gone to Malekith, bonded itself to him like a beast returning to its master.
So they had no choice but to fight.
While the brothers leapt forth and fought off the foot soldiers, Reagan had cast her strength towards the Dark Elves' craft. She assaulted it with her flames, giving it everything she had in her, hoping that if she couldn't destroy the Aether, then at least she could prevent it from leaving Svartálfheim.
She threw everything into it. And yet her attack had no effect. She didn't even leave a mark on the vessel. And Malekith had merely flicked his wrist in her direction, and the power of the Aether had sent her hurtling through the air. Reagan screamed. She'd smashed into the ground, her head colliding with something hard. Pain seared through her skull and a fog washed over her mind instantly.
She was vaguely aware of Loki screaming her name.
Her vision blurred then, darkness ebbing around the edges.
She couldn't be sure if unconsciousness took her or not, but her head felt heavy, her thinking fogged, as she finally managed to pull herself up a little.
It happened as she was just managing to stagger to her feet, still trying to clear her head.
She gave a sharp gasp.
It was like the snapping of a tendon - no pain at first, just the knowledge that something wrong had happened. Something very, very wrong.
It took Reagan a few moments to fully understand what it was. And then she felt it... the absence. It wasn't like when Odin had reinforced her shields. No, that had felt like Loki had been hidden from her. Concealed by magic. This... he was- he was gone.
The bond was gone.
She'd stilled, squeezed her eyes shut, denied it.
She shook her head, confused.
"No," she whispered aloud, scanning her surroundings. Searching for him.
She just needed to see him. She needed to look him in the eye. And then everything would be okay.
Because it couldn't be that.
It couldn't be that.
Anything else.
Anything.
Just not him...
Reagan turned. She froze. Thor knelt in the distance, the form of a body clad in green cradled in his arms. Her feet seemed to carry her forward of their own accord.
Not him, she begged silently as she approached. Please... please, not him.
It couldn't be him. It wouldn't be.
Her mind rejected the very possibility of the concept.
He was already gone by the time she reached him and all the air rushed from her lungs with alarming force. He was so still. Impossibly so. His skin had turned a mottled kind of grey. She waited for him to breathe - she just kept waiting to see his chest rise. But it didn't come. It never would.
Reagan reached for him with trembling hands as she fell to her knees beside him. One hand settled on his shoulder, the other over his wound as if to hide it away so that death couldn't take him from her.
But it was already too late.
Too late.
He was gone.
Come back, she whispered into the emptiness where he had been bonded to her only moments earlier. Please... please, come back...
Thor watched her wordlessly as she stared down at his brother's lifeless form, tears still tracking their way down his face. He could barely stomach the expression on her face - the shock, the confusion, the pain. The way she touched him as though he might shatter beneath her fingertips.
"We can't leave him here," Reagan whispered.
"Reagan," Thor said gently, his voice still thick with emotion. "We have no choice. We have to move."
"No, we can't just leave him here. We have to take him home."
"Reagan."
"Thor," she looked up at him, looked him right in the eye. That one look told him everything he'd ever need to know. "Please, don't ask me to just leave him here like this."
Thor softened, he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, willing her to listen and remember the gravity of their situation.
"The last act of service I can do to honour my brother... is to make sure that you are safe," he told her firmly.
Reagan's expression crumbled a little as she looked from Thor to Loki and then back again. She tucked his raven-black hair gently behind his ear.
"Please... help me give that to him," Thor murmured, his own gaze returning to his brother's face.
A tear spilled down her cheek as she nodded at last.
In the hours that followed, Reagan was numb.
She was numb as she trudged through the storming wastelands. Barely feeling the sting of the sand blasting against her skin.
She was numb when they found the cave. Found the things from Midgard. Hardly caring when Jane's cell phone started ringing.
She was numb when she found herself back in Midgard. A home that she'd longed for for so long, and now was the last place she wanted to be. Because all she wanted was to be with him.
But he was gone.
He was gone.
It was like she was operating on autopilot. There was still work to be done. Malekith needed to be stopped. Loki's death needed to have been for something. Reagan was vaguely aware that that thought might have been all that kept her going. She'd make it mean something. She'd made him proud.
But she wouldn't feel it.
She'd never again feel his pride in her, spiralling down a sacred bond that she had wasted so much of her time willing away. The thought of it was unbearable.
On autopilot, she climbed into the back seat of Jane's car.
On autopilot, she followed her and Thor back to her apartment.
There were others there. Faces she didn't know. And one she did. Selvig. The scientist Loki had possessed when he had stolen the Tesseract.
"Your brother's not coming is he?" the man asked Thor, somewhat nervously.
The very question made Reagan's heart clench terribly.
"Loki is dead..." Thor replied.
"Oh, thank God."
Reagan closed her eyes.
It was too much. She couldn't stand it. She could hardly breathe.
"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom," she managed to squeeze out, exiting the room swiftly and hurrying away from this group of strangers.
"Reagan-"
She ignored Thor's call, retreating as quickly as she could.
She slammed the door shut to block out the noise of their whispers and questions.
Alone in a bathroom on her home planet, a million lightyears away from the one thing she truly needed, Reagan slid down the door, pulling her knees to her chest and finally allowed the dam inside her to break. A sob burst from her, and then another and then another, and she thought only of the body she'd left behind on a dead planet under the light of a black hole. Alone on a deserted planet. Alone, when she promised him she wouldn't leave him.
Her soulmate.
Loki.
He was gone.
Reagan wanted blood.
She knew it wouldn't help. It wouldn't bring him back.
But, frankly, she didn't care.
Those godforsaken elves.
Malekith.
She wanted them dead.
She wanted to watch them burn.
Reagan was a force to be reckoned with. Unstoppable.
She'd only half listened to the plan that Jane and Selvig put together - it hadn't really mattered. She wasn't part of the tactical side of it. She was the girl made of fire. She was there to burn.
And burn she would.
The creatures began to approach her more guardedly, in larger numbers. Word had spread through their ranks about the way she was scorching through their forces.
Reagan didn't back down. Didn't cower.
She summoned her flames and fed them to anyone who dared to raise a weapon to her.
She was fighting recklessly - she knew she was - but she was too angry and too heartbroken to care. What these things had taken from her, what they threatened to do still... she didn't care if it killed her. She'd take every last one of them with her.
And as she ripped her way through the elves who attacked her, it didn't quite register with her that the gravitational anomalies behaved nothing like she had expected - the way fallen debris which ought to have hit her was sent hurtling away, how impending attacks which she had not seen coming were strangely intercepted by these peculiar shifts in reality. In any other scenario she may have noticed it - questioned it.
But right now she was blind to it in her pain.
She moved on, attacking relentlessly.
The only time Reagan ever stilled, was when she surged forward, ready to take on a fresh set of elven victims when reality itself had shifted around her, morphing the blue clouded skies of Earth above into something sepia.
For just a moment, Reagan thought she was hallucinating. But quickly she realised that she was standing alone on an endless plane of dead earth under a sky of muted colours and the light of a black hole. Her stomach lurched violently. She was back in the Dark World. She'd fallen through a pocket in the universe, and of all the places she could find herself... she was here.
It was cruel. Too cruel.
She scanned the landscape surrounding her and a broken sob escaped her lips.
It was the Skiff - it was their Skiff - the one they'd left behind on Svartálfheim which meant that... Loki, he was close. His lifeless body was somewhere nearby, as if the universe was taunting her. Fresh tears stung Reagan's eyes then as she stood there, frozen. Caught between what she wanted to do and what she had to do. It was so impossibly cruel, to have to leave him there again.
Anger surged through her like nothing she'd ever felt.
She snarled as she turned her back on the Dark World, her whole body igniting into startlingly brilliant flames, and as she stepped out of the portal, back onto Earth, surrounded by those creatures, she let loose an inferno the likes of which she'd never dared to before.
Their screams lasted milliseconds before they were entirely incinerated, devoured by her flames. Reduced to nothing but bone and ash.
When she called her flames back at last, Reagan fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Everything hurt. She was so exhausted. So broken.
She wanted to cry. She wanted to rest.
She wanted Loki.
With a steadying breath and a strangled grunt of pain, she pulled herself to her feet once more and went to find Thor.
Reagan stood, helplessly by Jane's side as Thor journeyed into the Aether's storm to face Malekith alone. Its energy was far too powerful for any mortal to survive. And so they had no choice but to wait for him with bated breath. Hoping against hope that the God of Thunder could put a stop to the end of the universe - that this one last attempt could be enough.
And it felt like a miracle when the Aether dissipated - Selvig's rods casting Malekith hurtling to the other side of the galaxy.
And it felt like a miracle, when Malekith's ship began to crash, plummeting directly where Thor lay unconscious, but instead fell through another strange pocket of impossibility, sparing both Thor's life and Jane's.
And so, with no time to think about it, Reagan turned on her heel and sprinted and prayed for one last miracle.
She had seconds.
She could already feel the atmosphere changing - the effects of the Convergence coming to an end - the pockets in space all around them closing. She ran faster than she'd ever run before. Her muscles felt like they were on fire, her lungs burned for oxygen, the pain in her head seared, and still, she ran. She ran until she reached where she knew it to be, the pocket that would lead her to the only place she wanted to go.
Reagan threw herself with all her might - launched her entire body. She flew through the air and landed in the dirt with a thud that forced all the air from her lungs. She curled into herself, pained, as she gasped for breath.
Winded and bruised and exhausted, Reagan struggled to prop herself up on one elbow to take in her surroundings. It took only a moment to confirm where she was.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she fell back against the dead, dusty planes of Svartálfheim.
Reagan trudged through the wasteland for what felt like an eternity. The wind howled all around her and brought with it the constant sting of sand and debris in an endless assault on her exposed skin. She ignored it.
She was so unbearably tired. After everything that had happened over the past few days, she was all but empty. Physically. Emotionally. All that seemed to be left in her was sorrow. And a deep, deep desire to lay down and rest.
But the Skiff was on the horizon in front of her, and so she kept going, climbing to the crest of the hill and then over it, where her eyes, at last, fell upon his unmoving form.
When she reached him at last, she slowed, as if she were almost afraid to draw any closer. Reagan stared down at him for a long time as a lump formed in her throat and tears began to blur her vision.
And then, slowly, she went to him settling down on her knees at his side, avoiding looking at the wound that had proved deadly, focusing instead on his face. He was paler now, but she allowed herself to believe he looked peaceful. The storm had caused sand to build up all along the right side of his body. She knelt there beside him, her eyes trained on his face and she took his hand in hers. There was no warmth there, and that alone caused her to whimper softly.
And a tear slipped down her face.
"I'm sorry we left you here," she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips to press a kiss to his knuckles. "We had no choice... But I'm here now, okay? I'm going to take you home."
She reached out her free hand and swept his hair away from his face, she lingered there, gently touching his cheek.
"I wish I'd told you that I..." Her heart ached in her chest, too much for her to be able to say the words out loud. "I should have just told you..."
She left the words unspoken. They wouldn't do any good now. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his brow. She stayed there, close to him and allowed a few quiet sobs to tremble through her body.
"You came back."
It came from behind her.
She froze - a short, sharp gasp escaping her against her will.
That voice that she would recognise anywhere. That voice she thought she'd never get to hear again.
Slowly, Reagan straightened back up, afraid to look over her shoulder, afraid she was imagining things. But when she turned and her eyes met his, he looked almost as shocked as she did. Loki stood behind her, slightly breathless, watching her cry over his corpse with raw emotion on his face.
"I didn't think you'd come back."
My God, that turned into a long chapter! It just didn't feel right to break it up, nowhere felt like "the place" to stop, so I hope you didn't mind the extra long read.
I promise you won't have to wait long for the next chapter. I've almost finished it :) I hope you enjoyed this one!