Two concepts that have been done to death in one fic that ultimately goes nowhere? Yep, that's how I roll. Over the years I've come up with several versions of this for myself, so I just thought, why not? Definitely not my best work. It's pretty bad actually, but... I'm tired and life has been hectic. This has just been sitting on my computer unfinished for however long and I've been adding to it bit by bit over the past couple of months, so... yep. I'm ignoring some canon details here, like how Thor was too busy with marauders to see Jane according to Dark World, and Frigga's entire existence because she would kind of throw this whole thing off track. I apologize in advance for the mess that is this fic. It was going to be a oneshot, but it turned out much longer than I planned, so now it'll be two or three chapters.
*Trigger warning for mentions and aftermath of torture, including graphic injuries, panic attacks, and generally unpleasant medical stuff*
Part One
After Bruce had finally accepted his life as it was, thinking it couldn't possibly get any more bizarre, it had. He had accepted that aliens were real. He had accepted that the Norse god of thunder was real, hammer and cape and all. He had accepted that said god wasn't even really a god, but somehow managed to be both a friendly, sometimes clumsy giant of a man as well as a force to be reckoned with regardless of the world he stood on. To Bruce, it was a terrifying thought, knowing there was yet another inhuman force of destruction on Earth. But in some way, it was reassuring to have an ally who could hold his own against the Hulk. The world was strange, and getting stranger, and he'd accepted that.
In less than a year, he'd come to consider the mighty thunderer not just an ally, but a friend. The feeling seemed to be mutual, because as rare as his visits were, Thor was apparently convinced that he could drop – quite literally – into Avengers Tower at any time and expect a warm welcome. It didn't matter that every time he did, he would make his grand appearance on the landing pad and leave it charred with Asgardian runes, even after Tony explicitly told him to use the main entrance. Tony liked him, which was probably why he hadn't complained after the second time. As far as he was concerned, Thor's company was an excuse to sit back and relax, usually with drinks, with their mismatched group of defenders until they were called away. Thor would join them on their missions when the chance came, but he never stayed at the tower for long. As much as he enjoyed their company, what drew him to Earth wasn't them as much as it was Jane Foster.
Whenever JARVIS announced that Thor had arrived, Bruce had come to expect the same thing – an amusing, if somewhat chaotic, time with the caped wonder from Asgard. But this time it was different. This time he hadn't come alone.
By the time Bruce made his way up to the lounge, Tony was already there. Steve, Clint, and Natasha promptly made their appearance, as Thor had chosen to show up on an otherwise uneventful day when they were all together. Tony looked decidedly grim, and the warrior prince was far from the jolly man they were used to. His face was clouded with unease, and he seemed reluctant to look at any of them. He just stared at the floor, looking small and vulnerable, as if all his grandeur had been stripped away despite the lavish clothes and physique.
In his arms he held a person, wrapped tightly in a fine red blanket. Only their head and feet were visible, but it was clear they were tall, looking large even against Thor. Steve was the first to ask who it was, already rushing over to see. It was unnerving when Thor didn't answer, just continued to look down at the floor. Tony answered for him, but Steve had already recognized the man in Thor's arms – he just didn't want to believe it. The thin face, much thinner than he remembered; the black hair, longer now.
If he'd ever expected to see Loki again, he hadn't expected it to be like this.
The thin lips that he could so vividly remember curving into a wicked grin were stitched together with metal wires. His cheeks were sunken and his skin was deathly pale, somehow even paler than before. His eyes were closed, the dark circles beneath them so striking against his dull complexion that they might as well have been bruises. His shallow breaths were the only sign he was alive.
Bruce immediately came to look at him as well, and was completely silent for a moment upon seeing the still face. His own face twisted into a look of shock and horror, much like Steve's.
The ensuing confusion and string of questions, and the palpable anger from Clint, only seemed to further overwhelm Thor. He stumbled over his words as he tried to explain, his voice low but strained. "He was imprisoned when we returned to Asgard... and– and he was tortured. I– I didn't know until now. I had to do something..."
"Why'd you bring him here?" It was the first time Clint had spoken. Despite Thor's distress, he made no attempt to hide his contempt for the injured Jotunn.
Thor seemed to shrink even more. "I– I didn't know where else to go. I'm sorry. I thought perhaps if you could find it in yourselves to help him– help me, then maybe–"
"He can't be here," Clint cut him off.
Steve shot him a look. "Clint."
"I don't give a damn if he's hurt. Coulson's dead, thousands of people are dead because of him. He turned me into his personal zombie. He should be locked up."
"And tortured?"
Clint was silent.
"We can at least try to patch him up."
The archer just smiled wryly. "You really can't help yourself, can you? You just have to help. It doesn't even matter who it is–"
"No, it doesn't."
Clint turned his aggravation to his other teammates. "Is anyone else gonna say anything? Huh? Tony?"
Tony had been strangely quiet and didn't answer. No one else spoke either.
"Please, my friends," Thor said quietly. "I know what he's done. I know I have no right to ask this of you, and I will take him elsewhere if you wish, but please... at least let me tend to him first. He's suffered for so long and I... I have to help him."
Once again, there was silence, which was broken unexpectedly by Bruce. "Tony, how stocked is the med bay right now?"
"Well enough, probably," he replied absently.
Bruce looked at Thor sympathetically, pointedly keeping his eyes off Loki for the moment. "I'll see what I can do for him, okay? Bring him this way."
Thor's face lit up with relief. He shifted Loki's weight and pulled him closer. "Thank you."
"I'll help." Steve followed them, and Thor nodded his thanks.
Bruce looked back before he reached the elevator. "Tony?"
"Go ahead," he said. "I'll be right down."
Clint waited until the elevator shut before glaring at him, seething but restrained. "Are you kidding me?"
"Wish I was." Tony went straight to the bar.
"It's Loki."
"Yep, I just let a psychotic space wizard into my tower again, and I'm fully prepared for that to come back and haunt me later." He set a shot glass on the counter and retrieved a bottle of whiskey.
His apathy only irritated Clint more. "What do you think SHIELD's gonna do when they find out he's here? And that you let him stay here?"
"They don't need to find out, 'cause no one's staying," Tony replied evenly. "We're gonna slap a few Band-Aids on him and that's it. I'll make sure thunder boy gets that." He filled the glass, downed it, then went to the elevator. "Help yourselves, guys. Probably gonna be a long day."
"Piss off, Stark."
Clint could only huff in frustration once he was gone, pacing off to nowhere in particular. Natasha watched him pensively. She'd hardly spoken since Thor's arrival, seemingly lost in her thoughts like Tony.
He noticed her staring. "What?"
"You took me in, Clint."
"Don't give me that. You weren't him. You never had a choice."
"How do we know he did?"
His jaw clenched, regarding her with what might have been betrayal. "You wanna patch up that freak, fine. See how long we last with him here."
He stormed out of lounge, leaving Natasha to herself.
It was the first time Bruce regretted not having a proper medical bay in the tower. Their de facto treatment area was currently a small room, more of a breakroom technically, with nothing more than an exam table and basic medical supplies crammed into cabinets. Minor injuries were common among his teammates and it was enough for that, but serious ones usually meant a trip to the hospital. They would have a med bay soon enough as the tower was remodeled and SHIELD provided the equipment they needed, and, more importantly, doctors – real ones, not him. But his limited medical knowledge would have to suffice for now. The less people who knew Loki was here, the better.
Loki was beginning to stir in Thor's arms, his head moving slightly against his chest. Steve helped ease him onto the table. "Keep him on his side," Thor said, and Steve held him steady as he carefully removed the blanket.
Bruce swore under his breath as Loki's emaciated form was revealed. He was naked, and Thor quickly folded the blanket over his lower half, leaving his upper half bare. He was thin, far thinner than either Bruce or Steve had expected and obviously starved. Even more alarming was his back, which was was lined with large gashes. There wasn't much blood, but they were deep and the flesh around them was burned – either they had been inflicted with something hot or had been cauterized afterward. What wasn't burned was discolored with the marks of old wounds. His neck and forearms were ringed with deep bruising and his wrists had bled. He was moaning weakly now, shallow breath growing heavy.
"What happened?" Steve asked, ignoring the way his stomach churned at the sight of his injuries. Blood was nothing to him – he'd seen far too much of it. Torture was different.
"I don't know," Thor replied brokenly. "I found him like this."
"How long has he been unconscious?" Bruce found a pillow and handed it to him, and he placed it under Loki's head.
"He comes in and out of it. I think the journey here was hard on him." Loki moaned again, his brows pinching as he began to writhe, and Thor laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Loki. You're safe."
"Is he waking up?" Steve was as calm as ever, but he had already stepped back to put some distance between them.
"Yes, he is."
Bruce went to stand by the counter. "Just try to keep him calm. He'll probably be pretty confused." He exchanged a look with Steve, a silent agreement of who would intervene if Loki didn't cooperate. Steve wasn't invincible, but the Hulk wasn't someone they could afford to deal with right now.
Thor continued to reassure his brother, holding him firmly to keep him from rolling onto his back. Loki was nearly thrashing when his eyes fluttered open and he looked up at him, breathing raggedly.
"It's all right," Thor said gently. "It's me, brother. Don't you remember? You're safe now."
There was a flash of recognition in the pale eyes before they moved to Bruce, then Steve. Immediately Loki tried to push himself up despite Thor's restraining hand, only to collapse back down again. He tried again, gripping the edge of the table and trembling as he raised his head. He looked around the room in a panic, eyes wide with alarm.
"It's okay, Loki!" Thor's persistence was the only thing keeping him from throwing himself to the floor as he struggled. "No one is going to hurt you. Calm down."
Loki managed to steady himself for a moment, his chest heaving as he regarded the two Avengers, his brows suddenly furrowing with spite. Steve and Bruce did nothing except watch as Thor tried to calm him. "You're safe now, all right? We're on Earth. My friends want to help you." Loki continued to stare them down, still fruitlessly trying to move away from Thor as if there was anywhere else to go. "Loki, you're safe, I promise. Everything's all right. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Thor could only repeat the same affirmations until Loki collapsed again. Every muscle was tense as he laid there, his breath still rapid and harsh as he looked between Thor and his most despised rescuers. His eyelids fluttered against exhaustion despite his piercing glare.
"That's right. It's okay." Thor kept a strong hold on his shoulder, but he stroked it with his thumb, trying to provide some comfort to him – and perhaps to himself. He leaned down and moved the long strands of hair out of his brother's face. Loki shied away from his touch, eyeing him apprehensively. "Everything's all right now, okay? Just let us help you. Please."
Loki looked back to Steve and Bruce, and Thor followed his gaze expectantly.
"You can trust us, Loki," Steve said, speaking softly. "No one wants to hurt you. We just wanna help."
Loki gave no indication that he believed him, but Thor let go of his shoulder, letting his hand rest on his arm instead. "Please, brother."
He looked at him again. Some of the tension left him, though maybe only from his waning strength.
"Can I...?" Bruce gestured hesitantly in their direction, and Thor nodded. Loki tensed again as he came up to them, watching him intently. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, but still held a seething intensity that Bruce found terrifying. But beneath it was fear, pure and obvious, even as he tried to hide it. Bruce tried not to stare at the wires cutting into his lips.
"Hey, Loki." He decided a sympathetic approach was probably best, even if it felt strange. "This must be a shock, huh? Being back here with us. I know you probably don't like us, but, uh, you're in pretty bad shape, and we really do wanna help, okay?" He paused, waiting for a reaction, but Loki did nothing. "Look, I don't know what happened to you or what you had to go through, but it must've been horrible. I'm sorry." Loki only continued to glare, and he lowered his voice a bit more. "I know you're probably in a ton of pain right now, but I can take those wires out, if you'll let me." Finally, a twinge of desperation broke Loki's hard stare. "And I can clean up your back a little, try to make you more comfortable. Would that be okay?"
Loki hesitated, eyeing Steve and then Thor. He offered him a reassuring nod. "It's all right."
"I won't do anything you don't want me to, okay?" Bruce expected denial, but after a moment, Loki gave a small nod. "Really?"
Another nod.
"Okay." Bruce exchanged a look with Thor, who seemed both relieved and apprehensive. He wished he felt less nervous himself, but elected not to think about that. "Okay, good. Um..." He looked Loki over again, trying to decide where to begin.
This was when Tony joined them. He hung back when he saw that Loki was awake, deliberately hiding his shock at how much worse he looked exposed and conscious. "He's awake."
"Yeah, he is," Steve replied. Both he and Bruce shot him a warning look, which he understood.
"Thank you for coming, Stark," Thor said quietly.
"Sure thing, buddy." As delicate as the situation was, Tony decided to address Loki casually. "How are you doin', big guy?"
Loki's glare returned as he stared at him, contempt from their past encounters clearly shown.
"I know – I'm probably the last person you wanted to see. It's okay, a lot of people don't like me. Uh, what did I miss?"
"We're gonna start patching him up," Bruce said. "Are you gonna help?"
"That's why I'm here. Just tell me what to do."
"Give me a minute to figure that out, all right?"
While Bruce turned his attention back to Loki, Tony went to stand by Steve. The super-soldier eyed him thoughtfully, as if he was surprised he was there at all. Tony lowered his voice so no one else would hear. "I've been where he's at, okay? Not a fun place."
Steve nodded.
Loki blinked sluggishly as Bruce hovered over him, his eyes moving slowly between him and the others. Distrust lingered there, but it was rapidly giving way to exhaustion. As the shock of waking diminished, it was clear he was struggling to focus. He was shaking, pain and anxiety sending tremors through him and racking his battered body. His left hand still gripped the edge of the table like it was his only tie to safety, his knuckles turning white from the effort, while his right hand laid at his side. Thor was holding it as a means of comfort, but Loki wouldn't grip back. His fingers clawed at nothing to try and ease the pain.
Logically, Bruce knew that the wires should be removed before he addressed anything else. His lips were a mess of blood, and the wires were tight, digging into them and tearing at the skin around them. A thin line of blood ran down from his nose, joining the red trails on his chin. The soft noises of pain that escaped him were so hoarse they could hardly be called noise, and he was breathing so hard that Bruce fully expected him to pass out again. Every breath was raspy and forced, a desperate attempt to take in the air he needed but couldn't get.
Bruce felt sick at the sound, at the sight of his mouth held shut so cruelly. He forced himself not to think of how it had been done. "Uh, any idea how long he's been like this?" he asked Thor.
"No," he replied sadly. "I wasn't allowed to see him after we returned."
"Um, Loki?" Bruce waited for Loki's eyes to find him to make sure he heard. "How long have these wires been in? Like, how many days?"
He just shook his head weakly.
"You don't know."
He shook his head again.
"So... a long time, then."
He gave a small nod.
"That's awful. Okay." Bruce paused to process this, feeling a sudden rise in sympathy for the Jotunn staring up at him. He glanced at Thor to see a grim expression of pity. "Uh, this might be a stupid question, but have you had any food or water or anything recently?"
To his surprise, he nodded.
"You have? Um... how exactly?"
Loki didn't respond immediately, looking suddenly distressed.
"It's okay. You don't have to answer that."
Reluctantly, he released his grip on the table to gesture to his nose. Tony shifted uncomfortably, and Bruce decided to drop the subject entirely.
"Okay. And, uh, your back – those are burns, right?"
Loki's eyes widened a bit. He nodded again.
"Did that happen recently?"
Yes.
"Uh... does it hurt any less than it did before?"
He seemed to consider, then nodded.
"Okay, well, that's good at least."
At the mention of Loki's back, Tony wandered over to see for himself, as Loki was still on his side facing him. He was momentarily frozen once he saw the gashes, meeting Thor's distraught gaze with shock. He silently mouthed a few choice words before returning to his place by Steve.
Bruce hesitated before speaking to Loki again. "Um... I think we should get those wires out first, before we do anything else. Is that okay?"
The fear that filled his already pained face was pitiful, his breathing hastening.
"Loki, it's all right," Thor assured him, once again laying a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at the contact, his head snapping toward him. "I'll be here with you. Just let him help you."
"I'll make it as quick as possible, I promise," Bruce added gently. The tenderness in his own voice surprised him. Loki stared up at him, eyes filled with silent pleading – of what, though, Bruce wasn't sure. "Everything'll be fine, all right?"
It took a moment, but Loki nodded, still breathing rapidly.
"Okay. Just try to relax for a while. Everything's gonna be fine. Hey, Tony, you got any ideas besides wire cutters for this?"
Tony came over and eyed the wires skeptically. "Not anything safer."
Dismally, Bruce knew there was no way to make this completely safe, let alone comfortable. "Can you find me some, then?"
"Yep."
"Maybe more than one kind if you can find 'em," Bruce added before he was out the door.
"Got it."
Thor was still at Loki's side, holding him almost protectively. Bruce indicated Loki's body. "Can I look at the rest of him?"
"Yes." Thor moved away so he could work, and Loki watched him as he came to stand by his head, flinching when he started running his fingers through his hair. Thor just stared down at him sadly.
Bruce looked over his upper half. The bruising on his wrists, telltale signs of restraints, had spread into his hands and he wondered if anything was broken there. He elected not to touch them yet, instead focusing on his torso. His front bore the remnants of old injuries, fading bruises and closed lacerations. Bruce noted that his body was strangely clean. Bits of dry blood remained here and there, but there was no dirt or anything else.
He moved the blanket down to see more of his abdomen, and Loki jerked forward, pulling his knees closer to his body. "Hey, it's okay," Bruce said quickly, startled by the sudden reaction. "It's okay. I'm just looking at your stomach." His stomach showed no obvious signs of injury, but the top of his hip was bruised. "I'm gonna look at your hip, okay?"
He pulled the blanket down a bit further, careful not to expose more than he needed. Loki tensed even more, shaking fiercely while Thor tried to soothe him. Heavy bruising trailed along his hip bone, a mix of deep purple, red, and yellow spreading all the way down into his thigh. While it looked painful, the skin wasn't open or bloody. Bruce pulled the blanket back over it.
"Loki? I'm gonna feel your stomach, okay?" He pressed lightly into his lower abdomen and Loki jerked again, trying to pull his legs up further. His stomach was a trembling mass of muscles beneath his hands, all tense with strain. Only the pain in his back kept him from curling in on himself. "It's okay," Bruce repeated. "Sorry, I know this is uncomfortable. Can you try to relax your stomach a little?"
He didn't relax in the slightest. Even with Thor's continued reassurance, he only seemed to become more distressed. His already rapid breathing escalated and Bruce worried he would panic again. He rubbed gently at his stomach to try and ease him. "Loki, relax. I just wanna make sure you're not hurt down here. Does this hurt at all?"
Loki didn't respond. He continued to press carefully around his abdomen, still trying to convince him to relax while he felt for anything that seemed out of place. Once or twice Loki seemed to give in as his stomach became a bit more pliable, but only for a second before he tensed again. Bruce couldn't make out anything beneath the hard layer of muscle, and he knew there wasn't much of a point anyway. He wouldn't be able to fix any internal damage even if he could find it, but he wanted to be cautious.
He kept asking him if he felt pain, but he still wouldn't respond, and Bruce gave up. He considered feeling over his ribs as well, but decided against it. With his body so thin, his ribs were clearly visible – too visible, actually. Some were bruised, but they didn't look nearly bad enough to be broken, at least not on his left side. As he was laying on his right and moving would only cause him more pain, any injuries there would have to be addressed later.
He moved down to look at his legs. He warned him before he lifted the blanket, but Loki still squirmed as he pushed it up to his hips. His legs were bruised in places, his knees especially, but there was no blood except for what had dripped down from his back.
As Bruce covered him again and moved on to examine his back, the relative silence was broken by Steve. "How did you find him like this?"
"I had a dream... where he was suffering in the dark," Thor said quietly. "I've had many like it since I destroyed the Bifrost, back when I presumed him dead, but this was different. I went to see him without my father's knowledge."
"Well, who did this to him? Just his guards?"
Thor's eyes flashed with sudden anger. "I have yet to find out who's responsible, but they will pay dearly. Asgard does not torture its prisoners. Such savagery was put to rest long ago."
"Someone must have one hell of a grudge," Bruce muttered.
"Loki has angered many people," Thor replied slowly, "both in his recent ambitions and in the past. I'm sure some have envied him as well, but this– this is not justice."
"So Odin didn't... do anything to stop it?" Steve was hesitant to ask. Loki's despondent gaze suddenly snapped into focus.
Thor's face was a mix of emotions, of deep pain. He stopped toying with Loki's hair for a moment as he measured his words. "He didn't order it, but he has not protected him. He was... distant when I confronted him, unlike himself. So I took matters into my own hands."
Loki shut his eyes, letting his head sink further into the pillow. Thor began stroking his hair again. For once, he didn't flinch.
"It was foolish of me to bring him here, I know, but I didn't know what else to do."
"It's okay. He's your brother." Steve forced a smile, his voice full of sympathy. "We'll do whatever we can, okay?"
"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Bruce chimed in. "To help?"
"Barton isn't pleased."
"Don't worry about him," Steve said. "He doesn't need to be involved in any of this."
Thor nodded absently. He didn't blame Clint for his anger – he never would – but the sight of Loki's blood staining the pillow was about to break him.