Chapter Text
You were lying on a bed. You felt the snake still wrapped around your wrist. Your eyes fluttered open and you looked around the barren room. Your vision started to return, and you registered Loki sitting in a chair, beside your bed. There was a soft beeping in time to your heart.
“What happened?” You mumbled, feeling stiff in your body, numerous bandages were wrapped around your injuries.
The door opened and a tall blond-haired man entered. Thor, the link told you.
Loki’s eyes opened up and he straightened up in his chair.
A hammer held loosely in Thor’s hand as he looked around the room. “Loki what the hel is happening?”
“What did Odin tell you?” Loki asked.
Thor glanced at Loki then back to you. “He said you were being punished for your transgressions.”
Loki chuckled, his lips curling. “Indeed.”
Thor glanced again between the two of you. “Who is this mortal?”
“Your favorite pet’s half sister.” Loki replied, he still hadn’t straightened up in his chair. He seemed as exhausted as you felt.
“Jane? What did you do to Jane?” Thor snarled, holding the hammer out.
“I don’t know why I bother.” Loki muttered, shaking his head.
You opened your mouth. “He didn’t do anything. What’s going on? Someone please explain what the hell is happening.”
Thor looked over at you. “Are you entangled in my brother’s web of lies?”
You shook your head and lifted your snake bound wrist. “Only through what Odin did.”
Thor’s eyes narrowed, studying the snake. Realization crossed his face as he moved nearer to hold the rope, fingers smoothing along the runes.
“Father banished you to Midgard?” Thor murmured, sounding stunned. “And he didn’t tell me?”
Loki didn’t answer, he simply shrugged.
“Brother what is happening?”
“Odin sent me to Midgard, hoping I would be as easily swayed as you had been by a pretty human. He seemed to have forgotten the humans were still a bit cross with me.” Loki said.
Thor glanced at him then back to you. “Why didn’t you tell me there were powers beyond you doing this? I asked you who controls the would be king.” Loki’s eyes flashed but he didn’t interrupt Thor. Thor continued, “if you had told me… we could’ve stopped this together, before it got to that point.”
“Do you really believe that?” Loki asked, he sounded bored and resigned.
Thor growled. “If I had known something had hurt you, had sent you on this path…”
Loki stood up, eyes flashing again. “Would you have cared? Would you have not seen me as weak for my failed death? For succumbing to the will of an infinity stone?” He spat the words out angrily.
Thor floundered for a moment, glancing at you for some sort of reassurance.
“The snake has it’s bond.” You muttered, feeling timid. “I don’t even know how this works.”
“Brother.” Thor began softly.
Loki rolled his eyes and slapped away Thor’s outstretched hand. “Don’t bother.”
“Loki, please.” Thor tried again. “There’s a serious threat approaching Midgard and you could warn me, we could stop it, together.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Surely you feel something for the beings you would have ruled.” Thor replied.
Loki tilted his head. “Time and again, I continue to wonder if that miniscule thing you call a brain is ever used.”
“Loki enough with the insults, talk plainly.” Thor growled.
“You want me to bare my soul to you? Plead for mercy? I’m beyond saving, the only reason I’m still in this room is Odin’s damned magic holding me to this woman.”
“We could have protected you.” Thor pleaded softly.
Loki barked a short cold laugh. “You can’t even protect yourself.”
-
“Loki.” Thor tried again.
Loki crossed his arms and sat down, staying stubbornly quiet.
“Can you stand?” Thor asked you.
“I’m really exhausted after everything, I think I could manage though.”
Thor pursed his lips. “I wish to go see Jane but I think getting Loki home is more important.”
Loki rolled his eyes and didn’t move. “I don’t have a home.”
“Mother would say differently.” Thor replied.
Loki’s mouth twitched, his sarcastic quip failing at the mention of Frigga. Frigga, Loki’s adopted mother, a skilled warrior despite outside appearances – the bond told you. You felt Loki’s fondness for Frigga.
“We’re going back to Asgard.” Thor said.
“The bifrost?”
“Is repaired. Before I found out you were here, I was attempting to restore order to the realms. They had plunged into chaos without Asgard’s intervention.”
Loki scoffed but didn’t elaborate.
The door opened and a man in red armor appeared, Iron Man, and behind him Director Fury.
Fury spoke, “Thor, we need to talk.”
Tony lifted his helmet. “I think the security council is beyond talking now. They want Loki to answer for his crimes.” Tony jerked his head towards Loki.
“There are powers at work beyond your understanding.” Thor growled.
“Then explain them.” Fury snapped.
Thor scowled and shook his head. “What part of beyond your understanding do you not grasp?”
Loki chuckled.
Thor shot Loki a serious look before once more addressing Nick and Tony. “Loki needs to be moved off world, if what is to come reaches this world, humanity will suffer greatly.”
“So just like that?” Fury asked, crossing his arms.
Thor nodded. “Yes, we’re leaving. Now. Brother?” He grabbed Loki’s arm and pulled him to his feet. Loki sighed and lifted you from the bed.
You blinked, looking around in shock and feeling your face flush. Thor pressed past Tony and the director in the doorway. Loki followed, smiling lightly at the two men and waving.
Fury tried to speak but your trio was already halfway outside.
“Heimdall.” Thor said calmly, looking at the sky.
Loki’s grip tightened on you and the bifrost opened.
You were flying through space, stars and colors swirling around you. It was exhilarating. You tried to keep your eyes open, to see everything while gripping Loki’s arms for dear life.
Then you were still, standing in a large domed room.
“Welcome home, Thor.” Heimdall pulled his blade from the center of the room, closing the bifrost. Heimdall narrowed his eyes, “Loki.”
“Excellent to see you gatekeeper.”
“I see the bond is working on you.” Heimdall inclined his head towards the snake.
Looking around, still in Loki’s arms, you realized the snake was longer than it had been. You tilted your head curiously before looking once more at Heimdall.
Loki scowled and Heimdall laughed softly. “Your escort will be here shortly, Thor, a cell has been prepared for Loki.”
“Great…” you mumbled, “another cell. Are you going to torture us too?”
Heimdall looked at you seriously. “The queen has ordered Loki’s safe travel. This passes to you, mortal.”
A skiff landed outside the dome. At any moment you expected Loki to set you down, but for whatever reason he kept you curled in his arms. You searched the bond, trying to read him, but it was weirdly quiet.
-
Once more you found yourself in another clear prison cell, except this one had two beds, close enough together for the rope.
“I must talk with father, this is a serious matter approaching us.” Thor said from outside the cell.
Loki had set you on the bed and sat down on the other one. “By all means, brother.”
Thor turned and left and there was a new presence in the cell.
Loki’s eyes flickered in recognition, landing on the woman, Frigga.
“Loki.” She greeted him warmly, before stating your name and greeting you just as warmly. She moved nearer and inspected the snake. “It’s grown since it was attached. You’re doing well, my son.”
Loki glared at her, though you could feel conflicting emotions through the snake.
Frigga ignored his look and turned to study you. “It is a curious matter that you would be the human chosen. To be the half sister of the woman Thor loves.”
You rubbed the back of your head. You couldn’t really think of what to say so you merely nodded.
“I imagine the empathy bond, which has grown considerably, has helped. Hard to hate someone that you can feel so much from them.” Frigga smiled, she seemed pleased, looking between you and Loki.
Loki raised his eyebrows, eyes shutting for a moment as he smiled sardonically at her. “Yes, feeling the mortal’s pain has been truly enlightening.”
Frigga sighed heavily. “Loki this is for your own growth. Thor had such a good experience, we hoped the same would happen for you.”
Loki reached towards Frigga, his hand brushing through the illusion and she frowned as she slowly vanished from sight.
After a moment of silence, he looked at you. “And now you’ve met my adoptive mother.”
“She seems nice.” You offered, trying to sound supportive.
Loki shook his head wearily and grunted before laying down on his back on the other bed.
A long period of silence followed.
-
You stood up, and said, “hey wait Loki! The snake grew.” You almost had double the distance that you’d had back on Earth, Midgard.
With the length of the snake now, you could stand on opposite ends of the cell and not experience pain.
You beamed at Loki. “Does this mean…?” You trailed off as he gave you a quailing look. Probably not best to strain this new degree of growth. Falling silent, you made your way back to your bed, but you couldn’t stop smiling. “How long do you think they’ll keep us here?”
“Until you die, or I change to the degree Odin wants, I imagine.” Loki was lying on his back, tossing a metal cup in the air, catching it, and repeating.
“What? I die?”
Loki shrugged, sitting up. “I’m to wile away the rest of my existence in here, so that should be around four thousand or so Midgard years.”
“Maybe we can cheat the system somehow?”
Loki arched his brow. “Unlikely, this magic is very conditional.”
You sighed and leaned back on your bed, lacing your fingers behind your head and stared at the blank ceiling. “Still though.”
More time passed, you felt yourself dozing off.
-
You woke with a start. Loki hadn’t moved. His eyes were shut tight but he seemed to be sleeping.
Yawning, you got out of your bed and made your way towards the front of the cell. Two trays of food lay there. It seemed someone had visited during the night. Or you figured it was night, it was difficult to see how time passed in this place.
You looked around the cell and noticed new amenities had arrived. There was a small half wall that blocked off a bathroom area, complete with a shower. Blinking, you moved nearer it, keeping your hand back in case you moved too far from Loki.
The water to the shower turned on easily and you smiled, holding your hand under its stream.
You looked down at your clothes. Apparently at some point since earth, someone had changed your clothes to make it easier to dress around the snake. You glanced over your shoulder to see if Loki was looking, then decided at this point, you couldn’t care. There was nothing you could hide from him, thanks to the link. You sighed heavily and began to strip, stepping under the warm water. You stood for a few moments smiling at the comforting shower.
You felt something through the link and looked over your shoulder.
Loki had moved closer, though he kept his back to you.
As you stood under the water, you fought back hisses of pain, realizing the very real wounds from the compound still lingered. You trailed your fingers along the jagged skin on various parts of your body. They were beginning to heal, but even so, the pain lingered.
“Thanks.” You mumbled, glancing in Loki’s direction again. Though you kept your back towards him as much as possible. You wanted to pretend there was some modesty maintained.
You felt a pang of sympathy through the bond, and for the first time, you realized it wasn’t your own emotions, this had come from Loki.
You twisted your neck to look over at him and saw his gaze fixated on you. A blush crept across your body as you looked down, trying to know what he was thinking.
Guilt.
You blinked hard, crossing your arms and twisting slightly to better look at him. “It’s not really your fault, you know.” You muttered.
“Isn’t it? Damn this link.” Loki hissed, tearing his gaze from you and studying the snake.
You shrugged, back to him again and appreciating the feel of water that stayed warm even after this time. “Hard to be the god of mischief and lies when I know what you’re feeling.”
Loki’s eyes darkened and he scowled, looking away again.
“I mean, there’s nothing you can hide from me, might as well face it.” You turned off the water, content with the single bar of soap though your hair really needed tending.
There was a pair of fresh clothes that you hadn’t noticed before getting in the shower. You frowned, before carefully dressing, once again noting that they were designed to work around the snake. “That’s thoughtful.” You mumbled, studying the strange Asgardian clothes.
“Frigga truly is the epitome of thoughtful.” Loki muttered.
“You want me to sit here and you can shower?” You chose to ignore his jabs.
Loki looked away. “I’m fine.”
You could feel his pain through the link and arched your brow. Now you could feel his anger at him himself.
“Stop that.” He snapped, spinning back to face you.
You shrugged. “It’s not my fault I can feel everything. I wish I couldn’t feel some of your pain, honestly. The emotions aren’t easy either. I have my own life of problems, I don’t need yours added to it.”
“You think it onesided?”
You opened and closed your mouth for a moment before answering, “you hadn’t mentioned being affected, so I was figuring…” you trailed off, not sure what you had really figured.
Loki was no longer wearing his armor, instead in a green top and black trousers. You wondered when he had changed. Perhaps it was magic, and while you were sleeping.
“Forgot you could use magic to change your outfit. Whoever left these clothes accounted for the snake though.” You spun where you stood, looking down as the skirt of the dress spun with you.
After a moment, you came back to your bed, stopping to pick up one of the trays of food and began nibbling on the alien Asgardian food.
You wrinkled your nose at Loki, biting back a smirk.
“I do not smell.” He snapped, reading your thoughts.
You shrugged. “You can’t tell, bet everyone else can though.”
Loki rolled his shoulders, standing from the bed and made his way to the halfwall. He stepped under the spray of water, staring silently at the faucet.
“I won’t look. You’re just going to ruin the clothes.” You grumbled softly.
“What do you care woman?” He snapped at you.
“What are you trying to hide?” As you asked, you could mentally see the scars that littered Loki’s body, from his own eyes. Your face softened and you swallowed hard.
“I told you not to pity me.” Loki snarled.
Though it was difficult to take him seriously looking like a wet cat in the shower. You held your hands up defenselessly. Still the emotions flooded through you.
Loki growled again, stepping sopping wet from the water and angrily threw the soap bar at the golden shimmering outer wall of the cell. The soap hissed and fizzled, burning by magic against the barrier before sliding to the ground.
“You’re going to have to face your emotions sooner or later.” You muttered.
Loki stalked over to you, grasping you by the throat and hoisting you into the air. You gasped for breath, scrabbling to claw at his hand. He narrowed his eyes at you, watching you flounder.
Your vision started to fade and you saw the look of recognition in his eyes. His grip loosened and you fell to your bed, grabbing at your throat as you gasped for air.
Loki turned away, bent double and rubbed his throat. “You fragile human.” He gasped, massaging his neck.
“I’d apologize,” you growled back, “but you did it to yourself.”
Loki straightened up, but the fight seemed to have left him. He ignored you and went back to his bed, still sopping wet.
“Your hair is going to get all knotted if you don’t brush it.” You said softly, almost to yourself.
Loki roared, a burst of magic flowing from him. It pointedly dodged you, but scattered your leftover food on the floor and upended his bed. “Damn them, damn you, damn it all.” He yelled, punching the back wall, again and again.
You could feel the barely contained fury emanating from him, you didn’t even need the link this time.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Loki’s fist collided with the wall again and again. Pain swam through you and you stood up. “Stop it! You’ll hurt us.”
“There is no us.” Loki snarled again, continuing to punch the wall. Blood spattered from his knuckles and you gripped your hand in pain.
Moving towards him, you put your injured hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “Please.” You whispered.
Loki leaned his forehead against the wall and you could see or perhaps feel, at this point it was hard to tell, tears ran down his face though he kept his back to you. “This is maddening.” He whispered, tensing at your touch. His voice sounded thick with barely shed tears.
“When’s the last time you were able to just cry and get it all out?”
“Crying is…” You felt the confliction passing through him, he was angry with himself, ashamed, a flood of emotions ran through you and you felt tears well in your own eyes.
“How we get rid of excess pain.” You finished for him, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head against his back.
This startled Loki and he stiffened at your touch, straightening from the wall. “What was that?” he hissed softly, cradling his injured hand.
You pulled away, looking up at him. “You know it goes both ways.”
Loki shut his eyes and shook his head. “Stop it.” His voice sounded strained.
“You know I’m not doing any of this on purpose.”
“Then shut up.” Loki snarled again, making his way back to his bed. Green magic shimmered around him and he was dry and in fresh clothes. He sat down, bowing his head and studied his hand, carefully flexing the fingers as he took in the damage.
You rolled your eyes.
“I can still feel you.” Loki grumbled. “Judging, silently.”
“What do you want me to do?” you asked exasperated. “You’re just going to have to make the best out of what you’ve been dealt.”
“And how do I do that?” Loki glared at you.
“You could try talking about it maybe, get it out. I’m not really a therapist or anything but…” you trailed off. The unspoken words from Loki floated through you: ‘if he speaks of it, it will be real, there will be no hiding from it.’
Loki shut his eyes again, bowing his head defeated.
You tore off a strip of your skirt and moved to his bed. Carefully, you took his hand in yours, blowing on the bloodied knuckles. With as much care as you could muster, trying to keep your thoughts blank, you wrapped his hand.
Loki watched you quizzically but didn’t speak.
“I’m not trying to make this worse on you, honest. I know what you’ve been through, well you get the idea. I can feel some of it. I don’t know what you’re doing to hide the worst of it but I am grateful for that.”
“I’m hiding it from myself.” Loki admitted, his voice hollow.
You nodded, eyes glancing up to meet his, before turning your attention back to his hand in both of yours.
The two of you sat in silence, and you finally released his hand from yours, letting it hang limply in his lap. Your cheeks heated up, realizing that you had been holding his hand.
Loki looked away.
“Do you see a hairbrush anywhere?” You asked, trying to change the subject.
There was one sitting on the half wall, appearing as though by well magic. Probably magic, you thought lamely. You moved to grab it and began brushing your own hair, it was still damp. Doing everything you could to keep your mind blank, you focused on brushing your hair.
Brush. Brush. Brush.
“The bond seems stronger here.” You commented idly, still doing everything you could to focus on your own strands of hair. If you felt nothing, if you thought nothing, perhaps there would be some peace.
Loki glanced at the ceiling. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. It wasn’t this difficult on Midgard.”
You nodded and pondered his words for a moment. “Wonder if the isolation is making it worse.”
Loki chuckled dryly. “I wouldn’t be too surprised by that either. Though I’ve had far more isolating times in my life.” He was still looking at the ceiling as he spoke.
You could see glimpses of his childhood as you fixedly brushed your hair. Trying to push the mental images away seemed to make them stronger in your head so you stopped fighting. “It feels like powerful magic.”
“Odin is no stranger to power.” Loki muttered.
You nodded, “he took away Thor’s powers, right?”
Loki didn’t answer but his silence spoke volumes.
“Why didn’t he just take away your abilities like that?”
“My ability to lie? It seems he has.” Loki muttered.
You were about to respond but stopped, thinking of how each emotion he felt spread to you. “Huh… I guess you’re right.”
“And now I am to wile away eternity here, my lifetime, until eventually you die, and I am left with a shell of a companion. Left to go mad in isolation.”
“Do you think if I die of old age, it’ll kill you too? Violent death seems off the table given what happens.”
Loki nodded, hanging his head dejectedly. “So perhaps my suffering won’t be quite as long.”
Alarms blared through the air and you twisted in your seat to look out. Prisoners were fleeing their cells, guards rushing in to meet them, and one prisoner stood a head and shoulders’ taller than the rest of them.
Loki rose from his bed and moved nearer the outer wall.
The massive prisoner, horns jutting out from its helmet, approached your cage. It eyed Loki evenly and for Loki’s part, he simply glared back. Traces of a smile threatened to spread on his face but you felt his heart thundering from within.
The beast waved its hand dismissively, backing away and turning back to the rest of the commotion.
“You might want to take the stairs to your left.” Loki murmured.
“Where does that lead?” You breathed when the beast had left your sight. The rest of the prisoners were being subdued, only your cage remained intact.
“Weapon’s vault.” Loki muttered, sinking back onto the bed.
You looked around. “Asgard is being invaded, and you told him where the weapons are?”
“You think I care? What of it, and do you think the beast even believed me?”
You frowned thoughtfully, trying to ignore the sounds of fighting outside the cage. “So we just sit here then?”
“Do you intend to break out as well?” Loki asked.
“Maybe it’s time for another nap.” You muttered though you didn’t feel tired.
You lay on your bed on your back, gazing up at the ceiling. After a moment, Loki returned from his vantage point at the front of the cell and sank into his own bed.
Time passed, a lot of time really, and the other prisoners were finally rounded up. More time passed.
A single guard approached your cell, bowing his head before speaking. “The queen mother is dead.”
Loki blinked, too stunned to react. He stiffly nodded his head and the guard left.
You looked at him, feeling your world shattering around you from the bond.
Loki screamed. You felt magical energy boiling from within him and you ran to his side, hugging him as tight as you could.
This startled him, pulling him from his grief as he allowed you to hold him.