Chapter Text
Loki had many names he went by and many faces he took on to fool those around him. However, cuffed and gagged, he was unable to make anyone see him for anything other than what he truly was. And what it was exactly, Loki did not know.
Perhaps a god that could have achieved greatness, that could have shown those who diminished him, what he was made of. He had been on the brink of teaching Odin that he deserved respect too.
Or was it the Mad Titan's praise he desired? A place by his side to rule over the universe when Midgard was not enough to satisfy him?
That Loki did not know either. All he knew was the future that awaited him. Hundreds of years locked away in a cell on Asgard, among other monsters and traitors. The certainty of his fate was almost a relief.
Almost, but not quite.
They led him through the ruins of Stark Tower like the lowest of scums, a rabid animal that hardly deserved as much as a mercy kill. Loki looked to his brother. No, not a brother. They were not more than strangers now, enemies even. But Loki still looked at his stone face, at the eyes that wouldn't rest on him for even a second and wondered for less than a moment if there had been a way to prevent any of this.
But there had not been.
He was ready to go, to face the justice of people that didn't have any right to execute it over him. He would not give them the satisfaction of rebelling, of cursing them. He would not complain.
But then, for once in his life, the Norns decided to smile down on Loki. The briefcase containing the Tesseract fell from Stark’s hands, and a SHIELD agent, who funnily enough was also Stark, grabbed it, but then too dropped it when the Hulk decided he was not a fan of the interior design. The briefcase opened and the cube that glowed a pale blue light was kicked across the room, landing exactly at Loki's feet. It almost scared him, the hope brewing in the depths of his heart. The Tesseract was right there, in all its glory, and no one seemed to have noticed. Loki looked cautiously around and saw an absolute chaos erupt. Stark was laying on the floor, others rushed to help him while SHIELD agents ran around like headless chickens. Somewhere behind him the Hulk was wreaking havoc and threatening a complete collapse of the building.
Loki didn't waste another second to think or plan anything. He reached down, grabbed his ticket to freedom and vanished in a flash of blue light.
Then a few things happened in a quick succession. The Tesseract brought him into a sea of sand. He spat out the grains and enjoyed the freedom for less than a minute, before it was stolen from him once more. A group of soldiers came, stripped him of his powers, took the Tesseract and arrested him. Again .
The group that called themselves the Time Variance Authority whisked him away through a portal and into a place that strangely resembled a Midgardian corporation. His armor was taken away, a collar was wrapped around his neck and a strange video explained to him the concept of the Sacred Timeline. Then he was put in front of a court. Loki stood in front of the judge, awaiting to be sentenced for a crime he was sure he had not committed, all the while still feeling his muscles ache from the time the Hulk had decided to smash him into the floor.
It was a long day to say the least.
He stared up at the face of the woman, her brown eyes cold and unforgiving, calculating - like that of a machine. She did not look like someone willing to spare anyone, much less someone like him. Loki was - or at least considered himself - a being superior to many others, so it only made sense that he started plotting against the establishment the moment he knew the name it went by. He could turn the Mad Titan against them, reveal their powers to him and aid him to exploit them. He would be highly rewarded for his loyalty, of that Loki was sure. But to do that, he first needed to escape and find a refuge. Without his powers it would not be easy. Still, the people that kept him prisoner seemed feeble, simple-minded and without any significant powers of their own. They were made to follow orders and listen to their betters. Loki could hardly stop a smirk from forming on his face.
He tried to explain that meddling with time was not his fault, that it had been the Avengers, but it all fell on death ears.
Loki could still feel his power surging inside of him. It was still there, only dormant. He had lived with them for too long to be rid of his skills so easily. The realm was to blame. There was something that locked his powers away and rendered them useless. Though, his skin did not turn blue like it was supposed to. A flicker of his magic was still there then. All he needed to have it all back was to escape.
The judge was in the middle of a conversation now with a man wearing a beige suit. They were talking about him and his fate, whether he was of enough value to them to be kept alive. Loki couldn't imagine an outcome of that conversation that could end well for him. Still, it was probably wise for him to listen and plead his case. Yet, he didn't. Instead his attention was caught by another prisoner being led into the courtroom. He was wearing an identical suit as Loki, only he had handcuffs around his wrists to complete the look.
And when Loki saw who it was, he couldn't help but laugh. It was a loud, hysterical cackle that made him bend and gasp for air. His sudden outburst drew all the eyes in the room to him. "You are not making this easier for me, buddy." The man that talked to the judge said, but Loki ignored him, his gaze glued to Captain America instead.
Steve Rogers stopped dead in his tracks, indifferent to the guards nudging him forward. His eyes were wide in shock as he stared at Loki. Oh, and what a sight to behold he was. The tracksuit made him appear like a low criminal, the cuffs and the collar only made the picture more perfect. And his face was a curious thing. Rogers seemed shocked to see Loki, his eyes widening. Then his features smoothed as relief overtook them, and Loki thought there was even a trace of joy. He didn’t seem to want all the emotions exposed, and soon they were schooled into a mask of neutrality. But it had cracks.
Loki snickered, ignoring the voices that rose in volume around him. This time no one paid him any attention. He looked at the Captain's face and saw lines that hadn't been there a couple of hours earlier. Loki cocked his head to the side and hummed, his eyes drawn to the tall figure standing mere meters away. "The man out of time." He said and laughed again. "Delightful."
Rogers narrowed his eyes and looked away, his jaw set tight. There was something hidden in those eyes, something the soldier didn't want Loki to see. Vulnerability or fear. Likely both. The guards led him to a perch in the back and gestured for him to sit down. Rogers obliged. "You will die here." Loki could not stop himself from saying, from rubbing that fact into his righteous face. He ignored the guards huffing in annoyance and relaxed himself, as much as he was able, the discussion behind him going ignored.
Rogers looked up at him, something flickering in his eyes. Whatever secret was eating at his insides, Loki could tell that he was trying to hide it from him, perhaps from everyone in the room. "So will you, it seems."
Loki beamed, his face contorted in what he hoped was a maniacal grin. "So it seems." He echoed.
As much as it pained him to admit that - and he would never say it out loud - Loki thought Captain America somewhat admirable, if not childishly naive and foolish. Even though his physique had been enhanced to elevate him above other mortals, it was still not nearly enough to give him any considerate advantage over such as Iron Man, the Hulk and Loki himself. Still, he stood on equal footing with his shield and fought arm in arm with them, without any armor over his body or immeasurable strength. And most surprisingly, he held his own.
"What crime have you committed to wind up in this despicable place and with such a despicable creature as me?" Loki asked, unable to help himself. The curiosity nibbled at him, made him wonder how someone as feeble and simple-minded could have found a way to transgress against the Sacred Timeline.
Rogers continued to stare at him, exhaustion etched in the lines of his face. It made him look significantly older than the few wrinkles that measured his age. For a long moment he stayed silent, making Loki think that he would not speak at all. Loki felt himself pulled towards those blue eyes. Open, but oh so naive and harboring some sweet secret within. He spoke eventually, a bitter smile accompanying him. "I wanted to go somewhere I wasn't supposed to.
To that Loki could relate.
Despite the circumstances, Loki found himself wishing to know more, to uncover Captain's secret and exploit it to his own advantage. He also wondered how someone like him had the ability to stretch time until it was broken enough to warrant the attention of this silly place. Loki wanted to ask but he felt a hand wrap around his bicep and he was pulled out of the courtroom while Steve Rogers remained, probably soon to be reset . Loki looked over his shoulder once, his gaze staying on the back of his head. He did not care about the soldier, a mere mortal that had put a strain on his plans. Yet, a part of him wished to know where it was that the soldier had attempted to flee.
Though, apparently, it was not for him to know.
Once more Loki was led through the hallways, each of his promises and threats disregarded. The man that had revoked his sentence, Mobius, took him into a big room, sat him down on a chair and asked questions that Loki was not particularly eager to answer. Then Mobius showed him parts of his life. Parts which Loki did not want to rewatch, much less experience for the first time. Yet, he watched it all with wide eyes and open mouth, willing his mind to see those images for what they truly were - a trick or a manipulation. He had crafted more convincing ones before.
He saw his supposed life unfold in front of him like a movie, a form of entertainment favored by Midgardians. It was not a very uplifting movie. Loki wanted to turn his eyes away from the projection but found out he could not. His gaze was drawn to his mother's face, to her death that had not happened. Loki did his best not to show Mobius that it shook him to the very core, that it had forced him to face truths that he’d rather ignore.
Those were all lies, nothing but another torment meant to break him. Loki would not let them. He laughed at them and he laughed into Mobius's face. And then he tried to trick him and Mobius let him.
Loki stalked the hallways, unwilling to admit that he had no way of knowing where to go or how to get out. For that he needed his powers and for those he needed to escape. Loki wanted to laugh at how fate tricked him, how wonderful of a punishment it had crafted for him. Poisoned with hope.
His glorious purpose.
Loki dispelled those thoughts with a shake of his head. He needed to find the Tesseract. Then he would plan for more.
As he walked ahead, Loki noticed that the Captain had not been yet reset. He sat outside of the courtroom on a chair, his hands still cuffed but no guard in sight. Loki did not have time to stop for a chat but he looked once over his shoulder, then again, then his feet stopped and he retreated.
"Do they deem you virtuous enough to stay here and not attempt an escape?” Loki heard the words leave his mouth without really allowing them to. Still, he expected an answer.
Rogers barely lifted his gaze, but smiled, though it was more of a pained grimace that likely took some effort to muster. "Being Captain America has its perks."
Loki regarded his face intently, the lines that betrayed nothing but exhaustion, the eyes that held a promise of some secret, preferably one that tarnished a little that crystal clear reputation. Loki debated with himself whether the Captain was of any use to him. In the end he decided that no, and continued on his way, without as much as another glance.
He found the Tesseract, tossed together with Infinity Stones, treated like hardly anything of worth. The insignificance of everything that had happened to him up to that moment hit him with a force so great that it almost took his breath away. Loki went back to the room where his life had been shown to him, tricked some more guards, and watched the rest of it, unwilling to believe that all of it was true. The good, the bad. His death.
That it would lead to nothing in the end.
Loki wandered out of the room, willing himself to look past all the facades, and found the Captain again, still sitting alone on a chair. As foolish as that was, he decided to speak with him again.
"How exactly did you end up here?" Loki asked quickly, his gaze sweeping the hallways. There were no guards, only people behind desks and those didn't seem to care that they talked or that they were left unattended. "Where was it that you wanted to go? And by what means?" He never cared much to learn about Midgardians and though he knew they were able to wield machines of significant power, he did not think Steve Rogers was such a man. Which led him to believe that there had to be more at play.
"It doesn't matter where I wanted to go." Even though it was clear to Loki that the soldier tried his best to conceal his emotions from him, the defeat and hopelessness radiated off him. Loki could almost taste the bitterness in his words.
But it did not matter. His lack of cooperation only infuriated Loki. He felt his hands tighten into fists, but he took a calming breath and released them, his moment of weakness not going unnoticed by Rogers. Loki gave him a wide, if not hysterical grin, and spoke in a sweet voice. "Cooperate if you wish to see another day."
The soldier raised his eyebrows, a non-committal smirk forming against his lips. “I don’t see how my life depends on you.”
Loki let out a snort, resting his hands on his lips. “This is precisely what I despise about your species. You always fail to see the big picture. You forget the most crucial facts.” Rogers continued to stare at him, seemingly deaf to Loki’s words. His face didn’t betray much emotion. Neither hope nor determination, two characteristics which had seemed his permanent features not too long ago. “I will ask you one more time and you’d better find the answers quickly.” Loki took a deep breath and leaned slightly forward. “What did you do?”
A shadow of something flashed across the Captain’s face, a twitch of a small muscle. Loki did not have time to interpret it. Rogers stared at his face long and hard before he finally started speaking, his shoulders slumping, as though in defeat. “You are from 2012, right?”
Loki blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
“You are the Loki that led the alien invasion in 2012, right?”
“It did not come to my attention that there were any others.” Loki said, but then looked around and remembered where he was. "Right."
Rogers smiled weakly, though Loki's years of reading people told him that there was something more hidden behind that smile. "I'm from 2023, but I’ve been traveling through different years for a bit now."
Loki arched one eyebrow but a grin quickly appeared on his face. Time travel could take care of many of his problems. "You may be useful to me after all." His gaze traced over the people sitting behind their desks, unaware of the scheme he was planning. Then he looked back at Rogers. "None of this surprises you." He said in a hushed voice, though unable to stop the excitement from leaking into his words. "You traveled in time on purpose."
Loki did not intend for it to be a question, but Rogers still answered. "Yes."
Loki hummed, rubbing his chin with his index finger. He looked down at Rogers, at his slumped shoulders and dimmed eyes, hating how much of a mystery the man of a mind so simple had become to him.
Rogers smirked, as though having read Loki's mind. His eyes sparkled with mischief Loki had not seen there before. "What? You didn't think that...what was it that you called us?" His gaze grew distant, as he clearly pretended to think it through.
Loki did not think it amusing. "You are testing my patience, mortal." He said in a low voice, his hands once again curling into fists.
But Rogers only seemed more amused. "Insects or ants, was it?" Loki gritted his teeth, barely stopping himself from letting out a growl. Rogers ignored it and continued. "And to think that those same insects invented time travel before you did. A god."
Loki schooled his expression back into a mask that revealed little more than disregard for those around him and bared his teeth in a grin, as he once again looked down at Rogers. "You do not meddle with concepts too great for you to even begin to understand." Loki snorted when the amused smile vanished off the soldier's face. "Unless you wish to find yourself in a place such as this, bound and unable to fight for your life."
In that moment Rogers's features revealed exhaustion so great that it must have been years in the making. His face fell, he looked down at his cuffed hands. Though as he locked his eyes with Loki's, they were hard once more. "And somehow you are here too."
"Ah, but I am not bound." Loki stretched his free hands to emphasize his point. "Now, tell me how you managed to time travel."
"It doesn't matter." The soldier said with a sign. "It won't work here."
"I am aware." Loki said calmly, his gaze directed at his nails. "Though it is my understanding that once I escape from this place, my magic will be returned to me and any precious relics will regain their powers as well." He leaned down, maintaining eye-contact with the Captain, and doing his best to hide that it was just a theory. "Well? How did you do it?"
"You said you wouldn't ask about it again."
"Speak!" Loki could not stop himself from losing his temper anymore. He yelled and his voice made quite a few pairs of eyes turn his way. The level of defiance Rogers displayed angered him, made his thoughts drift back to all the moments when he had been made to feel lesser, stupid, inferior. "You are treading on very thin ice, Captain." He lowered his voice but made sure that it didn't lose its menacing edge.
Loki didn't mean to reveal his anger in such a straightforward way but at last it seemed to make Rogers understand the urgency of the situation. His face softened ever so slightly and he tried to wrap his arms over his chest only to remember about the cuffs. "Stark and Banner made a special suit for me. But they took it away as soon as I got here."
"Excellent." Loki said, feeling the tension leave his shoulders, and glad to be free of that tedious conversation. "Thank you for your cooperation." He turned to leave before the guards inevitably caught up with him but there was something in Rogers's expression that made him stop. "What?"
"Only I can wear the suit." His blue eyes were once again open, and something resembling triumph danced at the edges. "The DNA has to match."
Loki sighed, cursing the ancient gods who had thought it amusing to bestow such horrors upon him. "So what you are saying is that I have to take you with me?"
Rogers pressed his lips in a tight line, as though to prevent himself from saying something he would come to regret. "Why would I want to come with you?"
Loki rolled his eyes, growing impatient. "You wouldn't die, for one."
The soldier looked away from Loki, his gaze tracing all around the hallway, over the people that were there but eventually his eyes rested on his cuffed hands, as if the black bracelets reminded him of something. "Maybe it's all I deserve in the end. I-" He looked at Loki, the exhaustion beaming off him. "I'm so tired, Loki."
He flinched at hearing him say his own name but did his best not to let it show. Loki did not know much about the Captain but giving up so easily didn't seem like him. "You just take me where I tell you to and then you can go and end your sorry existence in whatever way you please."
Rogers did not seem convinced and Loki didn't know what to do to force him to help but he was ready to resort to violence if necessary. Though Loki didn't think it would do much. "There is only one suit." Rogers said at last.
"Not a concern." Loki rushed to say, looked around, and leaned forward, his fingers coming to rest on the Captain's collar. "You are coming with me." This was not intended as a question either but this time Loki found himself eagerly awaiting the answer.
Rogers didn't look any less tired as he spoke in a flat voice. "I am." As soon as the words left his mouth, Loki started working on his collar. It beeped and gave away after less than a minute.
Then Rogers lifted his cuffed hands and reached them towards Loki but he only smirked. "Hardly a necessity right now, my dear Captain."
At those words Rogers froze, his gaze glued to Loki's face. Something shifted in his eyes but he quickly blinked whatever it was away. "Let's go then."
They moved through the hallways quickly, Loki taking the lead and Rogers following closely behind. Even with his powers taken away, Loki had hundreds of years of experience sneaking in and out of the palace unnoticed or stalking his enemies in battles. It was not much of an effort to make his way through the building without his feet making a sound, without seeming conspicuous. Though the tracksuit was not making it easy. Rogers didn't have the same advantages but years in combat did make a difference so he did not attract any unwanted attention either.
Loki didn't know where exactly they stored the clothes they had collected but he thought that Casey was once again his best chance. The man was still sitting at the desk, his gaze locked on the monitor in front of him. As they approached him, Loki felt Rogers' hand rest on his shoulder. He flinched at the touch and turned around, ready to fight back if necessary. Rogers held his bound hands up in surrender and took a step back, a look of pained surprise on his face. "I just don't want you to do anything stupid." He said calmly.
Loki raised his eyebrows, the anger slowly melting away. "I will not kill him. You have the word of the banished prince of Asgard." He leaned down in a deep, mocking bow, not wasting time to mention how little his word meant those days. Then he turned back to the man behind the desk, whose eyes were already trained on him. "Now, hello again." He said with a grin that stretched across his entire face. "There are a few items that we'd like to collect." The man blinked but didn't otherwise respond. Loki's grin widened painfully. "Or shall it be brute force that convinces you?"
“Loki.” The Captain growled, a threatening note in his voice.
Loki sighed, not looking back at him. “ Please. ” He added in a sickly sweet voice, if only to irritate Rogers.
“I’m afraid it is impossible, sirs.” Casey said with an obviously fake smile. “I am not allowed to give you anything.”
Loki looked back at Rogers. “Well? What do you propose we do then?”
Steve looked between him and the man for a moment, his hands still cuffed. Then he smiled at the man, even though the smile looked strained and forced.
“Sir, I am sorry for my friend here.” He said to which Loki scoffed, leaning his body against the desk and very purposefully invading the man’s personal space. “There are a few things that are really valuable to us and we would be grateful if you gave them to us.” His voice was soft, pleasant to listen to, without even the slightest tint of malice. Loki was not surprised that other mortals listened to him.
The man sighed, turned away from his computer and fully faced them. “It’s not that I don’t want to give them to you. It’s that I simply can’t .”
“Perhaps it is time I make my threats.” Loki said, hiding how nervous he actually was. He was aware that he could be captured at any time, which was not an appealing prospect.
Rogers held up his hands, his eyes still on the worker. “They don’t work here, anyway, do they? What’s the harm then?”
He looked between the two of them for a few seconds, drops of sweat appearing on his forehead. Then his eyes stopped on Loki or rather on his naked throat. "Where are your collars?"
Loki had about a thousand different smiles that he had perfected over the millennia. The one he pulled off now was a devilish smirk of a mad god that would scare anyone but a complete fool. Casey swallowed hard and turned to look down. "Fine, fine." He said, his voice trembling. He opened up a drawer with various sparkling trinkets inside.
Loki pushed both Rogers and Casey out of his way and pulled the drawer open all the way with a sharp jerk. He felt his eyes widen when he saw the little gems, green, blue and red. He touched one of them, once again mesmerized by such beauty and power by his fingertips. His finger traced over the smooth surface of one of them but he didn't experience the surge of power that should be there.
These don't work here , he reminded himself and withdrew his hand, before immediately reaching down again. Outside of the realm they would work. "Don't." Rogers said, his smooth voice laced with unspoken threats.
"And how will you stop me?" Loki reached down for one of the gems but Rogers's strong hand wrapped around his wrist, even with the cuff.
"You don't want to fight me without your magic."
Loki snorted but no matter how hard he fought he couldn't free his hand. "Fine. I don't need them anyway."
"We're only taking the suit." Rogers let go of his hand and turned back to Casey. "Where is it?"
“And my armor.” Loki added with a roll of his eyes.
The man opened another drawer, a larger one, and took out a small device that fit around the palm without as much as a complaint. Steve took it and looked at it for a while, as if making sure that it was the right one. "Thank you."
"It's hard to say no to you." Casey said weakly, casting a careful look towards Loki, before he handed him the black and green armor.
"How do we get out of here?" Rogers asked, still staring down at the device.
"You don't." Casey answered simply.
"Is it necessary for us to go through this again?" Loki asked, rubbing his face. He really wanted this day to finally end. "We kill you if you refuse to tell us how we escape this cursed place."
"Please." Rogers added weakly, giving Loki another disapproving look.
Casey seemed to be done with their shenanigans as he turned to his monitor which displayed a straight line, the sacred timeline, from what Loki understood. "If any rogue timeline appears, they send out a team to take care of it. Then a portal opens."
"And how often does that happen?" Rogers asked.
"It depends." Casey said. "More and more often nowadays."
"Speak more clearly." Loki demanded harshly.
"I suppose…" He paused for a moment. "I could open such a portal for you...if it ends my torment."
"Very well." Loki said. "Quickly." He said, the sounds of heavy boots reaching his ears.
"And you will leave me alone?" He pressed.
"You have my word." Rogers said with what looked like a genuine smile.
Casey seemed to hesitate for a moment longer before he finally pressed a big red button and a translucent oval portal appeared in front of them.
The guards were already in the room. Loki saw them before Rogers did. He grabbed the soldier's arm and pulled him towards the portal. The sudden movement seemed to surprise him as he tripped and almost crashed to the ground. But Loki helped him up, hauling him towards freedom. He could let him go, let him die but Loki had no way of knowing where the portal would take him and he needed that suit.
The guards were fast but Loki and Steve were faster.