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Chapter Text

The last thing Loki remembered was “helping” Thor on Svartalfheim, playing dead so he could ultimately sneak back into Asgard and steal the throne from Odin. This place though… He found himself somewhere entirely different. It was dark like Svartalfheim but held a beauty that could rival that of Asgard. An aurora of fuschite, lepidolite, muscovite, all the variations of mica were glittering in the deep sky like starlight. The mountains were littered with glowing fluorite and celestite and lined with silver and gold while the ground beneath his feet, though it felt firm like rock, looked like ice as it reflected a faded image of the sky. In all his years, he had never seen anything like it.

His curiosity pushed him forward, traipsing down the various winding paths. Aside from from his own steps and the faint, distant sound of wind chimes, Loki’s ears could discern nothing else. Was he truly the only being here? Hours of walking and there hadn’t been any signs of life. Where was he going anyways? Was there a point to continuing his trek? Had he messed up so horribly in faking his death that he actually died, and this was the afterlife? The thought froze him on the spot. No. His calculations had been perfect. He should have woken up on Svartalfheim after Thor’s departure… Right?

No. No, no, no. This had not been part of the plan. Loki ran is fingers through his hair, tugging lightly on it to bring himself back into focus. He just needed to figure out a way out of this realm so he could claim the throne that was rightfully his. The easiest way would be to call Heimdall who likely knew where he was already, but then he would be tossed back in his cell and forced to wait for another chance to escape. Who knows how long that would take. So, that plan was out. His teleportation abilities would only get him so far. With no Tesseract to enhance his seiðr, he could not make it off-world. There had to be something on this planet that would help him.

As if sensing his distress, the wind kicked up so hard it blew him forward down the path. He dug his heels into the pseudo-ice to keep his balance, almost falling when the wind ceased. Norns… This place was going to be the death of him - the real death of him. The wind roared to life again, stronger than before, strong enough to lift him into the air just above a mountaintop where it promptly dropped him.

Grumbling with irritation, he combed his now wild hair back with his fingers. Vision no longer obstructed by his curling locks, he looked at the mountaintops before him, noticing red double doors rounded off at the top in a valley nearby. Strange but maybe that was his ticket out. He silently thanked the possibly sentient wind as he made his way down to the doors. At ground level, he could see the red was adorned with strangely placed half sphere handles shimmering with gold. Instead of sitting next to each other to form a full circle, they were angled creating an S-shape. Below that, shining crystals were growing at the bottom of the doors.

He pulled on one of the handles. The door would not budge. He tried turning the handles. Nothing. Growling, he gripped and pulled harder. Nope. Loki’s godly strength did absolutely nothing. Just think. There was always another way. Brute strength was rarely the best option. He had proven that many a time. Pulling his hands away, he noticed faint green light reflecting off one of the handles, a light that was coming from his right palm. Upon inspection, he saw a string numbers tattooed in his skin, trailing down the underside of his wrist and beneath his gauntlet. How had he not notice this earlier? He unstrapped the gauntlet and rolled up his sleeve. The numbers swirled up his arm just past his elbow.

The crystals by his feet rattled and shattered as an unlocking sound echoed through the valley. Fixing his sleeve and armor, he reached for the handles again, giving them another turn. This time, they rotated 180 degrees before locking into place again. The doors opened wide, allowing him to exit before closing automatically behind him.

Loki now stood on the outside of a magnificently massive train car with a long catwalk leading to another car. He felt so minuscule compared to his surroundings. Even the near deafening sounds of the locomotive made him feel tiny. Looking back from where he came, he shook his head. Yes, the car was large but how could it fit that seemingly infinite world inside? Maybe if he continued on, he would find some answers and possibly a way back to Asgard.

Stepping onto the catwalk, the red desert dust kicked up from the locomotive wheels into his face sending him into a coughing fit. Well, he could go back to the other car. At least it was not actively trying to suffocate him. No. Keep moving. There was nothing to help him in the crystal world. Covering his face as well as he could, he sprinted across to the next car and opened the doors.

The loud colors nearly blinded him as he made his way inside despite the darkness that enveloped the sky. An endless sea of circus tents were gently swaying in the breeze. A ways off, he could see a creature standing on a platform, yelling into a microphone. A barrage of bipedal animals in Midgardian 50’s style clothing surrounded the creature. At least there was some form of life here. Loki glided through the crowd. Being taller than most of the animals, he was able to navigate a bit easier than them. Making his way to the front, the creature was a large badger sporting a red vest and yellow woven hat.

“Come on up, folks! The show is about to get started! Wouldn’t want to miss it for the world!” The badger was spouting. “You’ll be feasting your eyes on something you’ve never seen before! Step right up!”

The badger’s voice grated on Loki’s ears. Forcing his lips from curling into an annoyed sneer, he looked around for the closest way out of the crowd and to another door. Near one of the tents, he spotted you who looked like a Midgardian woman in more modern clothing next to a bear cub, holding a conversation with it. He wove through the animals and finally reached you.

“Excuse me,” he interrupted after plastering a fake polite smile on his face.

You spun around to face him. “Oh! Hello!”

Your voice was surprised but not unkind. He could work with this.

“Good evening. I am afraid I may be lost. Would you be so kind as to assist me?”

“I can try,” you began. Your eyes suddenly widened. “Oh! Your hand!”

Loki held up his right hand. “This? Yes, this is part of my problem as well.”

“Oh my god!” You clapped excitedly. “It’s been a while since I’ve met another Passenger.”

“Passenger?” Loki’s brows furrowed.

“Yes! You’re a passenger like me.” You held up your palm which held only three digits. “All Passengers have these.”

He looked to the bear cub who was watching you both earnestly. “This being has no number. Is he not a passenger?”

You crossed your arms, tucking your bottom lip under your teeth. “Yes and no. While technically a passenger since he is riding the train, he’s not a Passenger. He’s a denizen of the train; a product of it.” You paused. Loki nodded, expecting you to continue. “Passengers like us aren’t originally from here. We get these numbers when we arrive. According to that little round robot, the numbers change, and if a person can bring them down to zero, a special door shows up to take them home.”

Loki sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Little round robot?” He punctuated each word, lacing them with irritation.

“Yeah. You know, the one from the video in the pods?”

“The pods? By the Norns, what are you blathering about?” He ground his teeth in an effort to quell is growing annoyance.

You could see his ill-hidden expression, cautiously answering, “The pods that have been transporting new Passengers to the cars…”

“There was no pod when I came to,” Loki grimaced.

Genuine confusion flooded your face. “Then… How did you get on the train?”

Chapter Text

Loki sat on a bench, holding his head in his hands. “Let me see if I understand you. The only way to get off this nonsensical locomotive is to lower my number to zero by completing various, unknown tasks that may or may not actually help.”

You tentatively sat down next to him. “Basically. There’s still a lot that I don’t understand either. I haven’t had too much luck with my number.”

Loki laced his hands under his chin, still hunched over, and watched you. The solemn look in you eyes as you stared at your number… You weren’t completely lying to him, but there was still much you kept to yourself.

“I-It has gone down a little, but there are times when it increases… It’s weird…”

“The rest of this is not?” Loki scoffed.

You snickered, “Nope. Totally normal.”

A chuckle escaped his throat.

“By the way,” you held out your hand for him to shake as you gave your name.

“I am…” Loki moved to reciprocate but hesitated just before making contact. His name. He could tell you and risk losing the only semblance of help he had found so far. But there was also the chance you had been on the train long enough to not know him. Then again, what did it matter? He did not need help. “Loki.”

You froze, hand clasped with his, staring into his eyes. “L-Loki? Like… From N-New York?”

There it was. The fear. The judgement. He didn’t need this. Pulling his hand away, he turned away. “Yes.”

The silence grew louder than the badger, muting its ramblings. It was suffocating. Why weren’t you saying anything? No screaming or crying. No running in fear. No calling him a monster.

You sucked in a shaky breath. Loki held his own. “Well, Loki… It’s… nice to meet you.”

What?

He could have snapped his neck with how fast he looked at you. “How are you so calm?”

You took a deep breath before returning his gaze. “Honestly… I’m not. I-I’m terrified. But… You’re different.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Yeah… I remember the videos and pictures. You looked… I don’t know… Broken?”

Loki was at a loss for words. Some little Midgardian who he had never met before just…

“You seem like you’re doing better than before.”

“Tch. I would not say that.” Now, he just wanted to leave. Solitude sounded wonderful.

“Well, maybe that’s why you’re on the train.” You reached for his arm to reassure him.

He shot up from his seat, ripping off his gauntlet to show the numbers running up his arm. “To seek redemption? I am far beyond that,” he spat.

You pursed your lips. Perhaps that would silence you. “Maybe not. The conductor gave you a number, so you have a chance.”

“Do you not see my number, Mortal?!” he growled, thrusting his arm in front of you like you hadn’t already looked.

You leapt to your feet and threw your hand in his face, forcing him to focus on your own digits. “And do you see mine? It didn’t used to be this low. It has taken so long to get this far. I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been here. But. If I can manage it, so can you.” You pulled away, your voice lowering. “It will take a while, but maybe if we help each other, we can both get out of here sooner.”

Loki barked a laugh. “You will leave this train much sooner than I. Then, what? I spend the rest of my days alone, stuck in this infernal realm? No. I might as well start now.”

“You don’t know that,” the bear cub spoke up. He was still here?

“And what would you know? You don’t have to deal with these numbers.” Loki shot back.

The cub just shook his head. “I’ve helped many a Passenger. Many like yourself, not believing they deserve redemption. They have all needed to learn otherwise, and all have learned to accept the help offered to them.”

Arching an eyebrow at the cub, he noticed an astounded you off to the side. This didn’t seem like the cub you had been speaking with when he first found you.

“He-He’s not wrong,” you spoke up, coming out of your shocked state. “And even if I do get to go home before you, which we don’t know for sure, between the denizens and other Passengers, you’ll never truly be alone.”

Loki scowled and turned away, picking at his cuticles, a nasty, nervous habit of his.

“Look. How about this? Let’s explore a couple of cars together and see how it goes. If you feel like you still don’t want my help, we go our separate ways.” You stepped towards him, a spark of hope in your eyes.

He stood there clenching his fists to prevent himself from destroying his cuticles further. After a moment, he huffed and turned his back to you and the cub. “Fine. But do not make me regret this, Mortal.”

He heard you clap you hands in excitement. “Okay! Now, let’s find that door!”

They had started by searching the various tents, some filled with a dark empty void while others teemed with circus acts preparing themselves for the show later. The weirdly knowledgeable bear cub followed behind you quietly.

“Are you sure you can’t tell us more about this car?” You pleaded.

The cub just shook his fuzzy, little head. “There would be no puzzle to solve if the answer is given to you.”

“Then why are you still here?” Loki growled, hoping he would leave them be.

“I’m bored,” the cub shrugged.

Loki sighed quietly. He really did not need this.

“What about the show the badger keeps announcing? Aren’t you intrigued by that?” You coaxed to have the cub move on. You were somehow on the same page as Loki, something he was secretly grateful for.

“Nope. The Announcer could go on for days before he begins the show.”

You stopped in your tracks, pursing your lips, thoughts swirling behind your eyes. As Loki paused and turned to you, you lit up. “I have an idea!”

You waved for Loki to follow you back to the badger. He rolled his eyes, not wanting to return to the main source of his irritation in this car, and trudged behind you. The cub jogged alongside him with a knowing smile etched across his snout.

Snaking through the crowd, you called out, “Excuse me! When will the show start?”

The badger paused and grinned a sickly, toothy smile at you. “Now that’s the kind of enthusiasm I’ve been looking for! Are you and your handsome companion ready, Darlin’?” His southern drawl unnerved you.

Loki, now standing beside you, just shrugged. The badger was suspiciously vague, but if starting the show would get them out of here, he was all for it.

“Yes,” you answered with trepidation.

“Then by all means!” The badger’s paw flew towards the direction of the large, glowing tent behind him for you two to enter.

Loki pulled back the tent flap, politely creating an entrance for you to use first, the bear cub on your heels.

“Good luck!” he called to you before running to a seat in the front row.

Before you had a chance to sit, a pair of paws roughly shoved both of you to the center of the tent. Oh… You were the ones starting the show. A tall meter stood towards the back of the tent, a bar of light flickering at the bottom.

“Now what, Mortal?” Loki hissed just loud enough for you to hear him.

“I don’t know! I wasn’t expecting this…”

“Well, I suggest you figure it out. Finished what you started.”

The crowd began giggling and snickering at your bickering. A second bar of light pinged to life on the meter.

“I guess we have to entertain them and get the meter filled,” You grimaced, looking a touch nauseated. “Great… Any ideas?”

Loki just glared at you. The audience shifted uncomfortably.

You chewed on your bottom lip. “Wait!” You pulled on his arm to bring him down to your level. “If you’re anything like the old Norse stories, you’re a master magician, right?”

“Master sorcerer, yes,” he corrected with a snarl, yanking his arm away.

“Sorcerer. Sorry.” You smiled apologetically. “What if we did a magic show? Like the ones that used to be done at circuses. Pulling rabbits out of a hat, escape tricks, disappearing acts. You’d be the lead and I’d be the assistant.”

You stared at him pleadingly. The thought of lowering himself to the tricks of charlatans made him ill, but it may be the kind of entertainment the mindless crowd wanted.

“Alright.” He straightened himself. “But if we are to do this, we need to do it correctly.”

Loki snapped his fingers. In an instant, his armor and clothing melted away to reveal an old-timey tuxedo adorned with green and gold accents, a top hat on his head with a green ribbon to complete the look. Your slacks and button up shirt were transformed into a shimmering emerald, fitted strapless dress that trailed down to your ankles where a pair of gold heels hugged your feet. A slit in the dress rose up to your thigh where the ends of a golden sash delicately wrapped around your waist tied it all together. Loki smirked. He outdid himself a little. At least you both looked the part now.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Loki threw his arms out to the audience dramatically like he was born for this. “Prepare for the show of a lifetime!”

Chapter Text

You and Loki stood outside the train car, catching your breaths, the show having lasted much longer than anticipated. The crowd loved Loki’s tricks, especially the over-elaborate Houdini acts. As soon as the meter filled with a ding of congratulations and the door lowered from the top of the tent, you two bowed and ran out the door, ignoring the audience craving for an encore.

“That was spectacular!” you hooted. “Especially that one with the sharks! I can’t even begin to figure out how you manage to swap yourself with one of them!”

“Illusions are one of my specialties,” Loki could not help but gloat under your praise. He honestly had not felt this good since… Since before his fall from the Bifrost.

“So I have to ask, how much of that was real magic?”

Loki evened out his breathing, snapping his fingers to change their clothing back, “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

“I thought you said you were a sorcerer.” You daringly nudged him, a playful glint shining in your eyes.

“Not to the audience,” he smirked as he smoothed out his clothing.

“You got me there,” you laughed before checking the number on your hand. “Anything change with yours? I got nothing.”

Loki huffed and pulled up his sleeve. One of the sixes near the end of the trail was now a five. “Hmm… It does look like it lowered slightly.”

“It’s still progress,” you shrugged. “Well, ready for the next car?”

“Indeed.”

You crossed the catwalk, covering your faces to protect yourselves from the dust and sand that flew through the air. With a turn of the handles, you entered the next car. To say the new environment was a departure from the circus car would be an understatement.

You audibly gasped at the sight. “I don’t think I have ever seen so many books in one place…”

Aisles upon aisles of shelving lined with books wove through the expansive room, shelving so high that the top was impossible to see. Warm colored lanterns and fairy lights hung at various heights, providing a comfortable light to both read and, with the large fluffy pillows lying haphazardly about, sleep under. It was like a book lovers dream. The denizens of this car fit in inexplicably well, their ethereal blob-like forms floating up and down the aisles and shelves without the need for ladders or stairs. Though he would never admit it out loud, this library was grander than the royal library in Asgard. Absolutely stunning.

“This… Is a nice change of pace,” Loki muttered while delicately pulling one of the books off a shelf to examine the cover.

You strolled a short ways down, running your fingers along the books, unable to speak further. Returning the book, Loki came to your side. “What puzzles await us here?”

You shook your head. “I don’t know. Some cars don’t have anything to solve. They can just be an experience. This could be one of them.”

Loki hummed in response. “Then, let us keep moving. The sooner our numbers reach zero, the better.”

You wandered through the labyrinth of books for what felt like an eternity with no exit yet to be found. As much as he felt he could live here happily, unease settled like a rock in Loki’s stomach. Something was off. There had to be some trick to this place. Perhaps the secret was hidden in the text. Loki came to a halt, pulling an elegantly bound book from a shelf.

“Hey, everything alright?” You called a bit farther behind him.

He merely hummed as he flipped through the pages. They were blank. Until they weren’t.

“Hey!” the woman cried out backing into a bookcase, books tumbling to the ground. “What happened? Where is everyone?”

The words were writing themselves onto the paper.

“Loki, seriously! Stop playing around… I know you’re supposed to be the God of Mischief, but I don’t think now is a good time!”

The former scientist paced down the overflowing aisles, looking for her companion.

Whipping around, you were not behind him anymore. Wonderful…

“Mortal, can you hear me?”

A low voice echoed through the room.

“Loki? Yes! What happened?!”

He let out an aggravated sigh, his eyebrows furrowed. “It seems you are now inside the book I hold.”

“Great…” she groaned, carding her fingers through her hair. Her hands slid down her arms to hug herself as various escape ideas flooded her mind. “Okay… I have a thought. Just hear me out.”

“Mortal, I cannot hear you at all,” Loki snarked.

“Haha. Very funny, Mr. Disembodied Voice,” she rolled her eyes. If she could have thrown a book at her companion, she might have gone through with it.

“Now, now. Striking me will not do you any good, Mortal,” he teased, his signature mischievous smirk proudly tugging his lips.

“How did- Ugh. Never mind!” she scowled. “So. We hadn’t found any clues out there. But. Maybe. There is something in here.”

“It’s not a terrible idea.”

“Thanks,” the woman deadpanned. “Let me see what I can find.”

Left. Right. Straight. Right. Straight. Straight.

“Do you even know where you are going?”

“Would you if you were here?” the woman sassed.

Loki found himself chuckling. At least this car’s world was holding his interest.

Left. Follow the curve. The woman froze upon stumbling into a lounge littered with chairs and oversized ornate pillows, a single table centered in the space. She cautiously stepped around the inviting seating to the table where a large red book lined with gold embellishments rested. Opening the book, she found the pages to be blank like the ones originally found by her companion. The woman pouted in frustration. That is until she turned the book over, cover facing up. With the book still open, the gold lined up in such a way that it matched the doors she had been so desperately searching for.

“How interesting…”

“Is there a book like this where you are?”

“Let me see. One moment, Dove.” He hadn’t meant for the endearment to slip.

The woman froze in place having heard her companion. She was unsure how she felt about the pet name, but leaned towards being alright with it.

Loki pursed his lips in a thin line, decidedly ignoring the currently writing text that was going to make all of this more complicated than it needed to be, and looked back through the past text to see the path you had taken.

Making the last left turn, he was taken aback to find the curved aisle. There had not been one like it before in their previous exploration. All the aisles and shelving had been straight previously. Taking the path, he found himself in a lounge just as the text described, including the red and gold book. A few chairs and pillows were occupied by some of the beings he had seen carelessly floating about, not paying him any mind. He lifted the book and opened it the same way you had. The shine of the gold brightened, a blinding light encompassing the room. As it died down, the exit materialized along with you who swung around to face him.

“I guess I was wrong,” you started with a sheepish smile and shrugged.

Loki arched an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“There was a puzzle to this car.”

Chapter Text

“Well that last car was anticlimactic,” you grumbled while about to make your way across the catwalk.

“Yes… It makes me wonder about this conductor who creates these miniature worlds.”

“Seriously. I wonder what goes through their head for all these different places to exist. I mean really. A white room where you kick a toad. Just messed up.”

You had been the one to kick that poor toad. It was the only way to unlock the door. When you first entered, a pang of guilt surged through you. Pulling your foot up to punt the toad, you noticed your number grow while setting it back down reverted it. Loki had grown impatient, and was about to take matters into his own hands when you stopped him. His digits were so much higher than yours. Not wanting to lengthen his time on the train, you bit the bullet and launched the toad in the air with your foot. Yet, for some reason your number stayed the same.

Loki yelled your name in alarm, grabbing your arms and yanking you back onto the platform, your back pressed against his chest. The catwalk had suddenly retracted with your current car slowing down. The distance created allowed for another car to come screeching overhead and slide in to lock into place. When the catwalk extended back to normal, you let out a breath you did not realize you were holding.

“Th-thanks.” You pulled away, turning slightly to face him.

“Think nothing of it,” he nodded reluctantly and brushed past you for the next car. The warm feeling bubbling in his chest was not one he was accustomed to yet.

You reached out cautiously for his arm. “No, really. If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be here now. The fall would have… Well… If the wheels didn’t catch me first…”

Loki came back to you, awkwardly placing a hand on your shoulder, unsure if this was the right move to make. “Now is not the time to fret. What remains is that you live.” He stepped away when you nodded and motioned to the door at the other end. “Shall we?”

“Yeah. Sure.” You let Loki take the lead from here. “So, I guess there might be some positives to all that.”

“Hmm? And what might that be?”

“One, your number probably went down, and two, you finally called me by my name.”

Loki did not need to see you to know you had a cheeky grin etched across your face.

The pained faces carved into the trees cried out, their leaves aflame and neighboring bushes torched. Scorch marks marred the checkerboard flooring to a hardly recognizable state. Even Loki was appalled, the memories of what he had done to New York overlaying his vision.

His eyes clenched shut, jaw even more so. “This is not how this world is supposed to be, is it?”

“No,” you solemnly responded.

Loki turned to you. Pain and frustration watered his deep blue-green eyes as he tried to keep the memories at bay. “Who would do this?”

Your fists were so tight your nails could have drawn blood at any moment. “The Apex…”

“And what is ‘The Apex’?” he asked, suddenly steeling himself, burying his emotions from sight.

“It’s a group of Passengers,” you managed to grit out.

“Could they not solve the puzzle of this car, and tried to use their brute strength?”

“N-no…”

Loki’s anger boiled up and over to hide his anguish. “Then why, Mortal? I demand you tell me,” he growled.

You held yourself, unable to make eye contact. “I’ve only met them once. They are raiders led by two teenagers. Most of them are children.”

“Children I couldn’t help either,” you added quietly as though speaking to yourself.

Clearing your throat, you continued, “They believe the current conductor is not the true conductor, and they are owed everything the train has to offer. That is… Everything except their exits out of here.”

Loki’s brow scrunched up. “They do not wish to leave?”

“No,” you shook your head. “I guess they feel like there is a freedom here they don’t have in the real world…” Your eyes panned the destruction. “And this… This is the result. They believe the higher your number, the stronger you are, so they do things like this…”

From where he was standing, he could see the tears you were holding back as you trembled. He may be the God of Mischief and Chaos, but this disgusted even him.

“Is… Is there anything you can do about the fire?”

He could see your heart go out to the sobbing trees, and kept himself together as best he could. “Let me see…”

Concentrating on his seiðr, Loki cautiously spoke a low chant with his arms held above him. It had been a while since he performed weather magic, but it should not have been too difficult to create a light rain. Clouds began to materialize overhead with a touch of thunder, and soon the gentle pitter-patter of a spring-like shower could be heard. The trees gently smoked as the fires died out bringing an end to their pain. Loki allowed the rain to continue a little longer than needed to provide a sense of comfort one can have during a light storm.

“You… You’re not one of them,” came a small voice.

The top of a little pink ball could be seen in a nearby hole neither of you had noticed before.

“No… No we most definitely are not,” you responded just as softly.

The pink ball popped out and rolled to you, followed by a blue sibling. Upon reaching you, their arms and feet sprouted from their round forms, large blue eyes shifting between you and Loki.

A tiny laugh escaped you. “Reminds me of an old video game I used to play…”

He was about to ask when the pink ball spoke up. “Thank you… The rain you brought… You saved our home.”

Loki gave a solid, quick nod. He was going to have to learn how to deal with people thanking him.

The blue one hobbled around. “Normally, we’d ask you to play our game and then you’d be able to exit when the game is over.” It motioned to the nearby hill where the door out of here sat. “But… Really, all you need to do is roll both of us into the hole and it will unlock. You shouldn’t have to go through multiple courses after helping us like that.”

“Is that all?” Loki narrowed his eyes, still suspicious.

The two balls nodded fervently.

“Well, thank you,” you replied with a softly glowing smile before looking to Loki. “You take one and I take the other?”

He agreed with that. You moved to the blue ball. Of course you would leave him with pink.

“Okay! All you have to do is face us in the right direction and push,” said the pink one.

“We’ll take care of the rest,” the blue one added.

“Alright,” you started. “One. Two-”

Loki had already pushed his towards the hole. You scowled at him, nudging the blue ball in the right direction. “So much for a countdown.”

Chapter Text

“Really? We had to get a car with Labyrinth stairs?” you shook your head exasperatedly.

Stairs ranging from stone to marble to wood and so on ran in every direction… Including upside down. Higher up, clouds settled to conceal what was probably the rest of the maze. Below just descended into darkness.

Loki rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. “I am beginning to regret our arrangement.”

“Must be a ‘you’ thing. Can’t be me,” you nudge his elbow playfully, earning you a hardy glare. “I am an absolute treasure. Unlike this place.”

“This place is more hospitable than you, my dear,” he challenged you with a smirk.

You feigned offense, placing a hand on your chest. “How dare you!”

Loki’s chuckle reverberated through the room. He had to admit he was growing a tad fond of their playful banter. It proved a decent enough distraction to the fact he may never escape this locomotive.

“Now stay close. Let us learn the rules of this realm and discover the exit.”

With a curt nod, you followed behind him closely up the first flight of stairs which led to another. From your perspective, the new flight was laying on its side. Loki tentatively tested a step, not quite feeling like it would hold him upright. His mind kept trying to tell him he would fall if he tried. But he was not the God of Mischief and Chaos for no reason. He planted his foot more firmly on the step, ready for the other to join.

“Are you sure about this, Loki?” worry etched into your voice.

“No,” he grinned.

Both feet on the step, and the world felt wrong. He was standing on the new staircase while the rest of his body felt like it would plummet below. Then, the world shifted. Or at least, that’s how it felt. From where he was standing, everything was right.

“Loki!”

He spun around. Despite you sticking so near, there had not been room or time for you to join him on the step. You were currently latched on to the side of the previous staircase. In flash, he pulled you up into the safety of his arms, where the gravity had changed to match his position.

“Mortal, did I not inform you to stay close?” he teased despite you having just been in a life-threatening situation.

“I’m fine. Thanks for your concern,” you scowled, lightly smacking him on the chest.

His laugh vibrated through you. “Must I carry you henceforth, or will you be able to manage the journey on your own two feet?”

“Nope! I’ll be fine!” you responded a bit too quickly and pushed passed him to continue.

You were not fine. After the third gravity shift with you almost falling to your death, Loki scooped you up, calling you a “stubborn creature” and pressed forward. With one arm around him to support yourself, you buried your embarrassed pout in his shoulder.

“Are you sure I’m not too heavy? You’ve been carrying me for at least an hour…”

“Please, Dove. I am a god. This is nothing. Now perhaps if I were mortal-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” you reprimanded.

He just flashed you a grin with that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He absolutely enjoyed teasing you. You let out an annoyed huff and hid your face again.

You two wandered for what felt like hours with no sign of the way out. Was there some sort of trick to this car?

“I’d say we should head back since the door may have been below where we started, but you’ve already brought us so far…”

At this point, you were so high up that you passed through clouds while climbing the stairs. Both of you were damp from the mist.

“Yes, that would be troublesome for multiple reasons.”

You were quiet for a moment. “Is one of those reasons not knowing the way back?”

“I will neither confirm or deny your accusation, Mortal,” he huffed. “Besides, you do not know either, do you?”

“Nope,” you confidently replied.

Loki sighed and shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

You hummed, “Keep carrying me so I don’t fall again?”

“Oh! What happened to the flustered little mortal I held in my arms just moments ago?”

“Don’t worry about that,” your lips curled into a lopsided smirk. “The embarrassment is still there. It’s just on the back burner for now.”

Passing through another cloud formation, the hair on both of your heads was now soaked. Loki knew he would be fine, but you were mortal as he kept reminding you. He didn’t think there was much more you could take before falling ill. He needed to find that door.

As if the car sensed his lurking desperation, the misty clouds began dissipating ahead, revealing what they had long sought after. Your sigh of relief spurred Loki on to where he almost dashed to the door. He had to forcibly slow his gait to compensate for the delay in gravity shifts lest he cause them both to fall.

Upon finally reaching the destination, he set your feet down on the platform, keeping a protective arm around your waist as he spun the door handle. He guided you outside where the gusts from the train chilled you to the bone, causing you to sniffle and shiver uncontrollably. With a wave of his hand, both of your clothes changed to dry, casual Asgardian garb while simultaneously drying your hair. He had conjured you a tunic and trousers that should have been comfortable and easy for you to move around in.

“Th-thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” You played anxiously with the hem of your tunic.

“Oh but I did,” he insisted, closing the distance between you. “I cannot have my little mortal feeling unwell, now can I?”

You looked up at him as though you were mulling over what he said before producing a shy smile. “Still. Thank you.”

“You are quite welcome,” he spoke softly as he reached out to brush your hair away from your face. He suddenly snatched his hand away like he had been burned. Clearing his throat, he turned away to cross the catwalk. “Shall we continue?”