The Adventures of Kid Loki

Respite

When the Avengers opened their eyes, they were in Hela's garden, surrounded by her black flowers, and strange silvery butterflies. When they glanced over at Loki and saw that he was leaning against a tree, and his hand was pressing against his head. "Are you okay?" Natasha asked as she approached him.

"The sudden change in climate... I must rest..." Loki said, his voice trailing off. He sat down hard on the ground, the Sword of Surtur resting across his thighs. The Avengers looked up just in time to see Hela and Tony, Bruce, and Thor, entering the garden. Hela came to her father and supported him with one arm, and took Surtur's Sword with the other.

"Vlad!" she called the chief of her Devastators came forward. "Take him to his chamber and summon Nostradamus!" Hela ordered.

"You have a seer examine him?" Tony asked. Hela's one finger went up and Tony stiffened.

"One year, my fine friend," she told him with a wicked smirk on her lips. Vlad quickly took Loki from her, cradling him in his arms.

"He is unnaturally hot, my queen," Vlad told her. Hela's hand tenderly brushed Loki's black hair from his sweaty forehead. He acknowledged it with a hint of a smile on his ashy pale face.

"That's why I want Nostradamus to see him. Call for him at once!" Hela ordered as she turned around, carrying the sword close to her heart. Natasha followed Vlad, and after a second, Steve went after her. Clint raised his arms like 'where are you going?' Thor glanced between Hela and Loki, and decided to follow his brother. Tony, Bruce, and Clint followed the Queen of the Dead to her throne room. When she arrived, she waved everyone else out of the room, sat down on her throne, and stroked the blade in her lap. "The Sword of Surtur! His greatest weapon and prized jewel!" Hela said jubilantly as she admired the workmanship. Her hand went along the smooth metal and she raised it up, her green eyes sparkling like emeralds. The Avengers exchanged looks before they glanced back at her.

"Why is this blade so special? Loki went to Muspelheim and targeted that specifically. I know he did," Clint said. Hela glanced over at Clint and her eyebrow went up as he lips twisted into a smirk.

"Of course my father would not explain this matter s to you, mortal. Your intelligence is so far below his own," Hela said. Clint growled and ran up the steps to face her: a young boy arguing with a young adult.

"I'm tired of you and him making fun of us because we don't live as long as you! I honestly don't envy you! Immortals! Ha! What does life mean to you? Our lives might be fleeting, but at least we know the meaning of living!" Clint yelled in her face. Hela said absolutely nothing, letting Clint rant. The archer was breathing hard, but he was not backing down. "Just because you guys live forever, doesn't make you any more important than the rest of us. A soul is a soul, no matter what body it inhabits, and I for one-!" Clint was saying before Hela gripped his jaw in her hand, and pulled it towards her. Her lips felt cold against his own.

"EW!" Tony and Bruce exclaimed as they shielded their eyes. When Hela separated from Clint, he was just staring at her, his mouth partially open.

"I see it takes drastic measures to get you to shut up," Hela told him, a smirk playing on her lips.

Nostradamus placed a cool wet cloth on Loki's forehead, and checked his pulse. "It's irregular. A lengthy exposure to all that heat has surely done some damage," the seer said as he walked over to a table where his tools were laid out. Thor, Natasha, and Steve were standing a few feet away from his bed. Thor was biting his nails, peeling the cuticles back with his teeth, and making them bleed. Nostradamus noticed and frowned. "I don't need to take care of the both of you!" Thor jerked his arm away and looked at his fingers. Natasha and Steve saw too, and they both sighed. Nostradamus brought a bowl of warm water with a rag over to them. "Clean him up," he said sternly. Natasha took the bowl and watched as Nostradamus went back to work on Loki. As she wiped Thor's hands clean, Natasha glanced over at Loki lying in bed. His breathing was so shallow, she could hardly see his chest rising at all. He was covered in perspiration, and his black hair was clinging to his scalp. Steve walked over to Nostradamus and stood behind him.

"Ahem, sir? What exactly is wrong with Loki?" Steve asked. Nostradamus raised his eyebrow as he glanced at them.

"I was under the impression that you hated him?" Nostradamus stated and Steve had to blush a little. Glancing at Loki, he pondered his response for only a moment.
"I don't like the fact that he tried to take over my planet, but, I can't hate him," Steve said.

"Hate isn't in Steve's nature," Natasha told Nostradamus, making Steve blush all the more. Nostradamus looked at Natasha and his brows wiggle.

"I sense that you are different. Hate has made you who you are. Like my mistress' father. Hate has made him the most cunning sorcerer in all the Nine Realms. You are one of the best assassins Midgard has to offer." Natasha's eyes widened and even Thor looked surprised at this knowledge. "My queen made me read files and physical assessments on all of you. In case I needed to treat you, I wouldn't be lost. Take Master Loki for example. I have been seeing him for a long time. His Jotun physiology is complex and unique. He was born with magic ingrained into his genes. Very rare among Jotuns. The training he received from Queen Frigga of Asgard, simply helped to bring it out. His magic helps him to heal quicker. In this instance, all the magic he expended in getting to Muspelheim, keeping himself cold, and getting back, has drained his reserves. I must make sure to keep him alive until they return to him." Nostradamus went back to his work and the Avengers looked at Loki. They gasped because they saw that he was awake and looking at them with his forest green eyes. He smirked before he closed them again, and they saw his chest rise and fall gently.