The Syndicates || "MARVEL: Avengers" || COMPLETED

F O U R T E E N | ' her(o) '

. . . LOKI LAUFEYSON . . . 

Loki woke with a start.

His hands flew to his chest, adept fingers dancing over his punctured armour. He moved cautiously, for fear of inciting more pain but strangely, miraculously, none came. His torso ached, as though he had shattered a rib, but it was nothing compared to the anguish he had felt but hours ago.

Since Thanos, his every waking moment had been plagued with nightmares. There was no escape; no sanctuary; no charm or spell capable of repelling them. This torment was the cause of his disheveled appearance, his ceaseless anger, his insanity. He was afflicted by endless hallucinations. Sometimes they came so often that he could not differentiate them from reality until they became so gruesome they could only be fictitious. He had journeyed to Earth hoping- praying even, that fulfilling the mad Titan's wishes would finally bring an end to his torture and he had never seen another path.

Not until now.

Whatever force had tended to his injuries, and he was certain it wasn't his own magic, had formed a barrier between Thanos' curse and his mind. For the first time in nearly a year, he could breathe. His ailments were gone, the spell lifted. But he refused to celebrate, not until he knew who or what had caused this. And why.

He grasped hold of a low-hanging branch, resting his full weight against it as he scrambled first to his knees, then to his feet. Wobbling a little, he took a nervous step forwards, cursing the fatigue weighing down his bones. Dawn was breaking and he was grateful for the warmth the morning light brought him.

"Took you long enough."

That girl. The Midgardian wretch Thor had demanded he protect for reasons still unknown. He had considered leaving her to die on the SHIELD vessel but figured rescuing her would make for good leverage in the future. She was perceptive. Were his sceptre still in his possession, he would have made her one of his minions and saved himself the trouble.

Instead, he pivoted on his heel, a snarky remark on his lips. It died the second he caught sight of her.

Red-rimmed eyes half-closed, she leant against the trunk of a tree, her attempts to make herself appear as strong as possible rendered worthless by the puddle of blood merging at her feet. Sighing, Loki took a step towards her and she took one back, alarm flashing across her face.

"You're injured." He said, experiencing a sense of urgency he hadn't expected.

She glanced down at her thigh where a poorly made tourniquet sat then looked back up at him, eyebrows raised,

"I think that's pretty obvious."

Scoffing, he turned away, unimpressed by her valor. She reminded him more of his brother than he'd care to admit.

"Don't delude yourself. While your death would bring me nothing but joy, my brother insists on your protection. So, rather than snapping your neck in my hands, I am choosing to assist you."

"I don't need your help." She insisted through grit teeth and in some misguided attempt to prove that, shoved past him. After a meager two steps, she stumbled and crashed to the floor.

Instantly, he was kneeling beside her, hands seeking her wound.

"I can do it myself." She murmured, struggling against him, her arms limp and weak. The sudden movement had slashed her wound and she gasped as the pain flared up again. Tears welled up in her eyes and he backed off, hands raised.

"And how do you plan on doing that? You have no anesthetic, no bandages, fleeting strength-"

"The same way I helped you!"

She yelled, hands clutching desperately at her thigh as she tried to block off the steady flow of blood. He was quiet for a moment after that and she looked up, taking in his shaken expression. Her eyelids drooped, and she struggled against the allure of sleep, begging her body to stay awake.

"What?"

He said, brow furrowed, waves of shock washing over him. Her. Her? She had been the one to save him from the clutches of death- the one to cure to his nightmares. Impossible. No Midgardian, no mere mortal woman could be capable of doing what he, a god, couldn't. It was unheard of. Wasn't it?

"Oh, please. It was me. I saved you, how can that be so much of a surprise?" She ranted, words spewing from her tongue. Anything to take her mind off the pain- Anything to keep her awake.

After a moment, he replied, voice softer than ever before,

"Then let me repay the favour."

This woman was not who she claimed to be, and Loki was determined to find out the truth. If that entailed playing nice, so be it.

. . . 

Vote or comment if you stan~

I hope you do because shit's gonna hit the fan SOON.