Hidden Troubles

Chapter 27

The thinning God of mischief ran up the stairs, ignoring the burn in his legs and the black spots tainting his vision as he finally reached the desired floor. He planned to reduce his breakfast by a little again today; just to a sachet of soup. It wasn't a typical breakfast food, but he'd displayed his false dislike for the sweet pancakes and waffles the Captain could make so well. He needed to do this, he needed to be perfect. Perhaps then the voices would stop.

Loki was just stepping onto the floorboards of the kitchen when the first wave of dizziness hit him. His vision swirled in a sickening cascade of colors and dull, far away sounds met his ears. He swallowed reflexively, hoping the spell would pass.

Instead, a second wave of dizziness hit him square in the face.

He could feel the emergence of last night's dinner returning to the back of his throat and he rushed out a hand to his left, hoping to grab ahold of something strong and sturdy.
Instead, his wrist hit the granite countertop and his breath hitched in his throat.

Cut off from some desperately needed air supply, the dizziness propelled even further against his brain, rattling off the chain of events that would be the end of Loki's self-preserved dignity.

The newest onslaught of dizziness caused Loki's vision to blur to a sickening degree, what was once the picture of the Avenger's kitchen now just a pooling mix of color and shapeless objects. Then there was the awareness of Loki's absent breaths, and his heart thundering painfully hard against his ribcage. Next, it was the unsteadiness of his feet as his heels backed up and there was nothing behind his body to catch him.

So plummet to the floor he did, back of his raven hair colliding harshly with the nutmeg tiles. Feeling a bump, if not blood, sprout from his head to the cool floor, Loki's vision finally darkened, his world collapsing inwards.

***

"Sir?"

"Not now, J." AC/DC music filling Tony Stark's lab as he scrutinised one of his computer models, adjusting what any other man would've considered minor. He sipped on a concoction of scotch and coffee- a 2am idea that seemed rational to the time; it would keep him awake and slightly buzzing. To the sleep deprived brain of the scientist, it made sense.

"I'm afraid this is of great urgency, Sir. It's Mr Laufeyson." The music had quietened during JARVIS' announcement, but then silenced completely by the concerned scientist.

"Loki? What's happened to him?"

"It appears to my sensors that Mr. Laufeyson has fainted. However, I am not certain as to why."

"Shit." Tony clapped at Dummy to clear up his overnight clutter. "Get Bruce and Steve to get up there as quickly as they can. Natasha as well, if she isn't sleeping."

Never mind the arc reactor keeping him alive, at the rate this was going he'd die from worrying about that damn god too much.

***

Beep...beep...beep...

A groan forced its way out of his parched throat. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his chest ached with the remnants of a pain he had all but forgotten.

Oh, Hel, why have you forsaken me?

Groggy and exhausted, green eyes slowly parted. He couldn't help but hiss in surprise with all the wires that were connected to him. He blinked two, three times before realizing that Midgardian medicine was truly, truly strange. It's not like he had been around it many times, and now he could distinctly recall why that was.