Hidden Troubles

Chapter 35

AN: So this is part 2. It's much shorter than the last one but trust me, the two together would've been some mega chapter. And the attached song is just to mark the beginning of a new phase of Loki's life. Because, as the song quite rightly states, this is where the healing begins.

I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS!!

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Thor entered the dull, ash-coloured room, confronted immediately by the Chitauri tied up on a hard, metal table. Its reptilian eyes stalked the god the moment he entered, right until Thor stood only a foot away from it.

"Greetings Asgardian," the creature hissed, "come to shed more light to me of your infamous stupidity?"

"No. I have come to discover the reason for your capricious cruelty."

"Ah." The Chitauri hummed, a leering smile growing on its face. "Sentiment. Such a weakness."

"You echo much of my brother's words. Did you control him?"

"Control... that could be said. We broke him. We broke him day after day until there was nothing of the valiant charlatan left, nothing of the poignant prince that tried to protect his golden brother. And we rebuilt him to our own design, we fed him only the truth, we showed him such kindness—"

"KINDNESS?!" Thor roared, gripping Mjonlir in anger.

"Careful little boy," it tutted, "you wouldn't want to loose your temper now would you?"

"You dare-"

"I dare because I may. And who will stop me?"

At this Thor fell silent. He wanted to beat the monster that lay before him, to feel the bone crush under his hammer, to see the life leave its very eyes-

"Good boy." A crackle of thunder sounded through the darkening sky. "Oh dear. Your poor Midgardian friends will not be pleased."

"Why did you do such things to my brother? Why him?"

"Because he fell. He came to us. And oh he had a mind for such command. Such potential. Oh and how he was hurting. He fell to die, but to him we gave him a different type of death. The death of his soul, his spirit, as he begged for his brother to save him, and day after day... you never came." The creature's voice grew increasingly patronising. Electricity started to crackle in the air about them.

Yet still it continued. "And soon it realised, his hero brother wouldn't not come for him. And so he begged for Lady Death once more to take him. But my good Master Thanos, he told her to wait, he told her he would bring her more death if she let him live. And he did. We bend him to our will, even after all those protests, all that spirit. It was fun indeed to break the stubborn trickster prince."

"What is this Thanos' play?" Thor growled.

"You think I will betray my master? He gave my people life. We were lost, purposeless. He gave us purpose, and a promise. He built us to our current glory. We conquered realms, entire galaxies with the Mad Titan as our command. You think I will betray my master? You are more arrogant than your tales speak of. I will say nothing."

"Then you are of no use to us."

"It may seem so. The cretinous crown prince proves to not be so half witted after all." The creature sneered. "Though if you wish for details of the runt's torture- now that I would willingly give."