chapter 17
“Where is Kaia?” Draco asks as soon as they reach the earth. They have cloaked themselves and their magic so they cannot be recognised and Loki doesn’t find out that Draco is here as well.
“She is with Maria on the Helicarrier.” Harry replies as he looks around.
They are in the safe place where they could see everything but they would not be coming in a way. Draco had thought that he needed to look at Loki first to understand the extent of what happened to him and then decide to what to do next. As soon as they reached earth he sent a Patronus to his Mother secretly informing her that he is fine and with Harry.
It is good thing that Kaia is with Maria with SHIELD Force. He knows that the SHIELD was using Tesseract for some things. He is not clear in what “things” nor was Kaia. Kaia has been working with Dr. Selvig as an astrophysicist to gather information about SHIELD and HYDRA. Draco and Harry had formed a mental link and had included Kaia as well as soon as they reached here. She was the one who informed them about how Loki had showed up suddenly where Tesseract was kept and stole along with their best men which included Clint Barton. That means Natasha Romanoff must be involved in this as well. She said that Loki had compelled them with Sceptre, she is not sure what kind of power is in the Sceptre.
She also mentioned that Director Fury has invited Dr. Banner and Captain Steve in this as well.
Thor was listening quietly while Harry communicated all this information to him.
“They are treating this as a war.” Thor comments.
Draco and Harry silently agreed as they saw Loki come down stairs with a magical stick in his hands.
Draco gasps as he sees dark circles under Loki’s eyes and how weak he seemed. It was as if he was kept starving for all this months. He clearly looked in pain.
“Oh Merlin, Do you see how weak he looks?” Draco asks rhetorically.
“What are you talking about Draco, He looks fine to me.” Harry replies.
“Yes, Brother Draco, Loki looks perfectly fine.” Thor says.
“What? No. he clearly has dark-“ he starts but doesn’t complete his sentence as he remembered how master illusionist Loki is. But he has never hidden himself from Draco. That’s why he must be the only one who can see the pain in his eyes as he walks.
Loki walks down the stairs and he hits the person with the stick and manhandles a man on the table near him and removes a device and holds it near his eyes. And They realise that he is copying that person eyeballs. People start screaming but all Draco can see how difficult it is for Loki to stand and how much he is pretending to smirk.
Loki starts walking out and changes is Armour with his magic. He shows himself in his original Asgardian form and starts duplicating himself. He gives some speech about subjugation and how freedom is downfall for the people. Draco knows he is speaking someone else’s words because Loki for a second doesn’t feel that way. For as long as he remembers Loki has always talked about how freedom is the most important thing for everyone.
Then out of nowhere Captain shows up and starts fighting with Loki. Even in injured state Loki hold his own. From the back Natasha announces for Loki to stand down. And then Iron Man shows up and Loki yields. Now Draco can see a small smile on Loki’s face as he is arrested.
Thor cannot control himself, goes flying and follows the plane.
“Harry we need to follow him.” Draco begs.
Harry sighs. “I knew it, he would do something like this.” He mutters.
But he obliges and pulls Draco arms and apparates himself to a mountain from where he can see Thor jumping from the Plane with Loki.
“Oh Merlin.” Draco gasps. He goes out to check on Loki but Harry stops him.
“No Draco.” Harry says firmly.
“What? Why?” Draco asks frantically.
“Did you not see his eyes? They were blue. He doesn’t seem to be in right mind. Even if you have cloaked your magic when have you ever truly hid yourself from him? He has always recognise your magic. But today he could not. Think Draco before you do something drastic.” Harry says rationally.
Harry is correct as always. Draco could never hid himself from Loki. And his eyes were as blue as ocean, unnatural blue when his eyes are emerald green. He is pretending that much he could see. His is making illusions for people to see. He must’ve forgotten that he himself have given Draco the power to see beyond his illusions.
He was about to reply but then he heard Loki and Thor’s conversation.
“With the Bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather had to muster to conjure to you here, to your precious earth?” Loki says mockingly.
Thor slams his Mjolnir on the ground and grabs Loki by the neck.
“I thought you dead.” He says hurtfully.
“Did you mourn?” Loki sneers back.
“We all did. Our Father-“ Thor starts.
“Your Father” Loki cuts him off. “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?”
“We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that? Thor yells.
“I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I, who was, and should be, King.” Loki spits.
Draco falters. He remembers Odin telling him the Loki let go. It was not the other way around. He will trust Loki always. But what if someone actually played with his memories? What if someone had collected all of his hurtful memories and turned it into this poison? Draco pauses and thinks that what if in order to survive Loki might have buried all his happy memories in his mind palace? Maybe that’s why he couldn’t recognise his magic. There has to be a way for Draco to take out some of his happy memories. Draco was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard Loki yell.
“I have seen worlds you have never known about. I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the tesseract and when I wield it-“ Loki says spitefully.
“Who showed this power? Who controls the would be king?” Thor cuts him off.
“I am a King” Loki yells.
“Not here! You give up the tesseract. You give up this poisonous dream. You come home.” Thor says tearfully.
“I don’t have it. You need the cube to bring me home. But I have sent it off, I know not where.” Loki says calmly.
“You listen well, Brother-“ Thor starts
But Iron Man throws him off the cliff.
“I’m Listening” Loki says just to amuse himself.
As the fight between Thor and Tony goes on Loki sits on the edge of the cliff and watches.
Draco knows there is no use in talking to Loki right here.
As the fight ensues between Thor and Tony, Draco is in panic while Loki sits idly. There are some things clear. He knows that Loki is being controlled by someone, much more powerful than Loki. Loki’s mind palace has the toughest barrier to crack. Even Dumbledore couldn’t see into his mind. But then what if the person who was controlling Loki found him in his lowest point and manipulated or tortured him enough to put those venomous thought into his mind.
Draco imagines Loki, hurt from the betrayal from his Father & Thor, Thousands of insults from the past all coming together making him feel unwanted , unloved that he hurled himself into an abyss just to stop his pain, just to stop himself feel. Draco cannot imagine what Loki will do when he knows the whole truth.
Harry sees Draco came to a realization and hears him mutter something in High Valyrian. He sees Loki eyes clear for a second. A Shade so similar to his but darker. He sees Loki’s mind clear for a second and then it is gone. In a Flash. He gets it. High Valyrian was always a love language for Draco & Loki. It makes sense that Loki would bury that deep down in his mind.
Harry watches as cap jumps from the Plane with a parachute and sighs. He can see the foolish gryffindorish qualities in Captain America and is utterly disappointed in the Blonde man as well as the US Government. Why would they choose such reckless man as an important figure to guide the young minds is beyond him. After the debacle with Tom and Dumbledore, Harry had allowed his Gryffindor roots to die before they even bloomed.
Thor and Tony provoke each other in a fight and sighs. They are acting like a children. With that much power they could certainly ruin the forest, he knows he needs to intervene before they destroy the trees. He reaches for Draco and puts him in a safe place knowing he is not ready to present himself with what he concludes as a devastating answer he must have stumbled upon.
“Draco, I am going to stop them. You need to calm yourself.” Harry says quietly. “Do you understand me?”
Draco came out of his thoughts and nodded.
“Please be careful” Draco asked. He couldn’t help but fear for the Master of Death. Knowing nothing could hurt him but Draco had always felt that people around him got hurt even when he tried to save them.
Harry snorted. And reached just as Captain asked or rather ordered Thor to put down his Hammer.
“Yeah……no, bad call, He loves his Hammer.” Says Tony.
And seriously, Tony seriously does not know when to shut up.
Thor literally throws Tony to the trees.
“You want me to put the Hammer down?” Thor yells angrily and starts to fling his Mjilnor towards the Captain.
“Prince Thor.” Says Harry with his deadly calmness.
His voice demands attention from all three. Loki and Draco from the mountain could hear him even if he had said it in utmost calmness.
The hair on their arms bristles in Harry’s presence.
“Brother Harry.” Thor acknowledges with a nod.
“Woah, What is the King of Tristhan doing here?” Tony asks rhetorically.
“Tony.” Harry huffs. Harry was the younger one yet Tony behaves as he is the youngest among them.
“What? Where the hell were you? I haven’t seen you after you saved Pepper and disappeared like a fucking smoke.” Tony yells and in anger he blasts fire towards him but Harry flicks it off like a fly.
This stunned Captain.
Even he cannot fling off the energy blast from the Iron Man and he was enhanced. Harry was a definitely more enhanced than he was.
“Tristhan and Helhiem. I wrote to you, you prat.” Harry muses.
“Yeah, like a fucking old man. How many time do I have to tell you to buy a fucking phone.” Tony says.
Still angry that Harry had ghosted him after saving Pepper. They had form a kinship from their shared trauma of being an orphan. Whenever Tony was in trouble, Harry was the first one to be on his side and help him. Even if Tony didn’t understood the mechanics of magic, he still accepted him. Harry had let him experiment on him sometimes. Even though Tony had never met Loki, he certainly met Draco and knew of Loki. Their timings never aligned. He knew Draco, of course. The man was a billionaire even in their world after Tony, obviously. He knows about the donations and charities done by him. He had heard about Loki and Hela through Wizards stories. He had wanted to meet them not under this circumstances though.
Part of the reason he wanted to kidnap Loki and bring him to Harry, so he can figure out what the ever-loving fuck was going on. He certainly didn’t add this SHIELD and Cap and not Thor to this equation. He certainly didn’t know that Harry would be here.
Draco must be here somewhere, if Loki and Harry are both here.
“You know Mobile don’t work in Helheim, besides my Ravens are better.” Harrys said proudly.
“They are creepy.” Tony mutters. “Where is Draco?”
“Here.” Harry replies. “If you’re done fighting here, can we take Loki to SHIELD Helicarrier?”
“Wait, who are you? And who is Draco?” Captain asks as if he is in charge of the situation.
Tony barely stops himself to roll his eyes but Harry had no qualms about that.
“I am King of Tristhan, and Draco is CEO of Malfoy Pharmaceuticals.” Harry smiled sweetly at the man.
The smile did not reach his eyes, nor there was warmth in his words. He was as cold as ice. He appeared to be more dangerous than Thor.
“And we are coming with you to the Helicarrier, if you wouldn’t mind.” Harry continues. He framed it as a question but it was most certainly not.
Captain bound Loki in cuffs and all of them began their journey towards the plane