Reunion
His head pounded like a jackhammer hitting pavement as he awoke from the abyss. Eyes revealing hard crimson walls that curved at the top like a dome. The air was rich with magic, leaving a strong taste in the back of his throat that made him want to retch. The god looked down at his hands only to see they’re bound by the same crimson material that formed around him. Instinctively he tries to pry free, using green magics to slice at the red bands around his wrists. Nothing happens.
“Don’t… that’s what she wants Odinson….”
The voice was dull and American, clearly stressed from either over or underuse. Loki almost jumped at the sound of it, expecting himself to be alone in this situation like usual.
“How do you know who i-“
“You have terrible memory for a god.”
Shuffling closer, the man's frame comes into Loki’s view. He looks spent. Dressed in what seems to be a loose robe and sandals. His hair spiked awkwardly with white streaks flaring wildly at his temples. He seemed to have used his elbows to crawl closer to Loki.
“You’re that blasted sorcer-“
“Who sent you falling through all dimensions throughout the multiverse for 27 minutes, yes.”
A small smile crept onto Strange’s heavily stubbled face. That incident was a mere five years ago and yet Stephen looked as though he’d aged ten.
“I should kill you right now sorcerer”
“Without magic or knives, I’d love to see you try. And please, Loki, it’s Doctor Strange.” He finishes his speech with a heavy exhausted sigh.
Loki goes to protest but stops himself. The wannabe sorcerer was right, with his hands bound and magic useless he couldn’t do anything.
“What are we doing here doctor?”
“Sabrina the teenage witch is trying to use the darkhold to harness our powers and get her kids back.”
Strange rubbed awkwardly at a device implanted at the back of his neck, it pulsated with a faint red glow mimicking that of the cage they were trapped in.
“i- what? The darkhold? That was lost centuries ago to Salem-how?”
“Not the issue right now. The issue is that this” He turned his head to signal towards the cage “Is collecting more magic as the minutes pass-“
“And soon enough we’ll die from it?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
The two sat in silence for a minute that seemed like hours before Loki’s face lit up with a grin.
“What’s pleased you?” Stephen eyed the god, almost judgingly.
“Oh it's just… I'm impressed. Using us for more magic because we are beings of magic instead of using dimensional energy!”
“Loki.”
“What?”
“I- nevermind.. wanna try and help get out”
Loki gave the man opposite him a quizzical look before nodding. He noticed Strange’s hands weren’t bound by manacles like his own but rather runes were carved into them. He was about to say something when a beam of light entered the room.
“Up.”
The voice that boomed into the room was cold and thick. Loki noticed Stephen jump before scrambling weakly to his feet. His face like a deer in headlights. Loki refused to copy the action.
“Loki Odinson, stand now.” The voice demanded. Stephen looked down at Loki, egging him to do what he was told.
“No, I stand for no one.”
“Loki, please-“ Strange muttered weakly.
He didn’t move, he wouldn’t let some random tell him what to do. Fear grew in Stephen's eyes as the owner of the voice came into view outside of the cage. Her dress red and torn in several places, beads hanging helplessly from her wrists and neck. An awkwardly pointed headpiece framed her face. A crimson smile grew upon her fair skin.
“Wanda… please” The standing man pleads.
“I'm sorry Stephen but Loki didn’t do what he was told so I must punish him.”
Before Loki can react, the glowing at the back of Strange’s neck grows more violent. His face contorts painfully as his back arches. The runes on his hands drip blood, a metallic twang now mixing with the scent of magic in the room. Purple sparks escape from the runes and follow up into the red bars of the cage, making them glow brighter. Stephen screams.
Loki feels sick to his stomach. The man was clearly in pain because of him. His choice. While Stephen shrieked he slowly lifted himself up.
“Good Loki” Wanda patronized.
She lifted two fingers and the glowing at Stephen’s neck stopped. His screams turned into sobs as he collapsed down onto the floor, cradling his hands at his chest.
“That’ll be sufficient for now pets. Do get some rest!” She smiled and left the room.
Loki rushed towards the sorcerer who now lay twitching on the ground. Tears tainted with red dripped down from his eyes onto the floor. He was whimpering like a hurt dog. Cowering like a child. Helpless.
“Strange? What was that?”
“I… she-“ Before the magician can finish, he coughs up a mouthful of blood harshly onto the concrete floor. His eyes fixate on his own bodily fluids seeping into the cracks in the floor.
Loki kneels down towards the man and grabs his chin with both his hands. He pulls his head up to face him, the grey steel eyes looked at him cooling, unfazed by everything.
“Strange?”
“Loki…”
The sorcerer's eyes threatened to drift off into slumber, not what Loki needed. Restricted by his bound hands, he reaches up his right knee and hits the sorcerer in his face. Not too hard to leave a mark but also hard enough to keep him awake.
“You dick!” Stephen yelled out
“Human I need you awake, now tell me what that was.”
Stephen's eyes became more focused, storm clouds formed within them.
“She’s using me as a punching bag for your disobedience!”
“No you imbecile, I mean what was that!” He gestures to the runes carved into Stephen's hands and then nods up to the top of the cage.
“She has no benefit from me.”
“What-“
“I’m not who she thought I was… Historically all sorcerer Supremes save been… well… sorcerers so I don’t blame her for the mistake but-“
“You’re not a being of magic?”
“No… I draw energy from other dimensions to perform my spells”
“And the runes..”
“Force me to draw energy… yes”
Stephen moves his chin from Loki and spits the remaining bit of blood in his mouth out onto the floor.
“That would kill a mortal.”
“Eventually… yes”
“So Wanda’s killing you? But why?”
“Because I can….stop her…” Stephen attempts to lift himself up off the ground before falling clumsily back down.
“Huh, well she seems to be doing a great job-“
The sorcerer doesn’t respond, his red eyelids now closed as he lay on the floor. Loki sat and watched as his chest lifted and fell at what he assumed was a regular pace for a human. He looked at the device upon the mans neck and realised its sickly glow still throbbed, most likely harvesting fragments of dimensional energy at all hours in order to keep the sorcerer incapacitated. The man looked peaceful when he slept, even if he was rotting away.
'Rest, I guess… it’s not like we’re in danger' He muttered to himself.
Stephen's body tremored as he lay in the puddle of his own blood on the cold concrete. Loki didn’t know why but it hurt him to see this. To see this man who’d only ever wronged him be so weak and helpless. The man who’d made him take orders from another only moments earlier.
"No, it cant be you..." Loki whispered almost aggressively to the sleeping man.
He let his own eyes rest as he laid himself down into a more comfortable position, only inches away from the wizard.
Both now living in the dark abyss of dreams.