Kaleidoscope

~ V ~

Valkyrie came back to the ship and saw only the wreckage. Bodies. Death.

It was Asgard all over again.

She didn’t find Thor. But she has found Heimdal.

And she has found Loki.

Brunhilde grieved. She failed at protecting the throne. Loki was dead. Dead. She suffered when she closed his eyes, when she had to bid his way to Valhalla.

Tony and Nebula heard an SOS signal, not knowing it was too late. There they found Valkyrie.

"Oh... God."

Valkyrie swore that she would return the bodies of the watchman and her prince to Thor. 

Loki wakes up in Hel. He never realized that he would not be able to go to Valhalla, to his mother. He so wished. But he was Jotun. He had no place with her. Even in death, Odin denied him.

Loki choked with grief. He died. And he lost. And he was alone.

Hela comes and they talk. Truly talk. Over their deaths, over Odin and his lies. Over Thor and over Thanos. Hela laughs when Loki asks if she could help.

She tells Loki if he wanted to be back, she would need his body to revive him.

For the first time in a very long time, Loki feels joy being a part of the family. He has a sister. And Hela feels the same.

‘I wouldn't mind dying beside you’. 

Benatar descends on Earth. It would be some time before someone comes for them. But as Valkyrie steps from the ship, a black portal appears and there Hela is. She overpowers the trio and comes to Loki's body. Valkyrie is screaming at her as she watches helpless as Hela’s goons bring Loki's body and lay it unceremoniously under her feet.

‘NO! Don't you dare, demoness! Leave him alone! You bitch don't touch him! Don't touch my prince!’

Hela smirks at her disdainfully.Val wails angrily as Hela casually turns Loki's head so the ugly bruising are of the view before everyone. Humming to herself, Hela looks up at the trio. She then grabs Loki by the neck in a swift motion hails him upright. Before Val could shout out, Hela swept away in a portal. With Loki's body.

‘No! No no no...’ The portal appears again and when Brunhilde with a scream raises her sword to kill anyone who comes out, she freezes as no other than Loki is stumbling out of it. He gasps and then falls as if he forgot how to walk. Val is so shocked she does not see Hela steps right behind her brother. She looks surprisingly concerned when Loki fails to stand up and seems to go into some sort of panic attack.

Really, it was bound to happen. After so much shit happening to him with no outlet, everything keeping inside, he was no longer able to hold himself aloof and strong.

He died. Died in pain and terror. He suffered for years with no witnesses. He hurt and hurt and hurt.

Now the fact that he was back to life, that his neck was in agony, his vision so lacking, his sanity barely holding on…

He almost forgot what it felt to feel the sun and hear the wind being in Hel. He was oversensitive and weak.

He felt someone touching his shoulder and shuddered in fright. What if it was the Black Order? Or Thanos? What if...

But very carefully he was being swept into the embrace. He couldn't hold his gasp (whimper) as he felt his neck shift. But that someone was holding him secure, safe. He still could not see properly but he recognized the feeling of armor, hair and scent of a drink. Valkyrie?

‘Val…’ His voice broke. Brunhilde sobbed in relief and held him tighter before reluctantly releasing him.

He felt her suddenly leaping on her feet and heard the steel. Her sword. He felt helpless, he still couldn't see.

‘Get back!’

‘Oh, get lost. Loki?’

He heard a low growl and felt a hand on his back, bizarrely comforting, realizing that literally death was touching him.

‘H-hela?’

‘Yes. Don't worry, little brother. It will pass. Coming to life is hella painful. Huh?’

‘Not.. funny.’

‘Yeah, right. Lie to yourself.’

The Valkyrie gritted her teeth in sheer impotence as she watched both Loki and Hela sitting on the ground together and her prince leaning on her and she supporting him patiently.

She felt Stark losing his shit behind her, but she couldn't help him. She was so angry she could barely stand still.Nebula stubbornly stepped to the kneeling siblings.

‘Who are you? The golding I know of, but you are?’

‘Oh darling, I am someone who would one day greet you in my kingdom. I am Hela the goddess of Death.’

‘What?’ Stark asked confused.

‘I am greatly surprised you know of my brother. I also suspect how exactly you two met. And what you did to him. So I wonder, shouldn't I take you with me so much sooner than your time, hmm?’

Nebula stiffened and stood in protective position. Hela smiled menacingly. But a hand on hers stopped her.

‘Hela...’

Loki finally took his other hand from his eyes. He seemed to regain some of his sight, he had started to heal himself slowly. And he didn't want Hela to maim or kill anyone, no less their possible allies.

‘Desist.’

‘Bold of you to command me when –‘

‘Please, stop it.’

Hela actually shut up. She never imagined she would worry for the brat. But seeing him sitting on the ground pale and injured and small... She relented. For now at least.

‘Can you stand?’

‘Um... With help?’ He smiled charmingly. It would have been charming if his face wasn't grey color and all bloodied. Hela sighed dramatically.

‘Oh all right.’