Kaleidoscope

~ XXII~

Valkyrie and Hela were fighting. Thor engaged with Hulk against Fenrir. Loki was fighting with undead warriors when he noticed that Hela was winning against Valkyrie. He was annoyed with that drunkie, she has bested him and laughed at him. Humiliated him. But looking around, at Thor, at Heimdall, at Banner and the Aesir - what did their little scrabbling matter? His mind was set when Hela avoided a kick and in turn pushed Val on her knees, the weapon lost, the woman open for a killing blow.
Just before Hela’s sword stopped at Valkyrie’s head, Loki appeared just before Brunhilde and pushed her away, blocking the blow with his daggers.

“What are you doing?” Loki asked his sister as they clashed the metal of their weapons together.

“Excuse me?” For a moment the goddeth of death was taken aback by such simple a question.

“I asked what are you doing, sister? Why all of this? Odin is dead, you are free - do whatever you want. Why all this trouble? Isn't it tiresome?”

Hela snarled and punched Loki in the face, which he barely missed.

“What do you know-!”

“Oh, please! You are not the only one that old man wronged. Odin had more children to screw up with, but at least now I see that freedom is more exciting that these petty battles. Not worth it, believe me.”

“Screw up with? He ruined my life!“

“Mine too! So what? He's dead!”

Hela pushed with all her might - Odin's mentioning and the realization that her revenge couldn't be fulfilled fueled her rage. Loki saw that Hela went full force on him, and maybe he was not bad at fighting, quite good in fact seeing as he was still alive, but the battle wearied him and Hela was Odin's right hand and butcher, worlds fell under her sword.

He was distracted only for a second, but it has cost him - Hela jumped over him and sliced the long and deep gash on his momentarily exposed back. Loki gasped as his back arched in blinding agony, after what he fell forward on his knees, his knives falling from his weakened grip. He must get himself together and stand up, Loki thought sourly. But at first he had to open his eyes, that teared up against his will at the pain the weapon of the Death caused him. But before Loki could over think these two simple thoughts, he was roughly pushed back straight as the slender strong arm wound itself around his neck. Loki froze as he felt the tip of the sword press at his back, where his heart was, ready to impale him through.

'Not again', Loki thought frantically.

He wasn't even supposed to be here. He was meant to fly somewhere, in another galaxy with a bunch of Grandmaster’s warriors, who were happy to listen to him as their leader and go with him. He wasn’t supposed to fight again, to be brought once again in Thor's mess, with unlikable consequences for himself. He should be still ruling Asgard and watching his beautiful self produced play. Why? Why was he back? Why did he save the Valkyrie, why did he help Thor?  Because he cared? He didn't care, damnit!

Hela leaned closer to his ear and purred:

“Tis a shame, little brother. We could have chatted and maybe... got to know each other. If I wasn't who I was made to be and you didn't stand against the wishes of your Queen.”

The goddess of Death pushed the blade forward. But before she was done, she had to duck and lunge away as the white sword almost took her head from her shoulders. Brunhilde stood panting, the fury on her face as she took the battling stance, ready to kill she who took everything from her. As the dark prince saved her, Valkyrie was shocked at herself that in that moment the history repeated itself - the others fought for her. And the others fell because of her. Her mate was killed by Hela, saving her life. And now Valkyrie watched as Loki - strange, sneaky, intriguing brother of Thor - fought her battle, saving her too. She thought that after beating him when they fought, after chaining him up and mostly dismissing him, Loki would care not a wit about her. She was wrong. He could have left her die, watched it happen - no one would have been none the wiser. He didn't. He protected her.

And now Hela was making her watch the scene unfold like all those millenias ago - killing the ones who protected her. As Brunhilde saw Loki fall from Hela’s attack, Valkyrie didn't hesitate for a minute before taking the sword she lost and with a roar of anger and fury lunging at the monster. She wouldn't let others down, not again.
But the Fates would not have mercy on her as it seemed. Before Valkirye had a change to cut Helas head off, she was a second too late as the goddess of Death pushed her sword into Lokis back.

She didn't know if the prince was still alive (how would she explain her failure to her king?), she only saw him fall - all her attention was on the bane of her existence. Hela. Nothing would stop Brunhilde now.

Thor left Hulk to deal with Fenrir, seeing as his people needed his help more. And besides, he didn't know where Hela was. All this had to stop now, he had to stop her.
Of course there was a problem of the army that was endless as it seemed. Summoning the lightening Thor struck and struck, the bloodlust singing in his veins. He had never used his powers like this. It was exhilarating. A glance to find Hela among this chaos revealed that she was fighting with the Valkyrie. Five soldiers down with his sword.

Another glance. Loki? Loki was now fighting with Hela. But where is Brunhilde? Oh, she is alive, recovering. Another four soldiers down. He must help Loki, it was he who pushed (tricked) his brother to come here. So it was not Loki’s job alone to fight their sister. Six more.

But the next glance made his heart stutter and then beat wildly once again. Loki was face down on the ground, not moving and the Valkyrie was screaming making Hela retreat back in surprise from the sudden angry attack. No, no, it can't be. Loki couldn't be defeated this lightly. It was another trick. Loki was fine, just stunned. Or knocked unconscious. He was fine.

But seeing his brother laying there, so still brought up unpleasant, painful memories of all the times Loki was down, fallen. But it was a trick. Thor must get himself together and end the Ragnarok. With whatever it takes.

“Hey Loki. Hey, hey, easy. Come on, brother. Get up, come on.”

Pressing down on his brother's back to stop the bleeding, Thor carefully lifted Loki to sit down. Still kept convincing himself that it was a trick, even if everything spoke about the opposite (with the feeling of warm blood under his fingers), Thor needed to move Loki to safety.

“Thor?... What is going on...”

“Everything is fine, brother. How do you feel?”

The gash across the back was bad enough, but Thor saw the puncture wound as well. It was not good.

“Come on, get up. Heimdall! Help me!”

“I feel...numb.”

“You just fell, brother. How is, how is your back?”

“It’s, uh, hard to... breathe. Why am I...”

“Sshh. Come on. Getting- up! Yes. Lets go. The ship is near. Heimdal-”

“I got him, Thor.”

“No, no... Hela. She is-“

“I will take care of her, brother. Go with Heimdal. I... I love you.”

“Thor?..”

“Go. Now.”

A/N: Because I SAID so that Thor LOVES Loki, ok? Ok!

Thank you for reading.