Beaten
Hela smiled as he entered the chamber.
“Odin's lesser son, Asgard's little jotun secret. Well, well, well. Skurge has told me about you, and if I'm honest... You don't seem all bad. Even if your attempts at conquest were all terrible failures, at least you tried. If you wanted to, maybe I would let you be my new executioner.”
Loki smiled, sensing a possible exit strategy opening.
“Make the deal a bit sweeter, and I could consider it.”
But Hela wasn't so easily fooled.
“You think you can lie to me, boy? I was conquering the universe before you were even born. You cannot outsmart me,Loki of Asgard.”
We'll see about that, Loki thought, but knew that his chance of getting the upper hand was very slim. She had seen too much, done too much. The fact that the only way to stop her was to cause the end of their planet was a clear indicator.
The only thing that mattered now was that he completed his mission, and that Surtur came back and destroyed the planet that was Hela's power source. He had told the Asgardians that he was their saviour, and for once, he didn't want to be lying. He wanted them to be proud of him, to think of him fondly. With Hela gone he would irrevocably and indubitably the saviour of Asgard.
But the price to pay was going to be high.
-
Asgard was coming undone, engulfed in fire, but its people were safe, watching everything burn in the ship that had appeared through the mist to save them. But their saviour wasn't currently with them and Thor felt his heart stop beating, a shiver run through the whole of his body.Where was Loki? Was he safe?
He was a survivor, surely he had found a ship in which he could escape and was right now looking for a place to crash and create chaos. A place ignorant of his exploits, a place that could marvel at his tricks. Maybe he even was finding his way back to them, wanting to bask a little in people's gratitude for coming back for them. But he needed to be sure.
“Heimdall, can you see Loki?”
“I can” But Heimdall didn't seem happy about what he was seeing.
“Is he safe?”
“I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Hela has beaten him, and he is under the rubble of the chamber of treasures. She left him there to die.”
No, no no.
“And is he? Dead?”
“Miraculously no... But he unconscious, and won't be able to make it out before the remainder of the palace collapses into flame.”
No, no, no no!
Thor became some unseeing unhearing machine fueled by determination and rage. He was not going to lose his brother again after finally getting him back for good, after he'd seen that he did belong with him and his friends, after Loki had risked everything but got none of good parts of his excellently timed redemption.
Hell, Thor hadn't even had a chance to say thank you for bringing them this ship that saved them from a certain doom, for not staying in a place where he could thrive and instead getting beaten on the behalf of their people, their home. This couldn't be the end, Thor refused to live through another heroic death.
He'd got his brother. Loki was making up for past mistakes and he would be able to continue on this great path. This Thor bowed. He went there on a little pod, avoided flames and Surtur's claws and through the smoke and ash managed to locate his brother's unresponsive body, and take him back to the pod, and to safety.
He hadn't let him die. It had been a very risky move, and 90% of that rescue's success had been thinking and just using will power, but it had worked. Loki was there with him, bruised, mangled, bleeding and unconscious, but alive. Breathing.
Asgard collapsed behind him, but Thor had no time to grieve, not when his brother's life could be on the line. Yes, Loki was alive, but Hela's beating had been severe, and Loki had already been near death before, who knew how his body handled the abuse now, Maybe it was too tired.
“Please!” Thor bellowed as he entered the ship and got out of the ship, carrying his brother in his arms, staining himself with his blood. “I need healers! Prince Loki si badly injured! Get help!”
Suddenly the words were bitter in his mouth. So many he had found it humorous, that trick of pretending that Loki was dying, as if I were a laughable matter, when it was anything but. And Loki hated doing get help, hated all of it, and Thor's eyes were suddenly wet, I'm sorry I made you do it, brother, I know you dislike it so, I just.... Now Loki was truly dying and each of his previous laughs hurt like a wound.
Thankfully, Eir and a couple of her apprentices were among the survivors, and came running to Loki's side with what little supplies they could find. All the Asgardians were looking at their prince with eyes full of sorrow, hoping something could be done for their valiant prince.
Thor wanted to scream. He had lost his father, nearly all the friends he had in Asgard, his lost his home, he lost his eye.... He couldn't lose Loki, too, not him too. Loki wasn't just his brother and his friend, he had helped shape who he was, he had accompanied him in nearly all his adventures... They were meant to have adventures together always.
Loki was part of his soul.
“Loki all right?” Hulk's deep voice startled Thor, as they were taking Loki to a makeshift infirmary.
“He will be.” Thor said, mostly trying to convince himself.”He has to be”.
But Thor knew that there was a real chance that Loki would really die from his wounds this time. That Hela had been too big a foe, and Loki had receive too many blows in his life to bounce back like he used to. He had so many scars now, even if he hid them with illusions and glamours.
But still, Thor willed his brother to fight, to keep holding on. Many of his bones had been broken, and his lungs had been damaged by the fire, but both Thor and the Asgardians refused to let him go, and tried everything. They gave what little medicine they'd been able to save as they ran to them, they tried salves and even some spells and chanting. Anything.
Thor stood by his brother's side, Loki's cold hand on his rough one, and hoped, and waited.
The sight of Loki so badly hut, burned in places and struggling to draw breath was almost too painful to bear, but he remained there, and there he would remain until Loki was well again.
Some times Thor lost his courage, and wished he could join the Valkyrie's old habits of drinking herself into a stupor to forget the pain. But no, he couldn't leave Loki's side. Even if it took him years to wake up, he would stay there.
Days passed.
Weeks passed.
Loki injuries got better, but he never woke up.
Until one morning, when Thor woke up to a family pair of eyes watching.
“Brother! You're awake! You're back, you came back to me!”
There was a half smile and a rough.
“Yes, Thor... I am here.”