Marked, 1/2.
I don't want to jinx it, but today so far is fairly easygoing. So hey, have some fic! :D
Title: Marked
Series: #10 in Walking Yggdrasil
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Not mine! Characters you recognize belong to Marvel, and I've incoporated some comic back story and mythology into the movieverse.
Summary: Apparently, the Norns had been right when they told Loki that there were things other than Thanos to be concerned about. Now he can actually see what they're referring to, and he was never the type to sit idle.
One - What Is To Come
"What could be worse than Thanos?"
Loki sorely regretted requesting the meeting with the other Avengers. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips, aware of the mounting tension there, pain rising behind his eyes. Prodding at his memories only triggered more pain; he wasn't capable of absorbing the gravity of the Norns in their true glory. It was tempting to retreat into his bravado, telling everyone that he was the monster to fear, that he was the one that they should be wary of, that he was stronger than he let on.
But Natasha ran a soothing hand over his back, rubbing it gently, and he managed to blink back tears that threatened to form.
"There are any number of awful things that could cause panic," he found himself mumbling. "The mad Titan was simply mortal, after all. The Norns are Destiny and Fate, and the trouble they hint at could be mythic in origin."
"So are we talking about Ragnarok?" Steve asked in concern.
Though he immediately regretted it because of the shooting pain in his head, Loki jerked his head up to gape at Steve. But of course he would read Norse mythology. Of course he would want to learn as much as he could of Asgardian culture. Of course he would try to understand everything and fight.
"There are signs for that," Sam said thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, lips pursed. "Not just in an internet meme kind of sense, but for real."
"I may access the Internet and correlate what is found there against the Norse Eddas and their tales of Ragnarok. I believe it is close to Asgardian tradition, considering that their culture had held yours to be their gods," Vision said, directly addressing Loki.
It was hard for him to think, and he could only nod weakly as he massaged his temples.
Wanda clucked sympathetically. "The magic backlash. Unfortunately, aspirin doesn't help it."
He couldn't bear the thought of his student feeling sorry for him, but it hurt too much to think of something cutting to say. Loki merely shut his eyes and let Natasha continue soothing his back. Her presence was comforting, a calming element he hadn't realized he needed.
"If it's the end of the world," Clint said slowly, "there's nowhere far enough I could send Laura and the kids." He sighed at the chorus of no's that greeted that statement, and shook his head. "Fine, then. If nobody minds me bringing them here? She thought the last safe house might be compromised, but there was nothing specific she could point to."
"What do you speak of?" Loki ground out, eyes still closed.
"My wife Laura," Clint said in a flat voice. "Former SHIELD intelligence agent, so she knows her shit. If she thinks it was compromised, it was compromised."
"Did Wanda look at the location?" Loki asked in a strained voice. Clint was married. He had children with his wife. He was the sort that would never betray such a bond. So there really wasn't a romantic liaison with Natasha. He shouldn't have doubted her; it was really only himself that he truly doubted.
"Oh," he murmured, sounding surprised. They hadn't thought of that. "No, she didn't."
"I can go right away," Wanda said, rising from the conference table. "They will be safe, I will make sure of it."
"I trust you," Clint said. Loki couldn't hear any artifice in his tone.
This was what faith felt like. This was family. This was what Loki used to have, before he knew the truth of his origins.
The sensation gutted him, made him miss Frigga all the more. He didn't know why his grief was suddenly so sharp and spiteful, why he felt the loss so keenly.
Natasha leaned in close. "Something else?"
"Personal," he managed to whisper before another spike of pain in his temples made him nearly whimper in front of everyone. He couldn't recall ever feeling like this before.
"This is more than simple magic backlash," Wanda said, concern in her voice. It sounded closer than before, but Loki couldn't tell how close she was to him.
Pain spiked again, overwhelming his senses and sending him unconscious.
***
When Loki woke, a woman he didn't recognize was sitting in a comfortable chair beside his bed, reading a thick book. She had dark hair, and looked to be in her early forties. There were lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes, as if she smiled often, and she was casually dressed in jeans and a loose T shirt that had a bullseye design on it. She looked over at him in concern when he stirred, and put a bookmark into the book, putting it on his nightstand. There were two glasses of water on it as well, and a pitcher; one was definitely hers, and one was likely for him.
"Hey. You've been out for three days."
Loki blinked at her. "I don't know you."
"No, you don't," she agreed easily. She was leaning over him and fluffing his pillow before he could even ask, a gentle curve to her lips that keenly reminded him of Frigga. "You were unconscious before I even arrived here. I'm Laura Barton," she said, sitting back down in her chair. "The others are in a tizzy researching everything they can, so I volunteered to sit in and look in on you."
"Why?" he asked, confused. Clint had said something about children, hadn't he? "There are other duties you likely have to do."
"Oh, yeah," she agreed easily, shrugging. "There's always something. But Nathaniel is napping right now," she said, nodding in the direction of a cot Loki hadn't even noticed in his room, "and Cooper and Lila are in the gym driving Vision crazy." At his blank look, Laura grinned. "He wanted to know what childcare was like. I figured he should get some practical experience."
"And you look over two sleeping people, getting to relax while still appearing saintly."
"I'm a mother, not stupid," Laura replied with tart amusement.
Oh, yes, it reminded Loki so much of Frigga. Was that a common motherly trait?
"I feel..." He paused, trying to find the right words to explain it. "Physically, I am unharmed. But my mind..." He frowned, not sure how he could explain it.
"Rattled? Exhausted? Feeling like it's stuffed with cotton?" she asked helpfully.
"Perhaps."
"Sure sign that you're overtired and need to take a break. What's the Asgardian equivalent of mental relaxation?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Loki replied warily.
Laura only sighed. "Just like Cooper," she muttered, shaking her head. "All right, you and I are getting up and out of here. Nathaniel will probably sleep for another hour or so before he tears through here like a demon on speed."
Loki blinked at her. "It doesn't trouble you that your son is a demon?"
She blinked back at him. "It's an expression?"
"You mortals are strange."
"So are you Asgardians," she replied wryly.
Loki shot her a sour look, but it didn't faze her in the slightest. Why were none of these mortals impressed with his greatness? He was taking great personal risk for them!
She hauled him to his feet, leaving him to marvel at the quiet strength she possessed. The wonder must have shown on his face, because she grinned. "I'm usually the one in charge of the kids and the farmhouse, all the land, all the errands, and maintaining our safety. Do you really think I'd be a softie by any means?"
He wanted to be surly with her, but she truly was helping him balance on his feet. "What is this farmhouse you speak of?"
"Where we were primarily living before. A couple of interruptions here and there when we thought the location was compromised. But for the most part, it was up to me to maintain security protocols on my own." She eyed the boy sleeping on the cot. "I have an alert set for when he wakes up. Cafeteria first, then I think one of the common rooms for us afterward."
"Whatever for?"
"Even surly magical demigods need time to relax, right? Your brother didn't have any idea, either, so I guess it's an Asgardian thing."
His heart seized and he nearly fell over onto Laura. "Thor is here?"
"What? Oh, no, I have no idea where he is. When I met him before, I mean." Her voice was brisk and no nonsense; Loki had the sense that Laura had little patience for social lies, and that she was treating him the same way she would her children. As insulting as it should have been, it was also comforting in a way.
Loki realized that he hadn't disavowed Thor as his brother with this woman. Before he could think of a tactful way to do so, she gave him a wry conspiratorial smile and started steering him out of his suite. "Not hard on the eyes, but really, the man has no common sense at all. I hope you're better in that arena than he is."
"I am the cleverer one between the two of us."
"Good. Stupid people annoy me."
He couldn't help but laugh, and her grin in return was friendly. As Laura had suspected, her son didn't wake even with his laughter. "I might be able to like you," Loki told her as they walked to the cafeteria. He tried to tell himself there was no disgrace in leaning on her for support, an arm around her shoulders. The Norns had done something to him. His strength was sapped. Magic demanded its sacrifice, and his vitality had been chosen.
Laura simply snorted. "Like it's such a chore."
"Emotions can be," he admitted.
That gave her pause. "Yeah," she agreed after a moment. "They can be."
He was very grateful that she didn't elaborate, or ask him to. He wasn't sure if he could have come up with an answer that didn't reveal more of the horrible argr tainting his soul.
***
"Should I be afraid that my wife and the lying, mind-controlling bastard of my nightmares are getting along like white on rice?" Clint asked, frowning as he noticed Laura Barton and Loki sitting in one of the common areas.
"That's also the mind-controlling bastard that I have wrapped around my little finger," Natasha said mildly, not looking up from the book of magic that Wanda had given her. "Do you think this sigil here looks like the marking that was on his forehead?"
Clint frowned at her. "I try not to pay much attention to him. He's an ass."
"I don't have to like him to fuck him," Natasha replied, still keeping primary focus on the book.
"Shit, it's not like you don't have options."
"True. But he's the option I like best right now."
Sighing, Clint shook his head. "Okay, what aren't you telling me?"
She spun the book around and shoved it at Clint. "Put your feelings aside and think about this from a logical perspective."
He heaved another sigh, for a moment acting more like his son. "Do I have to?"
"Yes. Put on your big boy panties and act like a grown up," Natasha replied, a slight tilt to her lips. "You've gotten over the mind control thing."
"As far as I'm concerned. But I don't want him thinking Laura's fair game."
"She will gut him if he tries anything."
"Well, yeah, she's not stupid."
"So calm down, and focus for a minute. Then you can go put arrows in something to take your mind off of it," she added for good measure. That made him smile in appreciation, at least, so he grudgingly took the book from her.
After a moment, he put the book down. "It's close, but not quite the same as what was on his forehead. Like two sigils were painted there, one on top of the other, but the copier smudged the lines or something."
"That's what I thought it looked like, too."
"So what does this mean?"
"Not a clue," Natasha sighed. "We're going to have to ask him."
"How do you know he'll even tell the truth?"
"He'll tell me." With confidence in her voice and posture, she grabbed the book back and marched over to Loki and Laura.
Laura waved her over as soon as she saw Natasha's purposeful stride. "Look at this!" she said in concern, pointing to the drawing that Loki was making. "He's not responding to me when I ask him what he's doing."
It was the smudged sigil that had been on his forehead.
Natasha stopped short behind Loki. "What is it?" she asked, only idle curiosity evident in her tone. "One of those adult coloring book drawings?"
Loki looked up, and there was a vacant and almost glazed look in his eyes. "I know the casting and the marking. I know the shape of what is to come."
"So what's to come?" she asked, head tilted slightly to the side.
"They are Eternal. They are unending."
"They."
"Baubles for the Norns are singularities created by the oldest beings in the galaxy, a means to control the forces that would tug it apart."
"So what does the drawing mean?"
"The name of that will come. Those Who Sit Above In Shadows."
"That's a mouthful," Natasha replied mildly. The startled gaze she shot Laura was anything but calm, however. "Is there another name?"
"None that I have knowledge of," Loki said, his voice still oddly hollow.
"How did you find out that one?"
"Time and Mind and Space. Touched by the Norns, a thread of their magic still twists inside of my mind. Or perhaps they speak to me."
"And this symbol?"
"To identify," Loki said, eyes sliding shut. Then, without warning, his body went limp in the chair and then began to shake in a grand mal seizure. Natasha and Laura dove to his side, keeping him from repeatedly striking his head on the floor or swallowing his tongue. Natasha ignored the pain of his teeth repeatedly grinding down into the fingers she shoved into his mouth, instead focusing on his color and the rasp of his breath. Laura had one wrist in hand, fingers against his pulse point, keeping track of the length of the seizure.
Clint had raced out of the room when Loki started seizing, and returned with Vision, phasing through the walls and floor from upstairs. "Wanda is in meditation and cannot be disturbed," he explained. Vision looked at Loki impassively, then knelt down so that he could place both hands on either side of his head. He murmured something in what sounded like Asgardian, and Loki's wild thrashing soon slowed down.
"What's going on?" Laura asked, shaken.
"I believe this is magical backlash," Vision said, still sounding unperturbed. His calm was downright eerie next to the others' concern. "Wanda would say that he is channeling power that is not his to control, but I don't believe Loki would actively seek this without a proper grounding circle. He stressed that point to Wanda repeatedly when beginning her studies."
"We were just talking," Laura agreed with a nod. "He was telling me about the Asgardian education system, whatever there is of it, and the kinds of subjects that he had to learn as a boy. The magic was from his mother."
Almost guilty, Clint glanced at Natasha. "So he wasn't trying to use magic just now."
"Not at all," Laura told them. "I was going to try to convince him to help me teach the kids languages and maybe help with math, since I have to go the home school route."
"I'm sorry-" Clint began with a sigh.
Laura waved him off. "Not your fault, and not the first time I've had to fill in the gaps that the dumbass education system left behind. He's not trying to do magic. So what the hell can use him like he's a magical device in one of Cooper's video games?"
They all exchanged worried glances; they didn't know, but this couldn't be a good sign.
***
Wanda looked guilty when she sat next to Loki. "I think I did this," she said without preamble as soon as Loki woke up. "Talking with the Norns about future possibilities. Maybe about a child." She twisted her fingers together, appearing more like a child herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for them to hurt you."
"I don't think it was them," Loki rasped. Behind her, Vision, Laura, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Sam and even Thor hovered.
Wait, Thor?
Loki startled badly as soon as he saw Thor, and it felt as though something broke painfully in his chest. He felt trapped, but was too weak to push himself away from the group of them.
Natasha sat down on the edge of his bed and brushed his hair away from his temples. It was an oddly affectionate and possessive gesture, one that threw him. Why would she do such a thing in front of everyone else?
"You said it was Those Who Sit Above In Shadows."
He frowned, fingers twitching against the blanket. His eyes skittered around, finally settling on her expectant expression. "I don't recall saying so," he said finally. "Nor do I know who they are. The names are not in any of the old texts."
"The symbol you said was theirs is in one of Wanda's books," Natasha said, the same quiet and patient tone he remembered from their time on Yggdrasil. Was he truly that fragile?
Apparently he was, because he needed her assistance to sit up, and the room swam dangerously.
Thor didn't seem pleased to see his weakness, but Loki was too exhausted to care about him seeing the argr so plainly. Later, he would castigate himself thoroughly for revealing that weakness, for showing that he was not the dangerous adversary he had to be.
"I had tried to speak with the Norns before," Thor said heavily. "It left me weakened, but not like this. Those Who Sit Above In Shadows must be formidable indeed."
Loki looked up at him, blearily stunned. Was that actually praise?
"The book is an old one that Vis found for me," Wanda said softly, lifting the volume in question. "Most Roma traditions aren't written down. But this is an old one, possibly a personal Book of Shadows, because I don't remember many divination spells as a child. I didn't think..." Her voice faltered, and she dropped her eyes in contrite self recrimination. "It was supposed to be a scrying spell, not something that would harm anyone else."
"I think I was already attuned to this particular monstrosity," Loki rasped. "From walking Yggdrasil, from carrying the Time Stone, from conversing with the Norns. They said I was being reshaped. That there is a purpose for all things."
Wanda stepped forward, and to his amazement, she dropped beside him on the bed and threw her arms around him in a tight and protective hug. "I'm still sorry. I won't do this again, I promise. I won't put you in harm's way like this."
Awkwardly, Loki returned the hug. Perhaps it was a bit of amusement in Natasha's eyes, seeing his discomfort with the affection from the girl. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, pondering her words. "Did you see anything good, at least?"
Her bitter laughter told him more than words could ever say. "I didn't understand what I saw."
"When I feel better, I can help you puzzle out the signs and riddles of your vision. It's an imperfect art, scrying, but sometimes there are ways to clarify its meaning."
The gratitude in her expression was humbling, as was the concern they all had for him. By the Roots and Branches, he was wanted here.
"I could do a healing rune, perhaps?" Wanda offered hesitantly.
He understood that her faith in her magic was shaken now, and the childish bravado she had shown him before was gone. Nodding caused him to wince as a headache threatened to form, but Loki held still as she traced the rune on his forehead and murmured to appropriate activating spell. Natasha's presence at his side was soothing, and kept him from feeling panic as the spell took shape around him.
And then he saw it, an odd thread of magic wound around him, not like the magic he associated with himself, not like Wanda's, not like the Norns'. He reached out in front of him and grasped it, pulling it tight between his hands. It drifted past the line of his vision, and by the Roots of the Tree, there was a similar thread wound about Thor's throat as well.
Stumbling out of bed and tripping over the blankets, he snapped the thread in his hands and reached for Thor's. Whatever it was, it was wrong and foul and had to be gotten rid of. There was an outcry from the others as well as his own hysterical voice, but he was able to seize hold of the foreign thread and yank on it just as Natasha and Wanda pulled him back, no doubt thinking he was seizing again.
The additional force of their pull served as an anchor, even though he didn't fully grasp the thread as tightly as he would have wanted, and it snapped between his hands as he landed in Natasha's lap.
Thor staggered back, a frown on his features, a hand reaching up toward his chest. "Brother?" he asked, confused.
Loki couldn't help but laugh, weak though it was. "They blinded me, but Wanda fixed it. I see what they never meant me to see." His laughter was hysterical but triumphant, and he could see the frayed threads in his hands begin to fade. He held them up for Wanda, not sure if she could see them. "I broke their hold. I will be no pawn for shadow creatures any longer."
Natasha brushed the hair from his temples again, concern etched on her features. She didn't say a word before looking over at Wanda. By her frown, Loki guessed that she couldn't see the frayed and disappearing threads of magic.
No matter. He was no fool, and he was clever.
There would be backlash for this act, but he would be prepared for it.
***
***
Title: Marked
Series: #10 in Walking Yggdrasil
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Not mine! Characters you recognize belong to Marvel, and I've incoporated some comic back story and mythology into the movieverse.
Summary: Apparently, the Norns had been right when they told Loki that there were things other than Thanos to be concerned about. Now he can actually see what they're referring to, and he was never the type to sit idle.
One - What Is To Come
"What could be worse than Thanos?"
Loki sorely regretted requesting the meeting with the other Avengers. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips, aware of the mounting tension there, pain rising behind his eyes. Prodding at his memories only triggered more pain; he wasn't capable of absorbing the gravity of the Norns in their true glory. It was tempting to retreat into his bravado, telling everyone that he was the monster to fear, that he was the one that they should be wary of, that he was stronger than he let on.
But Natasha ran a soothing hand over his back, rubbing it gently, and he managed to blink back tears that threatened to form.
"There are any number of awful things that could cause panic," he found himself mumbling. "The mad Titan was simply mortal, after all. The Norns are Destiny and Fate, and the trouble they hint at could be mythic in origin."
"So are we talking about Ragnarok?" Steve asked in concern.
Though he immediately regretted it because of the shooting pain in his head, Loki jerked his head up to gape at Steve. But of course he would read Norse mythology. Of course he would want to learn as much as he could of Asgardian culture. Of course he would try to understand everything and fight.
"There are signs for that," Sam said thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, lips pursed. "Not just in an internet meme kind of sense, but for real."
"I may access the Internet and correlate what is found there against the Norse Eddas and their tales of Ragnarok. I believe it is close to Asgardian tradition, considering that their culture had held yours to be their gods," Vision said, directly addressing Loki.
It was hard for him to think, and he could only nod weakly as he massaged his temples.
Wanda clucked sympathetically. "The magic backlash. Unfortunately, aspirin doesn't help it."
He couldn't bear the thought of his student feeling sorry for him, but it hurt too much to think of something cutting to say. Loki merely shut his eyes and let Natasha continue soothing his back. Her presence was comforting, a calming element he hadn't realized he needed.
"If it's the end of the world," Clint said slowly, "there's nowhere far enough I could send Laura and the kids." He sighed at the chorus of no's that greeted that statement, and shook his head. "Fine, then. If nobody minds me bringing them here? She thought the last safe house might be compromised, but there was nothing specific she could point to."
"What do you speak of?" Loki ground out, eyes still closed.
"My wife Laura," Clint said in a flat voice. "Former SHIELD intelligence agent, so she knows her shit. If she thinks it was compromised, it was compromised."
"Did Wanda look at the location?" Loki asked in a strained voice. Clint was married. He had children with his wife. He was the sort that would never betray such a bond. So there really wasn't a romantic liaison with Natasha. He shouldn't have doubted her; it was really only himself that he truly doubted.
"Oh," he murmured, sounding surprised. They hadn't thought of that. "No, she didn't."
"I can go right away," Wanda said, rising from the conference table. "They will be safe, I will make sure of it."
"I trust you," Clint said. Loki couldn't hear any artifice in his tone.
This was what faith felt like. This was family. This was what Loki used to have, before he knew the truth of his origins.
The sensation gutted him, made him miss Frigga all the more. He didn't know why his grief was suddenly so sharp and spiteful, why he felt the loss so keenly.
Natasha leaned in close. "Something else?"
"Personal," he managed to whisper before another spike of pain in his temples made him nearly whimper in front of everyone. He couldn't recall ever feeling like this before.
"This is more than simple magic backlash," Wanda said, concern in her voice. It sounded closer than before, but Loki couldn't tell how close she was to him.
Pain spiked again, overwhelming his senses and sending him unconscious.
***
When Loki woke, a woman he didn't recognize was sitting in a comfortable chair beside his bed, reading a thick book. She had dark hair, and looked to be in her early forties. There were lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes, as if she smiled often, and she was casually dressed in jeans and a loose T shirt that had a bullseye design on it. She looked over at him in concern when he stirred, and put a bookmark into the book, putting it on his nightstand. There were two glasses of water on it as well, and a pitcher; one was definitely hers, and one was likely for him.
"Hey. You've been out for three days."
Loki blinked at her. "I don't know you."
"No, you don't," she agreed easily. She was leaning over him and fluffing his pillow before he could even ask, a gentle curve to her lips that keenly reminded him of Frigga. "You were unconscious before I even arrived here. I'm Laura Barton," she said, sitting back down in her chair. "The others are in a tizzy researching everything they can, so I volunteered to sit in and look in on you."
"Why?" he asked, confused. Clint had said something about children, hadn't he? "There are other duties you likely have to do."
"Oh, yeah," she agreed easily, shrugging. "There's always something. But Nathaniel is napping right now," she said, nodding in the direction of a cot Loki hadn't even noticed in his room, "and Cooper and Lila are in the gym driving Vision crazy." At his blank look, Laura grinned. "He wanted to know what childcare was like. I figured he should get some practical experience."
"And you look over two sleeping people, getting to relax while still appearing saintly."
"I'm a mother, not stupid," Laura replied with tart amusement.
Oh, yes, it reminded Loki so much of Frigga. Was that a common motherly trait?
"I feel..." He paused, trying to find the right words to explain it. "Physically, I am unharmed. But my mind..." He frowned, not sure how he could explain it.
"Rattled? Exhausted? Feeling like it's stuffed with cotton?" she asked helpfully.
"Perhaps."
"Sure sign that you're overtired and need to take a break. What's the Asgardian equivalent of mental relaxation?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Loki replied warily.
Laura only sighed. "Just like Cooper," she muttered, shaking her head. "All right, you and I are getting up and out of here. Nathaniel will probably sleep for another hour or so before he tears through here like a demon on speed."
Loki blinked at her. "It doesn't trouble you that your son is a demon?"
She blinked back at him. "It's an expression?"
"You mortals are strange."
"So are you Asgardians," she replied wryly.
Loki shot her a sour look, but it didn't faze her in the slightest. Why were none of these mortals impressed with his greatness? He was taking great personal risk for them!
She hauled him to his feet, leaving him to marvel at the quiet strength she possessed. The wonder must have shown on his face, because she grinned. "I'm usually the one in charge of the kids and the farmhouse, all the land, all the errands, and maintaining our safety. Do you really think I'd be a softie by any means?"
He wanted to be surly with her, but she truly was helping him balance on his feet. "What is this farmhouse you speak of?"
"Where we were primarily living before. A couple of interruptions here and there when we thought the location was compromised. But for the most part, it was up to me to maintain security protocols on my own." She eyed the boy sleeping on the cot. "I have an alert set for when he wakes up. Cafeteria first, then I think one of the common rooms for us afterward."
"Whatever for?"
"Even surly magical demigods need time to relax, right? Your brother didn't have any idea, either, so I guess it's an Asgardian thing."
His heart seized and he nearly fell over onto Laura. "Thor is here?"
"What? Oh, no, I have no idea where he is. When I met him before, I mean." Her voice was brisk and no nonsense; Loki had the sense that Laura had little patience for social lies, and that she was treating him the same way she would her children. As insulting as it should have been, it was also comforting in a way.
Loki realized that he hadn't disavowed Thor as his brother with this woman. Before he could think of a tactful way to do so, she gave him a wry conspiratorial smile and started steering him out of his suite. "Not hard on the eyes, but really, the man has no common sense at all. I hope you're better in that arena than he is."
"I am the cleverer one between the two of us."
"Good. Stupid people annoy me."
He couldn't help but laugh, and her grin in return was friendly. As Laura had suspected, her son didn't wake even with his laughter. "I might be able to like you," Loki told her as they walked to the cafeteria. He tried to tell himself there was no disgrace in leaning on her for support, an arm around her shoulders. The Norns had done something to him. His strength was sapped. Magic demanded its sacrifice, and his vitality had been chosen.
Laura simply snorted. "Like it's such a chore."
"Emotions can be," he admitted.
That gave her pause. "Yeah," she agreed after a moment. "They can be."
He was very grateful that she didn't elaborate, or ask him to. He wasn't sure if he could have come up with an answer that didn't reveal more of the horrible argr tainting his soul.
***
"Should I be afraid that my wife and the lying, mind-controlling bastard of my nightmares are getting along like white on rice?" Clint asked, frowning as he noticed Laura Barton and Loki sitting in one of the common areas.
"That's also the mind-controlling bastard that I have wrapped around my little finger," Natasha said mildly, not looking up from the book of magic that Wanda had given her. "Do you think this sigil here looks like the marking that was on his forehead?"
Clint frowned at her. "I try not to pay much attention to him. He's an ass."
"I don't have to like him to fuck him," Natasha replied, still keeping primary focus on the book.
"Shit, it's not like you don't have options."
"True. But he's the option I like best right now."
Sighing, Clint shook his head. "Okay, what aren't you telling me?"
She spun the book around and shoved it at Clint. "Put your feelings aside and think about this from a logical perspective."
He heaved another sigh, for a moment acting more like his son. "Do I have to?"
"Yes. Put on your big boy panties and act like a grown up," Natasha replied, a slight tilt to her lips. "You've gotten over the mind control thing."
"As far as I'm concerned. But I don't want him thinking Laura's fair game."
"She will gut him if he tries anything."
"Well, yeah, she's not stupid."
"So calm down, and focus for a minute. Then you can go put arrows in something to take your mind off of it," she added for good measure. That made him smile in appreciation, at least, so he grudgingly took the book from her.
After a moment, he put the book down. "It's close, but not quite the same as what was on his forehead. Like two sigils were painted there, one on top of the other, but the copier smudged the lines or something."
"That's what I thought it looked like, too."
"So what does this mean?"
"Not a clue," Natasha sighed. "We're going to have to ask him."
"How do you know he'll even tell the truth?"
"He'll tell me." With confidence in her voice and posture, she grabbed the book back and marched over to Loki and Laura.
Laura waved her over as soon as she saw Natasha's purposeful stride. "Look at this!" she said in concern, pointing to the drawing that Loki was making. "He's not responding to me when I ask him what he's doing."
It was the smudged sigil that had been on his forehead.
Natasha stopped short behind Loki. "What is it?" she asked, only idle curiosity evident in her tone. "One of those adult coloring book drawings?"
Loki looked up, and there was a vacant and almost glazed look in his eyes. "I know the casting and the marking. I know the shape of what is to come."
"So what's to come?" she asked, head tilted slightly to the side.
"They are Eternal. They are unending."
"They."
"Baubles for the Norns are singularities created by the oldest beings in the galaxy, a means to control the forces that would tug it apart."
"So what does the drawing mean?"
"The name of that will come. Those Who Sit Above In Shadows."
"That's a mouthful," Natasha replied mildly. The startled gaze she shot Laura was anything but calm, however. "Is there another name?"
"None that I have knowledge of," Loki said, his voice still oddly hollow.
"How did you find out that one?"
"Time and Mind and Space. Touched by the Norns, a thread of their magic still twists inside of my mind. Or perhaps they speak to me."
"And this symbol?"
"To identify," Loki said, eyes sliding shut. Then, without warning, his body went limp in the chair and then began to shake in a grand mal seizure. Natasha and Laura dove to his side, keeping him from repeatedly striking his head on the floor or swallowing his tongue. Natasha ignored the pain of his teeth repeatedly grinding down into the fingers she shoved into his mouth, instead focusing on his color and the rasp of his breath. Laura had one wrist in hand, fingers against his pulse point, keeping track of the length of the seizure.
Clint had raced out of the room when Loki started seizing, and returned with Vision, phasing through the walls and floor from upstairs. "Wanda is in meditation and cannot be disturbed," he explained. Vision looked at Loki impassively, then knelt down so that he could place both hands on either side of his head. He murmured something in what sounded like Asgardian, and Loki's wild thrashing soon slowed down.
"What's going on?" Laura asked, shaken.
"I believe this is magical backlash," Vision said, still sounding unperturbed. His calm was downright eerie next to the others' concern. "Wanda would say that he is channeling power that is not his to control, but I don't believe Loki would actively seek this without a proper grounding circle. He stressed that point to Wanda repeatedly when beginning her studies."
"We were just talking," Laura agreed with a nod. "He was telling me about the Asgardian education system, whatever there is of it, and the kinds of subjects that he had to learn as a boy. The magic was from his mother."
Almost guilty, Clint glanced at Natasha. "So he wasn't trying to use magic just now."
"Not at all," Laura told them. "I was going to try to convince him to help me teach the kids languages and maybe help with math, since I have to go the home school route."
"I'm sorry-" Clint began with a sigh.
Laura waved him off. "Not your fault, and not the first time I've had to fill in the gaps that the dumbass education system left behind. He's not trying to do magic. So what the hell can use him like he's a magical device in one of Cooper's video games?"
They all exchanged worried glances; they didn't know, but this couldn't be a good sign.
***
Wanda looked guilty when she sat next to Loki. "I think I did this," she said without preamble as soon as Loki woke up. "Talking with the Norns about future possibilities. Maybe about a child." She twisted her fingers together, appearing more like a child herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for them to hurt you."
"I don't think it was them," Loki rasped. Behind her, Vision, Laura, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Sam and even Thor hovered.
Wait, Thor?
Loki startled badly as soon as he saw Thor, and it felt as though something broke painfully in his chest. He felt trapped, but was too weak to push himself away from the group of them.
Natasha sat down on the edge of his bed and brushed his hair away from his temples. It was an oddly affectionate and possessive gesture, one that threw him. Why would she do such a thing in front of everyone else?
"You said it was Those Who Sit Above In Shadows."
He frowned, fingers twitching against the blanket. His eyes skittered around, finally settling on her expectant expression. "I don't recall saying so," he said finally. "Nor do I know who they are. The names are not in any of the old texts."
"The symbol you said was theirs is in one of Wanda's books," Natasha said, the same quiet and patient tone he remembered from their time on Yggdrasil. Was he truly that fragile?
Apparently he was, because he needed her assistance to sit up, and the room swam dangerously.
Thor didn't seem pleased to see his weakness, but Loki was too exhausted to care about him seeing the argr so plainly. Later, he would castigate himself thoroughly for revealing that weakness, for showing that he was not the dangerous adversary he had to be.
"I had tried to speak with the Norns before," Thor said heavily. "It left me weakened, but not like this. Those Who Sit Above In Shadows must be formidable indeed."
Loki looked up at him, blearily stunned. Was that actually praise?
"The book is an old one that Vis found for me," Wanda said softly, lifting the volume in question. "Most Roma traditions aren't written down. But this is an old one, possibly a personal Book of Shadows, because I don't remember many divination spells as a child. I didn't think..." Her voice faltered, and she dropped her eyes in contrite self recrimination. "It was supposed to be a scrying spell, not something that would harm anyone else."
"I think I was already attuned to this particular monstrosity," Loki rasped. "From walking Yggdrasil, from carrying the Time Stone, from conversing with the Norns. They said I was being reshaped. That there is a purpose for all things."
Wanda stepped forward, and to his amazement, she dropped beside him on the bed and threw her arms around him in a tight and protective hug. "I'm still sorry. I won't do this again, I promise. I won't put you in harm's way like this."
Awkwardly, Loki returned the hug. Perhaps it was a bit of amusement in Natasha's eyes, seeing his discomfort with the affection from the girl. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment, pondering her words. "Did you see anything good, at least?"
Her bitter laughter told him more than words could ever say. "I didn't understand what I saw."
"When I feel better, I can help you puzzle out the signs and riddles of your vision. It's an imperfect art, scrying, but sometimes there are ways to clarify its meaning."
The gratitude in her expression was humbling, as was the concern they all had for him. By the Roots and Branches, he was wanted here.
"I could do a healing rune, perhaps?" Wanda offered hesitantly.
He understood that her faith in her magic was shaken now, and the childish bravado she had shown him before was gone. Nodding caused him to wince as a headache threatened to form, but Loki held still as she traced the rune on his forehead and murmured to appropriate activating spell. Natasha's presence at his side was soothing, and kept him from feeling panic as the spell took shape around him.
And then he saw it, an odd thread of magic wound around him, not like the magic he associated with himself, not like Wanda's, not like the Norns'. He reached out in front of him and grasped it, pulling it tight between his hands. It drifted past the line of his vision, and by the Roots of the Tree, there was a similar thread wound about Thor's throat as well.
Stumbling out of bed and tripping over the blankets, he snapped the thread in his hands and reached for Thor's. Whatever it was, it was wrong and foul and had to be gotten rid of. There was an outcry from the others as well as his own hysterical voice, but he was able to seize hold of the foreign thread and yank on it just as Natasha and Wanda pulled him back, no doubt thinking he was seizing again.
The additional force of their pull served as an anchor, even though he didn't fully grasp the thread as tightly as he would have wanted, and it snapped between his hands as he landed in Natasha's lap.
Thor staggered back, a frown on his features, a hand reaching up toward his chest. "Brother?" he asked, confused.
Loki couldn't help but laugh, weak though it was. "They blinded me, but Wanda fixed it. I see what they never meant me to see." His laughter was hysterical but triumphant, and he could see the frayed threads in his hands begin to fade. He held them up for Wanda, not sure if she could see them. "I broke their hold. I will be no pawn for shadow creatures any longer."
Natasha brushed the hair from his temples again, concern etched on her features. She didn't say a word before looking over at Wanda. By her frown, Loki guessed that she couldn't see the frayed and disappearing threads of magic.
No matter. He was no fool, and he was clever.
There would be backlash for this act, but he would be prepared for it.
***
***