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Chapter Text

Loki

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The world lit up in a sharp flash before the crack of thunder roared through the sky. The procession was ominous; a harbinger of the future to come.

Loki Laufeyson stood on the rocky mountainside, silently taking in the maddening storm around him. If he weren't a god, almost completely immune to fear, he might've felt pinpricks of gooseflesh rise on the nape of his neck.

The brewing storm was something to behold. The dark clouds clashed in the heavens above with a wrathful force, threatening to spill an impending torrent of rain. The wind howled, blowing Loki's inky black hair across his sallow, angular face, causing it to billow behind him wildly. His irises, the color of pale green quartz, remained fixed on the swirling storm front.

"Loki." A deep voice echoed off the towering rocks just beyond — the sound, though familiar, sending a wave of bitter nostalgia through him.

His gaze snapped to the source like a magnet, his hackles raising like a spitting cat as he turned to face the man he'd learned to call brother.

"Fancy meeting you here." The trickster god mused, leaning against a flat patch in the rock wall to his right.

Thor, tall and muscular, looked far too on edge compared to his counterpart. His stance was rigid and tense — though seeming entirely unbothered by the brewing tempest. In fact, the corners of his mouth twitched as another rumble of thunder echoed above them.

"I see you got my message." Thor stated, the low octaves of his voice blending in with the baleful weather.

"The raven was a bit ominous, don't you think?" Loki pushed off the rock wall, taking a few steps toward the side of the cliff as he observed the drop below.

Thor scoffed at the comment, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he followed Loki toward the edge of the cliff. "I have a need for subtlety — unlike some."

Loki hummed in response, his gaze still fixed on the crashing waves as they churned at the bottom of the ridge. "And yet here you are, using the most generic method of communication known to Asgard. How very like our father you are."

"Spare me the mockery, Loki." Thor scoffed, taking a heavy lungful of air, his patience beginning to wear thin.

Loki turned back to face him, an almost sinister smirk lifting one corner of his mouth. "What? Can't handle a bit of jest, brother?"

"I did not ask you here to revel and reminisce." Thor growled, his expression darkening.

"No," Loki agreed, his sharp features hardening ever so slightly. "You did not."  He moved closer, the playful spark in his gaze growing darker as he narrowed his eyes. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Thor? You are well aware I do not respond well to summons. Especially from those who intervene so unwarrantedly on my behalf."

"You should be thanking me." Thor retorted, his jaw tightening in frustration. "The All-Father was not pleased with your actions in New York, Loki. Forgive me for assuming banishment to Midgard was preferential to lifetime imprisonment in Asgard's dungeons."

"Ah yes, how benevolent of you." Loki sneered, closing the distance between them. "I am truly in your debt."  He stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a dangerously quiet whisper as he spoke. "Tell me something, brother. Did your actions stem from some twisted sense of loyalty, or was your need to please our father the driving force? What makes you so sure I wouldn't have rather remained in a cell for eternity rather than be banished to this place, stripped of everything I hold dear?"

Thor's face twisted in a subtle display of guilt which did not go unnoticed by Loki.

The brief expression was gone within a blink, replaced by a stern, almost fatherly gaze. "Watch your tongue, Loki." Thor's voice was dark, the warning clear.

"Or what, brother?" Loki inquired, his eyes sparkling with barely concealed mockery. "You'll have Father punish me? Divest me of my magic? Leave me defenseless in a world full of mortals who don't know the true meaning of what it means to be a god?" He smirked, waving a hand dramatically. "Oh, wait. You already did that."

Rage seemed to bubble beneath Thor's stoic expression like a volcano, his fists clenching tightly at his sides as he took a deep, ragged breath. "You know why you needed to be reigned in, brother." He spoke slowly, as if he were explaining a simple concept to a young child.

The trickster god's smirk curled into a bitter smile. "Oh? Pray tell." He stepped into Thor's space to meet him eye to eye, his voice lowering to a razor-sharp edge. "Was it because my actions threatened the delicate balance of power you and Father are so eager to control? Or perhaps it was because you were envious of my prowess, my abilities? My magic?"

"You nearly destroyed an entire city, Loki." Thor responded, a low, guttural sound slipping from the back of his throat. "How did you expect the All-Father to respond to your actions?"

Loki paused, his expression falling into one of derided concern. "Ah, yes. The city. How could I forget? Such a shame." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "And here I thought you cared about these mortals."

"Do not act as if you have any concern for the people of Midgard." Thor clenched his jaw, sneering at Loki as the anger continued to rise within him. "You are a cold, heartless bastard. Nothing more."

"And what makes you so different, oh mighty Thor?" Loki seethed, shoving at his brother's chest forcefully. "You and your ego are the reason we're even in this mess. Your need to be seen as a hero, to be viewed as a powerful and unstoppable being."

His words were sharp, cruel as they sliced across Thor's skin like a dagger. The thunder god's face morphed into something like guilt, painting his features in the low glow of the moonlight.

"That's why you've called me here, isn't it? In some desperate attempt to play the hero?" Loki continued, his voice low and accusing.

Thor's expression blackened, his nostrils flaring almost as darkly as the storm clouds above them. "I called you here because I have no other choice."

The God of Mischief let out a sharp bark of laughter, his eyes thinning to slits. "No choice? That's a rare thing for you to admit. Tell me — what terrible disaster is so pressing that you must seek my help?”

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has done something reprehensible." His brother's words were rough, as if the very context of the notion pained him to think about.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.? Ah, yes. Your little band of mortal defenders." Loki feigned a bored expression, though his tone suggested he was curious. "I take it they're meddling in affairs they shouldn't be again?"

"That's putting it lightly." Thor responded, his expression hardening as he spoke. "They have your DNA, Loki."

A pang of unease fired through his chest. Loki's eyes widened slightly, his jaw tensing as Thor's words sunk in. "They... they what?"

"The night they first brought you in — you remember them taking blood samples, don't you?"

His gaze broke from Thor's as his mind raced, recalling the memory in startling detail. The sterile room, the needle penetrating through his skin, the feeling of being entirely vulnerable and at the mercy of mere mortals.

"Yes." He responded through gritted teeth. "I remember."

"It appears they have been able to replicate certain strands of your genetic material."  Thor paused, his gaze flicking to Loki's face as he struggled to find the words. "Specifically the strands pertaining to your magical abilities."

Loki went pale, a sickening dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. "Gods above. You don't mean they've been able to...?" He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Thor nodded grimly. "They've been experimenting, Loki. They think they can replicate your powers and use them to their advantage. To recreate them artificially. They call it Project Genesis."

"It's not possible." Loki stepped back, his breathing growing rapid as panic clutched at his chest. "They're mortals! Even with my blood, there's no way they could accomplish such a thing. Such power can't be harnessed in a lab."

"It already has been." Thor responded with a weary sigh, his expression grave. "They recently made some sort of breakthrough. Some kind of serum that has granted them the ability to replicate the very essence of your magic. All they needed was a subject to test it on."

Loki's mind reeled, racing with a hundred million possibilities of what this supposed concoction could do in the wrong hands.

"This is worse than I thought." He murmured, pacing back and forth as the storm above them increased in intensity. "You say they've found a subject to test it on? Who, Thor? One of their idiotic agents?"

Thor nodded, his gaze fixing on a point beyond their rocky vantage point to where the thunder and rain were becoming more violent. "As far as I know, she works in one of the laboratories. But with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ranking system, she must have been a part of a more private sector because I've never seen her before. What I do know is that she didn't volunteer for this. I happened to come across their testing site a few days ago and discovered their plans. I knew I couldn't do anything to help her until I came to you."

An foreboding rumble echoed overhead, the sound making the very mountain seem to shiver.

"Wait. Her? Are you telling me they've used this serum on a... a woman?" Loki's expression shifted from tense to something darker, a sense of urgency now pulsing through him. The thought of a mortal female being experimented on and carrying his DNA was something that didn't sit right within him.

Thor nodded again, his eyes filled with a silent plea. "Time is running out, Loki." He spoke, his voice taut with barely contained helplessness. "We must find a way to reverse the effects of whatever they've done to her before it's too late. We cannot afford for them to have that kind of power at their disposal."

Loki sighed, running a hand through his hair in a display of frustration. "And how exactly do you propose we do that? They're mortal, Thor. They're not going to give up their newfound abilities without a fight." His jaw tightened in thought. "This woman — is she still in the labs? Has their experimentation halted?"

"She is." Thor responded as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky above them, casting everything in a brilliant white glow. "But I doubt it will end. They've seen what the serum can do, Loki. They will stop at nothing to replicate it."

As the brilliance subsided, the world around them was plunged back into near-total darkness once more, the storm looming ever closer.

"Then we have to get to her first." Loki muttered, his gaze sharp as he turned back to Thor.

"Does that mean you'll help?" Thor asked, seeming almost flummoxed at how swiftly he answered.

Loki fixed his brother with a cold stare, his expression hardening with resolve. "I have no other choice, do I?" He responded, his voice edged with bitterness. "I can't have the mortals running around with my power unchecked. Besides," he added with a slight scoff, "it would be quite the poetic irony, don't you think? My own blood being used against me?"

Thor nodded solemnly, his face creasing with grim determination. "Very well. We need a plan."

Loki let out a bitter laugh. "A plan. This ought to be fun." He took a step closer to Thor, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as a bolt of lightning forked across the sky. "You do realize there's a very good chance that this could all go terribly wrong, right?"

"When has anything we've done ever gone right?" Thor responded, his tone dry, yet almost teasing.

Despite his best efforts, Loki couldn't help but crack a small smile, his lips curling upwards. "You make a valid point."

Their momentary reprieve was interrupted by another burst of thunder, far louder and closer than it had been before. The sky above them had grown even more menacing, the dark clouds churning relentlessly as a wave of rain finally broke through, beginning to patter against the rocks and grass around them.

Loki turned to face Thor, his hair whipping at his face as the wind increased in speed. "So, brother... where shall we start?"

Chapter Text

Loki

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Loki shifted restlessly on his feet where he stood, leaning against the trunk of a towering oak tree, the God of Thunder frozen like a large boulder beside him. "Tell me there is more to your plan than this."

They were currently hidden on the outskirts of the forest surrounding the East Coast S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Over the last several hours, they'd essentially embodied sentinels, watching as various agents and personnel filtered through the compound like clockwork.

Thor let out a barely concealed sigh, his gaze trailing over the entrance yet again. "We need to find a way to get in without detection. They have a highly advanced security system." He turned to Loki, his expression serious.

Loki smirked, his voice tinged in bitter mockery. "I bet you're wishing you hadn't suggested the All-Father bind my abilities right about now."

Thor shot him a sharp look, his jaw visibly tightening. "Your power would only attract unnecessary attention." He replied, his tone low. "The last thing we need is for you to go prancing about and get caught before we've barely even begun."

"Come now, brother." Loki mused. "If I had my magic, I could've transformed us both into respectable agents and we'd have been able to waltz right through those doors completely undetected. But alas..."

Thor rolled his eyes at Loki's dramatics, although the notion had clearly crossed his mind. "Yes, yes. I can imagine how much you would love strutting around in one of their standard issue uniforms." He sighed, running a hand through his lengthy hair before continuing. "We need to think of something else. The tests they run aren't just facial. They have thermal imaging, retina scanners — the works."

Loki grumbled, shifting his weight onto his other foot as he thought. "And I suppose the two of us strolling through the front door and requesting entry like upstanding citizens isn't an option, is it?"

Thor shot him a disapproving look in response.

Loki held up his hands in mock surrender. "Right, right. I thought not."

A heavy silence fell over them again as they watched a group of agents exit the building, their uniforms crisply pressed and faces solemn.

Loki couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, eyeing the men and women with obvious disdain. "They look like a pack of trained circus dogs."

Thor nudged him in the ribs, a silent reproach. "Focus."

The trickster god rolled his eyes again but reluctantly turned his attention away from the agents in favor of watching the building once more. After a moment he let out a low huff. "This is taking forever. We've been standing out here for hours and all we've managed to do is watch a parade of mindless drones go in and out."

Thor didn't respond. There was almost a penitent look in cerulean eyes, as if the nature of their current predicament weighed heavy on his shoulders.

Loki fell silent. He supposed the mortal female injected with his DNA was one of those mindless drones... and look where that had gotten her.

After a short while, Thor broke the silence. "There."

Loki snapped out of his thoughts to follow his brother's gaze, his eyes landing on a lone agent striding across the pavement.

The man appeared to be middle aged, with greying temples and a stern, set jaw. He held himself with a rigid, precise manner, his shoulders squared and strides quick as he made his way toward the entrance.

"He looks like a right boring bastard." Loki murmured, his lip curled in disdain.

Thor hummed, narrowing his eyes as he watched the man approach. "He also looks like he takes his job very seriously."

The agent paused in front of the main door, swiping his key card over a scanning machine. Loki's mouth curled into a smirk as he began to realize the plan his brother was concocting. "How devious."

"Sometimes it pays to have simple solutions." Thor responded gruffly, his gaze still fixed on the man.

Sure enough, after only a few seconds, the door slid open automatically, the agent disappearing through it and into the compound.

They waited for a few moments more until they were sure that no one else was approaching before Thor turned to Loki, his expression set in determination. "Stay here."

"Stay here?" Loki scoffed in displeasure. "You do realize that by looping me in in all of this, you more or less signed up for a partner, correct?"

Thor regarded him with a mixture of annoyance and resignation, his brow furrowed. "I am aware of that, yes."

"Then what on Nornheim do you expect me to do while you swan off and break into a top-security government complex? Braid my hair?" Loki's tone was one of pure sarcasm, but there was a hard edge to his deep timbre. "That girl in there was given a portion of my genetic makeup. If you manage to smuggle her out alone — and that's a fairly large IF — there is a high probability something will go wrong while trying to extract her. You need me there, brother. I'm the only one who can even begin to understand the extent of her powers. Wasn't that why you came to me in the first place?"

Thor's expression hardened at the harsh truth of his brother's words. He let out an exasperated huff before responding.

"Fine. But you do as I say. No sneaking off, no grand displays of your abilities, and especially no mischief while we're inside. The last thing we need is for you to blow our cover before we can get to the girl."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, because obviously I'm going to go running around like a maniac the moment we step foot through the door."

"You say that like it's an unrealistic scenario."

Although, they both knew this was less about Loki's reckless nature and more about Thor's need to maintain control over any situation.

The God of Thunder shot Loki a pointed look before nodding, signaling for him to move. "Let's go. Stay close and keep your mouth shut."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Loki mocked, his expression twisted into a smirk as he fell in step beside him. "Though I'm beginning to wonder why you even bothered to bring me along. You seem to forget which one of us is the strategic mastermind."

Thor responded with a sharp smack across the shoulder, causing Loki to stumble to the side. "Loki."

The tone was stern; the warning clear.

A low grumble of displeasure rumbled in Loki's throat but he decided against any further smartass remarks. He knew better than to push his luck — or his brother's patience — when their current endeavor was already bordering on foolish.

They reached the edge of the compound, hidden within the shadows between the base and the tree line. The building stretched before them in all its pristine, white glory, the entrance a gleaming example of architectural precision.

Loki stifled a scoff as he eyed the glass exterior. "How very heroic."

"Quiet." Thor's response was curt, his gaze fixed on the security cameras that lined the wall to their right.

Loki huffed in annoyance but obligingly fell silent, choosing to cross his arms over his chest and wait with a thinly veiled sense of impatience.

They waited for what felt like an eternity, each second passing by at a crawling pace. Even Thor was beginning to look a touch appetent, a frown now fixed upon his face.

Eventually a low curse left Loki's lips, the sound harsh against the still night air. "This is ridiculous. How long do we—"

He was cut off by a sharp gesture from Thor. Loki went silent, though he was itching to continue voicing his discontent.

The same man from before appeared, his eyes looking forlorn. Now that they were closer, Loki could detect the minuscule details in his uniform. It was clear that the agent was of a higher classification than the others they'd seen previously. The breast of his jacket was lined with his ranking, and pinned just beneath was a keycard indicating his clearance level.

Thor's gaze was fixed on the keycard, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "He's one of the agents working on Project Genesis."

Loki looked almost impressed. "How do you know that?"

Thor shot him a sidelong glance. "I may not be an expert like you, brother, but I'm not an idiot either. There are only a handful of agents in this facility authorized to be working on such a secret affiliation, and this man has the security clearance around his neck like a dog's collar."

Loki let out a snort of surprised amusement at the comparison before his gaze fixed on the keycard once more. "So that will get us into the lab?"

Thor nodded, his eyes never leaving the keycard. "The only obstacle is getting it away from him."

"As well as entering the building undetected." Loki stated obviously.

Thor shot him a sharp look. "Yes, that too."

There was a tense silence between them as they watched the Midgardian approach the door, seemingly unaware of their watchful presence a few yards away. Loki could practically hear the gears turning in Thor's head as his eyes followed the man's every move.

"Why don't you just sneak up behind him and... shock him a little?" Loki suggested.

Thor's gaze shifted to him in a mixture of exasperation and disbelief. "I beg your pardon?"

Loki rolled his eyes, as though the answer should have been obvious. "Well, you are the mighty God of Thunder, are you not? Surely the great Thor, son of Odin and heir to the throne of Asgard—" he paused, a sly smirk crossing his features, "—can manage a little zap of lighting to render a mere mortal unconscious."

Thor clenched his jaw, his patience clearly wearing thin. "We're trying to avoid unnecessary attention, Loki. Shocking an agent directly in front of the compound would hardly be discreet."

Loki let out a low, exasperated sigh, throwing his hands up in the air. "So then what do you suggest? We walk right up to him, ask him politely if we can borrow his keycard for a moment, and to kindly step aside while we break into the most top-secret government facility on the continent?"

Thor shot him a sharp look, clearly struggling to keep his temper in check. "Do you always have to be so insufferable?"

"Only when you insist on being so unbelievably stubborn." Loki responded with a smirk, his expression dripping with feigned innocence. "It's a minuscule shock, brother. Wait until he's out of view from the security cameras, then drag him into the woods. If we time it right, he won't remember a thing."

Thor let out an exasperated huff, but he couldn't deny the efficiency of his brother's plan. "Fine. But if this goes awry, it's on you."

Loki shrugged, unconcerned. "When has one of my plans ever gone awry?"

A look of almost genuine surprise flashed across Thor's expression, the corner of his lip twitching in amusement. "Do you want that list chronologically or alphabetically?"

A sharp scoff escaped Loki's throat, his expression shifting from feigned indifference to one of mock offense. "Touché."

It took every ounce of restraint within him to resist the urge to respond with a sharp barb of his own, but for once, he knew when to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he opted for a low grumble of displeasure as he leaned against the tree behind them, crossing his arms petulantly.

They lapsed into a tense silence once more, both brothers fixed on the man, waiting for the right moment to make their move.

It seemed an eternity passed before the agent fully stepped outside, the door sliding shut with a loud 'hiss'.

Loki couldn't help the smirk that curled at the corner of his mouth. The man was completely exposed, no longer within range of the security cameras. 

The perfect target.

He nudged Thor with his elbow, jerking his head in the direction of the agent. "Well, go on then, brother. Do your thing."

Thor shot him a sidelong glance before turning his gaze back to the oblivious man. Loki watched in anticipation, his smirk still fixed in place. He could already picture the scene playing out in his mind's eye. A quick zap, an unconscious mortal, then they'd be in. Simple.

But Thor hesitated, his hand twitching involuntarily at his side. He was uncharacteristically silent, a crease of indecision marring his brow.

Loki's smirk faded.

"Thor." Loki chided, his patience thinning by the second. "What are you waiting for?"

Thor didn't respond, his eyes still fixed on the agent. He looked almost... conflicted.

Loki felt his irritation flare at the unexpected hesitation. This was typical of Thor. He always had a soft spot for the Midgardians, and now he was standing, frozen like a deer in headlights at the notion of barely harming one.

"This isn't the time for hesitation." Loki gritted through clenched teeth, his gaze narrowing in frustration. "We need that damn keycard."

But Thor's expression didn't change. If anything, he looked even more torn than before. Loki's choler flared again, his patience wearing impossibly thin. 

This was getting them nowhere. 

Just as he was about to step in and take matters into his own hands, his brother finally moved. He watched Thor take several steps away from the tree, moving toward the man with purposeful strides. Loki pushed off the trunk of the tree, moving to shadow his path.

Thor stalked straight up to the target — it was a miracle the man didn't hear him approach with how heavy his footfalls were — before lifting his rather large fingers to the back of the mortal's head.

Loki followed suit, a smirk finding his lips once more as he stood a few paces behind Thor in the shadows. Finally, he thought.

He couldn't quite bring himself to feel remorse. After all, one mortal man was nothing in the grand scheme of things, and he'd be back to his mundane life in a couple of hours, none the wiser of their little encounter.

In one swift movement, Thor grabbed ahold of the mortal's skull, fingers encircling it in a vice-like grip. Loki watched in anticipation as the mortal man convulsed for a few heartbeats before proceeding to go limp, his unconscious body slumping against the much larger god.

"Took your sweet time." Loki murmured, striding over to where Thor stood holding the man up. His gaze fell on the keycard that hung from the man's left breast pocket. "Should his tongue be hanging out like that? How heavily did you electrocute him?"

Thor shot him a sharp look before hoisting the man over his shoulder with a surprising amount of ease, considering the man's hefty build. "I've never used my abilities so... subtly before."

A snort of amusement slipped from Loki's throat, his gaze fixed on the agent's unconscious form. "That was your version of subtle? Remind me not to witness your bold methods anytime soon."

"Shut up." Thor responded gruffly. "At least he's not dead."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Oh, what a feat that is."

Thor shot him a withering look before nodding toward the unconscious man. "Help me get him into the forest."

Loki rolled his eyes once more, but he obediently followed his brother as he stalked toward the edge of the woods, the agent still draped over his shoulder like a sack of grain. They reached the outskirts of the tree-line after a few short seconds. Thor paused before dumping the incapacitated man unceremoniously on the ground behind a large oak, hidden from view.

"Now what?" Loki asked, his gaze drifting over to where the mortal lay on the damp ground.

"Now," Thor responded as he dusted his hands off on his pant legs, "we take the keycard and try not to get caught."

"Your optimism is a true source of inspiration." Loki muttered, though there was a touch of sarcasm to the words.

"Shut up and stay close." Thor said gruffly, his gaze fixed on the building beyond.

Loki rolled his eyes yet again, but he couldn't deny the twinge of unease that was forming in his chest. Despite his bravado, they were in quite a spot. One wrong move and they'd be captured faster than he could blink.

"I'm practically glued to you, brother. There's little danger of me wandering off."

"I wouldn't put it past you." Thor retorted, his tone gruff.

They lapsed into another tense silence as they stood just beyond the threshold of the forest. The building loomed before them like some kind of malevolent shadow, and for the first time, Loki felt the weight of what they were about to do fully sink in. This wasn't another one of their typical adventures. This was breaking into the most heavily secured facility in the country, if not the world.

His eyes scanned the building, noticing the security cameras perched at strategic points along the exterior. It was obvious that the place was heavily monitored. They'd have to be stealthy if they had any hope of making it through undetected.

A low curse left Thor's lips, drawing Loki's attention. He glanced over to find his brother's gaze fixed on something. His brow was furrowed in a grim expression, his jaw set in a tight line.

"I thought you had a plan." Loki rasped, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"I did." Thor's response was clipped, his eyes fixed firmly on the entrance to the facility.

The God of Mischief followed his gaze, and suddenly, he knew exactly what had caused the sudden change in his brother. Standing in front of the door was a heavily armed guard, his expression stoic and unyielding.

Yet Loki merely grinned. "Let me handle this."

Thor shot him a sharp look, his expression a mixture of doubt and annoyance. "Absolutely not." He responded, his voice gruff. "I don't trust you not to do something reckless."

"Odin may have locked my abilities away," Loki spoke, sliding his palms together in a wicked manner, "but my mind remains perfectly intact."

He didn't have to speak on it further; Thor already knew the implication. "What do you plan to do?"

"Give him a little nudge into dreamland." Loki responded, his quartz green eyes already narrowed in concentration.

Thor watched as Loki's gaze fixed upon the guard with a laser-like precision. Despite his reservations, he couldn't deny that his brother's plan was probably the best option they had.

"Fine." Thor said gruffly. "But if you mess this up, I will leave you here."

"No you won't." Loki smirked as he watched the bulk of a man — who could've easily passed as an Asgardian warrior — fell into a heap on the ground.

Thor let out a begruntled noise. "You're telling me you've been able to knock anyone out with your mind this entire time? And I had to electrocute that agent?"

Loki snorted in amusement. "That was just for fun, brother. You needed to stretch your wings. We are committing the equivalent of treason, are we not?"

Thor rolled his eyes, though Loki could swear he caught a flicker of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I suppose it's a miracle you haven't been using your power to knock me out on a daily basis."

Loki let out a low chuckle. "The mere thought has crossed my mind more times over the millennia than I care to admit."

Thor let out a snort of amusement before gesturing to the now unconscious guard. "Well, at least the first step of our plan was successful."

"Please, as if that was ever in question." Loki rolled his eyes dramatically, before tipping his head up to the sky in careful consideration. "Do you still have control of the weather?"

Thor arched an eyebrow in confusion, clearly not expecting the question. "Of course I do." He responded with a note of hesitancy, eyeing Loki with a hint of suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

"Make it storm." Loki replied, eyeing the amalgam of cameras and sensors at the entrance. "So hard that it wipes out their feed and power. The chaos should give us an opening to slip through undetected."

Thor merely stared at him. "How long have you been sitting on that one?"

Loki's lips quirked up, not even bothering to attempt to suppress his smug grin. "This was your mission, brother. I'm just a tag-a-long, am I not? And besides, my plans are usually 'reckless'." He said the last word mockingly.

A low grumble left Thor's lips as he begrudgingly admitted the validity of Loki's words. "I suppose it's a... good idea."

Loki smirked, his expression dripping with smug satisfaction. "Oh, come now, you know it's more than a good idea. It's a brilliant idea."

"Don't press your luck." Thor responded before glancing up at the dark sky that had formed overhead. The clouds were churning rapidly, the air thick with humidity as thunder rumbled far off in the distance.

Loki merely chuckled in response, his gaze fixed on the storm that was quickly descending over the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. The air was practically vibrating with tension and electricity. Thor shot him one last reproachful look before returning his gaze above again.

A bolt of lightning cracked through the darkened sky, streaking through the clouds in a brilliant display of light as a rumble loud enough to shake the ground echoed around them. The storm was in full swing now, and Loki couldn't help but grin.

His eyes scanned the security cameras mounted at the entrance to the facility. They flickered and sputtered, their red lights winking out, one by one, until the power had been successfully shut down.

The rain fell hard against the pavement, soaking their clothes in a matter of seconds. Loki ran a hand through his sopping wet hair, pushing the matted locks out of his face. He turned to Thor with a devilish smirk.

"You could have warned me that your little trick would drench us." He chastised.

"And deny myself a rare chance of seeing you soaked to the bone? Never." Thor shot him a smirk of his own. "Come on. I'm not sure how quickly it will take them to get the electricity back on."

Loki rolled his eyes again, though there was no real heat behind the action. "Yes, yes. I look simply dreadful. Shall we proceed with the rest of this little misadventure then?"

"You can pout about it later." Thor responded gruffly, already starting toward the now-darkened entrance.

Loki huffed in mock annoyance as he followed his brother's quick strides. He made a show of shaking out his hair in an effort to dispel the excess water, though the effort was entirely pointless. He was absolutely doused.

They reached the entrance quickly, the heavy metal door now left unguarded. Thor cast a cautious glance around them, his gaze darting over the darkened building before turning back to Loki.

"Looks clear." He murmured, his gaze fixed on the inactive security panel to their left. Loki's eyes followed his gaze, taking in the keypad. Even with the power down, the lock was clearly still engaged.

He let out a low grunt of disapproval, his attention turning to the various tools on Thor's belt. "You wouldn't happen to have anything that can pick a lock, would you?"

Thor held up the stolen key card between his fingertips. "What do you think this is for?"

Loki rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall, and folding his arms nonchalantly as he watched Thor swipe the card through the reader. The lock clicked and the door slid open with a soft hiss, the sound almost deafening in the silence.

The interior of the building was eerily still, the faint glow of emergency lighting casting a dull glow over the austere gray walls. The soft hum of a generator echoed through the silence, a testament to the facility's emergency protocol.

There was something almost foreboding about the place. It was far too clean, too severe - an unsettling sense of cold detachment hung in the air, as though the entire building was designed to strip away every aspect of individuality, leaving only blank efficiency behind.

Loki followed Thor as the thunder god stalked further into the building, their footfalls quiet against the pristine floors. He shivered involuntarily, though he was no longer sure if it was due to the damp chill of his sodden clothes, or the unsettling atmosphere of the facility. With his power stripped, he didn't have his Æsir, which usually granted him immunity from the usual mortal grievances.

He felt strangely vulnerable without his magical abilities, his body more prone to mundane afflictions like drastic temperature changes. The cold was already beginning to seep into his bones, and he found himself rubbing his upper arms with the palms of his hands in a vain attempt to generate some warmth.

They padded silently through the intricate maze, Thor taking the lead, his gaze fixed and focused as he navigated the endlessly gray corridors. Every turn looked identical to the last, the endless stretch of white walls and ceiling doing little to alleviate Loki's unease.

He found himself glancing over his shoulder every few moments, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Despite their earlier success in knocking out the guard and shutting down the security cameras, something felt... off. The building was eerily silent, save for the low hum of the generator and their footfalls.

"This place feels like a prison." Loki murmured.

Ahead of him, Thor didn't respond, his attention entirely focused on navigating their path forward. Loki couldn't help but take note of his brother's uncharacteristic silence. Thor was usually so vocal, so talkative, and yet he seemed strangely subdued now. The weight of their mission clearly rested heavily on his shoulders.

He was about to comment on the change when Thor suddenly held up a hand, signaling for him to stop. Loki halted, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"The laboratory for Project Genesis is just up here." Thor whispered, gesturing farther down the hall.

He followed his brother's gaze, taking in the dense, metal door and plaque that read 'Level 5. Authorized personnel only'. A low whistle left Loki's lips, his eyes roaming over the expansive security panel and retinal scanner where the handle should have been.

"They aren't making this very easy." He muttered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

There was a low grumble of agreement from Thor, his gaze shifting from the door to the security panel, before he pulled the clearance card from his pocket again. "Once we get inside, we'll have to be careful. I don't know how many agents or scientists will be monitoring the lab."

Loki rolled his eyes again, unable to resist the urge to be flippant, even in a situation as dire as their current one. "Careful? When have you ever pulled off a careful heist?"

He was met with Thor's usual disapproving stare. "I'm beginning to wonder why I even bothered bringing you along." Thor grunted.

Loki simply shrugged, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "You know you'd be lost without me. I'm the brains of this little operation."

Thor sighed heavily, but Loki could tell he was fighting back a smile of his own. "More like the bane of my existence."

"Oh, now you're just being harsh." Loki responded, feigning indignation.

Thor shot him a sidelong glance. "I'm being honest."

Loki rolled his eyes yet again, but they both knew it was purely for show. A beat of silence passed between them, the only sound that of their breathing and the low hum of the generator.

Finally, Thor broke the quiet, his attention back on the door. "Stay close. And for once, actually follow my lead."

Loki opened his mouth to respond, ready to fire off some cheeky retort about Thor's trust issues, but when the panel beeped and flashed green, signaling the lock disengaging, his words dissolved. A low buzz filled the air as the door slid open, the interior of the lab coming into view. It looked much like the rest of the facility, strangely devoid of any kind of life. Thor carefully pushed the door open, slipping through the crack without a sound. Loki followed closely behind, his eyes roving over the equipment with rapt interest.

The lab was a vast expanse of gleaming stainless steel and sterile work spaces, littered with glass vats filled with unknown substances, and various machines of dubious purpose. There was something almost clinical about the place. Loki found himself strangely repulsed at the sheer starkness of the room. There was no decoration, no artwork, no soft furnishings, nothing that could possibly have any personal meaning. It was purely functional, each and every item within the room carefully chosen for its purpose and efficiency, rather than its aesthetic. 

Loki felt a shiver creep up his spine as he followed Thor through the lab. He'd never been a fan of the apathetic and calculating environment of science, and this place was practically the apotheosis of that.

They continued through the lab in silence, passing rows of steel tables and desks that were meticulously organized, each workspace identical to the last. Loki could scarcely comprehend how anyone could stand to spend excessive time within the confines of such a place, but he supposed people like the scientists and agents that worked there were of a different breed.

Eventually, Thor led the way towards a glass door at the back of the lab. Upon it, a sign read "Project Genesis." Loki had to bite his tongue at the name. But before they could even move an inch, someone stepped into the room through a door on their left.

The mortal woman, who had been looking through a clipboard in her palm, hadn't noticed their presence yet. Loki moved with all the grace and speed of a snake, slipping into the agent's mind and rendering her unconscious. She grasped the edge of the table at her side in surprise as her body crumpled to the floor.

Thor let out a sound of relief, not bothering to comment on Loki's swift action, as the two gods stood frozen, awaiting another to follow. When several strained minutes passed, Loki turned, finally laying eyes upon their intended target. 

Even through the glass, he immediately spotted the small frame of the female on the sparse-looking bed in the center of the room. As they entered soundlessly, Loki felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame, his jaw involuntarily clenching. The sight was almost enough to give him pause. She looked so frail and vulnerable, her limbs slender even under the thin blanket that covered her from the waist down. 

He found himself taking an unconscious step closer.

She looked so fragile. So... human.

Despite the environment of the room, there was something hauntingly beautiful about the way the light from the fluorescent bulbs danced across her cheeks, highlighting high cheekbones and a pert turned-up nose. Loki was suddenly and inexplicably reminded of a doll.  A doll that had been placed in a glass case, meant to be looked at but never touched.

He found himself moving closer, almost entranced as his eyes roamed over her slight frame. He'd never given much thought to the people on Midgard, choosing to view them as insignificant beings. But suddenly, looking at this woman, it was as though a strange sense of protectiveness took hold of him. This was the being chosen to take on a fraction of his DNA. He couldn't help but feel some sort of kinship with her.

A low huff snapped him out of his thoughts, and he tore his gaze away to find Thor staring at him with an expression of almost suspicion. 

"Stop gawking." He grunted.

Loki instantly straightened, attempting to feign nonchalance as he turned back to the woman. "I'm not gawking."

Thor didn't respond, his gaze flickering from Loki over to the sleeping agent before finally settling on a machine that stood at the bedside. It looked complex, a tangle of wires and tubes that were all connected to the Midgardian. Loki followed his gaze, his expression fixed in intrigue.

"What do you suppose that thing is connected to her?" Thor asked, nodding to the contraption.

"Based on the location alone, I'd wager it's being used to monitor her vital signs." Loki responded, his gaze shifting to meet Thor's. "Her heart rate, breathing, brain activity, blood pressure, that sort of thing."

"I suppose it makes sense." Thor responded. "They'd want to monitor any changes in her vital signs or physiology, given what they're trying to accomplish."

Loki couldn't help but notice the almost tender note in his brother's voice, as if he too felt sympathetic toward the girl.

"Do you suppose it would endanger her to remove her from the premises?" Thor asked perturbedly.

Loki pondered the question for a brief moment, his gaze flicking to the tangle of tubes and wires attached to the young woman. He couldn't be completely certain, but he was fairly confident that pulling her from the machines now wouldn't cause irreversible damage.

He shrugged in response. "I see no reason to believe it would. From the looks of it, it's simply tracking her stationary state. Disconnecting her shouldn't cause harm. But just to make sure..."

Thor immediately smacked his hand away as Loki reached out for her. "What do you think you're doing?"

The trickster god merely scoffed. "Relax, brother. I'm just going to dip into her head a fraction; see if she's stable enough to transport."

Thor paused at that, eyeing Loki with a mixture of suspicion and hesitation. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes once more. "I'm not going to go digging through her mind or muck about with her thoughts. I simply intend to check the current state of her brain activity. To ensure she'll remain steady if we extract her in her current state."

Thor still looked hesitant, but he didn't move to stop him, either. Loki sighed in annoyance before slowly shifting closer to the unconscious Midgardian. He reached out a tentative hand, fingertips hesitantly poised over her forehead. He wasn't used to being so cautious, but the thought of this strange feeling of protectiveness overcame him once more.

Gently, he caressed them over her temple, closing his eyes as he slipped into her subconscious. The transition was surprisingly smooth and seamless; her thoughts, memories, and dreams flowing rapidly through his own in a flurry of color.

Unlike any of the minds he had delved into before, hers was surprisingly open. He found it almost effortless to sift through the chaos of dreams and reality, his focus locking on her equilibrium and overall resilience.

As he sifted through her innermost notions, he found himself, once again, oddly drawn to her. She was a mix of fragility and strength, her thoughts a jumble of fear and courage, defiance and uncertainty. She was a complex blend of contradictions, and he found himself fascinated. He started to dive deeper, watching various memories and moments in her life play out like a film, before he halted, reminding himself of the primary objective.

He focused on her current state, examining the state of her brain and essential functions. They were all perfectly normal, her brain showing no signs of destabilization or damage that would likely cause her harm if removed from the lab. Satisfied with his assessment, he prepared to pull himself free from her thoughts. However, just as he started to sever their connection, something caught his attention, making him hesitate.

It was a memory — an early one — of a younger version of the girl as she sobbed in the arms of a man. Despite himself, Loki found his interest piqued. He paused, his curiosity getting the better of him. He let the memory continue to unfold, the image playing out before his eyes. The girl was crying, her little frame shaking with effort. The Midgardian male held her tightly, rubbing her back in a manner utilized for comfort. 

Then, the scene shifted. Loki nearly stumbled, pulling out of her head with such ferocity that his own mind spun. 

Thor looked over at him in concern, his blonde brows bunched up as he took a step forward. "Loki?"

"Later." Loki's voice felt like gravel in his throat as he ignored his brother's disquieted looks and began to detach the girl from the nexus of medical equipment.

Thor watched him with a guarded expression, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you discover something?" He pressed.

Loki didn't respond, his focus entirely on detangling the wires. He was moving surprisingly gently for someone who normally lacked so much delicacy, and he could feel Thor's gaze upon him, no doubt confused by his uncharacteristic behavior. He ignored the questioning glances and continued with his task.

Once the young woman was thoroughly free, Loki lifted her from the bed. She felt so frail against him, her body light as a feather. He found himself cradling her to his chest, his heart thrumming with an unfamiliar feeling.

"See if you can find a file." Loki remarked as he shifted her to fit more comfortably in his arms. "Something that will help us figure out what it is exactly that they've done to her."

Thor's eyes flickered from the sleeping girl to his brother before he nodded, moving away from them to start searching the various computers and filing cabinets lining the far wall. Loki watched as his brother began to root through the records and files, his eyes flitting back and forth as the seconds seemed to tick by.

He forced his focus back to Thor, who appeared to be growing increasingly frustrated. The god's brow was furrowed in irritation as he continued to comb through the stacks paperwork in an almost methodical fashion.

"Well?" Loki spoke up, breaking the tense silence that now filled the room. "... Have you come across anything useful?"

Thor sighed in defeat, shaking his head as he slammed another drawer shut. "No. Nothing but pages and pages of sterile scientific jargon and notes — wait a minute, here's something—"

Loki felt a flicker of anticipation course through him. "What is it?"

Thor was silent for a moment as he scanned the paper in his hands, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "It looks like the start of a journal entry. From the lead scientist on the project, no less. And here's a file on the girl — Cora... Rosewood."

"Cora Rosewood?" Loki repeated, his gaze flicked down to the mortal woman in his arms.

Thor merely nodded, continuing with the file. "Yes... Cora Rosewood. Orphaned at 10 years old. Parents died in a car crash when she was young."

Loki's brow furrowed at that, an unwanted pang of sympathy filling him. But he needed to know more; needed to know if what he'd seen was true. "Anything else? Does it say who her primary caregiver was following the death of her parents?"

Thor was taciturn as he continued to skim the file in his hands. Loki's impatience surged with each passing second. He found himself unconsciously shifting his grip, cradling Cora protectively.

"No." Thor shook his head. "There's nothing about her personal life following that day — only information cataloguing her progress once she became an agent at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Loki found himself frowning at that, his mind working quickly to decipher the information he had been given. It was all starting to come together in his head, but he needed one more piece to the puzzle. A piece he didn't have time for; at least, not until she awoke.

"Grab the file and the journal, as well as anything else that looks important." Loki instructed. "We need to get her out of here."

As Thor moved off to retrieve the various items, Loki cast one last glance down, once again struck at how fragile she looked. He suddenly found himself hoping that he was wrong. That the scene he'd witnessed in her memories wasn't what he feared.

Finally, Thor returned, his arms full of files, books, and the journal in question. "I've got everything. Let's go."

With a final, fleeting look around the stark white room, Loki nodded his agreement. Carefully, yet with purpose, he carried Cora Rosewood's limp form out of the lab and into the severe hallway.

Despite the fact that no alarms immediately rang through the building, Loki had a hard time suppressing his sense of anxious urgency. The sound of their footsteps echoed throughout the building, and the quietness of the corridors was somehow even more off-putting than the blaring of alarms would've been.

They wended through the various passages at a quickened pace, Thor routinely glancing over his shoulder, as if expecting to be ambushed. Loki held Cora protectively in his arms, trying to quiet the nagging worry that coursed through him.

That was too easy. Way too easy.

The thought echoed over and over in Loki's mind, an endless loop that he couldn't seem to shake. Surely they should have been caught by now. A siren or warning should've gone off, security guards and scientists should've flooded the halls attempting to prevent them from stealing their human subject. But all the compound remained oddly still and eerily quiet. That was, at least, until the lights jarringly flickered back on.

Thor cursed under his breath, curling his meaty hand around Loki's forearm and hauling him into an abandoned corridor.

Loki stumbled slightly under the unexpected change in momentum, but managed to keep his grip on Cora before glaring at Thor. "What the Hel are you— "

His words were cut off by Thor slapping a hand over his mouth, muffling whatever scathing retort he had been about to utter.

"Quiet." He hissed, his eyes trained on the passageway they had just come from.

Loki's brows furrowed in irritation, but he didn't protest further, his attention straying as the sound of various sets of footsteps echoed from afar, shadows dancing on the walls as they passed in a hurry. The brothers exchanged a look, silently communicating without words. They needed to get out of there, and quickly; but with the lights back on and the base alive with agents — it became much more difficult to go through unnoticed.

Just as Loki was about to suggest a new escape route, loud shouting could be heard down a nearby hallway. Thor immediately grabbed Loki's arm once again, his grip rough as he began to move them down the adjacent corridor.

"We need to get out of here." He repeated through clenched teeth.

"Where?" Loki hissed. "In case you haven't noticed, brother, the compound is crawling with S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, and with the lights back on, they're practically a beacon."

"I know that." Thor responded, his voice low and almost angry. He was scanning the hall, attempting to find some sort of escape route, anything to help them get away from the incoming threat. "I have an idea, and you're probably going to like it."

Loki couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Are you suggesting causing chaos and destruction?"

Thor let out a low huff, the sound somewhat reminiscent of a reluctant laugh. "Yes." He grumbled, a smirk of his own playing on his lips. "That is exactly what I'm suggesting."

Loki let out an amused huff at that, his previous worries slipping slightly. There was something oddly reassuring about the familiar comradery. "Well then, by all means, let's cause as much chaos as we can. This place is an eyesore, and I've been itching for some distraction."

Thor simply chuckled, a devilish gleam in his gaze. "Let the mayhem begin."

"And by mayhem, you mean..." Loki prompted.

"Blowing a hole through a high-security government base, yes."

A wide, almost maniacal grin spread across Loki's face at Thor's words. "Now you're speaking my language, brother."

Chapter Text

Loki

💚💚💚

"Now you're speaking my language, brother."

Loki felt the thrill of imminent chaos and destruction already coursing through him. He had always been a creature of excitement and mischief, and the idea of causing utter destruction at a government facility was almost too delicious to handle.

He readjusted the girl he had clutched to his chest, shifting her slightly, as Thor started down the corridor.

The brothers continued on the path, the thunder god moving quickly and with purpose, while Loki kept close; the two of them dodging in and out of corridors to stay hidden. They kept a quick pace, weaving in and out of various passageways, their eyes scanning every corner as they made their way through the building. All the while, Loki kept his eyes on Cora. She was still out like a light, her small frame almost seeming breakable in his arms. He found himself subconsciously adjusting his grip on her again. He still had supernatural strength, even evidentially being stripped down to his mortal form — nothing compared to his usual might as a god — though, it was certainly enough to harm her should he squeeze too hard.

When Thor suddenly stopped beside another heavily locked door, he nudged Loki with his foot. "See the glow underneath?"

Loki nodded. "Moonlight."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Thor's mouth, his eyes still glued to the gap in the steel frame that was faintly illuminating the otherwise dark hallway.

"Precisely." He responded, clearly trying to keep his voice down. "Get ready to run."

Loki shifted his gaze from his brother down to the still unconscious mortal in his arms, a curious look flitting across his face. Thor wasted no time approaching the panel, sparks of electricity already dancing across his fingertips. The lock on the door began to sizzle and spark as Thor fed more and more into it, until....

'BOOM'.

The sound echoed like cannon-fire amidst the hallway. Smoke filled the air around them, and Loki fought back a cough as he followed Thor through it. 

The haze soon dissolved into the outside world beyond the facility. The moon shone brightly just ahead, casting the forest in beams of moonlight that cast long shadows on the ground. Loki found himself taking in a deep breath, inhaling the cool night air. He could practically taste the freedom on his tongue.

"Into the forest." Thor directed, bounding heavily on his feet back to where they'd hidden themselves hours before.

Loki followed suit, his long legs carrying him quickly into the trees, just a few feet behind his brother. They continued their fast-paced run, weaving through the thick brush and undergrowth as they tried to put as much distance between themselves and the chaos they'd left behind.

Despite his exhaustion, Loki could feel adrenaline starting to pump through him once more, making it that much easier to push through any fatigue he may have been feeling. He kept his firm hold on Cora as they raced through the woods, the only sound their heavy breathing, the crunch of leaves and branches beneath their footfalls, and the occasional hoot of an owl.

They ran for what felt like hours, only slowing down once they'd made it to a decent-sized glade. The brothers eventually came to a stop, Thor leaning casually against a nearby tree trunk. As if running such a long distance had merely been a warm up.

Loki fared worse off, his breathing heavy as he slowly leaned back against a neighboring tree, his gaze sweeping across the area as he fought off the irritation swirling in his gut — the same he felt every time his body didn't adhere to its usual standards.

Thor seemed to notice this and chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips as he pushed off the trunk and approached Loki. "Not so used to actually exerting yourself?" He teased.

Loki shot a pointed glare Thor's way, his breathing ragged as he tried to even out his heart rate. "Not all of us have the luxury of still having a godly physique, brother." He responded between huffs.

"And whose fault is that?" Thor replied coyly.

Loki grunted in response. He could already feel a dull ache in his thighs, the long run having put a strain on his muscles.

Thor took a step closer, peering down at Cora. "How is she doing?" He asked quietly.

Loki dipped shallowly into the girl's mind, scanning over her vitals and feeling a wave of relief when nothing seemed dangerously out of place.

"She's still stable." He responded, his voice somewhat strained. "Though that might change quickly if she starts to wake up and discovers she's been kidnapped by two Norse gods."

Thor let out a snort of amusement, crossing his arms over his chest. "You think she'll be afraid of us?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "She's human, Thor. Of course she will."

"You have such little faith in mortals, brother." Thor chuckled. "Besides, we've saved her life. Once we explain our reasoning to her, maybe she'll understand."

Loki nearly choked on a scoff, shooting his brother a disbelieving look. "And what, pray tell, makes you think that?"

"Because I have faith in people." Thor responded simply. "And I believe they are capable of more good than harm."

Loki found himself scoffing at that. "Then you are very, very naïve, brother."

"And you are the ever-cynical, pessimistic bastard you've always been." Thor said flatly.

Loki simply rolled his eyes, choosing not to respond. The pair fell silent, both of them watching as the moonlight slowly filtered through the dense trees. Loki once again found himself glancing down at Cora, still unconscious against his chest. His gaze lingered on her delicate face, watching the steady rise and falls of her chest as she slept.

"Are you going to tell me what you saw in her mind?" Thor's voice broke through the unnerving stillness in the air.

That was something Loki wasn't sure he wanted to discuss. He knew that Thor was likely to have an adverse reaction to what he'd uncovered, and he was still skeptical when it came to his brother's trustworthiness. But then again, he had opted to ask for Loki's help when deciding to save the girl...

Deciding to take a chance, Loki looked over at Thor. "You're not going to like it." He said simply.

Thor frowned, taking notice of the change in Loki's demeanor. "And why is that?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Because it implicates someone that you've put a great amount of trust in in the past."

The expression on Thor's face twisted slightly at words. "And just who would that be?" He asked, his voice hardening.

Loki took a moment to gather his thoughts, unsure how to tell his brother what he now knew to be true. He let out a huff of reluctance. There was no easy way to say it. "You know how her file didn't contain any information on a guardian following the death of her parents?"

"Yes." Thor nodded, his expression growing more severe as if he sensed the topic was going somewhere he wouldn't like. "What about it?"

"My theory is someone high up scrubbed the information — or better yet, purposefully excluded it." Loki replied. "Someone who was more involved in her life than he wanted anyone to know."

Thor had grown increasingly tense with every word Loki spoke, his expression slowly darkening as the realization hit him. "You don't think—" He started, but Loki quickly interrupted.

"I know." Loki affirmed, his sharp gaze locked on Thor. "There were memories, Thor. Old ones. Memories that could be traced back to that night her parents died."

It was clear Thor already knew where this was leading. He looked almost horrified at what Loki was suggesting. "No. That's not... There's no way he would do that." He sputtered, shaking his head.

Loki let out a humorless laugh. "He's the head of a spy organization. He's trained to operate at the highest level of corruption. Do you really believe he has the same morals and values as you? Just look at what he's already allowed to be done to her — and don't you dare tell me he didn't know, cause you and I both know that's bullshit."

Thor visibly flinched. It was obvious he didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't deny the possibility either. "That's a damning accusation, Loki." He shot back, his voice tinged with anger.

Loki rolled his eyes, clearly growing impatient with his brother's stubbornness. "It's the truth." He snapped. "And you know it just as well as I do."

They fell into another silence, Thor's jaw clenched tightly. Loki could practically see the gears churning in his brother's head, attempting to formulate some sort of counter argument, a valid explanation.

Finally, Thor spoke, his voice low and almost dangerous. "You're sure about this? You're sure that you didn't misinterpret the memories?"

"I saw him, Thor." Loki sneered, his own voice just as serrated and angry. When it came to mind manipulation and analysis, he had never been wrong, and he wasn't about to be discredited now. "I saw him with her that day — comforting her, promising to take care of her, to keep her safe. She thinks of him as her adoptive father."

Thor ran a frustrated hand through his hair, the action almost violent. He looked positively enraged, though it was hard to tell who his ire was directed at. Loki... or himself.

Loki sighed heavily, leaning his head against the thick trunk of the tree behind him. "I know you want to believe in him — to believe that he'd never do something so cold and calculated. But the evidence is fairly damning. You need to stop thinking with your heart, and start using your brain for a bloody change."

"You expect me to believe that Nick Fury, a man in charge of an organization created to protect people from errant threats, is the same person that would raise and allow experimentation on an innocent girl?" Thor practically growled, his eyes flashing with anger.

Loki scoffed. "That's exactly what I'm saying. You're just too blinded by misplaced loyalty to see it."

"And you're just too cynical to believe there could still be any ounce of good left in this world." Thor shot back, his expression hardening.

Loki rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Of course there can be 'good'," he said, using air quotation marks, "but to think it's going to come from a corrupt government organization? That's a bit too idealistic — even for you, brother."

The words hung heavy in the air, the tension between them almost palpable. Thor still looked conflicted, his eyes locked on the woman in Loki's arms.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Thor let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. The weight of what they'd just done was like the blade of a guillotine hanging menacingly over them. Kidnapping a test subject was one thing. But kidnapping a girl who was — for all intents and purposes — Nick Fury's daughter was positively masochistic.

Thor opened his mouth to speak, hesitating briefly before he finally responded. "We just kidnapped the director's daughter..."

Loki quirked a brow, a subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, despite the grim situation. "Nicholas certainly won't be happy once he discovers her missing. He likely won't rest until he's gotten her back. Mark my words."

Thor exhaled harshly, his frustration at the entire situation clearly painted across his features. "This is a disaster."

Loki couldn't help but scoff, a slightly bitter edge to his tone. "Hence why I didn't tell you when I first found out."

Thor shot him a glare, clearly not amused with his brother's avoidance when it came to knowing crucial information. But he didn't get the chance to argue any further when Cora elicited a small whimper. Both gods immediately fell silent, their attentions darting to the Midgardian who was beginning to stir in her sleep within Loki's arms.

"We need to get her somewhere safe." Thor broke the silence. "Then we can figure out where to go from here."

With a resigned nod, Loki pushed himself off the tree he was leaned against, holding onto Cora tightly as he got to his feet. He readjusted, shifting his grip to cradle her more comfortably. "I know a place. We'll be completely undetectable."

Thor nodded in agreement, his gaze lingering on Cora once more. The girl was breathing restlessly, a small furrow forming in her brow.

Loki noticed his brother's stare. "Can you fly us there? Or are you beginning to regret this plan of yours?"

Thor shot him a scowl, his annoyance at being second-guessed obvious. "I can fly just fine."

Loki smirked, unable to hold back the teasing now. "Just don't drop either of us."

Thor rolled his eyes, a hint of a smile tugging as his profile. "I've carried heavier loads than you before, believe it or not."

Loki feigned offense, his eyes widening in artificial shock, but he didn't respond, merely stroking a finger across Cora's temple to calm her fitful sleep.

Thor took a step closer, his hammer clutched tightly in his large palm. "Ready?"

Loki nodded, readjusting his hold on Cora. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Thor gave a curt nod before launching into the air. Loki inhaled sharply at the change in pressure, gathering what was left of his strength to keep Cora locked securely against his chest.

"Try not to jostle the girl too much." He called out as they started to gain altitude. "I doubt she'd be happy to wake up at five-thousand feet above sea level."

"No promises." Thor called back, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Loki grumbled something under his breath as they ascended, keeping his arms wrapped around Cora as tightly as he could. He knew his brother was most likely going to make the flight as jarring as possible, simply to spite him.

After a few barked directions and snarky comments, Thor had managed to get them to their intended destination in one piece. With a bit more of an unceremonious landing than Loki would have cared for, they touched down in the middle of a clearing just outside of New York City.

Loki carefully adjusted his grip on Cora as they landed, taking a moment to steady himself after the somewhat chaotic flight. Then, he nodded to Thor. "We're here."

Thor glanced around, taking in their surroundings. They had descended into the middle of a forest, the city skyline just barely visible through the trees in the distance. He looked back to Loki, the cynicism clear on his face. "This is your idea of safe?"

Loki rolled his eyes as Cora let out another soft sound in her sleep. "Did you ever wonder where I was hidden all those months ago before the Chitauri invaded?"

Thor looked at him skeptically, the question catching him off guard. "I did wonder, yes. But I didn't think you'd ever give me a straight answer."

"I suppose I can make an exception this time." Loki said lightly.

Thor's brow furrowed in confusion, clearly intrigued. "You're going to show me where you were hiding?"

Loki merely chuckled. "I'll do you one better, brother. I'm not just going to show you. I'm going to take you inside."

Thor gently took Cora from Loki's arms and stood silently as the God of Mischief stalked to the center of the clearing. He crouched down, the leather of his Asgardian tunic pooling on the ground beneath him, as he trailed a pattern in the grass with two fingertips.

Thor watched in curiosity as Loki sketched a complicated sequence in the dirt, each symbol drawn out perfectly, without so much as a break in his rhythm. Once he was finished, his brother stood, his focus never leaving the marks he created on the earth's floor.

"Stand back." Loki ordered over his shoulder.

Thor obeyed, taking a couple steps in reverse. He held Cora close to his chest, careful not to jostle her as he watched with rapt curiosity.

The symbols Loki had created suddenly began to glow with the familiar vibrant green light of his magic. The air around them seemed to ripple, the light almost creating a tear in the atmosphere as a crack formed in the forest floor before them. Within seconds, it had cracked wide open, a swirling abyss revealing what looked like a trap door in its center. 

Loki turned to Thor, an almost sly look on his face. "Welcome to my place of solitude." He said, gesturing to the passage with a flourish.

Thor looked completely taken aback. "You were hiding a portal beneath the ground?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "It's not a portal. It's a secret entrance, locked away using my own magic."

The God of Thunder was still staring at the aperture in the ground, dumbfounded. "This is... impressive."

Loki smirked, clearly enjoying his brother's reaction. "Yes, I like to think it was one of my more clever ideas."

"I always wondered why S.H.I.E.L.D. had such a difficult time locating you." Thor mused.

"I'm the only one who can activate the runes." Loki replied. "My powers may be bound, but my magical signature remains."

Thor grunted in understanding, his attention still focused on the perforation in front of them. "So no one even knew this was here."

Loki shook his head, a hint of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "No one. Not even Fury himself."

Thor's expression darkened, his thoughts clearly going back to the current situation unraveling around them.

Loki frowned, sensing the shift in his brother's demeanor. "Let's go." He said gruffly, gesturing to the mouth of the entrance. "We need to get her inside."

Thor simply nodded, both brothers venturing into the dark tunnel, and disappearing into the chasm below.

As they walked, sconces lit with a sage colored fire flickered to life, reacting to Loki's essence. The tunnel seemed to stretch on endlessly, illuminated by the faint green glow. Thor kept Cora cradled carefully in his arms, keeping his eyes trained ahead as he followed Loki through the winding passageway.

"How much further?" He called out after a few minutes.

Loki scoffed, not even bothering to look back at him. "Patience was never your strong suit, brother."

Thor rolled his eyes, his irritation rising with every step he took. "And being purposefully difficult has always been yours."

Loki merely chuckled, his eyes glinting in the low light as he continued walking. "What can I say? I do enjoy being a thorn in your side."

"More like a dagger in the back." Thor muttered under his breath, grumbling as he stepped over a loose rock in the floor.

Loki felt something nasty unfurl deep within his gut, his mood immediately souring. "You'll need to come up with more original insults than that, brother dearest. That one's getting a bit stale."

The air in the tunnel suddenly grew thick with tension; any of the menial progress they'd made over the last forty eight hours crumbled into dust. Once again they were on opposite ends of the Bifröst — the night, Loki had realized where he had truly stood with his so-called family.

They continued on in stifling silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the tunnel seeming to grow more and more oppressive. Loki couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of resentment rising within him.

They were supposed to be a team, able to rely on one another. But, time and time again, Thor always showed where his true loyalties lied. They were never a team — never had been. That was a fabrication he'd told himself for too long; a child's dream smashed to smithereens.

But he would fall for it no longer.

Loki quickened his pace, wanting nothing more than to put distance between himself and Thor. He knew deep down there would never be any true friendship between them. He was a lost cause and Thor was far too ignorant of that fact to change his way of thinking.

They swerved left, right, left, left again. Loki had the whole system memorized — had made his own version of the Greek Labyrinth — one only he could navigate. 

Thor huffed in annoyance as they twisted through the network of halls, his irritation growing with every turn they took. "Why did you need to make this so complicated?"

Loki didn't even bother to look at him as he kept walking. "To keep unwanted company from trespassing, obviously."

Thor gave a disgruntled grunt, clearly not amused by his brother's snarky tone. Loki could feel the irritation rolling off of the thunder god in waves, and it took all his willpower to refrain from making another snide comment. He clenched his teeth tightly instead, biting back the bitter words that were itching at the back of his throat. "Calm yourself, brother. We're here."

Loki traced another rune into a wall in front of them and a doorway began to pull open from the ceiling. Dust and dirt plumed out in clouds as an extensive underground chamber was revealed. Thor's mouth fell open in awe, his irritation momentarily forgotten as the cavern came into view, the area enormous — easily the size of a football field.

"You could hide an entire army in here." He breathed, his eyes flickering over the vast underground facility.

Loki rolled his eyes, a hint of pride slipping into his tone as he stepped through the now open doorway. "Not exactly an army."

As they descended the steps into the chamber, Loki took in all the equipment that had been left behind. He'd used the power of his scepter to capture the minds of a least two dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and even though he had lost the war, their skills had been invaluable.

"We'll have to see if any of this can be used regarding the girl." Loki motioned dismissively as they walked. "I didn't pay much attention to those under my command — other than what they accomplished for me."

Thor looked at him with a deadpanned expression. "So you mean to tell me that you didn't bother getting to know the people that you had under your control?"

It was sarcasm at its finest, and Loki couldn't help but bite.

"Why would I? They were merely tools, a means to an end. Their individual personalities were of no value to me."

"And the fact that they were human beings with lives and families meant nothing to you?" Thor shot back, his grip on Cora tightening protectively.

Loki rolled his eyes, refusing to look at his brother. "Please, let's not act as if I was the only one of the two of us that saw mortals as less than."

Thor bristled, narrowing his eyes at him. "We both know I was never as callous as you."

A wicked laugh escaped the God of Mischief. "Was your first time on Midgard completely erased from memory? As I recall, the great and powerful All-Father did to you exactly as he did to me due to your arrogance and callousness."

Thor grit his teeth, his face flushing with anger. "That was different."

Loki merely smirked. "Sure it was."

Thor opened his mouth to protest again, but Loki cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Let's just get her somewhere comfortable. I'm getting tired of your incessant yapping."

Thor's jaw snapped shut, his vexation still obvious. However, even he seemed to realize that arguing with the trickster god would get him nowhere.

Loki nodded toward a nearby hallway. "Let's go. My old chambers are at the far end."

They walked down the passageway in silence, the only noise coming from Thor's heavy boots. Loki led the way, his footsteps silent and stealthy in comparison. Eventually, they came upon the door he had indicated. It was almost completely camouflaged with the wall, its dark and ornate design making it look like part of the stone structure.

Loki curled his palm around the handle and tugged it open, revealing the room within. It was sparse, but lavish — the exact sort of space one would picture when imagining the bedroom of a prince. He could sense Thor's amazement and surprise at the familiarity, cutting his brother off before the giant oaf could make a comment about the sentiment. "Not. A. Word."

Thor raised a hand in mock surrender, his expression still somewhat bewildered as he looked around the room. Loki turned away, gesturing to the large bed dominating the space. 

"Put her there." He said stiffly.

Thor carefully settled Cora down onto the plush mattress. A small part of Loki twisted with pity at the sight of the young mortal woman. 

Once she was settled, Thor rose to his full height once more. Loki could feel his brother's eyes practically burning through his skull, but his gaze remained locked on the sleeping figure in front of him.

Thor approached from behind, his presence like a shadow at the edge of Loki's peripheral. "Loki—"

Loki cut him off with a sharp look. "Don't."

Thor's eyes narrowed, clearly picking up on the warning in his tone. But he still persisted. "We need to talk—"

Loki whirled around to face him, irritation flaring in his eyes. "No, we don't." He hissed.

Thor stood his ground, his own irritation flaring now. "Yes, we do. What we're doing, how we're doing it—" 

Loki snapped, a harsh laugh bubbling up from deep within his chest. "Oh, now you choose to question me? After you've already gone along with everything I've suggested? When we're finally far enough along in the game, you suddenly want to have a heart-to-heart?"

"You're acting without thinking, as usual." Thor shot back, clearly not taking kindly to Loki's biting tone.

Loki sneered, his anger flaring once again as he stalked out of the room, shutting the door tightly once Thor had followed. "That's rich, coming from you. I may be rash, but you act out of sheer stupidity. You never think before taking action. You just barrel through situations with no thought of the consequences—" He waved a hand to gesture to Cora in the next room. "You are the reason we are in this situation."

Thor bristled at the accusation, his temper quickly flaring. "I may have suggested we take the girl, but you agreed to it. You didn't even bat an eye when I told you of my plan."

"Of course I agreed to it!" Loki practically shouted, the words flying out of his mouth before he could stop them. "What was I supposed to say, Thor? No? Were you expecting me to argue? The girl has my DNA — my abilities running through her frail, Midgardian veins! Do you think I want S.H.I.E.L.D. to have a weapon of such a magnitude?"

Thor clenched his jaw, his shoulders tensing. "You know as well as I that not everything they do is for ill intent."

Loki scoffed, the sound somewhere between a laugh and an indignant snort. "Oh please. Do you honestly think that S.H.I.E.L.D. is full of nothing but angels and do-gooders? Wake the Hel up, brother. They're just as corrupt and wicked as any other organization of its kind. Look at what your precious Fury has done to a girl that he practically raised as his own daughter!"

"We don't know his purpose for allowing them to use Cora as a test subject." Thor snapped, his voice rising just as much as Loki's was. "For all we know, he could've been trying to save her life—"

"By turning her into a lab rat? By having doctors and scientists poke, prod, and cut open her body to study her, and her abilities, like she is nothing more than a science experiment? That is in no way humane, and you are delusional if you think otherwise." Loki let out a bitter laugh, his eyes glittering with hostility. "And even if you truly believed otherwise, brother, you would not have come to me as you did, asking for my help to procure her."

"It was not my first choice, no." Thor admitted, and Loki could hear the defeat in his voice.

A sharp scoff fell from Loki's lips as he crossed his arms. "You were desperate, and you knew I was your best chance. So you came crawling to me, just like you always do when faced with something you cannot handle on your own." The bitterness in his tone was palpable.

Thor's eyes flashed with something akin to hurt, but he quickly masked it. "I did not crawl."

Loki rolled his eyes, his expression derisive. "Did you expect me to be thankful that you deigned to come to me for help? That after everything you've put me through, I should be grateful that you had even chosen me at all?"

Thor's jaw clenched, his anger clearly bubbling just beneath the surface. "You are the one who pushed me away, Loki!"

Loki laughed — a harsh, cold, and bitter sound. "And, there we have it." He snapped, taking a step forward so they were now face to face. "I'm to blame again, aren't I? It's always my fault that we're not a happy little team. I'm the one with the trauma, the issues — the one who ruins everything. That's how it's always been in your eyes, isn't it?"

"You're putting words in my mouth." Thor retorted, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "All I'm trying to say is that maybe, if you weren't so... you, things could be different."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I should be more like you. An overconfident buffoon who rushes into situations without any forethought, blindly believing the best of everyone he meets — believing in people who don't deserve it. Is that what I should do, brother?"

Thor let out a deep breath, struggling to keep his composure. "Is empathy such a bad thing, Loki?" He shot back. "At least I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. That's more than I can say for you. You're heartless and manipulative, and you only look out for yourself."

Loki blinked at him, his voice devoid of emotion when he finally spoke. "At least my expectations aren't made under false pretenses. I take people for what they are; at face value. If I don't expect good from them, they don't expect good from me. It would benefit you to adopt such an approach."

Thor didn't even have a heartbeat to respond before Loki turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway.

Chapter Text

Loki

💚💚💚

The underground base was utterly silent — the sort of quiet that set your skin pebbling and your pulse skipping just a touch quicker than normal. It was eerie, unnerving, and solitary. Just as Loki preferred.

The trickster god lounged on the velvety green couch in his make-shift chambers, flipping through the stacks of files they'd stolen from the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound.
It wasn't the most thrilling work, but it gave him something to focus on other than the young woman sleeping just across the room.

Loki didn't want to think about her. He refused to. So, he poured himself into the files, scouring over the countless papers with a detached air of indifference. 

His gaze flicked from one document to the other, taking in the endless lines of information. Most of the records and research pertained to Cora's vitals and abilities alone. Her testing progress, her medical records, possible uses...

The more he read, the more his chest twisted. The information was clinical, detached. Nothing but a collection of meaningless numbers. There were no personality traits, no notes about her interests or quirks. As he skimmed the forms one by one, Loki found himself wondering—

No.

He didn't wonder. He was an Asgardian prince. A trickster. A mischief-maker. A selfish bastard. He didn't inquire about Midgardians or their backgrounds. And he certainly didn't care about her.

Loki huffed, flipping to the next stack of folders, tossing the discarded ones onto the other side of the couch. It had been several days since he and Thor had broken into S.H.I.E.L.D. and extracted Cora from the high security facility. She had yet to wake up, and as the hours passed, her current state seemed to weigh heavy on both gods.

Thor's worry came out in his physical motion. He would pace back and forth like an animal trapped in a cage, his shoulders tense and taut. His hand would occasionally twitch, as though itching to do something — anything;  the radio silence seeming to put him on edge.

Loki found the behavior aggravating, and in the quiet moments, he frequently had to bite back a scathing remark. He felt the pressure just as severely as his brother, though he busied himself in other things, attempting to keep his mind off of the monstrous elephant in the room.

He had taken to researching everything he could about the young woman. He had read the records from the facility from start to finish, memorized every word that detailed her time in the hands of the organization, poured over the official diagrams that spoke of the tests their scientists conducted. There had been images of needles sticking out of her arms, straps binding her down, machines hooked up to her body...

Loki's expression darkened as they came to mind.

He should have felt nothing. It was simply data, just information on a page — just another subject. She held no personal meaning, no significance beyond the abilities running beneath her skin. And yet, his gut twisted at the thought of it all.

"I need to get out, Loki." The thunder god towered in the doorway of the bedroom, his cerulean eyes glimmering with anxiety. "The longer I go without checking in with Fury, the more suspicious it will be. I need to act as if I'm completely in the dark about all of this."

Loki didn't even look up. He didn't need to — he could feel the pent-up energy radiating off his brother, practically crackling in the air.

When he spoke, there was a sharp edge to his words. "And you're telling me, why?"

Thor frowned. "You said you're the only one able to open and close this chamber."

"Yes. I am the only one who knows the runes." Loki finally deigned to raise his gaze. "But if you're so desperate to leave, I suppose I will have to teach them to you."

It was clear that Thor wasn't completely satisfied by the answer. His broad shoulders were squared, the muscles in his jaw tense. It didn't seem as if he fully trusted him to cooperate.

Loki had to force himself to keep from rolling his eyes. Of course Thor didn't trust him. His brother's faith was about as nonexistent as their father's had been.

"The magic behind the runes is tricky." Loki explained. "I purposefully infused them in a way to ensure that I was the only one with the power to open the entrance, yes, but I am not the only one capable."

Thor arched a brow dubiously. "Then who else can?" He asked, his arms crossing over his broad chest.

"Anyone I entrust to hold knowledge of the runes." Loki replied, setting the file in his palm down atop his thigh. "They are set up to react to my magic, and my magic alone. If another were to try to activate them without my approval, they would not succeed. Therefore, for one who is not myself to have access opening and closing the doorway behind them, they would need a trace of my essence in their system for it to work."

Thor remained standing in the doorway, his expression creasing in confusion. "And how, exactly, would that be possible? I highly doubt there are any vials of your magical essence lying around for someone to come by and drink at their leisure. I assume what you're alluding to is your blood. That's the only way someone could have a piece of you and thus the ability to access this place."

"Don't be absurd." Loki scoffed. "Allowing me to plant the markings in your subconscious will be enough."

Thor shifted his weight a little anxiously. "You're going to imbed the runic knowledge into my memory?" He asked.

Loki gave a curt nod. "In the simplest of terms, yes. The runes will be engraved, as will the traces of my power."

"Allowing you access to my mind doesn't seem like a very bright decision."

Another scoff fell from Loki's lips. "On the contrary, it will be the smartest thing you've done in your entire life, dear brother. You have my word, I will do nothing more than put the magic in your head. I will not look at your thoughts, your experiences, anything of the sort." He paused, an annoyed expression settling on his face. "Not that I would ever want to. Who knows what righteous, prodigal nonsense is in there."

Thor bristled, clearly knowing that what Loki said held some grain of truth, but not enjoying it nonetheless. He clenched his jaw before finally relenting, giving a grudging nod. "If it will get me out of this cave for a few hours, I'll do it."

Loki rolled his eyes, already having expected that response. "Open your mind to me, brother. Do not force me out, or this will hurt much more than it needs to."

Thor closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in. He tensed his muscles, braced for whatever was to come. He knew allowing Loki access to something as sacred as his thoughts was an incredibly addle-brained decision, but he also knew that the longer he waited, the larger chance Fury had to grow in suspicion.

Loki watched as the thunder god visibly steeled and relaxed his body. A sharp sigh escaped the trickster's lips.

Stupid, stubborn oaf.

Without further preamble, Loki's eyes fluttered shut, his face remaining otherwise emotionless as he attempted to penetrate Thor's subconscious. He could feel his Thor resisting, which wasn't even remotely surprising, and he had to hold back a frustrated sigh.

This was going to be more difficult than he'd originally imagined.

"Stop fighting me." Loki growled. "The girl was more receptive than this."

There was a heartbeat of hesitation, but eventually Thor relented. Loki was immediately bombarded with a sea of thoughts. He clenched his teeth against the onslaught, sifting through the flurry like skimming a book. The experience was overwhelming and far too personal; like he was rifling through his brother's soul.

He pushed through it, working quickly to weave the designs of the runes into his memory as efficiently as possible. The process wasn't an easy one. Thor was just as stubborn in his mind as he was in his actions. He fought against the intrusion, subconsciously pulling against the hold Loki had, unwillingly making him work harder than he needed to.

Loki grunted, the muscles in his brow starting to tighten. It was difficult to concentrate and focus, constantly being bombarded by flashes of memories and thoughts. When he'd followed the same process all those months ago with the agents under his control, it had been painless and swift. He was used to feeling nothing but apathy and control when delving into someone's mind. But this... this was far different. He felt his brother's defiance, his frustration, his confusion, his anger, every last emotion that he'd never dare share otherwise.

It took far longer than it should have. Finally, with a grunt, Loki wrenched his eyes open, pulling quickly out of Thor's mind. A shudder of pure exhaustion ran through him at the effort it took. Without his Æsir, using his mental abilities took more out of him than he was used to.

When he dared to look at his brother, he was surprised to see a thin sheen of sweat on Thor's brow, his body tense and rigid. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, as though he had also just run a race.

Loki, on the other hand, could feel a sharp headache coming on, the exhaustion from the intense mental exertion catching up with him. However, he refused to show any signs of weakness.

Instead, he forced a smirk onto his face, an air of nonchalance in his tone. "There. That wasn't too arduous, was it?"

Thor seemed speechless for a moment, clearly trying to reorient himself. When he finally spoke, his voice came out in a hoarse, guttural whisper.

"That felt... invasive."

Loki rolled his eyes. "It was supposed to. Just be grateful I didn't look at all of the embarrassing things you've done in the past few lifetimes. I know your ego would have never recovered." Thor opened his mouth to retaliate, but Loki waved him off. "Save your protests. It's already done."

The thunder god clamped his mouth shut, a muscle in his cheek twitching in obvious indignation. He was clearly trying to bite back a nasty retort.

Loki let out a sigh for dramatic effect before rising to his feet, ignoring the way his muscles protested. He was tired, irritated, and didn't want to argue any longer. Instead, he gathered up the files that he'd been reading before his brother had barged in and interrupted.

"You have the knowledge to come and go as you please now." He said off-handedly. "I planted the runes necessary as well as an internal map to guide you through the tunnels."

Thor nodded at that, still seeming distracted by the aftermath of the mind invasion. Loki watched him out of the corner of his eye, noting the tension in his shoulders, the taut set of his jaw. It had clearly shaken him far more than Thor would've liked to admit. A small part of Loki almost felt bad for the discomfort he knew his brother was feeling. But he quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind, refusing to let sympathy cloud his judgment.

They stood in silence before Thor finally spoke again. "I should go."

"I'll be here." Loki mused, his tone one of dry sarcasm.

Thor, unsurprisingly, didn't find the jab amusing. He shot Loki a withering look, before turning and disappearing out the door of the chamber. Silence fell once more, the only sound now coming from the shuffling of papers as Loki settled back down to continue his research.

He had to focus, had to distract himself from the lingering sentiments seeking to penetrate his brain. His eyes flicked quickly over the words, his hands gripping the edges tightly as thoughts of Cora began to creep back in.

Loki Laufeyson did NOT allow sympathy to get the best of him.

He forced his eyes to focus, striving to divert his attention to the cold, clinical text on the page.
But the more he tried to distract himself, the more thoughts of the Midgardian woman filtered in. Her unconscious form, strapped and restrained. Her pale skin in the harsh light. Her body thin and frail, her bones barely peeking through.

Loki could no longer shake the image of her from his mind. He let out a huff, frustration and something else bubbling up in his chest.

Screw it.

The time to wait around for her to wake on her own had passed. It had been nearly a week since they'd saved her, and her vitals hadn't fluctuated. It was almost as if she'd been sent into a magically induced coma.

Loki stood, abandoning his exploration on the couch and padding over to the bed, green eyes fixated on Cora as he perched on the edge of the mattress beside. Her breathing was shallow, almost too faint to notice. Loki reached out a hand, hesitating for a second too long, before gently pressing his fingertips against the inside of her wrist. Her heartbeat was slow, and even. His brow furrowed as something dark passed over his expression. The sight of her stirred something deep within him. He ignored the twisting in his chest, instead bringing a hand up to brush a stray hair away from her forehead.

Planting the runes in Thor's head had given him an idea. If Cora wasn't able to wake up on her own, it was highly possible she needed a little nudge. 

He'd gotten into her mind just fine that night at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and slipping into it this time was just as painless. It was a different experience than it was previously. Instead of the whirlwind of unfamiliar thoughts and feelings, it almost felt... peaceful. Like passing through a clear stream on a sunny day.

He looked around curiously, taking in his surroundings. There was an almost dreamy feeling to her subconscious; her thoughts and feelings faint, almost translucent. Just barely out of his reach.

Loki began to walk, moving carefully and silently through the world she'd conjured up. He became increasingly aware that she was present somewhere in the vast landscape of her mind; could almost feel her essence, like a gentle breeze against his skin. He wandered for a few more moments, taking in his surroundings as he tried to sense where exactly she was.

It was then that he felt it — a pull deep within his chest. Loki froze, taking a moment to focus on the strange sensation. It was slight at first, almost easy to overlook. But as he continued to concentrate, he became more aware of it.

It was like a thread, an invisible cord gently pulling him somewhere deeper into the dreamscape. His curiosity getting the best of him, he began to walk towards the source of the attraction.

There was something oddly familiar about it, his skin prickling as he drew closer. The feeling was almost impossible to ignore, as if there was some magnetic force involved beyond his control.

Finally, just ahead, he saw her.

Cora was standing in a small clearing near a lake, her back to him. As he watched, she raised a hand to brush a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear. She looked oddly peaceful, almost at home. As if this was where she was supposed to be.

Loki felt something deep in his chest clench. It was her magical essence he was feeling — his essence.

For a moment, he stood frozen in place, his eyes wide as he watched her. She was dressed in a simple cotton gown, her feet bare. The light from the moon danced across her features, giving her an almost glowing appearance. Loki wanted to call out to her, to make himself known. But instead, he held back, observing her silently. 

Every fiber of his being was tense as he took in the sight. It felt... odd, watching instead of interfering almost a foreign concept to him. 

Cora seemed different inside of her mind — healthier. Her skin wasn't sallow, her bones weren't protruding. She looked exhausted, yes, but at the same time, she looked utterly serene.

It didn't take Loki very long to realize that her physical form was dying.

He could feel his power — his godly DNA — pressing down on them from all sides. It was suffocating her the longer it remained untrained, taking over her frail, mortal body in a way that Loki had theorized about since first discovering S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experiment. He hadn't voiced his worry to Thor, not wanting to cause his brother's concern over a factor that may not have come to pass. But now that he was staring at it, eye to eye, Loki knew what needed to be done.

As much as he hated to disrupt her peace, Cora needed to make a choice. Fight to live, or allow her newfound power to slowly eat away at her.

Reluctantly, he moved forward, his footsteps silent as he neared. Cora must have felt his presence, because all of a sudden, she turned around, her face betraying her surprise. Brilliant cyan eyes went wide at the sight of him, a jolt of shock shooting through her body. Her reaction to his appearance surprised him, but Loki shook it off, stopping a few feet away from her.

"I know you." She whispered, taking a stumbling step back. "You were the one who tried to take over New York."

A wave of defensiveness passed through him, his hackles rising at the comment. But he shoved it back, refusing to allow her to push his buttons.

"I did, yes." Loki said, taking a cautious stride forward. 

The trickster god watched as she tensed, her guard raising in alarm. That made sense — they were supposed to be enemies. Loki knew her first instinct would be to be wary of him, even in her mind. He kept his expression neutral, his voice as calm as possible. He needed to play this cleverly if he were to convince her to wake.

"Why are you here?" Cora asked, her focus calculating as she took him in.

He could feel her assessing him, taking in every last detail of his appearance. It made him oddly uncomfortable, although he kept his expression carefully blank, refusing to give any hint at his emotions.

Loki took another languid step forward, his hands raised in a gesture of mock-surrender. She was smart — that much was clear — and she would, no doubt, detect any hint of deception. So instead, he opted for honesty. "I need to talk to you."

Cora was silent for a moment, the tense lines in her shoulders prominent, her body flexing as she took in the space between them. "What do you want?" 

She was like a cornered animal ready to pounce. Loki felt his gut clench, but he dismissed it just as quickly, keeping his focus on the issue at hand.

He stopped a comfortable distance away, before lowering his hands as he responded simply, "I'm here to make you an offer."

"An offer?" Cora asked incredulously. "What could a deity from another realm possibly have to offer me?"

Loki almost had to bite back a smile. She was keen — he'd give her that. 

"Something that might save your life." 

She stiffened at his words, her eyes darkening. He could tell he'd peaked her interest.

"My life?" Cora immediately took another backward stride, her feet skittering across the pebbles on the shore. "Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all. I'm merely pointing out the obvious." Loki shook his head. "You're dying. Your body isn't strong enough to handle the power you've inherited. The longer it goes uncontrolled, the more it will eat away at your life force, slowly devouring your organs, your nerves, your mind..."

"Dying?" Cora's pitch ratcheted higher, the fear evident in her voice. Her eyes darted from side to side as if deep in thought, and Loki could feel the dreamscape around them vibrating as she combed through her latest memories. "I don't understand—"

Loki had expected her reaction. He held her gaze steadily, refusing to waver or back down, already feeling the change of their combined magical essence in the air. "What is the last thing you remember?" 

She let out a strained breath, her eyes once again snapping to the lake before her. "I remember working in the labs at S.H.I.E.L.D... and they told me there was a new project the director wanted me involved in. I remember being... excited... to finally show him that I could do more than just enter numbers into a database and conduct menial tests. I was trained as a weapon, but was never allowed to use what I'd learned..."

"And what happened during the project?" He prompted, gently coaxing her to continue.

Cora looked up at him, her eyes wide and fearful. She was scared, that much was clear by the look in her expression, and her fear was feeding a larger pulse of energy.

This was a make-or-break moment. She needed to know what was going on and understand the gravity of the situation without triggering her system's downfall. There was a fine line, and Loki currently had her teetering dangerously on the edge.

"I..." Cora started, her eyes going glassy as she dove through her recent recollections. "I remember being told I had the chance to be one of the first agents involved. Everything was incredibly top secret — I wasn't privy to any information until my first day."

Loki stayed silent, giving her the chance to continue. He tried to squash the pang of guilt he felt at her words. The fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. had so completely deceived her was onerous. He'd been expecting as much, but the confirmation nearly made his heart twist. How she could've trusted the organization so blindly, to the point of accepting anything they fed her... It was mystifying.

"Leading up to the project, the lead scientist ran all of these tests." She continued. "Exams are a regular procedure as an agent, so I didn't think anything of it at the time, but..."

Loki took another step forward. He knew what they had done. He knew what tests they had run, the results they sought. But still, he didn't stop her.

"One day the director came in..." Cora had a look of profound sadness on her face as the pieces came to her in fractures. "He told me that I had been hand chosen to participate in a trial period regarding a new weapon they were developing. S.H.I.E.L.D. is always creating, always implementing new technology and advancements that can help them get ahead of the game. I assumed this was part of it, and... I wanted to be a part of something big."

Loki clenched his jaw, biting back the urge to interrupt her. He knew what was coming, but he held his tongue. Not for the first time, he hated himself for having to be the one to be the bearer of bad news. Her naïveté was pitiful. She had been too trusting of the wrong people. And he was about to strip her of that innocence.

"One of the days they were running tests, they had me hooked up to an IV..." Cora's eyes flickered as she spoke, something dark passing over her cloudy expression. "I..."

Loki watched her carefully, seeing the way her breathing stuttered as more and more memories fell into place.

"They injected something into the IV..." She whispered, her voice dropping to a low tremble. "It was... bright crimson... almost like..."

"Blood." His voice was affable, heedful.

The change was subtle, so slight that, for a second, he almost didn't catch it. But as soon as the word passed through his lips, he felt it. Cora's power spiked, the energy shifting within their surroundings. Loki ascertained her heart rate increasing, fear flowing in her veins. 

She was starting to understand, and that fact was only fueling her fear further.

Cora's eyes snapped to his, the whites a stark contrast against the vibrant blue rimming her pupils. "It was yours... wasn't it?"

There was no use dancing around the inevitable anymore, not when she was so close to the truth. Loki swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself not to look away from the fear in her gaze.

"Yes." He said quietly. "It was mine."

She flinched at the affirmation, a soft gasp escaping her throat. The energy around them spiked again, her heart rate rocketing skyward. Loki tried to keep the tension from showing in his demeanor, his body preemptively bracing to catch her in the event she lost control. 

The power building within her was already starting to affect him. He could feel the strength of it, the sheer force building and building. If she didn't calm down soon, things would go very, very wrong.

"Why?" Cora stammered, clutching the sides of her head as she turned to face the lake again. "What purpose could they have hoped to achieve by injecting it into me?"

Loki hesitated for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain it in words she could understand. This was a piece of the puzzle that would likely make her panic. But he had to be honest with her. Cora deserved nothing less.

He took a deep breath, and spoke. "I believe you were chosen for the trial process because they had reason to believe that your physiology was capable of handling the power of a god. They hoped to be able to infuse some of my genetic makeup into your mortal form, and turn you into a weapon."

A cracked whimper left her lips as she spun on her heel, facing him again. "You said I was dying — is that why? Because my body is unable to handle your... superhuman DNA?"

Loki's heart twisted at the look on her face, her fear and disbelief almost palpable in the air. He wanted to lie, but he pushed the urge down, refusing to sugarcoat the truth. "Yes. The more time that passes, the more it will consume you. My magical essence — my Æsir — is too powerful for the human framework to handle. Eventually it will burn you up from the inside."

"No." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to die. Please — I can't—"

It was obvious Cora didn't trust him, but she was deep in the depths of despair, and was starting to accept that he was her only option. Loki could feel her power spiking again, and he forced himself to keep his voice calm, ignoring the way her energy made his skin prickle.

"I know." He said quietly, taking an attentive gait forward. He kept his hands at his sides in an attempt not to spook her, knowing that she was seconds away from falling apart completely. "That is why I am offering you an alternative."

Cora looked at him, her gaze guarded; the tremor in her voice giving away the trembling in her soul. "What kind of alternative?" 

She didn't trust him — didn't want to ask. But she was distraught, in more ways than she could even comprehend.

"We might be able to delay the inevitable." Loki paused, studying her face closely. She was on the edge, her emotions barely hanging on by a thread. One wrong word, and she would break. "At least until we can figure out how to extract my DNA from your system."

Cora stiffened as he got closer, but she didn't back away. She remained still as death, her hand clenching and unclenching by her side — a nervous tick. 

Loki stopped as soon as he was within arm's reach of her, keeping his movements slow, steady. He was close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her body. Close enough to see the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Close enough to notice the way she trembled.

She looked fragile. Fragile and scared and broken. It was an odd thing, given the fact she was in a dream state. She was more vulnerable here than she would have been in the physical world. He could see the fear in her eyes, see the war raging within her head. The more they spoke, the more clear the lines in her expression became.

"With my help, we can work to help stabilize your power." Loki said. "If you can learn to control it, expend it, we might be able to buy some time to figure out an alternative. But for that to happen, I'm going to need you to wake up."

Fear flickered through her gaze. "Wake up?" She was struggling now, her emotions starting to take control. Her shoulders rattled, her breathing expelling more rapidly. "No! No, no, no, I can't!"

Loki frowned. He knew her reaction was an expected one, but it didn't make it any easier. She didn't understand, and she was terrified.

"Cora." He said her name gently, softly. "Look at me. Breathe."

The Midgardian girl was starting to fray at the edges, the tears she had been holding back finally spilling down her cheeks. This time, Loki risked reaching for her. He'd moved before he even realized it, taking her shoulders in a firm, but gentle grip. He could feel her pulse racing beneath his fingertips, her chest heaving with panicked breaths.

"You don't understand—" Cora gasped, her body convulsing as hysteria started to seep into her very being, her power flaring angrily in response. "If I wake up, they won't ever let me go! My father will never let me go—"

Loki tightened his hold, forcing her to stay still. "Cora! Look At. Me." He repeated, his voice a sharp command.

Cora looked up at him, her blue eyes as large as saucers. She was hyperventilating, the pure horror overwhelming to the point that she was on the brink of burning out. But her gaze met his. 

"Listen to me." Loki said firmly. "Take a deep breath. In. Out. Again."

She did as he instructed, albeit with a bit of reluctance. She inhaled slowly, and then exhaled. Her breath reverberated in her chest, ragged and uneven, but it was something.

"Now again." He prompted, trying to get her to fall into the pattern. Inhale. Exhale. Again.

Cora's shoulders were still trembling, her hands clenching and unclenching. But she was cooperating. Loki waited until her breathing began to return to normal before he spoke once more, his voice a low hum. He kept his hands on her shoulders, the warmth of her skin seeping into his palms.

"Good. Now listen carefully." He said quietly, feeling some of the tension ease from the air. "You can do this. Close your eyes."

Her brow furrowed, but she conceded, following his instructions. 

"I need you to listen to the sound of my voice." Loki continued, keeping his tone steady and calm. He could feel her power shifting, her emotions still a tangled mess inside her mind, but he kept himself focused on her.

Her expression twisted in obvious trepidations, but she kept her eyelids shut. She was still trembling in his grasp, but she trusted him enough to keep going.

"Focus." He repeated, his voice low. "Ignore everything else. The only thing that exists right now is you and me."

Loki's thumbs traced gentle circles against her skin, a comforting motion. "Very good." He murmured, his voice soft. "Take another deep breath."

Cora obeyed silently, inhaling slowly before exhaling. Some of the panic had ebbed from her features, but she kept her eyes shut tight. He could tell she was trying to concentrate, trying to follow his directions the best she could.

"Good girl." He repeated, watching her closely. "That's it. Just breathe. Now... I want you to center on your bodily sensations. The feeling of your fingers and toes — the softness of the bed at your back. The kiss of the cool air on your skin..."

She took a shuddering breath, her brow furrowing, her expression beginning to relax ever so slightly. The tension in her shoulders started to ebb as well, the tremors slowly subsiding.

"That's it, dove." He murmured, his hands shifting down to her forearms. "Keep your eyes closed. Can you feel my touch?"

Cora nodded, her bottom lip quivering as she answered, "Yes."

Loki squeezed lightly, still making slow, soothing circles with the pad of his thumbs. Her eyes remained closed, but her breathing had slowed, her body relaxing beside him.

"Good." He repeated, his voice just above a whisper. "You're doing so well. Now... when you're ready... I want you to open your eyes."

Cora paused, and he could see the hesitation in her expression. She was still scared, still fighting the panic that wanted to take hold. But she was listening. She trusted him to get her through this.

Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered open. 

At first, they were still wide, the panic still evident in the cyan colored irises, but Loki could see the fear slowly being replaced with weary curiosity. She was no longer trembling. Instead, she gazed up at him. And not just inside of her mind.

Cora had woken up.

Chapter Text

Cora

🕊🕊🕊

The first thing Cora saw when she opened her eyes was green — beautiful and sharp in color; like that of ice hewn from a glacier.

She blinked once — then twice — trying to accommodate the low light in the room. All the while those encapsulating eyes catalogued each one of her movements.

It took a few seconds for her to adjust. It was as if she had been asleep for ages, the last several hours feeling like nothing more than a faint dream; a hazy recollection.

Cora's vision began to focus. She could now make out her surroundings. She was lying in a bed — one far softer than she'd ever slept in before — with sheets silky and cool to the touch, and a comforter filled with plush down. Her body was draped in a thin white gown — firm and uncomfortable. Definitely hospital issued.

Her focus darted around the room. It was sparsely furnished, but surprisingly lavish. A large painting adorned one of the golden trimmed walls, a beautiful landscape of a gilded city, a grand, ornate palace with arching spires in the distance. The furniture was rich in color, made of the finest woods and richest materials. It was a bedroom fit for royalty.

Why she was in it was a mystery.

Cora's attention shifted back to the other side of the room — to the figure that was seated upon the mattress beside her. She'd been expecting a nurse, or the lead scientist on Project Genesis. Even more wildly — her father. She certainly hadn't been expecting to see the alien — Norse god? — who had invaded the planet a year prior.

Surviving on instinct alone, Cora leapt out of the bed, ignoring her body's protests as she did. Her movements were haphazard and jerky, fumbling away from the tangle of blankets around her midriff, until her spine was pressed up against the cool metal of the wall opposite of him. Her heart was racing faster than humanly possible, practically bursting out of her chest as an unfamiliar sensation rose up within her like a rogue wave.

For a moment, neither moved, their eyes remaining locked as though the entire world had narrowed between the two of them.

Cora's breathing was ragged, an alarmingly high pitched hum ringing in the back of her head. The strange feeling behind her sternum grew exponentially, a foreign energy flooding throughout her muscles and veins, making her feel as if they were vibrating at an ineffable speed. The Asgardian — Loki, she remembered now — remained seated, though his presence was encapsulating, filling the room in a way that was almost suffocating. His gaze was fathomless, despite the light hue of his irises, and Cora felt trapped, unable to move.

Loki was the first one to break the silence, his voice deep and soothing in sound, words dictated in a calm, even tone; as if they were having a normal conversation. "You know who I am."

It wasn't a question. 

"You were in my head." Cora said softly, her speech sounding like stone against stone — dry and cracked from disuse.

She received a silent nod in response. "I was."

The confirmation made Cora shiver with fear. He'd acknowledged the fact so austerely, as though invading her mind hadn't been the severe violation that it was.

The god was studying her again, taking in her appearance with critical contemplation. His quartz-like eyes drifted over her, roaming up and down — searching for something. She felt a tingle of unease at the inspection.

Around them, the air was trembling. It was imperceptible, not visible to the naked eye, but easily detectable nonetheless. The energy skittered across Cora's skin, crackling like lightning.

Her eyes snapped back to Loki's.

"How are you here? I thought—" she winced as her body groaned out in protest, her limbs feeling like lead, "you were taken back to your planet."

"Realm." He corrected her, as if on instinct. "My realm is called Asgard. The Midgardian term, 'planet,' is not accurate."

Arguing semantics with an interplanetary war criminal wasn't something she'd expected to partake in upon waking. Especially while her body was still viscerally reacting in a way that felt utterly unknown to her.

The current in the air seemed to crackle now, a tangible electricity steadily building. Loki seemed to watch her with eyes as keen and penetrating as a hawk, his lithe frame shifting discreetly as if in preparation.

"You're scared." He observed, taking in the tremors that flickered across her figure. His voice was soft, almost gentle, and if Cora didn't know any better, a sliver of concern underneath the meticulously placed layers. "That's understandable. But there is no need to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

The shaking seemed to increase in volume.

Cora swallowed, her breath coming out in shallow pants as her throat tightened imperceptibly. "You expect me to believe you? After what you did in New York? After all those people were injured — after thousands lost their lives — because of your actions?"

Loki leaned back, adjusting his position at the foot of the bed, the movement flawlessly graceful, almost feline in quality, with a hint of careful calculation behind the languidness. His eyes, however, never strayed from her form. Every movement, every twitch, he was analyzing it all with precision.

The Norse god seemed to consider her words, his gaze never wavering. He took his time before answering, his fingers tapping lightly upon the comforter, a quiet drumming that almost felt taunting to her ears.

Finally, Loki spoke. "That was a long time ago. I was punished accordingly."

The nature in which he said it sent a chill racing up her spine, a spike of coldness settling deep in her abdomen. It made him sound almost dismissive.

Casual.

"Punished accordingly?" She repeated, her voice cracking as her own body seemed to turn on her. "People died! Buildings were obliterated! The city was a disaster! And yet you sit there acting as if it was only an inconvenience to you? As if it didn't matter?!"

The energy in the room was rapidly increasing, the walls beginning to hum. Her hands — she noticed with rising alarm — were shaking uncontrollably.

Loki's eyes darkened a fraction, there and gone too quickly for her to decipher, before he slowly rose from the bed, his movements laced with raptorial delicacy.

"Cora." The Norse god's voice lowered to a soothing purr. "I need you to take a breath."

The command was simple. Spoken gingerly, like a parent to a child. As if he was trying not to spook her. Cora bristled against the coddling, the energy in the room growing ever stronger as her pulse quickened.

"How the hell do you know my name?" She snapped, her voice coming out more breathless than intended.

Loki didn't so much as flinch at her tone. He only took a slow step forward. The furniture in the room had begun rattling now, a low, distant rumble emanating from deep within the walls.

"I've learned quite a lot about you in the last week." Loki said gently, his words slow and steady, as if giving her time to comprehend their meaning. "I am sure you have many inquiries as to your current situation, and I promise to answer as many as I can — but first, I'm going to need you to calm down."

He continued a slow path towards her, each step bringing him closer and closer. It made Cora feel like a cornered prey animal, with Loki being the inevitable predator.

Her body had gone as tense as piano wires — a single wrong move and they would snap.

Loki stopped just shy of where she cowered; she could feel his body heat radiating from him, a small spark of electricity dancing up her spine. Up close, he was even more intimidating than in his file. He towered over her, his body lean and well-muscled beneath the black and green attire. He was all hard angles, his features sharp, making him appear almost harshly pretty to look at. 

Cora couldn't help the little whimper of distress that bubbled up from her throat. She craned her neck to the side, shutting her eyes instinctively as she attempted to hide from him; her body pressing against the wall as if it had the ability to swallow her whole.

The sound seemed to make Loki pause, his expression shifting infinitesimally, before he sealed the last inch of space between them. He didn't touch her — though his fingers twitched.

"Breathe." Loki commanded, his voice urging her to listen. "Before you bring this entire tunnel system down upon us."

The room was shaking intensely now, the walls rattling in their foundations. The lights above them flickered ominously, the bulbs beginning to buzz with excess energy. Cora could feel the  crackling current inside of her, dancing across her skin, begging to be let free. She forced her eyes open, sucking in a shuddering breath. Her whole body felt as if it was about to be torn apart; the sensation was terrifying.

"What is happening to me?" She whimpered, unable to withhold the horror from seeping into her tone.

Loki seemed to hesitate, a muscle in his jaw ticking for the first time. He studied her, those severe green eyes taking in the desperation in her gaze, the panic rolling off of her in waves.

"You're experiencing something called a power surge." He said, his voice calm and soothing. "That raw energy you feel inside? It's tied to your emotions. When they are heightened, the energy will match it."

Fear gripped Cora tightly, the truth of his words making her heart beat even faster.

"I don't understand—" She whispered, trying to keep her trembling body under control. It was as though it no longer belonged to her, every muscle jerking and shuddering with an uncontrollable force.

A strangled noise left her throat.

Loki deftly leaned in, his body nearly pressed against her own. Cora could feel the heat radiating from him, could smell the slight musk of leather and something distinctly masculine beneath it.

"Cora." His voice held more of a bit now, demanding attention. "Breathe."

But she was far too gone.

The feeling was becoming overwhelming, uncontrollable. Cora gasped for air, her breaths coming in shuddering gasps, as though she was drowning. 

Loki's expression twisted, his mouth pressing into a grim line. In one sharp, sudden movement, he lifted her into his arms, hauling her against him and securing her trembling limbs. His grasp was strong and firm like steel, his touch like a freeze brand on her trembling skin. Despite the heated temperature of the room, the god was surprisingly cold.

One of his hands cradled the back of her head, pressing her cheek against the solid plane of his chest. The sound of his own, steady heartbeat thundered in her ear, setting a balanced rhythm for her to focus on.

It was then that she felt a presence in her head — his presence — familiar and comforting. She heard his voice, whispering words of reassurance and safety, urging her system to relax, to slow its fervor. Cora couldn't comprehend how he was doing it, but within seconds, her body was obeying his nonverbal commands. 

Her heart rate began to slow, her muscles relaxing as her eyes fluttered shut. She was hyperaware of every sensation — his sternum rising and falling with his slow, rhythmic breath, the feeling of his hand running through her hair, his voice murmuring against her hair.

The energy in the room quieted, still buzzing with a low thrum, but now it was far more controlled. More balanced. Almost as if the energy inside of her had soared to respond to him — to match his will.

It felt like forever and no time at all when the trembling finally left her. A sudden wave of fatigue struck, the adrenaline and terror draining from her body, leaving her feeling weak. Cora's eyes were still shut, but she was lucid enough to realize that she was cradled tightly against Loki's Adonis-like form. 

It was strange. Regardless of the fact that he was a criminal — a murderer whom she had only met several hours earlier — she felt safe in his arms. It shouldn't be possible, but as she inhaled deeply, the scent of him filling her nose, she couldn't help the way her heart stuttered in her ribcage.

A soft hum left his lips, the sound low and rumbling in a way that felt like a soothing caress. "It's okay. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you."

His voice was just as soothing as his touch, and despite herself, she relaxed even further. Cora found herself burrowing closer, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Whatever was inside of her purred at the contact. Loki seemed to stiffen momentarily, as though not accustomed to such an intimate notion, but he didn't stop her. Instead, his arm tightened around her waist, keeping her in place.

The scent of him was intoxicating. She unconsciously inhaled again. He smelled like a cool ocean breeze; like a pine forest, like leather and smoke and winter air.

"Loki?" The moment snapped altogether when a distinctly male voice cut through the air like a knife.

Cora jumped in Loki's arms, immediately pulling away. She whirled around toward the doorway, finding it now occupied by a familiar face.

"You... you're Thor..." She whispered, unable to hide the awe in her cadence.

The thunder god raised a single eyebrow, his features both surprised and wary. He was even more massive in person, his shoulders nearly the size of three of her put together. His eyes flicked briefly to his brother, and then back, attempting to put the pieces of a puzzle together.

Loki didn't move from his position, still watching Cora from where she'd stepped back against the wall.

"Brother." He said after a moment, the word coming across almost as an afterthought. "You're back early."

Thor's eyes narrowed, flickering over both of them. There was no doubt that he was assessing the situation, the tension hanging heavily in the air. He took a step forward, moving deeper into the room, stopping a fair distance away. "She's awake."

"Yes." Loki confirmed simply, his tone matter-of-fact, his eyes locked on his older sibling, watching with sharp precision.

There was a beat of silence as Thor took in the scene. His attention shifted briefly between the two, a thousand questions clearly on the tip of his tongue, before seeming to settle on the most important one first. "What happened?"

Loki was the epitome of a cool composure, completely unrattled by the previous instance. "She had a power surge. Her emotions overwhelmed her ability to control the energy inside of her and it lashed out." 

Thor's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He looked from Loki to Cora, examining the latter as one would inspect a specimen. A flash of concern crossed over his eyes as he took a hesitant step.

Cora visibly flinched, her body recognizing him as an enemy before her brain even had the opportunity to properly dissect the situation. "Is somebody going to tell me what is going on here?"

Thor held up his hands in a pacifying gesture, his countenance melting from curious to one of solace. He lingered in place, clearly picking up on her unrest.

"You're alright." He said quietly, his voice deep and soothing. "We're not going to hurt you."

Cora swallowed, her body still stiff with tension. She glanced from him back to Loki, who remained standing off to the side. He was watching the exchange with guarded eyes, his expression betraying nothing of what he was thinking.

"So you both keep saying." She forced herself to meet Thor again, trying desperately to reign in her emotions. "How is that supposed to make me feel better? I still have no idea why I'm here. Or what you want from me."

The thunder god seemed to consider her words for a moment, appearing to weigh the best way to explain the situation. He exchanged a glance with his brother, a silent conversation passing between the two men.

Loki's face unreadable, his face a calm mask of indifference. He gave a curt nod, his eyes meeting Thor's.

Thor turned back to her, his visage softening ever so slightly. He took another step toward her, carefully keeping his hands raised. "We don't want anything from you. We just want to talk."

Cora couldn't help the scoff that escaped her throat. She pushed herself harder against the wall, desperately trying to make the distance between them greater. The fear was still there, but now there was an inkling of anger beginning to mix in.

Thor seemed to sense her hesitance, and took a small step back. "Please." He said softly, his voice almost a whisper. "Just give us a chance to explain."

Cora bristled at the words, her heart pounding in her chest. She could sense the blonde god's attempt at kindness. It felt genuine enough, but she refused to let herself be taken for a fool again.

"Explain then." She said, her deliverance coming out harsher than she'd intended it to.

Thor didn't seem phased by her inflection, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His eyes were warm and kind, even with the concern that was now etched across his features.

"This might be a bit difficult to comprehend." Thor began, his tone still gentle. "But I need you to keep an open mind, alright?"

Cora could hear the faint edge of pleading in his voice, and against her better judgment, she gave a small, jerky nod.

"Good." Thor nodded, seeming satisfied. He lowered his hands, clasping them slowly in front of him as he continued. "What do you last remember?"

Cora's brow furrowed in thought, her mind grasping to find the last clear memory she had. The latter several hours were a blur of confusion and torment. She remembered the strange feeling of power building inside her, like she had been burning from the inside out. And before that...

"Loki was in my head." She said finally, her voice trembling as the recollections started to come back in serrated fragments; her head clearing the calmer she became. "He told me what S.H.I.E.L.D. did — how they injected me with... his blood..."

An odd expression flickered across Thor's face, there and gone again in an instant. There was something in his eyes, something deep and almost surprised, but he pushed it back, a forced smile appearing instead.

"That is partially correct." His voice was just a bit strained as he answered, a suggestion of something strained hidden beneath the words. "For the last year, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been developing a serum comprised of my brother's genetic material. That is what they gave to you."

A serum...

The words hit Cora like a slap in the face, the truth slowly starting to sink in.

She had been used as a test subject  —  had been transformed against her will, experimented on by people whom she thought she could trust. And h er father—

Cora's breathing began to turn ragged, alarm once again taking hold. But her curiosity overpowered it, a question flying from her mouth.

"Why?" She hated how small and weak she sounded.

Thor's appearance softened, as if he could sense the emotions warring within her — yet Loki's presence in her mind was firm, keeping her equilibrium under control. "S.H.I.E.L.D. believed the serum would give your body the ability to withstand an incredible amount of power. But they underestimated the potency of the blood of a god — the effect it would have on a mortal body."

For a moment, Cora didn't know how to respond, the information settling heavily upon her shoulders. She had been treated like a lab rat, a research project for a government agency she had once placed her faith in; an agency that she'd practically grown up in. And now, the consequences of their actions were coming back to haunt her.

Cora swallowed hard, trying to push down the emotions and newfound power that was threatening to rise up once more. "And how, exactly, does all of this involve him?" Her gaze flicked briefly to Loki, her lips turning into a hard line.

Thor's expression turned grim for a moment. There was an unspoken understanding there, a silent language that she couldn't quite interpret.

"I asked for his aid." He answered after a heartbeat, eyes returning to meet hers. "We knew there was a possibility your new abilities would threaten to overpower you, and Loki is the only one who can understand what you're experiencing; the only one who has the knowledge to help you control them."

Cora's head snapped to look at the dark-haired god, still standing motionless by the bed. "That's how you were able to calm me down, isn't it? Even now..."

Loki's features were unreadable, but he nodded ever so slightly. "Yes. My magical essence runs through your veins. As long as I am present, it will react to my proximity, and I will have the power to stabilize the energy inside of you. To keep your emotions from overflowing."

His words only made the disquiet within her grow. If Loki was keeping her stable, it meant all of her emotions — good and bad — were reliant on his control. He currently held power over her, whether he realized it or not.

Cora let out a shaky breath, the reality of the situation settling upon her. "So... if he leaves, there's a chance that I could..." She couldn't bring herself to voice the thought, but the two men understood her unspoken question.

Loki gave a curt nod, his expression remaining stoic as ever. "Yes. If left unchecked, the energy inside of you would eventually burn you from the inside out."

Thor looked almost pained at the confirmation, his expression solemn as he studied her expression. He spoke again, his voice soft as if he were addressing a wounded animal. "That is why Loki and I brought you here — to help you learn to control your emotions and your power. At least, for the foreseeable future."

Cora couldn't help but laugh, the sound almost hysterical. She was a prisoner, a test subject — a ticking time bomb.

The knowledge was terrifying, but what scared her most was how she didn't even know whether to fear or trust them. She felt paralyzed as the two gods assessed her every movement. She wanted to run, to scream, but she forced herself to remain still. 

"And where exactly are we?"

"Underground. Somewhere safe away from S.H.I.E.L.D. and its penchant for needles. More specifically, my bedchamber." Loki's voice cut through the haze of panic knotted in her chest.

Cora's focus snapped toward him, her composure a mixture of surprise and bewilderment. "Your bedchamber?" She repeated, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking.

Loki gave a slight shrug, crossing his arms casually as though the fact was a mere afterthought.

"Yes." He said simply. "I created this place all those months ago when I first came to your realm. It is deep enough below ground to keep us concealed from mortal eyes and well as protected enough to prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. or anyone else with monitoring equipment from getting a proper reading this far beneath the surface. It's eminently more secure than any other location. And yes, my bedchamber."

There was a certain nonchalance to the way Loki spoke, as if he were used to casually dropping life-altering information. His expression remained cool, as if the situation were no more than a minor annoyance. Cora knew better than to believe that facade, though. Those sharp eyes of his took in every minute detail, clever and cunning and astute. She had a feeling she was a puzzle for him to solve, a mystery to unravel.

"There's still something I don't understand." Cora said, looking at Loki. "How are you here? On Earth?"

There was an almost imperceptible narrowing of Loki's eyes; so brief that only someone who was studying him intently would be able to notice the change.

He tilted his head to the side like a curious panther, a mocking smile curving his lips as he answered. "The All-Father, at my dear brother's behest, banished me to Midgard as punishment for my crimes."

Thor's expression tightened, a shadow passing over his expression in response to Loki's words. He spoke before Cora could, his tone firm and defensive. "I thought that exile would—"

"Punishment." Loki cut him off, his tone low and almost bitter. "Let's not sugar coat it for her, shall we? It was a punishment." His eyes scrutinized Cora with Machiavellian precision. She stayed silent as he continued. "Eight months I've been on this forsaken planet, stripped my Æsir — my source of power — and left me to fend for myself."

Thor clenched his jaw, his expression tightening. The tension between the brothers was so thick it could be lacerated with a knife. 

Loki was still observing her acutely, his attention snapping to his brother momentarily before returning. The hint of a mocking smile still played at the corner of his lips, as though he was amused by the entire situation. "As you can imagine, I was not happy about it. Not that anyone bothered to ask my opinion of course."

"So, you've been here on Earth? All this time?" Cora inquired.

There was a slight twitch of his jaw, as though he'd been hoping she wouldn't ask that very question. He didn't respond for several moments, his eyes darting briefly to Thor, before he finally nodded. "Yes."

His gaze returned to hers, holding it like a cat surveying a mouse, his stare utterly penetrating in the dim light of the room.

Eight months. Loki had been on their planet for almost an entire year, and they had never even noticed.

S.H.I.E.L.D. would've lost their minds over the notion. And her father... his head would've downright exploded.

He gave her a slow, almost lazy smile — a look that was far too attractive for her comfort — as if he knew exactly what she'd been thinking. For as far as she knew, he had.

Cora tucked a stray curl behind her ear before crossing her arms over her chest like armor, the notion feeling like some semblance of safety in the foreign place she now found herself.

"So... what now?" Her voice sounded alien, even to her own ears. "You two keep me locked up in this place and try to teach me how not to burn up from the inside out?"

"It's not ideal." Thor said from where he stood, his voice taking on a reassuring tone, appearing to have sensed the trepidation radiating from her. "But it's the best plan we have. At least until we can figure out how to extract the serum and prevent further damage to your system."

"And until then, I will teach you how to control your abilities." Loki continued where his brother had left off, his voice as smooth as silk, yet no less serious. "Before they wrest control of you."

Chapter Text

Cora

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She'd been awake for hours, staring up at the ceiling, her body feeling oddly calm while her mind raced like a jittery horse, trying to make sense of the information she'd been flooded with.

Following the aftermath of her nearly bringing down the entirety of the tunnel system designed to keep her safe, Loki had suggested she allow her body to rest after the build up of magic. Cora didn't refute him; her limbs had begun to feel shaky as if from overexertion — not physical, she realized — but from whatever power of the god's now lay simmering inside of her.

But sleep hadn't come when she needed it. Instead, she went limp on the mattress and zoned out, trying desperately to keep herself in check; to allow herself to spiral out of control over her new reality. Not that Loki would enable her to. His presence in her mind had lessened, but he was still there, like a phantom in the back of her subconscious.

Cora lay silently, concentrating and failing to calm her racing thoughts, her eyes tracing the patterns of the intricate ceiling molding. It was like trying to control an untethered whirlwind.

Even with her eyes shut and her breathing even, she mentally didn't feel tired. Instead, it was like her brain was wired on a deranged amount of caffeine, or — she considered with a bitter twist of her thoughts — like the aftermath of an adrenaline high. Either way, her body was heavy and strained while her head was rearing to call for action.

There was still so much she couldn't comprehend. Where exactly she was. The extent of what had happened. How her emotions were inextricably bound to the otherworldly current that presently coursed through her veins.

She felt harrowingly unstable — the lack of control over her mind and her own body was a jarring sensation. She felt as if she were on the precipice of an escarpment with only a ribboning tether tied around her midsection; her current safety bearing at the mercy of two Norse gods. In the heartbeat of a moment, her life was suddenly reliant upon Loki's mental abilities to stabilize her volatile magic surges.

For several minutes, she remained motionless on the mattress, listening to the excruciating hum of silence in the room. But as the minutes stretched into more, she became increasingly restless within her own skin.

She needed to get up — to move around. To distract herself from the ticking time bomb surging through and transmuting the entity of her very constitutional makeup.

Cora rose from the bed with a sigh, trying to ignore the way her limbs felt weak and tremulous. The room abruptly seemed stifling.

She crossed the large expanse of the quarters silently, longing for a curtain to draw back. It had felt like eons since she'd experienced moonlight on her skin, since she'd seen her surroundings cast in its silver gleam. It had become a comforting habit she'd formed whenever her adoptive father was away. Staring out into the unknown, studying the darkened landscape beyond the window — it always served to soothe her; forced her brain into some semblance of calm.

But if Loki and Thor were to be believed, they were underground — deep under. There were no windows and very little light other than the sentient torches on the wall.

Cora paced the length of the room, her bare feet silent against the polished stone floor. The air was thick with something she couldn't name — anticipation? Magic? Fear?

She stopped abruptly in front of one of Loki's bookshelves, running her fingers along leather-bound spines. Most were written in a language she didn't recognize — Asgardian script curling like ivy across their covers.

One volume, in particular, stood out. Its cover bore intricate silver filigree that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles. Without thinking, Cora pulled it from its place on the shelf and turned toward what little light there was near an ornate chair by an empty hearth. As she traced a finger absently over the embossed title, the words and letters began to rearrange themselves.

The Art and Science of Illusion.

Cora gaped at the ancient tome for several long seconds before compulsion settled her into its depths. The compendium smelled faintly like leather and something smoky. She opened to a random page at mid-volume, the words organizing efficiently into English just as the title had.

She could read Asgardian. And who knew how many other languages. Whether it was a side effect to having Loki's DNA inside of her, she didn't know. Instead, she eagerly soaked up every word she could.

Illusion is not merely trickery or sleight-of-hand; true mastery involves weaving threads so fine they become indistinguishable from reality itself. Her lips moved silently as she read another passage aloud under breath. To create convincing illusion requires understanding fundamental truths of nature before distorting them artfully.

The words blurred slightly before sharpening again. As she read, her newfound understanding flowed with her. The text shifted from Asgardian to English whenever her eyes danced across the parchment, then back to Asgardian again whenever they moved on.

She became so involved with the text, so engrossed in the words, that she failed to notice when the door quietly opened near the back of the room, the soft hush of movement nearly imperceptible to her.

Loki stood just beyond the threshold, watching her read. He didn't announce his presence, his gaze following the way her finger trailed across words on the page. A small, almost fascinated, smile played upon his lips. She didn't sense him immediately — too lost in the intricate descriptions of illusion magic. But then a whisper of warmth brushed against her mind, and she knew.

"Loki." Cora swiftly looked up sheepishly, as though she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. "I'm sorry, I — I didn't intend to snoop, it's just—"

Loki's smirk widened as he stepped fully into view. He leaned one shoulder casually against a bookshelf nearby — close enough that she could feel his presence more clearly now; that familiar hum underlining everything about him resonating through their shared connection.

"There's no need to apologize for curiosity. I was rather enjoying watching you." He said lightly before nodding toward the large tome balanced across her knees. "Though I must say, your knowledge is alarmingly advanced for someone not Asgardian in origin."

Cora's cheeks warmed slightly, despite herself, when meeting those sharp eyes again. She fidgeted beneath their weight as he continued to study her. The air between them crackled faintly, like electricity. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"It's like I've known the language my entire life." She murmured, looking down at the book once more, finding herself unable to stop the words that tumbled from her mouth. "I don't know why I can understand it. But I read it — as though it was—"

"English?" He finished for her, amusement lacing his voice as he began to stalk toward where she sat. The movement was like that of a big cat, an elegant panther sauntering with all the lethal grace of a predator.

"Yes." She nodded tentatively. Her body tensed ever-so-slightly as he neared. Every fiber within her seemed to thrum in anticipation, hyper-aware of everything that was Loki, the sudden closeness almost dizzying.

He stopped directly in front of her chair, standing over her like some sort of regal shadow in the low light of the room. Cora could make out every detail of his expression, from the slight widening of his pupils to the slow twitch of his Adam's apple. He was too near now, invading her space, filling her senses.

Loki hummed noncommittally, his gaze roaming over the tome before returning to her face. There was a certain quality of intensity to his expression; as though he were dissecting her on the spot. He reached out, fingers brushing against hers as he took the book from her hands. His touch was cool and electric; a contradiction that made her pulse jump.

"Your mind is adapting to my essence." He murmured, flipping through pages with an almost reverent motion. "As time goes on... you'll find more of my dexterity awakening in you."

His thumb traced over an illustration of illusion magic before snapping the book abruptly shut.

Cora felt a fervent fascination to know more. The Asgardian text on illusions seemed to have opened up a cavern, and now, she was itching to learn all there was to know about Loki and the strange potential now evolving within her.

"What sort of abilities?"

He chuckled quietly. There was a subtle shift in his expression, an almost playful edge to his tone. "I have quite the repertoire."

In an elegant, fluid motion, Loki settled on the arm of the chair, his hip nearly brushing against her shoulder. The close proximity of him was even more distracting now; the sudden nearness made it difficult to focus. The air was thick with his scent — something cool like ozone, mixed with the woodsy notes of pine and mint that seemed to cling to him like a second skin.

"Shapeshifting for one." Loki mused. "Illusions — creating convincing images that feel as real as anything else. It all stems from my power over the mind."

"Like how you were able to enter mine?" Cora asked.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Precisely. The brain is a rather extraordinary tool — you can train it to accomplish tasks and attain heights believed outlandish or implausible. It's the focal point of a deity's power."

Her eyes widened as she processed his words.

"Illusions? Shapeshifting?" Cora trailed off, staring down at her hands. Memories of her father's anecdotes from the war a year prior echoed through her head — the sheer breadth of Loki's prowess.

"To a moderate extent. You won't be able to summon or shift at the snap of a finger, but you'll be able to make small enough changes, if you concentrate enough." Loki clarified. "Then again, none of it will matter if you cannot first learn to control your emotions or thoughts."

He lifted a brow, his gaze shifting from her hands back to her eyes. "And that is where your first lesson will begin."

Before she could even ask another question, Loki reached down, his long fingers held out, slightly curled as he made accommodations to fit her much smaller one. Cora simply gawped at the appendage before her eyes snapped back up.

"Now?"

Loki chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No, dove. Your training will start tomorrow; once your body has had enough time to rest and recover. I was going to offer you something of nourishment, maybe take you on a tour about the compound to get you out of this room — but if you don't want to—"

"Please—" She said quickly, almost leaping to take his proffered hand. She had to fight a sharp inhale as his cool skin met her own. His touch was startling, almost stone-like in temperature, nearly fitting perfectly in hers. His thumb absently stroked her pulse point.

Her brain went fuzzy. Loki's touch was like a livewire, sending waves of something inexplicable throughout her entire body.

The trickster god watched the way her eyes darkened, how her breath hitched. He didn't pull away — if anything, his fingers tightened just slightly around hers.

"Do you feel that?" He asked, voice low and dangerous as the pad of his finger traced slow circles against her skin. "Your power is drawn to me. That shudder of electricity — it's amplified by its original source."

Cora swallowed hard. Every nerve in her body was singing under his touch.

She nodded, words dissolving in the wind. It was like being on the receiving end of lightning; her skin tingled in its wake. She couldn't help but wonder if he felt it like she did. If the energy between them was driving him insane, making the air between them heavy and thick like honey.

"I feel it." She finally managed, words breathy and quiet.

A hint of a smile played at the corner of Loki's lips, his gaze narrowing. The look was shadowed, sending a thrill racing down Cora's spine.

"Come." His pitch was low in resonance as he tugged softly on their joined hands. He tilted his head slightly toward hers so their gazes locked again — silvery green holding an almost hypnotic allure over cyan. "I imagine you're hungry."

Cora's stomach chose that exact moment to betray her, letting out an embarrassingly loud growl. She flushed immediately, but Loki merely smirked, as if the sound had confirmed something he already knew to be factual.

He gently helped her to her feet, guiding her toward a door on the far side of his chambers. His fingers remained intertwined with hers; wintery against her heated skin in a way that should have been unsettling, but instead felt... grounding.

The corridor beyond was dimly lit by floating orbs of light that pulsed faintly like fireflies caught in jars. Cora barely had enough time to admire them before being pulled along again, though not without resistance on her end, as they passed room after room filled with all sorts of strange and alien looking technology.

Loki seemed to sense her hesitation. "We'll have plenty of time for exploration later."

The pair ducked down another dim hall until it opened up into an expansive cavern. The underground chamber was filled with what appeared to be military-level machinery and equipment. Cora marveled at the array of electronics, recognizing the proverbial eagle symbol on the side of several of the contraptions.

"Why is there S.H.I.E.L.D. tech here?" Her words came out almost accusatory.

The moment she spoke, Loki's jaw clenched, his grip on her hand tightening almost imperceptibly. His gaze flickered briefly to her face before his expression became carefully controlled once more.

"Where else would I have hid an army?" He answered, the hint of a frown marring his features.

A sense of dread began to take root within Cora's stomach; her brain beginning to whirl, her thoughts tumbling into a torrent of questions. "You hid here? But... how?"

"When I first came to your realm, I established this place as a base of my own. To hold prisoners and weapons. To have somewhere for those under my command to work as they needed to." Loki said simply, giving a sweeping gesture around the room. He pulled her further into the massive chamber, keeping a firm grasp on her hand as though he sensed her reluctance to continue.

"An underground network built into an abandoned mine in the middle of nowhere." His voice was a low murmur, his eyes taking in her reaction. "Perfect for keeping items of value out of enemy hands."

She nodded numbly, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place. But the full picture still wasn't quite forming. "Like Tesseract tech."

A muscle in Loki's jaw twitched. 

"Not just Tesseract tech." He said after a beat, voice carefully measured. "Anything that could be used against me or my allies."

Cora swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very small standing there amidst all of this hidden force and weaponry.

Something like... her?

"So... all those months before New York when S.H.I.E.L.D. was searching for you, this is where you were hiding out?" Her question was barely above a whisper now; cautious like one might tread near an open flame.

Loki didn't answer right away, instead he tilted his head slightly, studying Cora with severity. His silence made everything more ominous than she already felt it was. He exhaled soundlessly through his nose, his grip on her hand loosening; a concession to reassure rather than restrain.

"Yes," he admitted at last, voice like silk-wrapped steel. "While your government chased ghosts and shadows above ground... I orchestrated my victory from beneath it."

The confession hung between them — heavy with unspoken implications. Cora's pulse spiked as she processed what that meant.

Every failed S.H.I.E.L.D. raid, every missing agent report, every casualty... had been by his design.

"And what about since the war ended? Is this where you've been? Why we had no idea you were still here on Earth?"

Loki's smirk was razor-thin, his grip tightening around her fingers just enough to remind her of his power thrumming beneath his skin. "The All-father wanted a quiet expulsion. Thor was the only one privy to the scope of my punishment. I was expected to lie beneath the radar; stay taciturn and hidden. I was forced to watch as the humans celebrated their hollow victory... as your beloved S.H.I.E.L.D. took credit for my defeat."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles — a mockery of tenderness as he led her past a selection of disconnected computer monitors.

"How you can still refer to yourself as one of them is beyond me, dove." Loki scoffed. "When the very people you claimed to trust were the same who barely batted an eye over using one of their own as little more than a lab rat."

"Stop calling me that." Cora tugged her hand free, feeling the loss of connection like a jolt to the bloodstream. "And you have no idea why they did what they did to me. Director Fury—"

"You mean your father?" Loki raised a challenging eyebrow. "Yes, pet, I know about that."

It was her turn to go rigid. Her heart thumped wildly, a panicked rabbit caught in the sights of a hunter.

"How?" She all but squeaked. Her face paled as the shock and implications settled in with a sickening thud.

Loki tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You didn't think my brother and I would relieve you from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s care without scouring their database, did you?" He stepped towards her, eyes glinting like knives.

He was too close now. So close, his proximity invaded the very air around her — made it difficult to think straight. He smelled of something dark and sweet, like smoke and pine, filling her senses as it swirled around them like a haze.

His intensity pinned her in place, sharp and calculating. A smirk still danced on his lips, as if relishing her reaction.

"I know your every secret, little one." His voice was low and dangerous, sending shivers running down her spine. "Your adoptive father's identity, your childhood, your training... everything."

"That's not possible." Cora shook her head in denial. "He scrubbed every detail regarding my primary caregiver from the database. There should have been no trace leading back to him, unless... you saw it in my memories..."

Loki's smirk deepened, a glimmer of triumph flashing in his gaze. "Clever girl."

Their bodies were nearly touching. His voice became a low hum, his breath stirring the air between them like a storm.

He lifted a hand to her chin, tilting it so their eyes met; trapping hers with a look that was simultaneously cold and curious, his touch just as sharp as it was gentle. "If you're worried I might betray you, don't be. I'd rather your true identity stay under wraps for as long as possible."

"Why? What do you gain from all of this?"

"If your secondary lineage is discovered, it will be a one way ticket for your dearest father's enemies to crawl out of the shadows. And I have no doubt he has many; present company included." Loki crossed his arms leisurely. "As for what I hope to gain — I want to eradicate what they stole from me. The power of a god in your government's hands would be chaos; and not the sort I usually enjoy."

Cora stared at him, trying to decipher every nuance in his expression. Was this a trick, or did he really mean what he said? The thought that Loki could hold the power to rid her of this new, unwanted energy in her veins was a tantalizing thought.

"Do you truly believe that it's possible?" She asked cautiously.

He shrugged, looking every bit the trickster prince he was. "As I said earlier, the mind is a remarkable tool. I suppose if we manage to sustain your power long enough to extend your lifespan, it will allow me to study the compound within you."

Before she could even respond, the hand on her chin shifted, his thumb trailing over her bottom lip, sending electricity down her spine. "Though, to do so, you will need to trust me. Do you think you'll be able to do that, dove?"

The touch was distracting; sending a jolt of heat through her. Her eyes tracked to follow the path of his fingertip as it skimmed over her lip.

She swallowed hard, forcing her gaze back up to meet his. She could see a new emotion now — something else. Something more like fascination, as if he was studying her reaction; mapping each hitch in her breathing and the flutter of her pulse.

"Trust you?" She echoed, her voice softer than she wanted. "Why should I?"

A sneer still played at the edge of Loki's mouth. He closed the remaining few inches between them. Despite the chill of his skin, she could feel the heat radiating from his imposing frame. He traced his thumb once more along her jawline, the callouses on his fingers rough against her cheek, the gesture intimately tender to belong to someone so dangerous.

"You and I have more in common than you may realize." His voice was low and sensual as it curled against her ear. "I assume you want this power extricated just as fervently as I?"

Cora couldn't deny how his proximity and the congenial way he was conversing with her made the backs of her knees tremble ever so slightly. She found herself struggling to keep her breathing steady, her thoughts churning like a hurricane.

She forced herself to remain focused. He was dangerous — not to mention a liar; there was a likely chance his proposal was merely a ruse.

Despite her mind's warnings, though, Cora's body betrayed her. Her pulse quickened as his breath ghosted over her ear, leaving a shiver in its wake. She swallowed thickly, forcing her voice to come out strong — just like her father had always taught her. "Yes. I do."

Loki's smirk deepened in victory. His hand slid from her face to cradle the back of her neck, fingers tangling in soft curls as he pulled just enough to tip her eyes up.

"Then we have an understanding." His voice was a velvety whisper against the shell of her ear. "You follow my lead... and I'll make sure you don't burn out before dawn."

He stepped back then — too soon, too sharp — and turned toward a darkened archway leading deeper into the compound.

"But first," he glanced over his shoulder with keen eyes that saw soul deep and beyond, "let's get something in that rebellious stomach."