#midgard. it’s ancient history that’s bleeding out of me.

[victoriousfidelity]

tag drop, 10/10.

[acciotherapists]

Far From Home (Chapter 54: Jealousy)

Loki x Reader

Y/n Y/l/n never thought her past would come back to find her. After all who would look for her on Midgard? But one day in the small town of Puento Antiguo her world is turned upside down when an old friend turns up, threatening everything she has built and the people she’d fought so hard to protect. What happens when the life she left behind finally catches up with her? What happens when the old flame she thought had burned out reignites within her?

Warnings: language (sorry, Steve), eventual smut (slow burn), angst, some mentions of torture (most things won’t be detailed but anything that gets a bit more specific will be warned at the beginning of the chapter)

Wong led us to a few spare rooms as my mind raced with fear. Had I caused this? Had I brought this about by bringing the Maximoffs back with us? Maybe Hydra should’ve just killed me.

Wong reminded us when dinner took place before leaving us to talk and closing the door behind him.

Wanda crossed her arms over chest, taking a seat near the window as Loki and Tony turned to me.

“You want to explain what’s going on here?” Tony asked.

He must’ve seen the confused look on my face as he rolled his eyes and spoke again. “What this place is? Who that man was? Why you seem so afraid? Why the little witch over there hasn’t said a word? Your apparent history with a student here? Any of the above?”

I rolled my eyes. “First of all he was 26 when we met. Calling him a student makes it sound weird.” I shuddered. “This is Kamar-Taj. I came here when I first escaped Hydra. I’d heard of it being a safe place for people who had nowhere to go. They set me up with my first home and my first identity: Zoe. The Ancient One also put me in contact with Alex, who’s been able to get me new identities if I need to run… which has happened occasionally. Alex never asked questions and the Ancient One trusted her… so I did too. I met Stephen Strange when I was living in New York and we sort of became friends. He didn’t ask questions, which I liked, he was decent at conversation, and it was good to have a doctor in your arsenal if the need ever arose… which it did.”

Loki raised a brow and I explained.

“Alex was meeting me at our old spot when one of Hydra’s soldiers found us. She got shot in the shoulder and was losing a lot of blood. She was barely in her 30s then. I killed the soldier but since I couldn’t use my magic… she was bleeding out. I called Stephen and he was only a few minutes away having a coffee… He saved her life that day.” I looked toward the door, lost in the memory. “He didn’t ask questions. He knew there were things I couldn’t talk about and he didn’t push the issue. I thought Alex would hate me after what happened that day but she was grateful to Stephen and I… And I guess she finally understood why I was running.”

“Were you two ever… together?” Loki asked and I shook my head.

“I never saw any point in starting a relationship when I knew I’d always be on the run… besides I never really got over a certain childhood friend.”

He smiled softly. “But if you weren’t on the run…?”

“The answer would’ve been the same. Stephen and I just worked as friends. He was more of a brother to me and I never saw him as anything more than that.”

“But did he see you as a sister?”

“Of course he did.”

“That’s not what it looked like.”

His voice seemed almost cold and I sighed, breaking his gaze as my eyes settled on Wanda. Her hands were glowing faintly as they clasped her arms in front of her chest. Her knees were pulled to her stomach and her gaze was lost out the window.

“Shit.”

Loki turned to see what I was looking at as I rushed over to Wanda. I wanted to hug her but I feared it may startle her so I sat in front of her. 

“Wanda…”

She didn’t move.

I cautiously placed my hand over hers. I expected her to jump but she simply turned and looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.

“W-what am I?”

“My friend.” I squeezed her hand. “You are Wanda Maximoff. You are an incredible young lady who saved my life.” I took her hands in mine but we quickly pulled away as they glowed purple and the room shook around us.

“Norns,” Loki whispered, looking between the two of us. “It’s both of you.”

I rushed to explain. “No! W-we’ve hugged before! I’ve held her hand before and it’s never done that.” I feared what they would do to her if they learned the truth. It was bad enough she was working for Hydra. If they knew she was the Scarlet Witch… I feared what they would do.

“The magic… it’s the same as in the photo.”

“Loki,” I warned as the glow in Wanda’s hands grew brighter.

There was a loud knock on our door and Tony opened it to see Wong rush into the room.

“Is everyone alright in here?”

I looked at him confused. “We’re fine. Wong, what’s going on?”

“There was just an Earthquake of some sort… but only this wing felt it.”

His eyes found Wanda’s glowing hands, widening as he looked around the room.

“Y/n… what have you brought here?” He shook his head sadly.

“It’s not what you think! I didn’t know! She’s a good kid, Wong. She’d never hurt anyone.”

“The Ancient One once said that about Kaecilius… and he nearly destroyed our reality.”

A small sob escaped Wanda’s lips.

“That’s enough, Wong,” I hissed as an icy wind flooded the room. I turned to Loki.

“What do you need, darling?” he asked softly.

“I- I can’t touch her… I can’t hold her. I need you to hold her… if she’ll let you.”

He nodded. “Of course, my love.” He cautiously approached Wanda. “Hey, little witch.” He placed a hand on her arm and she looked up at him.

“We’re still here for you, little witch. We’re not going anywhere.”

“It’s me, Loki… I’m the Scarlet Witch.”

“And Y/n is the Sapphire Witch. We love her all the same. If she could hug you right now she would but we can’t risk another quake. We have to get your emotions in check, yeah?”

She nodded and I smiled at their interaction. He was treating her like family, which was what she needed in this moment. She needed to know we weren’t going to turn our back on her. He held her hands and the glow slowly dissipated.

Now that I knew she was okay I needed to get answers.

“Stay with her. I need to do something.”

Loki furrowed his brow but nodded nonetheless and I left the room, Wong following closely behind. 

“Y/n, what are you going to do?”

“I have to make a phone call.” I turned to him. “I need you to get me all the books you can on the history… and potential future of the Scarlet and Sapphire Witches.”

He nodded. “Of course. I shall have them brought to your room. Anything else?”

“No need. I’ll take them in the library.”

He nodded and I pulled out my phone, dialing Pietro.

*********

Taglist: @nelachu2423 @purplekitten30@lokisprettygirl22@midnights-ramblings@huntress-artemiss@lokis-little-love @lokis-tigress @the-archangel-in-asgard@crimson25@thedistractedagglomeration

[fanfic-collection]

Loki x Reader: Apocalypse - Ch 9

I'm running out of chapters that I've written, uhoh. Looks like I have hunker down and really write again.

-

You looked at Loki, then back to Tony, then did a double take and winced, “Surprise?”

“Honestly, this would happen to me.” Tony shook his head. “Really. I was having a relatively normal day in the face of an apocalypse, and now my cousin shows up with one of the Asgardians. Great. We haven’t seen Thor in ages, and just, boom. Out pops Loki. That is absolutely what I needed.” Tony started nodding as he spoke. “So what are you doing here Rock of Ages? Are you behind this weather? Global conquest, being a little shit, just ruining humanity’s day, killing for fun,” Tony held out his hand towards you, “What is that thing on his neck, did you capture him? Why are his eyes covered? Good job if so.”

“Well if you took a minute to stop talking, he could answer you.” You replied coolly.

“Is that thing on his neck the reason you wanted the cutter? Because nope, no thank you, whatever it is, it’s staying on. It looks like it’s,”

Loki stepped forward and pulled off the gauze. It wasn’t a normal step, it was a threat.

Tony looked at him and his Ironman gloves came on, hands at the ready, “Back off, I will shoot.”

“Has it occurred to you,” Loki sneered, “that things have not changed between myself and humanity since we last saw each other?”

Tony blinked taking in Loki’s eyes, “Uh, what’s up with,” he waved his hand in front of his own eyes.

“I wouldn’t know.” Loki replied, his voice colder than the outside, “I can’t see.”

“That’s part of why I asked you to come.” You piped up timidly.

Tony looked between the two of you, confusion scrambling his features.

“Please can I have the cutter?” You asked, reaching your hand out towards Tony, “look at him, those spikes are digging into his skin, he’s bleeding constantly.”

“Maybe he deserves it.”

Loki rolled his red eyes. “Oh yes, my loving father, torturing me continuously, I’m sure you would agree given your history with your oh so wonderful father.”

Tony clenched his jaw, “What do you know about my father?”

“I know a great many things about all of the Avengers. You will recall my time on Midgard when…” Loki paused and picked at his hand, “I was not quite myself.”

Tony laughed sarcastically, “Yea, we remember.”

You interjected, “And we also remember how you heroically died trying to kill Thanos.”

Loki looked up from the vague direction of his palm where he had bowed his head slightly, his blank eyes searching for your voice.

“And all the other Avengers are no saints by their own standards either, they’ve had their crimes they’ve committed in order to do good, or to come back from it and turn their lives around. Surely everyone deserves a second chance, no?” You elbowed Tony.

“He’s had his second chance.” Tony grumbled.

“When he died stopping dark elves from invading earth?” You offered.

“Ok, hello, since when are you so knowledgeable in all things Loki?”

“I talked to him, you should try it some time. When he was recovering, asked him about his life. You know, when you ask people about what they’ve been through, really listen, sometimes they share things. You could stand to learn a thing or two about people around you.” You narrowed your eyes at Tony.

Loki stood there unmoving.

“Fine! Fine! Throw in with him, betray humanity, I’ll have nothing to do with it. Take the damned cutter, but we’re hunting you down as soon as I leave. This is the last we speak.”

Loki sighed, “You really are an imbecile, Stark. Is your pride so great?”

“What?” Tony rounded on Loki, pointing a finger at him, though it had no effect.

“The monsters you humans need fear are frost giants. Those are what are hunting you in droves, and if I would stand to guess, I imagine they brought some of their beasts along as well.” Loki replied, crossing his arms.

Tony looked at you then back to Loki.

“That’s the information we were going to give you in exchange for the cutter.” You said, holding your hand out palm up.

Tony slowly set the cutter in your palm. “Expand.”

“Your cousin and I were attacked in a produce store by three of them. I am… not at my best at current, and they got the jump on me. They are also enhanced by some means, their weapons are different than normal Jotun weapons.”

“Which means?” Tony asked.

“That even if I were at my full power, healing my vision wouldn’t be a possibility. They’ve used ancient magicks, magick that goes back into the depths of time. It is very difficult to learn such techniques.”

You furrowed your brow, “Why didn’t you learn it?”

“Surely Doctor Strange would know it then?” Tony asked.

Loki sighed, “I’m very young, it takes centuries to learn and master, one has to commit fully to it. I have been working on other magical practices, so such things fell to the side.”

“You got a physics degree instead of a mathematics?” You offered.

“Essentially.” Loki turned in Tony’s direction. “That half rate sorcerer would not even know of such magick. What he knows is from books, and mostly books on Midgard. No, you need to travel the cosmos to learn this, even if he still had the time stone he would need to know where to travel, where to look, who to ask, what to seek.”

“Oh.” Tony leaned over towards you and muttered, “he’s still arrogant as hell, you really let him sleep with you?”

“Fuck, Tony, we shared a bed, and he can hear you.” You cried out, shoving Tony away. Though you were too busy to notice the pink on Loki’s face.

“Ok so fine, fine. What’s the creepy collar thing for then?” Tony asked.

“I’d rather not say until it’s off,” Loki paused, “If it can be taken off.”

“Fine, god of lies. Have at it, cousin.”

You stepped forward and gripped the collar carefully, looking at Loki’s face intently. Unbidden, Loki’s hand reached up to grip your arm. You could feel his warm breath on your face as you looked up at him. Your eyes lingered on his thin, pale lips, his square chin and sharp nose and cheekbones. Trying not to bite your lip, you whispered, “Do you trust me?”

You could see Loki swallow before he replied, “Yes.”

Pressing the cutter on, you held it to the metal. A thin beam of energy passed between the two prongs at the end of the red tube. The cold metal hissed and screamed as the energy beam pressed against it, your hand vibrating dangerously. Loki reached up and gripped your hand, steadying it.

“Easy, love. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.” Loki murmured, the disappointment evident in his voice.

You pressed against the metal harder. The tool screeched and shook violently, threatening to slide up and down the metal columns of the collar but you held fast with Loki’s help. Your heart pounded in your chest, you knew it was going to give, you just knew it, and you knew if you pressed in on the metal too hard, it would give and your hand would fly through and strike Loki in the throat.

Pulling your hand back, you tried to keep it in place, just enough that the beam would eat through the metal but not move forward. The beam was so bright, you wanted to look away, but you couldn’t, you had to be sure you did this right.

One final ear-wrenching screech and your hand shot forward. Lightning fast, you snapped the tool off, succeeding in only grazing Loki’s throat and leaving a mark resembling a small hickey.

You let out a soft gasp of relief.

Loki pulled his hand away from yours, feeling the broken metal. He had cried out softly at the burn but compared to other pain he had felt, it may as well have been a curling iron. The tool cooled fast for safety reasons. Loki touched the cut part that slid down, one side no longer digging into his throat. With a mixture of giddy relief, he laughed.

Tony leaned around and saw the cut metal, “Well not bad me.” He squinted at the mark on Loki’s neck.

You narrowed your eyes and held up the cutter.

Tony opened his mouth to say something.

You cut him off with an angry look and mouthed, “Don’t.” Then you turned back to Loki, “How are you feeling?”

“I believe as long as it’s on me it’s going to keep working.” Loki sighed, “assuming taking it off even works.”

“Well, hey, even if it doesn’t help, at least you’ll be able to move.”

“Yes, thank you.”

And so the process continued, this time with the one by his chest. You wanted to delay the one under his chin as long as possible since it was so close to skin. Even as fast as you moved, that one would burn the bottom of his throat in a long strip before you could turn it off.

“Can you put like any nanites or something to protect him, Tony?” You asked as you struggled with the lower bar. “The last one is going to be nasty if not.”

“You know? I probably could.” Tony said thoughtfully. “But you owe me.”

“I assume you want to know what this contraption does.” Loki replied dryly.

“Bingo.”

“It makes me mortal.”

“Wait what?” Tony blanched, “Woah now, cousin, wait a minute, I don’t think cutting that off is the right idea.”

The lower bar snapped, the cutter shot forward and just in time you managed to only lightly singe Loki’s armor.

“We had a deal, Tony.” You growled.

“Nonbinding contract, oral agreements aren’t technically legally binding.” Tony replied.

Loki narrowed his eyes, looking slightly to the right of Tony. “Even without my sight and powers I am plenty lethal.”

“Yes well, I like my odds way more if you can’t go around using magic and surviving explosions and like fifty foot drops.”

“Tony! We had a deal!” You slapped Tony’s chest.

Tony looked at you stunned. “Did you just hit me?”

“Loki has been nothing but kind to me throughout the entirety of me knowing him.”

“Minus the murder of eighty-six people in a SHIELD bunker and two-hundred fifty or so people in New York plus billions in property damage.”

“As I recall, the SHIELD bunker was your director’s doing, he was the one playing with the tesseract, attempted to bury me in a last ditch attempt to stop me from escaping, failed and blamed it on me. And while I did hurt some people in New York, I do apologize for that, I wasn’t quite myself but that is neither here nor there. How is your Hulk, did the civilians he traumatized appreciate him? And the chitauri which you by now know wasn’t me. In fact, if the Hulk hadn’t shown up, you might have been better off, given the sheer amount of damage he added to the wreckage.”

Tony opened and closed his mouth pointing a finger at Loki.

“I assure you, whatever gesture you’re making at me is wasted.”

“Fine, you can use my nanites.” Tony grumbled. “You fell hard for this guy, huh?”

“That is none of your business and neither here nor there.” You huffed. As you turned back to Loki, a lingering ghost of a smile stayed on his face.

Then the nanites were on his throat and you began to cut.

[that-buckley-gal]

Welcome to Asgard [Stronger #1]

Stefan and I ended up in a strange place. Not long after we landed, a herd of medieval-looking guards apprehended us. When they first tried to separate us, I went crazy. My adrenaline rushed and I was hyper aware of what was happening.

This ability, so to speak, was one that I had before my powers started coming in before my twentieth birthday and something that I was still trying to master. It was used to incapacitate the guards and take Stefan back.

 I was slightly disoriented when time seemed to resume it’s normal pace but only for a brief moment. I used one of the ropes from one of the other horses to keep Stefan secured to me at all times. I grab my shield and tied that to my back as well before climbing onto a random horse and taking off.

 I’ve never actually ridden a horse before, so I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to pick up on it so easily. The horse continued to trot along, to where I knew not. I didn’t even know where we were and therefore wasn’t in tune to our surroundings.

 Which is exactly why we were caught.

 More guards surrounded us and I said as long as nobody touched me, or tried to take Stefan from me, I would come willingly. One man took the horse’s reins and led us through the forest for a few minutes.

 When we emerged from the forest, I was dumbstruck upon seeing an oddly shaped structure set in the middle of a glorious city. The shock only grew as I took in the beautiful sky.

 Bucky would probably love this, being the science-geek he was.

 Okay, so that big yellow circle is the sun, I believe. Then, that’s the moon on the other side? Wherever we were, I was now certain that we weren’t on Earth anymore.

 Only when I look at my baby, did I take in his silence. I could see he was sound asleep and let out a relieved breathe. As long as he was safe, I would be fine.

 The guards continued on their trek, leading us to the odd palace.

 It was there, on trial, I realized we were doomed.

 The King of Asgard, which is I assume where we were, Odin, was informed of my sudden appearance and brought me here because he assumed I was a threat.

 What kind of threat? He thought I was there to kill his first-born son Thor Odinson, and if not him, then Odin himself.

 I didn’t watch my tone as I alerted to everyone in the courtroom – even though there was only a handful of people – that I had no intentions of murdering anyone. Without being asked, I told the story of how I was sent here in the first place and that if I could be sent back to Earth soon then I’d be thankful.

 The Allfather thought nothing of my story, and thought it a ruse. He sentenced me to life in prison and said that Stefan would be returned to Midgard, Earth, because he was innocent to my crimes.

 Objections from three people in the room – who I later learned to be Odin’s wife Frigga and their sons Thor and Loki – spared me from my fate by declaring I was innocent until proven guilty. After a short while, a man named Heimdall appeared in court and proved my story to be true.

 Odin didn’t seem too pleased by this, but nonetheless released me before calling the court to close. Everyone, with the exception of Frigga, left me where I was. She welcomed me to Asgard and smiled at my baby before escorting me to the room I would be staying in for an indefinite amount of time.

 Not too long after that, I properly met Thor and Loki – my other saviors – and we soon became friends, though I found myself getting closer to Loki. He was to me as Howard was; only he was a little more involved as he took a great liking to Stefan whereas Thor thought Stefan was still too young to be of interest for a great period of time.

 The things that shocked me the most about being in Asgard were the Golden Apples of Idunn; Thor and Loki told me that they were what allowed them to live as long as they do. I was allowed to eat them but the sons of Odin were eager to watch Stefan grow and therefore he wasn’t allowed to eat them until he was about 15, though he opted to refrain from eating them until he was 20 years old in Midgard years.

 Stefan, as he grew, began to show a temperament similar to both Bucky’s and mine combined. This, along with the fact that he was growing up in the palace, meant he was taught to be a warrior. He became an official guard of Asgard after spending an additional 10 Midgard years training with Thor, Loki, and the Warriors Three.

 Loki also spent more time with us after he found out that my abilities, and Stefan’s after turning 20, came from Oerlin – though it was Thor who gave us an interesting history lesson on the planet and how a Titan destroyed it not long ago. The new information caused additional powers to manifest in both Stefan and me as we realized we were part, no matter how small, of an endangered species.

 Our friends all wanted to know the extent of our powers but since Stefan and I were still trying to learn them we couldn’t give them a straight answer yet. They all helped turn us into strong warriors for Asgard. Our lives seemed perfect.

 But of course, nothing lasts forever.

 The time came for one of the sons of Odin to ascend to the throne of Asgard, and as Loki figured, Thor was chosen. I should’ve known then that he was up to something by the way he slowly started pushing Stefan and I away. Figuring he was going through something similar to a midlife crisis, I let him have his space while advising Stefan to do the same.

 On the day of the ceremony, Stefan and I attended the party dressed to the nines. Ladies presented themselves to my son whilst Loki and I supervised. When the time for the actual ceremony came, Loki excused himself and I chased away the girls surrounding my son and we went to stand by Frigga.

 Just before the Allfather could declare Thor as King, he stopped. Sensing danger, Stefan told me to stay with Frigga before leaving with Loki to see where Odin set off to so quickly.

 Later in the day, Stefan came to my chambers and alerted me that Frost Giants managed to break in, hoping to retrieve the Casket of the Ancient Winters. Thor, upset with the Allfather’s wishes to remain neutral, convinced Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three to accompany him to confront Laufey at the Jotunheim about what happened today. Stefan was going because he wanted to make sure everyone returned safely, and to ask me if I wanted to accompany them.

 “As if there’d be any other answer,” I responded before grabbing my vibranium shield and a sword gifted to me by the sons of Odin. Stefan and I then rushed to meet the others.

 The land of the Frost Giants was dark and very cold, and I kept scanning our surrounding area whilst Thor spoke to Laufey about the events that occurred earlier in the day. Their conversation ended with Laufey advising us to leave “while he still allowed it”.

 We would’ve left, had Laufey not insulted Thor. The God of Thunder started the fight by using his hammer to knock Laufey back and away. This caused the Frost Giants to attack, and our group, small but powerful, returned the fight. I mainly shielded myself and tried to make sure that the people in our group didn’t get hurt too badly.

 “Don’t let them touch you!”

 There was so much happening at once and Fandral was wounded.

 “Oh, my… Fandral!” I yell and run over to him. I jump over, slide under, and slice any giant in my way. Loki used his magic to discard of the remaining giant near Fandral before I finally arrived and used my healing power to, at the very least, stop him from bleeding out.

 “We don’t have a lot of time,” Sif yelled.

 “I’ll be quick!” I promised. I pressed my hand against Fandral’s chest, and imagined his skin closing, watching as his skin came together.

 “Run!”

 I looked up in surprise to see a giant creature running towards us.

 “Take him,” I said to Hogun and Volstagg. “He’s not healed but he’s not gonna bleed out! Stefan, go!”

 The seven of us, without Thor, all started running away with the creature quickly closing the distance. Somehow we managed to make it to where we arrived, with Volstagg calling for Heimdall to open the Bifröst Bridge though nothing happened.

 A moment passed and suddenly the creature appeared in front of us. I turned around to see if there was anywhere else we could go only to see Frost Giants approaching us.

 My grip on my sword and shield got tighter when I saw Thor flying overhead, and I watched him go through the creature’s mouth and killing it.

 “Well that solves one problem,” I spoke out loud and the group turned around as well to see the approaching giants. We were about to be overpowered, and most likely killed, when Odin swooped in and saved us.

 After returning to Asgard Odin ordered everyone but his sons out of sight. Sif, Hogun and Volstagg left to take Fandral to a healer while Stefan advised me to return to my room stating that he was going to wait for his uncles.

 Supposedly, after a while, Loki told Stefan that Odin stripped Thor of his power and exiled him to Earth, to live as a mortal. He also sent Thor’s hammer Mjolnir to Earth, and only the worthy would be allowed to wield it.

 Shortly afterwards, Odin fell into a deep Odinsleep, and Frigga feared he wouldn’t wake up again. Loki then assumed the role of King of Asgard and asked Stefan and I to be his personal guards – something we accepted. As such, we were there to witness Loki kill Laufey, who was trying to kill Odin. I wasn’t completely sure how the Frost Giant got there in the first place but Stefan and I both supported Loki when he said that Jotunheim needed to be destroyed.

 The return of Thor with Mjolnir was a definite surprise. In order to stop the desolation of Jotunheim, Thor started destroying the Bifröst Bridge, which caused Loki to attack him. Stefan and I didn’t know what to do as we loved Thor and Loki equally and so we watched the brothers’ fight, hoping that nobody got seriously hurt. He stood on one side and I stood on the other. The fight ended once Thor rested his hammer on Loki, keeping him in place.

 Stefan kneeled by Loki, but didn’t dare try to remove Thor’s hammer, and began speaking to him whilst I remained where I stood, trying to convince Thor that destroying the Bifröst Bridge was going to do more harm than good, something he denied.

 “This is genocide,” he yelled and raised a hand, summoning his hammer. I watched as he hit the bridge several times.

 Loki scrambled to get up, and yelling various things at Thor to try to stop him from destroying the bridge but I realized that Thor was right to do so and so I used my magic to keep Loki and Stefan where they were while Thor continued to break the bridge.

 “What are you doing? Stop him!” Loki yelled.

 “It needs to be done,” I yelled back and saw that Thor was almost finished. With one more hit, the bridge shattered and half of the bridge – the half I was standing on – suddenly flew away from Asgard and into a wormhole.

When I was pulled away with the rubble, my hold on Loki and Stefan let up and both immediately jumped over the bridge. Thor jumped after them and caught Stefan’s foot and Stefan caught Loki’s. I was scared that we’d all get lost in space, until I saw Odin take hold of Thor, keeping them all anchored to the remainder of the bridge.

“I’m sorry!” I yelled, unsure if they could hear me. “Please, take care of my son!”

The last thing I saw before my vision started fading was Loki drifting in my direction, and I closed my eyes praying that I would get lucky a second time and see my friends again.

[thundrpilot]

Marvel Fic Rec 1/∞

Marvel Fic Recs:  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Here’s a link for the entire Masterlist. ( ** =  favorites )

  **Castles in the Air by cosmic_medusa

Word count: 155,058 (34/?)

Summary:  Loki’s first act as King is to collect his banished brother to aid his regency, however brief. Thor discovers that the political landscape is far from what it seemed, and that the lies of Odin have resulted in the threat of both his sons’ safety and sanity. Drama, angst, double-crosses, butchering of folklore and history, and the epic bromance of Asgard’s Princes ensues.

Comments:  ANGST OOH MYYY GAAAAD.

  **Tapestry by Arvensis5

Word count:  35,800 (14/14)

Summary:  While in prison on Asgard, Frigga devises her own punishment for her wayward son – she bestows upon Loki the curse of watching the different pathways of what might have been during the attack on Midgard. In one thread, he accepted the drink from Stark. In another, Stark saved him from death. In every thread, the infuriating mortal captures Loki's attention. Now, every time he closes his eyes, Loki walks the threads of fate that never were and that never will be, and in doing so, he must learn from the past to find the future that Frigga has already foretold from the tapestry of fate.

Comments:  Someone call an ambulance... this fic murdered me. With angst. Definitely one of the best storylines that ever storylined. Everything was so well thought out and it all comes together so well that it leaves you breathless in awe as you realize that you will never read another fic as good as this.

  Unmasked by Jocelyn

Word count:  38,794 (13/13)

Summary:  AU. During that first pivotal fight in Jotunheim, Loki is hit with a poisoned dart. He collapses in the Observatory as Thor is banished, leaving Asgard without any heir and teetering on the brink of war. Now Frigga and Odin face the consequences of their deception, and still-mortal Thor is running out of time to save his brother's life. 

  **Of Wizards and Heroes by storyforsomeone

Word count:  93,821 (22/22)

Summary:  Centuries after that fatal day of the battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter has fallen into legend, a bedtime story parents tell their children, a name whispered around campfires. He wanders the world alone and immortal, until one single reckless moment sends him hurtling into a parallel dimension of heroes and villains. A new enemy arises from an ancient power, and Harry must take a stand as the last wizard to protect this new world. If only SHIELD would stop trying to track him down... and someone could explain what the hell was an 'Avenger' was supposed to be. Honestly, muggles...

Comments:  This is one of the most read fics in the fandom for a reason, I usually don’t go for crossovers most of the time - but this fic sure changed my tune. These universes collide in an interesting, but also kind of an ‘aha!’ way. Anyways, don’t kick it until you try it!

  **those yesterdays bleeding through by wnnbdarklord

Word count:  9,508 (1/1)

Summary:  Loki dies on the desolate plains of Svartalfheim, Thor's howls of grief ringing in his ears. He wakes up on his bed in his cell, where there is no sign of destruction.  -- A time loop fic where Loki gets the chance to fix things on the day the Dark Elves attack Asgard. And another. And another.

Comments:  Gets very dark; read the warnings tags first.

  Project Snowflake by usedupshiver

Word count:  5,509 (1/1)

Summary:  When Howard Stark met his untimely death he left behind a secret project no-one ever knew about.

Comments:  Kinda dark... starting to see a pattern in this list lol

  Ink by ficlicious

Word count:  3,575 (1/1)

Summary:  Bucky's got one goal: to rescue a captured SHIELD agent and get out before the guards realize he's not one of them. Unfortunately, apparently he's also got soulmates, and when their messages and sketches start appearing on his skin, his mission becomes a complicated mess of trying not to get caught covered in their ink.

Comments:  Features Bucky the SHIELD agent. Sequel is Lineart and it is just as funny!

  Occupational Hazard by aloneintherain

Word count:  10,454 (1/1)

Summary:  Peter flaps a hand in the air, grasping for words. All he’s left with is the thought that’s been running through his head all night: “There was this dilapidated building out near Hell’s Kitchen, rotted all the way through, and I kept staring at it and thinking, This thing could go down at the smallest breeze.” Peter gestures at the roof over their head. “Even this apartment could go down easily enough.”

May rubs his hand. “Buildings don’t just collapse, Peter. Did something happen to make you worried about that?”

Peter shakes his head. He doesn’t ever give her details. He doesn’t tell her about the intimate, gnawing kind of horror that came with being trapped beneath a collapsed building and knowing no one was coming to save you; the way it felt like his bones were being ground into the damp cement; how he’d felt small and very soft, and how his thoughts keep going over the components of a building—rusted metals, long nails strong enough to jut through cement—and how that might’ve pierced him if he’d moved wrong, like a fork pulled through slow cooked meats. 

(Peter learns to cope and communicate with the people around him, post-Homecoming.)

Comments:  Everyone loves Peter and wants him to be happy.

  Forged in Sparks by SailorChibi

Word count:  8,562 (1/1)

Summary:  Being kidnapped by Hydra wouldn't be anyone's idea of fun, and that included Shuri. She had no idea what Hydra wanted with her - or with the scruffy, skinny man in the cell right next to her.

Comments:  Gen.

  To Get Lucky by SailorChibi

Word count:  5,500 (1/1)

Summary:  While Steve was running around the world trying to avoid the law, Tony figures out how to save James Barnes.

Steve, in all his narrow-mindedness, does not like that one bit.

  The Sweetness of You by STARSdidathing

Word count:  6,115 (1/1)

Summary:  Loki wasn't affectionate by nature and Tony had gotten used to that. They might have been lovers for two years and might even have loved each other - but they didn't talk about it. Loki simply wasn't into public or even private displays of affection. It was just who he was, and Tony hadn't expected it to change.

Which was why, when his lover surprised him with a hug from behind - in the middle of an Avengers party - Tony was really fucking stunned.

  Marvel Fic Recs:  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Here’s a link for the entire Masterlist.

[valkyrie-echo]

Project Echo, Part 1: Chapter 7 (What Friends Are For)

Part 1 Summary: A long-buried Hydra disaster, a monster in the shadows, a missing child. Eight months after the events of “The Winter Soldier”, Bucky turns himself in to the Avengers on one condition: They must help him find a girl snatched off the streets by Hydra seven years ago. In their quest, the Avengers accidentally unleash a horrifying creature of darkness and shadow, intent on making their quarry its prey.

[Edited: 5/13/19]

Chapter 7: What Friends Are For

"BUCKY, WAKE UP!" Steve roared. 

Bucky's eyes snapped open, but they couldn’t see the room around him. He was trapped in whatever hell his dreams had created. The metal arm was dead, but he threw Steve across the room with his human one just as easily.

He continued to roar and stroke back against unseen foes- demolishing the closet doors- and breaking two fingers- in the process. Bucky’s face was nearly purple, his screams took on an edge of desperation as he struggled. 

His broken fingers were bleeding as he tried to rip away his metal arm. Steve untangled himself from the remains of the dresser and ran back at him, "BUCKY!" 

Thank god he hadn't grabbed the knife sitting by his head.

Thor nearly ripped the front door off its hinges as he ran into the apartment. He dashed around Steve over the ruins of the closet doors and grabbed Bucky's head. Thor lifted the eyelids with his thumbs- only the whites of Bucky's eyes were visible. He cursed and pulled Bucky’s pajamas from around his neck. 

Thor grabbed the healing stone, broke the chain, and threw it out of the room, "JAMES BARNES, YOU MUST WAKE!"

Bucky's screams turned to ragged gasps, and after a moment those faded to whimpers. His eyes opened slowly to see Steve and Thor above him. They moved back and he sat up. He was drenched in icy sweat, cold and shaking. His eyes were bloodshot, his head and throat ached, his arm and hand burned. 

He looked so... scared.

"W-w-what happened?"

"You had a nightmare," Steve was trying to mask his own fear, but failing.

Thor patted Steve on the back and retrieved the butter knife, "I heard the commotion and came to help."

Steve could hear Banner running through the living room, ready to join in the fight if need be. 

How many floors had woken up?

"What did you dream of?" Thor said.

Bucky swallowed hard and pointed to his arm. Banner took one look at the strips of torn, bloody flesh, "I'll get the first aid kit," he vanished.

Thor nodded to Bucky, "The stone helps you remember, but there is no way to control what it will uncover."

Bucky merely hung his head, ashamed. Banner returned with a towel to mop up the blood and a box of medical supplies. Bucky didn't speak, but he scooted out into the room and helped clean and bandage the wounds as best he could. 

When they were done he looked up to Banner and Thor, "I'm sorry," he almost whispered.

"We all have our demons," Banner volunteered, "you've got no reason to apologize."

Bucky looked around the room at the pulverized dresser- the door held up only by one hinge- and the ruins of a splintered chair- Steve had smashed his way in when the screaming began. 

A clock on the wall read 2am. His body was wrecked, weary down to the bone, but he knew he wouldn't sleep again. He was too scared of the dream...

"Would you like to talk about it?" Thor offered.

"No- no. Please, go back to sleep. I'm sorry. Please," he didn't want to be around anyone, he couldn't look weak, they were only helping because they were scared of him.

Steve nodded, taking his hint, "Hey Bucky, two floors down is a library, lots of books on mechanics and bikes and the like, if you want. You were a mechanic once, do you remember that?" 

Bucky nodded, but didn't speak again. Thor pulled Steve towards the door and Banner followed.

"Thank you," he shook hands with both of them as they left the flat. "I'll see if he'd be willing to take something to help him sleep, maybe the doc can give him something in the morning."

"It's no trouble, really," Banner shook his head, "I can't even imagine what he's been through. I'm just glad he's here and not out there somewhere."

Thor put a hand on Steve's shoulder, "May we speak for a moment?"

"Sure," Steve said. He bid goodnight to Banner before following Thor up to his apartment. 

It was very Asgardian- marble floors and lots of large metal furniture draped in unknown furs. Intricate frescoes told tales of ancient battles and fierce hunts. Most of it had been brought from Asgard on Thor's rare visits. He was ready to make Midgard his home. Thor offered Steve a pop tart and they sat in the dining room.

"I know very little about James Barnes," he admitted. "He was a childhood friend of yours, was he not?"

Steve nodded, "Did anyone ever tell you who I was before I became Captain America?"

Thor shook his head, "I have heard Tony make mention of a potion, and I know you are not of this time, but that is all."

"I was this wimpy kid. Small. Always sick, always slow. Even walking up stairs was too hard sometimes. I wanted to be a hero like my father. I wanted friends and adventures, but no one on our street was allowed to play with a sick little kid who couldn't even breathe properly..." 

He lost himself in the memories as Thor struggled to reconcile the person sitting before him with the description Steve gave. 

"I could watch the others have fun, that was it. Bucky was totally opposite- always picking fights, playing pranks, leading the kids in their games. He kind of took me under his wing all of the sudden, I don't know why. I think his mom told him to. When we picked teams he'd make sure I was either on his or leading the other one so we could cheat, and the other kids had to at least make room for me."

"We grew up as close as brothers. My dad died, then my mom, and I was alone. He and his family took me in, gave me somewhere to stay that wasn't full of ghosts."

Steve's smile faded, "When the war rolled around, everyone went to fight. Half the countries were trying to stop this one ruler who was slaughtering innocent people by the millions. My enemy, Red Skull, made new weapons of torture and murder for him," he wasn't sure how much history Thor knew, so he just did his best to explain quickly.

"Bucky was drafted- ordered by our government to fight or go to prison. He told me he'd enlisted, he knew how much I wanted to go, to do my part. No one would give me the chance, so he pretended he was going willingly."

Thor nodded, "It fares better on family and friends if a warrior is at the least believed to have fought of their own volition, especially if they do not survive the battle." Steve nodded, "Was that when you were given the potion?"

"The serum," Steve corrected, Thor tended to make things sound like some sort of fairy tale. "Bucky had just told me he was leaving in the morning. I was angry, I tried lying to the inspectors so they'd take me too. That's when Erskin found me. He was a scientist who fled the war, but he couldn't put his research aside. He wanted to make a super soldier- one man worth ten. His serum created the Red Skull, he thought I'd be more worthy, for some reason."

"Did you fight in great battles?"

"No," Steve laughed, "I was propaganda. They ordered me to make these films where I pretended to kill our enemies. I went city to city getting people to give their money to the government to fund the war. I was made to be a weapon, but they just kept showing me off. If I, with all my abilities, was kept back from the front to entertain them, then maybe the war wasn't as bad as everyone thought."

"My tour took me to the battle lines after a while. I was supposed to give the men hope- rally them, but they hated me. I was a guy who pretended to fight, they were men who'd seen their friends killed doing the real fighting. I found out the men had just lost more than a hundred to the enemy, Bucky was among them."

Thor was concerned, "Is that how he was captured by Hydra?"

Steve kind of half shook his head, "The first time, yeah. Tony's father, Howard, flew me behind enemy lines one night. I broke into the Hydra base where the men were kept. I freed them and told them to blow the place to Hell, they told me Bucky had been taken away with others- and none of them had returned. I only ever found him. He'd been tortured and- though I didn't know it until recently, he'd been given the serum, just like me. His version was rough, unfinished. He was the only one who had survived it."

"After we got back to the camp, I was given my pick of the soldiers I'd saved to form my own team, the Howling Commandos, and lead the war against Hydra. Me, Bucky, and five others. Our leaders were Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, part of the team who made me."

Thor could tell from his expression exactly what Peggy Carter meant to him.

"We lost Bucky near the end of the war, taking Hydra's lead scientist captive. He was thrown out of a train and off a cliff, I couldn't save him. It was so far- I thought he was dead. The most they ever found was his arm. Smashed and ripped apart."

"I went after Hydra, ran us into their nest headfirst and didn't even care what happened, I just wanted revenge. I followed Red Skull into a plane and killed him with the cube- the tesseract. I couldn't stop his bombs from going off, and I wouldn't let him kill anyone else. So I crashed the plane into a dead, barren stretch of ice. That's where they found me, still in the plane, 70 years later."

"I knew you were from another time, but I did not think from so long ago. I am sorry. What happened to James during that time?"

"As far as we know, Hydra captured him, tortured him, and made him the Winter Soldier- an assassin. No one believed he really existed, no one knew he was Bucky. He even shot Natasha once, and walked away," Thor whistled at that, he could not imagine an entire squadron of Asgardians getting the best of Natasha for a second, let alone one human. She was like the Lady Sif- a peerless warrior, "Hydra thought after so long they could send him to kill me, but I think I jogged his memory. He almost killed me, but ended up saving me instead. Hydra lost the Triskellion, he saved my life and fled, and up until a couple days ago I couldn't even find him."

They were silent for a moment, "What was he like when you saved him the first time?"

"He wouldn't look anyone in the eye. He had bad nightmares, most of the men I freed did, and he was darker-angrier. He spent a lot of time alone in the bar near base. But- come to think of it I'd see him with three empty drinks, working on the fourth, and he'd still be sober. That should have been obvious, but I didn't even think Hydra had their own serum. When the Howling Commandos formed, he got better. He was still the guy you'd send in to slit the guard's throats and open the gate, he was good at it, but he laughed and joked around again."

Thor nodded, "I've seen warriors who suffered similarly, as I said. It was a common practice of the Jotun, the frost giants as you call them. They would torture their prisoners and make them fight against their own friends, it was a psychological war, we were able to recapture few. There is always a lingering darkness- they hate what they were made to become, and they let the change fuel them to hunt those they believe created them to enact the very same pain they were forced to feel. It is a dangerous road to head down, that line between friend and foe begins to fade... James Barnes will need you to help him remember who he was, not what he was made to be. He has been hiding from what he's done, punishing himself with this quest. He thinks this girl is the only chance he has for even a small piece of redemption, but if he finds her broken or made into a killer, it will only feed that self-loathing."

"You think we shouldn't help him find her?"

Thor shook his head, "Find her, but be prepared for the consequences when you do, no matter the condition she is in. He cannot rely on her alone for salvation. Like when you liberated him many years ago, you must give him a worthy cause to rally his spirit. Keep reminding him who he was, show him he can find peace once again, and let us help."

Thor counseled Steve as best he could. His mother had been leader once of the Valkyrie battle-maidens, and in their healing halls they kept the soldiers changed by the Jotun. She'd taught him much of the consequences of war, he had just been too stupid to take her words to heart until very recently. He remembered one of the most important parts suddenly.

"Steve Rogers, you look as if you fair little better than your friend. You must also keep in mind you are just as supported in this endeavor as he. We may not all get along, but we are not enemies to one another. We fight for the same cause. You need help in your venture, and be certain even Tony Stark will answer your call should you chose to make it. Not only those taken by the Jotun suffered, their friends and family suffer just as keenly."

"Thanks, Thor, that means a lot," Steve hadn't considered it before, but he hunted Bucky with a vigor paralleled only by that final hunt for Hydra in the 1940s, with such reckless abandon it frightened him looking back. He could have gotten Sam killed a dozen times at least, pure luck kept his team alive in Astana- and for all he knew they hadn't made it out alive. The Howling Commandos were his best friends, Peggy his best girl, and he'd been so consumed in his own quest for revenge, he'd lost them all in what still felt like the span of a single day.

He couldn't change any of that, but he could still help his best friend find his way out of the shadows, this time without throwing everyone else into a bloody war headfirst.

Thor had counseled many generals with similar stories over his centuries, more so in the battles to repair the damage he'd wrought by destroying the Bifrost. Odin's sudden willingness to send him away to Midgard had puzzled him, but now he saw it for the blessing it was. He could help here, make the group stronger. He understood now who Steve was, what war he was fighting, and judged him a worthy man.

When Steve got up to leave he tripped over Mjolnir, sitting slightly in his path. Thor watched, curious. Steve grabbed the handle to steady himself in his fall, and the hammer twitched. 

Worthy indeed, or at least on his way to being so.

Chapter 8: The Library

[victoriousfidelity]

tag drop, 6 of 6.