Part 10

“You try to change, but can't escape
When it all goes down
Who's going to come to set you straight?

Who's got your heart?
Who showed the way, the minute stop
We'll find you, unbind you?
Who's got your soul?
Who took it out of your control?
Who saved you, enslaved you?”

(Set You Straight)
 

The silence of the icy cave was deafening after a while, but the warriors took the advice of the mysterious boy and didn’t say a word just followed the lights as instructed. It turned out that it was a labyrinth of caves and tunnels under the surface. Thor couldn’t decide what the purpose of the place was, but it really made it easier and quicker for them to get to the castle undetected, and he made sure they moved as fast as they could. In a couple of hours they could take a glimpse of natural light as the tunnel turned and ended opposite the mountain where their destination lay. To their surprise there was no problem along the road, they successfully let the dead sleep – whatever that meant. But now the time to plan and act was at hand. The friends stayed hidden from sight while they discussed how they’d free Jane and leave this place as fast as they could.

Leaving the shelter they had in the cave they moved as fast as they could but soon encountered the enemy that tried to hinder them. The fight began and they could feel themselves in their element once again as they fought themselves through the dozens of guards in black armor. But they weren’t ordinary guards. Underneath the armor they were half ghost, half skeleton. Not an easy sight for the eye, but they couldn’t intimidate the experienced warriors.

Soon Thor used Mjölnir to wipe the mist away and better their chances to see as they climbed higher and higher on the hill. They were so close and Thor was getting more impatient. Fighting off another dozen of guards he heard Volstagg shout at him to go ahead and search for Jane before they’d be overpowered.

“Are you sure?” he shouted back as he smashed a guard into pieces.

“Yes! Go! We’ll catch up” Lady Sif answered instead and Thor nodded raising his hammer. Finally he could fly and save Jane. It took only a few seconds to reach the top of the hill and land in front of the main gate of the castle. He finished off the attacking guards with a few blows and ran into the main hall, but stopped abruptly as he set his blue eyes on a familiar figure, who was keeping his hands behind his back and smirked unpleasantly.

“Welcome, brother. I hope you had a pleasant journey” Loki grinned with a smug expression on his pale face.

“Loki…” Thor swallowed hard seeing him again. It could still move something deep inside him, but he chose to ignore it “You have someone who belongs to me. Where is Jane and what have you done to her?” he frowned and walked closer.

“Now, now, brother. It is not nice to assume that I’ve hurt her” he raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping from irony. “What makes you think that she hasn’t enjoyed herself during her stay?”

“Loki, please stop this. There’s no need to make things even more complicated than they already are” Thor tried to reason with him, but as he looked into the other man’s green eyes he knew it was in vain. He could still remember how it felt looking into those irises when he only saw love and adoration in them.

“No need? Are you serious? You know my motives, dear brother. You know why I’m doing this and you know why I despise you” he hissed stepping closer, but quickly regained control over his features and looked at the bigger man coldly. “You have no idea what kind of things you’ve set into motion. But sooner or later you’ll realize and that’ll be the day when I win.”

“Is that really so important to you, Loki?” he asked softly “To drag me down and make me feel more miserable than I already am because I’ve failed you?” he murmured questioningly, which earned him a disgusted snort that shot right into Thor’s heart although he didn’t show it.

“Yes. And I’ll be ravished and bask as vengeance will be mine. Sooner than you might think, dear brother…”

“What have you planned this time to torture me, Loki? Just tell me and get over with it so I can take Jane with me after we settle this.”

“You still think that she hated being here with me, don’t you? What makes you think she didn’t betray you already? Or you think you are the only man with charm in her life? Well, let me just tell you that you don’t know her true nature yet” he smirked smugly again.

“What are you talking about?” Thor frowned confused.

“Oh well, well, well… let’s just greet my new lover, shall we?” Loki turned to the side watching as Jane entered the hall following the ghost boy. He then glimpsed at Thor’s face to see his reaction. To see if he understood it.

Thor looked at Jane and that familiar boy and saw the confusion on her face that suddenly got pale hearing Loki’s words. “Jane?” Thor asked just as confused as slowly he understood the meaning of his brother’s words. “Is… is it true?”

Jane didn’t say anything at first, but the way she looked aside with a guilty expression made Thor’s heart ache. He knew Loki was feasting on that moment, but he couldn’t care less. He was betrayed after all. Loki won. He knew how charming and silver-tongued he could be.

“I’m… sorry…” Jane whispered looking at Thor with pain and guilt in her eyes.

“You… you tricked her into it!” Thor looked at his brother as rage was building up in his bulging muscles. All of a sudden he wanted to smash and destroy something… everything.

“What makes you think that, brother?” Loki chuckled and looked at Jane who was obviously devastated. The dark-haired man grinned but deep down he was less satisfied about seeing her like this than he’d expected. For a split second it crossed his mind that maybe he shouldn’t have used the first opportunity to play this card. But that doubt lasted only for a second then it was gone as if it never happened.

“You did enjoy having me inside you, didn’t you Jane?” he chuckled darkly and waved for the ghost boy who went to him and let Loki put his hand at the back of his head, which was strange for Jane even if her heart was aching and guilt paralyzed her.

“Leave him alone, Loki” she whispered avoiding the question, her voice sounding broken.

“Who? This little boy here?” he asked tightening his hold on him, but the ghost kid looked just as passive as before. “I know he helped both of you and it fascinates me how easily I can still fool you with my tricks, brother” he chuckled and let the boy go just to snap his fingers which made him disappear the way Loki’s projections usually did. “Yes, it was me behind this. I needed you Thor to get here faster after my plans with your cheater woman succeeded, and you” he turned to the hurt Jane “to get here in time when I make my dear brother realize what had happened between you and me.”

“You are a real asshole” it slipped out before Jane could stop herself, but she didn’t want to take it back. That’s how she saw Loki yet again. The childish hope of changing him at least a little shattering into pieces.

“Now that wasn’t too nice, Jane. This is how you talk to the man to whom you should be grateful for turning you into your new, improved self?” he raised a brow, already waiting for Thor’s reaction.

“What… is he talking about? What else did he do to you?” he asked Jane frowning and looking even more confused and angry.

“I… my dear brother… made her…” Loki started but was interrupted by Jane, who moved so fast that even she got surprised when she found herself pinning Loki against a pillar, her forearm against his throat.

“Shut up, you snake! Just shut up!” she yelled at him as anger flooded her mind in a split second. It seemed that her new powers and enhanced emotions were still difficult to control.

Both men looked surprised by her action, but in the next moment she felt a tight grip around her throat as a pale and cold female hand grabbed her and pulled her away from Loki. The dark-haired man laughed hoarsely, rubbing his throat where Jane’s arm was and grinned like a maniac as he watched the scene.

“My dear Jane, meet my daughter, Hel, the ruler of this realm” he laughed then turned back to Thor who was about to attack and protect Jane “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, brother. You know her abilities. You know she could suck Jane’s soul out in a second with that touch. And to answer your question, I made Jane eat one of Iðunn’s apples. She is stronger and immortal… for now. You know she’ll have to eat more of that before she has her fill and fully becomes like us. And… who knows what kind of effects it’d have on her human body in case she stopped the process…” he grinned darkly and that was it. Thor couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

The muscular body moved much faster than it was to be expected and in the next moment they were already fighting with Loki.

“You bastard!” Thor shouted as he swung Mjölnir in the air but Loki countered it with a spear that showed up from thin air.

Hel wanted to intervene but Loki shook his head, his usual sly smirk on his face as he was starting to enjoy the fight. It’s been a while and he always enjoyed fighting with his brother. They’d spent countless days with practicing, pushing their limits and learning every possible move the other could try to win the fight. Of course this resulted in neither of them winning, but there was no harm in trying it over and over. Loki was always confident that he could win the next time and he counted on Thor’s weak heart that didn’t let the blond man put all his strength in his blows, because he didn’t want to hurt his brother and later lover. Loki played exactly on that, because he wanted to hurt Thor. He didn’t know exactly why, but even as a teenager he wanted to hurt him despite the fact that he loved him. Maybe it was because of his other side, maybe something else. He couldn’t really explain it even to himself. And the situation hasn’t changed much since then. Now he just had more reasons to try and twist the offences made against him into motives. Inhuman power straining against inhuman power, one pair of eyes glistening in a maniac light, the other with worry and pain, weapons clashing against each other, the scent of sweat and determination heavy in the air. The never-ending fight was back on – only this time something was different. Thor was different. He was fighting with anger, he put in all he got, making it harder for Loki to fend him off. It was time to use some of his tricks too…

Jane froze for a few moments from the tight grip around her throat as the fighting began. She could hear the similar noises louder from outside, which meant that Thor’s friends were getting closer to the main gate. She tried to think fast and come up with something to stop this madness. She had no idea about the powers of this woman, who was introduced to her as Loki’s daughter. That was news to her, but she couldn’t think much about it. She had to find a way to get free and get between the brothers.

Her chance came when Fandral burst into the main hall, fighting himself through a couple of the eerie guards. Jane’s eyes met with the warrior’s for a second and as Hel’s attention was drawn to the man and the other Asgardians’ appearance, Jane beautifully performed a few tactics she’d learned during her self-defense classes and now came very handy as Hel didn’t expect her to use them with such strength. Jane’s eyes grew wide as she watched Hel hit the nearby wall. She was free and she could see the obviously surprised Fandral head towards Loki’s daughter, telling Jane to do something about the brothers.

She took a deep breath and ran towards the brothers as the noise of the fighting suddenly became much louder while Lady Sif and Volstagg tried to fight back the guards by the door and Thor summoned some lightning, ducking some daggers from Loki. Jane didn’t really have a plan, she just ran towards them, hoping that they wouldn’t accidentally – or on purpose – kill her. She knew it was probably the worst idea she had ever had, but she couldn’t come up with anything else to grab their attention. She could see that they were already panting and injured here and there.

Thor was about to summon another lightning, just wanting to finish this for once and for all. He grew tired of Loki’s games and that he always wanted to kill him or ruin and take away everything he cared and fought for. His newest accomplishment hurt Thor just as much as his first betrayal that had ended their relationship. He was stomping on Thor’s heart, throwing his sharp daggers right into the middle of it. The rage that’s been bottled up inside of him on their way to save Jane just exploded inside of him and governed his actions without giving them a second thought. That’s when Jane’s familiar figure came into the picture and Thor was forced to direct the striking lightning to the left, blowing a big hole in the dark stone wall, sending dust all over the hall as the rocks literally exploded out of their place. In that moment Loki stopped himself from throwing his next dagger too, although he held onto it as he watched Jane’s back in front of him when she appeared between them, holding out her arms in the air to stop Thor from sending another lightning at him.

As the roar of the thunder and the explosion ebbed down Jane turned sideways to be able to look from one man to the other, her arms still outstretched between them, although she knew – if they wanted to – they could’ve easily ignored her attempt to stop them.

“You two… just… stop it already! Look at yourselves! This whole fighting doesn’t make any sense!” she shouted at them in anger and to let them hear what she was saying since the clashes of swords were still loud around them.

“Jane, step aside. I want to finish this with my brother for once and for all” Thor said, looking at his still slightly surprised brother with determination in his blue eyes.

“That’s right. Why should we stop now that we are through the warm up exercises?” Loki snarled, ready to attack again, never letting his guard down.

“Oh for Christ’s sake!” Jane exclaimed as she looked at the dark-haired brother “Because you both still love each other! That’s why!”

“You know nothing, Midgardian!” Loki spit flinching.

“Jane… I have to agree with my brother on this… you…”

“Don’t bullshit me! I’m not talking about brotherly love here! I just know that it’s much deeper than that… don’t ask me from where or how, but I have eyes and I can just feel it. I know and that’s the real reason behind your constant fighting!” she spoke her mind, surprising both men. “To be more exact, denying that love and lying to yourselves is what makes you two such assholes, dragging innocent lives into this mess. Just stop it! Aren’t you two tired of fighting with each other all the time? Wasn’t it enough yet?! It’s like in kindergarten all over. Why can’t you two just admit what you are feeling? Why all this destruction and death that you two leave after each other? Playing games…” she looked at Loki “and hurting each other in various ways” she turned to Thor.

She saw the shock and worry appear on the muscular man’s face. Jane thought she knew what made him worried. She shook her head “No, Thor, it doesn’t bother me. I just want you to stop this and allow yourself to be happy. And I cannot believe I’m saying this…” she turned to the other man “but I want the same for you too, Loki despite all the shit and pain you caused to us and others. I could see into you while we were together and I know what I saw and felt there. The same I saw and felt in Thor. So stop this nonsense already!”

Loki was about to say something – probably wanting to protest or deny everything – when there was another explosion from the other side of the hall where the fighting was still on. All three of them looked over there. Jane couldn’t decide what caused it, but she recognized Volstagg’s voice as he yelled to Thor.

“Thor, Lady Sif is injured! We have to go NOW!” he shouted, carrying the unconscious warrior towards them while Fandral fought off the guards. Hel wasn’t following them, her eyes locked with Loki’s for a second.

“We aren’t done, brother” Thor told to the other man and grabbed Jane’s hand to pull her with him as they ran after his friends, who already climbed out on the hole Thor’s lightning made on the wall. While running Jane glimpsed back at Loki, who was standing there motionless, his green eyes burning in an unknown fire that penetrated her soul. Guards were passing him, chasing them, but the dark-haired man remained there, his jaw tensing as the eye-connection broke and Jane let Thor pull her outside in the clear and cold air.

“Heimdall, now!” he shouted towards the gloomy skies and the beam of white light came in the next moment, taking them far away from the land of frozen ice and hearts.

Epilogue

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