Unfettered (Loki x Reader)

Chapter 49 - The Prodigal

Assessing your ankles once more, you look around the room desperately for something to help get them off, but your search is interrupted by a cold, emotionless voice in the doorway.

"Well, 2981. It seems you have visitors. Unfortunately, there are no visiting hours here."

You let out a piercing scream as you shout and yell for the Doctor to get away. But undeterred, he simply comes up behind you, grabbing a handful of your hair before sticking a needle in your neck. Something cold spreads quickly through your bloodstream, making your eyes grow heavy, and your limbs uncoordinated as you writhe in your chair.

"Put it down, please," a quiet, demure voice says from the doorway. 

A bright orange flash of light and the smell of burning hair is followed by the Doctor's body hitting the floor. The needle in your neck is pulled out, and hands around your ankles free you from the final chains keeping you bound. You try to stand, but fall forward in a heap into someone's arms.

"Hey kid, how about we get you out of here?"

You recognize that voice. As you fight the weight of your lids, you look up into a pair of eyes you never thought you'd see again. Eyes that tear a sob of relief from your aching, abused body. As a single tear slips from the corner of your eye, you reach with a throbbing hand to place your palm on the cheek of Phil Coulson.

"Tahiti?" you exhale in a weak breath.

"It's a magical place," he smiles. 

Your eyes grow even heavier as relief spreads through you, but you fight against it, leaning against Phil as he helps you to stand. 

"Wha' happened?" you slur.

"He got you with something, kid," Phil answers. "But he didn't get it all in you. So try to stay awake, okay? We'll get you outta here." Phil pulls your arm around his neck, and slides his other arm around your waist as you take a few weak, shaky steps down the hallway. "Stark, I got her," he says.

After a moment, you feel Phil shove something in your ear.

"Squirt? Are you there?"

"Tony...?" you mumble, thick-tongued.

"Oh thank god, you had us all worried," Tony says back.

"Y/n! Great to hear your voice!" says Nat.

"Is she okay, Phil?" asks Steve.

"They injected her with something. Likely an anesthetic or a sedative - probably harmless, but we're moving slow. How do we look Tony?"

"Well, you've got a very angry God descending on your location in about 30 seconds, so you better get ready for incoming."

"Oh great," says Phil.

"Loki...," you mumble.

"Yeah squirt. We let him out for this one. He took out the entire line of HYDRA guards so Phil could sneak in and grab you. As far as I can tell he's only got a few left to deal with, and then he'll be down there with you."

"Loki...," you say again, your thoughts hazy and clouded, the anesthetic making speech nearly impossible.

"How far out?" Phil asks.

"Hard to tell. He's moving fast - faster than JARVIS can track," Tony says. "Last I had him he was up on-."

Before Tony can finish his sentence, you see a figure run around the corner. Loki, in his  full Asgardian armor, blood dripping from his dual-wielded sabers. He takes one glance at you and pulls you from Phil's arms, carrying you bridal style, holding you tightly against his chest.

"Loki," you whisper to him, as he looks down at you, gentle blood-stained fingers pushing sweaty strands of hair away from your forehead. 

"Shhh, rest, my darling. You're safe. I've got you," he says, choking out the words as tears line his eyes.

"I love you," you mumble.

A single tear falls from his eye onto your cheek as he runs with you in his grasp. 

"I love you ever more, my Valkyrie."

Clutching you to his chest, Loki, side by side with Phil, makes his way through the compound. Phil takes out the occasional HYDRA agent as the three of you make your way to the central control room, where inside Tony, Nat, Clint and Steve have regrouped.

"Y/n!" Natasha yells, running up to you as Loki carries you through the door.

You struggle slightly, making it clear to Loki you wish to be let down, and he begrudgingly obliges. You fall into Natasha's embrace, followed closely by Steve and Clint.

"Thank you," whispers Clint, as he gives you a kiss on the cheek. "For saving my daughter."

Tony comes up to you last. Stepping out of his Iron Man suit, Tony tosses the Mark VIII gloves aside and reaches under your arms, fully picking you up as you wrap your legs around his waist. You hold on tightly, saying a silent thanks that it wasn't all a dream. You gently sob into his neck as he strokes your hair.

"I'm sorry," you say quietly. "They had Lila."

"I know, squirt. I know. It's us who should be apologizing to you. I don't know how they got past us. I'm so sorry."

Tony sets you down gently, and you wobble. Loki comes up behind you, placing a hand on your waist to steady you. Once sturdy on your feet, he slips his fingers through yours. But you wince - your recently dislocated thumbs and bruised wrists making his grip painful. Loki spots the discomfort on your face and kneels before you, gingerly takes your hands in his, examining their cuts and discoloration closely.

"What did they do to you?" he asks, his voice dangerously monotone.

"S'me," you mumble, thick tongued. "I was chained. I-I had to get away."

Loki's gaze narrows as murder darkens his stare. For a moment his anger is palpable. But then it disappears, and cold determination takes its place. "Don't worry, my darling. I'll fix them," he says, pressing gentle kisses to your aching fingers. "But first I'm going to kill everyone that had a hand in breaking yours."

"I hate to break up the reunion, but we need to start our exfil," says Phil from the doorway. 

"You ready to go home, squirt?" Tony chimes in from over Loki's shoulder.

You nod as Loki rises to his feet, and gestures for Tony to lead.

"Alright Avengers, let's go home," says Tony, stepping once more into his Iron Man suit.