The Visit

Rough Days

The next few days were rough for everyone.

Tony was still trying to be optimistic about Barnes coming to the tower. He knew that it wasn't really Barnes' fault that his parents died, but it was still something he was trying to come to terms with.

Steve was worried about Buck. He hadn't seen him since they took him away. After they settled the whole accords situation, it was decided that Buck would be given over to T'challa and placed in one of their facilities for a few months. One reason for this was so the UN would be satisfied that he was getting some kind of punishment, and was confined to what was essentially a hospital instead of roaming around Wakanda. The other was that T'challa promised Steve that they would try and get the Winter Soldier out of his head. Apparently it worked but Steve still worried that Buck wouldn't be the same since they placed him in the facility.

Nat and Clint were trying to sort out their feeling regarding their resident trickster god. Yes, they hated what he did to them. But they also understood what it was like to be under the influence of torture. Nat felt particularly bad for him, especially having seen the scars on his back when she was comforting him.

Thor was not sure what to do. He wanted to help his little brother, but he had no idea where to start. He ended up brooding most of the time in the training room.

Bruce was the only one besides Nat that was actively visiting Loki at the moment. But he could tell there wasn't much else he was going to be able to do.
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Blood.

Fire.

Pain.

Hard Rocks.

Sharp Knives.

Whip.

Crack

Flinch.

Crack.

Kill me.

Crack!

Loki cried out as he woke up, sweating from the nightmare. He went over to the door, shaking. He went to open the door to get some water and it wouldn't budge.

Trapped.

His breathing started quickening as he remembered the situation. He punched a wall to relieve the stress but it did nothing but hurt his hand. He slid his back down the wall, eyes tightly shut and his bruised knuckles clawing at his hair.

"Itsokay-itsokay-itsoksy. Yourokay-yourokay." He started to repeat the words to himself as he crouched in a ball.

"Loki. It's Bruce. You're okay, it's gonna be okay. You just need to breathe for me alright?" In... and out... in... and out."

He felt himself calming down a bit.

Bruce held his hand until Loki was ready to let go.

"In and out." Loki repeated the mantra until he felt his shoulders slug against the wall and his eyes drift close.

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On a plane in africa, a man with a metal arm sat on the far end of the aircraft with a few guards dressed in riot gear with him. He smiled to himself a bit, despite the stuffy guards around him.

He was going home.

A/N: Hello again!! I know it's another short transition chapter but I need to get the gang together! You'll see why soon enough. Happy reading!