Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 83

Loki watches in terror, frozen in place as those all-too-familiar violet-tinted eyes meet his own. His smile, cold and sadistic, sends a shiver down his spine.

"Three down..."

A purple hand closes around the stones it holds.

"Three to go."

Loki's eyes snap open and he lurches forward, throwing himself on the floor before he's even realized the floor is there. God, the floor. He missed the floor. It means he's free. He's not there anymore. He can do whatever he wants to do. He can move, he can breathe, he can—

He can't breathe.

Oh, shit.

Loki sucks in a ragged breath, but it's as though his lungs won't inflate. He tries it again and again and then one more time, but though he can feel his chest moving, he can't breathe.

What is happening to him? What is being done to him? He can't feel anything. He's not being strangled or choked. If it's not physical, then what is it? It's fake? It's in his head? It's...

It's the Mind Stone.

It has to be.

The wave of panic that shoots through his body leaves his heart pounding in his chest, and the rest of the world seems to fade away. All he can think about is the burning of his lungs and the throbbing pain in his head, and with every moment that passes, it only grows worse.

Somebody is talking, but he can't bring himself to focus on it. He squeezes his eyes shut and clutches his head in his shaking hands. When is it going to stop? When is this hand squeezed around his lungs finally going to let him go?

Somebody grabs his shoulders, and he instinctively throws himself backward, slamming into the wall behind him. He opens his eyes, fearful of the sight he'll be greeted by—

Oh.

It's Thor.

It should make him feel better. He's not there; he's not with him. He's with his brother, and he's safe.

So why can't he breathe?

"Loki?" Thor says quickly, eyes scanning his brother's face frantically. "Loki, are you okay?"

Loki opens his mouth to answer, to tell him that no, he is not okay, but he can't speak. His hands slide down his face, and he holds them next to his chest, trying to quell their shaking.

"Hey, big guy," Tony says, "back off."

Loki glances around the room, and he catches sight of Tony just as he begins walking away. Loki doesn't have it in him to question what he's doing or where he's going. He doesn't care.

Steve scoffs. "Tony—"

"Give him space," Tony says. "Crowding him's just gonna freak him out more."

Thor glances at him, then reluctantly slides a few feet back. That alone makes Loki feel a little better. He tries to force himself to slow his breathing, and though it doesn't really work, just the fact that he can think about it means he must be doing better. He must have some semblance of control.

"Hey," Steve says accusatively, "where are you going?"

"Getting some water for when he calms down and decides he wants to crawl into a ditch for the rest of his life," Tony says. "You know, since that's not an option."

Loki has to assume he leaves after that, but he's not watching. He can feel his heart rate start to slow, and his hands stop shaking soon enough. He's getting there. He's going to be okay.