Pointe Shoes and Spider Webs

22. An Apology

"Remember Ravir?"
"The sorceress?" Thor frowns. He stands a good distance away from Loki and Daphne, afraid that he might hurt her again.
"Who told you of your power?" Loki still has to hold Daphne up, to ensure she doesn't fall to her knees. Her forehead rests against his chest. The excruciating pain that rushed through her scar exhausted her completely. "Who told you that you could control the lightning without the help of your hammer?"
"She was wrong."
"She was right," Loki bounces back. "But you gave up after you made your mistake."
"Loki, please get to the point."

"How many years ago was it? Tell me," Loki nods at his brother, showing his teeth like a cornered wolf.
"I do not know that by heart, Lo-"
"Eight," Loki growls. "Eight years ago." He shoots a glance at Daphne. She's still awake, he can tell by her tensing muscles as he talks. "You decided to practice a few miles from here. Eight years ago." No one speaks, so Loki continues. "Daphne, dear, will you please tell me how old you are."
"Sixteen," she mutters into Loki's chest. It was only barely loud enough for everyone to hear.
"And..." Loki pauses for dramatic effect. "When did you get struck by lightning?"
"Holy shit," Iron Man breaks the conversation for a second. He has put the puzzle pieces together.
"Eight years ago," Daphne whispers.

"Can you stand, dearest?" Loki gently takes her hands off him. She nods weakly, pushing herself away from him. She seems out of balance, but finds stability by leaning against the car. Loki's head shoots to Thor, who's frozen in place. He stares at Daphne, confusion filling his mind. "You came to Midgard to attempt the magic you still cannot control. Your frustration only grew with your ineptness to practice what Ravir said you could! Then you summoned Mjölnir, to prove to yourself just how powerful you are." Loki shakes his head. "I cannot remember a time you summoned a stronger bolt of lightning than you did that day. Your anger with yourself fueled you in a way I have yet to see you do again." He turns his head to Daphne. "You hadn't seen the young girl hiding in the tall grass. You cried out when you realized what you had done and sobbed like a child as you held her. And when father, who was furious with your irresponsibility, came to retrieve you, you followed him home."

"Loki, I-"
"You left her to die that day!"
"I did not mean to! Father-"
"Ah yes, father said she was already dead!" Loki points accusingly at Thor. Rage seeps from every word he utters. "You knew he was wrong!" Thor has no words to say. "We have healers on Asgard, you could've helped her!"
"But I didn't." Thor drops his hammer and looks at the ground. Loki was right. He left her to die. He frowns and looks back up at his brother. "How did you-"
"You really think that when a sorceress tells you about a powerful magic that you possess, that I will not watch you try to wield it?"
"I didn't know you were there."

"The girl is lucky that you didn't. And that father didn't!" Loki is panting now. All his cooped-up energy is now releasing itself in pure anger. "Admit it, brother!" He yells. "Admit that this is a mistake you cannot fix!"
"How do you know I cannot fix it?"
"Because I already fixed it for you!" Loki turns to Daphne, who just stares at him. Loki didn't seem as furious about this whole situation before as he is now. What changed?
"What do you mean, brother?"
"Do you remember what was different about me when I came home after you?!" Thor takes a step back and frowns as he thinks.
"You..." He looks up as he realizes. "You couldn't use magic for three months." Daphne gasps softly. This proved to her that Loki really was telling the truth.

"When you and father left, I found Daphne in the grass. She was painted in blood and burn marks. Her back was covered with a branched wound as a result of your outburst. She was unconscious." Loki's voice softens as he thinks back to how she looked. "I had to use three months' worth of my magic to keep her from dying." His voice turned dark during the last part of that sentence. He looks down, before glancing back at Daphne. "I put her to sleep with an Echor spell and I brought her home." A long silence falls. The present Avengers can only stare at the scene unfolding in front of them. All of it seems unreal. "You pretended like it never happened. Evaded my attempts to talk about it with you. I came to earth wanting an apology from you, brother. But I do not want it anymore. Not for me." He shakes his head and steps away from Daphne as he points at her. "I want you to apologize to her."

A gust of wind blows when Loki speaks. Thor stares at Daphne and she stares back at him. She doesn't know what to think. She didn't expect this sudden change in Loki's plan. He was so focused on making Thor admit to his mistakes. Now he just dropped all of it, to make Thor apologize to her. Thor clears his throat. Daphne's heart beats loudly in her chest. The actual god of thunder is going to talk to her now. He's still quite a bit away from her, but his voice carries easily, though it cracks as he speaks. Like a defeated king.
"I... I was foolish, young Daphne. I was wrong to follow father blindly. And I was wrong to leave you. I should not have come to Midgard to practice with such powerful magic. I should have known better." He pauses as he looks down and swallows. When he looks back up, she sees tears in his eyes. He seems frustrated with himself. "I know words cannot make up for what I have done. But for what it is worth... I truly am... So, so sorry." His breath hitches in his throat.

Loki takes another step forward.
"I'm afraid that's no-" Daphne cuts him short by stumbling to stand up straight and putting her hand on his arm. She doesn't look at Loki. Her gaze is still locked with Thor's. The air feels thick. She breathes heavily, trying to get enough oxygen in to say what she wants to say. It comes out as a whisper.
"I forgive you."
"Daphne-" Loki starts but she silences him by looking straight at him. His gaze softens when she grabs his hand and holds it to her chest. Pausing to once again gain enough strength to speak.
"Thank you, Loki."
"For what?" His lip curves up into a mischievous smile for a split second.
"For the bangin' breakfast you made me this morning." He chuckles at her forced joke and she gives him a soft punch to the chest. "You know damn well what for." She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes again.

"You need a bed, dear."
"My own, if you don't mind."
"I think that can be arranged." She holds up her hand in front of his face. Palm aimed to the sky. He cocks his head at her.
"My phone," she breathes. She's still leaning on him with her eyes closed. "You said-"
"I know what I said," Loki laughs softly as he makes her phone appear from thin air. She didn't see it happening, though. He carefully places it in her hand and curls her fingers around it. "There you are. You are free to go home now, Daphne." The Avengers are still all at a loss for words.

"Peter..." Daphne mumbles. She frowns, her eyes still closed. Her knees buck.
"You heard her, boy. I cannot let go of her without her falling, so I suggest you come pick her up." Loki looks at Peter who finally feels like he can move again. Whatever anger he felt against Loki, he feels absolutely numb now. There was simply too much to process. He's still stiff, trying to make sense of everything that just happened.

He takes small, quick steps towards Daphne and feels a near overwhelming warmth when he holds her again. The new regulator Tony produced seems to work properly, but feeling Daphne after being so stressed for her all night makes him feel more. He can't find it in himself to smile, though. Daphne confirming she kissed David earlier that morning makes him sick to the stomach. He doesn't know what happened exactly, so he shouldn't make assumptions, but his brain can't help but throw the thought around in his head. She kissed David. She kissed the guy she's so immensely scared of. Why would she do that? Why would she kiss him?

Peter easily picks Daphne up bridal style and she immediately wraps her arms around him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Loki suddenly grabs Peter's shoulder when he turns away, and stares intently at the teen.
"She saved his life, Peter," he says bluntly. "She did not do it out of love." Peter frowns, not exactly understanding what Loki means with that, but he nods. He doesn't say anything as he turns further, making Loki let go of his shoulder. He starts walking to the Quinjet, but stops in his tracks when Daphne starts talking again.
"Loki," she mutters. She still has her eyes closed.
"Yes, Daphne?"
"I meant everything I said this morn..." She doesn't finish her thought, relaxing completely in Peter's arms. She's sleeping. Though Loki knows what she meant with it.

"I don't think anyone's truly evil."