Loki circled around his small cage, how he longed for something different then just gray and more gray. His hair was in shambles, his skin as white as fresh snow, and he longed for Frigga and Sigyn. He loved her, his sons and daughters. All of the family he had, but when he thought of anything outside his cell, he seemed to skrink to a small husk of himself.
"You are a pathetic man," Said his own voice. Loki turned, a apparition of himself was there. Tears, hot and heavy filled his eyes, "You're nothing but a prop, a toy, a face for something and someone else! You're doing the dirty work for someone else when you could be sitting pretty on Odin's throne, sending the Destroyer was terrible, YOU gave Thor his powers back!" Shouted the vision.
"I did not mean to do it! I had no idea he would sacrifice himself or that Sif and the Warriors Three would go try to find him, it was a choice, a last second choice."
"One that was foolish! You could be with your precious Sigyn, and Frigga, Thor powerless down here amongst the mortals, with his Midgaurdian quim. You are a monster." Said this form, he hated himself. He was a monster one parents told their kids to frighten like in stories, as he had cried to Odin once. A memory flashed into Loki's mind, he seemed to freeze in his place. Stuck staring into his own eyes. Cursed, broken, lost.
"Stop!" Odin screamed, as Loki picked up the Casket.
"Am I cursed?" He asked his father, the Casket turning his skin blue slowly. Terror and power surged through him.
"No."
"What am I?" He put down the Frost Giants power.
"You're my son." Odin said to him, voice echoing.
"What more than that?" Loki turned. The blue began to fade from his skin. He slowly walked to Odin, standing high on the stairs. "The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?" Odin's one eye seemed to fill with fear though he stood still and proud.
"No...In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small, for a Giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufeyson." Odin said to him, Loki looked away but could not move.
"Laufey's son?" He asked the King.
"Yes."
"Why? You were knee deep in Jotun-blood, why would you take me?"
"You were an innocent child."
"No, you took me for a purpose...what was it?" Odin stared at him, with a blank expression like he was a dumb child, tears welded themselves in his eyes, threatening to fall. "TELL ME!" Loki screamed, it echoed louder not softer.
"I thought we could unite our Kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace-through you."
"Wha-"
"But those plans no longer matter."
"So I am nothing than another stolen relic, locked up, here until you might have use for me?"
"Why do you twist my words?"
"You could have told me what I was from the very beginning why didn't you?"
"You're my son, I wanted nothing more than to protect you from the truth."
"What, because I-I-I'm the Monster parents tell their children about at night?" Odin had been mumbling something, as slowly he sat down on the stairs, weakening before Loki's eyes as he went into an Odin Sleep.
The tears in his eyes fell. And the vision gave a hardened face at him.
"Pathetic." It said and it vanished. Loki curled up in a corner and began to weep, tears fell into tiny puddles as he cried. Spasms of air he breathed, and he didn't even hear the cover and the bars being opened.
"Brothah?" Called Thor, Loki stopped his crying instantly.
"Go away you foolish, Midgaurd-loving oaf!" Loki yelled at him, his voice which he thought was confident, seemed harsh and croaky. "I said, GO AWAY!" Thor heeded him not and walked even closer to Loki, Mjölnir was not at his side. "Get out!"
"No, Loki, I know you were crying Brothah, why doth thou weep?"
"I've not to say to you Thor, get you going!" Loki turned and yelled at him, Thor stood a few feet away, and his eyes were consumed with hurt and sorrow. Loki's own eyes were bloodshot and puffy and he knew it. Thor bowed his head and his shoulders fell as he turned and left. Loki stared after him, all of his being wanted to shout for Thor to come back; as children nothing would have stopped him. Now he felt indifferent to Thor. He stood up, his legs trembled, the cover and bars were shut loudly. No tears came as he sat on his bed; head bowed and hands clasped together.
Nobody came for the rest of that day, and the only times the cover opened was for someone to bring in his meal.
**Switch to Natasha**
The Russian woman walked through the crumbled-and still crumbling- Stark Tower. Such as shame it took the greatest hit. It wasn't a pretty building, but it was still a great feat for Tony and Pepper. Natasha walked to the roof and found Clint sitting by himself, eyes closed leaning back peacfully. The wind rustling his short hair, and his legs dangled over the side.
"I know you're there Natasha," Natasha walked up to him, and sat down at his side, "What can I help you with Miss Romanov?" Ask Hawkeye.
"I'm fine its just that so I'm ready to leave Stark Tower and put this behind me."
"Yet you still owe me a debt."
"And how do you expect me to pay that Barton?" She looked at him out of frustration, and Clint looked at her with compassion.
"Just drop that, you don't owe me a debt 'Tasha."
"Yes I do, because you chose not to kill me when you had the chance."
"I've had many chances to do so, I could've killed you then, and I could have killed you under Loki's influence but you saved me. I think that debt is paid in full." Natasha scoffed.
"I didn't save you Clint, I just knocked your head against stuff a few times to-"
"Natasha, if you hadn't done it I don't think we would be talking right now."
"We would. Things happen for a reason Clint but not with the whole Karma, fate thing. Things play out as the should." Natasha got up, and walked away. Clint didn't call for her. Angrily she walked away, she figured by talking to Clint she would feel better. Usually he helped, but sometimes her demons would bring themselves in and ruin something.
Her heeled boots clicked against the stairs and hard flooring of Stark Tower as she walked back to the main group. Steve was sitting by himself. He looked up at saw her, giving a nod.
"Miss Romanov, could you help me with something?"
"What Steve?"
"I need to take a picture of this drawing that I want to send to Tony but I forgot how." He said embarassed. Natasha gave a rare smile and walked over to him.
"I can do it," She leaned on to him, making the angle perfect and she snapped the picture, "Here you go Steve." Natasha handed the phone back to him, and then looked at the picture while he sent the message. It was Thor and Tony, Thor having to look down at him because he was short, Tony wearing his Iron Man suit. "Tony is going to be pissed." She said walking away.
Her phone buzzed when she got to her room. It was set on her bed, and she read the message. She gave a small puff of a laugh then set it down. She was rather done with today, it was only one o'clock and the day seemed to pass fast. She locked her bedroom door, beginning to unzip her suit when there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"Its Clint."
"Can it wait for a few minutes?"
"Sure." Hurried she stripped and grabbed a pair of skinny jeans, and a black shirt. Her feet were bare when she opened the door. Clint stood outside, he had changed. 'Must have sneaked down when I turned around.'
"What do you need Barton?"
"I wanted to know why you think that curing me wasn't saving me."
"Because all I did was knock your head against the ground and some bars and you than were strapped down for hours! How does that count as a fulfilled debt."
"You did it." She looked at him confused.
"What?"
"Natasha, you were the one who cured my mind. So you can consider it that, I consider it saving me. Please try to look at it from my perspective?"
"How do you want me to do that Clint? You were sent to kill me, and you were the one who decided to spare me. Why?"
"Because I love you Natasha," She thought of what she had told Loki on the Helicarrier: 'Love is for children, I owe him a debt.' Natasha tensed up, she didn't realize this. Of all the things that she had delt with, this shocked her the most, "When I first was sent after you, I was more going on a name and a picture. Well, pictures don't tell everything.
"Natasha just trust me when I say to you I made the right call okay? I've been wrong about some things in my life, everyone does but I don't regret sparing your life." Neither of them showed signs of tears, it was against the natures of them.
"Okay Barton." Natasha said. "Then we have a clean slate."