Work Text:
Finally.. After almost an eternity.. the veil weakened.
The barrier between realms shifted and prodded, ready to be ripped apart. As the sole king on the throne weakened, his life force finally took a toll as expected. It had been a long time coming.
One small rip emerged out of nowhere, serving as a portal for the deepest of darkness to slip through. It slithered and formed, taking her first real fresh breath after forever.
“Finally, I have come to take what's mine”. The voice, deep and disturbing at first, transformed into a more recognizable one that of a woman at the end of it.
A laugh followed, sounding rich and dark. It seemed to echo throughout the realm.
☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎☆▪︎
He twisted and turned until his eyes forced themselves open. There was nothing but darkness to greet him which was odd. Usually it was never dark at a place that emits goodness and light all the time even for its deepest secrets.
He didn't know why he had woken up, a cold sweat ran from his forehead down to his cheek and chin. Maybe a nightmare? That wasn't uncommon at all. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed and took a few breaths.
Usually he thrived in the darkness but this was pitch black, too dark even for him. It gave him an unsettling feeling. He also couldn't shake the thought of being watched for some reason. Like an animal in a cage.
Loki didn't approach the barrier of his enclosure, not because he was afraid but because of the feeling that he wouldn't like what came next.
Then a sound could be heard other than his own breathing. It sounded like little clicks, click, click, click, click. It was rhythmatic, he knew what it could be, someone was walking towards him and they weren't trying to conceal that fact.
The clicks came closer and closer.. until they stopped. Click, click.. that was it. It was dead silent for a moment. Loki tried to see through the darkness but he couldn't, without his powers there wasn't a lot he could do other than sit here and be miserable.
“Oh come now don't be shy..”. A soothing woman's voice sounded, it reminded him of his mother when she used to comfort him.
“Mama wants to take a good look at you”. The voice sounded again and with that the lights all turned back on and the woman was standing close to the barrier, too close for his liking.
Loki's frown only deepened as he took in the woman's appearance. She had a pretty face, definitely fit for a goddess except for the outfit.. It looked very intimidating, like a villain from a classic comic book. Too much black for it to be an usual goddess up in the aesir.
“So you're the one who twists their heads around mhm? I thought you would be more frightening looking, not that I mind the rugged look”. The woman purred, putting her pointing finger to her bottom lip.
Loki didn't respond as he kept observing her. If he just shifted his eyes a bit, he could see his own reflection in the barrier. It was something he typically avoided nowadays for obvious reasons.. he looked a mess. The clothes basically were made out of the same material as a potato sack, his hair had grown out, now exceeding far past his shoulders, not to mention that it looked wild like he had just woken up and at the same time hadn't gotten a single second of sleep.
“Pretty birds don't fare well in cages now do they?” The woman pouted and cocked her head to the side as if that would change his repellent look in the slightest.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Loki finally spoke, he didn't like to waste his time especially with someone who didn't seem worthy to talk to.. but it was not like he had anything better to do.
“Oh my, you haven't heard about me in those stories you tell eachother in the dead of night around a campfire in the woods?” The woman snickered. “I suppose daddy even kept that a secret, how not surprising”. The woman muttered.
“What do you want?” Loki asked, better not hear her whole life story, he knows how these types of people worked, villains who love to gloat about themselves and their tragic backstory, he just wanted her to get to the point.
“The same thing as you and no that doesn't just involve freedom”. The woman grinned and assessed him.
“Whatever you think you got to offer me, I am not interested”. Loki spoke and turned his gaze away.
“Whether you like it or not, we are the same, you and I..”. The woman pouted.
Loki huffed and rolled his eyes. "Definitely not, you don't know half of what I have gone through”. Loki snarled.
“Perhaps not in detail.. but I got the gist of it because I know how hard it is for the old man upstairs to break his old habits”. The woman hummed in thought.
“You know what they say about history, that it always repeats itself if we don't learn from it, which most of the time we do not.. and who gets the blame for it, gets to suffer the consequences? We, we on the other side of the line do”. The woman sighed dramatically.
“You come here and think you know me or this dysfunctional family, you think you know what I want.. who are you to decide for me what I want”. Loki gritted and stalked closer towards the barrier.
“Oh now don't upset your pretty little head now”. The woman awed. Loki couldn't help but react badly to it.
Suddenly the woman disappeared from view, a trail of ashy smoke got carried by the wind as it trickled through the barrier and reformed. Loki stumbled back.
“Little brother”. The woman cooed as she clamped her hand around his chin which oddly held him steady and in place, her nails creating a few pressure points on his cheeks.
Loki couldn't do much else but stare directly into her eyes which seemed to contain nothing but determination and spite.
Even for her theatrics.. Loki somehow knew she was serious, that she had a right to use that title, how embarrassing it even sounded.
“Oh I know your head must be ravaging with burning questions right now.. and all in good time will be answered, for now you only have to know that we share the same goal, you help me and I help you, do I make myself clear?” The woman who is apparently his sister… well loosely termed as one, spoke as she brought his face closer to hers.
Loki held her gaze, he wouldn't be intimidated by her or anyone and he would like to make that clear. The woman seemed to notice however and released her grasp on his face.
Her hands started to glow as she turned towards the barrier, she opened up her palms and pulsed towards it. The barrier then shattered like glass and died down.
The moment the barrier didn't exist anymore, it not only made room for fresh air but also for energy, one that he hasn't felt for quite some time now. It greeted him like an old friend and wrapped around his being, seeping through his pores and into his soul where a flame burst anew.
“How about now?”. The woman grinned.
Loki looked at his hands as a familiar green glow began to awake and settle around his flesh. The magic fizzled out again as he glanced up at her, giving her a quick nod.
“Excellent! Now that we have an understanding we can begin our quest of justice”. The woman grinned and stepped down.
Loki took one last glance at his cell where he had been stuck in for what felt like a very long time before he followed her.