Song: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) (By Kate Bush)

A/N - I do not really fully like this chapter and how it played out, but I could not for the life of me figure out any different way to do it and get to where I wanted to next in the story. I thought for so long about how to do it differently, but at some point, I just got bored and frustrated with it and I really wanted to just move on, so you are going to have to deal with it :)

Just pretend it is cooler and more epic than it actually is, great- thanks!

P.S. This dang song has been the only thing playing in my head for the past week, so that may be why I chose it for this chapter, but I also feel like it at least fits somewhat so ehh. Also, the reason it is probably stuck in my head is because I just finished watching Stranger Things season 4 recently, AND LET ME TELL YOU I AM PISSED- I could go on about it for hours, but that's not what we are here for is it- you are probably here for your needed regular dose of Loki content- so let's get on with it shall we?

Sincerely,

your very lazy author <3

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

24 years later

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

It seemed like a simple task, we thought we were one step ahead of them. It seemed so easy, too easy, I should have realized.

It started on a quiet afternoon when the Alfather summoned me along with his sons, The Warriors 3, and Lady Sif. We were informed, that according to an unknown source, the Chitauri had planned an attack on Iduna's orchid for the following day in hopes of stealing her golden apples. It seemed like an idiotic plan on their part, so we planned on cutting them off as soon as they entered Asgard through the Bifrost. We all thought it would be easy work, only expecting a small force. Therefore, the next morning the 7 of us along with a small force of our own confidently expected to put a quick end to it.

However after we patiently sat around the Bifrost for hours waiting for them to show and they never did we started to grow suspicious, maybe the source was incorrect?

How idiotic I was.

We were growing impatient (and by we I mean Prince Thor, Fandral, and Volstagg). Grumbling how much of a waste of time this was, the group started heading back to the palace, that was until we heard the low rumble which many instantly recognized as the distinctive hum of a Chitauri ship. Our suspicions were instantly confirmed when we saw the giant ship uncloak as it approached us on the rainbow bridge.

As soon as it was close enough several doors opened and hundreds of Chitauri rapidly flooded out. This definitely didn't seem to be a 'small force,' and it also most certainly did not appear that they were simply after the precious golden apples. They were after something else, something bigger, but at the time I had still not been able to figure out what it was.

Once we got over our short lasted confusion I instantly unfolded my massive gold-tinted wings flying up as I summoned daggers and threw them at the fast-approaching attackers. The others on the ground rushed in with weapons drawn. I flew over above launching daggers whenever a Chitauri got too close to someone while also trying to reason what their motives were.

I thought that no matter their motive, they surely must be extremely stupid to attempt anything, especially without the rest of their massive army that I knew for certain that they had. Not to mention being on our own terrain, and going headfirst against multiple gods for the Norn's sake.

That's when I saw it, the weird glowing blue icebox thing, which was supposed to be in Odin's vault?! At first, I thought it was just simply some over-glorified fancy box, but then the wielder aimed it at the soldier charging towards them and it fired a blast that completely cemented the man in ice, and with a tap of a sword, he shattered.

Well, that may give them a slight upper hand...

Then my face paled when he turned and spotted Prince Thor and started slowly stalking toward him while blasting anyone in his way.

This was not good, this was definitely NOT good.

My instincts instantly kicked in and I dove toward the unaware Prince lifting him up and flying away. However, I wasn't able to make it far because my gods was he heavy. I was strong, but not that strong.

My mind was going at a million miles per hour, I had so many questions, like how did the Chitauri even get here?? What did they want?? Why were they trying to get to Thor?? Who was this supposed source that clearly gave us a faulty lead?? Why is Thor so damn heavy?? And for the Norns' sake, how did they get the winter casket ice thing?!?!? I swore I was going to have some very strong words with the guards who were supposedly guarding it.

But I didn't have the luxury to have any time to think at the moment since I now had several hundred Chitauri rushing directly toward me and Prince Thor.

And of course, the ugly bastard with the fancy glowing cube was right front and center.

At that moment time slowed, everything stood still, yet everything also happened all at once.

They were approaching us fast.

Loki, the only one who noticed our predicament, tried to be faster, but he wouldn't make it in time.

They got even closer.

He raised the casket.

I didn't have any options, we were outnumbered.

I saw the foreign and unfamiliar look of fear in Loki's eyes.

He was always kind to me, and he was fun, gods we had so much fun together.

I would never forget him.

The casket hummed to life.

Loki ran towards us.

The ugly bastard raised the casket.

I had to fulfill my sworn duty to the throne.

I had to protect Prince Thor.

I had to make my mother proud.

Maybe this was the destiny I was meant to fulfill?

'Sacrificed to fuel Fates flames'

Maybe this was my purpose?

I couldn't hear anything, only the deafening pounding of my heart.

I made eye contact with Loki for only a split second, quickly looking away.

He screamed something I couldn't hear.

I launched in front of Thor, shielding him with my body.

I cast a shield spell, but the blast shattered through it like nothing.

Then nothing.

(a/n uugghhgh dramatic I know- I hate it too)

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Surely I was dead... Valhalla here I come...

Yet, I just remained there, unable to move and extremely cold.

Then I heard voices, well not necessarily voices, they were more like unpleasant gurgly grunts and grumbles. There is only one language that sounds that disgusting... the Chitauri...

This was no good, my mind was running at lightning speed yet again, however, I couldn't even string a single coherent thought together. Suddenly my eyes decided to finally work again and my spotted vision slowly cleared, but I could still barely see anything with the lack of any source of light around.

I tried to reach out to my surroundings only to find that I was still unable to move since I was currently mostly encased in ice. That would explain why I was rather chilly.

I thought of a simple spell that should be able to help me out of my predicament, silently thanking Mother Frigga for forcing me to learn thermoregulation magic, which at the time I thought was useless, and I forced my core body temperature to heat up to a point where any remaining ice that was touching me slowly melted away.

I fumbled around the cell that I found myself in trying to take in my surroundings and also searching for anything that may be useful in allowing me to escape. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything around me besides an extremely thin excuse for a mattress on the cold stone floor.

So there I sat on a dusty, blood-stained, mattress in a cell in the middle of who knows where trying to form my escape plan, which I had pretty limited options for since I was extremely fatigued and drained of magic.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Eventually, I decided that my best option was to use illusion magic since it relatively took very little effort for me. Therefore, only about an hour later when I heard the shuffling of feet and the massive door across the room creaking open I quickly cast a cloak illusion over myself and an illusion of myself appearing to be dead due to frostbite sprawled on the floor.

I then tightly pressed myself up against the wall as the Chitauri guard frantically rushed over releasing an over-exaggerated annoyed grumble and I tightly clutched the small rock I found on the ground waiting for the guard to open the cell.

As soon as the fumbling oaf finally unlocked the cell after several failed attempts I jumped into action stalking up behind him and hitting him across the head causing him to fall unconscious where I then pulled him farther into the cell and snatched his keys and blade. I then proceeded to lock him in the cell and continued on my way praying that I could simply make it back home to my soft bed soon enough to be able to still get at least a few hours of sleep in before breakfast.

Still having the invisibility illusion cast over myself, I slowly made my way aimlessly through the winding halls desperately trying to sink into nothingness and holding my breath whenever a Chitauri would walk slightly too close for comfort.

I wandered around looking for any form of exit for what felt like hours, so when I heard a group of voices I followed them praying that they would lead me to a way outside of this labyrinth.

I continued to follow the voices as they got louder until I found them. A group of Chitauri and a rather odd-looking giant purple man just around the corner in a massive hall sat around a table. At the end of the hall was a set of doors leading outside and I nearly burst into tears of joy. I wanted nothing more than to be back in my own room, on my own bed, with my own books, daydreaming in my own little world.

With my newfound determination, I figured that the room was plenty large enough that I would be able to scale the wall without them being able to hear me and I could make it to the door where I would then run like my life depended on it.

I set off with unhealthy confidence, it was all going smoothly so far, I was more than halfway across the room, and I could feel the warm sunlight through the crack in the door, I was so close. I started to imagine how I was most definitely going to pull some kind of prank when I got home (probably on Prince Thor since he was always the easiest target), it was always the best way to cheer me up.

However, all that confidence disappeared just as soon as it came and my blood ran cold when the purple-tinted man with a weird chin turned directly toward me.

There is no way he could see me right?

I double-checked that my illusion was still intact, and when he narrowed his eyes at me I tried to convince myself that it was just a coincidence. But it became much harder to dismiss when he slowly stood from his seat and gilded directly towards me.

I was completely frozen in place, I never froze?! Why was I freezing?!??!

He continued walking toward me until he stood directly in front of me staring into my eyes. I felt completely exposed, like my entire mind, every thought, every emotion, every doubt, was served to him on a silver platter, like he could know everything about me, picking me apart piece by piece, by simply looking through my eyes just for a moment.

I glanced behind him to see the group of Chitauri looking very confused. Clearly, they thought he was insane, but they didn't dare say anything.

"Uncloak yourself."

well fiddlesticks.

I started to debate my options, but apparently, I didn't have time for that since then without even giving me time to think or let alone reach for my blade, the wrinkly man grasped onto my neck lifting me off the ground. He grasped me tighter and my lungs struggled to bring in air. I gasped trying to struggle out of his hold, trying to pry his hands away but he didn't even budge. I started to get lightheaded and my illusion flickered until I was unable to hold it any longer and it dropped away.

As soon as my illusion fell he dropped me to the ground where I gasped for any air I could find. He turned around to address the shocked Chitauri, "Is this the Asgardian prisoner you spoke of?" They only nodded.

Weird chin man turned back to me slowly looking me over, then bent down so he was level with me as I was still recovering in a heap on the floor.

Glancing over me again he did a double take when he saw my arm. He roughly pulled it towards him staring at my Valkyrie tattoo. "You're a Valkyrie," he mumbled to himself.

I really did not like the look in his eye or the way he had a grasp on me, so I did what came as second nature to me. With one fluid swoop, I unsheathed my newly acquired blade and swiftly brought it up to his throat. "Get your hands off of me you mewling quim." I spat through gritted teeth.

He showed no sign of moving so I pushed stronger against his arm that was holding me back pressing the blade more roughly into his neck. I had no problem with slitting his neck right then and there, and I was about to, but then he suddenly started chuckling?

The absolute audacity of this guy! Does he really think so little of me?! Does he really underestimate me that much?!

"You have fight in you, little one." He pulled my arm away like it was nothing but an inconvenience and then pressed on my wrist allowing him to pluck the blade away from me and snapped it in half between his fingers, shattering it as if it was nothing more than a toothpick.

I tried to disguise my shock, but I assume it must have slipped for a split second based on the look of amusement that spread across his ugly mug.

That was a pure adamantine blade! It is supposed to be basically indestructible! I then realized that I really did need to get out of there fast.

Standing again he spoke to the rest at the table with his back still turned to them as he fiddled with the obnoxiously flashy gauntlet on his hand which radiated a gentle purple glow., "perhaps you didn't fully fail me after all." He paused, I could see the cogs turning in his big fat head, and it honestly terrified me. "You, little one, may actually prove to be quite useful." His voice was laced with such venom and the disgusting smirk on his face told me everything, I felt sick to my stomach. Whatever he had planned, it was not good.

I finally gathered myself and found fake confidence to speak, "Whatever sickening plan you think you have will fail. I will have no part in it and you will regret ever setting foot on Asgard." I spat.

I pretended to have courage, but that's all it ever really was, pretending. I always put on the appearance of a strong, fearless, independent warrior, but really I was secretly trembling, I didn't know what I was doing, and I most certainly did not have the courage that I pretended I had.

He chuckled and it made my stomach turn. There was something so unnerving and unsettling about him, and it was not just because he was ugly.

"Take them back to the cells for now, but put these on them first, since you are clearly incapable of keeping them there," he said as he pulled a pair of odd-looking shackles and handed them to the guard that started approaching us.

I didn't know what to do, I felt hopeless, I could still see the doors and the sunlight peeking through them, I was so close yet also so far away.

The guard roughly grabbed my hands and instantly attached the thick cuffs and I felt myself become even more drained, I felt my magic be locked away, I couldn't reach it. Everything felt so heavy, struggling to even keep my head up.

For once, I felt completely weak.

Little did I know that over the next several months that feeling of weakness would only continue to intensify and along with it the feeling of even the slightest amount of hope or strength that I once processed would become long forgotten.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅