Brother,

That word.

Like I was suddenly trapped inside a collapsing building with no room to breathe and nothing to do except watch the chaos and drown within it. I knew, I knew in the back of my mind that this was a misunderstanding, a trick, a ploy. But it didn't stop my heart racing faster than it had ever thrummed before.

I stiffened, visibly, every muscle in my body tense with the wariness I couldn't help but feel. Loki had clearly sensed it and I felt his shadow grow closer, his hand hovering at my back, radiating a chill through my clothes as I swallowed and forced the grimace back down my throat.

"God damnit Stark, how fucking stupid could you be?" I grumbled tiredly, masking the chill that rippled through me as I took another sip and set the glass down, doing my best to avoid Tony's uncomfortable expression.

"You were really naive enough to let one of the corporate monsters that are out to get me into your place, simply because they stated they were my brother?" I scoffed, allowing myself a tiny laugh as I shook my head, mentally shaking off the irritating tension that still had a tight hold of my body.

"Well done you, you idiot." I laughed, ignoring the somber look Tony wore on his face as the room seemed to go silent and all that was left were the sneaking tendrils of quiet that sniggered at me from the deep corners of the room, from under the table and from my shoulder where they'd wound themselves.

"Ace-"

"I think we'll go, before he turns up and attempts murder."

"Ace I took a DNA sample..."

My mouth opened and closed again as I fought for a response, but found none.

"It matched yours."

I scoffed out loud, a sudden, impulsive reaction to the shock of Tony's words and the feeling of a hand protectively gripping my waist as I felt my chest constrict.

"When the fuck did you take a DNA sample from me, asshole."

"Someone finally asking the real questions." I heard someone mutter dryly, through a mouthful of food and I snapped my head round to see Coraline standing by one of the entryways, bundled up material in her hands as she took another bite of sandwich and tried to hide her smirk.

"Go back into the other room, Cor..." I uttered carefully, articulated as I stared Tony down, trying to measure the wariness in his softened brown gaze. Trying to figure out if it was from me or for me.

"Fuck you, A. I ain't taking orders from you." She sniggered, shifting her position as she took another large bite. I flexed my jaw, uncurling my clenched fists as I efficiently bit back a smile, muttering 'attagirl' under my breath, too quiet for anyone else's ears.

And then there was another presence. One I sensed before anything else, a dark shifting essence of familiarity looming just behind Charlie, clouding her sharp warmth from my gaze. My hairs bristled and I choked down a growl, my body suddenly tense as the energy grew closer and my eyes swivelled to meet its very own hazel green ones.

"Aurora..."

His presence stood slanted, exhausted, the ghosts of nostalgia and crippling fear marking his gait. His eyes were gaunt and dripped with an emotion I despised over anything else. His dirty blonde hair hung loose around his jaw and a dotted stubble freckled the sharp line of his jaw, gritting the flushed flesh of his cheeks. And the look on his face was one of trepidation, raw shock, like he'd seen a phantom and, it had turned into the image of a memory. One he'd suppressed, never hoping to relive.

I clenched my jaw, now feeling the sharp, angular tension from Loki radiating in waves against mine that spiralled off me in blood red coils. I swallowed a growl, easing the shock that had solidified the blood pumping through every muscle tensed to the point of bursting.

"Coraline step away please." I echoed out, my voice low, steady as her head turned from the body behind her to gaze at me. Her mouth opened to spill argument from it but then it closed once more once she'd located the venom that laced my tense gaze. She quickly flounced over, giving the statue-still figure of Tony a quick glance before settling by my side, joining all of us as we watched the new figure, waiting, poised.

"Go back to whence you came, creature." I announced boldly, dramatically flaring the sarcastic tone in my sharp edged voice as I watched him swallow.

"Your name isn't Ace?" Tony uttered hoarsely, looking genuinely confused as I shot him a Whithering glare and quickly resumed my focus.

"I don't know what you've come here to do but you can go back to them, tell them they'll never get me back, whether I'm still breathing, or as dead as my brother is." I growled carefully, hearing Tony sigh as I resisted the urge to spear him on one of the dumb robots still pottering around the room.

"Aurora I'm not-"

"I'll kindly take my leave. Before my reluctance to kill you wears off."

"Aurora it's me. It's- it's Jack."

"Jack died, long ago. Please for the love of god tell whatever corporation you are in to update their data on me." I sighed wearily, taking the last gulp of the strong spirit that swam in Tony's glass before I stood a little straighter, forgetting the reason I had for letting this man breathe as long as he had been.

"And you know that for sure?" He queried ambiguously, lighting a burning fire of rage within me that I couldn't douse for the life of me. But instead of phasing over, thrusting my dagger into the bursting vein in his neck as my brain so vividly fantasised about, I just laughed; coldly, calculated. Short and sharp; causing the figure of Charlie next to me to recoil and tense up, wary, almost fearful.

"I'm afraid so princess. Now run the fuck along before I use your skin to decorate the walls of this ugly place."

"Oh I think the fuck not-"

"Shut up tin can." Coraline hissed, suddenly spurting a deadly venom I hadn't seen since the first day I'd met her murderous ass. I smirked, lightly, twisting the blade in my hand before I felt a cool palm clasp my fist, closing around my trepidation, warming me in the deepest coldest corners I couldn't seem to rid the chill from.

I let out a shuddering breath and eased my muscles, rolling my shoulders as I watched the man open and close his mouth, carefully planning out his next painful words.

"Did they tell you that?" He asked and I shrugged off the chill that scraped down my spine.

"I saw it."

"The body? You saw the body."

"More or less. You- he was wrapped in a bag." I uttered lightly, feigning apathy but cracking and leaking the wariness when I stumbled over my words.

"So you didn't see the body."

"It was him."

"Are you sure?"

"One word. One more word and I'll slit your throat faster than you can get your sentence out pal." I suddenly snapped, feeling the tight band of nausea retract in shape, constricting my insides and crushing my ribs til they splintered and pierced my wheezing lungs.

Loki's hand tightened around mine and I forced a deep breath, wanting to rid myself of the pain, wanting to rip the life from this man in front of me who had the gall to slash deep into the pain that still ached from years ago. I wanted to leave, wanted to be on my own so I could lick my wounds in private. The wounds that had been so callously unstitched by the wavering, ruthless hands of this cruel bastard.

"Aurora please just hear me out." He pleaded, his face suddenly crumbling in desperation as he held his palms out, his eyes glistening with an agony I resented to feel the same way. He stepped closer and I felt Loki tense up even tighter, his breath becoming a quiet growl as he clutched me tightly in his grip and I cleared my throat, trying to steady my racing heart.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I need to talk."

"And I'm not here to listen. Go back to them, tell them you were unsuccessful in retrieving me for whatever their purpose was." I cut in, not wanting to hear any more of his pathetic grovelling. It wasn't my brother. I murdered my brother. I was to blame. And this man would not succeed in digging up this past demon that I'd only just learnt to bury beneath me.

"Maybe they'll drag your painful death out even longer since you were lucky enough to come back unscathed." I spat, turning last to Tony as a huge weight began to drag me down by my ankles. The swarming depths of his sympathetic brown eyes was enough said and I just scoffed cruelly, shaking my head at him as I turned to go.

~~~~~~~~

"I don't care honestly I really fucking don't." I ground out irritably, sliding onto the kitchen seat as I glared daggers at Loki, who just watched, a concerned look creasing the contours of his face. I swiped through my phone, ignoring his piercing stare as I tapped away, feigning apathy.

"You're drinking again." He just supplied tiredly, his eyes flitting to the bottle of spirit I was clutching in my hand. I took another swig and suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, instead wincing at the fiery liquid that clawed my throat.

"Tell you what Sherlock Holmes, you are unbelievable." I quipped dryly, gesturing to the stash of empty spirit bottles by the sink.

"In any case you hadn't noticed, I tend to do that 24/7. It's my 'guilty pleasure'."

He sighed and dropped his gaze for a moment, moving round the table toward me. His hand closed around the neck of the bottle and pulled it from my hand and for a second I thought he was going to put it away. But he just brought it to his mouth, taking a large gulp without so much as a twitch on his face, only frowning when he placed it back on the counter.

"fairly weak spirit actually." He mused quietly, walking around me to place an arm carefully around my slightly swaying body as my eyebrows shot up my head.

"Weak? That's like 80% shit right there." I choked out, smirking a little as his chest rumbled with a laugh and I felt myself relaxing into him, naively believing that would be the end of it. His hand brushed a pleasantly chilling trail up my arm and I heard him mutter something about Asgardian spirit, before he sighed and planted a light kiss on my head.

"I know you must be in shock-" he began, but I was quick to cut him off.

"Shock? Why would I? People attempt to assassinate me every bloody day of the week, why should this one be any different?" I muttered lightly, my voice a little slurred as I began to lack the ability to keep the strained apathy from slipping out from under my tense tone.

"Darling I don't think that's what he was trying to do-"

"You're telling me you believed all that bullshit?" I scoffed indignantly, hating how much I enjoyed the feel of his cool breath fanning out over my scalp. He said nothing, just pressed his lips to my head again. He didn't need to though. His silence said it all.

"I think there's a possibility-"

"There isn't." I cut him off quickly, my tone sharp, defiant. And I felt him stiffen for a moment, mirroring the tension that rolled off me. I sighed, then feeling his lips press against my neck, relaxing me and calming me in a way that no one else ever had and ever could.

"Are you fucking kidding me??? That's a joke!" I exclaimed at the screen that had suddenly morphed on my phone, displaying something that sunk my heart deep into my stomach. I felt Loki tense up behind my, his hand stilling as his voice lowered.

"What is it."

"A poppy seed bun?"

"What?" Loki quizzed, his tone carrying a lot less gravity now as I pouted at the image mocking me from my screen, practically seeing the confused frown Loki wore from behind me.

"This buzzfeed quiz I just took to see what type of bread I am. It said I was a poppy seed bun." I whined dejectedly, turning off my mobile and tossing it down on the counter as I groaned into my sleeve.

"Well that's ridiculous, you're clearly a sesame seed roll." He sniffed amusedly, twisting a strand of my hair between his deft fingers as a small smirk wound onto my face and I allowed myself a brief moment to forget about the events of today. Before they all settled down on my mind once more and the frown took hold of my expression again.

I bit my cheek and shook the image of the man from my head again, refusing to acknowledge the scary likeness he had to me. It was probably the reason they sent him. Someone who looked even remotely like me.

Anyway, I didn't have to worry about him anymore. I wouldn't see him again.

~~~~~~~~~

"Oh for f-"

"Hear me out, please Aurora." He cut me off quickly before I could slam the front door closed in his face.

"How did you find this fucking house?"

"How do you think?"

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

"Wait!" He exclaimed loudly before I could shut it again on his sorry face. I hesitated, unfortunately a little too long. Long enough for those words to slip from his stuttering mouth and for my whole body to go cold.

"They lied to you."

The words that slipped through caught me off guard, stock still, hand hovering on the doorknob. The word that seeped through the perfectly sculpted armour like blood, thick, burning blood. Lie. Another lie.

As I was about to speak a woman came into view beside him, a fresh faced brunette, short and curvy with a sizeable mound over her stomach that she held fondly. Her flushed rosy cheeks shone brighter above the washed out gray tones everyone around me seemed to be paled and painted in. She smiled nervously, albeit sadly, looking at me like in awe. Yet I hadn't failed to notice the wariness that struck her as my deadly glare sliced through her and she clutched at her swollen skin a little more protectively.

She looked bright, doused in a youth that I hadn't witnessed in what seemed like forever, even in little Charlie, despite the fact this woman was clearly much older, at least a decade older in fact. Then again, upon closer inspection I realised it was a youthfulness that was pure, untainted with trauma, unshadowed with grief; still brightly bathing her softened features.

I half expected her brow to crease, for her eyes to flash with concern and for her to grip the man's arm and whisper the words that would encourage him to take their leave, to go back home and away from this boldened, ruthless assassin that stood before them. But she didn't... she...surprised me instead.

"May we come in?" She hovered a little hesitantly, her voice trinkling lightly in the air as a flurry of wind chimes in the breeze would, leaving me to stiffen as the tone begged to be let through the army of barricades I'd built up.

"I'm afraid I can't stand for long." She added a little lighter, breathing out a breath that resembled a little melodic laugh as she gestured to the now plain as day bump attached to her torso. My mouth was dry, my throat scratchy as I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the voices screaming at me to slam the door shut on them before I maimed him for having the audacity to find my residence. And to bring this warm creature of softness with him, to expose her to the cutting, angular predicament that was me.

But before I could think any better of it, I swallowed my trepidation and gestured inside, rolling up my sleeves as I tucked away the little blade I had withdrawn upon the arrival of that little door knocker sounding ominously against the wood.

"You've clearly got something to say." I commented, trying to hide my smirk as I sidled up to Loki and popped the cap off a liquor bottle, seeing both the man and the woman beside him staring wide eyed right at the god next to me. Loki's warning eyes just pierced right through the man, threatening and amused all at the same time as he just stared back, unable to form the words on his tongue.

"Oh my god it's you." He cut through the tensed silence, his voice almost a whisper as I was helpless to hold back the smile this time, marred only a little by a grimace when the fiery alcohol scraped a burning path down my throat.

"Indeed it is." Loki grinned, flashing the woman a smile when she let out a short gasp, surprisingly staying right where she was in front of him instead of backing away behind the man like her expression showed she might.

"It's- it's you- you're-" the woman squeaked and I held my breath, trying not to roll my eyes.

"Gosh this does happen a lot doesn't it?" Loki grinned amusedly, and I bit my lip, trying to refrain from kicking him.

"Yeah it's crazy, it's almost like you tried to take over the world a couple of years ago or something." I concluded dryly, drawing a quiet laugh from Loki as I watched the shock beginning to wear off the two people in front of me.

"I suppose I have become somewhat of a celebrity among you mortals." He mused and i snorted bluntly as I took a long swig of my drink.

"More like a notorious evil leader but go off I guess."

"Ah, even better." He countered grinning as he took an ominous step forward, clearly trying to unnerve his already...nerved? audience. At this, the man seemed to shake himself free of his shock and now he was alert, assuming a defensive stance as he shot an arm out in front of his companion and narrowed his eyes at the god.

"Stay the fuck back, princess." He warned, his mouth kicking up into a half smirk as he withdrew a small dagger and launched it from his hand, sending it sailing through the air to land in the wall right beside Loki's head. Loki just held back what I could tell was a large grin, and instead he feigned surprise, creating a false sense of comfort for the man in the cruel way I knew Loki could. Then he turned to me, his brows knitting together as he looked me up and down, pretending to be scrutinising me like he didn't already do that every second of the day, albeit a little more conspicuously.

"And you're certain he's not in any way related to you?"

"No-" I began to protest but was cut off by a chrorus of 'yes's. I slammed down the bottle in my hand and held back the incredulous grimace that begged to twist my expression. My gaze turned to the one blonde man before me, my blood bubbling with a thick toxic chemical mix of pure fury and anxiety that had suddenly enveloped me in their ceaseless claws.

"I think you need to leave now." I cut through the thick air, my teeth gritted painfully as I stood from my seat, fists clenched in the blazing inferno of rage that had engulfed my entire being. It only grew wilder as I watched him take a step forward, beginning to protest, his hands splayed out in front of him.

"Aurora-"

"That's not my fucking name, for christ's sake. And you're not my god damn brother, and you don't quite know how lucky you are that you and you're fucking support buddy are still alive after you have the balls to come to my house and dredge up the past i'd tried so hard to forget. Of my brother and his untimely fucking passing...because of me." I spat, dragging closer and closer to him with every step as I practically shook with the force of my fury.

"Get the fuck out of my house now."

"Aurora please-"

"I said, get the fuck out-"

"you have to lis-"

"Now."

"Ma'am please you need to hear him out-"

"Ora I really think you should-"

"I'm not saying it again-"

"Aurora-"

"Say that name one more time and I swear to god I'll-"

I was silenced all of a sudden by an immediate loud noise that had ripped from the throat of the quiet young woman. A cry of sharp pain that echoed through the house, shrouding the walls in its raw anguish.

Everyone was silent, all eyes turned to the woman who was doubled over, hands clutched at her stomach as her eyes squeezed shut and she took a few deep breaths. My mouth opened and shut like a fish, all the previous racing anger suddenly seeping out of me like the searing shell had cracked. A long moment of quiet seemed to pass before the man finally spoke up.

"Abby honey, are you okay? Do you need-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted steadily, her eyes slowly opening as she grit her teeth and rose up again, her eyes landing not on the man who now looked fairly perturbed-his eyes clouding with worry-, but on me. She took another deep breath and her brow furrowed as she looked through me with a strange warmth I hadn't seen since as long as I could remember.

"Please, Just- just listen to him. That's all I ask." Her words sailed through the air, surprisingly confidently, sticking into me with their sharp ended spears. Her hand shifted from her stomach and she stood a little stronger, giving a reassuring nod to the man as I took in a shaky breath, holding my head as the alcohol seemed to all hit me at once.

"Hey Ace can I get that gun you promised m-"

The words cut short and we all turned to see Charlie stood awkwardly in the doorway, surveying the incredibly tense scene in front of her as she flitted her gaze from one face to the next. I held back a groan and just raised an eyebrow, watching as she opened her mouth to speak before closing it again. Then she took a small step back, clicking her finger as she pointed at us somewhat awkwardly, with a grin, and began to shuffle away.

"I'll let y'all get on with that." She muttered, sliding away hurriedly as I bit back an amused smirk. Smart girl...smart smart girl

"Aurora." The man began to speak but I held up a hand to stop him, my expression sour again as I bit my cheek, looking him once over and folding my arms over my chest.

"Make it quick buddy, I only have half a bottle left."

~~~~~~~~~~

gee fuckin willackers that took a hot goddamn minute to write.

deffo not me procrastinating my homework by writing another chapter of this hot mess ✌️😗

anyways hope ur all doing well and don't u worry guys, Ima give yous the shortened version of this dude's story so I don't bore y'all.

Adios readers

ly ❤️❤️❤️