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avalindin · 7 years

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To Hell and back

Loki fic

Chapter 5: Close enough to death

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Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4

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Loki reached out, unable to move any further as he watched August and Imogen fall back to their deaths to the ground below. He was stuck, unable to use his powers to save them until Imogen turned her head to her brother.

Her skin red from anger had transformed before his eyes. Imogen sprouted wings from thin air and soared to grab August with a single flap of her wings. They reached the ground below and he didn’t know if they were safe or not.

“Where are they? Did they hit the ground?”

Loki couldn’t answer. He didn’t know. He only climbed down the rocks. Nalek watched as the male started his way down the rocks. With Roysce gone there was no reason to hurry but there was still Hela.

She huffed her breath and knew she was lost. Hela drove her fist into the nearest bit of rock, making the structure shake. Nalek and Loki both grabbed the rocks in alarm. She was still coming for them.

August waved as Loki and Nalek where close enough. Loki looked to Imogen on the ground and felt his heart jump from his chest.

“Don’t worry,” shouted August, “She just used her powers.”

“I remember.”

“She didn’t. I don’t know why.”

“How much longer will she be out? She seems to always know the way out of here and Hela’s not far behind.”

“She needs to rest.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Gus.”

Her body felt weak as she tried to sit up. She swatted away at their hands when they wanted to help her. Falling from the tunnels felt like a dream. The wind in her hair, the wings that replaced her arms. It all made her heart race. She looked up to the sky. The rocks went higher than she expected. The sun shone warm on them but it wasn’t real. Neither was the clear water in the flowing river next to them. It would have killed them like it did with Emmilette or as Charon had described. Either way,

Imogen got to her feet and began walking and as before, the men followed her. Nalek didn’t talk and waited for the moment when one of the three would turn around and gut him for what he did. A pain rose from his neck where hela’s needle had struck him. He felt the soreness and could find no needle, giving no reason to tell the group as they pressed on but he did wonder if they would even care.

Loki stayed his distance behind August and Imogen. All of his memories of Imogen came back with a vengence. Every glare, every threat, every moan, every tear and emotion. The events of his return to Sakaar were only short lived but the time he’d spent with her had mattered.

In the beginning, he was a bit of a bastard but near the end, he knew where is intentions and his heart lied and he wasn’t about to give up on the way he felt for Imogen.

August felt the dead grass and patches of dirt underneath his feet. He let his sister walk by herself and he was wonder why she was still standing. So much had happened in very little time or more time than their surroundings may have lead them to believe. He had his sister and that was all that mattered to him. That and getting out alive.

Imogen.

She tried to clear her head of the madness of Hell. There was far too much to comprehend and too many answers that she wasn’t sure if she wanted the answer to. Instead, she cleared her throat.

“So, where are we now?”

“We’re still in anger. We didn’t exactly go through a gate.”

“I guess we didn’t. I need you to tell me the rest of the way out, to all of us in case more of us die.”

Loki felt now was a chance.

“You can’t believe...”

“I didn’t fucking ask you, Loki!”

He wasn’t looking when she had stopped so abruptly that she was inches away from his face.

“I beg your pardon.”

“Let’s just be clear that a fair amount of shit is going do and I don’t have the energy to care anymore so as far as I’m concerned, I fucking hate you all. Don’t ask me, don’t talk to me, don’t ask me my favorite color because I’m not giving a single fuck.”

She turned to August as he tried not to smile.

“You, I get to hate more because we’re related.”

“Alright. Just keep up, old woman.”

“Fuck you.”

As Imogen walked away, Loki fought every fiber of his being to make sure he stayed away from her. He fixed himself in his trousers and carried on with their journey.

“Gus?”

Loki was pulled from his thoughts, unsure of how much time had passed as he heard Imogen’s calmed voice.

“Sup, Slick?”

“How come you know about my powers but I can’t?”

“Well, you really don’t remember tham at all?”

“If I did, would I be asking you?”

“Fine. You want the short verision or the long version?”

“I don’t know what I want.”

“To be honest, you didn’t know then either.”

August’s foot was shaking up and down by his the pad of his foot and he didn’t care if it bothered Imogen. Both eleven and it was their mother’s idea to take them.She didn’t acoount that only one of her children would be ready.

“Hey, Im. It’s okay.”

It was the first time he’d spoken since they’d arrived that month.

“Dude, shut up.”

Imogen enjoyed the surroundings but her sides were killing her. Her fingers were restless and she couldn’t wait to be back in her room playing for August.

“Why are we even here?”

“Because Nana is friends with him. She was in the circus for so long and it only makes sense that we get to be apart of something bigger. Man, it only starts here... Oh, fuck.”

She had turned out of her seat and knelt down to rest her head on where she just sat.

“Immie?”

She gasped as Gordon appeared from nowhere with a hand to her back.

“Yeah, I’m just nervous.”

Imogen didn’t want to look where his eyes would have been.

“Hey, it’s okay. I know you are looking.”

“Did it hurt?”

“No. You will be scared at first but the time after you grow into your powers will be well worth it. No matter what happens, we will al be there for you.”

“Twenty bucks says she pukes.”

“Dick.”

In the time she was by herself to step into the glass chamber, her nerves only got worse. August was nice enough to go first but when she heard no word from anyone about him, she could only think the worst. A few of the people that stayed on the grounds tried to comfort her and the more she asked for August, the more the breath in her lungs shortened.

She pressed her hands against the side of the glass. In her head, in walls were closing in, needing to suficate her.

“Wait,” she panted.

Her skin grew red as her hands pressed harder onthe glass. Everyone on the outside, tried to comfort her but they couldn’t feel the lack of air like she did. Imogne looked up to the small blue crystal as it was pushed through the small hole near the top of the case. It dropped but not as quick as her tears as the pounded as hard as she could on the case.She didn’t notice the thing as it smashed to pieces on the floor.

With a sobbing breath, Imogen inhaled the blue smoke that surrounded her. She choked and gagged. Her numbing hand grew, pushing harder on the glass. Her sobbing grew into growls and anger. Her skin blued. She looked to her large hand as a touch made the glass whine under her touch. The poeple once trying to ease her called for Gordon and backed away in fear from her.

Imogen knew her voice wasn’t hers anymore.

With the new shreik of her voice, her enlarged fist punched the glas a single time and smashed the case to bits. The glass rained down on the fur of her huge hand. Her panting turned grunting deep breaths were no longer hers. She swatted and pounded the leftover blue powder on her skin and fur, panicing everyone around her as they ran and screamed for Gordon.

She only caught a reflection of herself once. Imogen was horrified as she saw herself turned into an ape, growing scared herself.

“Imogen!”

She turned to Gordon as he appeared from nowhere. He held his hand up to try and calm her but her new instincts wouldn’t allow it. She roared and smashed her way through the wall. All she could do was run as other ran from her. She almost didn’t see the edge of the cliffs on end of the property but her new weight made her slip on the ice and made her tumble down the mountain side.

Bump after bump, her body filled with pain. She stopped rolling as she saw her arm above her, caught on one of the rocks. Her blue fur disappeared and showed off the edge of a bone that was threatening to break her skin. Cold air puffed from her mouth in short bursts as Gordon screamed her name. She could barely move an inch as she saw him and August teleport to a safer distance near her. They yelled at her to not move though the snow and shifting rocks underneath her was.

From the top of the ledge, snow and rocks tumbled down in alarming waves. Imogen watched August turn and wasn’t ready to see him die. Gordon nodded to him and looked as falling rocks were reduced to powder from the sound waves of her brother’s roaring breath. The powder showered down clouding and stinging her eyes. Her chest began to race, paining her as Gordon slipped and landed next to her.

“Shit, August!”

Gordon pulled sunglasses from the lining in his jacket and pushed them onto his face to hide his absent eyes. She closed her eyes and felt lifted off the rocks and into a crowd of people and absolute clean. Her growing voices of a language she couldn’t understand filled her ears just before she passed out from the pain.

She woke, trying to open her eyes but she couldn’t see anything. Her arms were heavy and her head slowly spun in circles. Her empty stomach turned but she couldn’t. Imogen’s heart raced again, yet... It wasn’t the same.

The beats were strong and sure, one after the over it terrified her and calmed her. She could feel tears stream the sides of her eyes and waited for the similar shuffle of feet stop at the side of her bed.

“I’m sorry, Immie. This month was suposed to be differnet for you and Gussy.”

She hadn’t heard her mother’s voice since the day she left home with August. She didn’t know how much time had past or that her fear and worry to ignore what was ahead and made that time pass. Her muscles ached from the medicine to replace it with numbed bliss and darkness. She whined, feeling her jaw to weak to move. She focused on her mother’s voice and knew she would hear her thoughts.

“Everything was happening so fast. August didn’t show anything at first until he sneezed half a building off. I though for a second you would get something like me. You were so fast.”

Imogen couldn’t understand why her mother sounded proud instead of scared.

“When you slipped, you broke a few bones and your chest caved in. Your heart was completely crushed. You were so lucky to get here when you did. There was a heart already here and it saved you, baby.

The calm reassurance of her mother’s hand to her chest crushed her where she could feel the large bandage. Imogen pushed her voice a bit louder to snap her mother out of her daze to her daughter and just get to the worse news.

“I know, I’m sorry but they can’t do anything else. You can’t learn to live without your eyes. There was too much debris to repair anything.”

All you need is sometime with Gordon. These people helped Nana and they can help you and Gussy too. Summer only just started.”

“Please, don’t worry, baby. Gordon knows someone in New York that can help you.”

A second hand held hers and she grasped the life from her brother’s hand. He brought it up to his throat for her to feels the tremors of his powers. She would remember how the rocks were reduced to nothing.

“Immie?”

She had stopped and tried to feel for a scar underneath the armor.

“Don’t bother. The Grandmaster hid it. Everything will go back to normal when we leave.”

“Everything?”

August could hear the sadness in her voice at the thought of losing her sight again.

“I’m sorry, Immie. Let’s go.”

She carried on without a word. Loki stayed behind them and paid no more attention to Nalek. The old man rubbed the sore back of his neck but it only invited whispered that prickled his ears.

“Nalek... Excellent work...”

“No,” he whispered, thinking he was finally rid of the witch.

“Cute. You think you have a choice. Look up the stream, old man...”

His feet were forced to stop as his head turned to the river in the distance. Imogen could feel the hair on her neck raise as she was also turned in the direction of a set of different whispers.

“She is here. Go now.”

“Immie?”

“Something is wrong.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

She ignored the men around her and began walking after Nalek. Both pale men followed and could see the sun above them slowly dim.

“Loki?”

“What? Care to cut me down to size with what is left of us.”

“You can suckerpunch me later. Just listen.”

He watched August take a long glance to his sister.

“I know how you treated her but I know you’ll protect her.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s been me and her for a long time and if something should happen to me, I need to know that you’ll get her out of here, not questions asked.”

The lower August’s voice went, the harder it was going to be for Loki to make sure Imogen was safe.

“I promise.”

“Don’t say that lightly, asshole. She can’t remember and you owe her so much for the shit you pulled. No matter what happens, you get her out, kicking or screaming and if I get left behind, you grab her and go.”

“You have my word. She will be protected.”

“I remember you saying that before Roysce found her alone.”

He didn’t think straight as the memory flooded his mind and knew August’s words to be true. His request would be met no matter the cost. Loki stayed his distance and stopped behind Nalek and Imogen as they glared into the river. Her shadow’s whisper led her down the calming water until it collected at a small grotto.

“It’s here. The next gate’s through there.”

“Im, how are we supposed to get to the gate without being wet?”

“I don’t know. If I knew how to control it, I would fly but the last thing I turned into would be too big.”

“We could ride Nalek.”

“You will do no such thing to me!”

“How about I just peel the flesh from you for what you did to Emmilette?”

“Do not be so chivalrous now! She was not yours to begin with.”

“Stop it,” huffed Loki as he pushed the males apart.

He stepped to the river and held up his hand. It hummed with his magic as he turned the collected water into ice. Imogen looked to Loki’s hand as bits of his skin turned blue.

She flinched as his hand turned blue and slowly inched to her face. She hissed as his fingers touched the small split cut on her cheek. Her tear chilled as he could feel it touch his finger.

Loki lowered his hand and stepped forward on the top of the ice.

“We must hurry. The water will raise and spill over and we don’t want to be here when it does. Come. I’ll go first to make a path for us.”

“Immie, will go next.”

“No, I won’t. Someone needs to be behind Nalek so he doesn’t pull any shit.”

He could feel his heart break because he could feel something was coming and for what he was about to do would be nessecary. Imogen saw for a moment as his eyes glowed, making her calm and not such a pain.

“You listen to me, okay?”

Though they were twins, she was always the one to protect him from people who did not understand him but now he would have to do it for her.

“Okay.”

“Don’t just say okay.”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t help but smile. He was going to miss her.

“You go behind Loki and I’ll go behind Nalek. One false move and I will make sure he doesn’t do anything.”

She wanted to argue but there was no use. She started to turn until August wrapped his arms around her. She felt the calm disappear as her own wrapped to his.

“I love you, Immie.”

“I love you, too? Dude, we’ll be fine. We need to go now before the ice melts.”

He pushed down the lump in his throat and acted as if he wasn’t about to break her heart to pieces. Loki was the first on the ice with Imogen behind him.

“Be sure to tell me where to go.”

“Okay.”

He disappeared into the dark grotto with a spell to light the way. August nodded his head and followed behind Nalek. Imogen was quick with her steps, fearing that her bare feet would melt the ice under her. She forced her focus to Loki.

“The left.”

“I can’t. There’s no more room to walk.”

She looked around him as the rocks curved down to smaller tunnels.

“Then we’ll crawl.”

“And what happens when we reach a dead end. We’re pressed for time.”

“I haven’t been wrong yet, have it?”

Loki sighed and crouched down to freeze more of the ice. When solid enough, he got to his hands and knees and carried on into the dark rocks. The surroundings closed off quicker than they hoped as Loki had no more room left to go forward. He looked over his shoulder to Imogen.

“There is no room. Not even my hand can fit through but I was able to freeze the water. If I do use my magic the water from the falling rocks could splash us.”

In the green light, he was amused by the smile on her face.

“Let Nalek do it.”

Nalek snapped his head up but kept his words to himself.

“That’s what I thought. Get up there.”

The group backed away far enough so that Nalek was now at the front of the line. Imogen was to be the next until August stopped her. Each second was precious.

“No. Order still stands. I’m next after him. You still don’t know how to use your powers yet.”

Something was unsettling in her stomach.

“Fine.”

Loki helped her move back so that August could be ready and knelt behind Nalek. His hand laid on her shoulder to steady her on the ice.

“Here,” he whispered as he waved his hand and covered her feet with a sinple pair of boots.

With her fear of the melting ice gone, she looked to Nalek raising his hand to the wall of rock. Wisps of purple light glowed at his fingertips. Imogen’s hand quivered, waiting back to either grab August’s ahead or Loki’s behind her. Her hand went back and gripped Loki’s. He could feel her nerves.

The rocks were slowly chipped away as Nalek’s hand reached closer to the wall.

“That’s it. Just a bit closer...”

Nalek could hear his mistress well behind in and in the back of his mind.

“I am almost there.”

“No, you are not.”

He screamed once as his powers blasted a hole big enough through the rocks, making everyone in the group jump. Fresh air filled the grotto. August looked down to the edge of the ice that fell weakly compared to the other water falls surrounding it.

“There’s no way to get across.”

“But the gate’s right there!”

All eyes looked across the falling waters to dim glow down a single tunnel. Even if she wanted to use her powers, the tunnel would have been too high for her to properly land anywhere safely.

“May I,” asked Loki as he let Imogen go and snapped his fingers.

Jagged rocks from the walls around them broke off and floated mid-air, slowly forming a path from their side of the cave to the gate on the other side. He waved his hand to steady the formation and keep it from teetering so much in the wind of the falls.

“Nalek, if you please...”

“Oh, it will,” whispered Hela as she took a single step on the melting ice.

The old man wrapped his robes tightly around him and started forward into the makeshift bridge. It prvoed robust as August stepped behind him.

“Im?”

“Believe me,” she forced as she slowly steadied herself on the bridge with her brother’s hand, “I’m more terrified of dying than I am of heights.”

August took her hand and led her across. Loki was the last to step onto the bridge and safely walk on his handiwork. Nalek could feel his neck burning as Hela grew closer. He figured the less they suffered the better. He grimaced as the party came to a stop. Imogen was still as she held her brother’s hand tightly.

“What’s the hold up, man?”

Not a word was said as Nalek’s hand shot back and blasted a small hole through August’s chest. Imogen gasped, stunned as her face was splattered with his blood. Loki could see bits of her shake as August looked behind to them. Her eyes saw the small flicker of a glow that shot from his arm and into her hand.

The small prick of the glow was unnoticable as Nalek heaved the male into the waters below. She opened her mouth and filled the cave with her screams. Her other hand let go of Loki’s and failed to reach out for the last bit of family that she had left in her world. Loki reached to put his arm around her waist and keep her from going after August’s falling body but she was quicker and had other plans.

Nalek turned and ran for the other side of the bridge, nearly a breath away from the portal. Imogen in all her truer rage broke into a run and tackled Nalek to the ground. Loki raced for her and pulled her away as her nails transformed into claws. She planted both of her feet on the rocks and wrapped her hands tightly around Nalek’s throat.

He knew his time was coming. His neck felt it was seering on fire. Hela’s presence in his mind was unbearable. It was his own fault and soon enough now he had nothing more to lose. It was only right.

“Kill her,” he choked as Imogen’s fingers gripped tighter.

“No”, shouted Loki.

August’s word rang deep in his head as he watched his body vanish under the waters. Nalek turned his eyes to the opening he created and closed his eyes, hoping his death would be quick. Loki could only imagine the rage seeping from Imogen’s eyes. He used every bit of his strength to at least pry her hands away as they latched to Nalek’s arm.

Hela stopped at the cave opening and saw the last bit of definance in his eyes.

“You served well enough, I suppose.”

With the flick of her wrist, she sent a single sword across the cave and straight throw Nalek’s single eye.

Imogen shrieked, mistakenly digging her nails through the fabric of his robes and into his skin. A deep hue collected at her wrist, making her let go as Nalek took his final breath.

“K-Kill her...”

Loki and Imogen looked to Hela as she took a step onto the rocks. Lok was quick to scoop up Imogen and take a mighty leap from the bridge. They landed near the gate and steadied themselves as they looked back to the woman.

“Leaving so soon, brother?”

“I am no brother of yours.”

Loki snapped his fingers and broke the bridge into pieces. Hela turned and jumped back for the other side of the cave. When the rocks fell faster underneath her, she slipped and was able to hold on to the edge. The mist of the waterfalls made the rocks difficult to hold onto as she failed to hold herself up. Loki watched as Hela fell to the waters below.

Out the corner of his eye, Loki saw Imogen take a single step forward to the edge. There was an emptiness in her eyes then same when Emmilette turned to a beautiful patch of soil and flowers. He stopped her as he wrapped his arm to her waist and pulled her back towards the gate, kicking and screaming.

“NO! LET ME GO!!”

He held on tighter and pulled her through the light to a pocket of cave that led nowhere. Her protected feet stomped on the rocks and her cries of grief echoed harshly around them. She screamed and flailed all while Loki held onto her. He would do anything to keep him from going back through the gate.

Imogen finally gave in as she sobbed and slunk to the ground. Loki let himself fall with her as well as he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. Her talons were slowly taking their time to get back to normal but he wouldn’t bother her with such a small thing. In the darkness, he held the woman he remembered caring deeply for as only thing she cared about was taken from her.

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#loki #hela #death #HEAVY ANGST #feels #fanfic

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