A Second Chance Book 1

Part 2

  Loki woke up in a surprisingly comfortable bed. The lighting was quite bright so it took a moment for his eyes to fully adjust to the light. He was in a Midgardian hospital bed, not that he knew what that was. Loki had been carried there and hooked up to an I.V. to keep him stable. He sat up with a slight wince, everything felt sore. Until he sat up no one seemed to be there, but then his brother came into view, and from the looks of it he was asleep. It was such a sad sight in Loki's eyes, to see his brother, the former hero of Asgard. Now just an out of shape, slow drunk with very, very messy hair. Loki didn't like what his brother had become at all, nor did he like the constant beeping from the weird machine next to him. 

"ah- you're awake" Thor says with a yawn and a smile, but Loki could see through it. This wasn't Thor's usual smile, it was a mask. A mask that hid his pain and Loki did not like seeing that smile on his brother's face. 

"Would you stop smiling like that." Loki said with his usual attitude attempting to hide the fact that he was completely shaken from all that had happened. 

"am I not allowed to be happy you're okay brother?" Thor questions. 

"I'm not even supposed to be here- getting treatment from the avengers or anyone else that is here.. I'm not even supposed to be alive" Loki says. Thor's features softened 

"Now that's not true" he disagreed. "You didn't deserve what happened Loki" He said, sitting up straighter. 

"And how do you figure that?" Loki asks, not believing Thor's words. "I've done nothing for Midgard, nothing but try to destroy it. I don't belong here." He insists, his emotions getting the better of him. "..You shouldn't have brought me back." he mutters. 

"You can be better Loki. You've done good before, I know you can again. We wouldn't have gotten out of Asgard if it weren't for you." Thor says, trying to reason with his brother. Loki went quiet. "Besides, you don't have to stay on earth, you can come with me and the guardians. I can assure they will not mind your past." Thor says. 

"I highly doubt that'' Loki says with a roll of his eyes. 

"I mean, all of them are wanted for something in different places so they are really not ones to judge. And they did help me bring you here." Thor says leading him to start rambling about the guardians and their adventures. Loki didn't know what to say to that. He didn't think he deserved to have anyone care, especially not his brother. He's done nothing but hurt Thor and cause him trouble. So why did he care so much? Why did he care enough to bring him back to life? Loki just felt so lost, could he really be a part of something again? Something good? After all those years of doing wrong he didn't think it was even possible. And if he was completely honest he didn't like the idea of traveling with these 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. They sounded barbaric, and dirty. It wasn't exactly his thing to be constantly moving about, even when that's pretty much what he's been doing. Sure traveling was nice but, he liked having home to go back too. Home. Asgard. He didn't have a home anymore. 

The two of them were unaware that Dr. Strange was currently outside overhearing their conversation. He just happened to be on his way to make sure Loki was okay, He was a doctor after all so it was his duty too. Stephen certainly didn't intend to eavesdrop on the brothers, but that is what he ended up doing. He didn't hear the entire conversation, but he heard enough to know that he should not have been listening to any of it. Loki was much more human than he made himself out to be, that was for sure: And he needs help. He's needed help for a really long time, But maybe it wasn't too late to help him. The only problem was, Loki wouldn't let anyone help him and it would be hard to find someone who would even try to help him. Steven shook his head, he needed to focus. He was a Doctor not a therapist. Dr. Strange sighed before knocking on the door and walking in. 

"Good evening." he says with a polite nod. 

"What are you doing here?" Loki says with slight irritation 

"hello wizard" Thor says with that smile again causing Loki to scowl. Dr. Strange sighs 

"I am currently the only medical doctor here, so I am here to make sure you're okay." Loki scoffs looking out the window at the busy streets of New York. 

"Let him help Brother, you can trust him," Thor says. 

"fine." Loki says with a glare. Stephen hides a smirk. So he can accept help. 

"I can assure you it will only take a moment," he says reassuringly. 

"just get it over with" Loki muttered.

Loki was now in a holding cell, which he did not approve of while the others debated his fate. 

"well, he's alive and well. but he's still a threat." Tony says. 

"alive and well is a very loose term. He may not be dead but their is still his fatigue, other minor injuries and his brain has yet to catch up with himself so him passing out could become more frequent." Dr. Strange says. 

"Oh good, glad we got the guy who tried to kill all of us medical report. Thank you Doctor" Tony says sarcastically. Stephen sighs, done with Tony's sarcasm. 

"Well he hasn't tried to kill me" Carol says. 

"He hasn't tried to kill me either'' Sam says 

"or me" Wanda ads. 

"Or me, I think'' Bucky agrees. 

"Well he has tried to kill most of us, '' Tony grumbles, irritated. 

"Look, we were not here to discuss who he has and has not tried to kill. We're here to make a plan" Bruce says trying to get everyone to focus. 

"Bruce is right." Thor says. 

"and he is still my brother, and as I have explained if it weren't for him I, and all of the Asgardians would not be alive." he explains. 

"And that's all well and good, but there's also the countless people who have lost their lives because of him'' Tony says. 

"He can't be as bad as some of the criminals in the rest of the universe" Carol says, still not buying how dangerous Loki really was. 

"We get it, you've been out in the universe fighting bad guys by yourself. but you haven't dealt with Loki before, and neither have I." Sam says getting real tired of this so called planning session that was becoming more of an argument. 

"No. Carol here has a point. Loki at least has some sort of good in him. Thor has witnessed it first hand. If what Thor says is true then Loki deserves a fair chance at a new start." Dr. Strange says. 

"and how do you suggest we give them that chance without risking everyone's lives?" Tony asks. 

"I was about to ask the same thing" Bruce interjects. 

"I could take him somewhere where no one knows who he is and see how he does." Carol suggests. "I am not sure if I like the sound of that. That's what happened on Sackar and it didn't exactly go well" Thor says. 

"and it would be too easy." Stephen says moving away from the wall he was leaning on. "If he is really going to have this chance he needs to earn it. So I suggest I handle it, keep him here in New York. I will keep an eye on him and see how he does." he suggests. "If something goes wrong, by all means Carol can take him wherever. But as I said, he deserves a chance at something relatively normal" Dr. Strange continues. Everyone looks at each other in silence for a moment. 

"alright. I'm not hearing any complaints. So, Doctor strange. Looks like you'll be in charge of Loki for the time being" Tony says. While some people were reluctant everyone agreed. Thor stood and looked over at Dr. Strange 

"don't be too hard on him, Okay?" Little did they all know, Loki was already on his way out the door.