Loki's Little Witch [en]

chapter 6. a perfect spell

The silence was so profound that the redhead swore she could heard Stark's breath even though he was standing at other side of the room, eyes locked to a window from which he could see the night sky and had been since the moment they arrived there, while the two asgardians simply sat next to other, unable to look the other into the eye as both were too busy struggling with their own thoughts. Very different ones for the record.

One asgardian was battling with guilt, as he felt everything going on was his fault, and if he had stayed close to his brother, if he had checked up on him, or at least visited him, at least just once in the past years, none of this would be happening, none of this would be his fault. And the other... The other knew for a fact that everything going on was his fault.

"Her gaze was so empty."

The sorcerer prompted as Natasha rubbed one of the many wounds that covered his body with a gauze, and despite coming out just as a mumble, Tony jumped at his husband's voice.

"Rage was pouring from every single of her words but there was nothing on her eyes," he continued, not even flinching at the contact of another gauze covered in alcohol that Natasha rubbed on another open wound, "just nothing."

Natasha sighed, rubbing the same gauze once more, "it just doesn't make sense," she spoke for the first time, barely mouthing her words, "you said she knew who you were and still... she just attacked you?"

Stephen closed his eyes for the first time after he had been gazing at the ceiling for longer than he could remember, yet that failed to bring him comfort, since the image of his daughter's raging red eyes came back to his mind.

"I mean... What does that mean?" the redhead continued, understanding no one was willing to, "is she brainwashed? mind controlled? chemical subjugated?—"

"Try spelt."

Stark spitted in between the deep silence, making one of the asgardians turn his head to the man standing in the corner of the room the same way Nat did as she finished patching the last of Strange's wounds.

He had had enough time to give everything that had happened a good thought: magic was what started their problems months ago, therefore the answer was right in front of their faces, or at least that's what he thought, for all it took him was seeing the bewilderment cover their faces to realize that he was the only one who had come to what he now thought was the most obvious conclusion.

"What?" a simple smirk covered his face, "I seriously can't be the only one who put those pieces together, what I think we should be questioning right now is how much longer are we going to let him stall us before we lock him down for good," Stark spitted out walking towards the asgardians making one of them stand up in a fast move.

"Slow down there, Stark," Thor demanded, barely letting him finish, "Loki is on our side. He warned us of them coming, he helped us battle those creatures, he even helped us capture your daughter."

"Oh, is he?" Stark raised his eyebrows, "are you really?" he glanced at Loki, "cause he's the only one who knows exactly what is going on with Wanda and how to fix it and he has decided to sit there and say nothing for the past three hours, so what? Are we supposed to believe he just can't?"

"I can't," the god of mischief revealed, causing his brother to turn back to him in a heartbeat.

"Loki, enough with the deceives," Thor begged, "I'm trying to help you here."

"I'm telling the truth, brother," Loki finally lifted his head to gaze at him, "I can't," his eyes turned then to Stark, "and neither could you... or Mordo... or anyone," his words were enough to make the rest frown, "the only person who can break her spell... is she."