Flames, Gods, and Stories (AoA Loki fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Burning

      Burning, and burning. That's what Loki felt like. The tearing heat and pain spreading over his body. He wanted to scream in pain again. But, there was no air to breathe for him to scream. Just flames and smoke. He swore he could hear the twisted, sinister laugh of a sickening villain and it was himself. He was in pain, physical pain and perhaps some other kind. He was muzzled, he could tell that. Chained or strapped to some kind of chair, maybe? All he knew is that it hurt to be burning again. He had escaped this for a few months, but in its place, guilt for what he had done to be released from it. Loki, Kid Loki, the one everyone liked. He was dead now. The magpie had taken over the body and advanced it to its older teens/young adult years. And that was him, the one burning. Loki, agent of Asgard. The one trying to change.

    "No, I will change-"  He had said appearing in front of the child as a green ghost. Large and powerful. 

    "No, of course you won't. They won't let you." Kid Loki had said while looking innocently enough cradling the magpie in his arms. However, that was before, he tore into its neck.

      Into his neck. The current Loki's neck.

        "I won and you lost, never forget that." Then came the hard bite and teeth into the birds neck. Tearing it apart like a dog. The ghost fading away in a trail of smoke as he took over the child's form.
      
      "How could you?" A far away high pitched voice screamed. Bringing him back from his memories. "I thought we were friends. We are friends! Loki, please..." He could barely hear anything over the roaring flames. He felt barely conscious. His eyes closing. "Stop it, just stop it! How could you do this to yourself?"

     "Silence!" A far away familiar man's voice yelled. He could barely see a large older figure with ridiculously large gold horns yell at his best friend. Wearing green and fur. He knew all too well who it was. It was himself, the Loki that could be. That dreaded 'King Loki' he had stabbed with gram, the sword of truth, back in the dungeons of Asgardia.

    "You think I'm lying!"  That cursed voice screamed -no, laughed- he laughed at him. Sparks flying from his chest. The current scared and distressed at knowing he existed, or, was going to.

       "The boy, needs to learn not to keep such a delicate thing close to his heart." King Loki grabbed Verity's red hair and yanked it. She screamed in pain.

      No, no, Don't do that. Loki thought. She didn't do anything to deserve this. Don't hurt her, please. Despite the smoke and fire he could see Verity with tears in her eyes. She wasn't chained or muzzled, at least. But, she was an intelligent girl and she knew her strength. She knew she was no match against a god. Especially one as powerful as King Loki. She was screaming and yelling at him, berating him. The current Loki took a breath of smoke and coughed while making some sort of muffled yell. He was in agony now, choking on smoke, his body in flames, burning and burning. Then with a snap of the futures fingers, it was gone.
    
    "Fine." King Loki's disappointed voice sighed. The chair and flames disappeared. With a loud thud Loki collapsed on the floor. The young god's body twitching with pain and coughing from smoke. He gasped for air. Tears in his stinging eyes and scorch marks on his body. No matter how much smoke he coughed up and air he took in, he couldn't breathe. Loki felt himself get picked up by the collar of his shirt and armor then get thrown against the wall. The wall almost shattering behind him. He closed his eyes and landed next to Verity. "I think I have a better idea."

      "Loki," Verity whimpered thinking he was knocked out. "Loki, wake up." Verity shook his shoulder barely able to move him with how heavy he was. The weight was all muscle though. Loki's head faced away from her. She didn't see his eyes were open. He didn't want to look at her. Not after what King Loki had done. He didn't want her to see the pain in his eyes.

     "Well?" King Loki asked. "Have you learned yet, boy?" Verity felt king Loki roughly grab her shoulder and yank her up again. He grabbed her chin and picked her up holding her against his chest. "Or, should I slash her throat and leave her to bleed out all over you?" Verity gasped barely able to scream in fear as she felt the cold blade of a knife across her throat. She was trembling.

      "Yeah," the current monotonous uttered. He turned over and looked at Verity expressionless. "Go ahead, I don't care." Verity's eyes widened and she shook her head head about to cry. She swore she could see a fire in his eyes though. Orange flames in his green eyes. Flame of seething rage and hatred. "I don't care if you kill her. She's just a mortal." Verity stopped.

       It was a lie. He was lying. She saw through it. Well, it was her power after all. She hadn't seen through it the first time because she was blinded by emotion. He did care. He didn't want her to die. Those flames in his eyes were the truth his expression lied about. He may not be able to verbally lie, but, expression wise he could. She wasn't 'just a mortal' to him. She was his friend. The knife was pulled away from her throat.

      "Well, that's no fun." King Loki said disappointedly. "I was expecting a bit more from you. Shame. But, at least you've come to your senses again." Verity was suddenly dropped and she landed on the floor in a heap. "However," King Loki's twisted smile came back on his face. "This isn't just your torture." Loki's eyes revealed a questioning look to Verity.

     "W-What?" Verity stuttered. King Loki picked up the burned almost limp body of his current self.

     "Maybe, I should just slit your throat and let her watch you die!" King Loki laughed. Loki closed his eyes and got a defeated look on his face. "We all know you'll come back anyways." Loki felt the dagger on his throat. "Just not as good looking and young as you are now." 

      "You. Can't. Kill. Me." Loki growled. "I. Am. You."

        "Sure, I can." Loki responded. "Our name isn't in the books of Hel anymore, remember? You'll just keep coming back, again, and again, and again. No matter how many times you're burned, stabbed, decapitated (which we all know doesn't work anyways), or fall into the void. You'll always come back." King Loki let his sinister glare focus on Verity. She saw insanity in his eyes. A burning desire to destroy and cause mischief. After all, he was the god of mischief and lies, as well as villainy. "However, the mortal woman won't."

     "No, no, please don't-!" Verity screamed. Loki felt the knife cut in and across his throat in a painful streak, and then he was dropped to the ground. He looked at Verity with almost closed eyes. 'I'm sorry' he mouthed. Then, he felt a sudden blow to his head knocking him out. Verity's screaming was the last thing he heard. "Loki!" Verity screamed and she scrambled up. She ran over to the younger, her Loki. "You're sick and twisted!" Verity screamed at the future that could be. He smiled wider and chuckled.

     "Remember, darling," King Loki got down to her level and growled. Darling, it chilled Verity down to the bone. "I am him." Verity's brown fear filled eyes widened at the statement. She went to slap him but he caught her hand in his strong grip. He tightened his grip on her wrist and she yelped in pain. Chuckling at her pain he let go. Then, he left, leaving Verity with her Loki. Unconscious and bleeding in her lap. Verity looked down and then, she ran over to his coat and searched through the pockets for a stone. A special certain stone.