A Feather's Trick ➸ Loki fanfiction

Chapter 18

I thought things were going well. Feeling sympathy turned out to be even worse than guilt. Empathy followed soon after. It renewed the pain I felt after Pietro's death. I couldn't believe it could hurt so badly again.

Sam suggested I was depressed. I glared at him. If I was depressed, surely my wings would have announced it to them all. No. This was different. It felt terrible, but necessary.

It wasn't until a good deal of time later, I realized he was probably right.

An entire civil war started among the Avengers. We were forced to choose sides. I sided with Steve, of course. I trusted him far more than Tony. I also liked Wanda and Clint.

I vaguely remember things getting worse, and having to fight the others.

I went with Steve and Bucky to Siberia. When Steve left Tony his shield. He brought Bucky out with him. T'Challa offered to help. We didn't know how helpful he would turn out to be.

Time had passed, as it usually does. By this point, my wings were more white than black. I had been hiding out for some time with Steve and his team. I watched, and felt very sorry for the Winter Soldier.

Every time I spoke with him, it wasn't difficult to see the remorse he felt. Trying to make him feel better was a kind thing to do, Steve said so. But I wasn't doing it for him. I was doing it for me. Comforting Bucky, making him see that he still had a chance for redemption gave me hope as well. If people forgave him, they would forgive me.

I was hopeful when Steve announced they would put him under the ice. I knew he would miss his friend. But he was alive. I said my farewells to Bucky, not expecting to see him again for quite some time.

We had dropped off the rest of the team before that point. It was just Steve and I now. I wondered what he wanted to do, but I vowed to follow him. He was a righteous man. He could surely lead me down the path of redemption.

We stayed in Wakanda for some time, but I knew he grew restless. As did the Wakandans. They didn't particularly like outsiders. They really didn't seem to like us; we defied science.

"Steve." I called.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"What about heading to Japan?"

"What?" He looked at me in confusion.

"Well. It seems kind of far away. You know?"

"I'm surprised you even know it exists." He chuckled.

"I've been doing my research on geography!" I exclaimed.

"Not Japan." He rejected the idea.

"Why not?"

"They're very technological. Everyone would know where we were in an instant." He reasoned. I pursed my lips. "We're not staying here forever. Hey, you can always go your own way." He teased.

"You know I won't do that." I sighed.

"I still don't really know why that is. I'm not your Captain anymore."

"No. But you are my only friend."

"What about Wanda?"

"Her and I never really got along. Besides, she has Vision."

"Fair enough." He concurred.

"It's at times like this I really wish Thor let me come back with him."

"What, you mean you don't like trekking through the African jungle?" Steve asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you Captain." I raised my head defiantly.

"Well you know what's unbecoming of you?" He retorted.

"Pray, do tell." I said, turning to face him once more. My eyes widened as sparks formed under me. "What in the world... Steve?" I cried out as I fell through the ground.

"This is who you meant right?" A voice I didn't recognize asked.

"Indeed it is." A familiar voice sounded. I looked around in awe. I wasn't in the African jungle anymore.

"Thor?" I squinted as I recognized him.

"Luftie!" He exclaimed with delight. "It is good to see you." He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

"It's good to see you too. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I've got stories to tell you. But first, I suppose we'll need my brother back." He said to the other man.

"Oh yeah right." He said nonchalantly.

"What?" I pushed him back in shock.

There was a similar circle of sparks as before and out fell a screaming god. He gasped as he hit the floor. He was supposed to be dead.