2 | 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 ▹ LOKI LAUFEYSON

xxv. the frost

A M O R A

"Are you sure you will be alright?" Amora looked back at Gamora as she stepped out of the ship. They had just landed on a planet just outside of the area of the galaxy that the Nine Realms occupied. From this place, the use of the Bifrost would be less taxing on the observatory.

The assassin gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'll be fine. Will you be okay?"

Amora followed Gamora's pointed look to Loki, who stood apart from them, looking up at the sky. He had hardly spoken a word to her since they left the fuel station, preferring frosty silence. The shortness of the trip had been a saving grace, but that made it no less uncomfortable.

She sighed. It pained her to see what they had recovered since his return shatter in an instant.

Turning back to Gamora, she nodded. "I'll be fine."

The green woman gave a pained smile, knowing that they were both lying, before she straightened and held out her hand. "Amora," she said resolutely.

Amora simply ignored the offer and took a step forward, wrapping her arms around the assassin. She felt Gamora stiffen for an instant before returning the embrace.

"Good luck, Gamora," Amora said, drawing back.

Gamora nodded with a warm smile. "You, too." She looked past to Loki. "Trickster," she addressed.

He offered a silent nod in return.

With that, Gamora turned and disappeared into the ship. It soon hummed to life and rose into the sky. After it flew out of sight, Amora hesitantly turned to Loki.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly.

Loki did not even look at her, but he still nodded.

A twinge of guilt pinched her chest. They were returning to Asgard; he was returning to his cell. Because he chose to stay. Because of her.

Tilting her head up to the sky, Amora called, "Alright, Heimdall."

* * *

L O K I

With a crack of thunder, a kaleidoscope of colors filled Loki's vision and a sense of weightlessness filled him. The light faded, the ground appeared under his feet, and Loki found himself in the Bifrost.

And before him stood his least favorite people in the galaxy. On either side of the gatekeeper, Odin and Thor stood in tense waiting. Just outside the Bifrost, a horse-mounted Theoric watched with a small company of soldiers.

"Thor!" Amora greeted in surprise, moving to embrace the prince, "When did you get back?"

He returned the embrace, but Thor's eyes reluctantly moved from Loki to gaze fondly at his friend. "The situation in Alfheim was fixed and I was able to return yesterday."

Almost immediately, firm hands clamped down on his shoulders and forced him roughly to his knees.

"Hey!" Amora called out to the two guards flanking him as one jerked Loki's hands behind his back and the other drew out a pair of handcuffs, "Have a care."

The two Einherjar obediently released their hold on command, and in a few, quick steps, Amora positioned herself between Loki and the guards.

She rested a hand on Loki's shoulders and turned toward the platform. "This is unnecessary," she spoke adamantly, "He has done nothing but cooperate since we left. He does not deserve this."

Odin's eye looked back and forth between the two before saying, "Very well."

"Allfather," Theoric spoke up," you can't possibly—"

"Do not question our king," Heimdall's booming voice interrupted, and the soldier begrudgingly fell back into silence.

Loki and Amora were ushered to the other side of the Bifrost where a small transport ship awaited. As they boarded, Loki nearly groaned when he found himself seated near Thor. They had not seen each other or spoken since the day of the trial.

May as well have fun with it, he thought before turning fully toward the prince.

"Hello, Thor," he spoke with infuriating joviality, "you look well. How fairs your little Midgardian?"

Thor's jaw clenched, but before he could answer, Amora promptly sat down between the two.

"Behave," she muttered to the both of them.

Loki glanced up and locked eyes with a scowling Theoric who was taking a seat across from them. The trickster smirked and leaned over to Amora. "I always do."

He never removed his eyes from Theoric, but Loki could hear Amora scoff beside him. Settling in his seat, the returned prisoner leaned his head back and closed his eyes. This was a nice reprieve from the pointed looks around him and the passing Asgardian structures. They only served as constant reminders of his renewed imprisonment.

When he left to search for the Soul Stone, Loki had only imagined himself returning to use the full power of the Stone to shake the foundations of Odin's kingdom. Now he was to be escorted back to that horrid cell with Frigga as the only reasonable person to speak to; it was unlikely that Amora would visit as often as she used to.

The thought filled him with both disappointment and indignation. She was the only reason that he was in this miserable situation: no Infinity Stone and no freedom.

All because I was too weak to act, he thought. He knew that he could never sacrifice Amora for the Stone, but the only reason that he had not snuck onto that other ship at the fuel station was the thought of her disappointed and alone with that murderess.

Resentment spread through his veins like an infection.

"So I assume that your mission was unsuccessful," Thor's quiet voice brought Loki out of his thoughts.

The prince and Amora spoke with their heads together, their voices low.

"No," Amora answered. Her head moved to glance about the ship. "We couldn't find it, but we did find Gamora."

"That's a shame," Thor said, "A space was prepared in the research halls to study the Stone alongside the Tesseract."

Loki perked at these words as Amora shifted, her gaze darted around the ship once more; Loki found some form of satisfaction in how her eyes avoided Theoric despite the soldier's attempts to catch her gaze.

"What happens now?" Amora asked anxiously. Loki ignored her glance in his direction.

"Odin wishes for both of you to be debriefed," Thor explained with a comforting smile, "but you have nothing to worry about. I will be questioning you."

"That's not really what I was worried about," Amora muttered before asking, "Do you know who else has been assigned to...the debriefing?"

"I'm sorry. I don't," Thor answered with a shake of the head.

No longer listening, Loki's mind began running wild. The Tesseract was being kept in the royal research halls; those halls were in a lower area of the palace near the throne room. And if Amora was to be questioned separately, she would not be able to monitor him as closely.

The barest smirk played on Loki's lips. Perhaps this mission for the Infinity Stone would not be entirely fruitless.

* * *

I know not much happened in this chapter, but it's meant to serve as a transition before the final events of Part II.

Let me know what you think of the latest events! I love seeing all of your reactions!