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Return to the Golden City

We arrive at the observatory, the Bifrost whirring behind us. I can feel Heimdall's gaze upon me, though I act like I don't notice. I hear the oh-so-mighty allfather tell the guards that surround, "Take him to the dungeons and await my orders." Two guards take hold of my upper arms in a tight grip that makes my body tense. They start to lead me to the golden palace. At first, they try to rush me towards the palace, eager to get rid of me, but the tight bindings around my ankles diminish my gait. We settle into a semi-comfortable stroll. I can tell the sluggishness of our pace annoys the guards, making me smirk.

We walk along the lengthy bridge into the vast city. As we pass the different establishments, I hear people gasp when they see what the einherjar are guarding. Out of the corner of my eye, I see children craning their necks to try and get a glimpse of the monster that they were always told about at night. The einherjar merge closer to me to hide me from view and the two who grasp my arms tighten their already constricting grip, making me wince. I keep my composure and after what seems like an eternity, we arrive at the palace. As soon as we were out of the prying eyes of the public, they rush me towards the dungeon. Because of the chains, I stumble more than a few times. We go through the heavy wooden doors that lead to a secluded part of the dungeon. As I am raced towards the end of the dark hallway, I notice that all of the other cells are empty. Great. I'm all alone... again. We arrive at my cell and I am roughly pushed into the bleak chamber. They quickly take off my bindings and bring the magical forcefield up. I watch them as they walk away, leaving me alone in the bright cell.

The cell, in of itself, is not terrible. I've had worse. There is a smooth stone slab jutting out from the wall with a thin blanket and a pillow and a small bedside table that had a tray of food on it. To my delight, the cell is a colder temperature, allowing me to stay in my normal form without overheating.

I start to feel a numbing pain in my head. I forgot how much travelling using the Bifrost takes out on you. I slowly walk over to the slab to not aggravate my headache. I remove the excess layers I have on, as to not overheat, and discard them on the floor beside the table. Now dressed in a pine tunic and black pants that contrast against my Jotun skin, I sigh and lay down on the rigid 'bed'. I curl up under the covers and I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep. After around an hour of restlessness, I give up on sleep and sit on the side of the slab.

I take off the flower crown that Crystalina made and hold it gently in my hands. She did not deserve what happened. I should not have allowed this to happen in the first place. I remember holding her in my arms as her life faded away. I press my lips into a thin line. Tears sting in my eyes. I had finally gotten the life I've always wanted before it was ripped from me... before she was ripped from me. When she died was the moment my life started to unravel once more. I lay back down on my side, clasping the crown to my chest. I close my eyes and for once, I allow the tears to fall.

"Brother."

I subtly wipe the tears from my face and turn my head to face the voice. The avengers are standing before my cell. This is the last thing I needed right now. I turn my gaze back to the wall, hoping they would leave me be.

"Brother, please talk to us."

Norns be damned! They can't just leave me in peace, can they?! I sigh a bit before gracefully rolling off of the slab. I am seething with resentment. I stride over to the forcefield, stopping inches in front of Thor's face.

"Leave. Me. Alone" I growl.

He takes a couple of steps back. He looks like a kicked puppy. Good. Maybe he finally realises---

"Loki, I never meant for this to happen. The escape plan... it was never meant to go this far. I swear!"

"What did you think was going to happen?!" I scream at him.

"I certainly didn't think somethi-- someone," he corrects himself, "would die!"

My expression immediately goes from furious to morose. I turn away from him and start walking back towards the bed. "Please... not now."

"Why not?" he asks. I stop in my tracks. I turn my body ever so slightly in his direction. My eyes glitter with unshed tears as I look directly at his questioning gaze.

"Because you weren't the one holding a body."

There was a moment of silence. They all start to leave, not knowing what to say, except for Stark.

"Are you coming?" Barton asks.

"I'll be there in a few."

Stark waits until everyone leaves before walking right up to the barrier. "Loki. I am not even going to pretend to know how you feel right now, because I don't. I don't think anybody does. But you can't give up now. Fury and Odin are waiting for this to happen, for your spirits to break so you can't resist them. You giving up is how they win. Don't let them win."

I stand there, shocked. "Why do you care if I lose to them?"

"Because after what happened in Jotunheim... I can't forgive them for that. Killing innocents is not okay in my books, and I don't think it is in yours either."

I shake my head. "So." I pause. "How do I keep on going? How do I not let them win?"

"You fight. You fight until you can't anymore, and when that happens you fight some more! Never stop resisting, and if you die trying, at least you'll be in good conscience that you gave it your best shot. Do whatever it takes for you to avenge her."

After finishing his speech, he turns on his heel and heads towards where the others were going. I turn back around and face the wall.

"Whatever it takes."