Snake and Spider: Friends Forever

Chapter Twenty-One

Peter awoke with a start and pain instantly blazed in his left shoulder. He instantly wished he was asleep again. Aunt May sat in a chair beside him, scolding Mr. Stark about something. Loki stood on his other side in the midst of a discussion with Thor. Peter knew he should have heard it all clearly but everything sounded so far away. Peter tried to focus on them but couldn't. His vision went blurry and he must have cried out because Loki instantly whirled around. He said something that Peter couldn't make out, his ears just weren't picking up his voice, everything was silent, no longer muffled, but exactly silent. Aunt May put a hand on his forehead and said something to Loki who had the most worried look he had ever seen. Loki then placed glowing fingers above his eyes. "Sleep," Peter heard that clearly, but nothing else still. Loki's fingers swept over his eyes, cool and comforting before he fell, once more, into blissful, painless sleep.

Hours later, or was it days, Peter couldn't tell, he awoke once more to an empty room. He was pleased to see that his vision had returned, his hearing was another question. Everything still sounded all too muffled for Peter to make out. Memories of the robbery returned and he cringed when he remembered the feeling of the shadow drinking his blood. Maybe that was why he couldn't hear. Peter laid and stared at the ceiling for several minutes before Loki breezed through the door with a cup in his hand. He said something that Peter couldn't understand. Concern rippled across Loki's face as he approached the bedside. "Drink bróðir," Loki whispered, "It will help you feel better." Why could Peter hear Loki when he came this close, but not five feet away at the door? Peter drank the concoction Loki pressed to his lips. It had no flavor and Peter swore it didn't have a temperature either. How was that possible? Peter fell back into a deep sleep again.

When he awoke again, it was light out. His hearing had partially returned but it was still muffled. Aunt May sat beside him. When she noticed he was awake she asked, "Are you feeling better? Does anything hurt? Can you hear?"

"Kind of, yes, and kind of," Peter responded drowsily.

Aunt May called for Loki, who in a couple of seconds, was in the doorway. "Ah, you're finally awake," he said.

Peter looked at the god. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, maybe he hadn't. But nonetheless, he looked happy to see Peter awake again. "Thank you Loki," Aunt May said, sounding tearfully, "I didn't think he was going to wake up."

"He wasn't going to without that last potion," Loki murmured, "He has quite the resilience to those, most hardly worked..."

"What do you mean?" Peter was confused. Potions? What sort of dreamscape was he stuck in.

"You were hit by Skuggi faðir," Loki explained, "You wouldn't be alive without the various healing potions I had to use."

"Skuggi fa...what?" Peter exclaimed.

"Skuggi faðir," Loki said patiently, "In your language, Shadow father. Bad news. If he is free. Like we think he is, all of humanity can say goodnight unless we can put him back in Helheim. He will be the Avengers next enemy."

"Oh," Peter muttered, "Will I be able to fight?"

Loki looked over at Aunt May who sighed, "You apparently have no choice," she explained, "You either fight whatever Loki keeps saying, or join him."

"Oh," Peter said again. "Oh..."

Aunt May and Loki made eye contact once more and she said, "I'll give you two time to speak alone. She kissed Peter's forehead and then walked out, shutting the door behind her. Loki stood awkwardly beside him. He walked around the bed and sat in the chair. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"Hey, you saved my life, that's good enough," Peter told him.

Loki smiled. Peter struggled to sit up so Loki helped him. They sat together awkwardly for a moment before Peter asked, "So how's your reunion with Thor been?"

"If he pokes my arm and whispers 'you're really here' one more time, I swear by Odin's beard I'll run him through," Loki scoffed.

Peter laughed, typical Thor. "Do you guys have a plan on how to defeat this Skuggi fa..." Peter trailed off again. How did you pronounce that name?

"Skuggi faðir," Loki pronounced, "And yes, we kind of do. They want you to attend the meeting later if you are up to it."

"Oh I am. I've been stuck in bed for how long now?" Peter ranted.

"Three weeks," Loki said deadpan.

"Three weeks?!" Peter shouted, "I've been asleep for three weeks!"

Loki smiled sheepishly, "Yes."

"Get me out of this bed right this instant, I need to walk," Peter demanded.

Loki chuckled but hooked Peter's arm over his shoulder and pulled him up. Peter wasn't tall enough to keep his arm there so he grabbed onto Loki's arm. "Alright, lets walk," he said excitedly.

Loki walked slow as Peter stumbled along. They exited the room and walked to the common room. Loki spent more time with his eyes on Peter than with his eyes ahead and Peter was focused solely on getting his feet to move right. But they eventually made it to the common room where Loki and Peter plopped down onto a couch.

"Well kid, feeling better?" Mr. Stark asked nervously.

"Yep," Peter responded brightly.

"Good. Your aunt wanted to tear me apart for a while there, just a heads up," Mr. Stark said, "I'm surprised she didn't go after Loki."

"Loki's my brother now," Peter explained, "I don't think she would go after him."

"That's right, I would never go after my boys," Aunt May said, suddenly standing behind them. Loki smiled.

"So," Thor said, "We need to finish this plan, any ideas?"

Oh gods do I hate this part. At least the first two paragraphs seem to be decent.