Working Title : Loki & Annie

Chapter Twenty-One

Thor didn't care when J.A.R.V.I.S. suggested that he stop off in the common room where agent Romanov was to deflect suspicion. She knew he was here again and would wonder why he was suddenly making so many trips between Asgard and earth. He wanted, no, needed to see his brother and so he would. He felt no need to satisfy her curiosity, so he went directly from the roof to where Loki was being held. He was there in time to find Loki still wailing though it was quickly dying down to gasping cries at moments.

Seeing Steve holding his brother sent sparks of fear and anger through Thor and he came close to pulling doors off hinges trying to get to Loki. He had a fearsome anger on his face, his expression mirroring his emotions.

"What has happened? What did you do?" There was a dangerous demand in Thor's voice as he removed Loki from Steve's arms. Steve carefully but swiftly letting the kid go.

"Careful!" Bruce called out, putting a hand on Thor and pushing him back closer to the bed. "Remember he's hooked up to some pretty tender lines."

All three men remembered the catheter and winced, Thor moved where he was directed, all the while Loki was still shaking and weakly struggling. Both his body and his strength to scream had been depleted, the sounds coming from him now were more related to the sounds of a small wounded animal.

"We were trying to start him on solid foods." Steve spoke, he wasn't about to let Thor's anger to focus on Bruce. "He didn't react well."

Bruce didn't say anything, he added another dose of the sedative to Loki's line. This time more to mentally calm him than physically, they could see his eyes were already wildly dilated.

Thor looked at Loki who was weakly moving in his arms even as he tried to pull Loki closer to his chest. He would occasionally lower his head to whisper to Loki soothing words in a language that sounded both foreign and old while trying to keep him still.

"Ssshhh, hush Brother. I have you now. You are safe." Thor was awkward in his trying to physically comfort Loki.  His muscles were ridged and this didn't help in calming Loki. When the low cries didn't stop and Loki was beginning to choke then turn red from coughing, Thor quickly set him back in a surprised Steve's arms.

Thor reached for Loki's travel bag that was slung over his shoulder and pulled it off over his head. He grabbed for the strings to pull it open and hissed in pain as he felt the sharp sting of Loki's magic snap on his fingers. It was like tiny teeth stabbing through them. It wasn't something he wanted to fight through when the proper way was right here.

He grabbed Loki's still weakly flailing hand and set it to the bags opening and the strings parted and Loki's hand slipped through with the faintest hint of a green glow as the magic recognized its maker. Even though it was in a slightly different form and restricted and damaged, magic knew itself. Loki's hand grasped something and Thor pulled his hand back out. The strings closed.

The three men stared at the object in Loki's hand, only Thor slowly smiled as he recognized what it was. His heart gave a sentimental lurch when he realized that his Brother had kept this, probably well hidden, despite everything it represented.

Steve and Bruce looked at what Loki had pulled from the bag and was now holding tightly to his face, all his noises having died down and his body finally relaxing. It was some type of a leather bag, like a pillow with most of its stuffing gone. There were a dozen thick leather cords hanging from all sides of it, several smooth wooden beads were on a few of them. It was about a foot square in size and looked as though it had been a dogs chew toy at one point. A few faded wide, green ribbons were tied in corners, it looked well used.