Frostiron

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

LOKI’S POV:

Shouts rang out behind me, and I knew I was being followed as I ran down the Bifrost. I ran faster, desperately dragging air into my burning lungs.

“HEIMDALLR OPEN THE BIFROST!!! HEIMDALLR, PLEASE!!” I screamed as I neared the opening where the guardian resided. Heimdallr- whom had always believed my father treated me unfairly- quickly moved to do as I asked. Thunder crackled overhead and fear caused me to falter, allowing me to caught a glimpse of the men who were gaining on me.

I leapt to my feet and ran the last few yards to Heimdallr. Thor landed beside me and I jumped back in fear. “Brother, go! I’ll join you as soon as I can!” He shouted above the roaring Bifrost. Tears of relief almost took me where I stood, but Thor cursed and dragged me to the Bifrost, jumping through with me in tow.

I gripped his hand back tightly, something I hadn’t had the guts to do in years. The usual confusing colors and sounds roared by us, and we landed in a place that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

I smiled before pain tore through my chest, causing me to scream in pain. My entire body burned with pain, each breath an agony. My head was pounding and black began to encroach upon my vision. A blurry face swam into view and shouted at me to stay awake, that whatever I did I needed to stay awake. I tried to respond, only to realize my throat was filling with blood and now I truly couldn’t breathe.

Blackness continued to take me over as a slow numbing sensation, almost worse than the pain overtaking me. I tried to cry out for Thor, but the numbness took my mind and the blackness won.

* * *

TONY’S POV:

“I can’t believe that actually worked!” I said as Steve broke one of my older, unused suits with his shield. He shrugged and sat back down beside Bruce. I managed to get everyone of the Avengers- except Thor, he was busy on Asgard- to come to Stark towers and hang out for a few months. It was only day three, but I had a feeling this was going to be awesome.

“Maybe you should work on a different type of S.H.I.E.L.D. sometime Tony.” Natasha teased. We all laughed, but were cut off as a distinctive Bifrost tunnel opened in the middle of the living room. “Holy shit!” Clint shouted.

The colors receded to reveal a battered Loki and Thor. Loki was grinning in what was so obviously relief it left me to wonder what had happened, but he screamed as I noticed a thick red stain pierce his armor.

I instantly leapt to my feet and to his side, Bruce following suit. We gently lowered him to the ground while Steve fended off a hysterical Thor and Natasha demanded to know what had happened. I focused on Loki, finding the knife buried in his back and ripping it out. He screamed again, but it was needed.

“Loki, I need you to stay awake. Whatever you do, stay awake.” I ordered as I quickly began working on him, Bruce ordering the others to get what we would need and to ready the infirmary. Loki tried to answer me, but blood was clogging his airways. Panic filled his eyes as he passed out, and I yelled a few more desperate orders at the others.

We worked for hours, but we managed to get him stable and hooked up to a few machines that would help with his breathing and fluid intake. I collapsed into a chair near his bed, claiming I would take first watch, and passed out myself.

* * *

I woke up a few hours later, thoroughly rested. I stretched and checked Loki’s vitals. He was still stable, but he hadn’t woken up yet, which worried me. He was breathing evenly, and deeper than he should have been if he was completely dependent on the machines, which I took as a good sign.

“Come on Rock of Ages, wake up and let me know what happened.” I said, resisting the sudden urge to run my hand through his dirty hair. He was thinner than he should be, and we had found quite a few resent scars over his chest, back, and arms.

As if touched by my words, Loki groaned loudly and opened his eyes. Panic filled them as he spotted me and he tried to sit up. “Wow! Lay down, you’re going to hurt yourself. I’m not here to hurt you, I’m just making sure you’re okay. You took a pretty bad hit last night.” I explained, trying to calm him. He breathing had picked up, although he seemed to be having trouble with getting enough oxygen.

He calmed in a minute and managed to croak out, “Thor . . .?” I smiled, placing my hand on his shoulder gently. He flinched slightly, taking away my smile at the thought of what would cause that flinch. “He’s upstairs, we managed to get him to sleep a few hours ago, after we assured him you wouldn’t die as he was sleeping.” I said, none of my usual joking present.

Loki still seemed to be afraid of me so I helped him to drink some water- having to sip from it to show him it wasn’t drugged- and convinced him to try to sleep. I was about to leave the room to find Bruce when he whispered “Thank you Stark.” I turned back and smiled at him.

“No problem. Haven’t got to save anyone in a while, and what sort of hero does that make me?” I asked, faking horror. As I left I heard a quiet chuckle.

* * *

Loki drifted in and out of sleep over the next few days, takling with the ever- present Thor, but he healed surprisingly well. I noticed that his breathing became more and more self- dependent each day, and I thought it was time to test that, while Thor was gone to see Fury. 

“Morning Lokster. Ready to try breathing on our own?” I asked as I walked in. Loki was reading one of my old anatomy and physiology books and he jumped, wincing slightly as I entered.

“I’m willing to try if you swear it will bring no further harm to me.” He said in the same quiet, docile voice he’s been using lately. I wished he would sound different, because the defeat in his voice was killing me. Where was the guy that wouldn’t back down from taking over all of Earth, and facing the Avengers in the process? Now he flinched from the slightest touch and nearly had a panic attack when I had to give him a vaccine so he wouldn’t catch measles while on Earth.

“If it doesn’t work, it might hurt, but I’ll be right here to hook you back up and get you breathing properly again.” I told him as I sat on the edge of the bed, He had yet to voice any protests to me sitting there over these last few days, so I always did.

He seemed to think for a moment before saying, “Alright . . . but I wish for Thor to be here.” He said. I sighed. “He had to leave town to go see Fury, he’ll be back in a few days.” I told him. Panic entered his eyes that his twenty- four/ seven guardian wouldn’t be here (literally, he hadn’t left Loki alone for more than an hour since that first night).  

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be fine. I can bring Bruce in here . . .?” I let the question hang, but he shook his head rapidly. He didn’t seem to be fond of being in the same room as Bruce, except when he had thanked him for saving his life. I thought it was because of the “Puny god” thing or something like that.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.” I said. He lay down all the way, looking into my eyes as I carefully removed the mask that was helping him breathe. He seemed fine, so I had him do a few quick breathing exercises, and speak a little.

His eyes widened and he began to gasp. His hand gripped my shirt tail tightly and he locked his eyes with mine, his pleading gaze full of panic. I quickly replaced the mask, adjusting the monitors so that he would have enough air to breathe. He gasped for a few seconds before he leveled out his breathing again.

“Thank you.” He murmured, falling asleep rapidly. I gently pulled his hand away from my shirt and muttered “Any time dude.” As I left.