The Avengers: Finding Young Loki

New Threat

Loki slid the middle of his skateboard along a railing and avoided a waterfall as it tumbled into the sewers.  He jumped off and snatched his skateboard.  Looking over his shoulder, he saw nobody.  Loki laughed but then he became thoughtful.  He had deliberately run away from them.  Why?  They had been his family for several months.

Do I need to remind you? Ikol told Loki.

“Shut up!  I hate you!” Loki yelled, kicking one of the pipes.  The vibration went all throughout the system, and Iron Man and Thor heard it.

“Well at least we know he’s here, and what general direction he’s in,” Tony said dryly as he and Thor flew towards the sound. 

Loki kicked another pipe, hoping to silence Ikol, but the past adult him kept talking.

What good is change?  When you were me, we did so much!  Everyone feared us!  The name of Loki was respected, not snickered at, Ikol said.

“Oh yeah, like who I am, is something that people laugh at?  I saw how the Ringmaster reacted when Thor mentioned my name.  He was terrified.  Everyone still knows what I did and who I am.  I am the most powerful sorcerer in the Nine Realms!  You were a monster!  I?  I use my gifts to help people.  Remember the bandits that were plaguing that village in Africa?  You said that I should go.  The people there couldn’t give me anything.   But I never wanted anything.  I helped them just to spite you!  And it felt so good!” Loki said.  He knew that Ikol was about to retort, but something suddenly tried to hack into his mind.  Loki reacted, lashing out at whatever had tried to harm him.  “Get away from me!” he shouted, but he saw nothing.

I know you can hear me little prince, said a voice with an accent.  An accent Loki knew was familiar.  Where had he heard it before?  You are Loki, the God of Mischief!  Look at how you’ve been reduced to this useless state!  You’re the perfect bait for that blundering fool, Thor!  Loki realized that whoever the person was, was going to use him to get to Thor.

“What do you want with Thor?” Loki asked, on the alert and ready to use his magic.  Somebody laughed and that was when something literally crippled Loki’s mind.  He stiffened and sank to his knees.  Loki’s yell of agony, echoed out through the sewers and the Avengers heard him.

“He needs our help!” Thor shouted as he went ahead of Tony.

“Whoa!  It could be a trap!” Tony called as he flew after him. 

Loki’s hands clasped his head as he felt a pulsating pain tear through his brain.  Loki could feel Ikol stirring inside, desperately trying to defend him against the onslaught.  More like, Ikol was defending himself, but he and Loki were one.  You’re memories of your time with the Avengers, will be perfect for me to use.  I will know Thor’s weaknesses.  I already know that there are two people he would willingly sacrifice himself for: Jane Foster and you!  And my race will be avenged! the voice said as he searched through Loki’s mind.  Loki could feel every vestige of himself exposed.  All his deepest secrets and fears, but more importantly, his plans!  This thing would know all his tricks! 

“Get out of my head!” Loki shouted, before he used a spell that was as old as time itself.  “Be gone!  The mind is my realm, and I command you to leave the realm of Loki!”  The name at the end of the spell, changed with which ever sorcerer was using it, and Loki had had six years to perfect it.  Whatever had been invading his head, was suddenly flushed out, and Loki felt a wave of relief wash over him.  He fell to the floor and leaned his hot head against the cool, stone wall.  When Loki opened his eyes, a Dark Elf was standing before him.  He was tall, with long white hair.  His face was an ashy color, but it was a gem in a circlet on his head that caught Loki’s attention.  It sparkled for a moment and it only took Loki a moment to realize what it was.  “The Mind Gem!” Loki said as he pulled himself to his feet.  The Dark Elf smirked as he tapped it.

“Still perceptive, Prince of Mischief,” the Dark Elf said.  He drew a dagger from his side, and Loki’s eyes focused on that.  “You’re in no condition to defend yourself.  Your mind is weak, and so is your body.  A frame so young cannot hope to withstand the strain put on it from the Mind Gem.  You are mine!” the Dark Elf told him.  Loki put his hand against the wall and stood up, determined to be strong.

“In your dreams, asshole!” Loki told him as ice began to creep all over the walls and the floor.  The temperature of the tunnels and sewers sank to below zero on less than ten seconds.  The Avengers as they got closer, soon felt the polar vortex, and they breathed hard, trying to keep warm.  The Dark Elf looked around, and saw fantastic patterns appear in the ice.  When he looked back at Loki, his skin was blue and his eyes red.  Strange designs were cut in Loki’s skin, and he seemed to grow a little in height.  The water froze, and that was when an ice spear appeared in Loki’s hand.  The Dark Elf saw it and concentrated, using the Mind Gem to try to stop Loki.  Loki was only fazed for a second, and then he threw the spear.  The Dark Elf disappeared in a puff of black smoke, and Loki fell to his knees again.  Slowly, the ice receded and the freezing temperatures dissipated.  Loki’s skin began to go back to normal, and his eyes became green again.  Loki leaned against the wall, desperately trying to gain his strength back.  That was when he heard voices and he looked up.  His vision was blurry, and for a moment, he could not quite see who it was. 

That was when he fell, but somebody caught him.  Loki looked up and was not surprised to see long, golden locks, and a handsome, smiling face.  “Thor,” Loki said quietly as he leaned his smoldering forehead against Thor’s cool armor.

“We’re here Loki.  We’re all here for you,” Thor whispered back as he carried him.  Loki glanced around and saw the other Avengers standing there with smiles on their faces.  Clint gave him the thumbs up, while Steve shouldered his backpack and Natasha took his skateboard.

“Some fancy moves back there.  But seriously?  A car does not get outrun by a skateboard.  That is unless of course Clint was driving like my grandmother,” Tony remarked. 

“Hey!  I was going maximum warp back there!” Clint interjected.  Everyone else just chuckled as Loki passed out.