Chapter Text
As Tony's repulsor blast went wide, he was stunned to see a previously invisible man who had been standing near Loki being launched through the air. All he could make out of the man was that his hair was black and he wore a long, cloak-like coat, but surprisingly, it wasn't the sudden appearance of the man that captured Tony's attention.
It was the way Loki froze, allowing the Captain to land a hit on him as a result, fear written starkly across the Asgårdian's face. Loki's green eyes remained on the unidentified man even as he was thrown to the ground by Steve's shield slam, like he physically couldn't look anywhere else.
"What have we got on the newbie, J?" Tony asked. Jarvis announced that he had been unable to capture a clear enough image of the man's face to use recognition software but would do a search as soon as he was able, and Tony nodded to himself before coming to stand over Loki.
He'd landed harshly on some stone steps, and just as he made to get up, eyes locked on the other man's prone form, Tony halted him in his tracks, aiming his palm at the God or alien or whatever the hell Loki was. "Ah-ah, Reindeer Games. You stay put; the Cap'll check on your accomplice, there."
Loki glared furiously at Steve as he snarled, "You go near Hardin and everything I have done thus far will seem positively pacifist in comparison, soldier," in what Tony thought was the most human reaction from the Asgårdian yet.
Steve paused, glancing first at Agent Romanoff's jet, then at Tony, as if hoping to come to a consensus on what to do next. Romanoff said nothing, and Tony hesitated before jerking his head towards the other man — Hardin, whoever he was. He would hit Loki with a blast if he made a move towards Steve, and Steve, apparently trusting Tony to have his back, made his way toward Hardin's crumpled body.
Loki watched him like a hawk every step of the way, but when he twitched as if preparing to stand, Tony fired a warning shot into the pavement near where Loki sat, and the man froze in place.
Tony wasn't called a genius for nothing, but he doubted it was necessary to be one to see that whoever Hardin was, he was important to Loki.
When Steve reached Hardin, he carefully rolled the man onto his back, revealing a too-sharp face atop a too-thin body.
Hardin looked emaciated at best, so severely that even as Jarvis began to search the web for information on the man whose bony face he could now see, all Tony could do was stare in silent fury.
The marks on Hardin's wrists, indicative of long-term shackle use, that peeked out from the sleeves of his jacket, only incensed Tony further. It would be reasonable to say Tony had a thing about people being treated appallingly in captivity after Afghanistan, and it was looking as if this man had been through something similar.
Whatever the reason Hardin looked as though he hadn't eaten more than a slice of fruit in a month, it was disgusting that anyone could allow a fellow human being to reach such a level of starvation. If it had been Loki's doing, Tony would say to hell with capturing the bastard, take him alone, go dark, and handle Loki himself.
Steve looked at Tony uneasily before carefully picking Hardin up bridal-style and walking back over to join him and Loki.
"Let me take him," Loki said in a quiet, tight voice. "I'll come with you willingly, but let me carry him."
"Why?" Tony asked curiously, even as the Captain was shaking his head to say no. Asking questions had gotten Tony where he was in life, after all. That, and it couldn't hurt to get a little insight into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s newest extraterrestrial capture before they brought him on board the jet to return to the helicarrier.
Loki's eyes were still trained on Hardin in Steve's arms as he answered Tony. "Because he dislikes being touched by strangers." Then, as if agonised by the word, he gritted out an irate please that made Tony's eyebrows shoot up behind his mask. It was telling that a man who seemingly viewed humans as lesser was willing to plead with them for any reason, solidifying Tony's theory that Hardin was very important to Loki further.
"All right," he agreed, because if there was one thing Tony understood, it was issues with physical contact. When Steve made no move to hand Hardin over, Tony gestured for Loki to stand, then tipped his head in the man's direction. "Hand him over, Cap. Jet's right above us, and I doubt Reindeer Games is going to try and escape when his friend here needs medical attention that we can provide. He'll come quietly, won'tcha, buddy?"
Realising the last question had been directed at him, Loki nodded sharply as light flared around him and his elaborate outfit became a plainer version in the same, presumably Asgårdian, style, minus the antler helmet.
That thing had looked ridiculous, which was why Tony found himself pouting a little at its disappearance.
His pout became a frown when Jarvis reported back that he couldn't find hide nor hair of Hardin in any of the databases he could access, so Tony resolved to sneak J into the S.H.I.E.L.D. system as soon as they got back to the helicarrier. He wanted answers, his curiosity more than piqued, and Fury's files were the most likely to have information on someone who, to the rest of the world, may as well have never existed.
Loki stretched his arms out towards Steve, seemingly conscious that rapid movements would do him no favours as he took slow, deliberate steps. Three of them, with his long stride, and he was standing practically toe-to-toe with Captain America, who reluctantly shuffled the much shorter-looking Hardin into Loki's waiting arms.
Tony wondered if anyone else noticed how the Asgårdian visibly relaxed once he was holding Hardin's body.
"Shall we get on, then?" Loki snapped imperiously as if he was in any position to be giving orders as their prisoner. They really did need to get to the helicarrier as soon as possible, though, so Tony nodded and waved for Romanoff to land because he had just spotted something else he didn't think the others had.
Blood was dripping from Hardin's body onto the concrete paving beneath.
Natasha, motioning for her co-pilot to take over and get them back to the helicarrier, used her freed attention to watch the two new men aboard from the corner of her eye. She had seen the fierce way Loki tried to protect the other man, Hardin, as well as the genuine fear on his face when Stark's blast had hit his apparent companion.
There certainly hadn't been reports of a second man accompanying Loki when he came through his portal at the underground S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility, nor in any sightings of him since, but there he was — and they had nothing more than a name on him.
Not even the whole name, just Hardin.
Hardin was shorter than Loki, she could tell, but she could only guess just how much shorter he was since he'd been either lying flat on the ground or being carried by another person since he became visible.
As she had heard Stark subconsciously mutter to himself over the comms, Hardin was severely underweight, and the bruising on his wrists from too-tight cuffs had caught her eye, as well.
Despite what Loki had done to Clint, her closest friend and trusted ally, as well as Dr. Selvig and other agents, Natasha didn't think he was responsible for Hardin's state. Not with the way the prisoner god looked at the man in his arms when he thought he was unobserved; as if he was holding the most important thing to him in the world.
Devoted, she thought. That word fit the look in Loki's eyes best.
And then there was the gentleness with which he handled Hardin, the very antithesis of the destruction he had caused in Stuttgart.
No, Natasha decided. Whoever was to blame for Hardin's condition, it wasn't Loki. Stark, though, did shoulder some of it, because Natasha could see the blood slowly seeping through Hardin's pant leg where the repulsor beam had hit him.
It was coming slowly, though, so his femoral artery hadn't been hit, and their medics could patch him up on the helicarrier. The man would have to be locked away somehow in case he was a threat, especially since he was an associate of their target prisoner, but she doubted if he could harm a kitten in his state of starvation, so she would recommend he remain comfortable in an infirmary bed with an armed guard, to begin with.
Caution was smart, yes, but subjecting an injured, emaciated man who they had no proof had done anything wrong other than accompany Loki around the globe to the uncomfortable holding cell Loki would be going into just seemed unnecessary and cruel.
Her assessment, of course, would change as the situation dictated. If Hardin woke up and proved himself to be dangerous, he could suffer some discomfort.
"So where did your little friend, there, come from?" Stark asked casually behind her. Natasha's ears perked up, curious to hear the answer to Hardin's sudden appearance herself.
Loki was in the middle of explaining how he'd been using the sceptre to cloak Hardin's presence and protect him when the first rumble was heard.
Sudden thunder boomed, and bright white fissures of lightning crackled through the dark, cloudy sky.
"Where'd this come from?" Natasha murmured, redirecting her attention to the controls in front of her to navigate the storm, but keeping her ears open for whatever might be said behind her — other than Stark trying to antagonise Steve now that he'd sated his curiosity, of course.
"What's the matter?" She heard the golden boy prod. "Afraid of some lightning?"
Instead of Stark's sarcastic drawl, the response came from Loki, his words tight and his tone wary. "Actually, it's what follows that I dislike." A pause, and then, "Man of Iron, would you be willing to take Hardin from me? I would prefer to keep hold of him myself, but it might be best for him if I didn't, and I'd rather you than the man out of time."
"I thought you said it was best if your buddy wasn't touched by strangers," Stark remarked lightly, "so what gives, Rock of Ages? Why the switcheroo?"
Before Loki could give an answer — an answer that Natasha was very interested in hearing herself — something slammed into the roof of the jet, wobbling the craft around a little before it levelled out. She heard the sound of Stark's mask clicking back into place as she kept her gaze firmly ahead and her hands on the plane's controls.
The sound of the jet's rear ramp lowering reached her ears, cold winds billowing in through the gap as the billionaire made to go out and investigate the disturbance.
Another thud, this time towards the back of the craft, followed by footsteps. Trusting that her co-pilot would keep them steady, Natasha twisted in her seat to get eyes on the intruder. After slamming some kind of blunt weapon into Stark's chest, the blond man — clothed in a similar style to Loki, she noticed — snatched the errant god from his seat, snapping the safety belts in the process.
He didn't appear to register Hardin's presence in Loki's arms at all, and before anyone could do or say anything to stop him, he had gripped Loki by the collar and leapt from the plane.
Natasha sighed. Director Fury wouldn't be happy with the delay this would cause.
Loki grunted as he landed on a hard surface, his back screaming with pain at the impact. Still, he would rather endure that than have landed on his front and hurt Hardin.
Hardin had taken more than enough of Loki's pain, one way or another, since they'd met at Sanctuary. While Loki had stayed voluntarily, seduced by the promises Thanos and The Other made of a conquered Midgård with Loki ruling over them benevolently, Hardin had already been there as The Other's prisoner.
For a long time before Loki had even arrived, in fact, Hardin had been there. Refusing to give up the location of some strange, mortal objects that Thanos believed gave Hardin power over death, at least on Midgård.
His magic — mostly, since he was more powerful than the device used — bound, his wounds never treated, kept alive with the smallest amount of food and water possible, all in the name of breaking him and getting those three mysterious items.
Loki had seen what they were doing to Hardin and became wary, second-guessing his plan to ally with Thanos, The Other, and their Chitauri. He'd tried to hide his newfound trepidation, but had somehow given himself away and ended up chained right beside Hardin.
He looked down at Hardin, still unconscious from the Man of Iron's attack, in his arms. While he knew that Hardin was strong, immeasurably so, he had already endured a lot and his body could barely access enough of his power to keep him alive, so it wasn't surprising he was yet to wake.
Loki would have healed Hardin himself, but The Other had made it quite clear that what would happen to Hardin if Loki aided or healed him in any way, using the sceptre, while they were completing their tasks on Midgård, would be ten times worse than what had already been done to him.
There was no doubt in Loki's mind that while Hardin would never give up the items Thanos sought, no matter what was done to him, The Other was still a master of causing agony and anguish. Loki couldn't bear to see what would happen to Hardin if he disobeyed and used the power of the staff to heal the other man. It was safer to simply conceal Hardin's presence and hope his limited magic continued to be enough to survive on.
"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor demanded, breaking Loki from his thoughts. Loki looked up at the man who he had called brother, who had hurt him in so many ways, and laughed.
It was mirthless.
"I realise intelligence is not your strong suit, Thor, but you do see that I'm carrying another person, do you not? Or is harming an innocent acceptable as long as I'm hurt in the process?" He spat, bitterness dripping from his lips.
Thor faltered, finally taking notice of the slight frame cradled to Loki's chest.
"A hostage, brother?" He demanded. Loki's mouth twisted into a sneer as he awkwardly shifted himself to a sitting position, still too injured from his landing to get both himself and Hardin off the ground completely.
"Far from it, and if you try to take him from me, Thunderer, you will come to realise that I am capable of vaster cruelties than you could ever imagine," Loki snarled. His vitriol startled Thor, who frowned deeply as he stared down at the two of them and seemed to try to put the situation together in his mind.
It was a good thing that Thor hadn't pushed because Loki's own magic was almost as bound as Hardin's, and without the sceptre, he couldn't have followed through on his threat immediately. If Thor had decided to take Hardin by force, there would have been little Loki could do to stop him.
He glanced down at Hardin's unconscious face and smiled, just slightly, despite everything else that was going on. In all his life, Loki had never met another person like him, who found magic to be the wondrous force it truly was. True, Hardin was a far better person than Loki would ever be, but they were the same in so many other ways.
Loki loved him.
Not that Hardin knew that.
But that love was why he sighed deeply and pushed his anger down before using what little of his power he could reach to remove the glamour covering Hardin's suppression device.
"Break this from his body and I shall tell you everything you wish to know, Thor," Loki said tiredly. If Hardin had his magic again, he could heal himself and defend himself against The Other, should the need arise. Loki would give anything he could for Hardin's safety and well-being.
Thor stared at the collar wrapped around Hardin's slender throat, then into Loki's eyes, as if searching for something, though Loki didn't know what. After a minute, he must have found whatever it was, because he nodded tightly and knelt on the ground beside Loki, reaching hesitant hands out towards Hardin's neck. When Loki nodded, reaffirming his permission, Thor wrapped his fingers around the metal collar and heaved. The metal screeched, resisting, before Thor's infamous strength won out and it fell away with a clatter, revealing raw skin that was inflamed, scabbed, and crusted with dried blood.
Loki looked away before the sight could incense him too badly, or worse, reduce him to tears while he had an audience.
"I'll have my answers now, brother," said Thor. Loki sighed and met the other man's eyes.
"What is it you wish to know?" He asked, expecting the question about the Tesseract to be repeated. It was a surprise to him when Thor, instead, asked;
"Who is this man to you?"
Once Loki had explained what happened to him after falling into the abyss, about Thanos and The Other, their army of Chitauri, their intention of invading Midgård and leaving it in Loki's hands in exchange for the Tesseract, Thor had wanted to rage at his brother for his selfishness, but he had looked at the man who he had broken the collar from and was reminded that something was different about Loki.
Something Thor couldn't quite put his finger on, though he was certain it was the mortal man's doing, so he had calmed himself and demanded to know what had changed Loki's mind.
His brother had seemed shocked to be caught out, having always underestimated Thor's intelligence. Thor himself would attest that he was not the most learned man, but when it came to primal, instinctual things such as battle or emotions, there was no one smarter in the Nine Realms.
So, then, Loki had told him of meeting the man he now held so gently, Hardin, and how Hardin's cruel treatment made Loki rethink where his true allegiance should lie. After being found out by The Other, Loki had become Hardin's cellmate, and his treatment had been far from kind, he told Thor. He was tortured, starved, and cut off from his magic, but every time The Other left them alone in their cell, Hardin would deplete what little magic he had by healing Loki, resulting in the weight dropping from his frame even faster, his innate power apparently a form of sustenance to his kind.
Thor understood, then. Loki had fallen in love with someone kind and selfless, and it had inspired him to strive for similarity. Resentment still burned in his brother's eyes when he looked at Thor, but Thor could see nothing but gentle adoration in them when they turned to Hardin, and that was enough to tell him that his brother was on a better path, now. Not a perfect one, perhaps, but certainly a better one.
"Why are you here, then, brother? If you truly do not wish to aid their invasion of Earth, why continue to follow your original plan?" Thor questioned. Loki grimaced as he unconsciously tightened his hands around Hardin and stared down at his face.
"The Other took note of my… compassion towards Hardin. Used it against me. If I did not take the staff, and Hardin, to Midgård with me to use as tools to facilitate Thanos' quest, Hardin would have been the one to suffer, not me," he replied quietly. "And if I do not open the doors for the Chitauri, as planned, they will make the journey here anyway, across the stars, just to punish Hardin for my disobedience. I will not risk him, Thor. I don't want to rule Midgård, or hurt the innocents here, not anymore, but I would do much worse to ensure Hardin not suffer further."
Loki looked up then, allowing Thor to see the ferocity in his eyes. "More times than I could count, Hardin took a beating intended for me. He weighs far too little because of the power he expended on my healing, and do you know why?"
Thor shook his head.
"Because, in his words, he was used to it. The pain. He was so assured that he would remain hurt, living out his life as The Other's prisoner, that he said helping me was what he wanted; that he wanted to do something good with whatever life he had left," Loki hissed, vicious in his upset before his shoulders slumped defeatedly. "He knew my story, what I had told of it to The Other, anyway. He told me I didn't deserve any more pain. After hearing how vindictive and cruel I could be, he still wanted to protect me," he whispered.
"He sounds as true a hero as there ever was," Thor remarked. He meant it, too. This mortal man had his sincere respect for remaining pure of heart in what sounded like a truly wretched place, as well as his gratitude for taking care of Loki.
"So even if I have to damn every human on this primitive rock in order to protect Hardin from further harm, I will do it," Loki finished, his eyes now blazing with intent.
Thor didn't doubt that Loki would condemn every person on Earth to eternal torment if it would keep his Hardin safe. His brother was trying to be a better person, he could see that. He could also see, however, that Loki would go to any lengths for Hardin. Including, but not limited to, assisting in the subjugation of Earth to avoid further torture being inflicted on his mortal.
Neither option was acceptable to Thor, he decided. "What if we could do something about it?" He spoke up. "What if we work together, brother, and ensure that Earth remains safe as well as your Hardin?"
Loki eyed him sceptically as he asked, "And how would we achieve that, Thunderer?"
Thor was too busy being thrown through the air by an unseen attacker to answer him.