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It was Thor who had stabbed him in the back.

His kind words and professions of love were enough to still Loki’s anger momentarily as he approached. He reached out and wiped the tears from his brother's face, hugged his thin frame, and then jammed a syringe between his shoulder blades. Loki had pulled back as he felt the sting of the needle, the drugs coursing through his system, making him weak, and he looked into Thor's eyes.

“Why?” Loki gasped, his knees buckling underneath him.

“Because I love you too much to see you suffer like this, brother,” Thor said as he lowered Loki to the floor gently and held him till he was unconscious.

*

 “I am here to visit my brother,” Thor said when he entered the facility. The receptionist looked at him, slightly confused

“I'm sorry,” the woman said, finally smiling. “We've never actually had anyone come here and request a visit before. What's his name, please?”

“Loki Odinson,” he replied, and the woman tapped on the keyboard of her computer.

“I'm sorry, there's no one of that name coming up. Are you sure he's here?”

“I am certain, yes,” Thor said. "I brought him here myself, but was advised not to visit for 14 days."

“Oh, wait… We have a Loki Laufeyson?"

“Oh…” Thor said, wondering why his brother had given that name. “That is him.”

“OK, you can take a seat over there and I'll ring the ward to let them know you're here,” she said, with a smile.

“Mr Odinson, it's nice to meet you. I'm Nurse Fletcher. I run this ward,” the woman said, as she greeted Thor at the entrance.

“Good afternoon,” Thor said. “How is my brother?”

“I'll take you to him,” she said and led Thor down a corridor and to a room filled with people sitting on sofas watching a TV, while others sat at tables playing board games and colouring in pictures.

"This place is very nice," Thor said. "I thought it would more like the dungeons on Asgard."

The nurse eyed him strangely for a second and then said, "Well, all of our patients have been stripped of their powers, they are really no different to any other psychiatric patient now, and we treat them as such."

"I would like to thank you for taking care of my brother."

"You're very welcome, we just hope we can help him." She said, as she led Thor across the room to an area filled with soft furnishings, and Thor recognised the familiar shock of black hair even from the back. "Loki, your brother is here to see you."

Thor didn't know what to expect. He was certain of one thing though, his brother would be livid with him.

Loki sat in a large padded armchair wearing overly large blue and white stripped cotton pyjamas, his bare feet tucked up underneath him. Thor pulled a chair up opposite him and sat, noting the way Loki pointedly turned his head away, his face pinched and angry.

“I'll leave you with him. If you need anything, just shout,” Nurse Fletcher said and walked away.

“How do you fare, brother?” Thor asked. When he received no reply he tried again, “Are they treating you well?”

There was still no reply. Thor shifted in his seat uncomfortably and said, “I know you are angry with me and you have every right to be.”

“You betrayed me,” Loki ground out through gritted teeth.

“In a way yes, Loki, but you are unwell. I simply wanted you to get the help you need.”

“I do not need help. I was perfectly happy until you stabbed me in the back!”

“You have been troubled your entire life brother,” Thor said, and Loki rolled his eyes.

“It is hardly my fault if others are weak and stupid, there is nothing wrong with me.”

“Then why do you hurt yourself? Why have you tried to take your own life several times?”

“ONE occasion!” Loki barked.

“Twice, Loki, it was twice.”

“When?”

“When you fell from the bifrost and-”

Loki threw back his head, laughed loudly and then said, “You think I was trying to end my life when I let go of the spear?”

“You let yourself fall into the unknown, there is no other explanation.”

“You are more of a fool than I took you for if you believe that," Loki said angrily. "I knew exactly where I was going and exactly how to get there. I let go simply so I could escape and begin to plot my revenge against you and father.”

“And when you threw yourself from your window when we were growing up?”

Loki glared at Thor, absolute hatred burning in his eyes, and he said, “How dare you bring that up, that is none of your business!”

“You very nearly died, Loki.”

“It was nothing, a rash choice. I am not ill.”

Thor stared at his brother for a moment and then said, “What is this then, if not a symptom of your sickness.”

He grabbed Loki’s left arm powerfully, ripped up his pyjama sleeve and revealed the multitude of scars, old and new, that littered his skin. Loki pulled his arm away and pushed the sleeve down.

“Never ever do that again or I swear I will make you regret it!” Loki shouted. “You betrayed me. I will never forgive you for that.”

“I did this because at home we have no healers who can treat the mind as well as the body, but here on Midgard, they do. I love you brother, I only want you to be well.”

Loki opened his mouth, closed it and then turned his head away and said, “I no longer wish to speak with you.”

“Loki, I-”

“Shut up!”

Thor leant closer to his brother as he went to speak again, but Loki jumped to his feet, smacked Thor across the face with the back of his right hand and shrieked, “GET OUT!”

Within seconds two men dressed in white were wrestling Loki to the floor. Thor stood up and stepped back. He wanted to intervene, but he had no idea if he was going to help restrain his brother or push the men off him.

He watched as the men forced Loki down to the ground, his brother screaming profanities and declarations of the violence he would commit against him if they did not unhand him. A nurse handed one of the men a syringe, he popped the top off and injected the contents into Loki’s shoulder. Within seconds Loki’s body went slack and loose, his voice slurred and then ceased all together.

“We've got him now,” one of the men in white said, as they picked Loki from the floor. “I think visiting time is over.”

*

When Loki woke he lay for a moment, blinking at the ceiling. He felt groggy and dizzy from the drugs, but he had plans. He would make Thor pay for what he had done, but first he must find a means of escape and that lay in the recreation room.

He dragged himself upright and shook his head, attempting to clear the fuzziness. He stood and walked out of his room, swaying gently as he moved down the corridor.

Loki had quickly gotten the measure of his fellow detainees when he had first arrived in the hospital. Cozy chats and vast amounts of fake sympathy soon had them confiding their deepest, darkest secrets to him. They told him of how they had come to be here, of the drug suppressed powers they possessed, and he picked out the three who would help him most to concentrate his efforts on.

It had not taken him long to ingratiate himself fully with them, to wheedle his way into their affections. They would help Loki escape, he would take them with him, and he would use their talents to punish his brother.

Jimmy was a young, nervous boy, only 24, and when he was 12 he had killed his mother. His hands were lethal, bringing death to everything they touched and Jimmy had wept as he told Loki how he had hugged her, then watched her turn to ash in his hands. When Jimmy talked Loki liked to watch his fingers move and imagine them curling round Thor's throat. He spent hours day dreaming about seeing Thor turn grey, his shocked face crumbling like dried leaves, then floating away on a breeze.

Alfred was older, a fat, balding man, child like in personality, but with a vicious temper when riled. When he was 36 Alfred had been fired from his job for stealing, he protested his innocence to the security guards who pushed him towards the door and then got angry when no one would listen. Flames started to shoot from his hands as he grew more infuriated and within minutes the whole building had burnt to ground killing 24 people. Loki imagined sending him into the Avengers tower, watching as it burnt, and then he would laugh as he danced in its ashes.

His final target was Kevin, a quiet, brooding man who was taller even than Loki himself. Jimmy had told Loki all about Kevin and how he had killed his wife in a fit of jealousy believing she was cheating on him, when in fact she was planning a surprise birthday party. He had confronted her about money leaving their bank account, asking her who she was seeing, and when she had no answer he picked up a table with the power of his mind and slammed it down onto her, killing her instantly.

Kevin had proved the most resistant to Loki’s charms. He had sat by him for days, whispering into his ear about guilt and regret and atoning for mistakes. He confessed to Kevin that he had killed his own father and lied about the shame he felt for committing such a terrible act. Finally Kevin had broken down crying, sobbing hysterically, saying he would give anything to see her again and apologize for what he had done.

“If we were not here,” Loki said, “If we not in this hospital, and I had my magic, I could make that happen.”

“You could bring her back? You could make her alive again?” Kevin asked.

“For a time yes,” Loki said, looking forward to the day he had his ability to shape shift back, “But it would be enough time for a reconciliation.”

“I would give anything for that,” Kevin said, and Loki pulled him into his arms.

“Hush now,” he murmured, as he stroked Kevin's hair gently. “Loki is here, and will make everything right again.”

“We need to get out of here,” Kevin sobbed. “We need to go.”

“Yes, we do,” Loki said, his lips curling into a smile. “If we all stand together, we can escape.”

These people, these talented, easily manipulated people, would be Loki’s new army.

He padded into the recreation room, spotted his three friends sat round a table playing a board game and was overjoyed to find his minions now spending time together even in his absence. If they were going to escape they needed to bond and form a single unit.

“How goes it, gentlemen?” Loki asked as he pulled a chair back and sat at the table.

“Are you OK? I saw what happened earlier,” Jimmy asked.

“I am well,” he replied with a smile. “It takes more than two oafs and a needle full of drugs to ruin my day.”

“Your brother looks smaller than he does on TV,” Alfred said.

“Everyone overestimates Thor.”

“Are you playing? We can start again,” Kevin said.

“Ooh Snakes And Ladders,” Loki said, picking up a green player counter and smiling, “My favorite!”

*

When Loki had first arrived at the hospital they had nagged him to eat, but he refused everything. He knew he could survive considerably longer than any mortal without food, even though he did not possess his magic, and it was worth the grumbling sound in his stomach just to see the frustrated looks on the nurse's faces when he pushed the plastic bowls away.

Loki was surprised to wake up one morning with a nurse and two orderlies stood by his bed holding a tube and a bag of white fluid.

“Stop it,” one of the orderlies had shouted as Loki squirmed out of his grip while they tried to strap him to the bed.

The man had grabbed his arm again, forced it down into the Velcro strap and pulled it across. They held his head still as the nurse approached, rubbing a lubricant on the end of the tube, and then she forced it up his nose. He could feel it moving inside him, it made him retch when it hit the back of his throat and snaked it's way down into his stomach. Once the tube was in they hung the bag on a stand and connected it to the other end of the tube.

“See you in an hour, Loki,” one of the orderlies had said with a smirk as they left the room.

When they came back later, pulled out the tube and removed the straps, he had pushed his fingers down his throat and attempted to vomit back up what they had forced into his stomach. They laughed as he emitted a strangled sound and his shoulders heaved, but he could produce nothing.

It had been happening for three weeks now, at 8am, 12pm and 5pm, on the dot.

“I assume it is time for breakfast?” Loki said when the door of his room opened and the orderlies approached him.

“Do yourself a favor and don't fight us this time,”

“Oh, I shall fight,” Loki said, grinning at them. “I shall always fight.”

Loki cackled as they pushed him back onto the bed and struggled to grab hold of his wrists. They had one arm in a tight grip and forced it down to the straps attached to the frame of his bed. They quickly restrained his other arm, but as Nurse Francis approached with the tube in her hand Loki ripped his arm free and struck out at her, laughing as he caught a clump of her hair with his fingertips and raked through it painfully.

“You bastard!” The nurse shrieked as the orderlies strapped his arm down again, and she rubbed the KY jelly off the end of the tube with corner of an untucked bed sheet. “For that you get this dry.”

They held his head tight as the nurse pushed the tube up his nose, usually an easy task when it was lubricated, but dry it inched along in painful bursts. Blood started to trickle down his upper lip from the torn membranes inside his nose and as it reached his throat Loki coughed and started to retch violently. He swallowed, trying to ease the path for the tube, but instead he coughed again, pushed himself up and vomited bile down his own front. His head was forced back down and the tube pressed into place.

Loki lay back, taking gasping breaths, and said, “I will get you for this.”

“You'll have plenty of opportunity 'cause your getting dry tubed for the rest of the week, asshole,” the nurse shouted.

As the door clicked closed Loki blinked rapidly and felt tears squeeze from the corner of his eyes and run down into his hairline. He would not let her get away with this.

Loki was in the recreation room, sat with Jimmy on a comfortable sofa, soaking up the last rays of the late afternoon sun, listening to the boy nervously babble and occasionally glancing at the clock. It was almost 5pm. They would come for him again soon.

“Do the staff ever change?” Loki asked. “The nurses? Do they ever get new ones?”

“Nurse Francis, has only been here 6 months,” Jimmy said. “She replaced Nurse Carling. She was nice to me, I was sad to see her go.”

“Why was she replaced?”

“She left a nail file in her pocket and someone got hold of it. Removed their eye.”

“Interesting,” Loki said, trying to sound distracted and like he wasn't paying much attention.

A plan was forming in his head.

At 6pm, once he had been released from his bindings and wiped the blood from his nose, Loki went up to the recreation room and sidled up to John, an enormous beast of a man who had a reputation for starting fights with little provocation.

“I overheard Martin talking about you,” Loki said to him quietly. “He said you had gone soft.”

“Soft?” John asked, gruffly

“Yes, he said you have let the nurses tame you. That you have become like a trained dog, always doing what it is told.”

“He said that?”

“Yes, he did. I heard him say it.”

Loki had timed it exactly right. Nurse Francis had her bag and her coat and she was about to be buzzed out of the ward when John walked over to Martin, punched him in the face and screamed, “SOFT, AM I?”

Martin punched John back and soon they were rolling around on the floor as the other patients screamed around them.

Loki watched as Nurse Francis shouted for the orderlies and then threw her things on a chair. They all jumped in to try and separate the brawling men.

Loki was experienced at deception, and sleight of hand was nothing new to him. Before anyone realised what was happening he unzipped the bag, placed his hand into it and moved things around until he found something sharp. He secreted it up his sleeve, zipped the bag and then moved away.

Once safely in the bathroom he allowed the metallic object to fall into his hand and started to snigger when he saw a small pair of nail scissors. He couldn't believe his luck, of all the objects he could have removed he had found exactly what he needed.

“Oh dear…” he said to his reflection in the mirror. “That looks a bit messy. Could definitely do with a trim.”

He took hold of a handful of the long black hair that cascaded down to his shoulders and started to cut it roughly. He laughed as mounds of hair fell into the sink, grabbing more strands and chopping through them with the scissors. It was hard work and his fingers soon started to hurt with the effort of forcing the tiny blades shut, but he knew it would be worth it.

When he was finished he stood and looked at his own reflection. His hair hung loose around his ears, some of it curling down to his jaw line, all different lengths, ragged and choppy.

“Well Loki, if you didn't look insane before, you certainly do now,” he said with a snorting laugh, “And now stage two.”

He rolled up his left pyjama sleeve, opened the scissors and scored the sharp blade across the inside of his forearm. He squeezed at his skin, ensuring the maximum amount of blood came out and then allowed it to drip down the front of his pyjamas.

It wasn't enough; he wanted to be found in an absolute blood bath and ran the blade over his skin several more times. He rolled up his right sleeve and cut several times at that arm too, but there was still not enough blood to achieve the effect he wanted.

He held the blade against his wrist, cast a nervous glance at his reflection, then pressed as hard as he could and moved the blade in a long straight stroke.

‘Oh that did it,’ Loki thought as he cut through a large blood vessel in his wrist and blood started pouring out of the wound. He sat down on the floor, holding his arm against his body, making sure he was covered in the blood and then ran his hand across the floor several times. For good measure he transferred the scissors to his shaking left hand and cut his right wrist as well.

Now there was enough.

As he lay on the floor, watching his blood pool, he felt dizzy and tired. He left the scissors where they would be easily found, enough evidence to incriminate a careless nurse who left her bag, filled with sharp objects, open in a ward full of the criminally insane and he laughed.

He could feel everything starting to get fuzzy and dim round the edges. For a second he wondered if he had gone too far, maybe this time he had finally been successful at ending his life and his only thought was ‘Good.’

The hospital had informed Thor that there had been an incident. When he arrived he had expected to find that Loki had blown the building up and killed everyone, so he was surprised to find his brother slumped in a chair, his wrists wrapped in bandages.

“What has happened to his hair?” Thor asked as he reached out and touched the long strands that fell across Loki’s face.

“A nurse got careless and left some scissors out,” Fletcher said. “The barber is in next week, he will sort it out.”

Thor pulled his chair closer to Loki and sat down. He lifted Loki’s hand from the chair and held it in his own, running his thumb gently over the edge of the bandage.

“Loki, why would you do such a thing?” He said and then pushed Loki’s hair back so he could see his face. A thin trickle of saliva ran from the corner of Loki’s mouth and dripped down onto his pyjamas as he struggled to keep his eyelids from closing.

“What is wrong with him?” Thor asked.

“He's heavily medicated right now, we'll be weaning him off that soon.”

Thor let go of Loki’s hair, allowing it to fall back across his face and sat silently for a moment, exuding an air of anger.

“He should never have been allowed access to things he can use to harm himself, you knew he had done it in the past,” Thor said, sternly.

“The nurse responsible has fired now. It won't happen again.” Fletcher said and Loki, his face hidden by his hair, couldn't help but grin.

*

“Do you have anything to say, Loki?” the doctor had asked him, the first time he had joined the twice-weekly group therapy sessions.

“I prefer to observe, for now,” Loki replied, and observe he did, mentally filing away facts about everyone in the ward as they spoke. Ammunition to use against them, weaknesses he could exploit. He was amazed by how honest and open everyone was, how they weren't afraid to show their vulnerabilities in front of someone like him. The sessions were fascinating.

“Would you like to talk about what happened the other day, Loki?” the doctor asked.

Loki was picking at the bandage on his left wrist, pulling individual strands of cotton out and making it a frayed mess. He glanced at the Doctor briefly and shook his head.

“Do you know why you did it?”

Loki shrugged his shoulders, his head feeling muzzy from the considerable amount of drugs still in his system, and for once he broke his own rule.

“I do what I want,” Loki said, his voice slightly slurred, “and apparently that is frowned upon by those who simply do whatever others want them to do.”

“You see yourself as a non conformist?”

“I have been labeled a villain. You cannot get much more non conformist than that.”

“You see yourself as a villain?”

“No, but I am here, am I not? Obviously my opinion of myself counts for little,” he said as he rubbed his forehead slowly. “I have a headache. I wish to return to my room.”

“We'll be finished in 15 minutes, you can leave at the end of the session like everyone else.”

Loki huffed in disapproval and leant forward, leaning his head on his hands. He sat and listened as the others chatted.

“It's my birthday next month,” Jimmy said, smiling.

“That's great,” the doctor said, “Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yeah, but… I'll be 24 and I've never… I've never even kissed a girl.”

"Well maybe, if you work really hard and concentrate on recovering, one day you will be released," the doctor said.

That admission attracted Loki’s attention, another avenue to exploit perhaps, but as he looked at the young boy, trapped in here since he was 12 years old, he felt a strange prickle of sadness at his predicament.

He tried to put that thought of his mind and think about something else. Sex, yes, Loki missed sex. He missed the feeling of a strong pair of hands on his body and the power it gave him over those he allowed to touch him.

Later that night Loki sat on a bed, his left arm slung over John's shoulder as he whispered in his ear and pushed his hand inside the man's pyjamas. He knew that sometimes the best way to get someone to do what you wanted wasn't always with words, sometimes pleasure and the possibility of more to come was the best way to gain the loyalty of another.

Loki had effectively had John's nose broken simply as a distraction for his scheme and felt in some way this made up for it. He would have done the same for Martin too, but he had been taken from the ward and had not been brought back. Jimmy had told him that Martin had been taken upstairs when he wouldn't calm down after the fight, but no-one could explain what happened up there. It was just a mythical place and when you went upstairs you were never seen again.

John was a large and powerful man, Loki wasn't even sure what he had done to end up trapped in here, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have another detainee on his side should he ever require their assistance.

John moaned as Loki wrapped his hand around the hard flesh and started to stroke it gently. It didn't take long for the man to come, Loki talking to him the whole time.

“You won't tell anyone will you?” John asked, nervously.

“You can trust me,” Loki purred, gently caressing the back of the man's neck, “You can trust me with your life.”

*

Loki was bored.

It was something he wasn't used to feeling. When he was free there had always been plots to be hatched, deals to be done and realms to take over. In the hospital all he had to break up his day was having his dressings changed, the daily injection of the drugs that weakened him and suppressed his magic and his regular force feedings, but even fighting back against those was becoming repetitive and dull now.

The only entertainment was a TV housed in a wire grill that was perpetually tuned to some terrible channel, a box of toys suitable only for small children, and a pile of battered board games. There was only so much Snakes & Ladders he could play before he completely lost his mind.

He stood looking out of the window, over the city skyline, through the barred safety glass and wondered what it was like to be outside in the breeze that was making the tree tops wave. He imagined the sound of the rustling leaves, the warmth of the sun on his face and realized that if he couldn't find a way to escape he would never feel those things again.

He tried to banish that thought from his mind, the idea of spending an eternity in here was simply too much to bear, and then in the distance he saw a puff of smoke balloon into the sky, followed by a ball of flames. Loki felt distinct jealousy when he saw two more fireballs burst into the sky, this was no accident, no natural disaster, someone was causing trouble and it was not him.

His fellow patients gathered at the windows when they heard the muffled booms and they cheered when there was another explosion.

“Look,” Jimmy shouted, pointing at the small figure flying through the sky. “It's Iron Man!”

“For a villain you seem awfully excited about the appearance of a hero,” Loki said, cocking an eyebrow at his friend.

“It's exciting is all,” Jimmy said, and then turned his attention back to the explosions.

“Yes,” Loki said. “Yes, it is.”

There was another figure in the sky and immediately Loki knew who it was. Arm outstretched, Mjolnir carrying him forward, as his red cape fluttered behind him. Thor had arrived.

Loki was surprised at the excitement that bubbled in his chest at the sight of his brother flying through the skies, then disappointed when he sank down and landed in the street, out of view. He longed to watch Thor fight whatever was out there causing destruction, he wanted to watch it and imagine he was fighting his brother.

Loki turned to see Nurse Fletcher stood behind them, calmly observing the scene, making sure no one got too excited.

“I wish to see the battle,” Loki said to her. “Can we watch it on the television?”

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Fletcher said.

“I want to see my brother.”

“He will be visiting you later, you can see him then.”

“No!” Loki snapped. “I want to see him fight. Change the TV to the news.”

“Absolutely not. It's not good for your recovery.”

“What recovery?” Loki asked. “You will never let me out anyway.”

“Loki, I am giving you one warning,” Nurse Fletcher said, pointing a finger at him. “You can either sit down and shut up, or I will have you sedated for the rest of the day.”

Loki glared at her and then let out a small cry of frustration. He moved to the sofa and plonked himself down heavily, crossing his arms and legs. If looks could kill, and in the past they could, the scowl he shot at Fletcher would have set her on fire. He tapped his foot in annoyance and muttered ancient curses under his breath.

“Aww, they're going,” Jimmy said a few minutes later, pointing at the sky, and then turned his head, “Loki, come look!”

Loki’s mouth curled into an angry snarl, he shook his head and looked away. Nurse Fletcher, satisfied that the commotion had died down, went back to her duties.

After a moment Jimmy came and sat next to him and knocked his knee into Loki’s thigh.

“What's up?” he asked.

“Nothing,” he said, bitterly.

“Hey, it's me you're talking to. What's going on?”

Loki exhaled loudly and said, “I wanted to watch that battle on the television, but that woman would not put it on. It hardly seems like much to ask for.”

“You wanted to see Thor win?”

“No, I was hoping to see whoever they were fighting land at least a couple of good blows on him.”

Jimmy didn't like to see his friend so obviously despondent. He disappeared for a few minutes, then came back with two sheets he had stripped from his bed, tied one round his own neck like a cape and then the one round Loki’s.

“What in Odin's name are you doing?” Loki asked him, but Jimmy didn't answer. He picked up the grey plastic tub that was used to store crayons, tipped them out onto the table, and placed it on his head.

“Who am I?” Jimmy said with a grin and grabbed a tiny hollow yellow plastic hammer from the toy box. He held the hammer up in the air and in a gruff voice he shouted “KRAK-KA-BOOM!”

Loki’s eyes went wide and then he laughed hysterically, clutching his stomach. He jumped from his seat and stood before ‘Thor’.

“And what are you doing here, brother? Have you come to meet your end at the hands of Loki?” he said, grandly.

“You can't be Loki, that's boring,” Jimmy replied.

“But I am Loki.”

“You have to be someone else!”

Loki scanned the room for a moment, eyes darting round for something to use.

“Wait,” Loki said, tipping out a grey mesh waste paper basket and pulling it over his head. “In that case I shall be Doom!”

“You shall meet your end today, Doom,” Jimmy said, attempting to imitate Thor's voice.

“Silence, minion! You shall learn what it means to incur the wrath of Doctor Doom!” Loki bellowed and then laughed.

Jimmy ran at Loki, Loki dodged him and jumped up onto the sofa, ran along it and jumped off the other end. He ran to the toy box, picked up a stuffed rabbit and threw it at Jimmy.

"On your knees, you sentienceless savage!" Loki shouted.

“Never!” Jimmy roared in reply.

They ran round the room, shrieking with joy, picking up crayons, paper and toys and threw them at each other. The other patients came to watch the sudden burst of activity and started cheering Loki on, hoping ‘Doom’ would beat ‘Thor’.

Nurse Fletcher walked back into the recreation room to absolute chaos.

“Kill him! Get him!” the patients were shouting and Loki was stood on the art table battering Jimmy over the head with a 2ft long stuffed toy snake.

“What is going on in here?” she shouted over the racket.

Everyone stopped. Jimmy pulled the plastic tub from his head and held it nervously in his shaking fingers, but Loki still stood upright on the table. He removed the wastebasket from his head and stared at the woman icily.

“Get down from there right now!” Fletcher shouted as two large orderlies arrived by her side.

“I am Doom!!! Servile dolt!” Loki roared. “I can rule the world! The Universe! DISNEYLAND!”

“This is your final warning. Get down now.”

“Make me,” he said, his eyes flashing with anger.

“Get him down.”

Loki laughed as the two orderlies approached him and brought his hands up in front of himself, ready to strike out at them. One made a grab for his ankle, but Loki kicked him in the face, and while he was off balance the other orderly grabbed the foot he was standing on and yanked it. Loki smashed down onto his back, almost breaking the table and was momentarily winded.

The men grabbed his arms and hauled him upright, he fought back wildly, punching and kicking with any limb he could free as they untied the sheet from his neck. He squirmed out of the grasp of one of the men and punched the other solidly in the nose with his right hand, breaking it. The orderly cried out as blood poured down his face and Loki cackled with delight.

“Put him in the room, let him calm down for a bit,” Fletcher said and the men dragged Loki, kicking and screaming and laughing, down the corridor.

A door was opened, Loki was thrown inside, and it was locked again. He stood up and looked around. This room was white and everything was soft and springy as if the walls were quilted. He punched the door, hoping he could draw blood or hurt himself enough to require treatment, but there was no pain.

“Let me out of here!” he shouted at the small observation hatch, knowing someone was on the other side.

When there was no response he kicked and punched angrily at the padded walls, screaming in frustration, till he was exhausted. He had to try something else.

Quickly calculating which area of his body would bleed the most if bitten, he took his tongue between his teeth and squeezed his jaw shut as hard as he could, sawing from side to side. He felt his mouth fill with blood and then he let it all out in one go, down the front of his pyjamas.

Within a minute he heard the door unlock and he laughed as they ran in and pushed him to the floor.

*

“I don't think it's a good idea for you to see your brother today, Mr Odinson,” Nurse Fletcher told Thor when he arrived for his visit. “He has been incredibly troublesome today and right now he's on lock down to make sure he can't hurt himself or anyone else until he calms down.”

“Loki cannot hurt me,” Thor said. “I wish to see him.”

“Very well,” The nurse said, and directed Thor down the corridor, then unlocked the door.

Loki was laid on the floor, his hands tightly bound to his sides with a white straitjacket and a roll of bloodstained wadding filled his mouth, held in place with surgical tape.

“Loki!” Thor shouted, and knelt by his brother's side. He lifted his shoulders from the floor and cradled him gently in his arms. Loki turned his head, his face was puffy and red from crying.

“What have you done to him?” Thor asked, shocked.

“Mr Odinson, I know you love your brother, but you have absolutely no idea how disruptive he is,” Nurse Fletcher said.

“He is injured.”

“He bit his own tongue, on purpose. Right after he attacked an orderly and broke his nose. Your brother is an extremely dangerous person.”

“Loki no longer has his magic.”

“No, but he lies, he manipulates people into doing what he wants, I have it on good authority that he is performing sexual favours for other patients, and if he doesn't get his own way he is extremely violent. He doesn't need magic to pose a risk to others.”

Thor pulled off the tape, took hold of the end of the wadding and started to pull it out. Nurse Fletcher put her hand on his and said, “If you do that, don't trust a word he says.”

Thor shrugged her hand away and pulled the wadding from Loki’s mouth.

“Thor,” Loki gasped, his mouth dry as a bone.

“Get him some water, immediately,” Thor snapped at the nurse, and as she disappeared he turned back to Loki. “Hold your tongue out, let me see.”

Loki opened his mouth and pushed his tongue out. The self-inflicted wound was angry and red, but no longer bleeding.

Nurse Fletcher returned with a paper cup of water and handed it to Thor. He held it to his brother's lips and tipped a little into his mouth. Loki winced at the pain and shook his head, wanting no more. Thor took the wadding and dipped it into the paper cup, using the water to clean the dried blood that had crusted at the left hand side of Loki’s mouth.

“Why did you do this to yourself?” Thor asked.

“I was frightened, Thor. They tied me up and left me in here and I could not move. I was so scared. Please brother, don't leave me here.”

Thor started scrambling at the buckles that held the straitjacket in place and undid them one by one. When the jacket was pulled free and thrown into the corner of the room, Thor pulled his weeping brother into a tight embrace.

“I will not have him subjected to this treatment again,” Thor said, and over Thor's shoulder Loki looked at Nurse Fletcher and grinned at her cruelly.

After Loki was taken back to his room Thor stayed with him for a while and then went back outside to speak to the nurse.

“He doesn't seem to be getting any better,” Thor said, despondently.

“No, he hasn't responded to the anti-psychotics like we hoped he would,” she replied.

“Is there anything more you can do for him?”

“Well,” Fletcher replied, “We were thinking he might be a good candidate for a different treatment called E.C.T. We've had very good results with it in the past.”

Thor didn't understand what it was, but said, “I wish to see my brother well again and if you think it will help him you have my permission.”

“Thank you,” the nurse said. “If you come back in two weeks I think you should see a marked improvement in him.”

*

Loki sat at the table, watching his friends play a board game he didn't feel like playing. He didn't feel like doing much lately. Talking seemed too much effort, thinking only led to confusion and moving made his muscles hurt.

For the last week something new had started happening and Loki wasn't entirely sure what it was. Three times he was taken to a different room, laid on a bed and injected with something. He would wake up in his own room feeling sick, confused and his limbs would ache. His head pounded and he was content just to lie on his bed for the rest of day, not moving. He felt like parts of him were going missing.

“Are you sure you don't want to play?” Jimmy asked.

Loki shook his head and wrapped his arms tightly around his own stomach. He didn't understand the game anyway, it had fake money, houses and little cards, and seemed a bit too complicated. He thought maybe he had played it before, he had a vague memory of secreting money under the board when no-one was looking, but he couldn't be entirely sure. He couldn't remember when Thor had last visited him. Much like everything else, it was slipping away.

“Come on,” Jimmy said, and then teased, “We'll ignore your cheating.”

“I never cheat,” Loki said flatly.

“You always cheat,” Kevin replied.

Loki waved his hand at them dismissively.

“It's my birthday tomorrow,” Jimmy said as he shook the dice and grinned. “I will be expecting presents from all of you.”

“Yes,” Loki said. “I have a delightful spare pair of pyjamas you can have.”

“Don't ruin the surprise!” Jimmy said with a laugh.

“If I had my magic I could give you any gift you requested,” Loki said with a sigh, suddenly missing the hum of power under his skin, “When I get it back you shall have everything you wish for.”

“Are you going to magic him up a woman?” Alfred asked, nudging Jimmy in the ribs with his elbow.

“If that is what he desires, then yes I will,” Loki said and then turned to Jimmy, “Is that what you would request?”

Jimmy blushed a deep shade of crimson and then said, “Actually I'd really just like a party. The last one I had was my 12th birthday.”

Loki suddenly felt sad for his small friend, trapped here for a lot of his childhood and all of his adult life. He felt a wave of generosity towards the young man. He wanted to see him free, using his magnificent gifts to their full potential, and when Loki ruled Jimmy would stand at his side, he would be a prince on Midgard one day.

“I want you to have your party tomorrow,” Loki said, closing his hand over Jimmy's wrist.

“They'd never allow it,” Kevin said. “We think ourselves lucky if we get Turkey on Thanksgiving.”

“Maybe Fletcher would never agree to it, but she is not here at night. Someone else is in charge then.”

“You want to ask Carl?” Jimmy asked. “He'll never do it.”

“You seem to have underestimated just how persuasive I can be,” Loki said, twisting round in his chair. The evening shift had started and Carl, the orderly in charge of the night shift, stood by the nurses station reading a chart.

“Loki, don't. He'll be angry with you just for asking,” Jimmy said, grabbing hold of Loki’s arm. “I don't want you to get in trouble.”

“And if I get in trouble what more can they do to me that they haven't already?”

Loki pulled his arm free and walked over to Carl.

“May I speak with you?” Loki asked.

“What is it?”

“In private?”

Carl pushed open a door to one of the small treatment rooms and ushered Loki inside.

“It is my young friend's birthday tomorrow,” Loki said, waving his hand towards Jimmy. “We wish to have a party.”

“A party? Fletcher will never agree to that,” Carl said.

“Which is why I came to you,” Loki said, quietly.

“What do you want?”

“We want to be allowed into the recreation room tomorrow night, we want alcohol,” Loki paused, “And my friend requires a consort.”

“A what?”

“A woman. He is untouched and it is unlikely, in this place, that this state of affairs will change, without help.”

“You want a hooker? You want me to bring a hooker in HERE?”

“It is a lot to ask, I know.”

“And how exactly were you thinking of paying me?”

“With the one thing I have, my body.”

“What makes you think I want that?”

“I have seen how you look at me, I know you desire me,” Loki said, seductively. He moved closer as he spoke and ran his fingertips down the front of the man's jacket.

“Maybe.”

“In return for the things I have asked for, you may have me any way you please, BUT…” Loki said, “You may not have my mouth. That is mine and mine alone.”

“Now?”

“Now seems as good a time as any,” Loki said. He removed his pyjamas and stood naked in front of the orderly. “How would you have me?”

“On the bed, face down,” Carl replied, and Loki obediently climbed onto the bed and lay on his stomach with his legs open.

The orderly moved to the drawer and took out the KY jelly that was used to lubricate the feeding tubes. Loki laughed and said, “How chivalrous of you.”

Loki heard the rustling of clothes being shucked off and then felt the naked orderly climb onto the bed. He felt the man's hands on him and screwed his eyes up tight, forcing his face down into the pillow and he hoped it would be over soon. He reminded himself it would be worth it, Jimmy would be happy and that would be enough.

The next night, on Jimmy's birthday, they were all let out of their rooms and escorted to the recreation room.

“There ya go,” Carl said as he handed Loki two bottles of vodka.

“Take these and ensure everyone gets a drink,” Loki said passing the bottles to Jimmy, and then he turned back to the orderly, “And where is the woman?”

“Too expensive.”

“This was not our agreement,” Loki said, his voice sharp.

“Shut the fuck up you slut, you are lucky you are getting this much.”

“But-”

“Seriously? One lousy fuck and you think you can have anything you want?” Carl said, shoving his pointed finger into Loki’s bony chest. “If you want to go whoring yourself out that's fine, just don't over estimate how much you are worth.”

“I will tell Nurse Fletcher that it was you who let us out and gave us alcohol,” Loki said and then found himself dazed as he was thrown roughly back against the wall. Carl slapped him hard across the face, pulled him back upright and clamped a hand across his mouth.

“You tell her that and I will make sure you get a trip upstairs. You know what they do up there?” He asked and then brought one of his fingers to Loki’s forehead. “They drill a hole in your skull, stick a wire in there and waggle it around until your brain is mush.”

Loki had never heard of such a thing, it was barbaric and he was suddenly terrified. Without his magic, without his ability to heal, he might not survive such a thing.

“Are you going to behave yourself?” Carl asked.

Loki nodded as best he could and took deep breaths when he was released. The orderly slapped him lightly on the face again and then pointed threateningly, “Don't forget. One word and I'll make sure you're a vegetable for the rest of your life.”

Loki moved away as quickly as he could, keeping a suspicious eye on Carl, as he went over to where Jimmy was pouring out the vodka for the others. He felt sick and anxious and more than anything else he missed his big, stupid brother. It was Thor's fault he was here, he was angry with him for that, but all he wanted right now was to crawl into his brother's arms and have him say that everything would be all right. Loki’s swallowed, his throat felt tight, and he was shocked by the small sob that escaped him.

“You OK?” Jimmy asked, as he watched Loki wipe his nose.

“I am fine,” Loki said, taking the cup of vodka Jimmy offered him and downing it in one. He picked up the vodka and started gulping it greedily, straight from the bottle. Loki turned to Jimmy, smiled at him with watery eyes and said, “So, shall we declare this party started?”

The radio they had liberated from the nurses station blared loud music. Loki had danced and drank and danced more, ensuring that his friends were drunk and happy. Jimmy seemed to be having an excellent time, he had danced wildly, removed his shirt and whirled it round his head.

When he was confident his presence would not be missed Loki hid himself away in one of the small treatment rooms, sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, and he pulled his knees up to his chest miserably. He drained the last of the vodka from the bottle and dropped it onto the mattress beside him.

He sighed heavily, felt his breath hitch in his throat, and finally let out the tears that had threatened to spill all night. He was frightened. He hadn't thought himself capable of feeling anything so strongly anymore, let alone fear. He wrapped his own arms around his body and closed his eyes, imagining for a second that Thor was with him and telling him not to be afraid, but he found little comfort in his own bony limbs.

Loki heard the door handle click and quickly wiped his eyes.

“What are you doing in here?” Jimmy asked.

“Just taking a break,” Loki replied, forcing a fake smile onto his face.

“Have you been crying?”

“Me? Noooo…” Loki lied. “Why would I cry on a night such as this?”

“You look like you've been crying,” Jimmy said, climbing onto the bed and sitting next to him.

Loki sighed heavily and allowed his head to roll against the wall.

“It is just… I miss my brother,” Loki said, finally admitting it out loud. Hearing himself say those words felt like a knife in his chest and the pain of his utter loneliness threatened to overwhelm him.

“He'll come back.”

“He will be too late. They will be sending me upstairs soon enough and my life will be over.”

“Maybe if you didn't deliberately antagonize people that wouldn't happen.”

“And where would be the fun in that?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I'm just saying, I've been here 12 years now and they haven't sent me upstairs yet. Nurse Fletcher said I'm doing well and I might be released next year.”

“So you think that I should, as the saying goes, turn over a new leaf?”

“I'm saying you should behave yourself for a change. Maybe if you do they won't send you upstairs.”

“Ah, my little friend, you are so wise,” Loki said as he pulled the giggling Jimmy into a giant hug that ended with them both laying back on the bed. “Perhaps I will start behaving myself, but not until tomorrow. This is a party after all.”

As Loki lay with his arms round Jimmy he wondered if it really could be as simple as that. If he behaved, they would allow him to live and they would not turn his brain to mush, but would he even have it in him to attempt to curb his own destructive impulses, and what would life be without tricks, pranks and escapades? Would it even be worth living at all if all he had left to look forward to was an eternity of conformity?

He decided he would try. Tomorrow he would behave.

*

“GET UP NOW!” Nurse Fletcher shouted.

Loki looked round, bleary eyed, his head hurt and it was too bright. It took him a moment to realize he was not in his own bed, he had fallen asleep in the side room and Jimmy still rested in his arms, his shirt missing.

Loki sat up, pulling his arm from under Jimmy who finally stirred.

Fletcher pointed at Loki and said, “You are in big trouble,” and then she pointed at Jimmy and said, “And your mother would be so ashamed of you.”

“Don't say that to him,” Loki said, climbing off the bed and the nurse pushed him out of the door with a mighty shove.

“How dare you take advantage of a young boy like that,” she shouted at Loki. “Getting him drunk so you can have your way with him. Don't think I don't know what you get up to!”

“Nothing of the sort happened,” Loki said, but Fletcher slammed the door in his face and locked it after her.

Jimmy was awake now, trembling in fear on the bed as Fletcher turned back to him.

“I thought better of you,” she said. “How could you do this?”

“Nothing happened,” Jimmy said, tearfully. “Please don't say that.”

“You disgust me for letting that monster touch you,” she snapped and Jimmy cried at her words.

“I didn't let him touch me, nothing happened!”

“Your mother will be turning in the grave you put her in!" Fletcher shouted. She opened the door and walked out, locking it behind her.

“How can you say something so… evil to him?” Loki asked, shocked at the venom of her words. “You know how much he deeply regrets what happened to his mother.”

“Evil?” Fletcher asked, stepping close to Loki. “You'd know all about that wouldn't you?”

“What you said to him, that was cruel. You are supposed to be helping him.”

“You think any of you are here to receive HELP?” Fletcher asked with a laugh.

Loki took a step back, “I understand I will never be allowed to leave, but what of Jimmy? He was promised, and the others, that one day they may go free if they worked hard and got better.”

“You think we could have dangerous individuals simply walking around the city? None of them will ever go free. If I had my way every single one of you would be shot and your bodies incinerated!”

Loki’s jaw dropped at the hatred in her face, he took another step back and then noticed the stain seeping out from under the door behind her. He could smell it already, blood and lots of it.

“Open that door, now,” Loki said, pointing.

“What?”

“I said open that door!” he barked at her, and she turned to see the blood.

“Help!” She shouted as she ran to the door and threw it open. An orderly pushed Loki out of the way and ran in after her.

Jimmy was laid on the floor in a pool of blood that spilled from the ragged wound in his throat. The broken end of the vodka bottle Loki had carried into the room the previous night, and carelessly discarded, lay loosely in his pale hand.

The orderly leant down, touched Jimmy's neck and then tapped on one of his open eyes, “He's gone.”

“No!” Loki said, pushing into the room. “No, no, no! You have to help him!”

“It's too late, he's gone, he's lost far too much blood,” the orderly said.

Loki knelt by his friend and said, “Then let me have my magic back and I will heal him.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Fletcher said, then she turned to the orderly and said, “Go call the mortuary.”

“I can bring him back,” Loki said. “Let me have it. I can bring him back to life.”

“No.”

Loki felt anger flaring in his chest, more powerful than anything he had felt in a long time. He stood up and moved towards Fletcher.

“This is your fault,” Loki said furiously. “Your words drove him to this and now you will not let me save his life.”

“Back off or I swear you will be upstairs so fast.”

“You think I care?” Loki said, cutting her off. “Better that, than spending an eternity in here.”

Loki grabbed the woman by her neck and forced her down to the ground. He squeezed as hard as he could and watched as her eyes went wide. Her hands scratched at his arms as her face turned purple.

“Oh my god!” The orderly shouted as he came back into the room, he grabbed Loki’s arm, trying to pull him off the struggling nurse and shouted for help.

“Jimmy wanted me to behave myself. He wanted me to change,” Loki said, coldly, “But I can't. Mischief is in my nature.”

Others ran into the room, they all grabbed at Loki, trying to disconnect his fingers from Fletcher's neck, but he held on desperately. He knew where he was going after this and he would damned if he wasn't taking her with him.

Loki was dazed by a vicious punch to the back of the head, the blow stunned him long enough to loosen his hands, and he was pulled away from Fletcher. She lay on the ground coughing and rubbing at her neck.

Loki smiled as she hoarsely whispered, “Take him upstairs,” and he laughed the whole way as he was dragged up to ward 13.

*

“I am here to see my brother,” Thor said at reception. Steve stood behind him, casting his eyes around the impressive entrance. He had been invited along by Thor in the hope that his gentle manner and kind words might make his brother realize that he only wanted for him to get well.

“Right, I'll just ring the ward to let them know you are on your way up,” the receptionist said, picking up her headset. Her conversation was brief and then she turned to Thor. “OK, you can go on up now, but you want floor 4, not floor 3.”

“He has been moved?”

“Yeah, there was some kind of disturbance. He's in ward 13, floor 4.”

“Thank you,” Thor said and he and Steve moved to the stairs.

“This place is not like the area my brother was housed in before,” Thor said as they were buzzed into the ward. It was grey, doors lined the corridor, and the only sound was their boots echoing in the hallway. Through the small windows in the doors they could see one person lying still on each bed.

A doctor, nervously fidgeting with a clipboard, waited at the end of the hallway.

“Mr Odinson, Mr Rogers. I'm Dr Morrison.” he said as he shook their hands. “I'll take you to you to Loki.”

“Why has my brother been moved to this place?” Thor asked as they walked down the corridor.

“Unfortunately, there was an incident,” The doctor said. “Our chief nurse was injured, very nearly killed.”

“Loki did this?”

“You are surprised?” The doctor asked. “You of all people should know how incredibly dangerous he is.”

“I brought him here to receive help for his condition.”

They arrived at the door. The doctor opened it and said, “Some people are simply beyond help, Mr Odinson.”

They entered the room. Loki lay on the bed, his eyes open, a tangle of tubes entering his body in various places. Thor walked over to the bed, pulled a chair up and sat down.

“Loki?” he said as he took his brothers slack hand in his, cradling it gently. There was no response.

“You have him on medication?” Thor asked, turning to the doctor.

“No,” the doctor replied. “We performed a procedure on him to render him harmless.”

“Harmless?” Thor asked, noting the small scars on his brother's forehead. “I do not understand. He will recover?”

“He may recover some of his faculties. Most don't, but more importantly he won't be able to hurt anyone again.”

The full weight of the doctor's words hit Steve like a brick. He had seen this before, seen it's results, back in the 40's and he was absolutely horrified. He grabbed the doctor's arm and dragged him out into the corridor.

“You lobotomized him?” Steve said, angrily.

“Well, we prefer to call it a leucotomy, but basically, yes.”

“That has to be illegal,” Steve said. “You can't perform surgery like that on someone, in this day and age, without their consent.”

“I should remind you sir that we are not a state institution, and due to the nature of our patients we are not subject to the same laws as other facilities. We can basically do whatever is necessary to prevent these people from re-offending.”

“That can't be right, you've turned him into a zombie simply because you can't control him?”

“These people behave outside the law and are contained outside the law. You, Captain, should know what Loki is capable of. You were one of the party who delivered him to us.”

There was a crash from the room and they ran back in. The window was smashed out, the bed was empty, and Thor and Loki were gone.

Steve walked back to the tower, he took a detour and sat in the park for a while, thinking silently about his part in this despicable action. If this had happened to Loki, how many of the other villains he had helped capture had been subjected to the same terrible fate? When he got back he quietly tendered his resignation from the Avengers.

*

Thor held Loki tight against his body as he flew, he hadn't given much consideration to where he was going, but he knew he had to take Loki away far from that place. If he could keep him hidden from them for long enough, the drugs that suppressed his magic would wear off, and Loki would be able to heal.

He dropped down onto the roof of an old building on the outskirts of Puente Antiguo, he knew he should have chosen a different place, but he longed for a little familiarity and he knew Jane would not be there.

“I will return soon brother, do not be afraid,” He said as he lay Loki on the roof, then he jumped down to the ground below and walked towards the town.

Thor was unaccustomed to breaking laws, but he needed less conspicuous clothes and when he found large pants and a sweater hanging on a line outdoors in the sunshine he took them anyway.

On the other side of town he found two blankets hanging in a similar fashion and fought a dog for possession of a stained quilt. He took them back to the roof, relieved to find Loki had not been discovered, and placed one of the folded up blankets gently under his head.

“I must leave again brother, but I promise I will not be long,” Thor said, pulling the sweater over his head, and then jumped down from the roof again, carrying the quilt under his arm.

He pushed open a stiff door and went inside the building. It was a mess; litter and dust were strewn all over the floor and most of the windows were smashed. He went up some creaky wooden stairs and found a small room, it's one window still intact. A table lay abandoned on its side and a three-legged chair lay next to it, surrounded by sheets of dirty paper.

Thor cleared a space and laid the quilt on the floor in the corner, it would be big enough for both of them to sleep on, even if it would not be comfortable, but it would be preferable to sleeping on the cold boards. He went back up to the roof and picked up Loki’s floppy body and brought him to the room.

“We will stay here for now,” Thor said as he laid Loki gently on the quilt. “We will be safe, they will not find us. I will not allow them to take you back to that place.”

He searched Loki’s face for any sign that he heard or understood what Thor had said, but found none. He placed one blanket under Loki’s head, spread the other one over him and then climbed down to join him underneath it.

He pulled Loki’s slack rag doll body into a tight embrace and whispered, “I am sorry this has happened to you, brother. When that poison leaves your system and your magic returns I know you will be able to heal yourself. I know you will get better.”

Thor collected rainwater in scavenged cans on the roof of the building and would drip tiny amounts from his fingers into Loki’s slack mouth. He found waste food in dumpsters and trashcans, but could not think of a way to feed it to his brother for fear of choking him. He knew Loki could survive a long time without eating, but he was already so thin, and he worried what effect it would have. He hoped it would not take long for the drugs to wear off.

For a month he lay with his brother on the cold hard floor of the room, telling him stories, talking about anything just to fill the time and the endless silence. He apologized constantly for taking Loki to the hospital, he promised he would make it right and begged that he would wake and forgive him.

Every morning he hoped the scars on Loki’s forehead would be gone, a sign that his magic was finally returning, and every morning he was disappointed to find them still there.

After 6 weeks Thor was suddenly struck by desperation, he picked Loki up from the floor, went outside and flew into the heart of the desert.

“Heimdall!” he shouted. “Open the bifrost.”

He waited patiently, aching to hear the familiar sound of the bridge thumping down into the sand, but there was nothing but silence.

“Heimdall!” He cried. “My brother is sick. He needs help.”

He shouted until his voice was hoarse, then sat on the ground and pulled Loki into his lap. He knew Heimdall had seen everything they had gone through and could hear his pleas, but he could not understand why there was no response.

He waited until the sun came up over the hills in the distance and he wept at the realization that his brother had been truly abandoned. The message was clear. Asgard would not help, they did not want Loki back.

Thor took Loki back to the derelict building and laid him once more upon the quilt.

“I will stay with you, brother,” Thor said. “I will never abandon you. No matter how long it takes.”

If Loki’s brain could communicate with his body his lips would have curled into a smirk. Thor was his. He had him.

Somewhere around the time Nurse Fletcher had refused to give him his magic back, Loki came to a realization.

The only person who could get him out of that godforsaken place was Thor. If Thor felt guilty for bringing him to the hospital, if something absolutely terrible happened to him, then he would feel that ridiculous need to be the hero and steal his little brother away from harm.

Poor Thor, always so predictable.

It was a risk. He wasn't even sure if his magic would be able to heal him when the drugs wore off, but faced with spending the rest of his life in that place, even being dead, or in Carl's words 'a vegetable', seemed better in comparison and so he had attacked the nurse. He really had meant to kill her, but his drugged state robbed him of half of his natural strength and he laughed when they dragged him upstairs, knowing that his hastily crafted strategy was about to pay off.

He didn't know when parts of him had started coming back or how long it had taken. A feeling, slight awareness of being moved, a thought, and it was strange at first. Now he could feel himself growing stronger every day, his magic returning, healing the damage done to his brain by the butchers at the hospital and he planned, oh how he planned.

Every day he dreamed of standing in the recreation room, restored to health, his horned helmet shining upon his head, and Nurse Fletcher groveling at his feet, begging for her life. He would toy with her, make her believe he would let her go free if she pleased him, and then he would annihilate her.

They would all die. Every single one of them who had ever hurt him, held him down or injected him with drugs, would perish at his hands, and the last sound they would hear was his mocking laughter.

He would obliterate the hospital, he would ensure that no one would ever be harmed there again, and he would heal everyone on ward 13. He would emerge, triumphant, followed by his new army. His glorious army of villains, each one desperate to please their new master and liberator, and he would use their innate talents to destroy Thor and his mortal friends.

Chaos, disorder, evil and mischief were in his nature and he was about to let them loose. He would show them what he was really capable of and all the nine realms would have a new king.