fossilised | For Steve

For Steve

The war had been raging for a long time now, and James Buchanan Barnes had been drafted some months ago to ship out to Europe and fight with all the others in the trenches and on the front lines. Telegrams came back daily with the news of more brothers, sons, fathers, and husbands killed. More friends who will never return, and still there was no end in sight.

But then something even stranger began happening on both sides of the timeline.

All the newsreels were reporting strange anomalies centred in New York City and Washington D.C. that could only be explained by time itself unravelling in places. Buildings that changed to vast monoliths of glass and steel for a few minutes and then back again, a faded billboard for asthma cigarettes becoming a full colour motion picture of a man eating soup. Some people had even said they had met men and women claiming to be from the future, though this was all hushed up.

It only lasted a few days, and then it was sorted. Sealed, the government official offices said, just a trick by the Nazis to confuse us. Forget it and go about your day.

But there were pieces of the future lost in the past for good.

The Winter Soldier-- Bucky-- whoever he was now, confused fragmented memories all he had to go on, had been thrown through time unceremoniously into a street that looked altogether familiar and confusing. He hid from the authorities who were collecting all the anomalies with ease, even though his manner of dress was out of place now with jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. He didn't change it. He found his feet taking him somewhere only half remembered.

An apartment with a key hidden under an old brick. Why did he know it was there?

He didn't know. He just let himself in, quiet as a whisper, and made his way through to the bedroom where someone was asleep under the covers. Skinny, blond, somehow also familiar (the man on the bridge? The man in the Potomac? The man at the museum? No, that didn't make sense, that man had bulging muscles, but somehow he was sure they were the same). He didn't say anything, just stood there and watched impassively, waiting for the man to wake up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Should Loki pass in glorious battle one day, she had no doubt that Thor would mourn her passing deeply, but not like this. This was a wound that bled beneath the surface in a continual stream of agony, the pain of failure and of too much loss. A hatred, a fight, a grief that none would share with him for all only cared to remember the evil that Loki had done rather than the centuries of kinship before. Perhaps that was why he clung to this illusion so tightly, it was armour to protect him, to remind him that at the end Loki had done something good.

A heroic death.

Fool.

She allowed herself to be lifted, uncaring and unaffected by the rage and grief other than as a curiosity.

"Tell me, Thor, when he died was he condemned as a criminal? Did he have a way to escape such a life beyond the destruction of himself? You are blind."

Thor’s world might have crumbled, but he was resilient enough not to snuff the life out of this version of his lost, doomed brother. He had ever been the fool, there was no doubt in his mind about that now, not with this new revelation come to light. He felt double the fool that all he needed do was mention a singular fact to this sorcerers and she knew without further prompt the likely scenario.

He was thrice the fool for not wanting to believe her, but Thor did set her down, overcome and angry. It showed in his face, schooled better than her sister’s could ever be, because Thor had more need to hide his emotions than did she. The sorrow bled fully into his heart and he settle himself against the corner of the desk before he let Mjolnir drop from his hands.

“You had naught to do with this?” Back again to the task at hand.

Thor would deal with finding his brother later, though without Frigga, that might become impossible. Loki could well be the most powerful weilder of magic in all the Nine Realms. He simply did not wish to discuss this with the Loki before him.

A part of her heart hurt for the pain he suffered. No matter the shortcomings of her sister, and she had many, Loki loved her truly and always had. They had been playmates since before she could recall, and had grown to become companions in all other ways. Other than Helblindi and Bylestir, Thor was the one who she loved the most in this or any world. To see him suffer, even if he was not her Thor, it was not pleasant.

She reached out and cupped a hand to the back of his neck, a gesture that had survived between realms as affectionate.

"I had naught to do with this," she confirmed, changing back to her original female form. "I had been celebrating Bylestir's seventh centennial within the Royal Palace of Asgard, for he is spending his years on that realm currently, and had stepped out to take some air. A step beyond the threshhold of the palace, and here I stood. I know not how or why."

"Stark will discover the cause. Should he not, you and I shall journey to Asgard and speak with the All-Father. There is no better sorcerer within the Realms than you, should you truly be my sister, and I believe that you are." He couldn't help but press his forehead to hers. His ache was real and it was sharp still. "Once we find a way to return you to your home, perhaps you will help me find my brother."

It was less of a question and more of a hope. He did not demand it.

"I think first, however, we must decide in which ways the Midgard I protect differs from the one you seemingly rule. It would not do to have you so determined to rule that which has no ruler. The mortals here would not take kindly to such a thing. But-- Tell me more of your sister. Is she as mighty as I?"

"Mightier."

Loki's smile was equal parts teasing and proud, the same sort of smile that the Loki of this world used to wear many years ago when he spoke of his brother, back before their relationship soured. But then, this Loki never had to worry about being in Thor's shadow, for she had never been intended for the throne of Asgard. She was of a different line, to be jealous of Thor would have served no purpose.

"None wields weapon as she does, she has even felled Helblindi in single combat before, though she lacks the brain for strategy and planning. Her heart is good, her head is empty, and she is beloved to me."

"None is capable of beating me," Thor said, though his growl was less an attempt to discourage such talk and more to enjoy the teasing, a moment he had forgotten he enjoyed at all with his brother. He was indeed the fool to be so easily lulled by a similiar version of the fallen prince, but Thor, no matter the shape, was simply that way. It make no difference the gender.

The door pulled back with a few sleepy eyes individuals standing inside the threshold when Tony made his displeasure known of the two Asgardians standing with their heads together and hands touching one another above the shoulders. "Seriously? This is not a love story. Banner and the machine are literally gone!"

Thor turned his head, not quite having to snap out of an enchantment, and felt his face contort in a frown. "She is my sister. We have love for each other that even you would understand, Stark," Thor said, frowning. "I know you are without siblings. I am sorry you do not know such love."

"She isn't really your sister," Stark wanted to point out and behind him, Grant actually bubbled. The others had stopped seeing him as Steve awhile ago but he liked to hear the distinction being made.

"While this is true in someways it is incorrect in others. But you are correct to fear for Bruce Banner. I do not imagine he has stayed himself for long wherever he is. He must be defeated and returned safely."

It was still so strange for Loki to see mortals behave so arrogantly around those of Asgard, but it seemed that Midgard was truly not ruled by aught but themselves in this strange reality. She could not help but wonder if they were still peaceful and prosperous, without homelessness or hunger, for what was the use of allowing one's pets and possessions to grow weak or ill?

Steve made her eyes light up, and she crossed to touch him on the forearm with delight, thinking that someone she recognised had at least come through to this bizarre place with her.

"Steven, is my sister nearby?"

This was, after all, his sister's personal slave. Devoted to her, just as her own slave (Anthony) was devoted to him. Sassy, a little irreverent perhaps, but only because she had served Loki for many years now and knew that she was valued. The only reason that she did not recognise Stark as her Anthony, was that hers was younger by some twenty years - or appeared as much, he was actually over a hundred, but she used the apples of Idunn on her favoured slaves, much as most Asgardians did.

It was normal for people to know his name. Steve was a public figure. But this person was not whom he hadn't expected when Tony has yelled at his sleeping face that a Loki was big breasts had stolen Banner and their dimensional portal. Actually, he hadn't known exactly what to expect, but this was not it. "Ma'am, not sure I know your sister," Steve said slowly, one hand coming up to cup her elbow. The squeeze was brief and not intimate, just a way to give a little bit of comfort.

He happened a glance towards Tony, bearded and deeper voiced with lines on his face that he did not have in his youth, arms crossed as he sat in the edge of the desk, and frowned. He didn't understand. So Tony filled him in. "That would be Loki. Queen of the planet in her world. And Thor is her sister."

"That is rightly so," Thor agreed. "And it is unlikely that she would have come upon this world as you have done or she would already be at your side."

Tony gestured with one hand at Thor and nodded. Sometimes he wasn't so dumb after all.

Ma'am. She was used to Steven standing tall and proud, he knew his worth as Thor's personal slave, but he also knew how to show correct deference to his betters. She raised an eyebrow and literally walked around him in a slow circle to examine him from every angle, someone investigating and curiosity in a zoo.

"As you say, yet the sight of her personal slave made me hope. It seems you are not the Steven with which I am acquainted, however."

She could not help but wonder if Anthony existed here too. He would probably be utterly unendurable without knowing his rightful place. He was allowed much more leeway than most slaves, obviously loved deeply by his owner, but he still knew his position and did not overstep where it mattered. Without a master, she had no doubt that Anthony would be a nightmare.

"I am afraid that I do not know how to retrieve your Banner."

Slave? Steve stood still as she circled him, examining him like some animal, but he did not look even slightly happy about it. His strong arms stayed at his sides and he felt his brows rise. "I'm proud to be no one's slave. We're all our own people here." This was Loki? That was worrying for many reasons. Had slavery been what Loki had been initially hoping for? It did not occur to him that in another place, he was happily Thor's slave. His soul didn't allow for such s horrible thought and he was glad his friend didn't want him as slave now.

He stepped back out of Loki's circle of influence at the moment, back to where Grant and Bucky stood. He was being protective of his family, the shield on his back ready just in case he needed more than his size and body to do it.

"We do not believe in slavery, Loki," Thor agreed. "None on Asgard hold such needs of desires to own the life of another as we do animals. "It is something you must understand before we depart. And you must understand about Jotunh--"

"Wait wait wait," Tony said, interjecting his whole body and not just his words. "Depart? No. We have a man down. That machine was mostly Banner's." He didn't give snyone credit lightly. "He did the fine tuning. He ran the metrics. I can duplicate his work but it's not going to be perfect."

His first attempts rarely were. Steve had gotten himself blown up a few times in the early stages of Banner's machine to go back to rescue Bucky.

And Tony's inventions were always so prone to explosion it wasn't funny.

This entire reality seemed so backwards. How could they not believe in slavery? They spoke of it as though it was a disgraceful thing, when they had improved the lives of Midgardians vastly through their vassalage to Jotunheim and, to an extent, Asgard. They were well fed, well protected, allowed to keep their own communities and develop their own technologies. Many families would never see a Jotnar or Aesir, working, living, loving, enjoying themselves on Midgard. No wars, no famine, what could be wrong with that?

"I can feel the path I was pulled through, seidr does not fade so quickly. I cannot take myself or another back there, though I may be able to pull one close to me through. Perhaps Thor, Helblindi, or Anthony."

He was not sure how useful the first two would be, other than to be a welcome bastion of support, but his slave was extremely technologically gifted.

"Perhaps Anthony, he may be able to assist you in repairing or recreating your machine."

"Me? You want another version of me around?" He wasn't stupid. If Steve was Thor's slave then he probably had to be there as well. But why hadn't Loki recognized him then? Even clean shaven.... Well maybe it was like a racial thing. All hairy people from Earth look alike? He wasn't all that curious and it didn't occur to him that he could be potentially much younger than he was now.

"One Anthony Stark is enough," Steve confirmed and even Thor was nodding his head along as if it was a bad idea to mix the two men together.

The very thought, while not horrifying, was still fairly unpleasant for everyone involved.

Now that did surprise Loki, and she couldn't help but come close to examine him again with more interest now that she knew who he was. It was easier to see the resemblance now that it had been mentioned.

"You are much increased in age from my Anthony, though I suppose that you do not have access to Idunn's crop to delay the march of mortality."

She would not push the matter, she did not require her slave to function, but it would make things easier were he here to assist.

"Has your intelligence dimmed with age in this reality, also? For my Anthony would not need assistance to build such a machine."

"Rude." Tony narrowed his eyes as the woman leaned closer. If only she wasn't so attractive! And wasn't Loki! "If your slave is so smart, you should just hang out by the pool and wait for him to figure out how to get you home," he said, not up to playing Stark versus Stark. He was pretty sure he'd find a way to drown himself if he suddenly just showed up here.

How could he be happy being snything but free? The thought bothered him fully and he lifted a hand between them to sort of shoo Loki away.

"Your counterpart and I have a poor history. He threw me out of a window. I blasted him full of holes--". He turned back to Thor. "Can we just work on finding Banner?" He was starting to get really worried here.

Bucky had been bristling ever since this woman mentioned that Steve was a slave, and now she was including Tony in it too. It was enough. None of them were slaves, and the idea of any of the people that he cared about being trapped in positions like that, possessions rather than people, it dug right at his deepest fears and insecurities like nothing else ever could.

So he stepped out to intercept her, brow furrowed and voice low.

"Step away from my friends. You don't own them and you never will."

Loki quite easily pulled from that grasp, no mortal even enhanced could hold her, and she sneered down at his serious expression.

"I do not need to, I am Queen in my realm and that is sufficient for I intend to return there. Calm yourself, before you force me to do something that you shall regret."

"Stop." That was, believe it or not, Tony. "She isn't trying to own anyone. And we aren't going to start a war with another dimension either. Can we please focus here?" Banner was going to have a shock to learn that Tony had actually been the one to be the voice of reason here! Tony hoped that JARVIS was recording all of this for a later play back.

As Anthony would have done, despite being just a minuscule mortal, he put himself between both Loki and Barnes, hands lightly pressing back on Bucky's chest to get him back towards the wonder twins.

Evidently that had gone well, the talk. "I want you to tell me everything," he whispered as he moved Bucky back a step by presence, not strength. He could never do the latter. "Later."

Clapping his hands together, Tony looked between Thor and Loki now.

"I need everyone out of my shop. Everyone. Grant, might need your tiny hands. Everyone else? Out."

He just needed to look at Loki's rack for a moment. He exhaled slowly. Wow. His other self was lucky.

Bucky allowed himself to be chivvied back by Tony, though he would be keeping a very close watch on Loki the entire time she was there. He had never met the other Loki, he had been on ice during that invasion, but he had seen the news reports and stuck clippings into his book before he had been snatched to another time and place.

Loki herself waved elegant fingers dismissively and slipped out to go to the area that she had arrived in. The foundations and burned ground all that remained of what had been there before, a building and this man, this Banner, that she did not recognise the name of.

She ignored all others, including Thor, and a green nimbus surrounded her before long. No matter what she had been told, she wished her Anthony here to assist and to tell her what had transpired after she had vanished from the feast. She hoped that Thor and Helblindi had not started any wars to attempt to recover her.

It took a lot of energy, but the trace of the pathway remained and she was connected to her personal slave, a small magic that also assisted in prolonging his lifespan so that he would be able to serve her for most of her life. Hopefully, should all go to plan, he would find himself yanked from wherever he was to her feet.

Though it was not the first time that his Queen had decided to call for him out of nowhere, she was usually a little less frugal with the warning. He'd been having a cup of wine with Thor's and Helblindi's slaves, laughing and enjoying himself at the feast, when he felt a tingle and saw his feet disappearing into green smoke. "Steve, hold my be--" was all he got out before falling face first into the grass at Loki's feet.

His beer spilled everywhere and he frowned as it soaked into the ground. Man, he thought. Seriously. That was some really good beer. The dwarves never gave up the good stuff except for special occasions and on Asgard, those were far and few between. He found himself picking out grass from his teeth as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.

"You needed something?" he asked, cheeky but respectful, sitting back on his heels to look up at her. There were few as lucky as he was, chosen, selected, to serve the ruler of his world. He didn't forget that, especially since she didn't believe in stiffling anything about him.

Large eyes blinked up at her, up at the sky, and then back to Loki.

"Are we on Midgard? You weren't kidding when you said you wanted some air."

It was good to see him, a piece of home in this strange place. She was not particularly given to sentiment, or at least not openly expressing it, but she already found this entire reality to be distasteful and the news that her counterpart was a wanted traitor was sour indeed.

"Not my Midgard, Anthony."

She offered him a hand to help him up, sure he would be able to feel that the temperature here was at least a few degrees higher than it ever got on Midgard now. Jotunheim may not have frozen Midgard, but it no longer had many tropical zones and few places got consistent summers.

"A different reality, and we cannot return. I required your presence, what remained of the pathway allowed me to bring you here, but that is all. This Midgard has no ruler, they do not understand their rightful place."

A few of Loki's homes along the equator were still pretty warm during some months to have grass, but her palace was up north in New York in America, a beautiful place indeed. Everyone that lived there was happy and well cared for, the education and health care were spectacular and no one had to struggle to survive as a few places still did. Loki's rule was as benevelant as the one who had brought Midgard under their protection centuries before Anthony was born, but the wilder and freer areas still suffered for that.

The human frowned a little as he took his queen's wrist to pull himself up, standing proud in her colors. He liked his clothing, soft leathers and tall boots. He liked to wear her greens and golds, her standards. Most of New York had taken to it, of course. They all loved their Queen.

"Uh-- Okay. When you say we can't go back... Do you mean ever? Because your sisters were discussing weapons size last I heard."

He was less concerned about an unruly Midgard. His Queen would just insert herself as ruler here and everything would be fine. Just fine indeed.

He had no qualms about that.

"So... Uh... Right. What place is this?" It didn't look right. It looked almost like some compound cities did a century ago before he helped to progress the planet into an age of sky scrapers and plenty.

It was ugly and small, desolate compared to the great metropolises of her Midgard. How could the mortals here think that they had things so much better by being free, when they were so obviously worse off? Perhaps it was just that nobody had shown them as much yet, which was a failing on those of Jotunheim and Asgard.

"I am certain that my siblings will find other things to occupy themselves. There is a Thor here, Anthony, he is great fun. I hope you have your camera on you, I wish a picture to show my sister what she would look like as a man."

Thor was never not going to amuse her, he was just so absurdly muscled.

She turned to begin to lead him back to the garage, when Steven-- no, not Steven, the false Steven appeared out of the gloom to block their way. Yet again he gave no real deference, though he looked a little surprised to see someone else with her.

"Sorry, but you can't go back in there, Tony said he needs time and space. And I'm pretty sure that we all told you not to go bringing anyone else in here, who is this?"

It took absolutely no time for Anthony to figure out that this wasn't his Steve. He'd just left his side literally moments ago and he wouldn't have been able to change out of the colors he wore in Thor's honor, not even with the knowledge of the spell used to dress and undress into and out of the appropriate clothing that the royal slaves all possessed. He had never seen Steve in a white shirt that barely fit him and loose pants like those. Not ever.

He had a few questions though. Firstly, who was Tony? Secondly, why were there weird copies of them in this place? Thirdly, who were the people behind him? Anthony, ever curious and encouraged to be, sauntered towards Steve. He had his camera in his hand because he never went anywhere without his phone, and stopped just a few inches away from the hulking brute whose friendship he had enjoyed for years upon years now. They weren't always around one another but they were the slaves of ruling sisters. They had kinship in that.

"You're.... Amazing. And so much more rude here. I love it. Don't you love it?" he asked his mistress, knowing Loki absolutely did not love it. She wanted respect more than anything else. And she almost always got it. "If you're here-- Hey. How come you don't know me? Anthony? Hi? Jeez. What right do you have to tell the Queen not to do something she wants anyway. Who are-- oh Odin's Beard. Is that-- Princess Thor?!"

Wow.

Just--

"Can you fit through doors?!" Anthony looked back over his shoulder at Loki and mouthed that 'Wow, Big!' thought that was in his head.

Loki reached out and traced long fingernails gently across the back of Anthony's neck, a warning not to overstep his mark when it came to Thor. This was not her sister, used to the eccentricities of Loki's slave, this was a new and volatile creature and she would not have herself disgraced by even a beloved slave.

Steve felt sick.

As soon as he realised who this was and what he was saying, the way he stood in that naturally cocky pose but with his body language geared towards Loki as if waiting for command, it was disgusting. It was wrong. Of all the people he knew, Tony Stark was the least likely to ever let anyone boss him around, and so this disturbed him.

He shot a look of pure and unfiltered disapproval at Loki. She was a bully, trying to own others, and that meant they were not going to be friends. Not ever.

"Hey-- Tony, Anthony, how about you come with me and I'll get you something to eat, then we can talk, okay?"

Loki nodded her consent. "You may go, just do not stray beyond my call."

"I wasn't asking you," Steve shot right back. "With no due respect at all, ma'am, this isn't your world and you have no right to order anyone around. I'm asking To--Anthony if he wants to get something to eat, not you."

No human, ever, had disrespected Loki in front of him before, not in all of his years. He was not just mortified by the words coming out of Steve's mouth, but he felt himself immediately become overwhelmed and emotional on Loki's behalf. She did not need him to defend her. Not even the insulting tongue of the dark elves nor the dwarves moved Loki to act with anything but grace, but this was a Midgardian, this was his kin, his brother, priveledged and selected above all the rest to reside on Asgard in the service of a princess who would eventually come to the throne as All-Mother!

It was probably comical, the look on Anthony's face, like he had completely been shattered. His mouth was slightly agape and he took a step back towards his Queen.

There was never a life outside of servitude that Anthony had ever known. Slavery, as a concept he was familiar with, was a priveledged position, one every single human wanted. The word itself was synonymous with serfdom or service, Anthony never felt himself to be owned so much as employed...perhaps even loved. Loki had no obligation to love him but oh, he loved her something feirce.

And perhaps that was why the upset turned into anger. "You will immediately apologize! I don't care if this version of Midgard has no law and no one to rule it, regular guest rights demand respect of foreign ruling bodies and-- You just can't talk to my Queen like that!" Anthony finally snapped with tears in his eyes.

Loki pitied her slave. Midgardians, no matter how intelligent and useful, were still just fragile creatures and this was a lot for her Anthony to take in. She reached up and rested a possessive hand on his shoulder, a silent reminder that nothing these mortals could say would remove him from her possession.

Steve wasn't angry, he was heartbroken.

He didn't blame Tony for what he said as much as he blamed Loki, it was almost similar to Bucky's situation. Well, maybe not quite, but it was clear that Tony had been brainwashed and conditioned to believe that being a slave was okay. There was no way he was going to stand for this.

"Earth doesn't need anyone to rule it, Tony. The people here are free, and they're better for it, we don't need anyone else owning us and telling us that we're better off that way. You don't have to defend her and what she's done, not any more. Come on, just-- come with me, get something to eat, and we can talk. That's all, just talk."

"Go with him," Loki murmured in the Old Tongue so that Steve could not understand. "I wish to know why Jotunheim does not hold sway here, and why Thor fights alongside these mortals as equal."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject