Six Pairs of Silver (Loki x Reader) Pt.18
I have seen your dark nights and your brightest days and I will be here with you forever waiting in your dusk.
A/N: This is it my lovelies!!! This is the chapter we have all been waiting for!!!!! Also, bit of a warning…there are mentions of psychological torture such as sleep deprivation. These methods are not described in detail, but the effects are talked about….so please, if this triggers you in any way, feel free to skim over those parts.
There was no other place like this one. At least, not one he had been too. For that he was eternally grateful. Sakaar was a place he had never seen himself visiting. Stepping between piles of haphazardly organised equipment and countless amounts of nameless objects that fell from the sky, Loki prayed that his mother had been right in her suspicions.
Hissing in irritation as his cloak caught, he yanked it free before continuing on his way to the city he saw a short distance away. If Y/N was indeed on this forsaken world, then he would have better luck looking for her there, than amidst piles of junk with no apparent value.
It was hard to keep a straight face as a plethora of unpleasant smells and fumes wafted his way. Yes, the sooner he found her, the sooner they would be able to leave this awful place.
“Brother, there you are,” Thor’s booming voice broke into his silent observations.
Rolling his eyes and sighing, Loki turned to face his brother. “Here I am. Now let us continue, we should not outstay our time in this place.”
Suspicious that his brother knew something he wasn’t telling him, Thor narrowed his eyes and made to ask but soon decided against it.
The brothers moved cautiously through the foreign landscape, dodging and sidestepping any falling pieces of debris. They had encountered no one since their arrival on this strange world, perhaps there would someone in the city that would be able to help them.
The city, if it could be called that, was much larger than anything either brother had ever seen. The streets were crowded and the hum of conversation and chatter hung over the crowds like a low hanging cloud. Rickety market stalls lined the majority of the streets, the cries of the vendors slicing through the air.
Thor looked to his brother in despair. How were they ever going to find one person in this crowd? There were thousands no doubt and they seemed to come from every race in existence. While Y/N’s hair stood apart in Asgard, here on Sakaar there appeared to be plenty of women with hair as white as hers.
Loki, it seemed, was in a world of his own. His mind and heart raced. She was here, he was sure of it. Every fair haired woman had him wondering if they were she. Yet, whenever he turned them to look at him, he felt the harsh stab of disappointment. He had yet to find someone who looked even remotely like Y/N. He had not yet come across anyone who had the telltale ears of her kind.
Forcing himself to remain calm, he cast out his magic. He felt it weave through the crowds, brush against buildings and soar through the air above the masses. Every so often he would believe that he saw her, but as he made to follow, she would disappear into the crowd. His magic found nothing, there was no trace of her presence among the throngs.
Refusing to recall his magic and to give up the search, Loki continued to push his way through the crowd. Thor followed close behind, curious to see where his brother was headed.
Soon the sounds of the crowd faded until it was a mere hum in his ears. He had to focus, and he was struggling to do so at present. The sounds of the crowd came crashing back as someone from the crowd passed him by, accidentally knocking his arm. Impatience and irritation flared through him and he lashed out, his hand grabbing hold of their wrist. Clearly female, her hands were gloved, sheathed in black leather. Spinning her around, he came face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes. The rest of the face was hidden beneath a mask, the hair tucked beneath a dark blue hood.
The eyes widened by a fraction and filled with something akin to fear as they looked at him. Her mouth moved beneath the fabric that covered it, but no sound came. Darting a look around her,she quickly pulled her wrist free of his grasp and dashed into the crowd.
Loki looked after her as she disappeared. Did she know who he was? Was that why she had run from him in such fear? Had his reputation really spread so far? Pushing those thoughts away, he took a deep breath and continued to push his way through the crowd. He would head to the palace of the Grandmaster, his mother had mentioned something about him being the one who “ruled” over this chaotic and downright foul world. Surely he would know something.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she ran, the faces of the crowd blurring passed her. She had finally made it out of the palace! It felt like an eternity since she had last set foot outside her gilded prison. The sun was harsh and bright as it shone high in the sky. The hood she wore only made her perspiration worse and she wanted nothing more than to take it off and let the breeze, as putrid as it was, run its cooling fingers along her damp skin.
But the risk was much too high. She had already felt a prodding at the back of her mind. Terror had seized her at the thought that they had managed to get past her defenses. She had immediately clamped down and thrown up an extra shield to protect herself.
The streets were more crowded than usual and more than a few times she had to mumble soundless apologies to those she accidentally knocked against. If she could just make it to the outskirts of the city, then she could begin to scavenge for a flyable ship. The boots she had pilfered were a little too small, causing her uneven gait to worsen. The circulation around her feet was threatening to cut off. The gloves were hers, stitched together from scraps of leather.
She was beyond exhausted, her legs would have collapsed beneath her had she not kept running. Her hands trembled whenever she raised them to wipe her brow or wipe them on her stockinged legs. Her vision often blurred when drops of perspiration dripped from her lashes, making her bloodshot eyes sting. She knew what she must have looked like, something similar to a madwoman. She prayed that no one would recognise her as she made an attempt for her freedom.
She dared not stop. No matter how harsh or shallow her breathing became. No matter how fast and hard her poor heart beat in her chest, causing the blood to rush in her ears. She couldn’t stop, not unless she wished for all those hours of stolen sleep to catch up to her. Not unless she wanted to get spotted by the patrols who knew full-well who she was. The Grandmaster had long since made sure that everyone knew who she was.
Shuddering at the thought of the man, she turned and bolted down a dark alley before finally stumbling out into the open again. If she squinted, she could make out the edge of the city. Chancing a glance behind her, she licked her dry lips before adjusting her hood and mask. Fighting to keep upright, she took a series of deep, aching breaths before forcing her trembling legs to break into a run.
The further she ran, greater her fear grew. Fear for what she so desperately hoped to be nothing more than another one of her hallucinations.
“How could I possibly know where she is?” Brunnhilde hissed, crossing her arms and glaring at the pair before her. “Ever since you threw me down into that arena of yours, I haven’t seen hide or hair of her.”
“You are the only thing resembling a friend to her,” the Grandmaster explained, holding up a hand to calm Topaz and command her to stay put. “It is only logical that she would go to you before deciding to run off.”
The Valkyrie sighed. “The only logical thing about this whole situation is her decision to leave.”
“Help us find her and you get your freedom back.”
Her head snapped up at his words. Her dark eyes widened before narrowing. “You would offer me the only thing I could possibly want in exchange for what? Betraying the closest thing I have to a friend?” The disgust in her words and tone was as clear as the sun was shining.
“How you choose to see it,” the Grandmaster replied, “is up to you.”
Brunnhilde shook her head. “What will you do with her anyway? Once you’ve found her. Flog her to within an inch of her life? Cripple her legs further?”
She was met with silence. Silence which she took as an affirmation.
“Does the prospect of freedom mean nothing to you?”
A disbelieving laugh burst out of her. Brunnhilde leveled her eyes with his. “My freedom is worthless if she does not receive hers as well.”
“She is needed for a performance. Does that answer satisfy you?”
Brunnhilde shook her head. “Far from it. Is that all she is to you? A nameless being that serves only for your entertainment? Without even a thought to horrific pain and discomfort she might be in?”
“What she is to me is none of your concern.”
“She is my friend,” Brunnhilde replied, lifting her chin. “So it is very much my concern.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Topaz lift a hand to her ear and mutter something before stepping up next to the Grandmaster.
“Sir? You have visitors who wish to speak with you.”
He didn’t answer right away, his focus being on the former Valkyrie before him.
“Send them in,” he murmured absently, “and take this one back to where she belongs.”
“With pleasure Sir,” Topaz replied, sounding far too happy.
Hissing and sending a glare her way when she felt her large hand grab her bicep, Brunnhilde reluctantly followed the hulking woman from the room. In the hall beyond stood two men. Evidently the visitors that had cut her little ‘interview’ short. She felt her eyes widen slightly as she took in their appearance. She knew who they were, she had served the crown long enough to recognise members of the royal family when she saw them.
As per his mother’s warning, Loki had opted not to introduce himself and Thor as who they really were. Neither of them wore their colours; Loki forwent his traditional green in favour of dark blue and any gold had been replaced by silver. Thor similarly had traded his trademark red for a colour that resembled amber when the sun shone through it and any silver quickly became gold.
They had decided as they had entered the palace that Loki would be the one to do the talking. Thor was only too happy, this would give him ample time to scope out their surroundings and become at least a little familiar with it.
“I could not help but overhear,” Loki was saying, “you appear to be searching for someone?”
The Grandmaster made no move to hide his surprise. “Yes. I suppose you would have.”
“If I may be so bold, who is this person you seek? My friend and I may be able to help you.”
The Grandmaster eyed the two men before him. Where one appeared to be built for sheer brute strength, the other seemed to be made for speed, running and the like. Yet, he was not fooled by the dark haired man’s slender build. Silent strength rippled beneath his pale skin. “Trackers then? The two of you?”
Loki immediately nodded, prompting Thor to do the same. “Yes, my lord,” the younger Prince replied, smiling politely. If they could, by some miracle, gain this man’s favour, then their task in locating Y/N would be significantly easier.
“My entertainment for this evening has decided to take it upon herself to run away.”
The brothers glanced at each other. Thor had witnessed the brief moment in the market between Loki and the young woman who had knocked into him. “You wish for us to find a woman for you, my lord?” Thor asked, speaking for the first time since their arrival in the palace.
The Grandmaster chuckled. “She is no mere woman. Do not be fooled gents. She has attempted this many times before, but each time we have managed to find her in time.”
“In time?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow, “in time for what?”
“Not important,” the Grandmaster waved the question away. “What is important, is that she must be found and brought back.”
“What is she like in appearance?”
Here the Grandmaster paused a moment before answering. “She is, without a doubt, on foot and wearing dark clothing. Her hands are always covered as is the most of her face. Only her striking blue eyes are visible.”
She sounded much too familiar and Loki was brought back to the young woman he had seen in the market. Covered from head to toe, her eyes darting around as though to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Her eyes, Loki remembered, shone as blue as sapphires. She had looked frightened, terrified. Could this possibly be the same woman as the one that the Grandmaster sought? Had fate been kind enough to present this opportunity to him?
“I believe I may have seen her, my lord,” Loki replied, not quite sure why he felt a small feeling of guilt well up.
“Excellent,” the Grandmaster clapped his hands like an excited child. “When you have found her, bring her here. Your reward shall be to join me and a few guests this evening.”
Thor eyed his brother. Loki seemed more than eager to please this man. More than eager to comply. Thor knew why of course, but it would not sit well with him, no matter how he tried to rationalise it.
She was already so weak. It hadn’t been long after the incident in the arena that things had started to change. They had let her bodily wounds heal and instead, had begun to attack her mind.
It did not take her long to figure out what they were after. Her defenses had doubled, nay, tripled. She had started to send all her energy and any magic she knew, to defend those precious areas within her mind. That was when they had started to wake her. Every time she would be close to falling asleep, bright lights and cold water would be used to wake her up.
Y/N knew what this was. She had read about people on Midgard enforcing such methods. The effects of such practices frightened her and she feared that, with time, her guard would weaken. She could not allow this. She would not. She would rather her body deteriorate and weaken beyond measure, than allow them access to those memories.
That brief moment in the market, as unreal as it likely was, made her heart smile. It had been a while since she’d last seen him. But the fact that they could touch without him fading into nothing was new. This was new and it scared her. She felt as though she was slowly losing sense of what was real and what wasn’t. She hoped, for his sake, that it had been a figment of her imagination. A projection of her heart’s deepest wishes.
So, she kept running. She ran as fast as her crippled legs would allow. She knew that stopping for even a moment meant the chance of capture would grow. The outskirts of the city were approaching and she fought not to give into the hope that she might yet make it. If she hadn’t been stopped now, she may just make it.
The ravagers paid her little mind as she bolted passed them. Her boots were squeezing her feet to the point of becoming painful. Dull, bruise like throbs pulsed up her legs with every step she took and with running, it had become more frequent.
Desperately her eyes searched. She was out of the city. She had never made it that far before. She searched as she ran, searching for anything that might prove flyable.
The Grandmaster had insisted on them taking a small number of guards. Loki had tried to convince him that it wasn’t at all necessary, but the man wouldn’t hear of it.
Topaz, the brutish looking assistant was to go with them. So there they were, stalking through the streets of Sakaar, looking for one face among thousands. People moved out of their way as soon as they saw them.
Without saying a word, Loki once more cast out his magic. He searched for both Y/N and the young woman from the market. He prayed he was doing right, that this would serve to help him in his search.
Every so often, Topaz would stop and question a person as complete random. Fear would often render them incapable of coherent speech. Loki soon grew tired of this, it was yielding little results and time was running short.
Retracting his magic, he sent it to search the memories of all those they passed. Images flashed before his eyes, images that would often contain a hooded figure in the periphery. She was running, dodging low-hanging items and would rarely look behind her. The way she ran caught his eye. He had never seen a limp within a run before, but now, as he watched her through countless memories, he came to understand and realise something. “She is in pain,” he stated out loud to his companions. “It is slowing her down.”
Topaz said nothing. Thor, looked to his brother in surprise. “How can you know that?”
Loki waved at the people around them. “They only saw her run past them.”
“You went into their minds?” Thor asked, surprised and a little shocked.
Loki shrugged and nodded.
“Where was she headed?” Topaz asked, stepping up beside the Princes.
Loki confidently raised a hand and pointed in a direction that made Topaz hiss in frustration.
“What is over there?” He asked, curious.
“The scrap yards,” she explained. “Old, but sometimes still working, starships are dumped there.”
Ah. The brothers shared a look. So she was trying to leave was she? Maybe she had seen Y/N?
‘Come on, come on,’ Y/N thought frantically to herself as she scoured the countless, sky-high piles of junk. There had to be something she could use. With shaking hands, she shifted metal and hissed whenever an errant piece would slice into her hands.
She was so close. The closest she had ever been. She could practically smell the air on Asgard and feel it’s sun. Freedom was within her reach. At long last she would be free of this horrible place and the man that sought to break her.
Soon the distant sounds of voices caught her attention and caused her heart rate to spike in panic. She knew all too well who that was. Topaz. She could not let them find her. Dashing to the pile across from her, she almost wept at the sight that greeted her. The ship was small, big enough for two people. Throwing one last look over her shoulder, she clambered into the ship and began to rummage around, looking for anything that might help her.
Y/N froze. Still as a statue, she didn’t dare turn around. Beneath her, her legs were starting to give out and the boots weren’t helping either. She could barely feel her feet.
“Quite the chase you led us on. Wouldn’t have found you if it hadn’t been for these two.”
A large, rough hand turned her around to face the small group at the entrance to the small vessel. Fear flooded her. Cold, hard terror froze the blood in her veins.
'Loki,’ she mouthed, her lips forming his name. She was thankful that no sound came as it was evident that Topaz had no idea who stood beside her. Y/N felt tears sting her eyes and her lips trembled beneath the fabric that covered them. She prayed that her eyes would convey just how much she had missed him and just much she needed him to leave.
Loki stared at her like he had in the market. Her blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears and they looked desperately sad. Sad and frightened. She seemed to sway where she stood. Her eyes were horribly bloodshot and were surrounded by deep bruise-like shadows.
“Why do you always insist on wearing these?” Topaz reached for her hands and roughly pulled the gloves off, sending them fluttering to the ground.
The brothers watched as the young woman immediately drew her hands to her chest, shielding the left with the right. For a brief moment she looked to them before casting her eyes to the ground.
She resisted as much as she was able as Topaz approached her with a pair of cuffs. She could do little in her weakened state and watched helplessly as her hands were forcibly separated and her wrists locked into the harsh metal. “You won’t be going anywhere,” Topaz sneered, enjoying this a little too much.
Y/N forced herself not to look at him as Topaz pulled her passed him. She felt her heart reach for him, it had been without him for too long.
There was something about her hands that wasn’t quite right. Thor noticed it a second after Loki did. The brothers shared a horrified look. Her left hand was missing a finger in such a way that suggested that it had been severed and left to heal on its own. With no help.
“Come now, pet,” the Grandmaster crooned, stooping a little to pat her hair. “You should be used to this by now. You run and we will catch you.”
With what strength she could muster, Y/N glared at him. Her hair hung loose down her back and over her shoulders and was soaked in sweat. The hood and mask she had worn had long since been taken from her.
“Found you just in time too,” he murmured, stroking her hair before gently tracing the outline of her jaw. “I have a number of guests who would have been more than a little disappointed.”
She couldn’t care less about his 'guests’. Admittedly it had been some time since she had last danced among the silks. Not long enough in her opinion.
Her eyes snapped to his at his words and caught him smirking down at her. Horror washed through her, did he know? Did he know Loki was there? He couldn’t possibly! She had been so very very careful.
“Yes,” he clapped excitedly. “With emeralds in your hair and near your eyes.”
In what moment of weakness had she let down her guard for him to know?
“Now, off you go, there isn’t much time.”
Pushing herself to stand, Y/N stumbled from the room. In all honesty, she had no idea how she even managed to make it to her chamber. The sight of a green dress on her bed was the last thing she wanted to see. The shade was too much like his cloak and eyes. Trembling fingers reached out and lightly touched the decorated fabric. The collar and belt were gold, complementing the green beautifully.
'Please forgive me, my love,’ she thought, sending her thoughts to wherever he may be.
It did not take long to get dressed. Nameless silent maids helped her. They pulled the fabric over her slender frame so that it sat right. Y/N was dismayed to see that it left the backs of her legs exposed. She barely felt it as the maids styled her hair and painted her face with colours and tones to complement the dress and jewellery she wore.
She barely recognised the woman in the mirror. The makeup skillfully hid the shallowness of her cheeks and the dark circles beneath her eyes. The crystals in her hair and on her face sparkled softly as she followed her escort. She would be performing in the Grandmaster’s private lounge. Nothing good could come of this. Her legs were already struggling to keep her upright, how she would manage a whole routine was beyond her.
The first thing she saw was a pillar of forest green silk hanging from the ceiling. By the Norns, she had missed that colour. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she took a deep, shuddering breath before stepping out to embrace the emerald fabric.
The brothers watched in fascination as a young woman stepped out of the shadows and was swept up with the fabric, the music swelling around them. Soon a voice began to harmonize with the melody, singing haunting words that the young woman skillfully began to dance too.
"Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign
Instead there is only silence
Can’t you hear my screams?
Never stop hoping
Need to know where you are
But one thing is for sure
You’re always in my heart. “
Gripping the fabric, Y/N manipulated the silk to support her as she arched and twisted, hugging the fabric close.
”’ll find you somewhere
I’ll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened
The truth will free my soul.“
Loki had never seen anything like it. There was an emotion to the dance that he was all too familiar with. It was almost heartwrenching the way the dancer would reach into the darkness before clutching the silk to her chest again.
"Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home
I want to embrace you and never let you go
Almost hope you’re in heaven
so no one can hurt your soul
Living in agony cause I just do not know
Where you are.”
She could have sworn that the lights were brighter now than they had ever been. They made her eyes burn and sting. She had to blink in order to keep on seeing straight, wanting nothing more than to close them against the harsh assault.
"I’ll find you somewhere
I’ll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened
The truth will free my soul.
Wherever you are, I won’t stop searching
Whatever it takes, I need to know.“
By the Fates. She was beautiful. The way she moved reminded him so desperately of Y/N. She had always been so fluid and elegant in her movements. Her pale hair reflected harshly in the lights that followed her and stopped his heart for a brief moment. It couldn’t be. Could it?
"I’ll find you somewhere
I’ll keep on trying until my dying day
I just need to know whatever has happened
The truth will free my soul.”
The swell of the music signified a merciful end. Y/N ended the routine with an elegant and complicated twirl, landing her soundlessly on her feet. Gripping the silk beside her for support, she managed a shaky bow before limping out of the light, eager to get away and soothe her burning eyes. The tears that came stung viciously. They ran down her cheeks, effectively ruining the makeup they had painted her with.
Giving up after only taking a few steps, she let her legs bend. She crashed to the floor, uncaring of anyone that might see her thus. Harsh, racking breaths tore through her, ripping her apart from the inside. Her burning eyes latched onto the brand seared into her deformed left hand, making her grit her teeth to keep from crying out.
Two hands very gently touched hers. “Y/N?’
She stopped breathing. That voice. Those hands. Swallowing hard, she finally looked up. The most beautiful pair of emerald eyes looked back at her. They were filled with such love and with such relief. Her hands disengaged from his as she reached up to cup his face. Her fingers danced lightly, like butterflies over his features.
She was crying more now. What a sight she must have been. The smile she sent him was filled with the emotions that she had seen in his eyes. “Oh Loki,” she said soundlessly, her heart leaping for joy at seeing him before her. At feeling him beneath her hands.
He immediately turned his head and gently kissed the palms of her hands, tears of his own spilling onto her hands. “Angel?”
She nodded weakly before a look of terror entered her eyes. Pulling her hands from his, she gently pushed him from her, in the direction of the nearest exit.
He was more than a little confused. What in the Nine was she doing? “Darling? What’s going on?”
Y/N shook her head, eyes looking everywhere at once. Her eyes pleaded with him, begging him to understand what she could not say with her voice.
“My love,” he moved closer to her despite her actions. “My love, what are you doing?”
When once again, she didn’t give a verbal reply, Loki became suspicious. “Angel, use your words. You are confusing me.”
A sad smile graced her features and her lips trembled as she tapped her throat. The meaning clear.
“Oh Norns,” he gasped and instantly pulled her close. Her struggles did nothing to deter him. She was mute. Her beautiful voice had somehow been silenced. “What have they done to you?” He murmured into her hair as her struggles began to slowly fade.
With one arm around her waist and his free hand gently smoothing her hair, he began to rock her. The woman he held in his arms was changed, there was a fear in her eyes that not even Thanos had managed to inspire. A fear inspired by the man who stood watching the couple from the shadows.
