* music above *

"Alright Herrick. I'm here. Let us leave."

Herrick's words were deliberately biting. "My my, someone's in a hurry. Are you sure you don't want to spend more time with the mortal? Ah wait. You're planning to return here........aren't you?"

Loki's jaw clenched. He knew what the Einherjar was doing, and the worse part was that it was working. Still he managed to clamp down his retort and kept his fists hanging by his side, so he wouldn't do anything he'd regret.

"Cut it out. Let us be gone on our way," he almost snarled.

"As you wish." He bowed, and then suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I should probably tell you something though. I lied."

Loki frowned.

"The King and Queen has announced that your exile is to  be shortened, but you are to return only after you have grant the mortal her three wishes. Meaning, you may return as soon as all the wishes are given, and not have to wait for one month.

"So you can't go back to Asgard just yet."

Something akin to alarm niggled at Loki. "Then.......why did you call me here?"

Herrick bowed yet again, deep and low. This time he didn't straighten up, but instead flicked his eyes up to Loki's face and kept them there.

He smiled then, a very cold and very unfriendly smile.

"To treat you to a Midgard performance," he said.

At his words, a troop of mortals came out from the shadows nearby and surrounded Loki. They were dressed in circus garb, and all were smiling pleasantly.

Without warning one of them did something and next thing Loki knew he was breathing a jet of fire into the air. Then the one next to him did the same, then the next one and the next one and the next one.

"Amazing aren't they?" Herrick called from outside the ring. "They're called fire performers. They breathe fire, eat fire - here let him show you!"

The man to Herrick's immediate right demonstrated exactly that.

Loki had never seen anything like this before and was more than a little startled. He managed to find his voice and asked,

"What are you doing Herrick?"

And Herrick only smiled.

Flames to his right and left were spewing and gushing up into the air. The heat surrounded him, and there came this familiar hammering in his skull.......and then the ringing in his ears, and then the nausea.....dimly he heard, don't take away my baby! My son!

Laufey's son!

"No," he gasped, as he realized what was happening. His right leg buckled and his hand went up to his head, pressing hard against his temple. "No! Herrick stop!"

His vision was becoming fuzzy but he could hear just fine and Herrick's maniacal laughter swept all around and over him.

"I'm sorry, what? I can't hear you over the sound of my glee!"

Loki gasped. He could hear her now.

Kolga. The thief.

"He is small for a giant's offspring. The people will not see him worthy for the throne. His cries too, will become a liability in our escape."

He grunted in pain. "Herrick, stop! These mortals - you'll hurt them as well!"

Here Herrick's voice dipped low, into a wicked hiss.

"Ah but you see, that's where you're wrong."

His next words were just dipping in delight.

"I'm not hurting them, you are."

There was no more strength in Loki's legs and he knelt on the ground. His eyes were squeezed shut to try to cut out the images, but it was too late; the dancing red shadows dug beneath his eyelids, sinking their claws into him, dragging him back down into his past, his memories......

He roared in pain.

Herrick crept just close enough to crouch down and whisper.

"Don't fight it Loki. Remember. Remember the war. Remember all the people who did you wrong. Your father, who abandoned you; your mother, who was still slayed in the end. Remember."

Loki reached out blindly to swipe at him, but Herrick evaded it easily. He leaned in even closer.

"You're now under my control. Feel the pain. Feel the hurt. Feel the fear. And think of only one thing - revenge. That's right, Loki. All these people around you, they're demons in disguise. They're no mortals! You have to avenge your mother - you will make them pay in blood for their sins against you!"

He loved this. He loved watching him squirm and howl in pain.

This is where criminals like you belong. Filthy little murderer.

"When you open your eyes, you will kill. You will hurt and murder everyone you see. Because you're on a path of revenge. No one can stop you! You're the God of Evil! You were born to destroy!" Herrick's voice grew harsher and more unforgiving. "This is who you are! Let your memories control you! Let them bring out your real, true self - you're a monster Loki!"

Movement in the distance caught his eye. Herrick looked up.

And his lips twisted into an even more cruel smile.

Well hello, my letter O. I've been waiting for you.

He gave a flick of his hands and the fire performers stopped. They retreated back into the shadows, their job done, thinking they had just put on a brilliant performance for their client, not knowing the consequences their actions had caused. Loki however, remained still kneeling on the ground, his eyes shut, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Herrick's mouth stopped just short of Loki's ears.

"Open your eyes Loki. Here comes the person you have been waiting for."

The striking green eyes opened.

*

She could see him in the distance and her heart leapt. She had made it! He hadn't left yet! Then she saw that he was almost on all fours on the ground, and her heart did a little lurch in her chest.

What was wrong with him? Was he alright?

She barely registered Herrick standing there, and she ran forward, calling his name.

"Loki!"

He turned.

She was only a few feet away and already her mouth was ajar to apologize and explain. Then she saw those beautiful eyes, saw how the twinkle in them was missing, and saw how dead they looked.

Something was wrong.

"........Loki?"

She knew that look. She had seen it before and it terrified her. But what could have triggered it? There were no cooks doing the flambe around here.......her eyes laid on Herrick, and she saw the grin he wore.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Oh my dear Lady Kyra. The question is, what will he do to you?"

She turned her gaze back to Loki and couldn't help the gasp that escaped from her lips. She hadn't even seen him move, but now he was standing right in front of her.

She looked up, fearful not for herself, but for him.

"Loki, listen to me - "

He cut her off by wrapping his fingers around her throat and lifting her up.

Just like last time.

She choked, her legs kicking, and just like last time her hands went up to grasp at his. And all this time Herrick was just watching, laughing away like the madman she now knew he was.

How could I ever have trusted Herrick over Loki?

"Loki - stop! Listen to me - you can - fight - this - "

Herrick's laugh became even wilder.

"Save your breath Lady Kyra, he can't hear you at all. He's stuck in his past now, and I doubt if he even knows who you are."

Black spots were doing the Swan Lake in front of her eyes but she still managed to choke out,

"Why are you doing this?"

"To destroy him of course! Last time was already bad enough - imagine if he realizes he killed you." Herrick let out a demented whoop. "It will utterly break him!"

He walked close and Kyra was vaguely aware of him passing something to Loki's free hand.

"You're toying with her, Loki. Finish it."

And she saw Loki drew his hand up, and she saw the glinting dagger clutched with purpose in his hand.

He was just lost. He didn't know what he was doing.

"Please Loki......fight this. You did it last time, you can do it again.....its me, Loki! Kyra! I came back......to find you......to tell you....."

She couldn't breathe. She really really couldn't breathe now.

Her final exhale of air was a floating whisper.

"I love you."

Herrick's laughter drilled sickeningly into her ears.

"What a confession! Too bad he can't hear you, or even know who you are for that matter."

Blackness encroached the edges.....her eyes began to close......her struggles slowed, weaker and weaker......no more air in her lungs......

And with a large, audible and almost painful gasp, she could breathe again.

The dagger fell silently to the grass and she was pulled into Loki's crushing embrace. She still couldn't see very well and she was too focused on breathing in oxygen to do anything else, but his velvet voice, though ragged and hoarse, was still so familiar and comforting in her ears, and it was the one thing she heard with the utmost clarity -

"I love you too."

And the relief was overpowering and overwhelming, she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms tightly around him, the man that had returned to her - but there was no time for that, because at the edge of her vision Herrick was -

One swipe.

One lunge.

"Loki!"

Time froze.

No movements.

No thoughts.

Just her.

And the sharp, bloody end of the Scepter, sticking out of -

Her stomach.

"Kyra!"

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😜😜😜😜😜 Seriously though, I love you guys :)