Tricksters Together

Loki's screams filled the air. The other inmates craned their heads to catch a glimpse of the fallen prince. But the windows to his cell were darkened, as they always were.

There will be no realm, no moon, no BAREN CREAVACE we cannot find you. You think you know pain? You will be begging for something as sweet as pain….

Loki curled in tighter on himself as the nightmare continued.

You're a monster! You will never be accepted, never be trusted, never be loved!

He whimpered as the Chitari monster's words cut into him. It had been like this since Thor stopped visiting, what seemed like an eternity ago.

"It's getting worse." The younger of the two guards outside the door murmured. "Should we tell the All father?" he asked the older of the two.

"No, he won't care. You're new so you won't know this but, if he gets to loud we simply beat him. That's the All father's orders. It shuts him up for a few hours." His elder answered.

Loki shivered in fear as the door to his cell slid opened. The elder guard walked in with a whip in his hands, his partner trailing behind. He paled as his eyes fell on Loki. "This is inhumane." He whispered.

"He isn't human, nor is he Asgardian." The guard raised the whip and brought it down on Loki's back. Loki screamed as fiery pain exploded across his back. He arched his back, attempting to escape the whip. The guard raised the whip again but the blow never reached Loki.

"Enough! I will not stand by as you beat a defenseless man!" The younger guard said in a firm voice as the whip coiled around his arm. He winced at the pain but stood his ground above Loki. The elder yanked back on the whip, causing the boy to stumble forward.

"You fool! Odin will have you hanged for this treason!" the elder snarled. He brought the whip cracking down on his partners exposed back, ripping open the skin. The boy gasped and crawled away, reeling from the unexpected pain.

Just then a shout sounded outside the cell. The elder guard turned straight into a short figure bathed in golden light. The figure placed his hand on the guards head, causing bright white light to burn out the guards eyes, killing him.

Loki, sensing the golden light's warmth, turned to face the creature. He looked human, not counting the six golden wings sprouting from his shoulder blades.

"C'mon kiddo. I'll take you somewhere safe." He said in a cheerful voice. He held his hand out to Loki, offering him freedom. He grasped it and just as they vanished, he grasped the hand of the young soldier, pulling him to safety.

Loki jerked awake, head reeling from the dream. His eyes raked the room, searching for signs of danger. Finding none Loki let his eyes fall on the only other soul in the room. The young Asgardian lay on his stomach on another bed. His shirt had been removed and his wounds treated. A cool cloth lay on his fevered brow.

He had sleek black hair, pale skin, and was slim yet well- muscled. He looked very much like a younger version of Loki. He was about 500- young by Asgardian standards- and looked to be from the poorer district on that realm. Loki smiled, remembering when he and Thor would sneak out of the palace with baskets of food and hand it out to the young ones in the poor neighborhoods.

His smile disappeared as a short man with brown hair and gold eyes entered the room with a bowl of water and a cloth. "Good to see that you're awake kiddo." He said in that over- cheerful-voice of his. "Let's take a look at your back." His voice softened as he said this.

Loki looked down at his torso, realizing that it was bare except for a layer of slightly bloodied bandages. Though there was an air of safety around him, Loki shied away from the man's touch. The man backed away and smiled kindly. "You can trust me. I'm Gabriel, the one who broke you out of your cell. Can I please treat your wounds? The bandages need to be changed." Loki nodded after a second of hesitation and let Gabriel treat him.

Gabriel gently removed his bandages and Loki gasped as the warm air reached his back. Gabriel scowled and lay a wet cloth on the fresher wounds. "No man should have to bare wounds such as these." He muttered. Loki bit down on his tongue, attempting not to cry out. He failed as Gabriel lay his hands on his back. Suddenly some of the pain disappeared, but the whips wounds stayed.

"I can't heal these. Whatever whip made them is warded against me. You'll have to heal naturally." Gabriel explained. Loki nodded, hiding the true relief he felt. The whip had only recently started to become used so most of his wounds were cuts and old bruises that caused every movement to hurt. Gabriel sighed and replaced the bandages with fresh gauze before moving to the boy on the other bed.

The boy leapt to his feet as Gabriel shook him awake. He looked around with wild eyes until his gaze focused on Loki. He mumbled something before sitting back down on his bed. Gabriel rested his hand on the boy's shoulder, steadying him.

"It's okay. You're safe. What's your name kiddo?" Gabriel asked him. He slowly shifted his gaze to Gabriel, still trying to keep one eye on Loki. "Tyr. My name is Tyr Laffeysson." He whispered.