Rise of the Phoenix (L. Laufey/Odinson)

26.

Loki sits on a couch surrounded by books, Thor had brought a load of Loki's belonging to Earth before they planned on coming here with him, just so Loki had some things of his here. But none of this is helping him.

"Steve told us what happened" Thor states as he sits across from Loki, Loki hums a little without looking up from his book. "What are you doing here and not with her?"

"Looking into memory spells" Loki answers as he flips to another page. "Trying to find something to undo it or...to at least stop her from re-forgetting me every time we see one another"

"Loki" Thor offers, Loki shakes his head. He doesn't particularly want to talk about this. He just wants to fix it. He just wants Nina back.

"Even if I can't return her memories, I can at least get her to fall in love with me again...but only if she doesn't forget me every single time she walks away from me!" Loki snaps, his emotions overflowing now. Thor softens watching him.

"We'll figure this out" Thor assures him. "We'll find a way..." Loki shoots him a glare, because right now, he doesn't believe that. He's lost the woman he loves....and he can't see a way to fix it.

...............

Loki gathers with Steve, Thor, and Bucky as they discuss Nina and her current memory state. He had come up with nothing that could help, he has no spells that can help her and he feels utterly useless. He cannot help her.

"Could this be a side effect of Hydra's brainwashing?" Steve asks. "And not anything magical?"

"There was magic in her room" Loki counters.

"But that doesn't mean that the magic is what took her memories....she's been around you, maybe that magic you felt was from you" Steve argues.

"It wasn't my magic, it was older, darker...." He pauses and then frowns, realising something. "I have to go back to Jotunheim" He announces.

"What?" Bucky asks.

"I have a bad feeling" Loki answers. "But I know I have to go"

"I will call down to the hanger" Steve offers. "Get a jet ready" Loki nods a little.

"I just want to check on Nina before I go" Loki admits, Bucky nods a little and gives him a small smile.

...........

"Nina?" Loki asks as he knocks on the apartment door before letting himself in. He frowns a little hearing nothing from inside. Nina is passed out on the floor, blood drying under her nose. Loki instantly moves to her, falling to his knees at her side. "Friday" Loki states.

"Already alerted Dr Banner" Friday answers. Loki nods a little and shifts to hold Nina in his arms.

"Loki" Bruce greets as he walks into the room, tone worried as he looks over him and Nina.

"She's really cold" Loki states, worry in his voice as he brushes Nina's hair back from her face. "Nina" He whispers. "Come on, darling, wake up" She groans a little. "Wake up for me" He pleads. She coughs and splatters Loki with her blood, he rears back surprised and touches his face, drawing the blood from his skin. He looks at Bruce who stares at him before he snaps out of it.

"Bring her down to the clinic" Bruce orders of Loki before hurrying out of the room to set up the clinic, Loki shifts his arms around Nina and lifts her up into his arms.

.............

Bucky rushes into the clinic and then stops seeing Nina hooked up to machines and Loki standing there covered in her blood.

"What the hell happened?!" Bucky snaps at him, Loki shoots him a look.

"She was unconscious when I found her...then she...coughed blood all over me" Loki answers and looks back at Nina.

"Bruce?" Bucky asks.

"Her body is failing" Bruce admits. "Organs shutting down...and I can't find a reason why" Bruce offers frustrated, science and medicine is kind of his thing, and he can't find anything medically wrong with her and it bugs him. Plus he likes Nina, she's a nice girl, and everyone likes her, no one wants to see her hurt, or worse. And no one wants to deal with a grieving and angry Loki should this go wrong. 

"Magic" Loki points out. "It has to be..." he runs his fingers through his hair and moves to Nina's side, his fingers lowering to take hers. "Nina" he whispers as he leans closer. "I'm going to go to Jotunheim and figure this out" he promises her. "I'll find a way to fix this" he leans closer and kisses her head before pulling away.

"I'm going with you" Bucky announces.

"No" Loki scolds. "She needs you here" He counters, he and Bucky share a look. Bucky nods a little. "I'll take Steve" Loki offers to make Bucky feel better. "And Thor...."

"Loki" Bucky stops him. "She's strong" he assures Loki. "She survived Hydra, she can survive this...." Loki laughs though there is no humour in it. He wants so badly to believe that, but when her actual body is failing. Nina groans and both men look at her as she curls around herself. Loki's eyes sadden further.

"This is magic" Loki counters Bucky. "It will take magic to fix...Magic I don't have" he turns and leaves the clinic. Bucky sighs a little and moves to Nina, his fingers wrapping around her wrist.

"You sure still know how to pick them, Nin" Bucky whispers to her and then looks at Bruce. "Is she in pain?"

"No" Bruce assures him. "I gave her some pain relief, I just need to keep topping it up as she burns it off pretty fast..." Bucky nods a little and takes a breath.