Author's Notes: Hello! It has been awhile I know! Well here is a new story for everyone to enjoy! :) I will tell you right now, the entire story is complete and I will be trying to get chapters up at least once a week! Please tell me if you enjoy this (or I guess if you don't, just no flaming, geez) I really love this pairing and must say it has been a joy to write this. I am even working on a sequel to this story based off the 2nd Thor movie. This story was written and finished just as Dark World came out and I am working the details for the sequel. Enjoy this though!

Disclaimer: Thor and Loki belongs to Marvel. The song is "New Divide" by Linkin Park.

I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve

Chapter 1- Awakening

Screams echoed all around, pounding into Loki's ears. His vision swam in a sea of darkness. What had happened? A sharp pain lanced through his chest and he took in a sharp breath. Something had certainly happened. …Where was he?

"Loki!?"

Who was that…?

"Brother!"

Thor…

"Brother, are you hurt!?"

Yes… he was. He thought so…

"Loki, open your eyes!"

The darkness was beginning to fade. Loki flinched at the light that dazzled his eyes. He tried to raise an arm to shield his face, but found it wouldn't cooperate. The feeling wasn't quite back yet. He'd have to wait. Damn the cursed light…

"Brother!"

Loki's eyes focused enough to make out his larger brother kneeling over him.

"Thor?" his voice came out in a feeble whisper. What had happened? Why did he sound so weak, so small… so fragile?

"Loki…" there was relief in Thor's voice, "Are you hurt?"

"What happened?" Loki pushed the words past his teeth despite the pain in his chest. It was starting to dull. Maybe it was just a couple of ribs and not moving would help?

"We were attacked brother," Thor answered after a brief pause.

"By what?" Loki tried moving his hand again. This time it responded. He slowly lifted it and touched his face. There was something strange about how his mouth moved, but he couldn't figure it out.

"A great beast," Thor replied. Loki watched his brother stand, "It came from the sky. A great scaled behemoth with talons as big as any Asgardian… with large wings and spiked tail… and lightning."

Loki's hand dropped away from his face as he took in the devastation around them. Sections of the city lay in ruins; buildings were torn apart and some fires still burned within their abodes. It reminded him of the streets of New York after trying to take over Midgard. But this was Asgard… nothing like that could do this much damage… at least, nothing the warriors couldn't handle easily.

Then suddenly, it all came back to him. He remembered.

Thor had come to the room where they were keeping him locked up. He had been taken outside. Loki hadn't been sure what was going on that day. They were probably just moving him. It happened from time to time, and they never really told him when they would do it. If guards showed up at his cell and told him he was being relocated, then he had to cooperate.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway. He enjoyed his little trips outside. He always enjoyed feeling the wind on his face. Sometimes he'd even be lucky enough to smell the forest on the edge of the city if the breeze was just right. He really missed the days when he was able to go there and hide out from the world, from his brother, from the constant looming shadow he was always in, from all the lies…

So his brother had come to his cell earlier. It was rare to see Thor personally escort him to a new location. His brother had better things to do than babysit a prisoner of Asgard. He was basically king after all.

Thor and some guards had shackled him and his mouth was sealed with the silly device that S.H.I.E.L.D. had given them. It was supposed to prevent him from talking, but Loki was sure he could find a way around it if he really wanted to. But it was at these times of being moved when he wanted to speak the least. Why bother? He would have been ignored.

Luckily, today had been one of those rare days they had decided to take him outside for the move. The sun had hit his face with bright and warming rays. It had been a beautiful day in Asgard. Not a cloud was in the sky and the heat was pleasant.

Then the shadow had come.

It blotted out the sun he had been enjoying as the group briskly walked along the walls of the citadel. A terrible roar had filled the sky, deafening Loki's ears as Thor turned around in front of him and looked up.

Buildings had crumbled as a massive behemoth landed among the buildings in the distance. Its golden scales had glittered like blazing fire in the early afternoon sun. It towered above the streets as the people fled from the terrifying sight. Large pronged horns jutted from its enormous head as its serpentine neck flowed down into rippling scales and muscle.

Dreki.

A dragon of old. In Asgard. Loki wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't been standing there himself.

By the time he had turned to see Thor's reaction, his brother was already shouting orders and twirling his hammer in a wide arc. His brother couldn't have been serious about challenging the monster.

But he was. It was Thor after all…

Thor shot into the air just as the dragon turned toward the citadel. Loki's eyes widened as the dragon's sight landed on him. The electric blue, slitted eyes tore through his body like he was being hit by one of Thor's bolts. It was a deadly stare that chilled him to the very bone.

Lightning split the air as Thor dropped in from above with a war cry. Sparks sizzled along the golden scales making them almost blindingly bright. The dragon's attention shifted to Thor in that split moment.

Energy pulsed along the monster's neck scales, much like the Destroyer's magical scaly appearance, and it blasted Thor away like a ragdoll. Lightning crackled through the air from its open mouth as Thor flew backward somewhere into the city. The guards scattered around Loki as they went off to try and contain the situation. It seemed this attack outranked babysitting him, though a couple stayed to make sure he was secured.

Thunder rumbled in the sky as clouds began to gather. Loki removed the cover on his mouth and crouched on the wall. He watched the behemoth in amazement as it took another blunt force of lightning across its body. Was the lightning even hurting it?

As the creature turned to face Thor again, Loki noticed its barbed tail. One of the tips was broken. Obviously it could be damaged, but Thor's lightning wasn't the answer.

An explosion ripped through the city as the creature pulsed another blast into the streets. Loki's attention immediately went back to the battle. Thor was now nowhere in sight.

Maybe it wasn't so wise to stay on the wall. Maybe it would attack the citadel next. Loki was in the direct line of fire if that's what it decided. Of all the days for Odin to be gone, it had to be this one. Surely he would know what to do, he always did. The thought dripped with laced venom as Loki stood. Of course, leave everything for Thor to take care of while his father was away in another world on diplomacies. Thor knew how to handle everything. He was the good and righteous son.

As the thought circulated through his head, Loki's breath caught. The dragon was staring at him again. It was too late to escape.

Loki ducked to the right in time to get out of the path of another blast. Static crackled around his head as the wall burned away like wax. He ran as the stone cracked beneath his feet. Why was it targeting him? He hadn't done anything to anger it!

He was just reaching the stairs when another golden energy pulse ripped through the wall horizontally below him. The whole structure pitched forward and Loki slipped as he tried to grab onto anything in reach.

His hand brushed by a jutting piece of stone but he wasn't quick enough. His body flew right by the precarious outcropping. He pictured his body plummeting into the rubble, being buried in it, suffocating… He was yanked out of the image as his body jolted to a stop. Loki hissed from the jarring pain. He craned his neck up to see what had stopped his fall. The chains around his wrists had caught the rock just right. He wasn't sure if it was a blessing or ill fortune.

A low rumble filled the air. Loki's heart skipped a beat, and he scrambled to find some sort of foothold behind him. His boot scraped against the rock behind him, just barely out of reach. He was a sitting duck here if he couldn't find a way down.

More of the wall crumbled into the courtyard ahead of him as the giant behemoth smashed through it. The citadel guards were sent flying as they ran to meet the attacking creature. It was pure chaos and, for once, Loki found himself terrified instead of relishing it.

"Loki!"

Thor's voice snapped him out of the foggy daze he was in. He craned his neck upward again and found his brother standing on the crumbling edge of the remaining wall. Thor glanced up as the dragon turned its attention back their way.

With a sharp shout, Thor brought his hammer down on the chain holding Loki up. It snapped and Loki dropped to the rubble below. He quickly staggered to his feet as Thor shouted down to him, "Loki get out of here!"

Like he needed to be told once. Loki scrambled through the debris holding his shoulder. Thor was more than welcomed to take this fight. As his feet hit the untouched grass, the ground shook. Loki glanced back to see the dragon looming over the destruction it had wrought… and his brother, near the creature's head, lunging at it. Was Thor really challenging it head on when it hadn't worked the last time!? He could be so daft at times!

Loki turned his head away and continued to run. But he was brought to a blinding halt as a hammer slammed into his gut. Loki hit the ground coughing, unable to draw air into his lungs for a few seconds as his body recovered from the cheap shot.

The Warriors Three stood over him. Oh wonderful… the one time they're finally trying to be useful. Loki glared up at them. Of all the things they should have been concerned about at that moment, it shouldn't have been him escaping.

"You stay right there," Fandral quipped as the Three stepped around him.

Yea… they can just go get killed over there or something. Loki didn't move until they were a good distance away. He rolled onto his side and coughed. Honestly, what did they expect to do if Thor wasn't able to do anything?

As if to answer his question, the Three were sent flying overhead within seconds of joining the fray. That proved his point well enough… but that left the monster out of toys to play with…

Loki started to get up, but stumbled to his knees again as a shadow covered him. He slowly looked up to find the massive behemoth towering over him. Loki raised his hands in a nonthreatening way. Maybe if he didn't attack it like all the other idiots…

A low rumble rolled though the creature's throat. Deep, gravelly words rippled through the air, but Loki had no idea what they meant. Did it want something? What could he even offer? Loki watched the creature closely and slowly rose to his feet. The strange language continued to echo around him.

He wasn't sure what to do, but the destruction seemed to have stopped for the moment. Loki opened his mouth to say something. Could it even understand him?

With a thundering roar, lightning streaked down from the sky. Loki staggered backward as it engulfed the giant creature. The idiot! Thor was just going to piss it off more.

Thor landed nearby as the dragon wreathed beneath the electrical blanket. "Brother," he stated, "Come with me."

Loki's eyes narrowed. Why? So he could be locked up again? Never see the light of day unless he was being babysat like a naughty child? Go with him so he could continue forever living in Thor's damnable shadow?

Thor took a step toward him and offered a hand. Was that concern on his face? How could he still feel anything other than hatred toward him, Loki, his lying and betraying brother?

"Please," Thor said, "Before it can move again."

Never turn your back on an enemy. It was the first rule both Loki and Thor had learned as children. Growing up in times of war, they had to learn quickly or die. And here was Thor, with his back turned to the creature he thought he had pinned down. The creature that was now rising as the lightning curved and warped toward its mouth. The lightning that was gathering between its human sized teeth. The pulse of intense blue climbing the scales of its enormous throat.

Loki had never acted selflessly before, not for anyone. But what was the point to life if he was only going to be put back in a cage? It would be the same as being in the shadow he grew up in. Never being able to surpass his brother in strength. Never being recognized for his quicker wit and intelligence.

To oblivion with it all.

Loki took a step toward his brother. A smile lit Thor's face, but Loki didn't take his offered hand. Instead, he seized Thor by the front of his armor. With a wheezing breath, Loki threw Thor with all his strength, out of the path of the dragon's rage.

He remembered the blinding light and then…

Nothing but darkness.

There hadn't been any pain. No horrifying last seconds of his skin burning or feeling his bones melt or his body turning to ash.

Just… nothing?

And then he had woken up in the crumbling street, with Thor shouting his name. Here he was now. Alive. Alive?

It made no sense. He had clearly seen that magical energy coming straight for him… the same energy that had decimated the stone walls and streets of Asgard.

Thor took Loki's arm and pulled him to his feet. Loki couldn't help but let out a strangled noise in his throat. His shoulders and chest still hurt from their abuse from before. Loki leaned against Thor for some support as he caught his breath.

"Are you all right?" Thor said worriedly as he kept an arm around Loki's lower back.

"I am fine," Loki hissed through gritted teeth. He would never admit to being hurt. Not to Thor. Not to anyone.

"Brother…" Thor's voice thickened with emotion, "You… why did you…?"

"Take me back to my cage," Loki murmured venomously. He had more important things to worry about than silly sentimental emotions. He was hurting and wanted to be left alone to mend his own injuries. And to forget what had happened.

"Thor!" a crisp, commanding voice reached them. Loki stiffened at the sound. Sif was running over to them. "Are you all right?" she asked, stopping within a few feet of his brother. Sif was always trying to cozy up to Thor. Why wouldn't she do it now?

"Sif, give orders to search for survivors and help with the wounded. We need these streets cleared if that thing comes back," Thor ordered.

"Already done," Sif replied, placing a closed fist over her heart.

"Good…" Thor trailed off for a moment before moving. He forced Loki toward Sif with a gentle nudge, "Take Loki. Put him where he will be safe."

Sif's warm expression hardened to frozen daggers. How cute. Her cheery boot-licking routine dampened by my "safety" concern. Thor truly had a way with his words and was completely blind to her attempts at gaining more status in his eyes.

Loki wasn't sure if he should feel smug in that moment or be annoyed that Sif was the one taking him back. She was always cold as ice when "handling" him, and also his least favorite warden. At least the idiot Warriors Three didn't try to converse with him when he didn't want it. Sif would try to get him to speak. Then she would twist anything he said and report back to Thor with something far worse than his original meaning. How a "be quiet" could turn into a whole tirade of insults was rather impressive. She possibly had a more treacherous mind than Loki.

"Yes," Sif responded simply.

This was going to be a fun trip back to his prison.