A Replacement for the former

Present Day

Loki woke up with a sound almost ripping his hearing completely from him. When he opened his eyes and covered his ears he stared right at the devil. A shell of the person he loves. Hex was using her siren voice, a vibration that shakes the windows. A few starting to crack. Her hair the colour of the night still lingering outside. She was sitting on the bed next to the god. Her hair waving in the air, an unfelt wind within it.

Her charcoal veins cracking through her skin as her voice slice through the air. Moving from where he laid, Loki stood up and went to stand before her. As soon as he was in front of her, she stopped. Sucking in a breath as if she was not breathing in ages. But she was not back yet. Her eyes were glazed over, if one did not know her you would have assumed she was blind.

Loki was confused, never seeing her being in between her light and dark gifts. One half of her trying to kill while the other half is trying to prevent her. Death forcing its way through life. The cracks under her skin swirled with black and white. She was staring right at him, but she did not see him. Her mind only saw a man, not someone she recognises. No one she knows. A stranger.

"Darling....."He started.

He slowly moved up onto the bed, sitting on his knees he moved his hands towards her face. His hand rested on her cheek and for a moment she seemed to relax into his touch. For a brief moment her eyes were a dark green. Tears pooled in her eyes and a few escaped as she sobbed silently. His thumbs only caressed her soft skin.

"I'm sorry." Is all she said before her eyes turned back to the black and white hue. Loki's face was confused and before he could even grasp on why she apologised, she forced his hands off her.

No longer in control of himself, she hovered him above the bed. Her body slowly rising as well, her hands holding the power of control over him. She only stared with no remorse as he was being lifted. He never once tried to conjure his magic, refusing to use his abilities on her. He would rather die by her hands than hurting her.

She pressured the air from his lungs, slowly suffocating him. She removed his illusion and his blue skin tainted his skin. She only stared as she cracked his skin. The air she is removing, slowly escaping from his blood. A few cracks made their way before he managed to make a sound. Once he did, she stopped and momentarily removed her mind from the darkness. Her tears were streaming down her face and her sobs were loud as she stared at her lover being tortured before her.

"Loki!" She cried. "I can't! I can't stop it! I am sorry."

As soon as her words left her mouth her head whipped to the side and she forced her eyes closed in concentration. When she returned to staring at him though, a wicked smile made its way on her features. Her eyes turned darker and she conjured his body closer to hers. Her hand holding his throat as she stared directly into his eyes. They held only a slight fear in them. He was not afraid for his death, he was afraid for the well being of the woman hovering before him.

As she slowly increases her pressure, slowly killing him, he started speaking to her. Smiling through the pain and tears that were now streaming down his face as well.

"Darling, I know you are listening to me. I know you still have a bit of control. We both know you would have killed me already if you didn't." Her brows furrowed and his hands held where she suffocates him. "Darling I am right here. Just come back to me."

Her eyes momentarily look to the side before she sneered and stared at him again. Bringing his face to where their noses were almost touching. She searched his eyes and saw only love. She suddenly saw herself. Her eyes widened as she stared at her reflection through his eyes. A monster staring right back. She looked closer and saw them both. Laughing and smiling, holding hands as they ran through the fields of Valhalla. Neither of them alone. Their souls were one. They never left the other alone back on this realm. They never broke their promise.

Her tears ran down her face as she stared at his destiny. She saw the poems he would write for her. The crying and pain he went through of losing hope in trying to find her. How his soul was damaged and lost without hers. She saw the admiration and the adoration he has for her. She could not only see him but she could feel him. How soft her skin is for him, how he loves her natural scent. Her hair tangled within his fingers. She could feel his heart swelling with love as he holds her and how his lips kiss her forehead.

When she returned to her current reality he only stared at her in awe. He saw the same thing. He saw everything she is. Her happiness and content when ever she is with him. How she feels safe in his arms and how she lives for his affection. How she admires his sculpted face when ever the light shines on him. How she notices his pain and always drain it from him. How she secretly uses her gift of light to remove his darkness. How she dismisses the fact that his darkness is slowly killing her. How she always wants to touch him, every hug and every moment of adoration she subtly gives him without him realising.

He saw how her soul cries for him and how she was broken and alone just like him when she was forced to leave. He could feel her anger and hatred for Odin and how she tried to kill him. How she was forced to sleep. How he cursed her. Her dreams. Her nightmares. Everything.

She slowly dropped him to the floor as she stayed hovering in the air. Her mind was at a turmoil. He coughed and gasped for the air he is now free to breath. He whipped his head up towards her and stood. She was fighting with herself as her eyes were light but her hair and veins were still dark. She was fighting for control over her greatest enemy.

Loki noticed the wound on her neck flickering as she fought. He knew now what it did now. All her memories were his now. Even those she was not aware of. His face became a scowl as he realised what Odin did.

She looked down at him and made a small smile. But she was starting to lose her fight once more. Her smile slowly disappeared and her expression grew confused.

"No!..." She grasped at him for help but her hands soon fell limp to her side. Her face void of emotion as she stared at nothing.

Acting quick he jumped onto the bed and stood before her.

"I am sorry love." He said, her brows slighting furrowed. He was too fast for her and he knocked her unconscious with his magic. He hated doing that to her since it was not always a safe option to use. Especially since her light gift is still fighting.

He grabbed her in his arms as she fell and moved down from his bed. Conjuring better clothing for them both, he teleported to the Avengers Compound. It was still early in the morning but he did not care. She was growing weak. As soon as her dark side subsided her light side became the dominant power. Weakening her mind, body and soul. He could feel her slowly deteriorating. He had to bring her back to her original state before the light kills her.

"Thor!" He ran towards his brother's chambers. "Thor!"

The god of thunder opened his door, sleep still lingering in his hair and face. When he saw Hex in Loki's arms he was quick to wake up from his slumbering state.

"What happened? What did you do?" Thor asked loudly. Worry etched in his expression and voice.

"It wasn't me. It was the dark gift. I don't know how it started all of a sudden. I have never seen her this bad."

Thor's brother cried before him. He has never seen Loki like this and knew that the situation she was in was very urgent. He has never seen Loki this worried before.

"What is going on?" Wanda asked as she came from her room.

"Why is everyone shouting?" Bucky asked also emerging from his room.

"There's no time for explanations! Thor where is the infirmary here? She needs Banner." Loki asked frantically.

"Follow me." Thor said, taking Stormbreaker with him before he starts running.

By this time everyone else also woke up and was running along, concerned and confused about what is happening. Banner was already awake and busy in his lab when bodies stormed in.

"Wha..." He started.

"No time to explain. I just need you to take her vitals. I need her back." Loki asked.

"Why? What happened? I need to know before I can just start with tests." Banner said.

"Please! I will explain later just help her. She is too weak. Her mind needs strength. She's losing control. Please! Just bring her back." Loki said frantically through his tears.

Banner only seemed more confused but did what Loki asked. Not really sure about what to do he started taking her vitals. As Hex laid on the table Loki took her face in his hands. They were slightly shaking as he stared at her, his lips lingering on her forehead.

Thor noticed his brother's state as everyone was stunned by the affection Loki showed. Never before having witnessing him like this.

"Loki...What happened? Why are you shaking? Your skin is broken and bleeding." Thor was concerned for his brother.

Loki stood up, giving space for Bruce to work and walked towards his brother. It was then that Thor also noticed the hand print on Loki's neck.

"She had another nightmare. I don't know what may have triggered it but Thor...I have never seen her like this. She could barely keep control. I had to get her back twice and she still lost." Loki said.

Seeing where his brother's eyes went he started speaking again before Thor could ask more questions.

"She tried killing me multiple times. She removed the air from my lungs, then my skin. She conjured my frost giant state and started removing the air. The cracks and blood is from my skin drying. She was sucking away my life force from me. She also tried to suffocate me by grabbing my neck." Loki sighed. "There's more."

"More than that? She is clearly very dangerous and not in control of her powers." Carol stated. Clearly not trusting the power Hex holds.

"Well what did you expect from someone who's powers exist from the mother of all infinity stones? Did you expect her to time travel and make balloon animals? She was created as a weapon. She was never even supposed to be walking among us. She was supposed to be the ultimate cause of destruction." Loki said angrily, he now stood before Carol. Glaring down at her from his height. "But she is more humane than the human standing before me." He spat.

"Brother...What else is it?" Thor asked, trying to break te tension.

Loki sighed and kept glaring at Carol as he spoke to Thor. "She screamed. That's how I woke up, but it was a scream of a siren. She almost made me deaf and burst the sound through the windows. This is the first time she has ever done something like this. None of what she did is what she has ever done before." Loki turned towards Hex and lifted her hair by her neck.

"This." Loki pointed at the cursed scar. "Odin put a curse on her. He wanted his weapon. So he did this so that she will have less control." He bent down and ran his fingers softly over it.

"I just don't know how to far it will take her or what triggers it, but after tonight I am almost certain he wanted her in complete darkness. He wanted a shell."

"How do you know all of this?" Sam asked, his arms crossed over his chest. He was genuinely curious how the god of Mischief knew so much.

"When she stared into my eyes after I spoke with her, she tried to see if I was telling the truth. But she saw more than that." He stopped and stared at everyone before sighing to continue. "She saw everything from me, my memories, feelings, future. Even my senses of everything from over the years. I know this because I saw the same thing from her. I could see everything she went through, the torture and pain. Her long life. And how Odin cursed her without her even knowing it." He spat the last part, feeling anger towards his father once again.

"So what do we do then? What do we do with her once she wakes up?" Banner asked.

"I do not know." Loki said kneeling down again. "But she is going to need all of the help she can get." He held her hand. "Even if it costs me my life." And kisses her hand.