CONVERSATIONS
Steve's cold eyes studied Loki for several long seconds. Then he asked, "Why am I here?"
Loki shrugged, almost as if the answer was unimportant, "At the moment, Captain, there is nobody in Asgard with whom I can speak."
Steve returned the shrug and replied, "There's always your brother."
"That is not advisable."
Steve chuckled, "Yeah. I suppose so. How about Odin?"
"Even less advisable."
"Your mother?"
There was a long pause.
"That is impossible," Loki finally replied.
"Oh, come on," Steve said with a shake of his head. "Thor told me about your mother. It sounds like she still has hope for you."
"You're wrong," Loki said coldly.
Steve didn't bother to reply. Their conversation was obviously over.
Loki returned to the form of Odin and left the small, private, chamber that lay right next to the throne-room. He was spending a lot of time there. Despite Loki's mastery of disguise and shape-shifting, it was still a wise idea to spend as little time as reasonably possible among his subjects. Fortunately, Odin had always been a distant ruler. That vastly simplified the task of replacing him.
It also helped that the person most likely to notice that Odin wasn't himself was now dead.
Hours later, tired and bored from judging a dozen-or-so petty disagreements among his subjects, Loki returned to the private chamber.
"Back so soon?" Steve asked dryly.
"Yes," Loki replied. "There is something I wish to tell you."
Steve didn't say anything, but his eyes narrowed as he waited for Loki to continue.
"My mother. Thor's mother. She is dead," Loki finally said.
"Damn," Steve said softly as he shook his head. "How did it happen?"
"The dark elves attacked Asgard. During the fighting, a dark elf warrior imbued with ancient and strange powers - a super-soldier, if you will - managed to penetrate deep into the palace. He confronted my mother and killed her while everyone else was busy."
"I'm sorry, Loki," Steve said quietly.
Anger suddenly crackled in Loki's voice. "I don't need your pity," he snapped.
Steve looked exasperated, "Okay. Then what do you want from me?"
"I want you to listen!"
"I'm listening! I don't seem to have any choice. But you sure don't seem to be in a hurry to get to the point."
"Stupid mortal!" Loki snarled. Then he turned and stormed out of the room.
"You again?" Steve asked disgustedly.
"Have a care, mortal," Loki said stonily.
"I think I know why you want to talk to me," Steve said, seemingly unconcerned with Loki's threat.
"And why is that?" Loki asked sardonically.
"You're not used to loss. You and your kind... you're not immortal, but you do live for thousands of years. You really don't know what it's like to lose someone."
"Before Odin and Frigga took me in, I lost my entire family!"
Steve shook his head, "Not the same. Do you even remember your real mother and father?"
Loki considered that before responding. "No."
"Right. And you figure that I..."
"...am more familiar with loss..." Loki interrupted.
"...and I am," Steve finished.
They stopped and stared at each other.
"Well?" Loki snarled.
"Well what?"
"Don't you have something for me, Captain?" Loki asked sarcastically. "Some mortal words of wisdom for dealing with the death of a loved one?"
"There aren't any. All you can do is get on with your life. Eventually, the pain lessens, but it never quite goes away."
"You are a complete waste of my time," Loki said coldly.
"You can end this whenever you want," Steve countered, just as coldly.
"Busy day at work?" Steve asked after Loki entered their chamber. He really didn't sound all that sympathetic.
"Much of rulership is tedium," Loki said tiredly. "You spend more time than I would have thought possible dealing with ridiculous administrative details and petty squabbles."
"If you're tired of the job, you can always give it up," Steve said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Not likely, Captain," Loki snapped.
"Your call. Of course, all you're really doing is riding the tiger."
"I am not familiar with the reference."
A wry look appeared on Steve's face, "It means that sooner or later, you'll fall off. And then you'll get eaten."
"I am not an easy meal."
Steve nodded, "I suppose so. Now, are you ready to tell me whatever it is that you're hiding?"
"What makes you think I am hiding something?"
Steve laughed in the god's face. Loki gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"Very well!" Loki growled. Then he stopped.
Steve waited patiently.
"The Dark Elf warrior who killed my mother..." Loki began. Then he hesitated again.
"Go on," Steve prodded.
"At one point he was in the dungeon where I and other enemies of Asgard were imprisoned."
Steve nodded.
"I saw an opportunity," Loki said, his voice dropping so low that it was almost a whisper. "A way to discomfit my father and brother. A way to do injury to Asgard. So I took it."
Steve didn't say anything, but he was obviously paying close attention to Loki's words.
"I gave the Dark Elf some advice. Just a few words. I told him a way to avoid the main force of Asgardian warriors who were fighting their way into the dungeon. A way to side-step them and proceed into the palace. It was a strategem. I was looking for an opportunity."
Loki ground to a halt.
"You sent him right to your mother," Steve finished for Loki. His voice was as cold as the bottom of the Atlantic.
Loki didn't reply.
"You damn fool," Steve sighed.
"I didn't know," Loki said helplessly. "I didn't know what he would do."
Steve shook his head in obvious disbelief. "So you finally got to the top of the heap. But look at what it cost you!"
"Silence."
"Your mother dead. Your father and brother estranged. And the only people who ever called you 'friend' now hate you."
"Silence!"
"And all of that was for a throne you can never really have! Who suspects, Loki? Thor? Heimdall? Sif? It's only a matter of time!"
"SILENCE!" Loki roared.
"Was it worth it, Loki?" Steve snarled, a look of sheer contempt and disgust on his face.
With a wild howl, Loki slammed his fist into the mirror. Fragments crashed and splintered to the floor, but one piece remained lodged in the corner of the mirror. In that shard, Loki saw his face transform from that of Steve Rogers back to his own.
Loki sighed and leaned his now bloodied hand against the wall. He continued to stare into the broken mirror, as if there was still something to see.
"No. It wasn't worth it," Loki said softly.
But there was nobody to hear.