div id="chapters" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13.229999542236328px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"
div class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki held his helmet in one hand and looked at the broken horn with great regret. It was Grandmaster's gift. Made of light but fairly solid metal, the helmet gleamed with gold in the light of distant stars, and only a broken piece of left horn spoiled its look. Loki sighed, thoughtfully running his finger over the uneven, sharp edge, then carelessly tossed the helmet over his shoulder. It landed on the floor with a melodious ring./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was a pity to throw the gift away, but it would be far more indecently to return to Sakaar in such state./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki walked along the huge glass portholes, and his battered and somewhere torn cloak was replaced by a new, in rich green color, his armor became lighter, and sticking strands laid again in a perfect hairstyle. Loki instantly felt better. Behind, Asgard burned, Thor did not need his help any more, and Loki did not intend to stay here a minute longer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"On a huge spaceship, which gathered refugees from both Sakaar and Asgard, anyone will hardly notice the loss of a small, fast craft./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was light in the hangar, and the lighting hummed softly. New ships were lined up in a straight line, and Loki walked confidently to the very last./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Not a minute longer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Where are you going, Loki?" echoed Thor's voice./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki froze in place, frightened, nervously breathing in the cool air. But pulling himself together, he exhaled slowly and turned around, staring indifferently at his stepbrother./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Away. I'm not going to linger here", he answered and opened the hatch of the ship./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why do not you stay?" Thor came closer. "You are now a hero and a savior."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki suppressed the desire to roll his eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Is not that what you wanted?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Since when do you care what I want?" Loki hissed angrily. Thor stepped closer, but Loki put his hand forward. "Do not come near me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He was always afraid of Thor, of his strength. Although he knew that the elder would never harm him intentionally, he could be strikingly cruel at times. What happened on Sakaar was just another reminder./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki rubbed his neck in a detached manner, the place where the electric shock had recently drifted into his skin./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You said yourself that our paths diverged a long time ago," he said. "I'm ready to sacrifice anything to the Norns, so that we do not meet again."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki jumped into the cockpit and started the engine of the ship. Thor was still standing next to it and watched him with his remaining eye, as if Loki had decided to arrange some kind of trick even now./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"But this time no jokes. Loki decided to fly away, and he would./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Farewell, Thor," he said at last, and lowered the glass cover./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Loki, wait!" Thor automatically reached for the hammer, but felt only emptiness instead of the handle and clenched his hands in fists. "Loki! Come back now!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"But Loki had not heard him behind the rumble of the engine and the dense glass. Grinning one last time and waving his hand, he flew into open space and put the autopilot on. If he had no idea how to get to Sakaar, the ship had to know the way home./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"*br /On Sakaar he was met by a whole legion. Having confiscated the ship and weapons (but they still missed two magic daggers), people in colorful uniform put handcuffs on him and escorted him to Grandmaster./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Sir, we caught..." the commander began, but when Grandmaster saw Loki, he jumped up from his neon lamp-lit improvised throne and happily stepped forward./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Loki! You're back! Take off the chains, now", he commanded, and the man in uniform hastily obeyed and removed the tight handcuffs from Loki's thin hands./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He carefully rubbed his wrists and smiled apologetically./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm sorry for taking so long", he said, but Grandmaster merely shook his head and hugged him tightly. Loki sighed in surprise and pressed himself against the warm body./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I missed you, my prince", Grandmaster whispered in his ear, and Loki blushed against his will. When Grandmaster finally pulled away from him, his eyes darkened. "Where is that wonderful helmet that I gave you?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki swallowed, and his look became even more guilty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I broke it in the battle. Accidentally!" He pursed his lips and looked at Grandmaster from under his brows. "But I brought something from Asgard, you should like it..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki drew his hand to reach for Tesseract, stolen at the last moment, but Grandmaster caught his wrist and pulled the young man to him again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""The main thing is that you yourself have returned, my dear."/p
/div
/div
div class="afterword preface group" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13.229999542236328px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em 2.5em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /div
div class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki held his helmet in one hand and looked at the broken horn with great regret. It was Grandmaster's gift. Made of light but fairly solid metal, the helmet gleamed with gold in the light of distant stars, and only a broken piece of left horn spoiled its look. Loki sighed, thoughtfully running his finger over the uneven, sharp edge, then carelessly tossed the helmet over his shoulder. It landed on the floor with a melodious ring./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was a pity to throw the gift away, but it would be far more indecently to return to Sakaar in such state./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki walked along the huge glass portholes, and his battered and somewhere torn cloak was replaced by a new, in rich green color, his armor became lighter, and sticking strands laid again in a perfect hairstyle. Loki instantly felt better. Behind, Asgard burned, Thor did not need his help any more, and Loki did not intend to stay here a minute longer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"On a huge spaceship, which gathered refugees from both Sakaar and Asgard, anyone will hardly notice the loss of a small, fast craft./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was light in the hangar, and the lighting hummed softly. New ships were lined up in a straight line, and Loki walked confidently to the very last./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Not a minute longer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Where are you going, Loki?" echoed Thor's voice./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki froze in place, frightened, nervously breathing in the cool air. But pulling himself together, he exhaled slowly and turned around, staring indifferently at his stepbrother./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Away. I'm not going to linger here", he answered and opened the hatch of the ship./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why do not you stay?" Thor came closer. "You are now a hero and a savior."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki suppressed the desire to roll his eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Is not that what you wanted?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Since when do you care what I want?" Loki hissed angrily. Thor stepped closer, but Loki put his hand forward. "Do not come near me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He was always afraid of Thor, of his strength. Although he knew that the elder would never harm him intentionally, he could be strikingly cruel at times. What happened on Sakaar was just another reminder./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki rubbed his neck in a detached manner, the place where the electric shock had recently drifted into his skin./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You said yourself that our paths diverged a long time ago," he said. "I'm ready to sacrifice anything to the Norns, so that we do not meet again."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki jumped into the cockpit and started the engine of the ship. Thor was still standing next to it and watched him with his remaining eye, as if Loki had decided to arrange some kind of trick even now./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"But this time no jokes. Loki decided to fly away, and he would./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Farewell, Thor," he said at last, and lowered the glass cover./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Loki, wait!" Thor automatically reached for the hammer, but felt only emptiness instead of the handle and clenched his hands in fists. "Loki! Come back now!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"But Loki had not heard him behind the rumble of the engine and the dense glass. Grinning one last time and waving his hand, he flew into open space and put the autopilot on. If he had no idea how to get to Sakaar, the ship had to know the way home./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"*br /On Sakaar he was met by a whole legion. Having confiscated the ship and weapons (but they still missed two magic daggers), people in colorful uniform put handcuffs on him and escorted him to Grandmaster./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Sir, we caught..." the commander began, but when Grandmaster saw Loki, he jumped up from his neon lamp-lit improvised throne and happily stepped forward./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Loki! You're back! Take off the chains, now", he commanded, and the man in uniform hastily obeyed and removed the tight handcuffs from Loki's thin hands./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He carefully rubbed his wrists and smiled apologetically./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I'm sorry for taking so long", he said, but Grandmaster merely shook his head and hugged him tightly. Loki sighed in surprise and pressed himself against the warm body./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I missed you, my prince", Grandmaster whispered in his ear, and Loki blushed against his will. When Grandmaster finally pulled away from him, his eyes darkened. "Where is that wonderful helmet that I gave you?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki swallowed, and his look became even more guilty./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I broke it in the battle. Accidentally!" He pursed his lips and looked at Grandmaster from under his brows. "But I brought something from Asgard, you should like it..."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Loki drew his hand to reach for Tesseract, stolen at the last moment, but Grandmaster caught his wrist and pulled the young man to him again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""The main thing is that you yourself have returned, my dear."/p
/div
/div
div class="afterword preface group" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13.229999542236328px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em 2.5em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /div