Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Ch. 1
"Holy shit! Look at the size of this place!" Clint shouted as he entered Asgard's royal palace. Steve would have reprimanded him for using such language if not for his jaw dropping. Tony and Natasha both whistled as they walk through the halls. Bruce was peeking at every corner, his eyes wide with mirth.
"I am glad you like the palace, Barton." Thor grinned. "I would show you around but the Council needs our full attention at the moment."
Steve nodded. "You can tour us around later."
Thor smiled thinly. "I do apologize for inconveniencing you my friends."
Tony raised his hand, grinning. "Point Break, stop. You think we'd pass a two day trip to Asgard? Man, you don't know us much do you? Can I get the golden vase?"
"Tony!" Bruce quipped.
Thor chuckled. "Maybe later, Stark."
The group stopped outside a huge door. They saw a woman wearing an Asgardian armor just waiting outside, tapping her foot impatiently. Steve's eyes widened when he saw the woman's beautiful brown eyes. It reminded him of Peggy in an instant.
"Sif." Thor greeted.
"Prince Thor." Sif bowed. "All the council members are present besides Hela. She refused to join since she found out that Lady Freya had made an appearance."
Thor groaned. "Freya's here? Who else?"
"Lady Ran…as well as Lord Thane." Sif said through gritted teeth.
"What in Helheim's are they doing here?! Their audience is not needed! I must speak with my father before we commence this trial!" Thor roared his fingers crackling with lightning. Sif took a step back and grimly said.
"Forgive me, Thor. But the trial is commencing as we speak. Loki's –"
Sif groaned when Thor pushed past her and pushed the heavy door with a loud bang. She ducked away from the disbelieving eyes of every member of the council and ushered The Avengers to step inside the court's room. Sif cleared her throat.
"May I present to everyone, The Avengers, Midgard's finest warriors!"
Eyebrows went up in surprise as every council members shouted their opinions on why the warriors of Midgard were allowed to enter the realm of Asgard. Tony didn't like how those eyes were giving him disbelieving looks. Before he could boast himself, he was interrupted by a loud banging on the floor. He looked up and can't help but be surprise to see an old man wearing a golden shiny robe with a golden eye-patch on his right eye.
Tony snickered to himself but his friends turned to look at him expectantly. "Hey look. That guy over there wears an eye patch like Fury. Put them together and they'll have a whole pair of eyes." He whispered, his eyes glistening with mirth.
Clint shook his head. "Jesus, Tony, shut your mouth! That's Thor's father, Odin!" he hissed lowly.
"Holy shit!" Tony yelped. Gasps echoed inside the court's room and Tony had the audacity to look sheepish. "Oops. Sorry! Hi, hello! The name's Tony Stark. A genius, billionaire, playboy – oomp!"
Tony bended as he clutched his stomach where Natasha just elbowed him. Hard.
Steve nervously strutted and bowed. "Allow me to apologize for my friend's behavior. I am Steven Rogers and we were invited by our friend Thor in request to voice out our opinions upon Loki's invasion on Earth, er, Midgard."
Odin nodded his eye narrowing on the council members. "None of you would question on the arrival of warriors of Midgard. I had allowed them here in Asgard and will have none of you disrespect any of them. Disrespect to them would mean disrespect to my son, Thor."
Tony grinned smugly before clenching his eyes shut when Natasha pinched his side. Sif ushered them to sit on the other side while Thor still stood on the middle of the court.
"Father, where is Loki?" Thor asked gruffly.
"In a minute, Thor." Odin simply stated. "Take your seat and he'll arrive shortly with your mother."
"Sif had said –"
"No more questions, Thor."
The Avengers watched silently as Thor gritted his teeth and balled his fist and stomp towards their direction. Sif gave him an apologetic look and the god just nodded stiffly. They all seated themselves comfortably when they heard the slow, cringing of the large doors as it was pushed by two einjerhars. Behind them was the All-Mother with her eyes red as if she just finished weeping and Loki with his head bowed down. When he looked up, Thor's gasp was the loudest among the Avengers. Loki's eyelids were sewn shut and it had traces of blood seeping down his cheeks. He was walking with his mother's guide as she settled him down on a chair in the middle of the court.
Thor stood abruptly. Steve and Clint managed to grasp each arm and pulled Thor down. "LOKI! My brother! Who did this to you?!" he shouted from his spot.
Loki's head snapped to the direction of his brother's voice and said, "T-Thor?"
Thor's eyes glistened with tears as he heard the croaked, hurt voice of his little brother. Loki's sewn eyelids were directly staring at Thor's place. Frigga wiped Loki's tears and kissed the top of his head and whispered something to him that made the young prince calm. He gently released Frigga's hand and set it atop his lap and faced the council members. Steve and Clint released both arm when Thor had relaxed.
Bruce was cringing at the sight. Those stitches were done brutally because of the haphazardly and unbalanced threading on his eyelids. And it's not just that. Behind Loki's fully clothed body, he can smell the foul odor of blood. The Other Guy has an animalistic sense of smell which is one of the things he is thankful for. He rather not tell it to anyone yet. His eyes narrowed when he saw how Loki's fingers were trembling and it made him uncomfortable. That stance is a type of someone who had experience extreme pain. Bruce just doesn't know anymore.
"Let us start the trial." Odin's voice boomed inside the court.
"Yes, let's start, Odin!"
Heads turned to Loki as he mocked the All-Father. Thor and Frigga gaped in surprise. And suddenly, Loki laugh. Cold, malicious laugh that made everyone inside the court room shiver. Odin's eye narrowed while the council members drew their weapons. "Ah, it is great to set my eyes inside the court room of Asgard once again! Odin, it has been ages. You look weary…and weak."
The eerie demonic voice was laced with Loki's own voice but it was clearly overshadowed by it. Frigga's eyes showed fear but most of all hatred to that demon who had been possessing her beloved son. Odin slammed Gungnir on the floor and it left a big dent in it. "What have you done to my son?!" Odin bellowed.
Loki chuckled darkly. "Son, you say? He is not one of yours, All-Father. Loki…Laufeyson."
The council members' eyes widened in sheer shock. Odin gripped Gungnir tightly and his eye glared at them daring them to say anything. They avoided the All-Father's gaze but did not withdraw their weapons. The Avengers were also on their feet, eyes set on Loki. That shiver they felt, they knew it was fear. That dangerous, eerie voice speaks volumes. But what its promised most of all was…pain. The owner of that voice will bring them pain.
Loki suddenly materialized a small hunting knives and started tearing the sewn on his eyelids. "Leave my brother alone!"
Thor stomped towards Loki and was blasted off by a powerful source that enveloped Loki's body. "Foolish Asgardian! Know your place, son of Odin!"
Loki's eyes started bleeding again as he ripped and cut the sewn. Frigga was crying once again as she watched her son tear his flesh with his own hand. Earlier as well, it was Loki who had sewn his eyes shut for no reason which had scared her the most. Now she knew. Her son was currently being possessed.
Loki had stopped when he can suddenly open his left eye. It went straight to Odin and said, "You know All-Father, you should have been more watching this Jotun runt. Naming your adopted son as the God of Chaos, Mischief and Lies, things are bound to happen." He chuckled and started working on the right eyelid. "You know what dangers lies on the core of Yggdrasil right? After you have touched it yourself. You knew that I lived and yet failed to tell your people. When Loki fell from the abyss, you knew that he would eventually find me. I watched him for weeks, months, as he continuously cry for help, seeking refuge in a dark cold abyss. The runt was weakened, dying when I finally entered his mind."
"And let me tell you All-Father, the Jotun runt need not to hang himself from the Yggdrasil just to attain knowledge beyond everyone's understanding. The boy's mind is an endless void of knowledge. It was vast. I lusted for his mind. I crave to have it." He purred. Loki chuckled when he saw the disgust written on their faces. "It took him weeks when he noticed that his mind was being invaded. Once again, the runt continued to surprise me. The maze inside his head grew wide. I can't seem to gather the information I needed from him. He was dying and yet he continues to fight me. And I knew, it is the Jotun runt that I need to conquer the Nine Realms and continue to court Death."
Upon finishing the right eyelid, his gaze moved towards Tyr, Odin's oldest General of his army. "I must say, you've done a very good job of showing the boy how to take a beating. For the next few years, it was what he knew when I had brought him to my realm."
Frigga's anguish cries were heard inside as well as Thor's heaving breathing. "Sadly, I only took half part of his mind and sent him to Midgard to fetch my Tesseract. Again I applaud for your adopted son's conniving mind, All-Father. Withstanding the torture, the madness. It is a hard feat. He had no choice but to follow my orders but I never gave him orders on how to proceed the invasion which he took full advantage of."
Loki's face was twisted in a scowl. Tony had long activated Jarvis's recording and was taking in all the information that has been coming out of Loki as per the entity's possessing. "He could have invaded Midgard easily! But no! He had to show himself to the world! He assembled you all and made you his puppets and played right through his trap!"
"He knew," Tony muttered.
"Knew what?!" Loki seethed.
"Loki gambled big time. He didn't know if we could defeat him but he had no other choice. He announced himself and gave up his plans without directly telling it to us." Tony said while his eyes were widening.
"So that time when I interrogated him on the Hellicarrier, he had done that on purpose." Natasha piped up. "It was a warning."
"A warning that Bruce would eventually touch the scepter turning him to the Other Guy. It provided enough destruction for him and Thor to talk." Steve butted in. "Loki was trying to explain something to you Thor, but I guess you didn't see his point causing him to drop you, er, somewhere."
"Shut up mortals!" Loki shouted. "I will kill you all for ruining my plans! But I shall start with you."
Loki's gaze landed on Natasha with a murderous glint. "You fascinate him. Tricking the trickster. Despite it being on purpose. Foolish! You will die a painful death Nat – aahhh –"
Thor, Odin and Tyr took a step forward as Loki kneeled on the floor clutching his head.
"He's fighting him. Loki's trying to break free the connection!" Tony quipped. "Do something while the creepy dude is distracted!"
"Th-Thor! Help! Gaaah!" Loki rasped out. The God of Thunder tried to move towards Loki again but the shield is still covering Loki's personal space. Frigga muttered a few words and Thor trotted and was surprise when he reached Loki without getting blasted on the side of the court. Thor hugged Loki tight and dragged him on the floor.
"Loki, fight him! Listen to me, brother. It's me. It's Thor!"
Odin and Frigga are both muttering to themselves while some of the council members who also use seidr are also whispering counterpart to remove the hold it have on the young prince. Bruce gripped Natasha's arm and pulled her with him.
"Bruce – what are you –?"
"Brucie, you're a genius!" Tony yipped and dragged Natasha along with Clint yelling at them to stop. Steve followed his friends and raised an eyebrow at Bruce.
"Go on, Natasha." Bruce smiled encouragingly.
"What?" Natasha blinked.
"What my science bro is trying to say, talk some sense into Loki and maybe he'll come around." Tony grinned. Clint gave him a what-the-fuck-look and Natasha just continued blinking at him. "Oh for the love of – look, Nat, when the creepy dude tried to threaten you, Loki had broken the connection somehow. Just try."
Natasha inhaled sharply and pushed Tyr aside surprising the General. She crouched at Loki's trembling body which was still being hugged by Thor. She took one of his bloody hand and clutched it to her warm hands. "Loki, it's me, Natasha. Do you hear me, Loki? You need to push that evil who's possessing you."
Natasha sighs and looked back at Tony who's giving her a thumbs up, despite the ruckus happening inside the court room, Tony still managed to look cheerful. "Loki, I – I need you."
Tony's jaw dropped in surprise, not expecting that. Steve's eyes widened as well as Clint. Bruce blink rapidly at her. Even Thor had the look of shock written on his face.
And just like that, Loki had stopped trembling.
His emerald eyes were back and he was suddenly looking at Natasha.
Natasha gulped.
"Agent Romanoff." Loki murmured before passing out.
"Holy fuck! It worked!" Tony shouted.
"Oh my god!" Clint yelled.
"Did that just really happened?" Steve asked, looking like a lost puppy.
"I – I think so." Bruce said. "Not the outcome I had in mind though."
A/N: I'll probably edit this later. Sorry, kinda drunk when I typed this. I, uh, be back later wen Im a bit sober yez? Do leave a sreviiew. Mwaahsp