Jason and I are teaming up finally to bring you Loki story of epic proportions! This time, Loki has gone too far using the Olympians to wage war against his brother Thor, and as fate would have it, Loki gets the raw end of the stick for his endeavors.
This story a bit special in the fact that it's the first fanfic Jason and I have worked on together, and as of now, this story has 28 pages with no spanking (Only 5 pages uploaded so as not to kill you guys :P) But, we started it this morning after only 3 hours of sleep to to starting this story at 4:30AM with the intention of just 'starting' well... this turned into an all day no sleep writing extravaganza! We didn't stop writing until 8:40PM :P It was damn cool working the way we did for as long as we did. I'm super exhausted, but I'm severely pleased with the way this story is going. It's actually might end up being my one fic that I've written on that doesn't have spanking...( or at least not any yet or planed for any time soon) It's been a pretty fun ride with both comedy and angst! :P Hope you guys enjoy chapter one! XD
Hercules looked about himself in confusion, Zeus' booming voice snapping him out of his stunned reverie. How had he gotten here? Why did he wield Ares' enchanted war axe? Hercules scanned his surroundings to see that Thor, god of thunder lay before him, recovering from obvious wounds, regarding Hercules warily.
Zeus' eyes flashed in anger as his gleaming visage filled the skies above them. ''Hercules! What have you done? You break the millennia old pact between our pantheons in striking Thor!''
Hercules' eyes reflected dull recollection, his mouth agape as he tried to sort out what he had done and why he had done it. He did not remember retrieving Ares' axe from its place within the Olympian treasury. The last thing he remembered with clarity was his visit to Olympus to share wine with Dionysus. How did this axe come to be in his hands? And why battle his dear friend, Thor?
Thor stood himself shakily and wiped blood from his chin as he watched with confusion as Hercules threw down his weapon. ''Hercules, what madness ails you to act in such a fashion, attacking me without provocation and surrounded by innocents?''
Hercules glanced at the fearful faces of those standing around them, and realized they stood upon a city street in New York, the wreckage of burning vehicles and more than one building testament to their savage battle.
Zeus' voice snapped his attention back to the lightning god's visage. Zeus was not one to be ignored. ''Son, I demand an explanation for this affront!''
Having no ready explanation for what had just transpired, Hercules only looked up at Zeus with a baffled expression painted across his face. ''Father, I know not what I have done. I believe I have been bewitched!''
The towering image shifts as if to reply, then the beaming eyes darted past the two combatants, observing a shadow slinking away down a side alley, holding a large object under one arm which had caught Zeus' eye. That object should not be in this realm amongst these mortals. ''You there! Come from hiding, and reveal to Zeus who has the audacity to steal from my treasury!''
Both Thor and Hercules wheeled about in surprise, seeing a tall lanky form stumble from hiding aghast at being caught. The man stood wide-eyed in shock at the thundering voice that addressed him. Long slender horns curved from a familiar helm atop his narrow visage.
Thor gritted his teeth in recognition and disgust. ''LOKI!! I should have known you were behind this!''
Loki snarled glaring hatefully at his brother. "Victory was mine! You only live now because you were saved from my cunning by another all powerful god!"
Zeus' voice shook the heavens, his tone one of disgust. ''You stole from my personal library, you took my life statue of Hercules controlling him against his will and breaking our ancient pact, all so you could quarrel with your brother!?''
Loki's rage contorted into a deeper frown as his eyes whipped up to the heavens. Who was this Olympian god to speak to him in such a manner? Zeus was no ruler over him or any Norse god, but there was the pact to contend with, and that fact worried Loki, and he was quick to defend himself, "My affairs with my hated half-brother concern you not Olympian! Your own son, Hercules led me to yon treasury where these effects lay strewn about for the taking. I merely borrowed them with no intention of keeping them. It is not I your eye must fall on but that of Thor and Hercules for breaking the pact fore I have yet to raise a weapon in battle against you or your ilk."
The skies grew dark, unnatural displays of fearsome lightning arcing among the suddenly roiling clouds, occasionally stabbing down nearby in a deafening roar, like fingers stabbed down from the heavens. The ground shook and civilians fled in all directions many screaming in terror. ''You dare speak to ME so, you whelp!? You stand with my charm in your hands and claim you did not use it use it to control my son? Do you think me a fool!?''
Hercules gulped, glancing worriedly at the trickster god. He did not think Loki knew what he was getting himself into, riling the god of storms in such a fashion.
Thor stood in wonderment at how similar this scene was to many he had seen between Odin and Loki. He wondered if Loki might have overstepped himself, as he was no blood of the mighty Zeus.
Loki paled at the mighty display of fury, but Zeus' words struck an ever deeper chord of resentment as this was not the All Father addressing him, "I know not of foolishness on your part my lord, but as I have stated, all the events that have transpired here have been enacted through the fault of your son's carelessness and your own lack of guarding your enchanted trinkets. I wish not to have words with you, and I willingly forfeit such items," as Loki said this, he placed the statuette of Hercules on the ground at his feet backing away and crossing his arms to scowl his indignation.
Slabs of the very street grated up all around Loki, trapping him in a makeshift prison of asphalt. The booming voice resounded with rage. ''You say it be my fault you took that which belongs to me, and think you that returning them shall make us even? You would return them, willingly or not, and you do not decide if we have words, I do! I should slay thee outright! But unlike yourself, I shall honor our pact, and will hand you to your All-Father for judgment.''
Thor stepped forward, his eyes cast up to the glowering image in the sky. ''Mighty Zeus, Loki is a master of escape, I fear your prison might not hold him, however, douse him in water, and his powers are nullified for the time he spends wet.''
Loki bellowed out in no less than shock at Thor's words, "Traitor! And you claim me to be of infamous evil when you turn so quickly on your own to these other gods not of our heritage!"
Thor leveled Loki with a piercing glare. ''You say this so shortly after you attempt my death at the hands of a close friend?''
Zeus' voice rang out again as a fire hydrant ripped itself from a nearby curb. ''Brother Poseidon, grant me leave to bend your waters for but a moment to quench this vile creature's powers.'' With that the water turned from its normal upward course to splash over Loki's form, the trickster unable to dodge from within his cage.
Hercules watched all of this play out, his expression darkening as his role as Loki's pawn sank in. He may have once stood for Loki, seeing as he was relative to the noble Thor, but since Thor himself seemed to rescind aid to the trickster, Hercules decided it would be fitting to allow Loki to face his father's unstable wrath. After all, his own words had inspired it.
Sputtering as the force of water poured down on him violently slamming him into the asphalt pillars of his make-shift prison, Loki squalled out his anger, "Enough! I am subdued and need not this use of aggression to keep me tethered here!" Although his words sounded furious, a wave of actual fear began to work its way up Loki's spine realizing far too well the trouble he had found himself.
The voice that filled the heavens sounded in reply. ''As I have already mentioned, you decide nothing, I care not what you feel, cretin. I am summoning your lord Odin forthwith.''
The night grew silent, and Thor took a seat upon the hard ground, binding his wounds as best he could with torn pieces of his own clothing.
Hercules approached Thor, scratching the back of his neck, his face a picture of apology. ''I am very sorry, my friend. I did not wish you such harm. Your brother must not know how dangerous that enchanted axe is that he pilfered from our armory.''
Thor sighed deeply as he replied. ''Nay, my brother wishes me death, and tries mightily to achieve that goal, seemingly at all costs.''
Hercules grunted in response. ''This may have cost him dearly, he is fortunate he did not anger Zeus beyond reason, or he would be naught but a pile of ashes now.''
This was happening much too fast, and Loki suspected Odin would banish him for quite some time over this recent debacle. Growing rigid in anticipation, Loki desperately began compiling a workable lie to deter his father's wrath. Surely Odin would not allow the Olympians to kill him would he?
Some time passed, the two warriors watching Loki shiver alone in his cage, when a bright beam of light suddenly erupted nearby. A giant of a man stepped from the halo of energies, his massive form armored and bearing the symbols and regalia of his station as god of all Asgard. His one good eye scanned the scene before him before resting on the cowering form of Loki. ''You foolish child; what mess have you created that I was actually summoned to Midgard, and by the lord of the Olympian pantheon, no less.''
The booming voice from above responded readily. ''Your offspring has incurred my wrath most severely. Not only has he robbed valuables from my sacred realm, but he speaks to me as one who does not know his station, an insult to his kin. In addition, he has threatened the lives of two of our sons WHILST breaking our treaty of peace between our peoples.''
Loki interjected fearfully, "Father! It is not as it may seem! Surely, I meant no disrespect to the lightning god by not revering him as I do you my liege… Hercules guided me to Olympus and in turn to the Olympian treasury where such ornaments were held. I merely fondled the statue in my curiosity forgetting to replace it. So, as you can see, this has been quite a misunderstanding!"
Hercules stepped forward, his anger boiling into his features. ''Liar! I went to Olympus to visit my old friend Dionysus, he must have followed me from concealment to gain such entry. And I am certain the axe I wielded did not fall into my hands by some cosmic accident. If he did not knowingly take the life statue, why did he hide whilst me and Thor battled?''
Zeus' voice also interjected. ''That statue takes a great deal of mystic focus to use. Does Loki claim that Hercules battled Thor with the stolen axe of his own volition?''
Thor also chimed in. ''Loki's words upon being caught in the act suggest he took both items into his possession. Most strange that Hercules would attack me with the axe unless Loki first gave it to him. Also, I know well that Hercules prefers his mace to any other weapon save his hands.''
Loki wailed a plea of innocence, "There is no proof of such treachery! I was a witness to this battle but nothing more!"
Odin glared long and hard at his son, until the silence weighed heavy in the air. ''You still claim innocence despite the fact that you hold no grounds. I am deeply ashamed to call you son at this time.''
Odin's words caused Loki's brow to furrow in defeat; there was no winning here, and Loki realized continuing the lie would only drop the opinion held of him in the eyes of his father more than it had already been. Sighing his discontent, Loki admitted, "I did not claim innocence but merely projected the automatic reaction to any wrong doings is a finger pointed at Loki." Frowning and dropping his gaze to the ground Loki continued, "I really did mean to return the artifacts, and I know I should not have taken them. I cannot take back what is done, so banish me as you always deem fit for my transgressions against your beloved Thor."
Odin sighed as he shook his head slowly at Loki, the others all remaining quiet, giving the All-father time to reach his verdict. ''You have trespassed against not only me but also against Zeus and his.'' Odin turned, regarding the heavens without actually turning his head up, as if he were somehow level with the skies. ''If such sounds agreeable to you, I shall turn Loki over to you and your kin to punish him as you see fit. My only request being that you do not take his life.''
Thor raised his eyebrows at this statement. He had never heard of such a thing before, but perhaps the difference in discipline would succeed where so many banishments had failed.
Hercules smiled a humorless smile. Yes, let the ingrate come to his realm. Loki would rue the day he made a pawn of the prince of power.
Loki's jaw hung agape in stunned silence before the shock let go of his tongue, "WHAT!? You… father! You can't be serious! I may be returned disfigured beyond repair! Would you leave your son to such a fate?"
The sky pealed out a satisfactory grunt of acknowledgement. ''This does please me. I promise no permanent harm shall befall yonder serpent. For what period of time shall I keep him?''
Loki whimpered as he heard this. Surely, Odin wasn't going to go through with this?
Odin scratched his chin as he gazed upon Loki's worried expression. ''Methinks this will be good for him. Keep him as long as you desire, until such time as you find him properly penitent. And beware, he is master of the lie.''
Loki screamed out at this, his voice a pitiful shriek. ''Noooo!''
The bellowing voice above seemed mirthful after Loki's response. ''It is agreed, I shall treat your son as though he were one of my own, until such time as his course is corrected, and he respects his elders.''
Hercules' smile was a sinister toothy grin now, and Loki quaked to look at him. ''Welcome to Olympus… brother; I shall regale you with tales of the…interesting interactions we brothers of Olympus have as we escort you to your new home.''
Loki turned pleading eyes on to Odin, "Please father! Do not leave me in their hands! I am verily sorry for the shame I have bestowed upon you! There must be some other form of penance I can perform that would not leave me so enslaved."
Odin turned his back to Loki with a dismissive wave. ''Nay.'' Was all he said as his form coalesced into shimmering lights before disappearing from view.
Thor shook his head sadly at Loki's wail of fright, but also turned to leave after bidding a quick farewell to Hercules.
Hercules waved farewell to Thor as the thunder god swung his hammer, preparing to launch into flight. ''I bid thee farewell, mighty Thor. You may trust that I will see to it that Loki regrets the wounds you have taken this day.''
Loki wonders in abject silent misery what the prince of power could mean by such a statement.