A/N: So this is my first Avengers fanfic and I have no idea on how this is going to go. It was just something random that my friends persuaded me to post and I'm not sure if this will turn into anything or not. Anyway I hope you enjoy it and review if you want. Any criticism or advice is very much appreciated but if you have big things to point out then I would prefer if you PM me. Any mistakes are my own although the story has been looked over by some of my friends. It's done in Tony's point of view and focuses on Loki and Odin a lot but I found it easier to write that way. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers or anything else affiliated with them and belong to Marvel. I just merely play with their characters.
The Avengers were disorientated as they landed in the Asgardian throne room. Apart from the assassins and Thor, the rest of them were lying on the floor; groaning as they tried to move. The transportation that was available from the Tesseract made them weak and it was extremely uncomfortable to travel through. If you asked them, they would have said that it's like being pulled like a stretchy toy between Earth and Asgard and then snapped back like an elastic band onto Asgard. Tony could hear Thor laughing and suddenly felt himself being pulled up by the demigod. He straightened his jacket and looked up to find that his jaw had dropped due to the sight in front of him.
He had heard Thor talk about Asgard and its beauty many times but this was different from hearing about it. The room they had arrived in was bright with gold coloured stone and was an oval shape. Pillars of marble lined each side of the room and behind them were glass free windows that overlooked the rest of Asgard. As Tony gazed round, he could see intricate patterns and runes on the shiny black floor. At the end of the room were steps that led up to a large dais that a large golden throne was situated on. It was empty but this seemed to bother Thor.
"Where is my father? He should be here to greet us." Thor paced round the throne room and the Avengers unconsciously huddled into a small group against one of the pillars at the side of the vast room. Suddenly a medium sized pair of doors opened behind the throne that Tony hadn't noticed before and a group of men stepped through wearing long red cloaks similar to Thor's cape with large silver medallions around their necks. They seemed to take their own places on the steps in front of the throne and soon an old man followed them. He was wearing impressive armour like Thor was but his cape was gold, like the room, and he had a eye patch in the same colour. He seemed to have an air of wisdom and power surrounding him and his back stood straight. His features looked similar to Thor's as the man got closer to them, so Tony deduced that this man was Thor's father. He bypassed the throne and headed straight towards them. Out the corner of his eye, he could see Thor's stand shift slightly to make him look taller but regal and prince like at the same time.
"Thor, my son." he nodded at Thor and he nodded back.
"Father, is there something wrong? Why are the council members here?"
At this his father sighed and his eyes suddenly looked exhausted. "The review of Loki's punishment has been moved forward to this afternoon. We have found something that the council want to question Loki about."
A cold shiver ran down Tony's spine at the mention of Loki's name and he looked between the worried looks on the gods' faces.
"Father what are they questioning him about?" Thor asked.
"Something that I had no prior knowledge of. His children."
The Avengers mouth fell open simultaneously; including Thor's face.
"His what?" Tony blurted out before he could stop himself. Thor managed to glare at him through his shock but Thor's father turned to him. His good scrutinised him before he spoke.
"You are?"
"Uh...Tony Stark." He replied; stammering a little before putting on his famous Stark billionaire smile.
"Ah, the Man of Iron. I am Odin Allfather. The rest of you must be the rest of the Avengers that my son is eager for me to meet. I am sorry about the trial. The decision was made after Thor left to collect you." Odin greeted calmly although he didn't let go of the sincere look on his face. The Allfather exchanged greeting with the rest of the team and Tony had noticed that Clint looked tense and his face was screwed up in anger slightly. It must have been the news about Loki. The Allfather was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the double doors, opposite the throne, opened. It revealed six guards. They were separated into three groups of two, with the ones in the middle holding a sickly form. Tony then noticed Odin sit down on the throne in front of them all and Thor had ushered them stay where they were before taking his place at the bottom of the steps. The sickly man (that Tony presumed was Loki, although he barely recognised him) was brought forward at the bottom of the dais, where the guards let go of him and Loki slumped forward.
From Tony's place he could see the right side of Loki's face. It was pale and sickly and his cheeks were hollow. Loki's breathing was heavy and with bound hands he was trying to support his side where it was obviously painful. His eyelids were closed but didn't look like that he was going to open them anytime soon.
Odin stood from his seat and walked toward the edge of the dais. With a voice that could rival Thor's booms he spoke.
"Loki Odinson, you have been brought here for a revision of your sentence and your current punishment after a year of service. The date of this trial has been moved as we have new information that the council would like to address now. Before we continue is there anything you would like to say?"
At the Allfather's voice, Loki's eyes did open and to Tony surprise they were an, albeit dull, green. Tony could have sworn that they were a bright blue when he had last seen him. Loki tried to croak something but gave up when his voice turned to hoarse whispers.
"Speak up please." Odin ordered; his voice had no hint of emotion.
Loki tried again, this time his voice was more successful and Tony managed to hear it. "My name is not Odinson."
A hint or sorrow flashed across Odin's face but the King hid it away quickly. "Fine, Laufeyson then." Odin corrected but Loki shook his head.
"Just Loki." His voice was extremely hoarse now and he looked exhausted just from speaking. Before Tony had no intentions of knowing of what Loki's punishment was but trusted the Asgardians to deal with it. Now though, he was starting to wonder.
Odin nodded an okay and motioned his hand to a council member on his left. It was a woman, a quite beautiful one (not as beautiful as Pepper though). Her golden hair was tied in a tight bun on her head and she looked like she was in her 40s if she had been from Earth. One startling thing about her though, was that she had blood red irises and they were narrowed at Loki.
"Loki, do you recognise the group of people you are kneeling before?" Her voice was crisp and it made him shiver, much like Loki's name did.
Loki nodded. "The Asgardian Council."
"Do you recognise who I am?"
Loki nodded again, gazing straight at her. "Yes, you are Liv, the only woman council member."
"Good it appears that your memory and mind is intact for now. Loki, as spokesperson, I will be asking you a series of questions. Do not lie to us or you will be punished."
Loki's violent flinch at her last words didn't go unnoticed and Tony pitied him a little bit. For him, he couldn't believe that this was the full tilt diva that he had fought only a year ago. Back then Loki was full of rage and cockiness but now...now he looked absolutely terrified.
"Loki do you know the name of the Allfather's stead?"
Loki hesitated for a moment and he gulped. "Sleipnir."
"And what is the name of the Midgardian sea serpent?"
Loki's eyes flickered toward Odin and the council woman and he gulped again. "Jormungard."
"The name of the great wolf chained up on the outskirts of Asgard?"
"Fenrir."
"Also the sons of your wife; Sigyn."
Tony raised his eyes at this but also noticed the slightly panicked look on Loki's face but despite that he answered. "Nari and Vali."
"Finally the name of the ruler of Helheim that also goes by the name Goddess of Death?"
Loki looked beyond panicked now and more on the verge of frantic. He was staring backwards and forwards at woman and Odin and the man seemed to plead with his eyes. "Hel or Hela sometimes."
"It has come to our own attention that these six names are all connected to you. These six people would be your children are they not?" The woman asked for in a rather firm voice and there were tears in Loki's eyes. That shocked Tony right to the core. Whatever went through his head about the god, he would have never pictured him crying. He nodded as tears began fall and Thor screwed his face up in confusion. Loki's frantic green eyes raced about at each face in front of him with tears falling. "How did you know?"
"Your secret study. A passage in the library opened in front of your mother. She investigated and found that study. However, what items inside were locked away from her by your magic but she could still see the paintings on the walls and the information plaques beside them. We needed to know if was true or not." Odin answered for him but Loki's tears seemed to subside for a moment as he processed what was said. Thor looked like he was on the verge of crying too.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Thor asked his voice hitching at the end.
"To keep them safe. With Hel it was to keep her alive; she was dying." Loki answered but his hard stare was now on the floor.
"Why?" Thor whispered; trying to hold back his tears.
"Because of what they are! They are powerful magical sorcerers, shape shifters and a danger to Asgard! They would have been killed on the spot! What I did was only for protection." Loki exclaimed; his voice slightly high and panicked.
The council woman's eyes narrowed further at Loki. "Did your protection involve permanent shape-shifting?"
Loki nodded and Liv raised her head to motion at the guards at opposite doors. Tony and the rest of the avengers watched on as a tall and insanely beautiful woman stepped through. Her long blonde hair flowed elegantly over her shoulders and framed her round face perfectly. Her green eyes sparkled and they flickered around the room, her gaze staying a bit longer on him and the avengers.
"The Enchantress, Amora." One of the guards announced and the woman quickly made her way through the throne room; her dark green robes barely touching the black stone floor. She stopped a little behind Loki, whom was now tense and was glaring hard at the floor, and bowed at Odin. She nodded to each council member individually with them all nodding back.
"Amora, it's an honour for having you here on such short notice." Liv said politely and the Enchantress smiled sweetly.
"The honour is all mine. What do you wish of me?"
"We would like to know if you can change and shape-shifting form back to its original. By that I mean a form that was meant to be permanent."
Amora thought for a minute; her index finger resting on her lips ins thinking position. "I believe I can. It might be somewhat difficult but it would be a simple process."
Liv acknowledge her answer and nodded at the guards again and this time a giant horse was led through. It was the weirdest horse Tony had ever seen. It was huge and had eight legs. Four at the front and four at the back. He simply couldn't stop staring.
"Sleipnir, the Allfather's steed."
Sleipnir was brought forward and the horse seemed to catch a concerned glance at Loki. The man ignored it and didn't look at the steed. Amora walked towards the horse and place her hand on Sleipnir's head and squinted her eyes in concentration. After thirty seconds or so the woman gasped, retracted her hand and stumbled backwards.