Chapter One - Ascent into Greatness - or Madness?
Asgard. Half of a Midgardian year had passed since Malekith was defeated. The early morning sun was beginning to shine casting a golden hue upon all the landscape. The city still slumbered other than the guards that were always at their posts around the palace. Heimdall stood at the Gate unaware that someone after Malekith's defeat had slipped into the great city unseen and done the most treacherous of deeds. Had he known, all of Asgard would have been turned upside down for he was loyal to his king.
Loki was laying across the throne in his own form as a mystical green glow surrounded the inside hall of the palace. The energy veil created by his strong magic was all that he needed to keep Heimdall from seeing him and what he had done. His head hung back over the side of the throne with his long black hair dangled like a curtain of shiny satin as he hummed quietly to entertain himself to stave off his boredom. His legs were swung over the other arm creating an image that was unbefitting of a king and far from glorious. With Odin safely out of the way, and Thor back on Earth, the throne of Asgard was now in his hands. He had gotten exactly what he wanted after again faking his death, he had some fun getting it, and somehow he was not happy. Being king with the Nine Realms for the most part at peace was indeed not entertaining for someone like the God of Mischief - especially since he could not let anyone find out it was he, Loki, and not Odin, sitting on the throne.
The fallen prince of Asgard had admitted to Thor that satisfaction was not in his nature. And at this moment in time, he was far from satisfied. The explanation as to why he still felt so unfulfilled was at the forefront of his thoughts as he wished he could let all the cosmost know he had taken the throne. Unlike the last time, all of Asgard had been made aware of Loki's assent with Thor banished into exile. This time, Loki stole the throne without anyone knowing. He could not reveal himself and had to go about ruling Asgard and the Nine Realms by using his magic to take the form of Odin AllFather. Loki had tried for some time to allow this to be enough, however, true to his nature, he was not satisfied.
He was smart enough to know that if he dared show his true identity, civil war would break out among his people - and Thor would surely return to kill him. Loki wished he could change this, but how to do so alluded him. He thrived on being a showman - a wild diva in the spotlight - just as he was during the attacks on New York. He wanted all the worlds to know he - Loki - was in control. He was the one who devised the plan and executed it. He led the Chitauri army into battle. And he failed miserably in meeting his goal at that time - to rule Midgard as a benevolent god. He made the mistake of thinking himself superior and this was his undoing resulting in failure - something Thor grasped during his exile to Earth.
Much to his surprise with the events occurring during the battle with the Dark Elves, he made a slim attempt at redemption in his brother's eyes but betrayed his family by faking his death, returning to Asgard unseen and upon finding Odin in a weakened state, cast the AllFather into Odinsleep and hid him away. Thor relinquished any and all wishes to ascend to the throne leaving Loki in a position to do the unthinkable. Nobody would know Odin was absent. Even Heimdall did not see the events for Loki completed his evil deeds under a veil of magic.
He was quietly contemplating his current situation and how he could remedy it. How could he make it known he was the master of the most insidious plot ever and ruler of Asgard without his people thinking he murdered Odin? That he was now the rightful king of Asgard with Thor abdicating any desire to ascend to the throne first.
Loki's mind slid into thoughts of the people who were at one time close to him and now absent from his life. Why was he now reflecting on them when he betrayed all of them was beyond comprehension. Perhaps he was seeking counsel in order to ease his troubled mind. As much as he wished to deny any ties to them, he was eternally bound to each and every one of them. Why, he wondered. Because deep down inside there was still a shred of love and caring and respect he couldn't deny. They were his family as much as he tried to feel otherwise.
"Mother, have I made you proud?" he asked her upon his sentencing and she begged him to be silent and not make matters worse, for his actions were the worst any Asgardian could have engaged in. He didn't grasp the gravity of his actions, as Odin stated then, and even now, his mind wrestled with a definition of good and bad for he was blinded by ambition.
"I am king of Asgard just like my Father, Odin. I did what any heir would have done - ascend to the throne, even if by force. Look at history, Mother! How many times were kings taken down by their force - and even at times, by their own sons?" Loki said aloud inside an empty palace. His broken mind had fallen into a state of delusion as he imagined the deceased Frigga standing before him. She looked beautiful dressed in violet and blue - her long hair flowing behind her - her blue eyes looking sympathetically upon him. This was how he last saw her in life - when she visited his cell before the attack and he denied her saying she was not his mother. He still felt the sting of her reaction when she called him out on his intense pride and inability to be perceptive of his own actions while completely spot on with those of others. She made sure he knew she loved him regardless but did not condone his actions. Loki admitted inwardly that she was right about him.
"Mother, am I truly evil or am I a good man led astray by desire?" he again asked this vision before him only to hear silence.
He thought he could feel her gentle touch - her slender fingers against his cheek - and he closed his eyes wishing it were true. She was the only one who stood by his side and coaxed Odin to spare his life when he should have been put to death. He missed Frigga even though his heart had grown cold. Frigga offered the only warmth he ever tried to know for as awful as he got, she still tried to see the good in him.
Loki stood quietly as a stray tear slid down his cheek. "Mother, I am sorry for what I said to you. I miss you - so much." His words were filled with pain and continued grief for the one woman in his life who embraced him despite all his faults. Then, he grew angry that Odin didn't tell him of her passing until after the funeral honoring her. The one person who cared about him - he didn't get to say goodbye to. And despite his coldness toward anyone close to him, he grieved horribly and leaped at the opportunity to avenge her death.
The visage smiled at him and he smiled back wishing he could feel her in his embrace again. His loving mother who, even though not by blood, knew him so well and loved him no matter what he did. But then the smile turned to a scowl - disgust in him for the actions he had taken to gain the throne. Her displeasure was apparent and Loki panicked.
"But I have ruled Asgard just like Odin! I have proved myself a good king! Odin is weak and was unable to continue!" he stated trying to justify his actions. "All is as it should be! Jotenheim has backed down in their threats. The monsters will never see Asgard again! Only turmoil remains on Midgard and your dimwitted son is there to handle it. Thor and his precious Earth! Let him find out how my rule there would have benefitted all instead of having them continue to rip each other to pieces!"
Then, the image of Frigga turned into Odin and his eyes widened with upset and rage. He leaped forward toward the vision of Odin and began to yell, "I told you I could be king! I told you it was my birthright! You kept me from what I deserved and I had to steal it from you to prove my worth! You never loved me like you loved Thor and now I have my vengeance!"
"You locked me away in chains! You had forsaken me despite all my abilities! You looked through me as if I was not even there! I was kept in the shadows you and Thor cast over me! You said you wanted to protect me from the truth - the truth that I would never be what you wanted in the first place not being of your blood! I was kept in the dark, a stolen relic remaining in your collection for Thor's stupidity caused me to no longer be needed to reunite Jotenheim and Asgard!"
"Am I not strong and powerful? Am I not capable of being a good king? Did I not prove my loyalty when I murdered my own father who left me to die just to earn your respect?"
His tirade went on with no response from Odin. Loki sat down on the throne as his head spun in confusion and exhaustion. "It never was about the throne. I wanted your love - your respect - the same as you gave to Thor. I wanted purpose, Odin! I wanted you to see me for who I was supposed to be - your son. But the truth be told, I was never your son, Thor took my usefulness from me as far as you were concerned, and I am the monster."
The illusion of Odin slid into that of him asleep - hidden away in a safe location that only Loki knew of. "Now I have the throne. And nobody knows it is me - Loki - of Asgard. I still remain in your shadow."
When that vision faded away, Loki felt his whole world collapsing upon him. Another visage appeared before him - that of his brother - Thor. Loki was too tired to stand and battle with this part of his psyche gone mad.
"Ah, brother! I should have known you would find me! You said you wished you could have trusted me, and I said you would be the fool I thought you to always be if you did. I was angry. I was the fool. I wished you could trust me but even I know my own nature - I am the one not to be trusted. I was never good enough to bask in the same glory. Even Mother saw it. So, I settled on being the monster and being proud of it! I never told you how Mother tried to give me a chance to shine in my own glory and I grew to hate you for you had it all - Odin's love and respect. No matter what I did, I would never be good enough. I could hear Mother now - she saw me for what I was - and I refused to - until now."
"You left Asgard alone - unprotected - awaiting my eager hands to grasp! What is it about Midgard? Why is my brother so soft to those puny humans?" he queried the visage of Thor hoping to gain a response. "I have lived among them and seen such pain and suffering they inflict upon each other. Why protect humanity when so many wish to wage war on each other? They are no different than a bunch of beasts battling for superiority in a herd! I could have ruled them all - brought order from the chaos! They need me - a strong king who will bring peace! So, you stay there hoping to change it! You might have gained some will never succeed!"
Loki shook his head. He always seemed to sink into argument when it came to Thor. It was difficult for his brother to accept the way Loki was and part of him understood it after the events of his exile and New York. Loki showed him that shred of caring that did remain, and was still there. Oh, they were good together - perfect when it came to battling their foes side by side. Thor fought with a strong arm whereas Loki was the strategist - the thinker. They complimented each other on the battlefield and he proved it in playing his part during Malekith's assault. Loki had embraced his dark side and used it so well but tempered it enough to do as his brother asked of him. And he proved himself capable of following through because deep down inside, he did care.
Thor's image disappeared in a dance of green and gold lights and Loki was alone as a another tear slid down his cheek. His mother was dead. His adoptive father hidden away in Odinsleep. Thor was on Midgard having sworn his protection to all humans while breaking up fights there and embracing the love of a mortal woman. Loki felt he had so much more to offer even though he had gotten exactly what he wanted at this point in time - but at what cost? And why did he care about his lost family? Who was planting the images in his mind forcing him to remember - to feel shreds of grief and remorse - to shed a tear of sentiment because as much as he admitted otherwise, Loki did care. He wanted his father to be proud of his accomplishments. He missed his mother's love and attention. He missed arguing or engaging in battle alongside his brother. And most of all, he missed his mother.
Loki stood, carried himself down the stairs, and crossed the floor to look upon Asgard - the city was beginning to awaken - the citizens to start their early days in the usual manner. Soon, it would be time to recreate the illusion of the AllFather - to hide within a shell of energy to continue the trick upon all who now served and revered him as king. However, his heart grew angry for he no longer wished to hide in the guise of Odin. He wanted all the cosmos to know who now ruled as king of Asgard. He wanted to fix some of the troubles he had been the direct or indirect cause of.
But if he revealed himself, all hell would break loose. It was tough enough dealing with the likes of Sif for she never trusted him to begin with and even when she was present with him in Odin's form, she sensed something different about the AllFather and could not determine what. Loki feared she would be his undoing in time. Sif was smart - for a woman. Now, it became apparent to Loki that he had to finish the job he started - show all he was a good king - even if brutal at times, even if cruel, for Odin was no different. He was the rightful heir and he sank back into the mindset that nobody would get in the way of his destiny.
"I am Loki, of Asgard - son of Odin - and I am your king!" His words echoed in the palace as he imagined all of Asgard in the great palace chanting his name. However, the loud sound of his voice alerted the guards outside to rush in. He immediately resumed his illusion as Odin when the doors swung open.
"My king, is there a problem?" one guard asked as he knelt down and bowed his head.
"No. I - I am sorry to alarm you. But, thank you for the quick response. Your loyalty is noted, and appreciated."
After their departure, Loki began to devise his plans. What could he do now? Return to Midgard after his appalling failure there and complete the task he originally set out to do? Did he risk their wrath again for they proved that they would come together in times of need. His body, although fully healed, plagued him at times with phantom pains when he remembered the beating he took from the beast called Hulk. He wondered if he needed a war - a win that also resulted in a humiliating defeat for Thor and his new friends - the Avengers. How would he show all the cosmos he deserved the throne of Asgard - to rule the Nine Realms not in the guise of Odin but as Loki himself? How could he fulfill his vengeance against Odin and Thor for keeping him in the shadows when he deserved to shine? Or did he not wish this any longer? Was there another motive fueling the visions he just contended with?
And now, pressure from beyond was beginning to swarm in his mind. Familiar voices - familiar threats of a job unfulfilled - raged deep within. Another voice carried a message that he remained a failure as a god, as a man, as a king for he had not earned the throne but had stolen it and he had not fulfilled his side of the bargain - to deliver the Tesseract.
"Asgardian, we promised you pain," a voice rang in his ears - a recognizable haunting voice. "We demand the Tessaract, or we demand your life!"
With a mind full of confused thoughts, he wondered how to carry out that promise he failed to complete - or did he really want to? He managed to get the throne of Asgard in the end but the Chitauri did not get the ultimate power source. And someone was awaiting it while sending a message that they were going to return to collect on it. How would he handle this now? He was alone and supposedly dead. Could he handle this all on his own? Would he have the strength and power to protect himself, Asgard, and all the Nine Realms - alone?
Yes, he remembered that mess as clearly as the day the attack happened and he hated it all the more that he was made to look like a fool let alone the hell of incarceration and falling completely out of favor with Odin. He needed to show the cosmos he was a worthy leader - that he was the rightful choice for the throne of Asgard. What could he do to regain Odin's respect of him? Thor admitted he was not ready nor would he ever be ready to handle such burden, whereas Loki was primed for it. He heard The Other's voice ringing in his mind on how they would find him if he failed. He also heard an unfamiliar voice threatening to destroy him for keeping the Tesseract away from him. This voice was deeper, stronger - more threatening than any creature Loki ever faced.
But, Loki stood confident in his abilities. He was a strong king - a warrior not to be trifled with - with skills of genius intelligence - misguided at times because he thought too much of himself and his skills to not consider all the possibilities - and combine this with his skills as a master in magic - he was a force to be not to be reckoned with. Or was he still just a boy with childish ambitions?