A/N: You should probably read this. I can't believe I forgot to mention this but, um, there's Norse Mythology here. For those of you familiar with it, you can see I've obviously adapted it for my own use (read: completely abused it with little to no regret) but for those unfamiliar, here's a quick run over Loki and his kiddies. Bottom A/N addresses some other mythology stuff.
Loki and this giantess named Angrboda had three kids. There is some debate over whether it was Loki or Angrboda who bore the children or if they even had a relationship and it wasn't just Angrboda's heart that impregnated Loki. See bottom A/N for more.
Hela/Hel is half skeleton/rotting corpse. Whether this is like a Two-Face (DC comics, ya'll) type of thing or just the bottom half of her has been lost to the ages. Fenrir/Fenris is a giant wolf. Jormangundr/Jormangund is a giant snake. All three were fated to play some part in Ragnarok, so they were banished from Asgard. Hela became Queen of Helheim, the realm of the dead, which may be located in or near Niflheim. Fenrir was bound with a thread named Gleipnir (see bottom A/N for more) and I'm not exactly sure where he was sent. Jormangund was sent to Midgard where we have enough oceans for him to be comfy in, because he's really just that huge, and his coils wrap around the planet.
During Ragnarok, Fenrir kills Odin and Jormangund kills Thor. They also both die. (more at bottom A/N) I don't think there's much mention of the role Hela plays in Ragnarok.
Obviously I'm not sticking to mythology, here, but a little background information never hurt anyone.
After struggling over what the Midgardians called the "weekend"over his children's names, Loki decided that they would be known henceforth as Hela, Fenn, and Manny. Settling on the nicknames just in time for the first day of school, Loki woke with the rising of the sun and walked through their apartment to the fridge.
Manny and Fenn, of course, made things difficult by retaining the culinary tastes of their preferred shape-shifts. Fortunately, he'd made the discovery of sushi, and Manny's fish-only-diet was solved. Fenn was a bit easier and as long as Loki put some form of red meat in the meal, Fenn would eat it. Unfortunately, this often meant making three different things for meals, such as the breakfast he prepared. He cooked a slice each of salmon and ham, then dug around in the pantry for the canned kale. Fenn wasn't as picky as Manny and would eat the cantaloupe Loki was cutting up and separating into three portions, the larger two to be topped with yogurt and serve as breakfast for Hela and himself.
Even with the Midgardian stove and the other cooking utensils, Loki couldn't help but be reminded of his adventures with Thor. Of himself, Thor, the Warriors Three, and Lady Sif, only Loki ever bothered to watch how his meals were prepared. After their first hunting trip, where someone forgot to gut the boar and burnt the underside, Loki took it upon himself to begin learning how to cook, mostly through trial and error. His first few attempts were only marginally better than Thor's, but after he discovered his magical affinity for fire and learned how to control the flames of a campfire, cooking came to him with ease. His companions did always seem thankful to have him along after a hunt. How strange to think of their appreciation for his talents! While they were hungry, at least, Loki didn't face the derision and scorn his use of magic usually garnered.
It was with a frown at his continually maudlin thoughts that Loki recalled the way a certain nobleman Lady Sif once invited scoffed at Loki's mastership over a maidservant's task, even as he crammed a second serving in his mouth. Perhaps that nobleman was the exception, but Loki knew he was the anomaly in Odin's court, and that his ability to prepare a meal without burning it to ash only further served to alienate himself from the Asgardians. Save Volstagg, perhaps.
On Midgard, to Loki's shock, culinary artists varied from the poor to affluent and boasted many men among their numbers.
Even after a weekend of experience with the stove, it took much longer for Loki to prepare the food than he thought it would. He decided as he finished and went to wake up his children that the lunch he would pack for them would have to be picked up on the way to the school. He simply didn't have time to make sushi or anything else that Manny would deign to eat and the deli down the street made rather good roast beef sandwiches, anyway, that Fenn and Hela liked.
"Boys, it's time to wake up," said Loki, opening the door to Fenn and Manny's bedroom. The two had a bunkbed and a widow that overlooked the street. The remains of a puzzle were scattered on the floor and Loki delicately stepped over the pieces as he made his way to the bed. "Manny, Fenn: wake up."
"Dun wanna..." moaned Fenn, rolling over. Manny grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face with a sigh.
Loki smiled fondly and warned, "If you are not both out of bed by the time I return, I'm making your blankets disappear and I'll float you to the kitchen table myself."
Hela was easier to wake up. At the mere mention of school she jumped right out of bed and ran to her dresser, then to the bathroom. Loki chuckled and walked back to the boys room, where he snapped his fingers and sent the blankets to his pocket-realm. Fenn and Manny joined the already-dressed Hela at the table soon after, floating down gently into their seats.
"Why are you already dressed?" Fenn grumbled. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily.
Hela stuck her nose up in the air, rolled her green and red eyes, and ignored him in favor of her fruit and yogurt.
After breakfast, Loki cleared the table and washed the dishes while sending his kids off to finish getting ready. Hela appeared holding two hair elastics and a brush and coaxed Loki into braiding her hair the way Shannon had on Sunday. Loki managed something that half-way resembled Shannon's fine handiwork by the time Fenn came running out to have him help tie the laces on his tiny shoes, which were tangled up in knots that Loki eventually spelled them to untangle. Manny brought out all the backpacks for Loki's inspection, and after he made sure that there was nothing missing, Loki distributed the backpacks to his children and stepped back to get a good look at them.
Fenn was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve blue shirt, his hair messy, and still blinking sleepily. Manny and Hela (who he decided to declare twins, as they were rather close in age and would appear to Midgardians as if they were born in the same year) were also wearing jeans and carried identical black backpacks. Hela was so slightly built, though, and the backpack so large, she almost looked as if she might tip over.
"We'll have to get you a new one," murmured Loki, quietly. Louder, he said, "Alright, let's go. We'll pick up your lunch on the way over. No running! Fenn, take my hand."
The walk to the school wasn't long, but Fenn complained until Loki gave in and lifted him up. They eventually began to fall among other parents and children walking to school and Loki was pleased to notice that his children blended in just fine with the Midgardians. That is to say, as well as they possibly could.
Manny's fangs weren't long or too noticeable, but he was quiet and the other children who looked to be his purported age were rather loud and energetic. They were also much more healthy-looking than either of his children, especially Hela, who was nearly skeletal in appearance. Fenris still retained the soft look of those just outgrowing infancy and no one would notice the patch of fur masquerading as his hair unless they were to pet him. He alone was beyond obvious suspicion, nearly falling asleep on his shoulder much as younger children around them were doing.
Loki supposed he was just lucky they were so young and not overly attached to Asgardian style of clothing. He would hate to see what kind of suspicion a cape or miniature breastplate would draw.
They were all greeted by Miss Walters and Mrs. MacLeigh at the Kindergarten and by Mr. Young and Miss Espinosa at the Preschool. All but MacLeigh were young, but they appeared capable. Walters was the youngest, a redhead with a bright smile. MacLeigh reminded Loki so much of Frigga he found himself unable to look her in the eye. Espinosa was a soft, warm woman with an indulgent look to her big brown eyes. Young, for all his diminuitive stature, gave the impression of an educated and firm man. Loki introduced his children, answered the teacher's questions, and hovered until he was finally shooed away. Typically, his children tore off to the schools' joint "playground", following the masses of Midgardian offspring. They swung on small seats suspended from chains and climbed metal structures of all different shapes while Loki watched in fascinated horror.
"First time sending your children off?" asked one of the many mothers.
"Yes," said Loki, too distracted by Hela's discovery of the largest and shabbiest-looking metal tower to properly sneer at the mortal's impudence.
"It gets better," she assured him, leaning over to pick up a plastic basket where he saw an infant strapped inside. "They'll call you if your kids need you, don't worry. The hard part is leaving them there."
Loki waited until she left before hiding behind a tree so he could turn himself invisible and then spent the next half hour making sure his children didn't kill themselves on the "monkey bars" or "slides".
They didn't, but Loki personally felt there were more close calls than his heart could take without failing.
A/N: Alright, before I get into the mythology, I just want to thank my reviewers and those who favorited and followed my story. I also need to apologize for such a late update when I planned to post this chapter so much sooner. My plans were disrupted by family matters and my presence was called for a long way from my home; I can't promise this won't happen again, unfortunately.
Oh, and if you're requesting something, feel free to suggest any Avengers interludes you want. Just keep in mind that I'm keeping the pairings pretty much canon (Tony/Pepper, implied Clint/Natasha, Jane/Thor, past Steve/Peggy, etc...) and that it might be a while before I can post it due to my decision to post chronologically.
Mythology rant time! Alright, scientifically speaking, men don't get pregnant, eating a heart does not a baby make, and one Jotun plus another Jotun doesn't equal snakes or wolves. I don't accept magic as a fix-all, sorry, so that leaves other options. I guess my headcanon (is that the right term?) is that Angrboda gave birth to Loki's children. I'm not getting into the impossibility of the whole half-cooked heart cannibalism resulting in Mpreg. Just no. I think it's pretty clear where the issue with wolf and snake children comes in. Thankfully, the Thor movie handed out a solution to that.
As an infant, Loki's Jotun appearance is replaced by Aesir, and I think? the movie left it open as to whether it was Odin or Loki who caused the change. Now, Loki is known to be a shapeshifter, who's to say shapeshifters don't choose a form relatively early in life that they prefer to stay in, regardless of original appearance. For Loki, that would be his Aesir appearance, but for his kids? Wolf, snake, and either half-skeleton or half-blue depending on my reasoning at the moment. And the problem is solved!
Mythology Index:
Gleipnir - a thread crafted by dwarves of many impossible things. Seriously, the ingredients list reads like a poem. The Aesir trick Fenrir into letting himself be bound, but pay for that by the sacrifice of Tyr's hand. Look it up (especially the ingredients list)! Wikipedia provides good info on the myth, and everyone should know the story of Tyr if only because one of the weekdays is named after him.
Ragnarok - end of the world. Seriously, look this up if you haven't already, because I'm not covering everything. Alright, so Loki and Heimdall kill each other, as do Thor and Jormangund. Fenrir is killed by one of Odin's sons named Vidarr. This is hard to explain because more knowledge of Norse Mythology is needed to fully understand all the events that occur during Ragnarok.
Also, in case no one knew, in Norse Mythology Loki is Odin's blood-brother.
(Good Grief, my A/Ns are longer than the fic itself!)
