A/N: This is a one-shot, NOT a continuation of the previous chapter.
If I had more time, it would be more than a one-shot, because I think it's an interesting idea. Feel free to steal it if the muses are talking to you.
Summary: Odin is reasonable... and Loki is Loki.
Odin gave a detailed rendition of all that had gone on in Midgard, accurate for the most part except that Loki would not have characterized those creatures as allies given the choice.
The hall listened, still and rapt. Loki was still as well – he found himself too nervous even to fidget; he moved as through molasses and sometimes had to remind himself to breathe.
When the tale was told Odin rose from his throne. "Loki," he said, loud enough still to be heard through the hall. "You will be punished." And then silence.
The injustice of that, the silence more than anything else, had Loki shrugging free of his guards to step forwards and protest. "What? Father, I deserve no punishment," he argued. "I rid us of those things that wanted only to spread death, and I did it without risking a single drop of Asgardian blood. Nor did I use trickery of any kind, as I know how distasteful you find it." Except when it's trickery you've ordered yourself. But Loki bit down on that; antagonizing the Allfather now would be simply stupid. "I led them straight into a fair battle and made sure they died there," he said. "You couldn't have planned it better yourself."
Odin's eye was narrowed. "No drop, eh? You risked yourself."
"I am not of Asgard. And I assumed the risk freely."
"You risked Thor."
"That was his own doing," Loki insisted. "Or yours. I didn't call him, I didn't want him, I did everything in my power to remove him from the scene. You have always been just in this, Father: do not punish me for Thor's impulsiveness. I did all I could to prevent it. As usual."
Odin turned away. "I cannot deny that your words are truth to the letter. But they are not truth in spirit, Loki. Tell me that you understand this." Tell me that you are not a monster.
Loki was silent for some time. It hurt, what Odin was asking him. On the one hand he wanted to snarl that of course he had a conscience… but on the other, if he admitted remorse he was admitting guilt, and admitting guilt was never a good way to go about escaping punishment. "I won't say I risked nothing of value," he admitted at last. "Or that the victory was bloodless – or that I thought it would be. I knew there would be loss on Midgard, yes."
Odin was nodding, grave. Too grave. His jaw was set and that was just how he had looked when he sent Thor away to die. Loki suddenly felt queasy. He cleared his throat and went on. "But taking a few human lives does not merit death. So you will not order it for me." His voice shook.
"I will not," Odin assured at once, and that was something. "But you acted with a brutality that I cannot condone. Cannot be known to have condoned. Other realms will hate and fear Asgard while you walk free."
Imprisonment – forever? Trapped and alone, never again to live… such a punishment would be little better than death. It might even grow to be worse, eventually. Loki went to one knee. He could hardly choke out words. "Their hatred and their fear will fade in time," he managed at last.
It was an eternity before Odin said, softly: "Yes."
Loki was dizzy with relief and also still sick, so he took a long slow breath to compose himself before talking again. "How long?" he said to the floor, and then looked up.
Odin crossed his arms over his chest. "We will find out how many mortal lives were lost to your plotting. They were only collateral damage, I know that, but they were damage nonetheless. You will pay for them. One year for every life."
The room tilted; Loki was swaying where he knelt. An awful lot of buildings had crumbled, with an awful lot of people inside. This was millennia. He tried to steady his voice. "One year of what?" Asgard was not known for the gentility of its dungeons. There would be darkness and cold and starvation, at the least. Perhaps filth and rodents if he was unlucky. Perhaps torture if he was unluckier still.
"The site of your crime will be the site of your punishment," Odin declared. "I will lock you away in a cavern beneath the earth of Midgard, so far from her air and her life that your magic will be useless to you. What power you do manage to summon you will need for more than escape; you will need healing. Your prison will keep you in constant pain, and you will starve and suffer until you've paid for what you've done." Another long pause. "Do you understand your punishment, Loki?"
He shook his head, trying to speak.
"I know it is harsh. But it is deserved." He sighed. "Say your farewells. Comfort yourself as best you can. I'll take you in the morning."
"Wait." Loki swallowed, looked up, tried to put his thoughts in order. "It is a harsh sentence, Father, it is a terrible sentence, but I know better than to ask you to lighten it for me. I have just one request."
"Go on." Odin's voice was neutral, even interested. He had not yet foreclosed the possibility in his mind of granting favors – he might yet agree. He would.
"Some mortals – not all, but some – disdain penalties of this nature," Loki began delicately. "Some might perhaps sleep better if they forewent their right to vengeance, rather than piled years upon years of pain for me. Ask them. That is my request. Send someone to Midgard to converse with the friends of the fallen, or down to Hel to ask the dead themselves. I have no doubt I will be spending many, many centuries in the cave you prepare for me. But I do not want to spend any more time there than is necessary."
Odin cocked his head. "You would look to the Midgardians you slaughtered for mercy?"
Loki shrugged. "Some Midgardians are more bloodthirsty than others. Asking cannot hurt."
"That is true," Odin agreed at last. "Very well, I grant your request: any victim who wishes to spare you a year of your pain may do so. All would agree that that is justice." Odin's eyes were shining with something very like pride. "I will miss you, Loki."
"You'll see me again." Perhaps in very short order. He cleared his throat. "One more thing, Father. The mortals… dead or not, they will be frankly terrified of you. Even those who wished to show clemency won't do it; they will fear to disagree with the sentence you imposed. So, if you want the concession you've granted me to be more than just an empty gesture, you mustn't appear to the mortals yourself. They must be able to decide without the full force of your majesty to frighten them."
Odin, of course, nodded. No doubt he was remembering the last few times he tried appearing to mortals in recent times. All had been struck absolutely stupid with terror. "It is no empty gesture I offer. Hela will plead your cause instead of me."
"Ooh, Father, no." Loki's wince was only half pretend. "I can kiss Hela goodnight because she's family, but think: she is the most fearsome-looking-"
"Then who do you propose?" Odin interrupted, his patience thinning. "Any one of us, any Asgardian will terrify the mortals to incoherency. They are as worms next to us, and they know it."
"Mm. That is true." Loki stared at the floor. "I am no Asgardian," he offered, quiet and even. "Perhaps I should carry the message myself." A thousand thousand years of manipulations went into the earnestness of his tone, the roundness of his eyes. If Odin agreed then this punishment would be nothing, it would be over before the orphans he created had had time to bear children of their own. His silver tongue against the weak little minds of humans? He would have them renouncing year after year after year. They would offer to serve the sentence in his place if he wished them to.
But Odin's gaze turned a little flinty, and Loki was suddenly reminded that during all the eons he had been perfecting the art of trickery, Odin had been right beside him perfecting the art of not being tricked. "Father?" he ventured at last, nervous. If he had pressed too far, if Odin took away even what he had already granted… But at this point it was too late to turn back and retract the suggestion. Odin would smell guile all over him. "Father?" he said again. He projected innocence with every fiber of his being. "Shall I talk to them?"
"Look at me, Loki." Odin's voice was heavy with disappointment.
Brazen it out. Look blank, no guilt, no plot, vaguely sad for poor dead Midgardians. Blank. Now.
They stared at each other for a long moment. But Loki lowered his eyes first.
The End.
Yeah okay so Loki still doesn't *get it* here; he's still clearly got ant/boot mentality going on. I'd kind of be curious about how that would change in le cave. Hm.
Let me know what you think! Comments are awesome.