The Trickster

by Squishy4953

The Trickster has successfully hidden from his siblings for millennia. He's not just going to just parade around on the streets as either Gabriel or Loki or his new war-criminal-meat-suit just because he's woken up from his very valiant death in his second chance in a weird universe. No way. No, he's a Trickster. He's THE Trickster.

2. Loki Died to Live Another Day

Yep. I updated a finished story. How unorthodox.

I watched Thor: Ragnarok, and I went Marvel-crazed.

So if you haven't watched the movie, go and see it. It's good. Its humour is a bit different (love the director) but it's still plenty Australian (not really, but New Zealand technically still the land down under, right?). So as an Australian, I felt compelled to try to write this in the same style. It didn't quite work out some parts.

~\/~

New line break.

(You don't need the warning: spoilers anymore guys. We've all seen it.)

Chapter 2: Loki.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was the sky.

He heard the hum of spaceships in the distance.

Felt the earth under him.

Smelt the distinct scent of metallic waste.

And he tasted blood on his tongue.

For a man who never expected to wake up, it was a startling thing.

He groaned as he sat up, slowly feeling his body respond to him, as if confused. Like waking up from an uncomfortable sleep in a medic's care.

He frowned as he looked around. He had absolutely no idea where he was.

Or when.

~\/~

"I mean, it's frustrating," laments the chained Prince. "The Trickster had no trouble whatsoever with finding those Stones, and here I am, with no progress on my search while he plays with the Aether."

The skeleton gives no reply.

"But then again, The Trickster is something that can probably take out half a planet," he continues unhappily. "Wouldn't want to get on his bad side, let me tell you," he chortles.

There's a groan of metal and his next words die in his throat as his stomach drops. There is quite a major difference between flying and falling. It's unbelievably uncomfortable. The thought shifts to painful when the chains attempt to rip his body in half as it hits its limit.

He muffles his curses by biting his tongue.

The fiery being before him studies him with coal-like eyes. Ah finally, he thinks. Answers.

"Surtur!" he greets cheerily. He mentally scrambles for the appropriate response and only manages to find insults. "Son of…a bitch!"

Surtur sneers at him and returns his greeting sardonically. Thor ignores most of the supervillain introduction and tunes in when the he mentions, "Ragnarök. The end of Asgard – it cannot be stopped, you foolish boy. Your absence and Odin's weakness has left Asgard ripe for the taking."

Thor considers that. "Well, I'm not entirely what you mean by 'ripe for the taking'-"

"The Eternal Flame," hisses Surtur, getting to his feet. "With it, I will destroy Asgard, as is my right."

The Eternal Flame? Right, the one in the vault.

"Ah," he replies lamely. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that," he says. "Saving lives, helping people…its part of being a hero." His grin is so wide it hurts. Surtur's face draws closer and in the distance, Thor can hear his hammer crashing through a multitude of walls. "Stopping Ragnarök, stuff like that, really puts a downer on things. So I'm going to stop you."

"Because that's what heroes do!" he exclaims after a moment that drags too long. Surtur stares at him blankly until Mjølnir gives a metallic rumble and the moment is shattered.

~\/~

"Who the hell are you?" he demands gruffly, sidestepping the green blood and guts on the floor.

"I'm Skurge," declares the soldier. "Guardian of the Bifrost-"

"What?" blurts Thor, "Where's Heimdall?"

"He withdrew, milord," informs the newly dubbed Skurge. He shrugs uncaringly. "Somethin' 'bout a breach of duty."

Thor frowns. Breach of duty? Skurge continues, "So, uh…I'm supposed to-"

"No," he shakes his head. "I must speak with my father."

Mjølnir spins in his fingers and Surtur's crown rattles in the chains on his back. Skurge makes it a few steps but can only stare at Thor's flying figure in the distance.

"-inform the king your arrival," he finishes to himself with a grumble. He glares at the head of the dragon in his Observatory and wipes his face off again before lumbering back to civilisation.

~\/~

"Father," he acknowledges, closing the lavish gold door behind him.

With Surtur's crown safely in the vault, he'd planned to clean off before finding his father, but was called to Odin's rooms. He eyes the nurses who fret over flowing machines and comes to the old man's side. "Thor," murmurs the king. "My son." He frowns as the King struggles to sit up properly in his bed. A nurse comes over and supports his other side. "My eldest son."

"Father," he says, "You're dying."

It's something that everyone has been expecting for a long time. But seeing it in front of him – seeing the life fade from him – is more daunting, more real than Thor could have believed. He knows that Asgardians can (and will) die eventually but his father is someone he cannot fathom to lose like this.

"Yes," he agrees quietly. "Yes."

He kneels by Odin's side. "What…what do I do?"

Loki should be here. Thor can see The Trickster's smirk in the forefront of his mind and something clenches in his chest. If anything, Thor admires and despises The Trickster. For saving Jane (despite their rocky relationship) and helping when he had absolutely no reason to. The Trickster could not be any more different to Loki. And that was that made him despise the body snatcher.

"You…you stop her," he whispers. There's a mournful, tired note to his voice. "Stop her. Ragnarök …"

"What?" he questions. "I stopped it. I stopped Surtur. He…" His brows furrow. "Who are you talking about? Who's…who's she?"

Odin's eye meets his. "Your sister. Hela. Goddess of…Death."

"Wha- sister?" he gapes.

"Yes," sighs Odin. "Hela…she…"

"I don't…"

"I'm sorry Thor," he says quietly. "That our family is all gone."

Thor's face goes blank.

"I'm going," he says. "I'll be up there." He points at the ceiling faintly. He lets his hand rest closer to Thor. "I'm going…so she's coming."

"What?" he repeats, sounding a lot like a broken recorder, "Hela? I don't understand-?"

"Hela," he echoes. "My life kept her at bay." He looks ever-so-tired. "But not anymore."

"She's coming?" he confirms slowly. "Hela?"

"I love you, Thor," he mumbles. "Frigga, Loki …I'm going."

~\/~

The streets of Asgard are muted, and Thor wears his cloak well, ensuring that he isn't recognised. He keeps well away from the palace of gold and soon finds himself in a familiar tavern. He steps inside, seating himself at the bar and calls for a drink. A strong one.

A hooded figure peels out of the shadows.

"Heimdall," he mutters, taking a long swig of alcohol. "I hear you've been 'withdrawn' from duty."

The hood pulls back to reveal bright gold eyes and dark skin. "A debt repaid," replies Heimdall in a heavy voice. Thor's eyes slide to the Gatekeeper. Heimdall gestures for a drink.

"I thought you loyal to the king," he says.

Heimdall nods. "And to those who hold my gratitude."

Thor finishes his drink. "Like who?"

"You know who."

Thor stills and has his lightbulb moment. His eyes darken. "And where is he now?"

Heimdall takes a drink. "Not here."

Thor scoffs. "Is that the reason you're here right now?"

"No," Heimdall says. "Odin weakens as Hela grows strong. It is only a matter of time."

Thor eyes him. "What can you tell me about Hela?"

Heimdall gives him a look. "A vicious murderess," he begins. "An ambitious queen of slaughter and sadistic blades master."

Thor gestures for another drink. "That's a good start."

~\/~

Odin dies.

Asgard grieves.

The funeral is at the edge of dusk and the entire city stands to pay their respects, much like Frigga's own, years before. As he watches, the boat floats off the sea. His father dissolves into stardust.

Odin was not a good man. As much as Thor loves him, he acknowledges that war was something that stained the soul.

The man was a harbinger of war. Hela was no better.

Odin was not a good man, but he was great one.

But even great men fall.

It was the stress, Thor muses.

Loki. Frigga. Hela too, he supposes. Guilt churns in his gut. His own absence may have caused the inevitable tip of the weights.

I love you.

He sighs and watches Odin ascend to the stars in silence.

~\/~

"So he's dead," she smiles. "I'd have liked to see that."

He lets his lips quirk into a humourless smile in return. "You must be Hela."

She gives him an appraising look and takes a few steps onto the bridge. "And you are?"

He swings Mjølnir into his hands. "Thor, son of Odin. I've heard about you."

She ignores his weapon with an unfriendly twinkle in her eye. "You don't look like him."

"Don't I?" He's pretty certain he's blood related. He examines Hela's black hair and pale skin before mentally backtracking. Hela and Loki share a lot of personality traits too. His father was rather old, so Thor isn't certain what colour Odin's hair was. Loki, Hela and his father share some traits as well.

Or did.

He clenches his jaw and hammer tighter. She notices.

Hela indicates vaguely at Mjølnir. "What's with the hammer?" Her eyes narrow. "Are you challenging me?" There's a pause.

"Where'd you come to that conclusion?" he queries with an unkind grin.

She shrugs noncommittally. "I tend to find weaponry as a sign of aggression." She smirks at him. "Why don't you put that away, little brother?"

"And do what?" he asks, stretching their conversation lamely.

Hela straightens. "I am Odin's firstborn, commander of the legions of Asgard and now your queen." The Goddess of Death smiles wickedly. "Kneel."

Thor frowns. "You sound a lot like Loki," he muses thoughtlessly.

Hela tilts her head. "Loki?" she repeats, distracted.

"Yes, my – err – our little brother." He squints. "You two look alike too."

Hela looks around exaggeratedly. "And where might he be? I thought we might have been having a little family reunion."

"Ah," he says, ignoring the pain in his chest. "He died."

"Oh," she pouts. "Isn't that unfortunate."

He raises his hammer. "What's unfortunate is that I've heard enough stories about you to know that you're worse than him." He shrugs. "Nothing personal, but I really can't have you on the throne." It kind of is personal, but he doesn't point it out and she doesn't mention it.

Instead, she gives him a faux sorrowful sigh. "And here I was, thinking that we might get along."

Hela summons swords into her hands with a devilish smile.

~\/~

She kicked him off the bridge.

Hela kicked him off the Rainbow Bridge.

He yelled out in frustration, just seeing Mjølnir explode in her fingers over and over again. His beloved hammer.

He threw some trash and dented metal but he felt weak. Felt angry, tired, shocked, horrified. He combed through his hair and called out, "Heimdall, look after our people."

Sure that he heard it, Thor got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. He could see colourful portals and massive rivers of trash falling from the sky. In every direction, he could see metal and dirt and endless fields of waste. He grimaced.

He sighed and was about to pick a direction when he heard the roar of engines.

~\/~

When he saw him, a chill ran down his spine.

The idiot was restrained in a chair while the Grandmaster cheerily led him around. He couldn't fathom what Thor was doing on Sakaar.

He was adamantly arguing with the Grandmaster, declaring that he needed to return to Asgard. Of course he did. His brother was an impatient oaf.

(He wondered by Thor did not have his hammer, but then again, he was also wondering why he looked distinctly different from what he remembered. And what he remembered…well.)

He mingled with the other guests in the impromptu party and kept out of sight.

Or tried to.

He was shuffled to a seat with a group who insisted he tell them a story (the longevity of Asgardians – of Frost Giants allowed for quite a story). He'd told tales of snakes, dogs and a jaunt with a horse. Thor's adventures were a bit more interesting, really. The idiot.

He told them about stabbing Thor. It was one of his fondest moments.

"Trickster?" blurted Thor loudly, his voice cutting through the crowd. Loki continued speaking to the enchanted group. After a moment the idiot yelled louder, "Trickster! What the hell are you doing here?"

Loki paused and looked up with the rest of the party guests. He froze.

(Why was Thor looking at him like that?)

The Grandmaster frowned at Loki in profound confusion. "Excuse me?" He waved a hand. "Do you two know each other?"

Loki did not want to expose their relation.

"No, no, I have no idea who this man is-"

Thor frowned at him in puzzlement. It was so estranged that Loki paused. The Grandmaster moved his head in a 'continue' manner. Loki cleared his throat. "No, I have no idea who he is."

Thor carefully deflected his hurt. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't think The Trickster would lie so obviously, or if it was because The Trickster wore Loki's face so perfectly.

(Thor's instincts hissed at him. Something about Loki's voice was off. He just couldn't figure out what.)

The Grandmaster inspected Thor and Loki before shrugging. "Whatever. Lord of Thunder here will be facing my champion," he informed gleefully. Thor growled. "Exciting, isn't it?"

Thor watched Loki flinch. If he hadn't been Loki's brother for millennia, he wouldn't have noticed. Why was The Trickster afraid of the Grandmaster's champion? The Trickster was one of the strongest beings Thor knew. Was the champion truly so terrifying?

But then again, that was Loki's flinch. The Trickster never seemed afraid of anything.

In fact, now that he thought about it, The Trickster always had a slight delay with his body language. Such subtle arts were Loki's forte, but even he could see the strange dichotomy – as if blinking and moving was just an afterthought.

Thinking of it, Thor missed the strained conversation Loki made with Grandmaster.

He was 'escorted' to the gladiator's quarters with Loki's emerald eyes on his back.

Or the back of the chair at the very least.

~\/~

The thing about being the God of Mischief, Lies and Deceit, was that he was very good at spinning a story on the spot. But Thor wasn't. Thor was an atrocious liar. So Loki didn't exactly understand why Thor had called him 'Trickster' but he was quite sure that it had some sort of relation to the years missing from his memory.

Loki didn't forget things.

But even he couldn't deny that Thor had changed, his magic had changed - time had changed.

He gripped his bright purple glass tighter. He wandered over to the display deck next to the Grandmaster's personal sofa and frowned at the crowd pensively.

Thor definitely knew something.

From the way he addressed Loki (as if they weren't brothers) to the way he saw him as someone (something) completely different. He downed the drink and picked up another.

He couldn't help but feel frustrated. There had been a lot of discrepancies when he'd first woken up on Sakaar. It had taken time for it to really make him think about it, but there were a lot.

The first one was the fractured memory of red. An all-consuming, endless void of red.

The second was his skill with his daggers. They felt wrong in his hands, as if they didn't fit anymore. He could still use them with appropriate skill, but they simply felt like they were too small – too weak – too wrong – for him.

The third was that the last thing he remembered was the emptiness of his cell, deep underground in an isolated cell. That he clearly remembered the heat and light and his saying 'yes'.

~\/~

Well, well. I've heard about you, Loki son-of-whoever.

Loki looked up, feeling the mental intrusion but finding no evidence of magic. He snapped his book closed. "Who's there?"

Someone who doesn't want any trouble.

"I very much doubt that," he replied, examining the voice in his head.

I guess it depends on what 'trouble' is. I don't want to kill anyone.

Loki tensed. "Who are you?"

I go by many names. The most recent was 'Loki'.

"You lie."

Nah, I'm not a liar. I'm just a little misleading.

"I am the God of Lies. Speak the truth."

What a claim. Either way, I don't care about your titles. I would like to strike a deal.

"I do not deal with demons," he retorted carefully. "Especially ones I cannot see."

Demons? I'm not a demon. I'm legit the opposite of one.

"You have not identified yourself. I claim the right of calling you such, demon."

Rude. But c'mon, it's not like I'm going to steal your soul. I want to help you.

"I do not need, nor want any help."

Hear me out, Reynard. I can get you out of there. I can make all of it go away.

"Excuse me-?"

Seriously. I know how bitter you are. I know what it's like to be ignored – shamed. When no one listens to you… I know all about that, and I know that I can help you stop it.

"How dare you-!"

Hey! Loki. Listen to me. I've seen what you've seen. I'm Loki. I'm you. And I want to help you, if only you say yes.

~\/~

When Loki had first seen Hulk, four weeks into his stay at Sakaar, he'd almost fled the planet. The memory of the green monstrosity using his body to rip up the ground was not a fond one and he probably would have vanished of the face of the planet if not for the fact that he literally had nowhere else to go.

Sakaar was as far from Asgard as one could get and no one knew who he was (well, he had his suspicions about Scraper 142 but he was always one to play his cards close to his chest). It was the perfect place to hide.

Away from Earth, from his father (both of them), his brother – everyone who could know.

From Thanos too.

So he stayed, drank wine, told stories and manipulated the Grandmaster into his palm with effortless trickery. He'd never felt so free.

Thor's arrival spelt doom.

Loki felt as if something was playing at the strings of Fate, ensuring that he could never get peace. It was an irritating endeavour, but Loki was nothing if not patient. So he plastered a smirk onto his face down at the massive arena and waited for shit to go down. That always happened when Thor was around.

~\/~

Naturally, Thor was slippery enough to escape.

And Hulk.

Loki nodded at the Grandmaster's concerns, mentally thinking over the best course of action. It was a battle of priorities. And safety. In staying on Sakaar, he was highly unlikely to be disturbed or found by Thanos. However, Thor knew he was there and he was expected to bring his brother in for 'escaping'. The problem was that if he 'helped', he would clearly show his side and be forced to give up one or the other.

The major downside to staying on Sakaar was that he could be found again and that he needed answers from Thor. But then again, Loki hated admitting his faults and admitting that he had no idea who this 'Trickster' was to Thor was definitely not on his to-do list.

No. If Thor 'escaped' with Hulk, his position on Sakaar was unlikely to remain stable. The Grandmaster may not be the sanest of individuals, but he was very predictable. To Loki at least.

If they vanished, Loki would lose any source of answers and an easy way out. He'd lose his one opportunity. Loki mentally frowned.

"I'll find them," said Scraper 142 with a sharp smile. "I'll find them first."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I guarantee that I can return both of them within five hours."

"Three," scoffed the woman. Loki shot her a look.

"Two."

The Grandmaster waved his hands with a scowl. "I'm not happy," he told them. "I want my Champion back as soon as possible. If you can contest over who's going to find him in how many hours, I want to see Hulk in one. Chop, chop. You're on the clock."

~\/~

"Why do you want to help Thor?" he questioned slyly.

The Valkyrie glanced over at him. "What's it to you?"

He shrugged elegantly. "He's an idiot. A loud, stupid oaf."

The Valkyrie stopped, letting the door slide shut behind them. She scowled at him. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

He couldn't help it. Loki knew the history of the Valkyries. There were tales of their prowess and Loki had very much admired them, like his brother (he'd liked everything his brother had liked at that time). He found their death very noble. A horrible fate, yes, but the purest way to die. To find one drinking her sorrows millennia old in the waste of a planet made him undeniably vexed.

Which led their quickly deteriorating conversation.

He smirked at her. "Really now? I know all about Thor. Just as I know all about you, Valkyrie."

She froze. Her glare hardened. "Who do you think you are?" she snarled.

"I am Loki," he replied extravagantly. "Your memory might have served you better to remember it."

She bristled. "I asked you a question, Loki."

"One I answered fittingly," he retorted. "It is not my fault you seem unable to comprehend my words. Has your drink addled your brain?"

"How the hell do you know what I am?" she demanded.

He only sneered. "It is not hard to recognise your mark as a disgraced Valkyrie-"

She tackled him, slamming his back to the hard floor and shocking the breath from him. He recovered just as she punched him in the face and he retaliated by kicking out and shoving her off him. With unnatural strength, she flew back several metres. She jumped to her feet instantly, just as he did and she withdrew twin knives. He summoned his pair of daggers.

(They felt so wrong in his hands.)

With the jerky grace of a former Valkyrie, she lunged. He danced around it and aimed for a slice at her wrist. It scraped against her bracers and he leapt into a four step strike, strike, dodge, block.

Soldiers in Asgard's army were taught a very generic style using rather old weapons. It had been used for centuries and very few changes were made. However, experience (from Thor's 'adventures') called for subtle changes in his style. It was something that every battle-hardened warrior (and seiðr) learned.

Loki was no different. His style fit his build and used magic to trick his opponents. It was a difficult to copy and saved a lot of stamina on his part. But then again, Valkyries had far more experience than he.

There was a metallic clang and he leaned backwards to weave around a wild slash at his chest. He recovered quickly and snatched her outstretched wrist between his blade and wrist. It probably wouldn't do much, but he kept her from withdrawing.

His other dagger came around for a quick stab at her heart (he was always fond of a quick, clean kill) but she avoided the blade and trapped his wrist under her arm. They paused.

She glowered. He gave her a mocking smile.

He opened his mouth-

She snapped a leg out into his knee and he unbalanced. She leapt into action, pulling him to her to head-butt him. His grip on his daggers slackened as he stumbled back.

The Valkyrie dropped her knives as she advanced ruthlessly and delivered a vicious right left right to his chest. He stepped back from the force.

Loki was getting destroyed. It wasn't a pleasing thought.

He laughed breathily. He tried not to cough. She glared at him. "Got something to say?"

He straightened slowly with an infuriatingly wide smile. "Why, I didn't think you cared," he retorted. "Your sisters died valiantly," he said grandly. "And I find you, possibly the last of them on this superfluous rock. Did you expect me to call you an esteemed champion of Asgard? You most certainly lost that with your lover-"

She loosed an outraged screech and proceeded to slaughter him.

Emotion was always a good motivator. As God of Lies and Deceit, he knew that the most. So when she unrelentingly kicked him against the wall, he felt the wall crack behind him. He almost fell over.

But he didn't, mainly because her Dragonfang was at his neck and her leg pinned him to the cool metal on his back. It was touching his skin, and the blade was unbelievably sharp. He didn't swallow.

"Choose your next words wisely."

A memory bloomed in his palm and when he showed the Valkyrie her tragedy, she stilled and stricken by a horribly familiar pain.

And when she punched him, the last thing he saw was an endless web of red.

~\/~

"How dare you?" Loki raged.

Well. It was worth a shot. I don't know how my brothers do this. The script never works.

Loki was struck momentarily speechless. "Get out of my mind, creature."

Ho oh, Reynard. Why should I?

With a vicious tug of magic, Loki tried to rip away the presence combing through his memories but the walls of his prison sucked it away. "Stop that," he demanded.

Why? What've you got to hide, eh? It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone. Hell, I can't talk to anyone except you.

"I do not care," he snapped. "Mind magicks are known to cause par-"

Yeah whatever. You can throw your textbooks out the window. I'm not your average Joe.

Loki clenched his jaw. "Then why not enlighten me?"

Have I finally interested you? Praise the old man. What do you wanna know, little me?

He grimaced. "You referred to yourself as Loki."

Yep.

"What do you mean by that?" he prompted when the voice offered nothing else.

Oh you want more? Hm. Well I know that Loki is from Norse mythology, used to be called Loptr ages ago and died.

Loki was about to critique the voice's obvious lies when the last note made him pause. "I did not die," he said indignantly.

I thought you wanted to know about me, reindeer.

"You are not Loki."

I thought you were a genius… Why can't there be two?

"Names have power. Having two beings with the same exact identity would cancel the properties that belong to that exact name-"

-unless you belong to another universe.

"Theoretical."

Truth.

"There is not an ounce of evidence that supports Mímir's teachings."

That's the wise severed head in mythology or whatever, right? Either way, the dude's got smarts.

"Excuse me?" he spluttered. "Mímir was-"

Does it really matter? If Mímir told you there are alternate universes, he's right.

"Mímir believed that magic originated far beyond the Nine Realms. He only suggested the existence of a mother universe or foundation."

Well there you go. Living proof.

"There is no proof."

Sure is. Have you not acknowledged my dazzling self? I am a walking miracle.

"You arrogance truly astounds me. You are no more than an illusion. A figment of my imagination."

You know you're insulting yourself now.

"It's certainly telling of the inmates' intelligence, if I must entertain myself with a mirage."

I'd say I'm a little more than a mirage, Reynard.

"Stop calling me that."

You can't stop me~!

...

Wait. Hello?

Hey! Don't ignore me!

What- hey! Loki!

Oi! Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?!

Awh, c'mon. Talk to me...

:(

~\/~

"Surprise!" he drawled.

Thor stopped in the middle of the doorway and the man behind him (Loki's lips twisted in distaste) bumped into his back. "Trickster," he acknowledged.

Everyone blinked. The Valkyrie gave Thor a frown. "You didn't say you knew each other."

Thor blinked and straightened. "Oh. This is The Trickster, a friend."

Loki felt very confused. And wounded.

"A friend?" repeated the green brute of a man behind him incredulously. "That's the guy who tried to take over the world!"

Thor looked rather taken aback, as if the thought had never occurred to him. "What-no! This is not…" Thor hesitated. "My brother is dead. This is another being who wears his skin."

"Excuse me?" blurted Loki and Valkyrie, aghast.

Thor rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really know how it-" He stopped. He squinted at Loki with a deep frown. It was a peculiar expression, one that Loki wasn't very familiar with.

"…Loki?"

Loki tilted his head with a 'did-you-lose-even-more-brain-cells-idiot' manner and an eyebrow rose. "…Yes?"

Thor took a step back, eyes widening, as if seeing him for the first time. "Brother?" he whispered in shock. Banner and the Valkyrie exchanged looks. Thor stared at him.

Loki didn't know what to say.

(He'd never heard his brother sound like that. What was going on?)

"You're alive!" he exclaimed, rushing forward and embracing him tightly.

Loki tensed and made a face. "Err- Thor, you can- can you not- okay. Alright then."

"The Trickster said you died," Thor told him quietly. "I thought you were dead. For years."

Loki's shoulders slumped in undisguised surprise. "What?"

Thor let go and Loki wiggled in his chains. He turned to the Valkyrie. "Please release him."

She and Banner gave him weighty looks. "I think you owe us an explanation first."

"Yeah, I think that would be great," agreed Banner blandly.

Thor startled and started to speak when Loki interrupted.

"Perhaps you can start with 'The Trickster'."

Thor paused. "What is the last thing you remember?" he asked slowly.

Loki considered that. Truth or lie?

"Escaping prison."

Banner paused. "That was years ago," he said in surprise. He thought it over. "Oh my god, that all makes sense!"

Thor seemed to be on the same thought process. The Valkyrie just looked out of her depth.

Loki shook his head.

He hated it. Revealing that he had no idea what was going on was a massive blow to his pride. He was used to being one (or many) steps ahead. It was something he'd prided himself in. His justification, his emotional outlet. So being many (or one) steps behind was far from his comfort zone.

He hated it. Not just because it undermined his best trait, but it gave room for a certain kind of vulnerability.

"Um," interjected the Valkyrie from the other side of the room, glass in hand. "How do you know this guy?"

"He tried to invade my planet," said Banner dully.

"Ah," attempted Thor. "He's…" Loki shot him a look. Thor rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He turned to the woman. "This is my little brother, Loki. He's the…err, exiled prince of Asgard."

"For invading another planet?" she clarified, unimpressed.

Loki gave her a dark smile. "Surprise~."

"I guess lawlessness runs in the family," she scoffed.

Thor and Loki gave her twin miffed looks.

Banner picked up a gun from the Valkyrie's table. "So, uh… do we have a plan?"

Everyone looked at Thor.

Thor got to his feet beside Loki. He put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "We're getting there."

~\/~

"It's been a long time, brother," remarked Thor. His eyes slid to his brother who was quickly bulldozing through the codes. "You seem well."

Loki pressed 'enter' and went through without looking at Thor. "The result of two years away from that city." Despite his dislike for the self-exiled Valkyrie, he did find the planet of Sakaar rather relaxed.

There was the zap of an energy gun and he pivoted to take cover behind a corridor.

"True," Thor allowed. He snatched a gun from a downed enemy and began to shoot back. "Wait." He frowned at his brother. "You've been here for years?"

Loki rolled his eyes. He withdrew his daggers and flung one into someone's eye with a squelch. "Is that so difficult to believe?"

"Well…no," said Thor. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Enjoying death."

There wasn't really a good response to that.

They continued through the hallways.

"Do you really remember nothing beyond your escape?" Thor questioned hesitantly.

Loki sighed. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes! The Trickster was a very different person from you."

Loki stopped and face his brother with a scowl. "I have no idea who that is."

Thor struggled to find a word to describe the entity. "The Trickster was… He had no ambition. But he had strength. Stronger than you or I." A pause. "Strong enough to harness an infinity stone."

Thor was watching closely.

Loki went very pale.

"An infinity stone?" he repeated numbly.

Thor nodded gravely. "I've been searching for signs for the past two years but I haven't had any luck." Loki stared at his brother.

"…How many years has it been?"

Thor couldn't help but to feel pity. "A long time, brother."

~\/~

"You're rude," pouted the man in front of him.

Loki jolted and his hands reached for weapons that weren't there. Then he placed the voice. "You…you're the presence."

"You're a smart one, aren't ya?" huffed the man sarcastically.

He was surprisingly short, with blond hair. He had a pair of almost glowing gold eyes and an impish grin. Loki stared at the visage for a moment. The man looked indisputably Midgardian. Loki could have called him a mortal if it wasn't for the supernatural element to him. It could only be described as a heavy, warning weight on his senses that told him that this was no human, or even Asgardian.

"Finally decided to show yourself?" he sneered.

"Yep," said the being with an infuriating smirk. "Name's Loki."

The actual Loki let his eyebrows raise in condescending scorn. "Not here."

The being shrugged. His shoulders rolled with the gesture in an appallingly casual gesture. "I'm the only one of me around," he said knowingly.

Loki didn't dignify that with a response.

"What do you want?"

The entity shrugged again. "I want to talk to you."

Loki scoffed. "Are you so inadequate to speak to someone who clearly doesn't wish the same?"

"You're the only one who can comprehend me," admitted the creature.

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Are you so inept?"

He rolled his eyes and gestured widely. "Take what you will, reindeer."

"I will," retorted Loki smoothly.

The being studied him as intensely as Loki did in return. "You gotta stop trying to play both sides, kid."

Loki gave a cruel smile. "You know nothing."

"I know more than you do."

"You challenge me? A creature who steals the names of others and cares not to respect one's boundaries?" he questioned.

"When you put it like that…" hummed the creature. "…I still don't care."

"You admit you have no respect."

"Oh nah," he laughed. "I tend to respect those who exercise their free will to their beliefs."

Loki paused. "You speak in riddles."

The being gave a superior look. "If I start making sense, you know the world is ending."

"Then perhaps you should start making that happen."

"The end of the world?" he specified amusedly. He chortled. "Oh that already happened."

Loki looked on in bemused interest. "And? Was the coming of Ragnarök so subtle?"

He shrugged. "Depends on where you look."

"Your meaning?"

"Oh c'mon Reynard. Haven't you seen the Void?"

Loki stilled. "The Void calls the end of all?"

The entity smirked. "Depends on where you look," he repeated.

"Speak plainly," demanded Loki. "What involvement does the Void have in Ragnarök?"

He studied Loki so closely that Loki felt as if he was looking through him. "You ever thought of the end as the beginning?"

"What relation does that-?"

"Answer the question, kiddo."

Loki looked distinctly annoyed. "No," he answered. "The end signifies the final closure. To begin again is a paradox."

"The universe is a paradox," sniffed the creature. "You ever heard of the saying 'the beginning of the end'?"

Loki tilted his head. "You still have not answered any of my questions. I have no obligation to continue humouring you."

The being sighed. "Alright, I'll get to the point, you impatient fox. Back where I'm from, the 'mother universe', I was known as Loki. I'm a Trickster. Like you. The only real difference is that I'm way more hands on than you." He gave Loki a smirk. It was familiar by its cruelty and unforgiving glee of a prank well done.

"And as you can probably tell, I'm a bit stronger than you." He gestured at himself. "I know that you want to do something, but get planted into the ground a few times too many." His lips quirked as he inclined his head meaningfully. "I can do it for you."

Loki couldn't help but say, "Plant yourself in the ground?"

The 'other Loki' rolled his eyes. "I can help you."

"I have no desire for charity."

"Hey, your words, not mine." The being rolled his eyes. "Look, I can get rid of this Thanos guy you're so scared of." Loki froze and went chalk white. "Damn, he really did a number on you, didn't he?" huffed the entity.

"Thanos cannot be killed," murmured Loki.

"Who said anything about killing him? 'Getting rid' of someone isn't always killing them, you know."

"You just demonstrate the unrefined sophistication of Midgardian slang," snapped Loki.

"Sometimes you just gotta yield to a greater force, Reynard," he sang.

"And undermine my own worth?" he flung back. "Your argument relies on the belief that I do not have a plan already."

"But the chances of victory are low using that plan," he pointed out.

"I have contingencies."

"And I have brute force."

"You'll find that I am not like Thor."

"But you'll admit that sometimes his way is more reliable."

"It is no more reliable than mindless brutes charging into battle without a plan."

He shrugged. "Well I'll tell you now, plans get derailed pretty easily."

~\/~

"The point I'm trying to make," said Thor in frustration, "Is that you should come home."

"It is not my home," said Loki stubbornly. "Asgard betrayed me."

"Can you not forgive?"

Loki studied his brother. The elevator hummed in the silence. "No."

Thor sighed. It was heavy enough to make him pause.

"…I wish…I wish we never grew up."

Loki looked taken aback. "You say that now?"

Thor looked over his brother. "I grieved you," he said. "It put a lot of things in, ah…perspective."

"Sentiment," he huffed.

"It's not… That's not a bad thing, Loki."

"Isn't it?"

Thor laughed helplessly. "You really haven't changed, have you?"

Loki sullenly examined his brother. "It seems that you aren't the only one stuck in the past."

The elevator rose another few floors in silence.

"Speaking of…" said Thor. "You remember 'Get Help', right?"

Loki paused. "No."

"Yes!" beamed Thor. "It's great."

"It's humiliating."

"Oh just think of it as 'sibling bonding'," laughed Thor light-heartedly.

Brute force indeed.

~\/~

"You see, Loki," started Thor. "You haven't changed."

He sat on the floor next to his brother's shuddering body. "I'd say it's not personal, but it really is." He showed Loki the disk's controller in his hands. "I've changed a lot, brother.

"Fighting battles beyond me – it's what heroes do. Obviously it's not healthy to do it a lot, but that's why it's 'heroes' as in plural. The Avengers team, the 'Revengers' team, whatever else people have made up – we're heroes because we fight for a common goal. Together. In this case, it's to escape the planet and save Asgard from Hela – oh yeah, did you know we have a sister? An older sister. She's pretty crazy. I thought you two were really alike. You should take notes – actually. No, don't do that."

He shook his head. "Whatever. The point is, you're the God of Mischief. And I don't exactly know what your goal was, but you're... predictable. It might be because it's been ages since I've seen you, but Loki, brother. You've got to change. Those times when you played tricks on me? I fell for them, yeah, but in hindsight, they were all the same. I trust you, you betray me." He gave a banal smile. "And it just goes on." He pat his brother's chest. "So, maybe next time."

He got to his feet, placing the controller a bit away and headed to the ship.

He paused. "I really do wish I could trust you though."

And with that, he was gone.

~\/~

"C'mon, work with me," sighed the creature. "Why don't you want my help?"

"For all I know, you are a lying demon trying to take advantage of my supposed weakness."

"Well. I won't deny that. But two things that you can sure about it that I'm no demon. I won't lie to you either. I think you got enough of that."

"Nothing you say will-"

"Let me finish," he interrupted, putting his hand up.

"-convince me otherwise."

He gave Loki an irritated look. "I need your consent. I'm not a demon, and I'm not lying.

"In an alternate universe, my name is Loki. I have more power than you, yes, but I can't use most of it without your consent. I need you to say yes."

Loki glared at him. "You boast power and use none."

The other Trickster rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers.

His stomach lurched as the cell faded away, replaced by the sprawling universe – countless stars and limitless dark. There was a pounding in his chest and something burned deep in his soul.

He choked from the sensory overload and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor of his cell again.

The creature gave him that same superior smirk. "You need more proof?"

"You…you," he panted.

"Yeah, just get your breath back, kid," he said smugly.

"What was that?" he snapped once he rolled into a proper sitting position.

"A demonstration." He smirked. "I boast power, and I back that shit up." He crouched down to Loki's level. He was still rather short. "You on the other hand…" He tilted his head with a quirk of his lips. "I got the power you don't have."

"Your argument has few convincing factors."

The being looked ready to pull on his hair. "This is why I hate vessel hunting…" he mumbled. Loki frowned. "Either way, you have the choice to stay here in these four walls, waiting for a tiny window and an guess, or you say yes, and I will kill Thanos and free you."

Loki's sharp mind went over that. "What happens to me?" he queried slowly, finding the words insufficient.

The creature eyed him. "You'll fade into the background. Maybe you'll sleep."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "That is not an answer."

He shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it. That's what'll happen."

"What else aren't you telling me?"

The entity heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, alright. You might die."

Loki gave an incredulous look. "What is the point of gaining victory if I am not there to reap the rewards?"

"Victory doesn't guarantee reward," corrected the other Trickster. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You remind me of myself, before the Winchesters," he said thoughtfully. "You're afraid of standing up to those above you, and think that being patient and waiting for it all to blow over is the right course of action. It's not."

"What… would you know?"

"A lot more than you think. You need to stop thinking you can just hide behind these walls, thinking up plans that you'll never use." He crouched down across from Loki, golden eyes glowing brightly. "I'm offering to help you, so take it. You just need to say 'yes'."

Loki's repertoire of replies died his throat.

And despite how much he hated it – hated his brother, hated his father, hated himself – he wanted to take it. It seemed so easy. Too easy. He stared at the entity, who showed no deception, simply waiting for an honest response. As the God of Lies, Loki was well versed in the art of the cunning craft. To lie was an art that one could only master through experience and a magnitude of self-control. The alternate version of him had all of that in spades.

And while Loki was certain that entity was keeping him in the dark about what his saying 'yes' would actually do, the underhanded blame shifting and attempted manipulation of all his woes and fears...well. It was heartless and apathetic, but Loki knew all about that. If anything, it made him rather impressed. To successfully lie to the God of Lies always impressed him.

And that didn't even start on the promises the creature whispered in his ear. It was, after all, what he wanted, just more obvious.

There was little Loki could say no to. The other Trickster had come at just the right moment. Self-reflection was something that made Loki burn hotter, despite the irony. He felt no regret. He felt betrayed, angry, tired...

Loki had never felt so low in his life. Finding that he was nothing more than a monster, falling and failing to even lead a war… There had been no reprieve. Just a weary, unending calculation of the variables. To be offered a way out – to 'fade into the background', sleep or die – was something Loki hadn't even known he'd wanted. It was so much easier to just pass off the responsibility.

And the other version of him was no pushover either. He had power; Loki could feel it.

So he met the molten gold eyes of 'Loki' and said, "Yes."

~\/~

"You got a vision?!" cries the Valkyrie, slicing through another berserker. "How is that reliable?!"

"It's the only chance we got!" Thor hollers back. He electrocutes another dozen berserkers.

The stream's slowly coming to a halt. There are fewer of them, but the Big Bad is approaching instead.

Loki says nothing, focusing on keeping his grip on his daggers. He manifests a few illusions and rips through the defences of an enemy. He doesn't really know what is going on, but he has the vaguest idea. Korg, the Kronan warrior was helpful in that regard.

And because Thor has the loosest mouth.

"Loki," calls Thor. "You know the Eternal Flame?"

Loki rolls his eyes and finishes off his last opponent. "What about it?"

"And Surtur's crown?"

"…What do you want to do with those?" he hisses, alarmed.

Thor tries not to make it obvious that he's planning something but subtlety is not his forte. "Destroy Asgard. It's the only way to stop Hela."

Loki shoot him an incredulous look. "Could you repeat that?"

"Start Ragnarök!" confirms Thor with an encouraging thumbs up. "We'll stay here and keep her occupied."

Loki opens his mouth-

"Just do it! I trust you. Brother."

-And closes it.

"Fine," he groans.

It is a horrible idea. But it makes some sort of fragmented sense. He is aware of the prophecy of course. And prophecies (true ones) don't get 'stopped'.

Well, causing the end of Asgard is a good feeling, he internally admits.

He eyes the large ship he'd taken command of in the background.

He retreats from the fight and boards the empty ship behind them. He then flies it into the city, and crashes into the throne room, destroying dozens of pillars in the process.

There is something strangely familiar about seeing the ship lying in front of the throne, surrounded by ruin.

He doesn't dwell on the thought though, and picks a direction from memory.

The palace is as silent as tomb and Loki finds that it's discomforting. He has wandered these halls for millennia, but never have they felt so dead.

He quickly navigates the empty walls (it doesn't feel like years since he'd been there) and finds himself in the vault.

"Just like old times," he huffs, heading inside.

Inside, he quickly snatches the large, horned crown…

(…and the Tesseract…)

…and dumps it on the Eternal Flame.

He stares at it for a moment. "This is the worst decision I've ever made." He pauses. "Or the best."

He proceeds to get the fuck out of there.

~\/~

"Where is he?" mutters Thor, pacing. "He's supposed to be here."

"I'm sure he made it out," says Brunnhilde. The former Valkyrie seems rather sure of that.

Thor looks up at her before shaking his head. "Oh I'm not worried about that. He definitely made it out. I'm just worried about where he went if he's not here."

"Oh," she replies slowly, looking nervous, like the thought just occurred to her. "He's probably… That's not good."

Behind them, Hulk growls helpfully.

"He'll turn up eventually," Thor placates himself. "He won't get into the worst of trouble…"

Even Brunnhilde looks a little sceptical at that.

~\/~

The alternate version of him beamed triumphantly and before Loki could backtrack, the human-shaped illusion burned away.

And there was a light, shoving itself down his throat.

It scorched his insides. Distantly, he heard the walls of his cell implode.

There was a wild laugh. The laugh you might hear when ripping the wings of a butterfly. It was the laugh of success, of gaining victory. Loki was familiar with that cackle.

A moment later, Loki was gone.

A moment later, The Trickster looked up and grinned.

"Guess who's back…back again..."

~\/~

Unnoticed, a ship travels lightly, 'down' from the supernova of a home he'd formerly belonged to.

Naturally, Loki is rather good at everything he does, so piloting the space ship, no matter how damaged in appearance, is rather easy.

He finds himself unsatisfied.

Not in the sense that he hasn't accomplished enough, but in the sense that he wants more.

Which leads him to this endeavour down to the Void.

He's heard the rumours.

Sakaar is a treasure cove of metal and secrets. They all portal down to the scavengers, and they all report to the Grandmaster. And, well…the Grandmaster danced in his palm. So Loki is most definitely aware of the rumours.

And the rumours tell him that the Void has changed.

They tell him that it is a fossil, coated in red and as safe as a spider's web.

For him, as one of the rare few who'd been there and returned, Loki is curious.

He knows what is supposed to be down there.

And red is not supposed to be there.

Not to mention the discrepancy of the fractured red memory.

Somehow, he knows exactly what the rumours are talking about, yet still has no idea.

So yes, he's going to find Thor later. If he's still as predictable as before, the blond God of Thunder will make his way to Midgard. Midgard is the nicest safe haven. While he isn't sure about his (recently) outdated opinion on Thor, the middle realm is the most predictable place for anyone in this situation.

(Unless of course the 'answers' Thor had provided during their escape were a sparser than he'd realised.)

Loki sighs, ignoring the familiar ache of loneliness in his chest.

He has things to do. Important things.

A wicked smirk comes across the Tricksters face, quickly draining the sentiment.

First on the list:

He has to pick something up.

'Let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago.'

- Thor.

You've reached the end.

Please review at the end of the *beep*.

I've left it quite open for the introduction of Infinity War (with a twist) but this is probably the end of the line this year.

Things you may have noticed:

1. Reynard is the name of a trickster fox in a folktale.

2. Loki does show some supernatural skills but that's up to interpretation.

3. I've changed tenses between realms. Really not worth it but...

4. Edited this too. XD