AN: Hello guys i'm back with the next chapter. I hope the wait wasn't too long. I really loved typing this chapter out for some strange reason, haha :) I hope you guys enjoy and leave a review after you read!


Chapter Eight

The days passed quickly and finally Loki's birthday arrived. The trickster woke up in bed, staring up at the ceiling. They were having a ball in honor of his birthday tonight. It was open to all the nine realms and the trickster was excited about it for some reason. Loki dressed quickly and headed down into the courtyard.

Thor was there sparring with Fandral in the warm glow of the morning sun. The past few days had been wonderful, he had become more prone to smiling and laughing especially around Thor. He didn't really mind the change in him, fact was he welcomed it, just as he welcomed his and Thor's relationship.

"Morning, birthday boy," Thor called walking over to him, wiping his brow with a towel as they ended their practice.

"Good morning, you're sweating like a pig," Loki teased, quickly running away before Thor could catch him.

"Loki! Get back here!" Thor shouted as Loki ran away from him.

"You've got to catch me!" Loki yelled over his shoulder laughing as he ran into the palace gardens.

"Catch you I will!" the thunderer laughed, happy that his brother was the way he was now, "Slow down will you! I've been sparring this whole morning!"

"That's your downfall Thor," Loki said as he nimbly climbed the thick trunk of a willow tree sitting atop the sturdy branches as he watched Thor, run towards him standing before the tree, looking up, panting.

"I am not climbing up there to get you," Thor growled as he looked up at the younger god who smirked and shrugged, "Too bad then, I win," he said.

Thor laughed, "No you don't," he said, reaching to grab Loki's ankle as he pulled him down from the branch, catching the other's lithe body squarely in his arms, "I win," he whispered, leaning in and kissing the other on the forehead. "You should be getting ready for tonight's ball you know," he murmured.

"Am I a princess now Thor?" Loki growled, slipping out of Thor's arms, he walked on ahead back into the castle grounds, a smile secretly playing on his lips.

"You're a little prince," Thor smirked, running to catch up to Loki.

"Thor, Loki, breakfast, hurry and change," Freyja called to them seeing the two boys running into the courtyard. Things had never been better between these two and Freyja was delighted that Loki was finally smiling and happy not secluding himself in his study, being alone. He had changed so much this past week, it was a wonder that he had once been the quiet secluded child who stood by his own, the young man that watched in the corner. Freyja could sense something else as well, a deeper feeling of more than just brotherly love.

That evening, Loki stood with his brother at the entrance to the ballroom greeting all the guests. He tried his best to put on a smile and to maintain a short conversation with the guests. It was close to dinner when he met Tony Stark again, the man from Midgard that he held a special place in his heart for.

"Loki, looks like even gods have birthdays, here I got you something, I don't know if you'll like it but, I figured you know…why not?" Tony said, handing the trickster a little device, "That's a phone, you probably already know that…I sort of gave it an upgrade, now you can text me from high up in this palace of yours. Literally. You can try it later you know just in case you get lonely or something."

Loki smiled, hugging Tony and keeping the present in the pocket of his jacket. 'I doubt I'd need it but I guess it's the thought that counts.'

As dinner time approached the guests filed into the great hall, where the long table for feasting had once again be set up. This time, Loki sat together with both Thor and Tony, the latter having been left alone when Natasha and Barton had not turned up due to the fact that they were on a mission.

Thor of course, was protective of Loki, not wanting to lost to Tony, he took on the role of serving the trickster, taking pieces of meat and bread and servings of soup and dessert for him. Loki was touched by his brother's gesture and could not wait to repay him after the whole ceremony was over that night. The things he would do, Loki smirked.

It was at the end of dessert when the all-father stood, holding a hand up and calling everyone to attention, "It is with great honor that I welcome you into the palace of Asgard today to celebrate my youngest son, Loki's birthday. I trust you all have enjoyed the meal and festivities, however, people of the nine realms it is not only for my youngest son's birthday that I have called you all here. There is something else."

At that the hall was filled with murmurs as people began to talk of the possibilities of the things to come.

"You'd almost think that your father invited them to tell them of your marriage as well," Tony joked, whispering to Loki as the hall once more quieted down to receive the news.

Loki sat, silently wringing his hands, the fear and anticipation that was eating away at him was so great that he wanted to scream at Odin to get the news out. Butterflies swarmed in his stomach as he pricked his ears when the all-father began to speak.

"It is with great pleasure that I tell you, people of the nine realms that my eldest son, Thor, god of thunder and soon to be king, will wed his cousin, Athena, goddess of war. The marriage will be held in a week's time, in which all due preparations are to be made. You are all herby invited to attend the wedding ceremony and reception."

At those words, Loki thought that he was going to throw up. The churning in his stomach never stopped it only grew greater as fear consumed him, he felt light headed and his vision began to swim. 'Thor…getting married…Athena…a week…' Why had he not seen this coming? How could he have thought that things between Thor and him would go back to normal? That they would just…fall in love and live happily ever after? Loki stood, rather unsteadily and excused himself from the room, unnoticed by all except the two beside him.

The thunderer was shell shocked, he wanted to smash Odin for this. To kill the old man. How the hell could he have done this without his consent. Yes, Odin was his father, yes he was the god that everyone had to obey. But this! This was too much, marrying Athena, a woman he barely even spent time with and let alone had feelings for. And in a week's time to top it all off! He wasn't ready. He would never be ready. He watched in silence as he saw his dark haired brother, stand and run from the room. His birthday in ruins thanks to the news. What kind of person was Odin to announce such a thing on Loki's birthday? It was intentional it had to be, Thor convinced himself of that. He stood now, about to go after Loki when Odin came over, the beautiful Athena at his side.

"Thor I thought you might want to spend tonight with Athena, get to know more of each other before the big day," Odin said, making it sound like a request but Thor knew it was a command. One that he would have to obey, "Take her into the gardens, son and treat her well. Go."

Thor seethed with anger, masking it as he held out his arm to Athena, his wife to be. Petite, lithe, fair skinned and dark-haired just like Loki, she was a sweet woman. But Thor didn't like her. He couldn't like her. Silently he made his way out into the gardens with Athena.

Anger. That was what the feeling that coursed through him was. Loki was angry. How could they do this to him? On his birthday! The one day he was supposed to be happy! But of course, adopted children don't even get that do they? He thought, donning his helmet, he let his staff materialize, teleporting himself to the Bifrost where he found Heimdall, watching the gates to the nine realms. He cloaked himself, sneaking up on the gatekeeper as he knocked him out cold, freezing the man he had known as a child into the ground.

"I'm sorry," he said, tone not one bit feeling sorrowful at all. There was too much rage too much hatred that he couldn't control himself.

Loki stabbed the sword into the centre of the observatory, the portal opening. He'd seen Heimdall controlling the gates before enough to know how it all worked. He set the portal to open to Midgard, the notion that Midgardians were the weakest amongst all the people of the nine realms made the planet all the more reason for him to go to.

"You asked for this Odin. You asked for it," he said with a devilish grin as he entered the portal.

He found himself thrown into a back alley, the lights at one end calling to him. Loki walked towards it, all the while the beat of some kind of music growing louder and louder. Then he stepped out onto the streets, people milling past him in droves. The trickster took in the sights and sounds, moving vehicles honking their horns, people talking on the streets, large neon signs and electronic advertisements covered the tall sky scrapers. Where the hell was this?

Who cares? The monster in him, the anger that consumed him spoke now, his injured soul giving in. Who cares where this place is. These people would pay for Odin's act. They would die and for a god, a trickster like him with the power of magick at his hand and his skill, it would be like squashing flies. He grinned at the thought, walking into the drove of cars that honked at him now, left and right he fried them with blasts of fire. The people began to run in fear.

It felt good, to wield this power of fear over them, just like what the all father was doing to him. He sent the cars flying, smashing into the buildings, the neon signs exploding with the gasoline in the cars, igniting the building, making it go up in flames. The huge television screens on the buildings shattered, the small shards of glass raining down on the humans as they ran, some killing them instantly, others only injuring them and through it all, Loki never once thought twice. Where he would have been merciful before, he wasn't, he felt joy in fact as he heard the screams of people. Their cries of help, their tears of sorrow as they watched the destruction and death of the people they loved right before their eyes. Who would help them now in their time of need? No one because no one would help him no one…but…

"Loki, I'm so sorry I'm going to have to do this but Avengers protocol," Tony said before he sent a blast out of the suit of metal, sending the trickster reeling from his height off a sky scraper, he caught the god in mid-fall, unconscious and surprisingly unhurt. "You're really a god then, indestructible is included on your list of attributes," he murmured to himself, before he informed Banner and the Captain of his capture.

"I got him Bruce, you and Cap just head on back to HQ, I'll be right over with the prisoner, don't give a peep to Fury yet you hear me? I'll tell him the news when I get in and ring Nat and Barton and tell them we've got the situation under control," he said before turning off the system communicator.

"This is going to be a very long night," Tony said with a sigh, headed for the blue neon sign that stood undamaged at the other end of the city that was Stark Tower.


AN: ...okay i feel sorry for Loki as well. Am i mean or am i mean? Haha oh well it just decided to turn out this way :) I hope you all liked it! Will update again soon!