I'm sorry for the really late update! I've been busy, and it's not going to get any better now that school's starting! But here you go! Don't hate me!
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And of course Marvel isn't mine
Loki leapt aside, narrowly dodging Thor's blade. With mjolnir taken from him, he was pushed to using a sword instead, limiting his power significantly. The blonde had considerable talent with the weapon he was using, but it didn't match that of his hammer in the least. Thus, Thor had proposed that his brother not use magic in the duel.
The Jotun couldn't have that. He had negotiated to a restriction on invisibility and duplicating himself. This, of course, was a completely unfair bargain. Without his main source of power, the blonde was just brute strength, and the younger prince still had huge depths of magic. But Loki believed that words were an art of battle as well, and he had just used them to win this fight.
While Thor lifted his sword again, Loki held out his staff and muttered words in a strange language. The blonde began to slow down, stopping completely mid-swing, in the middle of battle like rage. The younger prince snickered as he looked up at the frozen figure.
"You should see the look on your face." He jibbed, backing up and nonchalantly releasing him from the spell. Honestly, after winning six times out of ten, it wasn't even fun anymore. A part of him began to regret his earlier negotiations. Sadly, there was no way that he would let Thor show him up, especially when he was next to powerless. Or rather, without magic. Others may recognize mjolnir only as a powerful weapon, but Loki knew it was also a tool of sorcery that held large amounts of energy.
"At least my face is not blue." He responded bitterly. It was a childish, playful even, attempt at an insult, but the darker man pursed his lips anyway, resisting the urge to trace the patterns on his skin again.
"I think I've beat you enough for one day." Loki taunted, turning away calmly towards the door. The blonde made a sound of rage behind him.
"This is not over!" He yelled, lifting his sword again. The Jotun rolled his eyes.
"Thor, please stop making an idiot of yourself. We both have things to do tonight." Or, Thor had things to do. Some ceremonial banquet that Loki would skip to instead sulk in his room a while longer.
"And what will you be doing?"
"If you regret me leaving so much, I can promise I won't disappear for so long again. But I have to go now."
"You're not doing anything, are you?" He huffed, concern showing on his face. Loki scowled.
"What I do is none of your business. But as for what I don't do, I will not be going to that banquet. Don't bother trying to convince me." The stubbornness in his voice mimicked that which was often in Thor's.
"Come on brother! It's rude to go missing for so long. You have many people worried." He was using his confident tone to hide worry, avoiding the most obvious flaw in the issue. This time Loki didn't even bother saying anything, just giving the blonde a sarcastic, and slightly apathetic glare with his crimson eyes. Thor shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Stop pretending this is normal." He said quietly. Thor closed his eyes and sighed.
"I do not know what else to do. But perhaps if you choose to come, it will not be as bad as you think? You always predict the worst."
"What fool wouldn't show hate or fear in the presence of a monster?" The Jotun hissed. "Only you, it seems. And you are the most foolish man I know." He didn't mention Lady Frigga, as the comment was meant to sting only the blonde. Thor was silent, offended but unable to think of a comeback that wasn't too cruel.
"If you have nothing more to say, then I will be leaving now." The younger prince said stiffly. Rather than walk away, Loki slowly disappeared, his eyes fixed on Thor the whole time.
So that confirmed it. The man he had always seen to be his brother really did think him a monster. He hadn't protested, had he? And Thor always protested that with which he didn't agree. Oh sure, in Thor's eyes he was a good monster. One blessed enough to live his life in wondrous Asgard, that had become good somehow because of it. He continued to watch his brother behind invisibility, feeling a pit grow in his chest.
Thor looked sad and confused, seemingly unsure of what he had done wrong. The idiot. The Jotun just stared as finally the blonde finally left, leaving a sigh behind.
Back in his room, Loki changed clothes, putting on a nicer outfit. For some reason there was a part of him that actually wanted to go to that stupid banquet. Perhaps it was a desire to confuse his brother further, or to create chaos. Or maybe he just wanted to hear what others were saying about him. Either way, he eventually decided to go out, cloaked in invisibility, to gauge his situation as well as that of Asgard.
As the prince entered the more public part of the palace, a strange feeling came to his stomach. It had only been a few days since he'd been here, but it felt foreign in a way, distant. He felt like he didn't belong. Not an unfamiliar feeling to the Jotun, but an unpleasant one nonetheless. It made it even worse when his thoughts lingered on exactly how he didn't belong.
His eyes darted to his hands again, a small wave of relief washing over him as he didn't see the blue. Invisibility. It was proving to be the most useful skill he had learned, excepting shape shifting, perfect for his… situation.
The tall room being used for this particular event was filled with people and the loud drone of their chatting. Loki was sure most of it was idiocy, but as any ceremonial announcements seemed to have already taken place, and the meal was still an hour or so coming, it would be the perfect place to eavesdrop and gather information.
Swiftly, he weaved in and out of the crowd, stopping to listen in on a conversation here and there, but all he picked up on were exaggerated war stories, talk of clothing, and occasional politics. Nothing he cared to be concerned with. He passed by Thor a few times in a group with his friends, but the Warriors Three knew better than to gossip about Loki with Thor there.
With no luck after thirty minutes, the Jotun was about ready to cause a bit of mischief, and began thinking of a trick he could play on the guests of the banquet. Perhaps do something to the drinks? Turn them to blood? A bit gruesome, and not something that would be taken well. Turn them to ice? That could work. And wasn't it so suiting to his situation too? It would get people talking about him, no doubt, and perhaps give them a bit of a clue as well.
Just as Loki was about to murmur the spell, he heard his name. It came from a corner of the room, where Sif and the Warriors Three stood, he assumed having a conversation. He abandoned the prank, whisking over to the area unnoticed.
"At this point, I begin to wonder if he's in actual danger" Fandral laughed. Taking a sip of mead. "And not just getting into trouble again." Loki bristled slightly. Had the warrior forgotten the huge trouble he had just gotten into with Thor? But that was Thor. Thor was allowed to make mistakes in his friends' eyes, even if they caused wars.
"No. The Allfather wouldn't be so calm if Loki was in danger, would he? Even if it is Loki, you think the King would have sent out a rescue mission of something of the like." Volstagg spoke up, having swallowed whatever he had been chewing a minute before. "I recon he's gotten himself in some big trouble, and is hiding. Too embarrassed to show everyone his punishment." He actually grinned. Was the idea of Loki's punishment so delightful to the fat man, or was he just stupid? The prince couldn't decide. Fandral, on the other hand, laughed again.
"Ay!" He agreed. "Perhaps someone's gone and sewn his lips again. Though I find it surprising that the Allfather's allowing him to cower the way he is." Cower? In a way that struck a nerve. The Jotun would love to see one of them handle this better.
"What do you think, Hogun?" The larger man asked.
"We should not make assumptions, especially know how unpredictable Loki is." He said, not bothering to raise his voice. If the dark-haired warrior spoke, people listened without need for him to speak up. In the prince's opinion, he was the most competent out of Thor's friends.
"Well we wouldn't need to make assumptions if someone would just tell us what is going on." The blonde warrior turned to Sif pointedly at that moment. The Lady Warrior had been quiet throughout the conversation, a resigned look in her eyes mixed with slight annoyance.
"And if you wouldn't be so nosey, we wouldn't have the issue in the first place." She jibbed back, and Volstagg laughed at his friend's frown. Loki almost smiled, appreciating her secrecy. Fandral just let out a low whistle.
"Lady Sif, defending Loki?" He raised an eyebrow. "I swear, the trickster must have dug himself into deep trouble this time."
"Don't you trust my judgment, you oaf?" She replied, rolling her eyes. "You know I would be the first to jump at a chance to get under Loki's skin."
"Then I don't see what the problem is." The larger man laughed, his tone teasing. Unlike his blonde friend, he wasn't determined to get the information, instead enjoying conversation and good company.
"The problem is I actually know when I need to keep my mouth shut." Her tone was joking now, lightening the mood. Volstagg raised an eyebrow.
"What are you suggesting Sif?" He asked playfully.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She replied, smiling.
"You pity him." Hogun said simply, and the woman's smile disappeared. Loki narrowed his eyes, waiting to see where this would go. Sif looked uncomfortable, and annoyed that the darker man had pulled the conversation back to that topic.
"Pity?" The blonde warrior asked. "I don't care what happened to him Sif, but you know how he is. Causing mischief, lying, facing battle like a coward. He probably deserved it." Something snapped in Loki's mind. That hurt, and he wouldn't let the warrior get away with those words.
"Once again, Fandral, you speak without thinking." He said calmly, still unseen. He used a spell to project his voice around them so they couldn't find his location. All four warriors except Hogun jumped in surprise, trying to detect the source of the voice. "Speaking out so harshly when you are so clueless as to what's going on." The man took a step forward, maintaining his composure, and grinned. The fatter man continued to look for the source of the voice, confused.
"Well then, would you be so kind as to inform us?" Fandral asked.
"No." He replied slickly. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not always a kind soul."
"What soul?" The blonde muttered, but Volstagg quickly stepped forward to cover up his words.
"We were just playing around Loki." He said apologetically. "Why don't you stop this magic you're doing and have an actual conversation?" The prince snickered quietly. His magic always had unnerved them.
"Trust me, I'm doing you a favor." He said darkly.
"What? Is your punishment that horrid?" The blonde man stepped up again. "I guess it's not another needle to your lips, as you're speaking to us." Loki rolled his eyes despite the fact that they couldn't see him.
"Punishment? I have done nothing worth punishing." He hissed.
"I'm sure you've done something that could justify it." At this point, his words were half teasing, but with the prince at the focus of it, Loki didn't take it kindly. Sif looked similarly annoyed, knowing her friend was stepping way out of line. Perhaps after a few glasses of wine his tongue was growing too loose.
"You have no idea what you are talking about, you imbecile." When he said that, Sif felt she could hear the unspoken words: no one deserves this.
"Then come one, old friend, prove it! Tell your tale and we'll hope that for once you're not lying." Fandral was laughing, but it was clear that his intent was more malicious than his tone suggested. Volstagg was frowning, having given up on trying to shut the man up. "At least it would be better than hiding like a coward." Loki narrowed his eyes and stood very still.
"Want to find out that much, do you?" He said dangerously. Now his voice once more sounded like it came from him, and the four warriors turned toward the noise. Sif visibly put her head it her hand, exasperated and knowing that nothing good would come.
He let the invisibility slowly slide off him, looking down to see his blue hands appear once more. Red eyes glared at the blonde warrior, and a bitter smiled spread across the prince's face.
"Happy?"
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