"He is playing with us, my king" An advisor lamented as they looked over the map showing each place this 'Loki' had attacked. Since the being had been first seen in Asgard two weeks previously, there had been no other attacks on different realms and the locations of the attacks, though they were focussed in Asgard, seemed to be random.

Gods, he wished father were here to help him, Thor thought often. Odin had fallen into the Odin sleep a week before the first attack on Asgard and showed no signs of waking at all though he never did before he woke for real.

Thor would often go to sit by his fathers side, especially after attacks. That days attack had been particularly vicious, eight warriors were dead as well as three young innocents, and it weighed on Thor's heart that he couldn't do anything about it. Thor had been there of course, had watched as the shape of his brother slaughtered Asgardians before him and it had been difficult to watch and fight though he pushed himself on into the fight, knowing that the imposter would not leave before it was seemingly bored of the destruction or Thor showed up and got too close.

As his entered odin's chambers that night there was something wrong, Thor could feel it in the air, there was something not right. He pulled Mjolnir from its harness on his belt and stalked forward. "Do not come closer, Odinson" said a voice from the shadows that sent Thor's heart beating fast and his mind racing.

"Why do you take the form of my brother, imposter? What do you hope to achieve?" Thor demanded, frowning deeply and holding onto the belief that his Loki was gone and this being, who had killed many, was not him. For how could he be?

There was a familiar laugh as Loki came out of the shadows, Thor had never gotten a close look at him before and he looked worse than the reports had described, he was thin and his body seemed to shake with exhaustion. "You would deny your own brother, Thor? You, who said he loved me dearly on the day of my 'death' would deny me now I've returned?" He asked incredulously, walking slowly to Odin and looking down at him with nothing but determination in his eyes, "I don't suppose he ever told you what he did?" He said softly, stroking his cold fingers over the cheek of the man he'd not called father for so many years now. "and what he allowed to become of me..."

Thor frowned deeply, he didn't know what to believe, "If you are Loki... Then tell me what I said to you on the cliff top after I pulled you from the avengers plane" he demanded, he'd never spoken about that night to anyone and only the real Loki would know.

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, thinking back, "You told me to give up my 'poisonous dream'... and that you had mourned, that all of Asgard mourned for me... and you told me to come home" he said gently, knowing Thor would know he was his Loki now.

"Loki... it's you..." Thor breathed, coming forward with his arms outstretched. Only to be confronted with a small throwing knife grazing his cheek as it was thrown. Thor took a deep breath and his hand went to his cheek as he looked to Loki with wide eyes, he'd not been expecting such hostility, though now he thought he wasn't sure why.

"Do not touch me!" He almost screamed, looking more unhinged than ever as he lost control of himself a little, he was owned by Master, only Master could touch him, he only wanted Master to touch him.

Thor gasped and pulled back, he hadn't expected such an outburst from his little brother, "What happened to you, Loki?" He asked, Loki was usually so in control and he only had outburst like that when he was completely and utterly distressed.

"You wish to know what happened to me?" He asked, looking down and laughing softly to himself, "Our father sold me to Thanos for the safety of Asgard. He sent me to unknown torture and pain... and... and he was right to..." Loki admitted softly, he hadn't allowed himself to think of his past for a long while, not since Master had caught him and made him stop, "My Master took me, cared for me, moulded me into something better. He has given me another chance to make him proud and to do right by him... and as such I offer you this chance, Odinson. Yield the tesserect to me and my Master shall spare Asgard the fate of the other realms. He's not unreasonable"

Thor was stood in shock, father wouldn't do that... would he? The use of the term Master also worried him greatly, "Loki... you have no Master. Now, come home... Mother has missed you" He said gently, ignoring Loki's words about the tesseract coming forward a little again, only to have Loki scuttle away from him, he hadn't had any real contact but for Thanos for so many years and he was starting to feel overwhelmed. He'd thought he was doing well, as well.

A panic attack was about to take him when his eyes widened and rolled back in his head as he crumpled ungracefully to the floor, revealing a dishevelled Odin, holding his staff and looking down to his lost son, who he'd just knocked out. "I think we need to talk, Thor..." He sighed, still looking weary but stronger than he had.

Thanks for reading.