Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any of the characters (just in case you thought so^^)

Alright this is just another tie-over chapter - I promise it will get interesting soon and towards Lokane interaction as we're also nearing the events of Svartalfheim.

I just like to stay as close to canon as possible as it makes the whole situation and fic more authentic and as near to being real as possible but it also leads to some inaccuracies and holes and it takes ages to think up how to proceed and write this damn thing... so sorry again for taking so long... I'm currently stuck on how to proceed with the Infinity Stones as some plot holes and inconsistencies have arisen that I don't know how to deal with as of now...

And at this point I also want to thank everyone that has reviewed this fic again! You really are awesome and an inspiration to help me write this fic to conclusion 3

That applied for all the other readers and followers as well - you make this worth it 3

Now enjoy!

"If you even think about betraying him..."

"You'll kill me?" Loki drawled, eyebrows raised, a carefree, sneer dancing around the corners of his mouth, "Evidently there will be a line."

How heart-warming to know that Thor's friends were still so utterly, and so delusionally, loyal to his brother. How hilarious that they thought they could kill him...

And how ludicrous that he had ever even thought or hoped that they were his friends too... They never had been. They had always revered Thor and reluctantly abided his presence...

And it was grating on his nerves that they all thought betraying Thor was second nature to him and his favourite pastime... they had seen the two of them grow into adulthood, knew how close they had always been, at least, until certain events had unfolded. And, moreover, if Loki had wanted Thor dead, he could have easily killed him down on earth...

Then again the warrior's three had never been very bright and open-minded towards him and had held their own preconceived ideas about him...

Painful memories resurfaced... of them poking fun at him, teasing him... And Thor? He hadn't always successfully hidden the fact that he found their snide remarks funny, too.

If anything they had helped drive a wedge between him and Thor, facilitating his slowly festering anger and jealousy towards him that was the core reason why he had ruined Thor's coronation in the first place and the rest that followed was simple causation... Oh, these hypocrites...

One earlier memory was from back when he had started practising magic with Frigga in the morning... He had gotten particularly good at conjuring up random objects and then duplicating them at the time. But the duplicates always remained insubstantial and vanished as soon as you touched them...

So he had kept on practising on his own down in Frigga's gardens long after his mother had had to attend a court meeting. He was just so fascinated by the workings, the strings of magic that were his to control, the amazing feeling that was left in the wake of using magic.

He had conjured up one of the golden apples that could be found in the orchard, and kept on duplicating it over and over again until the clones didn't just look exactly alike, but were also solid enough to eat and then tasted just like the original. Next thing he went on to duplicate the flowers from Frigga's personal flower bed. He wanted to present her a bouquet of her favourite flowers without having to destroy her work.

"Ah look! What do we have here? A little princessplaying with flowers!" burly Volstagg's – even in early adolescence – booming voice thundered through the garden.

Loki looked up to find Thor, his new friends and Lady Sif walking towards him – probably on their way to the training grounds. Ever since Thor had decided to train with the other warrior novices instead of just with Loki, he had spent more and more time with them in the training grounds. And Loki, who thought combat training to be rather dull and stupid anyway, had decided to study the arts of manipulating Seidr with their mother.

He was so used to training with Thor, and only Thor, them playing and fighting together, that the thought of sharing his friendship with other warriors irked him. Also he was aware that Thor's fighting skills were superior to his and being bested by Thor in private was okay but he didn't want to be humiliated in front of the other warriors...

He could imagine it vividly, them clapping Thor on his shoulders,applauding and congratulating him – the golden, shining winner, and him lying in the dirt while they snickered and whispered to each other about his incompetence... No thanks, he didn't need that. He would instead find something he excelled at first, something wherein he could best Thor and earn their and Odin's praise...

Thor was grinning and shaking his head at Volstagg in a light-hearted reprimand: "Volstagg...really..."

"Oh! Prince Loki, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it was you!" Volstagg excused his comment, it neither felt sincere nor serious.

"I think it's high time you let your eyes be inspected, Volstagg!" Thor tried to diffuse the situation – part of him still realised that his comment had been inappropriate and insulting for addressing a prince of the realm,"You could very well confuse friend and foe on the battlefield with such sore eyesight!"

"Well, with the hair and flowers it is difficult to tell...", Fandral added in Volstagg's defence smirking, joining in on the teasing.

Thor snorted: "Come on now, you two, enough... But seriously though, brother, you are in dire need of a haircut!"

Loki hadn't let his hair be cut in a while and it was reaching just past his chin now. He was immediately self-conscious and stuck the strands behind his ear to give the appearance of short hair.

The trend of males having long hair was only just emerging and Loki had thought to try it out... With age 500 he had felt experimental and also slightly rebellious towards court norms and the strict rules princes had to follow. Being taught in the art of combat instead of magic was also one of those rules...

"And why were you not in the sparing grounds earlier? I was wondering where you had disappeared off to all afternoon and why you missed our training lesson," Thor asked him accusingly, "And now I find you here, picking out flowers!"

"I didn't feel like javelin throwing... I don't like spears – daggers and small swords are preferable... but, still, why even fight with swords at all if you can just confuse your opponents by using magic? It's so much quicker and less bloody..." Loki explained himself, what felt like the umpteenth time, they just never seemed to listen or remember...

Volstagg snorted: "Pah! Magic. That's a cowards and woman's weapon! The honour of battle can only be attained by striking your enemies down using your own forte! And certainly not by throwing flower crowns at them..."

"Then I guess we have to agree to disagree, dear Volstagg... Though I still fail to see how magic is a woman's weapon as I don't see Lady Sif making any use of it and even if she did I'd wager she'd, still, easily beat you in a duel," Loki remarked scowling at them and trying to suppress his anger.

Lady Sif had yet to say something he realized. She always was the polite one of Thor's new friends, rather staying in the background, not yet partaking in their banter. Then again she was quite a novelty as she was the first girl to pursue the warrior's path and had to deal with all kinds of prejudices and mockery herself. That's why Loki held the high hopes that she would realize that they were not so different and in the same boat. She had certainly enamoured him and Loki had to admit his heart sped up a bit every time he saw her these days.

Really she wasn't special. Same blonde hair as all the other maidens around court, wearing dresses and attending the women's courses and parlour sessions when she wasn't in the training grounds. But that was it: She went to the training grounds, took the same fighting and weapon's lesson as he and Thor, stood her ground in the sparring ring and proved that she wasn't just any girl.

He couldn't for the life of him understand why Lady Sif even put up with Thor and the other three. They were insulting and degrading towards women even if they laid it out as simple jests and excusing it by excluding Lady Sif because she was different because she trained with them. But that didn't excuse their hurtful remarks in the slightest.

Sif blushed slightly, quickly looking away from him to the ground and then to Thor: "I would never start a fight with Volstagg or any opponent in such a deceitful manner, knowing they are at a disadvantage from the start. I want my victory to be honourable and gained through stamina and combat-skill not trickery. That's why I chose the noble warriors path instead of scholarly Seidr education."

"Hear hear!" Volstagg laughed. Loki couldn't believe his ears.

He huffed, stood up from where he'd been sitting until now and scowled at Sif: "Well, let us hope that your opponents prove to be as noble-hearted on the battlefield Lady Sif and that you lot never have to face the High-Elves of Alfheim. A good day to you!" – he curtly inclined his head before striding off to the palace.

The most recent memory was from back when they had headed towards the Bifrost to go to Jotunheim. Loki had tried to smoothly get Heimdall to let them pass, but the latter had then confronted him about having been out of his sight.

And while Loki had tried to talk his way out of the accusation Thor had just crudely and harshly stopped him and put him aside to handle the situation. It was just typical Thor. Impatient. Boisterous. Rash. If things didn't immediately go his way he took matters into his own hand no matter the consequences or whom it affected. Loki had taken a moment to handle the indirect dismissal and simmer down his anger and hatred for Thor at that moment.

If he had had any lingering doubts about having led the frost giants into the vault and disrupting Thor's coronation they vanished that instant. It had been the right decision, the best plan of action. And he would see it through to the end. Show Odin that Thor wasn't ready, that he wasn't going to be a good king...

He just wanted to head past Heimdall after Thor and the others, when Volstagg strolled past, turning towards him, grinning that stupid grin of his: "What happened? Silver-tongue turned to lead?"

He wanted to smack that infuriating grin from his face then and there. Make him grovel on the floor and beg for forgiveness for talking to a prince of Asgard thus. For every snide, mocking remark he'd ever made about Loki. But instead he stayed calm. His time would come. The day when he would make him pay... Make all of them pay who had ridiculed him all his life...

He so hoped this trip to Jotunheim would finally get them all off their high horses and make them realise weapons alone weren't gonna defeat the frost giants, or any foe for that matter, but that his magic and trickery proved to do the trick and that using Seidr was advantageous and nothing that need be frowned upon...

And for once he just wanted them to see him, to realize they had been wrong all along about him only being Thor's little, weak, maverick brother... and he wanted them to see where their foolish loyalty to Thor's rash decisions and pride led them... That he wasn't the golden, shining prodigy all made him out to be...

Loki returned back to the present and with a last disdainful smirk in Volstagg's direction he pushed forward and Volstagg finally lowered his arm to let him pass and board the ship. Good riddance. If it was one thing he wouldn't miss about Asgard the Warrior's Three certainly made the top of the list. Next to Odin, of course.

He finally entered the huge, dark ship, directly after Jane and certainly too close for comfort. He was acutely aware of her. Now hat they were on so close quarters the empathy link was certainly strongest. He could feel the Aether pulsing through her veins, calling out to him – to the Tesseract. And even though it was stored in that pocket universe of his it managed to reach through to him, if also weakly, trying to call back...

Loki quickly stepped as far away from her as possible. Even with the Tesseract in his pocket dimension he wasn't taking his chances with her and the Aether. They couldn't let those two Infinity Stones get too close or unite at all... Their mutual reaction to her slapping him was already indication enough that contact strengthened their bond. So as long as they didn't touch each other they should be good and that wasn't so hard now, was it?

The distrustful, scowling look she sent his way was all the confirmation he needed and his answering smirk made sure she stayed as far away from him as possible, too.

Loki, after realizing that some time had past and the ship was still not in motion, made his way over to Thor: "I thought you said you knew how to fly that thing..."

Really... Leave it to Thor to make a plan that was faulty on all ends...

"I said 'How hard could it be?' " Thor crisply replied and started randomly pushing all the buttons on the control panel. Loki sighed. If he would just take off the handcuffs Loki could start this whole thing using Seidr... but he knew, without having to ask, that Thor still mistrusted him too much for that...

"Well, whatever you're doing brother I suggest you do it faster..." Loki could hear the grunting of soldiers and clashing of swords and weapons outside and men calling to head for the ship. They were out of time. Either Thor managed to start this ship right now or he'd soon join Loki in his prison cell...

"Shut up Loki..."

"Language, brother... Is that any way to talk to me after not visiting me once this past year?" Loki scolded him, "I certainly imagined our reunion going a lot differently..."

"This is neither the time nor place to discuss this Loki..." Thor growled, frantically slamming on all the buttons he could find.

"No. But you've had ample time to come visit me at my place throughout this past year. Frigga kept me well informed about your whereabouts and doings and the noise from every victory festivity reached the dungeons I assure you... So don't tell me you were constantly off-world fighting and didn't have the time... You did. You just didn't bother or care to come see me though you easily could have..."

His gaze shifted to Jane. Subconsciously he included her in this rant. And part of him wanted to make her aware of the fact that Thor wasn't all the shining hero and prince charming she thought him to be. She deserved to know the truth before she fully committed herself to his brother...

Though, why he cared was beyond him. He shouldn't care. He still got a score to settle with her for causing this mess... Yes, it wasn't concern... No, he wanted to rile her up!

And he felt it. Her doubt. Wondering whether what he said was true, and if Thor had indeed had time to use freely, why hadn't he visited her sooner? He liked how his words affected her and made her squirm...

Thor finally replied and Loki turned to look back at him: "And why would I? What could you possibly have had to say to me? Or I to you?"

A lot actually... there was so much he had needed Thor to know and wanted to get of his chest. Explanations, justifications, apologies... Now he never would. There wasn't time, they really had to get going and get this mission over with... and afterwards Loki would be gone... And, besides, he doubted that Thor would listen to him anyway... or understand for that matter...

Suddenly he also noticed that small part – the one that was influenced by Jane – wondering as to why Thor hadn't visited him, too, and why he hadn't found it imperative to talk to him... she didn't have any siblings... but if it had been Darcy, or even Erik... she would have wanted to know, to talk to them and find out where they'd gone wrong... why they'd done the things they had and how it had ever gotten so far out of hand... Was that empathy? Why was she suddenly empathetic... no she had to stop that!

Thor snapped him out of his stupor again: "Now, you would do well to help me get this thing started! Volstagg can't hold them off forever..."

Loki scoffed: "Take of the hadncuffs and I gladly will! But, by all means it should have started up already... You must have missed something..."

"No, I won't and no, I didn't. I'm pressing every button on this thing..." Thor insisted adamantly, slamming his hands on several buttons yet again.

Loki cringed at the brusque handling and feared that Thor might very well blow them to smithereens if he continued this way: "No, no don't hit it! Just press it gently!"

"I am pressing it gently!", Thor growled incensed, "It's not working!"

And whatever button had done the trick or whether the ship itself had just taken a while longer to start up, it suddenly whirred to live. Just in time – Loki could hear and feel the Einherjar running for the ship and trying to board it. But before they could Thor miraculously managed to get it airborne and off they were. Downing a few more columns in their wake. It was truly a wander that the throne room was still standing...

"I think you missed a column..." Loki told him, trying to diffuse the tension that had built up due to their heated exchange.

Thor accepted the peace offering: "Shut up, Loki..."

He dared to venture further, trying his luck: "So, why don't you let me take over? I'm clearly the better pilot..."

Thor's tolerance level sadly didn't span any further: "I don't think so. Between the two of us – who is the one that can actually fly?"

Loki just prepared to reply that if he wanted to he could, too, it would just take a massive amount of Seidr he didn't want to waste in such a way, when, suddenly, he noticed the Aether's raw power surge. He wasn't sure what had caused the reaction... But next thing he knew Jane had collapsed onto the floor.

Loki wanted to rush over to her to see if she was fine and, maybe, try to sooth her again like he had done from down in his cell when she'd visited Eir.

It took him a heartbeat too long to remember that he wasn't meant to care for her, that she was Thor's problem... and wouldn't want him fussing over her anyway, so instead of concern he managed to ask with cynicism: "Oh dear is she dead?"

"Jane!" Thor called her name, oddly it sounded more like a command then a voice laced with concern or worry.

"I'm okay..." was all she managed to reply weakly before loosing consciousness again.

Loki gritted his teeth. He would not fall for it. He would not let himself care... Jane deserved it. Just let her die already. Then he could grab the Aether himself and be off with two Infinity Stones. The Power he could wield! Especially after uniting them!

No! That was not what he wanted! That was the Tesseract's voice and the Aether's subtle influence, trying to make him unite them... which he was determined not to let happen!

Also he couldn't let Jane die because she was important to Thor and he didn't want him to hurt. Despite everything Loki still considered Thor his brother and cared for him whether Thor reciprocated the sentiment or not.

Also, part of him had to admit, Jane was far too interesting to lose to the dark void of death. She actually had the mindset and tools to understand Seidr and, for a human, was almost on par with him knowledge-wise – she was so much brighter than any other human he had met. It would be a damn waste if she was gone...

So he, concentrated hard and gathered all his Seidr, all his cursed, inherent frost giant powers and sent it down that bond they shared to give her strength, to steady her weak human heart and help her bear the Aether's raw, burning power, hoping that the cuffs would not interfere...