Hello! Thankyou again for the reviews and reading! I started writing this and couldnt stop; I'm up in 5 hours! D:
I should say for this next chapter; the bit with Thanos telling Loki's origin is an idea that I divulged on; it was an idea I took and went with considering that, other than Laufey being his blood father and him being a bastard (in the Movieverse) nothing else is said about his origins (i.e. his blood mother) so I went with my own theory that I have (in that Loki is a hybrid)
So I hope you dont mind a little bit of elaboration and that you enjoy!x

Loki leveled his eyes as he stepped back out into the main foyer of the palace, where the Chitauri guards still waited. For a long while he stood vacantly, his sceptre in one hand, until the offensive upon the palace doors finally began. Exhaling deeply, Loki wondered if Thor had received and understood his message. Foolish. He watched the Chitauri's grim faces turn to defend their position, and prepared himself to attack. As the doors finally gave way, a mass onslaught of bodies charged; attempting to break through into the palace. The Chitauri held them off well. Yet, the Avengers were not yet this far forward upon the palace. Loki noticed a few familiar faces amongst those laying siege; somewhere in the back, the Warriors Three and Sif had evidently been released, and he recognized the additional scores of warriors from Vanaheim and Alfheim.

Thor. If this was all his doing, than he had severely underestimated his adeptness. Although I was the one who sent him to the forests to hand her over to said allies. Loki shook his head of his thoughts, as he was set upon by two warriors, whom he fought hand-to-hand, aggressively and brutally; gaining a burst lip and several cuts on his face from one of their daggers, before he tapped into his skill; tricking them with an illusion of himself and skewering them both with his sceptre. Loki's already damaged face was sprayed with specks of the dead warriors blood, as he pulled his sceptre out of his perpetrators chest. Before he could turn it in his hand, he was set upon by yet another assailant, and this time, the kill was on a much more personal level. Drawing on his speed of mind and movement, Loki burled as the heavy set and unknown warrior charged at him with his axe, tripping him with his feet, before flipping him over and plunging one of his throwing daggers into his heart. Loki leaned with all of his weight over the pool of blood on the mans chest as he twisted it in order to pull the blade out. In doing so, Loki's hands became literally scarlet with blood. He threw the dagger on the ground expressionlessly as he took up his sceptre again, which was now a quarter stained with red.

The battle raged far beyond the doors, and the true scope of it was something which would surely never be forgotten. Yet another legendary battle to which Loki's name would forever be attached... He spat out the blood that had been gathering in his mouth and wiped his hands aggressively on the sides of his leather battle clothes, before Thanos suddenly materialized at his side, looking not a fraction less intact than he had last seen him. "The sunset is a mere hour from now. We must make haste to the Allfather's chamber. The Chitauri can hold off these flies." Loki glanced briefly over to the still oncoming barrage before sweeping through the second set of heavy doors, which Thanos barricaded shut behind them. Loki gritted his teeth as they stormed through the palace halls. He gripped his gauntlet again, blinking several times as he recited another incantation in his head. It was a risk, and he was not sure if it would prove to be useful; but he needed it. Finally, Loki and Thanos arrived in Odin's chambers, as Thanos pulled the blade out from within his armour once more. He was going to expect Loki to kill Odin soon. He was going to expect the Odinforce to become his weapon, and as such put an ultimate end to the great battle outside. Where are you? Loki thought vehemently, as he stared up at the grandly grated upper level of Odin's quarters. He and Thor had hid there to spy on him many times in their youth. He must still be within the palace.

Thanos regared Loki with a dark gaze, as he retained the knife in his hands. "Tell me, Trickster" he finally said, pacing noiselessly around Odin's bed. "Do you know the root of all weakness?" Loki did not like the direction of this conversation. He merely looked back at Thanos blankly, before replying in a calm voice. "I believe there are many roots of such a tree, Titan." Thanos smirked. "Yes… yet one is most prevalent of all." Loki raised his eyes as he evoked his humouring of Thanos' words. Thanos turned the blade over in his hands, as he looked at it as a lover would to their betrothed, before raising his head slowly to meet Loki's eyes. "Doubt." His voice was suddenly cold and plain, with no sly taunting behind it. The game of make believe between them was, as it would seem, at an end. Loki masked his fear well, as he maintained an incredulous look in Thanos' direction. "In that case, I should be glad I suffer from no such infliction." Thanos laughed amusedly; an awful, hoarse roar that almost pried the gold from the very walls. "Trickster, you do not merely suffer this infliction, you are this infliction. In every atom of your dismal being it resides; as a crippling deformity. I have told you of it before. I rid you of its influence, yet such a feat simply served to prove to me how pathetically subject you really are to its mercy." Loki fought to keep his face hard, as Thanos advanced towards him.

"You believe yourself to be masking it well. Yet I am no fool." Thanos tucked the blade back into his armour for the time being, although it was evident that it would not be remaining there for long. "I pity you. The bond forged with your brother, the blasted God of Thunder, is one which will forever prevent you from true glory." Loki's eyes began to glisten. "Surely you do see, that you will never be free of his shadow? He will forever hold power over you, wretched one. He will forever be inhibiting you from greatness with his own. You are damned to be tied to him as a weed that grows beneath a flower. And you cannot even fight it. For the binding I wove upon you was clad in iron; there was no manner by which it could be undone. It was irreversible. Yet your pitiful mind was so weak that it did not even have the fortitude to defend itself from his invasion" Loki's free hand curled into a fist; while the one holding his sceptre gripped so hard that his knuckles began to turn white. "I knew all of this, Trickster, as you yourself knew I did all along. I suppose I was curious as to see whether you truly were able to rise to greatness; to rid yourself of your laughable condition. Yet evidently, I overestimated you. Truth speaks, I see, that the Aesir cannot be pried from their petty emotions. They will always bear their code of righteousness upon them. It is a true shame, for you are unique. So much potential, yet so little strength."

"And yet, I am not Aesir. And as such, I am far from righteous. And your defining of my characteristics are, in turn, riddled with error." Loki finally managed to speak, unable to shake the unstable tone of his voice as he did so. It was the first time he had ever disregarded himself from Asgard. Thanos studied him, before he turned to the side, seemingly content in something which amused him, and was unbeknownst to Loki. He finally gave a low, throaty laugh as he turned back to face him, clearly entertained by his previous statement. "Oh how little you know, Trickster, how little you know." Loki looked at him, an almost child-like ignorance veiling his still blood-stained face. Thanos moved brashly to sit next to Odin's bed, eying him with a cocky and malevolent air. "What is it then, pray tell, that he would have you believe?" Loki glanced from Odin's sleeping form to Thanos' weathered face. He spoke his words painfully, as if it were a physical torture to actually vocalise them out loud. "I know that I am Jotun. That the blood of those monsters boils within me. That I was not only this, but a runt bastard; outcasted, even by a society of brutes. I know that I exist only to bring death and destruction. For when has there ever been tales of a noble Jotun? Never, for they are barbarians. It was only a matter of time. I was in the dark; and so darkness I became. There is nothing more to say." Thanos raised an eyebrow, in clear pleasure.

"One of the cleverest minds in the Nine Realms. And you take such an assumption as merit. I must say I am disappointed. If you were to look into anything in your despair, Trickster, I would have thought it would have been the true circumstances of your birth." Loki looked at Thanos with a panicked uncertainty rising within him. Thanos looked at Odin. "The ancients say the Allfather knows all. And yet he elaborates on so little. Such as it gets to the point where, it is his sworn enemy that is the bringer of the truth to his own beloved." A part of Loki balked at Thanos' last word. He knows. His eyes flicked to where the blade was concealed for a moment, before returning to Thanos' face as he turned from Odin. "You are Jotun, that is true. You were born upon the ice planet, and when touched by that which is significant to its land, you will adapt their appearance. When you first came into existence, you assumed such. Even as a babe, you were, for all intents and purposes, a survivor." Loki blinked. "Yet for you to believe that you are simply another one of those dim brutes is a folly on your own behalf. You have evidently never applied plain logic to the information before you." Thanos smirked.

"I ask you; in all previous cases; in all of the history of the Nine Realms, which you will, in your intellectual capacity, have absorbed, when has there ever been born a true Frost Giant that shared the size of an Aesir?" Loki's eyes twitched as his mind began to reflect. Thanos looked again at Odin as he spoke. "It is well established how great the height is of the Jotuns. Far greater than even I. And as such, even their runts; those who are born small; are just below the size of an average adult Aesir upon birth. So, by logic, if you were as you believe, then you should have fitted this model when you were born. Yet we both know you did not. You were the size of an Aesir, or indeed, a human, child. You could be picked up and held. And upon touch from the Allfather's hand, you assumed the appearance of them in addition." Loki looked up as he replied. "It was the Allfather's magic that allowed this." Thanos laughed. "O such compliments you give the old man! Please, it was not so much any influence from Odin than it was your own self. If the form you bear now is all just an illusion of magic, then I could strip it away right now here as we stand. As could you. I ask of you now. Try." Loki looked at him blankly before turning his gaze down to himself; vainly applying all of his glamour dispersion spells he could summon. He held out his hand, and saw that he remained as he had before. Thanos' mouth curled into a crooked smile.

"I can say with confidence, that were you a simple Frost Giant, no matter or strength of magic could hide your true visage for longer than a few days. Not only this, but you need only observe your own reflection. The possession of aesthetically pleasing features is an Aesir trait, not a Jotun trait. A Jotun could never surpass as an Aesir for so long, no matter how talented. Nor, indeed, could a Jotun master magic, or be as intellectually qualified as you unquestionably are. All of these factors, and you have never even taken them into consideration?" Thanos scoffed. "As I said before; disappointing." Loki could no longer keep the almost frantic confusion from his face. "But… it must be… I assume the form of a Jotun when I-" "Touch anything significant to Jotunheim, yes. I did not absolve you completely of this heritage. Laufey was your blood father. How else are you expected to survive its conditions? As long as you retain your hold on such devices; objects; Jotun's themselves; you will be, effectively, immune to the effects of the brutality of the Jotun climate. Yet, outside of that, you are vulnerable to its effects as any other. Your breath clouds in the icy air. Yet, as I said, you are a survivor. There could be a slight extension if you truly asserted yourself; you have many talents. It is the reason I lament you proving to be so weak of mind." Loki's head was spinning as he spoke.

"If I am not a true Frost Giant than what am I?" He seemed to ask that question all too often. Thanos gave him an amused glare. "I would have thought that much would have been obvious. You are a member of a fascinating blend, dark one. Part Jotun, part Aesir. As are Odin here-" Thanos gestured to Odin's bed with a careless wave of his arm. "- and even perfect Asgardian warrior Thor. For he is no more the Allmother's blood child than you are." Loki frowned, quelling his shock and disbelief. "They cannot adopt the Jotun form, however, it lies dormant; for it was their mothers that were of Jotunheim. The gene is strongest with the father, and as such, you can adapt it when you come into contact with that which this part of you reacts." Loki gradually brought his head up to face Thanos as he finally asked his question. "Then my blood mother was-" "An Aesir" cut in Thanos impatiently. "Not just any Aesir, you see; she was one of the rarity amongst such race. A commander of magic. Something which the greater population did not, and still do not, truly understand." Loki's face was white with shock beneath the smears of blood.

"What? You do not truly think your unequivocal magical talents and intelligence came from the Jotuns do you? Foolish child." Loki lowered his eyes again. "Your blood mother was a sorceress. Yet she grew to be afraid of her talents. Not for any other reason than she did not truly understand them; and nor did she believe her people would. It has been rumoured that she was of some relation to the Allmother, although such has never been confirmed. What is known, is that she frequented the palace court, as the Allmother's close confidant, and showered love upon the babe prince she sometimes watched over there. It has been rumoured that she was not only a sorceress, but a seer; and could see the future and fate of the child when she looked upon his face. And when she did, it was said that she saw in his future, another child, a kin, whom he would love above and beyond his own life. Although, she did not see how the Allmother could produce such." Thanos face twisted as he made clear his repugnance of this detail before moving on.

"Putting such deviations aside, this woman longed to explore other realms; and, to satisfy her curiosity, she decided to do such, and was able to veil herself from the Gatekeeper. A trait that you evidently inherited." Thanos smirked again as he went on. "She traveled through the portal, not knowing where she would emerge. And when she did, it was upon Jotunheim that she walked." Loki's throat grew dry. "She was terrified; she had heard terrible tales of the monsters that roamed there; and yet she was overcome by insatiable curiosity. She wandered the wilds, before she was captured by Jotun patrols and brought before Laufey. As she was thrown down before him; he proclaimed that she would be kept prisoner within his walls; for trespassing was not something that was taken lightly in Jotunheim. Yet, he believed this Aesir woman to be beautiful, and as such believed killing her in the usual Jotun practice would be a waste. His thuggish impulses possessed him; and though he was already betrothed to a fellow Jotun; he sought to satisfy his desire." Loki's fists still gripped hard, as his eyes involuntarily widened in horror as the story progressed. "

He stole to her prison cell where, starved upon Jotun food so that her beauty had been blighted and hollowed, his base instincts told him she was a sorceress. He demanded that she work her enchantments to allow him to descend to her size. Threatened with death, the woman obliged. And no sooner than she did so, he took her." Loki's heart throbbed in his chest. "And in that prison cell he left her, as he returned to his usual stature and to his court, alone again to dwell in negligence. But, she had become with child. Her cell door was guarded day and night by watchmen, and there was none with whom she could confide. Her magic was drained. She cursed ever having left her home. But she retained a higher intelligence than any Jotun could hope to achieve. She was delivered food once a day, and on this day when her door opened, she resolved, for the sake of herself and her unborn child, to escape. She had no magic left within her, yet when she summoned it when the door opened, she felt a sudden strength from within her; as if the child in her womb possessed all that she had possessed and more. She was able to channel it, and disengage the watchmen.

She moved as fast as she could for a woman in such a heavy condition, and stole through the barren corridors. It was just as she reached the outer door, that Laufey found her. Seeing her condition, he was repulsed and outraged; and cursed not having disposed of her sooner. He gave chase to her with his army of warriors, and she ran, hope running far out as her legs could carry her no further. Yet again, the power of her unborn child strengthened her, as she escaped to the caverns of the mountains where she could not be found. It was there, that she gave birth, alone, and weak, in the harsh winter blizzard. She saw her babe take on the form it needed, and knew that he had a chance to survive, although she certainly would not. She exited her cavern some days later, and saw the attack of her people upon the Jotuns. She knew she would never return home; but she vowed that her child would. She traveled through the icy winds and snow, her life fading around her. Determined, she reached the sieged court of the Jotuns and forced herself along to the temple where they kept their most precious artefact.

"The Casket" said Loki quietly. "Indeed. Here, she knew that the Allfather would come; seeking to seize his relic. And it was here, she knew, that her child would be found. In her dying actions, she placed her child next to it, praying that this wonder, the combination of two races with magic far greater than her own, would be taken to the home in which he belonged and deserved. She stole away into the shadows, but not before glancing back as she heard a warrior enter the temple. She saw the Allfather enter; and pick up the child. She witnessed the instantaneous love in his eyes; and it became clear to her, the significance of this child of hers; how irrevocably he would be loved, not only by the other child that she had doted upon, but by the rulers of her kingdom. She prayed for hope; she prayed for his soul; and she prayed for an end. And as the Allfather left the temple with the child, so it finally came to her."

Thanos finished with an almost monotonous flourish, as tears threatened to form in Loki's eyes. Thanos laughed. "You see now, how sentimental your origin was. You are not to be defined by any race or parent, dark one. You are a force unto yourself. You have had the powers to inflict destruction, and indeed you have. Yet, surely now, you understand, how I have always known what you are. And as such, I know how extract the Odinforce." He pulled out the blade. "I need your blood. All of it; for it is the most vital ingredient in this concoction." Loki gritted his teeth. "But fear not. The end is not yet nigh. For I do not like to be disappointed. And I do not intend for your end to be so clean as to be simply by the blade of a knife." Loki swallowed hard, as he looked up again to the grates above Odin's chamber; just in time to see the battle-beaten face of Thor appear behind them.