Loki stood between the frozen Asgardian and the downed Jotun, panting heavily, catching his breath at about the same speed his mind caught up with what he had just done. Yardaff looked up at his brother, stunned; likewise, Thor, a short distance away, stared at Loki in shock.

Loki took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, straightening out of the braced position he had been standing in and lowering the Casket in his hands. He turned around to look at Yardaff.

Yardaff stood.

"Here, brother," Loki said, holding out the Ice Casket to the Jotun prince; "it has been too long since a proper Jotun wielded this."

"Loki!"

Loki jumped and turned at the call to face Thor, who was walking over to him.

"Thor!" Loki exclaimed, shamefaced. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I didn't go with the intention of doing this - I only meant to break down the barricades you had set up. I don't know what came over me." He stepped away from Odin and Yardaff, still holding the Casket. "You can step in now, just as I did, and release him - I won't interfere again."

Thor stopped a short distance away from his brother and looked at Odin. He was silent for a long minute. Then he said, "That's quite alright, brother; I won't release him. He was defeated fairly."

"Thor…"

"I said," Thor said firmly, turning to look Loki in the eye, "it's quite alright, brother."

Emotion rose in Loki's chest, almost bringing tears to his eyes. "Thank you, brother," he choked.

Thor nodded.

Loki nodded back, then turned back to Yardaff and held out the Ice Casket once more. Yardaff took it wordlessly.

Loki smiled as Yardaff gasped at the power that flowed through him from the Ice Casket's touch. "Even I feel its power when I hold it," he told his Jotun brother; "I can't imagine how it must feel to you." He inclined his head. "It is rightfully yours."

"Thank you, brother," Yardaff said.

Loki nodded, then turned to Odin, his mood and expression darkening. He reached out and took hold of the staff encased in ice, backing his touch with magic, and the ice around the staff and Odin's hand shattered. Loki pulled the staff out of Odin's grip, then raised his free hand and sealed the ice back over the hand he had had to release.

"I'll take that," he told the All-Father.

The ice around Odin's head and torso started to crack.

"Not so fast," Loki said, raising his hand again, and he reinforced the ice with a binding spell of his own. The cracks sealed over, and Odin was rendered truly helpless.

Loki closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "It's time this ended," he said.

"It is," Yardaff agreed. "Thank you, brother; I'll finish him myself."

Loki nodded, then reached out and shattered the ice around Odin's head and neck, leaving the rest of the reinforced ice to bind the All-Father in place. Odin gasped for air as the ice around his mouth fell away; of course, his breathing was limited by the ice that encapsulated his chest.

"Say your final words, All-Father," Loki said coldly as Yardaff stepped forward.

"Release me at once!" Odin commanded Loki.

"And why should I do that?" Loki asked mockingly.

"You owe me!" Odin snarled. "I saved your life, though I should have let you die! I showed you a mercy you didn't deserve!"

"And now you ask that I do the same?" Loki asked, still in a mocking tone of voice. "No, I don't think I will."

"You ungrateful, despicable boy!" Odin roared. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

"That you should have," Loki said coldly; "everyone would have been happier if you had, myself included."

Odin shook his head disgustedly. "You little wretch!" he spat. "I was a fool to think I could raise a Frost Giant to be anything more than a monster! You're nothing but a blight on this universe, like your father before you!"

Loki felt his insides go numb; insulting him was one thing, but comparing him to Laufey like that was something else entirely.

He stepped forward and held out a hand to stop Yardaff. "Stand back, brother," he told the Jotun prince. He turned on Odin wrathfully and said, "I'll kill him myself."

"No," Odin said as Yardaff backed down, "you won't."

"And why not?" Loki demanded. "Give me one good reason why I should spare your life, after that ignorant little hate speech you just gave."

Odin met Loki's eyes shamelessly. "Because if you kill me, then in my final moments, with the last of my strength, I will dismantle all the remaining passages between the realms," he told Loki. "Everyone will be trapped in the realm they are in at the moment of my demise for the rest of eternity, yourself included…and you'll never see her again."

Loki's eyes widened, and he felt his heart stop. He had no doubts that Odin had that kind of power - this was no bluff.

"Wh…What about Thor?" he challenged faintly. "You would keep him from seeing his woman again, too?"

"Bah," Odin spat; "Lady Sif was always to rule by Thor's side."

Loki didn't have to look to know the indignant expression that crossed Thor's face. "Oh, so now you would choose our consorts for us, would you?" he asked Odin mockingly.

Odin's eye was steady as it met Loki's gaze.

There was silence for a minute. Then, Loki's face slowly split into a wide grin, and he chuckled. His chuckle grew into a laugh that got harder and harder, until he was standing with his head thrown back, howling with laughter like a madman. He could feel his brothers' concerned gazes on him, but he couldn't help himself - it was all just too much. For several minutes, he just stood there, cackling helplessly, unable to do anything about the fact that he appeared to have gone completely and utterly mad.

"I'm sorry," he choked as he finally managed to get a handle on himself. "I am sorry, but this is just too much." He shook his head, still grinning. "What is this, All-Father, your purpose in life? To take things from me? It's all you ever seem to do! I mean…" He chuckled again. "You took my rightful form, you took me from my home, you took any chance I had at a happy upbringing with a loving family, you took any ability I ever had to live among my blood-kin, you took my respect, you took my loyalty, you took my sanity, and when all I had left was the name and home you gave me, you took those from me, too! And now that I've found something else - a new meaning in my life - you would take that from me as well! You would die, taking things from me. To what end? Why do you so enjoy ruining my life?"

Odin shook his head disgustedly but said nothing.

Loki thought for a moment.

When both of two options have undesirable outcomes, find a third option; if there is no third option to be found, then create one.

Loki smiled. "Well, do you know what?" he asked Odin spitefully. "I've had enough. No longer will I allow you to take from me."

"Then release me," Odin growled.

Loki shook his head. "No," he said, "I can't do that, either. Even if I wanted to, what would happen then? This battle would go on and on, and people would continue to die for your crimes. Where is the fairness in that, I ask you? No; for the good of everyone, you must die. But first…" He raised his hand. "…you're going to go to sleep for a bit," he told Odin.

Slowly, he closed his hand, and as he did, the ice that enveloped Odin closed back over the All-Father's head.

Loki turned to Yardaff. "Take him to the armory," he told his Jotun brother; "position him where you can see him from the gate to Jotunheim. Keep him alive until I return - there are a few things I must do before putting him to death."

"He won't survive long with his head encased in ice," Yardaff pointed out.

"Then break the ice around his head when you must," Loki said; "but not a moment sooner." He took a breath, then turned to Thor. "Brother, come with me," he told him; "let us put an end to the bloodshed outside - there is no need for any more lives to be lost."

Thor nodded gravely. "Agreed," he said.

Loki nodded back, then glanced at Yardaff. "I will be sending the Jotuns through the palace to return to Jotunheim," he told the Frost Giant prince; "make sure that they have all gone before I return to finish the All-Father." He thought of something, then added, "Krunagh is dead; you needn't wait for him."

Yardaff's eyes widened.

"I am sorry," Loki added softly. "I wish I could have gotten to know him better."

"As do I," Yardaff said solemnly, bowing his head.

Loki nodded, then turned to leave. "Come," he told Thor; "let's end this."

"And then what?" Thor asked, following him.

Loki gave Thor a twisted smile. "You'll see," he replied.