A/N: Again, I'm taking headcanon liberties concerning Loki's actions in The Avengers. It really comes to fruition in this chapter and I hope it does the character justice, as he was envisioned by Marvel and the Myths. Pardon my failure at being consistent with how I spell Norse terms, but I hope I haven't failed at Loki, given how much time I've devoted to the muse. His journey is such a wild ride!

Thanks again for reading and for your comments. xoxo


"Fortune has smiled on us all that I was the one to find you, and not him." Tivan sipped his bioluminescent cocktail, elbow propped behind Loki in a garishly tacky yet admittedly comfortable plush booth. The smell of alien musk was ever present, as was the crowding warmth from Tivan's proximity. He had hovered throughout the entire tour, leaning in and touching where it wasn't necessary. Loki didn't reject the intimacy but he didn't reciprocate it either. He just wrote the behavior off as part of the culture and kept focused on the proposition this charmer was presenting him with.

"Who is this enemy of yours?" Loki sifted through an illuminated diagram projected in front of him. It was the inner workings of a relic called The Tessaract, one of six of the legendary Infinity Stones. All this time, he thought the gauntlet in Odin's vault was nothing more than an ancient religious artifact.

"That, I cannot tell you," Tivan drawled, picking loose strands of black hair from the silky golden trash Loki was forced to wear while his royal attire was being refurbished. The extended exposure to ice had cracked and faded the leather, reducing it to the attire of Asgardian peasantry, which was still a blessed preference over the costuming of a spaceport pimp. Tivan had insisted on upgrading his garb though, saying it was all part of the plan.

"The more you know of them," the alien continued, drawing out inconsequential words, "the greater the risk you'll say the wrong thing and they'll know you've been planted. Even a gifted tongue must be cautious. You need to approach them in ignorance, as nothing more than an exile willing to trade his knowledge of The Tessaract for a means to furnish his ambitions."

Carina appeared at their table, swapping out her boss's empty glass with a full one. He had her playing waitress as well it seemed, filling all roles of subordination in this multi-faceted museum. Loki had yet to decipher the nature of their relationship. The few subtle consistencies were her unhappiness and imminent volatility. She tried to hide it with robotic mannerisms, but Loki saw through the act. "Is your Moonage Daydream not to your liking?" She said, glancing at Loki's untouched cocktail.

"Oh," he blinked, claiming his glass. "Forgive my rudeness." He took a sip under two sets of curious eyes. The liquid ignited his cool internals and painted a short narrative on his tongue, a sort of synesthesia. It seemed a comet's journey through the heavens had a flavor. "That's...fascinating."

"Carina," Tivan requested, nodding toward Loki. "Take care of that."

Loki hadn't realized—too distracted by new and odd sensations—there was a line of glowing liquid still clinging to his mouth, until Carina bent over and sucked it from his upper lip. He inhaled sharply, first at the sweetness of her saliva and again at twitch in her eye. This pigtailed Krylorian was alarmingly unstable, and now she was kissing him. It was a situation less favorable, strangely, than the satisfied smile stretching Tivan's face. Was this customary behavior or was she being forced into a decadent performance by a bored and indulgent immortal? He was leaning toward the latter.

"The second taste of Daydream," Tivan cooed, fondling a jeweled button on Loki's shirt while Carina swept his mouth clean of the comet's tale, "is best experienced with a clean palette."

Carina straightened her posture, dabbing her lips with a napkin. Loki's head was spinning. "Will that be all for now?" she asked with very little inflection.

"Go." Tivan gestured her away. He then smiled at Loki. "Wait before you take another drink." He tapped his index finger on Loki's forehead then curved it down his face, stopping at his lips. "Nurse it or the effects will interfere your study of The Tessaract. This mission is more important than anything. My...competitor, we shall call him, cannot be allowed to obtain the stone. With or without your propriety understanding, he will eventually find a way to harness its power, which is why we must act quickly."

Loki waited to speak until the finger was pulled from his lips. "How will they find me and not suspect my connection to you?"

Tivan pinched a fleshy magenta wedge from the edge of his glass. "Carina will take you to a smuggler's outpost frequented by the Chitauri. You will find them." He sucked the glowing sheen from the fruit. "You will demonstrate your magic. Make them an offer they can't refuse, or let them capture you." The treat disappeared into his mouth and he licked the juice from his fingers. "I trust you'll know how to play it. Balance your strength delicately with subordination. Just be certain, in the end, the stone is within our reach and out of his."

Loki played a dozen scenarios out in his mind, all with one common denominator. "Would you consider Odin's vault within your reach?"

"That is not ideal," he sighed, tracing the rim of his glass. "But it will suffice so long as you have access to it."

"I can accomplish that," Loki boasted. "So long as you are patient."

The alien smirked, plucking another fruit from his glass and feeding it to Loki. The flavor streaked a colorful nebula across his thoughts. "My dear godling," Tivan patronized, "I am immortal. I wrote the book on patience."

Loki waited for his swirling mind to settle before responding. "Your competitor, is he immortal?"

"More or less."

"Should I be afraid?" he asked with less concern than he was feeling.

Tivan took a deep breath and lifted a spotlessly white eyebrow, smirk still holding. "Yes."


"They tortured you," Ollerus asked in a heavy voice, "didn't they, Father."

Loki cast a distant gaze over the map of Yggdrasil. "They did not break me."

Thor looked thoughtfully at his brother, his eyes twitching between pity and doubt. "If all this...Purple Hand desired was The Tessaract, why bother waging war on Midgard? He could have simply used your knowledge to take it."

"If I wasn't working against him, I would have used The Tessaract to port me and it back into his domain. But according to The Other," Loki dropped his gaze, "he rather liked my idea of war."

Thor narrowed his eyes, glancing briefly to Ollerus who remained contemplative. "That was your idea?

"It was my only desire which they were willing to grant," Loki explained. "He wanted to test Earth's mettle. It was a win/win for him, or so he believed."

"Why would you desire war?" Thor shook his head, not waiting for an answer, not wanting it. "What if your plan had failed? What if The Avengers had failed and this cosmic being obtained the stone? You would have murdered countless innocents for nothing."

Loki sighed. "Look, just because a number exceeds your tally of fingers and toes does not make it countless. Countless casualties are what will happen if this enemy obtains the stones."

"Who are The Avengers?" Ollerus chimed in. Loki passed this one to Thor.

"We are a team that SHIELD assembled to combat..." Thor trailed off, disheartened. "Why Coulson?" He turned to Loki. "Why did you..." Glancing at Ollerus again, he couldn't finish his thought.

"You can say it, Thor," Loki said. "I am not afraid to hide the truth from my son."

Thor's eyes saddened. "He was a good man."

"You..." Ollerus filled in the gaps quickly, "killed him?"

"I saw an opportunity and I took it," Loki said to Thor. "Your team, while initially—and rather amusingly—haphazard, showed great potential."

"Do you expect me to believe you wanted us to succeed?" Thor was insulted. "You took every opportunity at hand to hurt us. Don't you dare try to underplay that by claiming it was all part of your plan. That shank in my side had no bearing on our enemies defeat.

Loki looked to his son, avoiding Thor's glistening and impaling stare. Ollerus had dropped his gaze to his fidgeting hands. He was comprehending what Loki was reluctant to confess, how Loki's plan could have been carried out much less violently had a grudge not been ever present.

"My initial plan to rouse Earth's army into action," Loki said, "was to present them with a globally recognizable enemy: an alien, with a classically fascist flare, rising up in Germany, threatening their most sacred of ideals."

"Freedom," Thor supplied.

"Precisely," Loki said. "Fear of freedom lost is the driving force behind the most formidable defenses, from apocalyptic bombs to a motley crew of heroes. Lust for control brings out their worst and their best. My ally greatly underestimated Earth's strength, but I did not. I knew the caliber of weapons in SHIELD's arsenal, most of which are unknown to the lower ranks. I read all about them during my brief infiltration of their containment site where they held you and Mjölnir. I also witnessed how the human's quality of character transformed you in a matter of days, influencing you enough to earn Mjölnir back, an impressive feat indeed. Midgardians are strong in ways undetectable by outside observation."

"Yes they are," Thor's voice edged up. "All the more reason you should not have murdered them."

"I had to be convincing," Loki deflected. "To Earth's leaders, and to the Purple Hand."

Thor looked at Loki with conflicting emotions. "Why are you only telling me this now?" He couldn't shake the hurt from his tone. "Why didn't you tell me on Earth?"

"You muzzled me, remember?"

"Before that." Thor was not amused. "When we fought upon Stark Tower. Or after that, when the guards brought you to our father? What about when we joined forces against Malekith. Why keep this a secret? You're only further damning yourself."

Loki shook his head. "You wouldn't have believed me. Your Avengers wouldn't have believed me and Odin wouldn't have—"

"You underestimate me, Loki," an aged voice interrupted.

"Father." Thor moved to the entrance of the hall where Odin stood. "Have you found a cure?"

"We found a means to a cure," Odin said. His voice was tired. "Take Ollerus to the healing chamber. Eir will explain the details."

The wash of relief Loki felt in hearing there was a cure, and of being relieved of story hour, was shortened by the discomfort of Odin's presence. How long had he been listening in?

"Come on, Ollerus," Loki said, guiding his son to the exit.

"I was speaking to Thor." Odin reached out to Loki as they passed him. "You stay here."

Loki's heart lurched, not with fear but agitation. If Odin was expecting another round of confession he was going to be disappointed. Loki didn't have to explain himself to this being.

He took a deep breath and watched as Thor motioned for Ollerus to leave with him. The boy complied but looked over his shoulder with parting words for Loki. "I would have believed you, Father."

Loki smiled and watched the two leave, drawing the moment out as long as possible.

"A remarkable young man," Odin said, soiling the peace.

"What do you want?" Loki faced him, his smile gone.

"For you," Odin spoke patiently, "for once, to fully speak the truth."

Loki felt no remorse as he watched the old man lean into Gungir for stability. "Sorry, you just missed it. You'll have to come back for a later show."

Odin sighed. "I'm not talking about what you have convinced yourself is true. I'm talking about what you consistently omit."

With a huff Loki turned away. He was not going to do this. Not now. Hopefully not ever. "What did you learn about Sif's condition?"

Odin turned toward Yggdrasil, shifting with Loki's diversion. "There is a rare herb that can neutralize the poison. It only grows only on Midgard, endemic to a very small and specific ecosystem." He magnified the place which he spoke of on the map.

Loki approached, studying the map closely. The region was far into the northern hemisphere, a place sparse with vegetation given its year round snow cover, an enticing destination. "I will retrieve at once. Tell Heimdall to transport—"

"Nay," Odin cut him off. "You will be unable to tell it apart from its neighboring plants. Its camouflage reaches beyond what Midgard's science has the capability to explain."

Such little faith in him, as always. "If it is cloaked in magic I can surely find it."

"No, you won't." Odin was adamant. "Even if I did allow you to trespass on Midgard, it is beyond your detection. However, it is not beyond your kin's."

Loki was about to argue until hearing that last part. "Which kin?"

Growing distant, Odin moved to the railing surrounding the tree, his gaze outward. "It is no mere coincidence that the only magical being who can sniff out this herb is the one I have fettered." He sounded almost guilty.

"Fenrir." Loki's heart fluttered.

"Angrboda has found a most clever way to liberate her son," Odin explained. "She knew exactly which poison to use and how we would be forced to rely upon the wolf to save Sif."

Could that be true, Loki wondered. Could the witch really have motives beyond jealousy for attacking Sif? It was a difficult sell. She rarely showed affection for Fenrir when she had the chance. "If all she wanted was our son to be freed, why would she devise such a chaotic plan? Why threaten Sif's life? She knows how large a bounty that crime will warrant her. She could have simply pleaded her case to Thor now that he is King. He has much more sympathy for my children than you ever did."

"Fenrir's release may not be all she seeks." Odin turned to him, shifting his tone. "Perhaps she also desires, in a most grandiose and destructive manner, to leave her mark on the hearts of those who first wounded hers."

"You cannot blame me for her erratic behavior," Loki defended. "I never meant to hurt her."

Odin deliberated a moment, his expression unreadable. "I am not blaming you." When he spoke his tone was softer. "I know your intention wasn't to hurt her. But these things happen and now we—now I, must deal with the consequences."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I will free Fenrir. I will take him to Midgard. And we will return with Sif's cure."

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing, nor could he fathom how this scenario would be possible. Fenrir would never help Odin, not even if he freed him. Too many years of imprisonment and suffering has passed.

"Let me join you," Loki suggested.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because in exchange for the rights to your criminal trial, Thor made an agreement with the people of Midgard that we would prohibit your re-entry."

Pathetic excuse. Loki could easily slip their watch undetected. "At least bring me with you to Lyngvi. Fenrir will not aid you without my convincing."

"I cannot." Odin was immovable, even in a weakened condition. "For my own well-being, I will not corner myself in a cave while flanked by two powerful grudges."

He had a point there.

"Besides," Odin continued. "It is best you stay here with Sif. Be at her side. Remind her of what she has to fight for."

He left the room and Loki's heart sank. Didn't Odin know? Hadn't he been listening? The Prince of Chaos was far better at giving noble souls something to fight against, not for.


Loki did as he was told and stationed himself at Sif's side. However, it wasn't until everyone had left the healing chamber for dinner that he relaxed enough to speak to her. There was very little he could tell her in the presence of others that wouldn't incriminate him.

He leaned on the table and began combing his fingers through her hair.

"Can you believe Odin is going to free Fenrir? And here I thought the old man could no longer surprise me. He has either rejected the prophecy of his demise, or embraced it. Either way, he is risking a lot for your benefit. They'll probably expect you to thank him upon your awakening. They will expect that of me as well...

"He likes Ollerus. That was the first thing he said to me when we spoke. I mean, really, how could he not? Our boy... Sif, our child truly is remarkable. He is reason enough for you to pull through this, more than I ever could be. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to keep your spirits strong. Not after everything I've done.

"I told Thor and Ollerus about the bargain I made with The Collector, and of my true role in the attack on Midgard. Actually, I only told them part of the story. I left out the bit about...enjoying it. About how I set out to deface the legends Midgard had built around Asgard. I wanted to make him regret ever calling me an Odinson. I found pleasure in the terror I unleashed. I made special effort to hurt Thor. It wasn't much of an act, being the villain. I could have done it even if the Chitauri hadn't threatened me. I had nothing to lose. The torture they subjected me to paled in comparison to what I already harbored. I only let them believe they were the cause of my tears, my pleas for mercy. They thought they had broken me but really, I had come to them already broken. I was in so much pain, Sif. I tried to explain this to you on our journey to Lyngvi but it came out all wrong. I hadn't intended to tell you anything, but I also hadn't intended to kiss you. You...put quite the kink in my plan. I never set out to rekindle my love for you.

"I certainly never intended to hurt you either I just, I underestimated Angrboda, just as the Purple Hand, and all his dark designs, all his arrogance, had underestimated me. A sick twist of irony. Oh Sif, I was a fool. I deserve this pain, but you do not. You never did. Your patience for me was infinite, your hope a beacon, your touch a luxury. I never deserved your love, yet you gave it so freely."

He bent over and placed an extended kiss on her forehead.

"Father!" Ollerus's cracking voice echoed down the hall, drawing closer, snapping Loki back into the role. "Father." He burst excitedly into the room, out of breath. "He's taking me with him to Lyngvi."

Loki blinked. "You actually managed to schmooze Odin into taking you along? I'm impressed."

"It wasn't my idea it was his."

"Was it now..." Another surprise from Odin. "You know," Loki turned to Sif, "this will never pass her approval. Dare I say you're lucky she's asleep?"

The adolescent moved to the opposite side of the bed, where he could directly lay a pleading look on Loki. "Does it pass your approval?" He mellowed his voice. "Because he won't take me unless you say it's okay."

Loki contemplated this. He wasn't worried for Ollerus's safety. The boy could handle himself against any dangerous animal. He was more hung up on Odin's intentions. Was this...an attempt at reconciliation?

"Promise me you won't get eaten and you have my approval."

Ollerus grinned. "I promise."

"Also promise me you won't mistake your half brother for your game and stick an arrow in him."

He playfully scoffed. "I wouldn't do that."

Loki smiled and gestured him over, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He could smell the newness of the royal leathers Gladsheim had furnished. He looked stunning in them, rich blues and regal golds to accent his natural colors. The people of the palace had accepted the undeniably contrasting child into their world with more ease than anyone had anticipated. How times have changed from when Loki was a boy.

"Be careful, son."

"I will," Ollerus said as they broke the hug.

"Remember," Loki added, still grasping the long skinny arms, "once your mother is awake and learns of this journey, to point out that it was Odin's idea to bring you. She has enough to forgive me for already."

Ollerus nodded and bent over to kiss Sif on the cheek. "Hold on a little longer, Mother. I promise we'll make you better." He then left the room and Loki's heart stung, bittersweetly. Turning back to Sif, he took her hand between both of his, squeezing, his thumbs caressing her unnaturally cool flesh.

"Yet another surprise... Everything seems to be coming together in ways I never could never have designed. Unexpected alliances forming. Attempts at reconciliation. Our son will find a way to convince Fenrir to help. They will return with your cure, I know they will. Ollerus promised they would make you better and I believe him. They will heal you and you will awaken to the life you always dreamed for him, rich with family, acceptance, and love. The life I never had, and never will."

He sunk down to rest upon his arm, his head lying next to hers, his heavy eyes fixed on her pained placidity.

"I don't anticipate your forgiveness. I don't expect you'll want me to stay when you learn the truth. Even Ollerus will find it too much to overlook. However, I will take comfort in knowing there will be no more lies between us, even if my confessions drive a realm-spanning wedge between us. I will find satisfaction in the memories you both have given me."

Music: Some Nights (intro) by Fun - www youtube com /watch?v=Itd-7koX9RE