Chapter 29 – Epilogue: Part Two
It was several weeks before Loki got his first prisoner and he was less than pleased when he did. For the dangers of the King being left in an enclosed room with a traitorous criminal, Odin used the Prison's magical version of a hologram to visit his once son.
"Father, how I have missed you." Loki spoke dryly, not even looking up at the intruder.
"I have come to negotiate the terms of your sentence regarding visitors."
This of course was interesting enough for Loki to look up from where he stood in the centre of the room. An illusion of course; Loki was slumped against the cell's only opaque wall, too tired to stand all day for weeks on end. "You must be desperate. If you want my help repairing the Bifrost, you will have to think of a better bargaining tool than that."
"Better than seeing the family you nearly destroyed a world to protect?" Odin looked smug. Loki hated when Odin looked smug.
"You wish me to give up my knowledge, the only thing I hold over the great Odin Allfather," Loki spat the name with a vile taste in his mouth. "All for the visit of a hologram once every other year? Thanks, but I think I'll pass."
"Your mother insists that a live visit by the Midgardian can be permitted as long as he is aware of the dangers and the full details of your crimes against the nine realms."
"And what of Jareth?"
"Not until he is of the Midgardian equivalent of an adult and can make the choice for himself."
"Projected visits?"
"They will be discussed with his guardian."
Loki thought for a moment. Once he gave up his information of the Bifrost, he would have no more cards in his corner, no more bargaining chips against Odin. But what could he possibly bargain for that was worth more than this? An early release? Unlikely. "What do you want to know?"
-Page Break-
After giving up most of his information and suggestions on how the Bifrost could be repaired, Loki was surprised by how quickly his first visit came. And by how little warning he had.
"LOKI!" Loki gasped as arms wrapped round Loki's illusion of himself and Tony fell through into a heap of "WOAH!" on the floor.
The illusion disappeared immediately and Loki revealed where he sat against the wall in a less formal green tunic and the usual black leather that looked like it had been sprayed onto his legs. They stared at each other in silence for a good minute until Loki broke into uncontrollable laughter. "You bumbling idiot." He managed to choke out between guffaws.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know it wasn't you."
"Because it wasn't solid?" Loki grinned at him, scooting over to Tony's space on the floor and helping him onto his knees.
"You could warn a guy." After the floor Tony's shirt was a little ruffled, and he straightened it out with a huff.
Loki smiled, tilting Tony's chin up with his forefinger so their faces were level. "Had I known you were going to drop in…" They kissed softly and slowly, and Loki pulled back only when Tony deepened the kiss and Loki started to moan. "I missed you."
"Mmmmm, you too." Tony said, trying to join their mouths back together.
"Love, I don't know how much time we have."
"All the more reason to-"
Loki put his fingers to his lover's lips. "How's Jareth."
Tony stopped, remembering it wouldn't just be Tony the god missed.
"Yeah, he's great. A bit of a handful. He controls his eyes at will now."
Loki looked stunned, "He can override Odin's magic?" He was suddenly very very proud of his son. It took Loki great concentration or exposure to extreme cold to bring out his Jötun form. Not that he'd had a lot of practise. "Tell me more."
"Well, I would have brought pictures, but this big Asgardian dude just kind of hauled be out of a meeting. I'll keep some on me at all times now I promise, just in case." He saw Loki's eyes light up and felt bad for wanting to spend all their time making up for the lost physical contact. "It's only been a few weeks so you haven't missed much, but he's growing. Like a lot. I think he got your tall gene. Um, what else? Well he's driving Pepper crazy. One minute he's so cute and she's completely in love with him, next minute he's screaming his head off. He bit her once you know. And I swear he's already trying to provoke the Hulk, I don't even know how he knows about it. But yesterday Bruce was with him, and Pepper was there and he was surprisingly in love with our little guy, anyway-"
When he left, Loki was in euphoria for a couple of days, until the days led to weeks again and he could no longer pretend Tony was just going to pop in any minute now.
The visits were sporadic and varied from a few weeks in between to month as a time. Loki was not sure if it was partly down to the varying ratios of the passage of time between the realms or Odin messing with him. He was surprise however when after a particularly long wait it was not Tony who showed up, but Doctor Banner.
"You're not Tony. Loki's projection snapped. "What's happened to him?" The worry in his voice did not go unnoticed by Bruce who looked at him uneasily.
"He's not too great actually, that's what I came to talk to you about. He's not on death's door I promise" Bruce added, noticing the look in Loki's eye. "Just hear me out."
Bruce explained Tony's struggle and how he'd referred him to a therapist. He'd also mentioned all the bits Tony had left out in his visits. All the news that might worry Loki or make him feel worse for his absence. It was then that Loki suggested the temporary move to Asgard.
Eventually of course, Tony got better and then things happened back on Earth like aging and death and birth. Loki amused himself with Tony's tales of his friends and actually began to feel like they were friends of his own, even though some of them he had never met. These were the only people he'd had news from as even his beloved brother had yet to visit. Loki rolled his eyes. Thor claimed to love him but there was still a lot of anger there and, quite reasonably, Thor still didn't trust him. Finally, Thor was becoming wise in his old age.
-Page Break-
Six months passed until he saw anyone again.
"You let him out of your bloody sight?! He's sixteen!"
"Hey." Tony said, hands raised in the air. "It's not my fault, I can't watch him all the time. And I handled it." Tony has visited after a six month gap (his fault this time, not Asgard's), and had just explained the Extremis ordeal to Loki.
"You handled it? Without even telling me? I could have helped! And of course it's your bloody fault."
"I did handle it thank you very much. Ja's safe, he's more able to defend himself than before. And what could you have done in a cell? It would have just worried you."
"Of course I would be worried." Loki was furious and trying so hard not to pace.
"He's my child. He's a sixteen year old boy."
"Don't you think I was worried too? I almost died trying to fucking save him."
"You've known this entire time I could break from this cell at a moments notice. I could have just plucked him out of there before they had a chance to touch him. We need to make his magic lessons more regular."
"It won't happen again Lo."
"OFCOURSEITFUCKINGWONT." Loki seethed, "because next time you will come and tell me when something is wrong. He's not immortal Tony."
"I know, I know," Tony sat on the floor next to where Loki usually sat. "I'm sorry. But don't think I haven't been beating myself up about this too. I just didn't have time to get word to you, I had to go and help him. I knew I could deal with it and I didn't want your sentence increased just because I couldn't protect our son."
Loki took pity on him and dropped to his side. "I know, you did what you thought was best." There was a long moment of slightly uncomfortable silence they weren't used to while in each other's company. "Are you okay?"
Tony nodded "a couple of bruises and a few broken ribs. I've mostly healed by now though. I was putting this visit off so I wouldn't look so bad. I'm sorry."
"No, I am. You shouldn't have felt you needed to put off telling me. I don't bite."
"Yes you do." Tony laughed, "look at this, our first fight. Are we gonna do this a lot?"
Loki smirked, leaning closer and flicking Tony's lips with his tongue. "Depends how well we make up." He pulled Tony on top of him and started attacking his mouth with his own.
-Page Break-
It was a couple of decades later that Loki got his next unexpected visitor and he had lost track on how much time had passed on Earth since his punishment had begun. About 21 years apparently.
"Father."
Loki looked up and smiled. It has been a few months since he'd seen his son and even then he hadn't been allowed to actually be there. Loki had never hated Asgard's holographic visiting system so much in his life. "You got the gift I sent." Loki noticed. "Do you like it? I had your Grandmother order it from a design I'd seen. I believe it is similar to the Dwarven military Jackets. Longer of course."
"I do, thank you." Jareth stroked the brown leather absently and walked to the only chair in the room, pointing at it instead of sitting. "Is this real?"
Smiling, Loki shook his head. "I expected your father to visit me next."
"I don't know how he falls for the same thing each time. I think he does it purposely to amuse you. I think the best way to shock him would be to replace it with an actual chair." Jareth sat facing his father on the floor, resting his elbows on his bent legs. "Aren't you going to sit?"
"I already am." The projection said before fading away. "You and your father both fall for that one." A voice came from behind Jareth, causing him to spin around to see Loki sitting half against the glass wall of his cage.
"Honestly father, do you have nothing better to do with your time."
"No, actually."
"You have unlimited time on your hands and you amuse yourself with trivial magic. Could you not… read a book or something?"
"Books don't interest me." Loki lied, focusing all his attention of Jareth. "You wouldn't have bothered checking if the chair was real if you were a projection." He grinned at his son. "Happy twenty first Birthday."
"Thanks."
"Come here." Loki got up, holding his arms wide. Jareth was understandably hesitant. He'd always presumed Loki didn't like physical contact, but seeing him like this he realised he likely didn't want to be aware that Jareth wasn't exactly… solid.
That hug was the first time Loki had cried since his imprisonment and he'd be damned if he let it show, but clingy fathers aside, Loki hadn't been so relieved since they'd learned Jareth's ordeal with extremis hadn't left any lasting effects.
Jareth later told Loki that Thor had already given him the apple and he had plans to go travelling for a couple of years. "Because that's what people my age do. I'll come and visit after, it's not like Dad won't come and see you."
When Jareth next visits with plans of university, Loki doesn't understand. There is so much more to learn on Asgard. But his plans to travel the nine realms with he and Tony cheers him up a bit. At least his son is open to experience real knowledge and culture.
After this, the visits get less frequent, and it's not his family's fault. It had been three years since his last visit from Tony when Thor comes with new of his mother's death. They make a bargain that day, for Loki's help defeating Malakith and his followers, Loki will be rewarded with his freedom and his revenge.
-Page Break-
The Bifröst dropped Loki on the roof of Stark Tower, and he instantly noticed how much taller the tower had become, no doubt an egotistical move by Tony to still have the biggest tower in New York. Not that he had anything to compensate for if memory served.
It was windy, and Loki's hair and the tails of his jacket whipped around him wildly, obscuring his view. Holding his hair back he noticed steps leading down to double doors that opened on his approach.
"I assume you want your presence to be a surprise Mr. Loki." A familiar voice spoke from around him, impossibly more lifelike than before.
"You're just letting me in?"
"You are no longer on SHIELD's most wanted sir."
"Oh." Loki was genuinely disappointed. "Is he in?"
"Just this way sir." The elevator doors slid closed and Loki began his descent. "Actually, SHIELD deformed years ago. There are now a number of separate government operations to replace them. The presence of Aliens is now a large part of our lives."
"Why are we going so far down Jarvis?"
"As Mr Stark expanded the tower he decided not to move his living quarters to a higher level. I warn you though, the layout will not be as you remember."
There was a ding as they came to a halt and the doors opened. Loki had expected to see more advanced tech so far, but was slightly disappointed. Perhaps Tony had been feeling nostalgic when he designed the elevator.
Whatever the reason, Loki was glad for it. Everything else about the tower had changed, and Loki felt more like an intruder than he was coming home. Loki did smile however at the sight of a familiar head of hair sticking out one end of the sofa and a pair of feet the other. Either Tony had grown or smaller sofas were the fashion now.
"You're earlier than expected Jare." He heard him say. "Everything go alright with Sarah?"
Oh yes, the elusive Sarah his son had become so attached to. Really, why couldn't he find himself a nice immortal girl. He guessed he wasn't much of a role model there.
"Hello?" Tony asked when Loki didn't answer, too caught up in his thoughts.
Soon enough, Tony put his book down (Tony Stark reading? How very quaint) and turned to face him.
Loki could not help but smile at the man he hadn't seen in over three years.
"Loki..."
Sorry its been a while- I had some stuff happen at home so couldn't update. One chapter left! I will try and get it up this weekend, but I make no promises.
