Chapter 83: One Last Trick

"Death"

The word struck like a bolt of lightning. Brigid and Loki could only stand there in chains as T'Challa declared their fate. Thor cried out in protest but the Dora Milaje held him back. The children, who had been watching as T'Challa declared their parents' fate, wore looks of confusion and hurt.

"Where are they taking my mama and papa?" Tony asked.

"Why can't they come home?" Bruce asked.

Frigga and Fenrir tried to reach out to their parents, but Thor and Banner held them back and tried to reassure the tearful and frightened children. Brigid did not show her fear, but Loki noticed that her face had gone whiter than a ghost and she trembled as he held her hand. Seeing his children so panicked and sensing his love's fear, Loki knew there was only one true thing to do. Before he and Brigid could be escorted out, he shoved a Dora Milaje guard off him and knelt before T'Challa, crying: "Take me! I will go in her place!"

Everyone in the throne room froze. The sound of a pin drop could have been heard in the silence.

T'Challa waved his hand. "You may speak, Loki."

"My love Brigid does not deserve to suffer for whatever I've done," Loki said. "Her only crime was to love me. I put her through this. I killed the Captain and Bucky. She spent all this time suffering for what I've done. I've never taken responsibility for anything in my life, and I cannot let her or my children suffer for it any longer."

T'Challa shook his head. "You make a compelling offer, but you provide no proof. I am sorry. I cannot accept."

"Please, I beg you, you need to punish someone for killing Bucky and the Captain, punish me!" Loki pleaded tearfully. "I'll take her place on the block. Just let her go!"

Loki broke down and wept shamelessly, not caring about his pride. His only care was sparing Brigid from the block and he did not care if he had to beg to do so.

T'Challa nodded. "I'm told of your reputation, Loki Odinson. You are known to be a talented liar, God of Mischief."

"I cannot dispute my past," Loki said. "and I cannot let my love suffer for what I am."

"I know what you are," T'Challa said. "and as you are the God of Mischief and Lies, perhaps you are of sound character to get what you want."

"I am the God of Mischief, and I always will be," Loki said. "I have always been weak, and I don't want my family to suffer with me."

T'Challa nodded. "You are still of strong character to know how to get what you want, Loki. If you are lying, you are pulling your greatest trick yet. If you're telling the truth and are willing to take her place on the execution gallows tomorrow, Brigid is free."

T'Challa waved his hand. "Release her."

A Dora Milaje guard bowed and freed Brigid of the chains binding her ankles and wrists. Brigid could only stand frozen in awe and fear as Loki smiled at her as he was taken away back to the dungeon.

That afternoon, Loki sat alone in his cell. The cold of his cell was more apparent without the warmth of Brigid's presence, but Loki did not mind. He was glad she was not with him in that lonely cell. She was free, and she could be with their children, and he was glad to die for it. As he mused on these thoughts, he heard footsteps in his cell. Okoye approached him with Thor and the children. "You must be quick."

Thor nodded. "Thank you, Okoye."

Loki sighed. "I know why you're here. You want to know why I did it. You know why."

"Brother, please, you can't do this," Thor pleaded. "Let me speak to T'Challa. Perhaps I can persuade him to change his mind, come to an agreement where he'll let you live in prison."

Loki smirked. "I admire your faith in me, brother, but do you really think the good king will spare my life just to let me rot in chains? Only Odin was cruel enough to do that. T'Challa is a good man; he will end my life and I won't suffer."

"There is nothing I can do, is there?" Thor asked, tearfully.

"I think we both know the answer to that, brother," Loki said. "This is not Asgard, and we have no say here. I am going to die tomorrow, and I can say I will face death like a friend."

Thor wept as he held his hand to the barrier, wishing to hold his baby brother one last time. "If it weren't for this cell, I'd give you a hug."

"I'm here," Loki whispered.

Loki knelt before his children. "My princes and princesses, I have to go away. I need you to take care of each other, especially your baby brother and sister. You're the princes and princesses of Asgard now. Mama will take care of you, and so will Uncle Banner and Uncle Thor."

"Where are you going, Papa?" Frigga asked.

"Are you coming back?" Tony asked.

Loki sighed, a stab of pain as he spoke once more. "No, my dear ones. I'm afraid once I am gone, I won't be coming back."

"It's because you made the king angry, isn't it?" Frigga asked.

"Can't you just say you're sorry and come home?" Bruce asked.

Loki chuckled. "I wish I could, dear ones, but it is not that easy, I'm afraid."

Just then, Okoye marched down the steps. "Your time is up. Say your goodbyes."

"No!" Frigga protested.

"We don't wanna leave!" Bruce protested.

"Papa, don't make us leave!" Tony cried.

The children broke into bitter tears that crushed Loki's heart. He would have wept at the sight of them, but he kept his heart.

"Children, dear ones, please," Loki said. "Mama will need you while I'm gone. I need you to be strong for her and for me. You're children of gods. Can you be strong for me and Mama?"

The children all nodded. Loki held his hand up to the cell, longing to hold his children.

"I love you, my dear ones," he said.

Tearfully, Thor and Loki's children departed the cell, leaving Loki once more in his lonely cell. Loki felt he was not alone, though, as he heard a whisper.

"My king."

Loki smiled. "Fenrir, my old friend."

"My king, I'm so proud of you," Fenrir said. "You have saved my queen. You are truly the king I've always dreamed of serving."

"She is my love," Loki said. "Who would I be if I was not willing to give my last drop of blood for her?"

"You are truly a noble king, my lord," Fenrir said. "I only wish you did not have to die to prove your worth. You've already shown it."

"You have always been a loyal servant, Fenrir," Loki said. "I will do what I must if it means Brigid's freedom, and if it means my life, so be it."

"Asgard does not deserve you, my king," Fenrir said. "I will be waiting for you in Valhalla."

Loki smiled. "And I will be there to greet you, my friend."

Later that night, Loki's room was filled was smoke as he sat alone once more. He smiled as he realized the smoke was only a veil.

"I knew you would come, my love," he said.

Standing before Loki was a smiling Brigid. "How could I stay away?"

"My love, you have your freedom, your life," Loki said. "Take it for the both of us."

Brigid shook her head. "I have only one more night to share with you. I want to take it for the both of us."

Brigid laid Loki down on the cold marble floor and ripped off his jacket and shirt as Loki rolled up her skirts. His hands lingered on her leg, and Brigid drew his hand up to her thigh. Loki's hands roamed her body, through her hair as they found the laces on her bodice. Brigid sighed as she felt Loki's hands traveling around her before finding their way back to her thigh. Brigid roamed his body, from his chest to his neck and down to his abdomen as Loki sighed. Loki flipped her over as he worshiped her legs from ankle to thigh. The entire night Brigid and Loki lost themselves in their love one last time.

Dawn had come, and with it, Loki's time. Okoye marched down to Loki's cell and pounded her spear.

"It's time," she said grimly.

"I'm ready," Loki said.

Okoye bound Loki in chains to his wrists and ankles and marched him out to the waiting hovercraft. On the short journey to the gallows, Loki paled at the sight of the noose but he held his courage. Dora Milaje drummed as he approached the block where the Avengers and King T'Challa as well as all of Wakanda royalty had come to watch his fate. Thankfully, Loki did not see his children in the crowd, as he did not want them to witness such a horrific sight. T'Challa nodded and Loki was marched up the stairs and the dreadful noose was fitted around his neck.

T'Challa rose and spoke. "Loki Odinson, you are charged with the deaths of Steve Rogers and James Barnes as well as the harm of countless others. For this, you shall be put to death by hanging by your neck. May your Gods have mercy on you."

T'Challa shouted to his guards as the drums that signaled Loki's lifeline tolled. In a deathly crescendo, the drums roared their loudest and then ceased. T'Challa waved his hand, and Loki dropped to his doom. To his misfortune, his neck did not break in the fall, but Loki floated there, kicking, desperately, his eyes tearing and red as he hung a thread away from death. Despite his efforts, Loki could not continue forever. Slowly, his feet ceased to kick and his red eyes closed.

In the halls of Wakanda, Thor came to greet Brigid with a somber tone.

"Brigid, my dear sister, I am ever so sorry," he said. "Loki is dead."

"What?" asked Brigid, appearing dazed.

"Sister, I know the news might seem shocking to you, but Loki has been executed," Thor said. "He took your place upon the gallows."

"Thor, you fool, can't you see beyond your eyes, brother?" asked Brigid.

Thor squinted in disbelief. Brigid's manner of speaking shocked him but he knew it was all too familiar.

"Loki?" he gasped.

Brigid's facade melted away to reveal Loki, much to Thor's shock.

"Brother, if you're here, then who was it that took your place on the gallows?" Thor asked.

Loki knew it could not be possible, but he knew that there was no sense denying the truth he knew too well. The truth that stabbed him like a thousands knives to the heart. "NO!"

A/N: What does Loki know? Who took his place? This is for my readers, reviewers, followers, favorites, etc. This story is for you and would be nothing without you! P.S. Happy Holidays!