Chapter 12: Game Time Part 2

-Then-

The void was a cold, dark and unforgiving place. The very embodiment of torture and punishment. Trapped there Loki longed for death, but the void lacked mercy, denying him the release he so greatly desired. So alone in that empty space, he relived all the pain and hurt for a time that felt like an eternity.

It didn't take long in that oblivion of dark and silence for the voices of those he knew - used to know, had his whole life been a dream? - to begin uttering their incessant and cruel words into Loki's ears.

Did you truly believe you were one of us?

You are a relic

A pawn

A monster

You deserve to die here in the dark

At first they were soft and unnerving, then they were screaming and yelling until their words alone felt like they were tearing into his skin and Loki was bellowing at them to be silent.

Eventually the delusions felt more real than his own memories. All the lies turned into undeniable truths, and his suffering dissolved into bitter hatred and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.

It was then, when the resentment and anger had overcome him, that he heard a voice he did not recognise.

"Loki. Fallen god of Asgard." The voice was hard and deep; it's strength and confidence obvious.

Loki snarled, "Who dares refer to me in such a manner!"

Was this voice even real? Had his mind finally broken and given way to insanity?

"One who can help you out of your current... predicament" that last word spoken with palpable condensation.

Loki began laughing hysterically for he was sure he had truly lost his mind, "I need no help. Not from anyone. Certainly not from you, or anyone else for that matter."

Loki swore he could hear laughing then before the voice replied, "What if I told you I could give you the very thing that you desire against all else?"

Loki snorted, "And pray tell, what is it that I desire?"

Loki felt a warm sensation running through his body. The feeling continued until a sudden rush swelled in his head and he buckled in agony. Then, he saw it. It was like watching a memory flash uncontrollably in his mind's eye. Loki of Asgard: content, warm... happy?

Loki's body tremored as he experienced the projection. It was more than just a memory, he was now living through what he was seeing. Feeling what the Loki before him was feeling.

"Yes." Loki let slip, knowing exactly what the voice was offering him, "Yes, by the Nine yes!" the images flashing in his head and the deep want and yearning depriving the trickster of any leverage for negotiation. It was clear, he wanted it more than anything.

With a sudden jolt, the images were gone and Loki returned to the dark emptiness of the void. The abrupt change made the god seethe in rage, "Why show me this! Do you find pleasure in mocking me with things that cannot be done!"

"Oh, it can be done little god, this I can promise."

Loki tired of the patronising tone of the voice speaking to him, but he held back his tongue lashes adopting the old proverb of honey and vinegar.

No one who knew him would doubt that Loki was as knowledgeable of the workings of the world as he was cunning. He knew well enough that nothing in life comes free. "So then," he said, "since you are obviously going to great lengths to convince me that you have something I want, what is it that you want in return?"

The voice's response came as though its speaker were bearing a gleaming smile, "I desire a many things Asgardian. However, there is one thing I want that while you cannot give me, you can assist me in acquiring it."

"And what would I be assisting you in acquiring?"

"Something stolen from me a very long time ago." The voice vaguely answered. "With it, I can give you what you desire."

Loki narrowed his eyes, "And why would I assist you in acquiring your stolen article when, if that is indeed all I need to get what I want out of this exchange, I could simply acquire it and use it myself?"

The voice became dangerously hard at the question, "Because, I am the only one with the ability to wield it in such a way to grant you the desired results. You also forget fallen god, your current situation, and the fact that you do not know what I seek to recover, nor do you have any means of freeing yourself from the void."

Loki smiled, "Then I believe I have little choice in the matter and limited ability to bargain."

A few seconds of silence passed before Loki decided, "I will assist you then, and in return, you will give me what I want" a demand, not a question. Loki may have been in a poor bargaining position, but that didn't mean he was about to be dominated.

"Be wary Loki of Asgard, a deal with me is binding. Do you understand?"

This may well have been a deal with the devil, but Loki responded without hesitation, "Yes" then he felt the burning of dark magick engulfing his body as if his flesh was being peeled from his very bones. The blackness around him started to flare and soon became a blinding white light. He was being pulled apart and he screamed in agony. Invisible tendrils coiled around him and ripped him from the void.

Loki plunged forward onto the solid ground that was now beneath him, gasping furiously as he tried to take control of the pain that was coursing through his weakened body. The teleportation from the void had been agonising, as could be expected, the physical consequences of the magick dragging someone from the deepest darkest depths of space. The abrupt change of temperature from the long days -months, years?- of cold to where he was now made his flesh burn like he had been tossed into a furnace. Loki tried to examine his surroundings, but the blackness of the void had rendered him incapable of looking upon any degree of light. He was blind, broken and helpless.

It would take Loki weeks to recover, and in that time, he was shown many things. It was laughable the extent to which Loki had been, and Asgard still was, so blind to the bitter and powerful enemies plotting the golden kingdom's demise. It seemed that Odin stole many relics across the Nine Realms, and beyond, and many still harboured a grudge and a longing for retribution.

There were two sides to every story. Now Loki had the opportunity to hear the side of those who objected to the actions of the Aesir. Growing up in the golden kingdom, being fed nothing but the war stories of the Asgardian warriors against their foes, it was eye opening to hear the same tales from those who would describe the conduct Asgard as atrocities.

The lies made Loki bitter, angry and resentful.

Loki heard many a story of the innocent victims of Asgard; those who held power but without provocation were deprived of it because Odin and his father before him decided they alone had the authority to decide which race in the realms were entitled to wield incredible power. That was what the Asgard vault was for after all, to keep powerful items from the wrong hands, well, who Asgard deemed were indeed the 'wrong hands'.

Loki was no fool and he knew that Thanos was not one of these self proclaimed innocent victims. He could feel the malice and malevolence gushing from the Mad Titan, and whatever powerful object he sought to recover from Asgard, it would likely lead to terrible consequences not even Loki could foresee. Loki knew this, but still, he wanted what Thanos was offering so he would assist, and the casualties of the fallout be damned.

So the Titan and Loki wove a plan, a plan that involved a powerful artefact recently discovered on Midgard that was worth a look, a staged invasion attempt, a fake rehabilitation - one that even Odin himself would believe - and finally a distraction.

-Now-

It only took Loki moments to locate the tesseract once he was inside the vault. It sat so innocently on its mantle, encased in its transparent chamber, its supernatural blue energy shining ever so brightly.

It was almost, almost, impressive that that pestilent Stark human was able to build a casing for the tesseract with the ability to suppress its energy from outside sources. The door had been temporarily locked. But no longer. Rushing to the object Loki picked up the chamber and with all the power and force he could muster raised the glass chamber over his head and sent it on a fast short trip towards the ground.

Loki grimaced at how utterly barbaric smashing the chamber felt, but after his confrontation with Heimdell, he really did not have the energy to utilise magic to free the cube.

It only took seconds after releasing the tesseract from its prison that the blue energy began to illuminate, spewing forward a blue streak that concentrated against the vault's wall. Loki watched as the wall itself ripped open and a large armoured man gripping a spear with a glowing blue stone stepped forward into the vault.

A victorious smile spread across Loki's face, "Welcome to the vault of Asgard, Lord Thanos." Thanos in return beamed a triumphant smile. Despite all the efforts of Odin, King of Asgard, the old fool had been undone by the efforts of his very own proclaimed son. How very fitting and satisfying.

Loki watched as the Titan moved beyond him and scanned the vault, his eyes setting upon a golden gauntlet encrusted with gemstones, and wasting no time in seizing the object, casting aside the spear in his hand and with a forceful greedy snatch removing the gauntlet from its mantle and shoving his left hand inside.

The Titan examined the object intently, eyeing the glowing stones encrusted within its gold. "Infinity gauntlet, you are mine once again" he whispered to his possession, until his sights adjusted to a singular point and he frowned in anger.

"A gemstone is missing!" He snarled.

"What." Loki grimaced.

Thanos turned to Loki revealing an empty crevice in the glove ,"There is a gem missing, where is it?" he demanded accusingly to the god.

Loki glared at the Titan whose face had now morphed to a crimson red. "You assume I have knowledge of such things, when I did not even know what object in this vault you so sorely sought!"

"Do not test me little god."

Loki huffed, "If a stone is missing from that gauntlet, it was not by my doing. Perhaps you should take it up with those who deprived you of it in the first place."

An evil smirk spread across the Titan's face, "Perhaps I will."

Loki knew well the expression that Thanos was now wearing as a result of the suggestion. It was a dangerous look that even made Loki want to skulk away into the shadows to hide from the Titan, but Loki was nothing else if not bold. Clearing his throat as he stood before Thanos the raven-haired god demanded, "You have your precious device and I have fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now you must fulfil yours."

Thanos pulled his eyes away from the glove, still smiling as he concurred, "Indeed. You have done very well Loki. I will uphold my promise."

Loki noticed how the gemstones in the gauntlet began to gleam as Thanos closed the small distance separating them. The Titan towered over Loki, but the god's face held no fear as he stared up into the Titan's red eyes with unwavering certainty. With their eyes fixed together, neither were aware of another's sudden presence until Gungnir was lodged into Thanos' back.

The Mad Titan bellowed, slightly in pain but mostly in shock. Whilst Thanos had not borne the gauntlet's power for eons, the few minutes which he had had to engulf himself with the artefact's energy had provided enough power that he was able to immediately recover from the surprise strike.

Thanos swiped angrily at the staff effortlessly dislodging it from his back, the remaining damage hardly a wound worthy of any further attention. Turning to see his attacker, Thanos simply laughed at the old man before him, "This is what becomes of the great Allfather, attacking his enemy whilst his back is turned."

Odin stood at the entry to the vault, his one eye dangerously on Thanos, "You think that a cretin like you deserves any better?"

Loki stared eyes wide and mouth agape at the Allfather's sudden appearance, the unexpected shock quickly fading to make way for the seething annoyance at being interrupted.

"Oh," Thanos taunted, "You wound me with your words."

Odin stormed forward unsheathing his sword at his side as he walked, "I suggest that you vacate this place immediately Thanos."

The Titan just smiled, "No. Odin King. I don't think I will."

Loki retreated to the side as the other two charged towards each other, Odin with his sword, Thanos making no attempt at unveiling his own weapon. Loki decided that he would intervene, after the initial onslaught, to stop Odin killing Thanos. He still needed the Titan.

Silently in the shadows Loki watched as Odin brought his sword down upon Thanos, only to be stopped in his tracks as the Titan blocked the blade with the gauntlet. Thanos then struck with a vigorous blow of his right fist straight into Odin's side, sending the King with a painful groan into the wall of the vault.

Odin fell ungracefully to the ground, rubble scattering all over his body. Returning to the fight, the two skirmished back and forth, Thanos using the gauntlet to counter Odin's assaults and landing damaging hits in their wake. The Titan moved with a strength and agility that was more ghost than man, impossible to believe if not seen with your own eyes.

Another blow sent Odin across the vault once more, the impact more damaging than the last. Thanos cackled at the fruitless efforts of the Allfather as he attempted to get back onto his feet, his legs giving way underneath him at each attempt

The Titan approached the fallen King, a cruel and malicious glare in his eyes. A killer's gaze. He stopped in his tracks when a green puff of smoke appeared before him, materialising Loki.

Thanos snorted, "Loki God of Lies and Mischief now comes to his King's aid. Overcome with love and devotion for your fake father are we?"

Loki sneered, "Do not assume to know my motivations! You forget your debt Lord Thanos. I refuse to allow you the gratification of your revenge until you make good on our deal."

Thanos brows furrowed in insult. "I forget nothing little god. Now, move aside!"

Loki stood firm, "Not until you give me what I have earned."

At that Thanos lunged forward gripping Loki around the neck. A whimper escaped the lips of the man on the floor, "No." His plea being ignored.

"Very well!" Thanos declared as he brought Loki off the ground. "I will remove from your Jotunn bloodline."

The gems of the gauntlet around Loki's throat let out a flash of multi-coloured lights at the command of its holder. Loki felt a rush of blistering cold to overwhelming heat as his very essence was stripped away, pulled into the glove itself. Then the lights faded and he was roughly dropped to the ground.

Loki clutched at his chest trying to calm his racing heart. He immediately felt different. He was momentarily overcome with delight that it had worked, and now he was no longer a part of that race of despicable monsters. He felt a warmth spread throughout his body, a feeling he had never known his whole life. Yet as his breaths steadied, and mind cleared, Loki realised that the change in his body was not only mere warmth. Something was wrong. So very wrong. He felt weakened and disconnected; unable to feel the branches of Yggdrasil linking through him and beyond into the Nine Realms.

Loki looked up in absolute betrayal and blazing fury, "What have you done to me!"

"Like I promised, former god" Thanos replied coldly.

"This, this... is not..."

"What we agreed. Of course it is."

"No!" Loki screamed stumbling to his feet, almost toppling backwards on top of Odin behind him. "You were to remove my Jotunn heritage! That was the deal!"

Thanos chuckled, "You of all people should have realised the danger in assuming. I showed you how you would be without your abhorrent legacy, but you did not question the consequences of being purged of it. "

Loki gripped himself, feeling light headed and dizzy, "Undo it!" the command only earning a deeper cackle from the Titan. "And renege on our deal? My word is my bond Loki, and I have delivered as promised."

Loki growled as his fury overflowed and he lunged forward to swipe at the Titan, only to be swatted away like an insect.

"Pathetic little maggot!" Thanos yelled, bringing Loki up from the ground by the collar of his coat, "If you have a desire to die alongside your King then so be..." the sentence being cut short as Mjolnir slammed into the side of Thanos' head, the impact of the hammer forcing him to lose his grip on Loki and fall ungracefully to the ground.

Thor, closely followed by Sif and the warriors three, dashed loudly into the vault. Seeing the gathering force, Thanos glowered from the ground. "This is not over Asgardians!" he screamed clenching his fingers in the gauntlet into a fist and closing his eyes in concentration; disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Thor stopped abruptly in the centre of the vault, Loki before him, Odin to his side against the wall. "Where is he!" the god bellowed, returning Mjolnir to his hand and raising the weapon into the air ready to strike.

A murmur drifted from the ground "Gone," the voice breaking the concentration of the thunderer who swiftly went to his father's side.

"Father, what happened?" Thor asked as Fandrall and Hogun assisted Odin back onto his feet. Behind them, Loki was slowly lifting himself to his knees, his back to the others, with Sif by Thor's side staring at the god of lies guardedly.

Odin shook his head, "A raid in the vault. Regrettably, an object of great power has been taken."

"What? How did they get in?" Volstagg spat, temporarily forgetting his manners in the heat of battle.

A small voice answered behind him, "I let them in" all eyes drifting to the back of the slumping figure on his knees. Sif was the first to react, drawing her sword and marching it point first towards Loki.

"You traitorous worm!" she yelled, bringing her sword forward and jabbing it into his back. "On your command Allfather, I will see justice is done for this treason."

Feeling the tip of the blade dig into his back, Loki didn't flinch, didn't move forward away from the sharp metal. Instead he knelt back letting it bury itself deeper into his clothes. "Do it then," he urged, "do it and be done with it."

Thor looked upon his brother with conflicting emotions of pity, betrayal and anger. His first inclination was to ward off Sif, chastise her violent actions against his brother, yet he stayed his hand this time as he looked upon his father beside him; battered and defeated. It was a rare sight to see Odin Allfather, mighty King of Asgard, outdone in battle.

Thor found it bewildering how he constantly found himself in the same situation time and time again when it came to Loki; confused and utterly blindsided by someone he loved and thought he could trust. It did not matter that Loki had burned him in the past. Thor whole heartedly thought his brother could change. Was capable of change. And that all Loki needed was the right amount of support and motivation. He believed it more than anyone else, and he knew, that made him susceptible to Loki's manipulation. But Thor was also stubborn, so even though he knew this well, he would not admit it - even to himself - that Loki could not be more than the god of lies and mischief. So once more, the brother of Loki found himself looking upon his brother with dread, his eyes asking with no amount of words spoken, what have you wrought upon us brother?

The indifferent eyes of Sif and the warriors three stared at Odin waiting for a decision. It was a well known truth that the friends of Thor never did really care for Loki and his trickery and mischief. They would shed no tears if the King commanded them to end his life this day.

"No." Odin finally ordered them, "He will stand trial for his crimes. Take him to the dungeons." Sif withdrew her blade as Loki slumped forward, his back still to those behind him. Thor and Odin left the room before Loki was dragged to his feet by Sif and the warriors three, escorting the raven haired traitor to the cells beneath the palace.

The corridors leading from the vault were as silent as tombs of the dead, the distinct sound of battle no longer filling the hallways. It gave Thor pause as to where his father was heading, and what had transpired outside the palace in his absence.

A messenger had been bolting through the palace when he spotted Odin, delivering a message that the battle had been won and the enemy retreated from the fields of Asgard. Both Thor and Odin knew this was not a result of might of their soldiers, but because their enemy had acquired what they had came for. So, they realised, it had been an orchestrated distraction all along.

Odin's eyebrows furrowed deeper into a combination of frustration and rage, both boiling inside him tempting to be unleashed. Rudely, he dismissed the messenger.

Thor was hesitant to discuss with his father the repercussions they now would face when the King was obviously withholding his outrage, but the thunderer had never been patient.

Following Odin into the throne room and noting that they were alone, he confronted the Allfather. "Father. We must discuss what is to be done about our enemy."

"Not right now Thor." Odin curtly replied at Thor behind his back, not turning around to face his son as he spoke.

"But Father..."

"Stop!" came the threatening shout booming throughout the great golden hall. The sudden loud noise made Thor startle, but he adamantly persisted, "Father, I understand Loki's betrayal has injured you. But we must act. If what you say is true that a powerful weapon has been stolen we must..."

That was when Odin turned around to face Thor, and he saw then, that the King's eyes were unfocused, wet and glazed over, yet contained like a veil of invisible force was holding it all back.

"That is not the only thing that has been taken, nor the most imperative" Odin stated flatly, his mind still absent in his thoughts.

"Of what do you speak father." Thor asked as he stood before the King of Asgard.

Odin rubbed his hands across his face, the years of stress and strain ever present across his aged features. Sighing, he looked at Thor with a stern expression, "The man who breached our walls was Thanos. One of the last surviving Titanian Eternals. The Mad Titan. He has taken the infinity gauntlet and he will use it throughout the Nine Realms to the destruction of many. I deprived him long ago of the powers of the gauntlet to protect the Nine Realms."

"Then we must stop him again." Thor answered sternly, his immaturity showing.

"Thanos is not only strong, but intelligent." Odin argued."With the aid of the gauntlet he will be neigh unstoppable."

Thor's brows furrowed together, "Then how did you defeat him before?"

"He underestimated me. I don't believe he will be making the same mistake twice."

Thor knew if there was any value in Odin disclosing an old war story, then the wise king would do so. So rather than persist, the thunderer returned to the issue at hand. "What powers does the gauntlet hold?"

"The gauntlet holds six gems. Time, space, soul, reality, power and mind. Each granting the holder the ability to control that which the gems are so named." The explanation made Thor swallow in dread. With such powers, one could be indestructible.

Thor shook his head in confusion, "How could the appropriation of this object not be more imperative than anything else?"

A moment of silence lingered until Odin spoke, "In exchange for assisting him acquire the gauntlet, Thanos used its power to remove Loki's Jotunn bloodline."

Thor opened his mouth to speak but the Allfather continued anticipating the inquiry, "Without his Jotunn heritage, Loki is no longer an immortal."

A heavy silence fell over the throne room before Thor asked, almost pleading, "Can't you simply return Loki to his former self, as you were able to do so with me."

Odin exhaled hard, his despair obvious. "This is different. I did not remove your gifts, simply transferred them. Loki's has been stripped by the gauntlet. Only the gauntlet can return them."

Thor frowned, looking upon Odin with stubborn determination. "Then we will find a way to retrieve the gauntlet."

The response was slow and painful. "We may not be able to do so in time."

"Why?" Thor asked hesitantly.

"Loki's treachery has caused many deaths this day. Asgard will demand swift and just punishment..." Swallowing hard Odin confessed, the heavy burden upon his shoulders as the King of many, "I fear for the determination of his trial. Either I will be forced to order his execution or worse still, exile. I do not believe he can survive either."

A/N

So yes, good job Loki - you royally stuffed up again!

I am not sure if I am 100% satisfied with this chapter, but I think by the end it flowed like I wanted it to.

To be clear, I have woven in my story that Loki's immortality derived from his frost giant parentage rather than his Aesir. I think the traditional story is he is half Jotunn, have Aesir, but like you take traits from one parent to another, for the sake of the story, he doesn't get his awesome godliness from his mother. Anyways, hope this chapter was satisfying, sorry about the wait though! I had to re-write it a few times.