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p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"This story is about Loki, the God of Mischief. He is charismatic, intelligent, dangerous, playful and more powerful than he lets us see. The guy's confidence appears to be sky high, even though he cannot stand up to Thor, let alone All-Father Odin. There does not seem to be anything, well, godly about him./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There must be something he sees, and we do not, or he is simply bluffing. Maybe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"(The inspiration for this story is TOTALLY the MCU. NOT Norse mythology./span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's a solitary night; the only sounds are footsteps of the Asgardian prince and his cape bellowing along the cold, merciless winds that always blew from Jotunheim. But the cold had never really bothered him. He walked like a magician./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The prince was strolling away from the crowded roads and places of rest, from where he could almost hear the men making merry after a day's work./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stop!" yelled a man. He was well-built and square –jawed, like Loki had black hair, and he smelled of wood smoke. Totally a warrior. He walked up to the prince, facing him with a hand touching his scabbard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The prince removed the veil concealing his face. It revealed a blond beard and shining blue eyes. He almost looked like a younger version of Odin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thor" said the warrior involuntarily relaxing his stance, and breaking a smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Erik" said Thor as a sigh escaped him. Slowly the lights in the settlements were dying down, people were going to sleep. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I thought you would be with the rest of us making merry. Why did you leave the celebration? I think the women missed you" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik, Thor and Loki used to be friends in their childhood and had shared many cherished moments. Before Loki began causing mischief, that is. /span/p
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p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I never went there" said Thor laughing. "Father had me in his quarters, he wanted to talk to me, I came here to contemplate on his words."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik was visibly confused "But" he said, "I saw you there at the feast, talking to Sif. You sure you weren't there?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"What? /emYou saw me at the feast? That's impossible" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I saw you, I am not mocking you"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Suddenly Thor hardened, as realization dawned on him. His eyes widened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Did you check the prison cells, Erik?" He said clutching Erik's arm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I did. Why?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki is causing mischief" growled Thor, "I believe it was him you saw posing as me at the party. He has escaped!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik tensed up. "I have checked the cells he was lying there, almost dead."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You know something about illusions?" Thor barbed, losing his patience./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Your brother makes things difficult for us and for himself. I will go and inform All-Father and await orders." said Erik turning to march towards the palace. But before he could go any further he felt someone's touch on his back and a soft touch on his forehead. And his consciousness burst into green light. He was transported to an age old memory, where Odin had announced him a soldier./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You are worthy of carrying out the noble task that was handed to your ancestors….." Erik lost track of words, they blurred and joined together. It was as if he was drunk. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Suddenly everything came into sharp focus. The smell of perfume on the curtains with heavily intricate designs, All-Father's eyes on him, and he bowed down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin stood up from his mighty throne, and walked past him, and whispered a series of words opening up a vault diametrically opposite to his seat./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And now I shall entrust you to guard the Source of All-knowledge…" and told Erik the secret words he so remembered. As he fell into unconsciousness, he saw a green cloak swoosh by, as if overhearing their conversation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He felt the touch on his forehead withdraw and the last thing he knew before he was gone was the touch of wet grass on the ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Green light cascaded on Thor and revealed his true form. Loki clenched his fists; his rule on Asgard was on its way, for he had finally found a way to expand his power beyond his previous limits./span/p