Chapter 1: Homecoming
In all honesty, Thor was expecting something grand to welcome him home from battle. Usually guards would be lined down the Bifrost, standing at attention with proud looks in their eyes. Citizens would be waiting at the entrance to the royal city, all congratulating him on his most recent victory. The maids and palace staff would have a celebratory feast waiting for him and the party would go on for days until they were all too drunk to remember why they were celebrating in the first place. There was always something, and seeing as this victory was probably the most important one he had achieved, he had expected something big.
But as the blinding light of the Bifrost died down, Thor was surprised to see only his parents and a group of healing masters waiting for him. He pulled on the chains that bound his brother, jerking him forward as he stepped towards his parents.
"Mother, Father," Thor greeted with a nod. He wasn't disappointed. It was, after all, the middle of the night and his return would be announced in a few hours' time.
"Oh, my son," Frigga said breathlessly, rushing forward with his arms out.
"Mother, it's merely a stab wound," Thor began to say, knowing very well there was a gaping hole in his top where Loki had stabbed him hours earlier. But much to his surprise, Frigga wasn't running to his aid. She went straight to Loki and cupped his muzzled face in her hands, bringing him close and murmuring sweet nothings into his ear.
"Frigga," Odin said in a wary voice. Thor looked at him, waiting to be ordered to haul Loki straight to the dungeons and leave him there to rot for eternity. But Odin made no such command. "Frigga, we must go now. Quickly, my dear. Let the healer's take him."
Thor was shoved out of the way as the group of healer's took the chains from his hands and vanished them. He began to protest, but with a snap of fingers, they disappeared in the blink of an eye with Loki in tow. Thor stood there flabbergasted at what just happened and he looked to his parents for an explanation. Were they truly going to offer aid to that traitorous, murdering, adopted son of theirs before locking him in prison? Sentiment, he supposed.
Odin and Frigga made no offer of welcome to their oldest son and turned on their heals to briskly walk out of the auditorium. Thor cast a look of confusion to Heimdall, who stood in silence, before running after them quickly. He didn't know where they were headed, but they were in a hurry and it took a good minute before he caught up with them.
"Father, we must start interrogating Loki right away. Who knows what sort of things he revealed to the Chitauri? We must assume that we have been compromised and prepare for the threat of war," Thor said seriously as he tried to keep up with their fast pace. His father either did not hear him or was making a point of ignoring him, and spoke with his wife instead.
"I don't want you to watch," Odin was saying, but Frigga shook her head adamantly.
"I'm not about to start arguing with you again, husband," She objected in a firm voice. "That is my son and I will be there every second of it. For every cry of pain, I will be there to soothe him."
"He still has a façade on, wife," Odin retorted in a tired voice that was laced with concern. "His injuries will be severe – more severe than we may think."
"I'm coming with you," Frigga repeated in a firm voice.
Thor looked at them incredulously; they were really going to offer Loki aid.
"You're going to heal him?" He demanded.
"Aye," Odin grunted with a nod as they rounded a corner of the palace.
"In what world is this okay?" Thor roared as he followed after his parents. "He attacked Midgard! He killed my friend! And you offer him safe haven first and foremost?"
Frigga sighed and glanced back at her eldest son in exasperation. Despite how wrong he was, his anger was not misplaced. Unfortunately, they had not the time to explain things to him before sending him to Midgard to retrieve his brother. Their first and only concern when Heimdall had informed them of their youngest son's sudden appearance was to get him home safely.
"Thor, there is much to be discussed but now is not the time," Frigga told her son in an urgent voice that left no room for arguing. She followed her husband into the healing rooms, determined not to fall behind as she reasoned with Thor. "Your brother needs tending to."
"My brother needs to be locked in the dungeons until an interrogation can begin!" Thor said, feeling disgusted to call that person his brother. He had no brother, not anymore. Loki had been said it first and now Thor was finding himself all but too willing to agree.
With a short breath, Frigga whirled around to face her son, who stood a good height taller than her. But her presence was strong and he shrank under her gaze.
"Thor Odinson, I will not say it again," She said in a low voice. "There is much that you don't understand. I know that you are angry and confused, but now is not the time. Please. Wait in your quarters until your father and I are finished here."
She turned and left in a hurry without another word, leaving her oldest standing there agape, shocked and offended that he could be sent to his room as if he were a child.
With a growl, Thor swore and left as he was told, but he wasn't going to do it kindly.
Three broken vases and four scared maidens later, he found himself perched on the ledge of the balcony outside his rooms. He had seen the Hawkeye do this a great many times and at some point, Clint had told him that it helped clear his mind being up in high places. Well, it may have worked for him but Thor did not find himself gaining any clarity and ungracefully fell off the wall when he tried to come down.
"Well, I give the landing a four out of ten, my prince!"
Thor looked up from where he'd fallen to the floor and found Sif and the Warriors Three standing above him. He glared at them and rolled over, pulling himself to his feet quickly and pretended he'd done that on purpose. Because he definitely had. Really.
"My friends," He greeted, tucking a strand of tangled blonde hair behind his ear. "Please forgive me, but I am not in the mood for company."
"We understand," Sif said, stepping forward with a look of concern on her face. "Truly, we do. I know it must be difficult to believe after all that we've done, but we too are worried for your brother."
Thor looks at her in confusion. "I – what? – concerned for my bro- for Loki? Why on Idunn's apples would you be concerned with him?"
"Thor, we know," Volstagg told him in a quiet voice, and the rest of the group looked down at the floor as if they were guilty. "We weren't eavesdropping…we just happened to overhear everything that Heimdall told your parents."
"You know we would have gone with you, my friend," Fandral added, his eyes serious and earnest. "Truly. But Commander Tyr got to us first – mishap on Alfheim, you see."
"You have our sincerest apologies," Hogun finished up for them, thrusting his arm across his chest as a sign of honor and loyalty, and the rest copied his actions.
Thor stared at them, a loud silence filling the air.
"You're concerned for Loki…because of his defeat?" He said slowly, not quite understanding the conversation. "I didn't kill him, for Norn's sake."
Something was not adding up and now the lot of them were sharing confused looks.
"I'm afraid that I do not understand," Thor admitted to his friends. "Please, start over. What exactly are you concerned about?"
"Loki," Volstagg said slowly, giving Thor a strange look. "His injuries are severe and his mind…"
"We're truly sorry," Sif said again, looking at him sympathetically. "If there is anything we can do to help…"
Once again, a loud silence filled the air and the confusion on Thor's end was more than ever. He shook his head and forced a laugh, but there was nothing remotely amusing about this situation. He took a step forward, standing tall.
"I would hardly call his injuries severe, nor would I condone it to sympathize him. Loki attacked one of the realms that he swore to protect. He killed about a dozen innocent lives. There is nothing about that that warrants feeling sorry for him. He got what he deserved, being beaten by friend Hulk."
All of a sudden, it clicked for the group of warriors.
He didn't know.
How did he not know? He had been there when Heimdall broke the news about Loki's reappearance.
…Hadn't he?
"Thor," Sif said slowly, taking a step towards him. "Loki. He has done nothing wrong. He – for Norn's sake – he…"
She looked at her shield brothers for help.
"You were there when Heimdall broke the news about Loki, weren't you?" Volstagg said with a deep frown.
"No, of course not," Thor said, shaking his head. "I was in the middle of a training session with a group of the new soldiers. Mother and Father sent a messenger, requesting my presence at the Bifrost immediately. They informed me of the attack on Midgard and told me to bring Loki home, then sent me away."
Oh, Norn's.
He didn't know.
Volstagg swore.
Fandral stumbled back a step, looking at Thor in absolute shock.
He didn't know.
"Oh, Thor," Sif breathed, horror in her eyes.
"You're going to want to sit down for this," Hogun said quietly.
"Friends, I am not in the mood for riddles," Thor warned them; he was beginning to grow irritated. "It has been a long two days and I am tired. I'm tired and I'm angry and Loki is being coddled in the healing rooms instead of being chained up in the dungeons. So whatever is so important that you feel the need to ignore my anger, please share!"
His voice echoed in the large room but his friends did not flinch. They were much too used to his anger and were not intimidated by it. Thor may be their crown prince, but he was also their dear friend, and sometimes they had to force harsh realities upon him when he was being too indignant to see them.
Fandral strode up to his friend and put his hands on his shoulders and pushed him over to the bed and forcefully sat him down. "Please forgive me, but you don't understand. You don't understand anything and you must know the truth. Please. Listen."
Thor shut his mouth.
Sometimes he forgot that Fandral too was loyalty, a prince in the line of succession, and his cousin first and foremost. Who else would have the gall to manhandle him so easily? Still, he kept his mouth shut and gave a curt nod. Whatever was going on must have been important.
"You are my dearest and oldest friend, my beloved cousin. I want you to hear this from me," Fandral said in a quiet voice, casting a look towards the others who gave their nod of approval. Fandral frowned and let out a soft breath before looking into Thor's eyes. "Loki is innocent of all crimes. We were all so wrong about everything. I don't even know where to begin that explanation. But he is innocent. So, so innocent."
Thor stared at Fandral for a long moment and then all of a sudden he punched him right in the face.
"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" He thundered angrily, standing tall and mighty as Fandral bent forward and covered his face, blood dripping onto the floor. "I will not hear anymore of your idiocy! Leave my chambers and do not come back unless I summon you!"
The four warriors did as they were told and left in haste, carefully guiding Fandral out. Thor growled loudly and threw whatever was nearest to him across the room. It was a pillow and did not do near as much damage as he had wanted.
Why was no one taking him seriously? Better yet, why was no one angry with his broth – with Loki? Sure, things had changed after Loki's fall from the Bifrost and his friends were empathetic towards him, having nothing but nice things to say of him for the past year. But if they knew of Loki's attack on Midgard, they knew that it had all been foolery. They had all been deceived once again by the Silver Tongue of Asgard. That alone was enough to warrant the return of their hatred for him. He did not expect them to care all that much, if not at all, for the humans on Midgard. He knew no one really paid mind to the Midgardians who were so far behind in everything, but it was an easy reason to be mad at Loki. He would demand punishment – cruel and painful punishment.
Justice would be served and he would avenge the deaths of all the innocent lives that Loki had claimed.
After all, he was an Avenger.