The Walls Between Us

by pietoraven36

The borders between the realms are becoming less reliable and Thor is trying to prevent any invasions from happening. Loki is in prison and the Avengers have assembled to prevent attacks. Unfortunately, familial conflict and unknown realms cause trouble. This story is mostly based on Thor and Loki. Please read, review, and enjoy.

29. Resentments Unfolded

This is gonna be fun guys. Enjoy!

Even though many of them were less concerned with the arrival of Anaheim's leaders and more about the apparent sighting of Frigga, Odin immediately stepped up to greet the king and queen. Valder and him took each other's forearms firmly.

"Odin." he said with a respectful, yet guarded nod "It is very good to see you again."

"I wish it were more for frivolity than need, but likewise to you." Odin replied. He did break the stoic expression that had grazed his features for a long time as he spoke with them. He welcomed Svleiva with a great amount of respect, perhaps even more than he had with Valder. It was customary of him to treat a woman as such, which, that example would be appreciated by his son's future wives.

"Mommy!" Mazi spotted them from the spot where Adden had coaxed her to. She hurried over, running right past Valder, who clearly would have also liked a hug from his daughter. He shook his head slightly in mock offense as Svleiva knelt to embrace her. The queen looked happy until Mazi couldn't see her face for the hug. Then it changed to foreboding as if she saw something that scared her. But it quickly faded when she let go of her daughter with a loving look.

"I've missed you."

"I also missed you." Mazi responded "But I have been having fun here too."

"I'm glad." Svleiva said mildly.

The little girl backed away and then turned to her father, who watched her with folded arms. She grinned mischievously before walking stiffly over to him. He picked her delicate body up, reminding Thor of what Odin had said about Valder sacrificing much of himself to rid his children of the curse. Which, the cause and effects of it were still unknown.

"Well, you still seem to be Mazi." her father said, inspecting her thoughtfully "I was worried you might have gotten switched out with another girl just so you could stay here longer."

"No." Mazi said loudly as if he were ridiculous.

"I'm glad, I don't think I would have enjoyed that." Valder replied, wrapping his arms around her with a grin. She squeezed him back before allowing herself to be set back down.

Svleiva was eyeing Hena and Loki, able to sense that something was wrong by the emotion in the air. She tilted her head at her older daughter, perhaps communicating with her silently.

---

"These invasions cannot be seen by anyone on Anaheim." Valder said, looking directly at Odin, shocked at the news the king had just passed on.

"Tell me what you know about them then." Odin replied calmly "These are my biggest concern because if beings are traveling this way, our enemy is everywhere. We can take a war to them, but only if they are gathered."

Upon their arrival, the group had made short work of addressing the topic. Several Anaheim guards had come with Valder and Svleiva and had been set to watch Mazi inside. Even though Hena had said her parents understood about the incident with the scepter, her mother appeared slightly anxious about leaving their younger daughter alone now that she had her back.

"We only know that there have been breaches to our magical barrier. Hundreds of them. It is as if one of us had entered in, but they are able to vanish from the realm without departing, if that is comprehensible." Valder said.

Odin nodded and the man continued.

"My fear is that they are studying and learning the environment for attack. And among all of the light realms, not just Anaheim."

"Can you tell if it is the same beings coming and going?" Odin inquired.

"Yes, we can loosely track that, but in the past we have only used it to make sure that certain people are monitored when they come. Each of them do not always enter or leave the same way. Sometimes they are sensed coming, sometimes going, and sometimes both. There is no pattern." Valder said.

"The ones where you can sense both, how long do they stay?" Odin asked, each question coming smoothly as if he had already thought this through "And please know that I am aware this could be happening in Asgard as well. I have no intention of undermining you. You are just the only one who can tell us when it is happening." with those words, his eyes flicked briefly to Loki as he had said the same thing to him days before.

"I understand. They do not stay longer than a day." Valder replied "And they do not return often, but that only means there are so many of them that they do not need to do so."

"Maybe we also need a magical barrier. It seems to be happening here too. May as well track it." Hawkeye said, speaking up between the two kings.

"While I wish that were possible, ours took many centuries to become strong and fully functional." Valder replied with a dip of his head "It would not be wise to divert strength to that now. My sense is that this realm has fewer invasions than others right now."

"Do you know why Mazi would be able to see someone while the rest of us could not?" Hena asked her parents. They both shook their heads in response.

"No. My instinct would say it is because she is young, but we have not had any other children speak of this on Anaheim." Valder replied "Nor did Mazi when she was home."

Loki's eyes flicked up, catching Svleiva's attention. She looked at him expectantly, hopeful for him to speak on that matter. He looked back down briefly.

"Loki?" she asked, leaving him no other option but to speak his mind. The attention was turned to him and he blinked slowly.

"Mazi interacted with the scepter." he said "That is the only thing that differentiates her from the rest of us."

"You have as well though." Hena replied, saying it so plainly that it made several of them wince. But she was not even slightly wary at mentioning it "And Thor."

"She possesses something unique. She was able to magnify its power dramatically." Loki glanced at Hena "You said yourself that it was unlike Mazi to touch something she did not trust."

"It is." Svleiva spoke, intent on his words.

"Perhaps because it felt trustworthy to her. Its influence is manipulative from a distance. She likely felt urged to handle it." he eyed everyone but those of Anaheim with a hint of coldness "All of you would be lying if you said you didn't have a very strong impulse to pick it up and use it at one point or another."

For a moment, they waited and then glanced at each other. Odin surveyed their expressions silently.

"As a passing thought." it was Fandral who spoke up actually, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. A few of the others vaguely nodded.

"Hence the reason it is outside, not within immediate reach." Loki replied.

"Wise." Valder said with one nod at him. That response prevented the others from commenting. The king went on "Now, I know nothing can be made certain, but is there a thought in anyone's mind that this sighting of Frigga was not a deception?"

"It is extremely unlikely, if not impossible." Odin responded, maintaining neutrality despite the subject "The dead have not been seen by the living in millennia. It would not start now."

Valder sighed "I understand that. But having it be her would be cause for hope."

"Yes, it would be." Odin replied. Thor glanced at his father.

"Do you have plans to attack, or will you wait?" Svleiva asked, her voice much gentler than the others.

"I would like to coordinate our plans. And have a word in private." Odin said, inclining his head away from the house.

"Will we be let in on those plans?" Captain America asked before they were sure to leave.

"When we decide what would be the best action, we will inform you." Odin replied.

Valder placed a hand on Svleiva's back as they turned to walk away from the group. Both Thor and Hena seemed unsure as to whether they were supposed to follow, but their parents did not turn back when they stayed where they were.

"Where are you going?" that was Mazi, calling from the doorway of the house. She stared at her parents with a confused scowl.

"We aren't leaving." Valder assured her "We are having a conversation with Odin for a moment. We will be right over here if you need us."

"Okay." Mazi responded, stepping outside and coming down the steps. She had a book in both hands and was heading over for the group. Lila followed her from a distance, obviously still not sure about the people there.

Hena smiled at her sister as she came closer.

"Here." the little girl said, handing the book to Loki. He took it from her with one hand.

"You left it." she told him before turning around to return to Lila.

"Thank you." Loki said after her "That's..." he examined the book cover a moment "That's...that's...not mine." he glanced back up, watching Mazi leave in a sudden spark of amusement.

Hawkeye lifted his chin to see what book it was the same time as Hena.

"Really?" she asked with a small laugh "Honestly, it is quite similar to one of yours though. The Count of Monte Cristo. How intriguing."

Loki just raised and lowered his eyebrows without saying anything to that. Thor looked away so that his younger brother wouldn't see the tiniest of grins. Even so, the God of Mischief was definitely more reserved since giving his piece on why Mazi was the only one to have seen 'Frigga.' That experience still played on everyone's minds.

Valder, Svleiva, and Odin were still speaking by the time Tony arrived in the distance. The three of them only glanced over briefly as they seemed to be having a very serious conversation. There was a slight tension between them, even though Odin had told Thor their realms were at peace with one another.

Lila watched him approach until Mazi requested her attention.

"Don't look at him." she said "He thinks he is impressive, but he is not."

Hena immediately turned away with a loud laugh caught in her throat.

"She should have waited to say that until he was closer." Captain America said.

Fandral looked at him strangely "Do you have a vendetta against him or something? I thought you all to be friends."

"It's a love hate gig we have going on." Hawkeye replied, flipping his hand side to side.

"Usually more love than hate, but not always." Black Widow said.

"I see." Fandral's pacifying voice suggested he just didn't want to get into a full blown conversation regarding that.

"Mazi!" Hena called over to her little sister.

Loki looked over in surprise "Are you going to scold her for that?"

"Do you disapprove?" Hena asked, pointedly.

"Yes." Loki replied easily.

Hena turned fully to face him, arms folded "You two really are little...buddies, aren't you?"

Loki's eyes went up in thought for a moment "If you want to use that term."

"I'm supposed to a responsible sister." Hena said.

Loki scowled as he raised a hand towards Mazi "She didn't even mean for anyone to hear. She wasn't being offensive."

"No, but she still said it. Your defense is very kind though." Hena replied, smiling.

"I have my moments." Loki said with a small nod.

Mazi was still coming over to her older sister, head tilted to the side questioningly. Hena, obviously feeling unable to rebuke her, stared for a few seconds.

"Nevermind." she said, before giving Loki a vaguely resentful glance. She abruptly turned to walk over to the Anaheimien guards, who were still keeping an eye on Mazi.

"She looks unhappy." the little girl said "That sucks."

Loki's eyes opened in surprise, same as the other Asgardians.

"What?" he asked.

"Cooper said it when he was upset." Mazi responded. Not to tattle, but simply as an informative statement. Hawkeye made a overly dramatized face at that.

"You're becoming slightly crude." Loki told her now. He smiled now "Your parents won't like that at all."

"No, don't tell them!" Mazi turned to him anxiously "You have to promise!"

Loki took a step back from her ferocity, eyebrows up. He licked one hand and raised it near his head sarcastically.

Mazi immediately faded from nervousness to laughter, head tilted back in a slightly evil manner. Hena glanced back, her attempt to hide her humor lacking conviction. She excused herself from the guards. They must have been relieved from their specific duty to watch the little girl because the only one who continued to pointedly watch her was Adden.

"Will you come with me?" Mazi asked Loki politely, perfectly mature for a moment.

"Where?" he asked.

"There." she pointed to the house "I want to show you something, but the thing I am using is over there."

Loki gave Thor a contemptful glance, obviously to gain permission. He didn't wait for it to be granted, however. It was mainly the action that needed doing, despite its insincerity.

He passed Hena on his way over, holding up the book.

"I am going to return this." he told her. She looked after him for a moment before heading back to the group, eyes lit with excitement. Thor didn't ask at what, but he was definitely curious.

Tony was walking closer now, suit retracted from his head.

"They have arriven." he said, gesturing at Valder and Svleiva with mock excitement.

"Yes, and you missed out." Hawkeye told him.

"On their grand arrival?" Tony asked.

"Well, yes. A few other things though."

---

It did take a while, but the royal threesome did finish their private conversation. Hawkeye had invited everyone inside for drinks as well as to hear the verdict.

The hardest thing for Captain America, and all of the mortals really, was that they didn't have just one person to represent the whole Midgardian population. As such, they were at a great disadvantage as far as making decisions.

"The three of us have decided that the best course of action will be to unite our forces at this time. But, until we discover the cause behind the unseeable invasions, we cannot confront these enemies." Odin was the making the announcement. He was the senior leader, therefore allowing him status above the others, but that was sure to be the last thing on his mind.

"We will divert extra forces to search for an answer." he went on "But, we do not want to incite a war if it is not necessary now. We do not know what we up against yet, and, as such, could lose many lives to our rash decision. That is not something we are willing to risk. We will wait until we face an enemy we know."

Everyone listened silently, all of their gazes on the ground. Odin waited patiently for their response, although he was looking at Loki, contemplating something. But even when the others looked up, the God of Mischief did not. His face was expressionless and his eyes were hard.

"What is your plan if this realm is attacked?" Captain America was the first to speak. His tone suggested he accepted the decision "We seem to be attracting the most attention."

"Midgard is under my protection." Odin replied "I will ensure that you have sufficient help if that should happen. We will pay close attention to anything occurring here. However, we intend to send out a reconnaissance team to the borders of Anaheim. You are invited to be part of that commission. Thor will remain with you beyond that until we deem it unnecessary."

"We hope not to run into hostiles during those missions." Valder added.

Captain America nodded slowly at them, processing the information.

"I will leave warning the other leaders of your realm up to your discretion." Odin said "If you find it would be helpful, you may do so."

"Seeing how that would probably end up with our asses in prison, so I think we'll pass until we actually see enemies attacking." Tony replied "But thanks for the permission."

"When do you suggest the missions to Anaheim's borders begin?" Thor immediately asked the question to distract from Tony's blunt words.

"If you are willing to lead them, in the coming weeks." Valder responded, seemingly not shocked at the mortal's vocabulary "They will still be dangerous, so you will need time to prepare."

"Dad!" Mazi called her father from outside. Hena immediately looked at Loki, grinning.

"Not me." he said quietly just to her.

"Mazi, one moment, I am speaking with others." Valder replied.

"No, Daddy!" Mazi protested, her voice getting closer.

"Mazi, you need to wait." Valder responded.

"No, this is more important." Mazi said adamantly, appearing in the doorway.

So, Valder turned to her, eyes expectant for something very amazing. She took a deep breath, and then noticed that all the attention was on her. She hesitated and then backed up self-consciously.

"Nevermind."

Valder watched in pure amusement, eyes warm as she left, leaving the attention behind.

"She does not usually shy away from being the focus of others." Svleiva said with a small smile.

"Likely because she interupted." Valder replied. He returned his attention to Thor "But, yes, in these next weeks, when you are able."

Thor glanced at Loki, who still avoided interacting in the discussion, and then at his father. He wasn't sure if the God of Mischief was meant to be included in the teams to Anaheim. If not, that likely meant he was returning to prison shortly. And his brother was smart enough to know that.

Odin met Thor's gaze, but his expression didn't give anything away.

However, Valder and Svleiva observed the whole exchange and Anaheim's king looked at Odin, eyes narrowed.

"Am I correct in assuming that Jotunheim is no longer the prime threat we are to be concerned with then?" Volstagg asked.

Odin nodded at him "I don't suspect them of having truly foul intentions as our other enemies do. We will keep watch in the event that they come here again. I do not believe they will."

"It's probable they only took advantage of the random openings to another realm, just as others would." Hena agreed. Finally, Loki looked up, eyes on her.

Odin inclined his head to acknowledge her words before looking at the rest of the group "If you have objections, speak them now."

The room fell silent and several of them shared looks, but no one said anything.

"Very well. We will proceed with the plan then." Odin said.

At those final words, Mazi hopped back inside, apparently having only been a few feet away. She planted herself in front of her father, eyes demanding attention.

"Dad!" she said.

"Mazi!" Valder responded in the exact same way, smiling.

"I want to show you something now." she informed him. She then moved her penetrating gaze to Svleiva "And you must watch also."

"Of course." her mother replied.

"Okay." Mazi put her hands together, eyes concentrated "I cannot make it work sometimes, but I am getting better."

Hena waited in anticipation as the little girl opened up her hands. She had only been expecting one, but a whole group of butterflies flew out.

Both of the parents watched in amazement, surprised at her sudden improvement in forming images. Then, Mazi let them vanish, beaming with pride.

Valder clapped for her and her eyes flew open when the others joined him.

"Very good, Mazi." he said.

"Yes, I'm impressed. Someone has been practicing. And listening." Svleiva commented, glancing at Loki knowingly.

"Mhm, I am good at learning." Mazi replied. She held out a hand and a single butterfly hovered above it. She stared at it in adoration. Then she walked over to Loki and Hena.

"Good, yes?" she asked him.

Loki nodded "Yes, very."

The little girl let out a low, mischievous chuckle "I'm going to go and confuse Nathaniel and Cooper with a few things."

She took off to go outside, leaving Svleiva to raise her eyebrows quickly.

"No. Do not let her do that." she said indignantly to Loki, pointing after her daughter.

"Oh." he turned as if he just realized "Oh, awww too late." he replied, extending a hand after Mazi in feigned dismay.

Hena looked in between them, face apprehensive as Svleiva tilted her head to look at Loki stoically.

"I mean, I can go supervise her doing it." he said, stepping towards the door "Would that work?"

Assuming yes, he began walking out the door. Svleiva walked after him swiftly and Loki immediately quickened his pace after one humored glance back at her. Hena pressed one finger over her lips as if to seal them shut so she didn't laugh.

Svleiva turned back and it was obvious she was not really that upset. But she kept her face neutral, same as Hena. The older daughter put her eyes right on her father.

"So close. Each time they are so close." she said, her smile the widest yet.

Valder mouth curved, but he didn't add anything to her words.

"Well, I must ask bluntly. Do you like him?"

"Loki?" Hena asked in surprise "Of course I like him. And I don't just mean I enjoy him as a friend. I like him."

"Why?" was Valder's response.

"Why?" Hena's voice was incredulous as she stared at her father in dismay "What do you mean? Don't you like him?"

"Yes. But, I should know if you admire him for the right reasons, shouldn't I?"

At that, Hena immediately looked relieved. Svleiva was clearly waiting for a response as well, head turned to the side thoughtfully.

"Do you want me to list everything I adore?" Hena asked, not at all put off by that "Because I will. He is so gentle. And not just with me, but with everything he does. And he comprehends so many things that are beyond him. His intelligence is astounding to me, as well as his magical abilities. He taught a fair few of them to himself." she blinked, eyes glistening "He is so kind, and he makes me feel like I am the angel of the realms. Especially when he calls me dear Hena. Dad, he just makes me so happy!"

Valder shared one look with Svleiva, lips pressed together to ensure that he didn't interrupt.

"He is also completely respectful towards me and is kind to me for the right reasons. Many men enjoy what I can do for them with my magical abilities, but Loki won't even allow me to use them for his benefit. I cannot tell what he is feeling, but I don't need to."

Now Valder nodded slowly "That is extremely admirable."

"Father, if it should happen, would you approve him?" Hena asked in a pleading tone.

"For the throne or to be your husband?" Valder responded. Unlike Asgard, the powers of the throne were not inherently given when someone married into the royal family. The king and queen did not need to approve them for the throne. They could still marry and not receive any rights. It also went a step further. The royal spouse did not need to give them the rights to the throne either. It could remain in the family without any deviation if they chose this way. Odin was the only one in the room who was aware that Anaheim followed this tradition, although the other Asgardians would have been able to guess it based off of Valder's words.

"Both." Hena said.

The king thought for a moment "Well. Both. But your mother and I intend to be around for a while longer. I hope you don't want to be queen quite yet."

"No, not yet. Not for a long time. I would rather just get married and have all the time in the world with him. You've seen him with Mazi. He is so good and kind with children. He would make the most amazing father. Particularly to a daughter."

"I have not heard this from you before. Sensed these feelings, yes, but how long have you been restraining these words?" Valder asked.

"I have wanted to marry him since he left Anaheim. I just...lost him for so long." Hena replied "But then I was finally able to reestablish the connect to him and..." she looked out the window to where Loki and Mazi were. He spun in a circle for the little girl and she said something in laughter.

Hena watched for a moment, eyes content, before turning to her father with a sudden sharpness.

"Why did you send Adden here?" she asked, both curious and mildly offended.

"I didn't select the guards." Valder replied, looking over at his wife in surprise. Hena shifted her gaze as well. Svleiva waited silently, not giving away anything.

"To let him know that Loki is alive and well. And to put things into perspective."

"For whom?" Hena queried.

"Both of you."

Hena blinked in confusion "But why?"

"Perhaps to give you a push. Allow people to set their boundaries." Svleiva said, still without hinting at her thought process.

"You mean Loki? Stake his claim?" Hena asked with a sudden spark of humor "But he has not been any different since Adden arrived. He has done very well around him."

"Good. That is a hopeful sign."

"Will you please just tell me what you mean? I am not going to reveal any of this to Loki, I promise." Hena said. Thor was just as curious as she was.

Svleiva drew in a breath "Loki may be arrogant and cocky at times, but I sought to know more. To remain humble around a rival, past or present, is true humility. He is extremely perceptive, but not always of himself. I wanted to so something that he would not discern."

Valder looked at his wife, expression impressed. Hena pondered this, mind clearly going a million directions at once.

"And he did well. But unintentionally." she said finally. The smile returned.

"You have a clever mother and a clever potential husband." Valder said. Hena nodded and turned to the door.

"Now, wait a moment. Before you go off and propose to him, we need to talk about a few things." Valder said "Besides, if you go out there now, Mazi will sense your excitement and she will tell Loki exactly what you have been thinking about."

"I wasn't going to go and propose." Hena replied indignantly as she stepped back closer to them.

Odin, surprisingly, was observing and listening to this without comment. Thor kept glancing at him, wondering if or when he would interrupt with the unwelcome truth of the matter. The conversation was all hypothetical, but the God of Thunder still worried.

"Here's a good question." Valder said, hand raised to his chin in a gesture of thought "Has he kissed you yet?"

Hena sighed and covered her face briefly "No."

"Oh dear. That's a problem." Valder shook his head "You know my rule. He must kiss you first."

"I know." Hena looked up at him "But he won't. He is being far too much of a gentleman."

"Well, he did have a very good mother, who likely enforced that well." Valder responded.

"He is almost too respectful." Hena said.

"Then go get him to kiss you. Nothing can happen until that does."

"Hold on, let's not be seductive here." Svleiva said in irritation, making Valder grin over at her.

"Right. Hena, listen to the voice of reason." he said, taking a step back and offering his wife his place.

"Let him do it in his own time." she said.

"But, that might be a long time. I know he likes me. I suspect he may even love me, but he is withholding." Hena replied.

Svleiva blinked at her, as if slightly concerned with that response.

"Then be patient." she advised "Your father was with me."

"I am more like him though and Loki is more similar to you. Do you see that I am at a disadvantage?" Hena asked "Natural law would say that I should be the one to do something first. But our ways state otherwise."

"Indeed, they do." Valder replied, sympathetic, but not enough to do anything about it.

Hena rolled her eyes just a little bit. She did not continue on with her point though "Have I retracted my excitement enough to join him out there?"

"Not exactly, but if Mazi asks, just distract her quickly. She doesn't know enough to read minds and do something at the same time." Valder said.

Hena smiled, as if happy to have a way to release her energy without revealing anything. When she left, Valder's smile almost seemed to disappear. He stared after her and watched as she joined Loki cheerfully. Then he slowly turned to Odin, who met his gaze stoically. They clearly had something on both of their minds.

"Do not take that happiness away from her." Valder said.

Thor slightly withdrew his head in disbelief. He would not have been able to come up with a response to that, but Odin was not startled.

"It is not your place to decide that. Nor is it mine any longer. Loki made is own decision." he replied coolly.

Valder narrowed his eyes "It is very much my place. Especially considering the fact that we are going to need him to confront whatever goes we have to face."

Svleiva raised her chin beside her husband, remaining silent.

"Loki will join the expeditions for now." Odin replied "But he will not see them through."

"He has valuable experience. I'm unhappy that he gained it, but we would be foolish not to take advantage."

"Then you would be spitefully using him. Just as you accuse me of doing." Odin said.

The cheerful air that had been so obvious with Hena had quickly grown cold. The kings stared each other dead in the eyes, neither willing to back down.

"I would use his knowledge, yes. But you have lost faith in him." Valder growled.

"And you would blame me for that?" Odin asked.

"That man is one of the only beings I would ever trust to govern and rule Anaheim." Valder responded, without directly answering the question.

"Then I would be wary." Odin said firmly "He did not lead Asgard well. His power was abused the moment it was given to him."

"Abused or misguided? He always felt inferior to those he mingled with on Asgard. At the first chance he was notably superior, he treated others as he was treated. Anaheim has always treated him as an equal. You can deduce how that would result in his treatment of us." Valder responded.

"You think this is that simple?" Odin asked with no small amount of contempt.

"You do not?" Valder countered "You should amend yourself, Odin. That infers you believe it has something to do with his nature, which is one of the very things Loki uses to justify the destruction done to Midgard. But it is not within his nature. It never was. He had never done something so blatantly cruel until he discovered his origins."

"Loki betrayed Asgard." Odin growled "If nothing after that had occurred, you realize he would still be facing punishment?"

"That man is your son." Valder's voice vibrated angrily.

"Which only makes the betrayal worse." Odin said sharply "He shows absolutely no shame for what he has done. For the pain he has caused others."

"He's not going to show it to you!" Valder snapped "Not now. He should have been greeted with love. What he did was tragic and horrific and I do not believe he should have gone unpunished. But your sentence to him was far beyond what I believe to be just."

"He deserved death." Odin said "That is our law when treason is concerned. But he was spared because of who he is."

Valder peered at him in shock.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing." he said quietly "I cannot comprehend it. He needed to know that you loved him and you turned him away. He betrayed Asgard, yes. But, do you not see that Loki was terrified? He couldn't fathom the idea of being sent back to Jotunheim. Of leaving his home."

"He knew that those plans were no longer of importance. I did not intend to send him back at that time. He knew this." Odin replied coldly.

"You told him this right after he had just learned everything he believe himself to be was a lie." Valder almost laughed in bitterness.

"Everything he knew was not a lie." Odin retorted immediately, voice enraged "He was our son. A member of our family. We loved him as such. He was a Prince of Asgard."

"And then he found out he was not intended to be all of that." Valder replied "He-"

"Not intended?" Odin brought his head back in disbelief "What in all of Valhalla makes you believe you have the right to make that accusation? I did not bring him to Asgard to let him come of age and then return him to Jotunheim when I felt he was ready. I wanted him raised in a family in which he could form a bond. He was always meant to be our son and Thor's brother."

"But some of your actions speak differently!" Valder replied in frustration "And if that is true, tell him so. I plead with you, Odin. As a father to a father. He was what he believe was a hated race. Why should he have believe you when you told him he wasn't returning to Jotunheim? He likely thought you were pacifying him."

"I am protector of these nine realms, I cannot just scold him for taking innocent lives." Odin returned to the previous subject, still angry.

"Love and understanding would have turned him back." Valder said "The sentence is not even the most dreadful part of this. It is your utter disregard for him. He was raised to hate what he is." he shook his head "I will not say that everything you have done is wrong. Loki was clearly raised with a tremendous amount of love. Show him that love now. He will do things I believe would surprise even you. He wants your validation, Odin. He seeks it. He has always sought it. Do not look at him as the man that has done horrible things. See him as your child who hurts deeply." Valder took a deep breath, eyes aggrieved "He almost came back, you know. He almost went back to Asgard after his time with us. He wanted to return home. To apologize and seek forgiveness. He was still angry, and would have remained so for a long time. But he would have accepted his punishment."

"Then why didn't he come?" Odin asked, voice hard.

"Because the very being we are preparing to fight against is a manipulative genius." Valder responded "He used that anger, that bitterness in Loki, and turned it to truth. He used that scepter to toy with Loki's mind. He validated everything Loki had ever felt and then told him he could make him a king, just as he was born to be."

"You know this?" Odin asked skeptically.

"I believe it as if it were truth." Valder replied adamantly "Loki was never as bitter as when he came to Earth. He will not allow me to see his time with Thanos. He has guarded those memories."

"Then you cannot say for certain that Loki was under the influence of any dark force." Odin replied, speaking of the scepter "Your assumptions are not based in fact."

"Ask Thor what he thought of his brother when he first saw him here." Valder said, looking at the God of Thunder briefly "He may not have been controlled in every action, but you know what dark magic does."

Thor was not expecting the attention to be thrown to him so suddenly, but it was removed just as quickly. He looked over and out of the window, seeing Loki, Hena, and Mazi together. Then he looked at the Warriors, his own thoughts racing.

"Loki had no interaction with that when he committed treason." Odin said "And yet, his rule was filled with death as well."

"Do you listen?" Valder snapped "Loki acted out of fear. And longing for acknowledgement. He would never be a good king of Asgard until he feels accepted and worthy."

"Loki was always accepted and worthy until that time." Odin said. He took a moment to control his next words "But it cannot return. Not after what he has done."

Valder did not reply for several seconds, watching the king warily.

"Shame on you." he said.

"As king, you should know I cannot give my children preferential treatment." Odin replied.

"No, I expect that a king should love his children as if he were not king." Valder responded harshly. He blinked in sudden pain "You did not even allow him to attend the mourning ritual for his own mother. The woman who raised him."

"How could I permit that?" Odin asked honestly "He renounced his claim to that right."

Even though what he said was partially true, Valder's words affected all of the Asgardians there. Volstagg in particular, glanced down at the ground.

"A right like that should never be taken away." Valder replied "And if you know the reason behind the betrayal, certainly you can adjust your laws."

"Then there would never be punishment for anyone." Odin said "There was not a reason for his actions."

"Then you are in denial." Valder told him "You took Loki for a purpose. Which is not wrong. I do understand your intentions. I really do. But it is a near certainty that he was not raised with quite as much as warmth as Thor."

Odin raised his chin at that, but Valder pressed on.

"Which, may never have been intentional. In fact, I doubt they were. I have seen memories that Loki attributes to being the inferior son." he said "Loki felt it. And then he found out why. Thor was a very overpowering older brother and I have no idea what was done to temper that. But now Thor has done his best to recompense with Loki. Odin, apologize to him. Acknowledge these hurts."

"I cannot seek forgiveness for something only Loki thought was prevalent." Odin growled "He was brought from Jotunheim-"

"And now he should bow to you for eternity?" Valder asked plainly "You brought him in to be your child. You cannot be this blind. If you truly loved him, it should tear you apart that he did not think so. How can you allow that to remain? My children mean everything to me."

"And you do not hold that feeling alone. Would you expect your daughters to do what he has done?" Odin asked fiercely.

"So your pride has been hurt? Your reputation damaged?" Valder responded "No, I would never expect that from them, but if it happened, I would know that something had been severely wrong. If this punishment is for your sake, then that makes the withholding of love even worse."

"You put words into my mouth. You and Loki are very similar in that aspect." Odin said, head raised.

"Perhaps there is a reason we do so." Valder replied.

"Valder." Svleiva said lowly, gaze wary of their argument "We need to leave."

He looked at her for several moments, obviously having a war within himself.

"Loki will be needed to win this fight." he said simply, returning his eyes to Odin.

"His knowledge is useful, not necessary. You seem to forget his skills were not used in our favor before."

"Do you think that you could really keep him here if he wanted to leave? His skills were used for terrible things, but why in Valhalla do you think he failed when he attacked this world? Loki is brilliant and there are many things he did that don't reflect this trait. It is not what he truly wanted."
"Speak to him on that matter. He will tell you differently." Odin replied insolently.

Valder drew in a deep, angry breath.

"You yourself need to be banished to a mortal realm and learn something as Thor did." he said quietly.

Odin narrowed his eyes dangerously "How dare you?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure that my words don't offend Thor." Valder replied in contempt "He'll end up becoming a better man than his father."

"Valder!" Svleiva said sharply "We will leave. Now." she half-glared at Odin "I will not start a feud between our realms again. Least of all when we need to be united. The simple fact is that we care deeply for Loki, despite his actions. But I also know it is not our realm he turned his back on. You would do well to try and see both sides of this. We are taking our leave until the time comes to fight." she abruptly turned to exit the house. Valder stared at Odin for a moment, anger subsiding. Then he followed his wife without another word.

Thor closed his eyes briefly, not wanting to glance at his father. However, when he did, he did not see the anger that he expected. Resentment, yes, but little other emotion grazed the king's face.

---

"Do not let go." Mazi told Loki, eyes serious "Or we will go flying backwards."

"I won't." he replied, with enough sincerity to convince her. She was showing him a game that Hena and her played on a regular basis. It worked better because the two of them were so small.

Mazi took Loki's hands and then moved them up to grip his wrists. They didn't fit all of the way around, so he held hers gently, but quite firmly.

"No, we both spin around in a circle." she instructed "Without letting go."

"I think I can manage." he said with a nod.

"Okay, then go." Mazi said, pulling back on him to get her momentum started.

Hena watched in admiration as the two of them whirled around. It was much slower than her and Mazi would usually go, but Loki was far larger and could very easily throw the little girl a fair distance.

"Yes, just like this." she said happily.

Loki then swooped her up off her feet and spun her in a circle still. Mazi let out a startled laugh as she flew in the air, connected to a very sturdy source.

Hena smiled over as her mom came out of the house. They were still several yards away, so Loki didn't stop spinning Mazi for a few more moments.

Valder joined the queen at her side as they approached their children. Hena eyed them curiously, sensing something was wrong. But they both had happy looks on their faces.

"We are returning home." Valder said in explanation "Which mean you must come too Mazi, I'm so sorry."

The little girl let out a deep huff through her nose in irritation.

"When are we coming back?" she asked.

Valder smiled "We will have to see about that."

"When shall I return home?" Hena asked her parents.

"When everything is done here that needs to be." Valder responded "I'm not sure when that will be, but you will know."

Mazi, knowing it was time, turned and gave Loki a big hug. He put one arm around her head to reciprocate the embrace. She looked up with a grin and he smiled back down at her.

"I will miss you." she said.

"Likewise." Loki replied gently "Keep practicing your magic."

Mazi nodded quickly "I will. And I will read books to keep learning."

"That is always helpful too."

She stepped back with a mischievous glint in her eye before going over to her mother. Valder and Loki took each other's arm firmly, locking gazes for a moment.

"Thank you." Valder said, genuinely grateful "We don't practice that magic on Asgard, but she has heart for it."

"And natural skill." Loki replied "She doesn't need much direction."

Valder smiled slightly before moving to allow Svleiva forward.

"Take care here." she said in her soft tone, reaching to hug him.

Hena caught something in the corner of her eye and saw Odin in the doorway of Hawkeye's home. He was coming out slowly, not missing the farewell between everyone, but making sure not to intrude. Thor came with, but stayed on the porch.

Svleiva began to walk farther out into the field and her older daughter followed her to say goodbye privately. Mazi sauntered behind, as if doddling would actually delay them.

Valder watched gravely before breathing deeply.

"Protect my daughter, Loki." he said, placing a hand on his shoulder without looking at him.

The God of Mischief glanced over, eyebrows creased.

"Of course." he said, voice mildly questioning.

Valder patted him once before walking over to his wife and children. Loki waited before looking back at Odin approaching them with thoughtful eyes. Thor saw this, knowing that his brother did not realize that Valder had just lobbied so vehemently his behalf.

Hena stepped back from her parents, who were now obviously waiting for Asgard's king to arrive with any final words he had to say. She walked back towards Loki, nodding slowly at Odin as he passed.

---

It was almost sad to see Mazi leave. She'd become somewhat of an entertainment, even to the most stoic of the group. The realm's leaders seemed to have parted on a better note, but Hena could still sense that something had gone wrong. There was a general anxiety in the room, particularly from the Warriors and Thor. She had yet to search anyone's memories for an answer.

"They must have quarreled." she said regretfully.

Each and every one of them in the room looked up at her. Odin was outside still, having not returned from his final conversation with Valder and Svleiva. They had only left a few minutes ago. No one inside had really moved.

Loki seemed to be the least concerned out of all of them as he had no idea what had transpired.

"Dammit, I knew I should have stayed in here." Hena said in frustration. She waved a hand by her face to compose herself "Sorry for the cursing."

"I am not offended." Tony replied easily.

"I was hoping they wouldn't have any conflict." Hena said honestly "I wish I would have been there to say something."

"It may not have helped." Loki replied.

Hena rubbed her head briefly "They are all under a lot of pressure." she sighed "And my parents are more aggravated right now. Although, I do have some good news. My mother is expecting another child."

Loki brought his head back in surprise, eyebrows going up immediately.

"Oh, wow." he said, sounding genuinely happy for her.

The sweet news allowed the dreary feeling in the room to be lifted ever so slightly. Several of them offered words of congratulations. Hena did appear elated herself, but there was an underlying look of worry.

"I can see that it doesn't only bring excitement." Loki asked, gazing at her meticulously.

She let out a deep breath "Unfortunately, now. They have discovered that the curse put upon my mother resides in this child as well. To stop it from eventually taking my life, they conceived Mazi. That was when my father took it upon himself to expel the evil magic. But it seems that it will need to be broken for each child individually unless there is another to pass it onto."

Loki lowered his eyes at the news. Thor continued to watch her, thinking back at how very impatient Valder had seemed with Odin, even if many of the things he had said had been true. Granted, he had been speaking of something he cared deeply about, but it had seemed very out of character. He'd likely been feeling more protective than ever of his children.

"I'm scared for my father." Hena said honestly "He would die before he let one of us suffer. And he would do for this child what he did for Mazi without another thought. But my mother will not allow him to until they have explored every alternative option."

"A daughter or son?" Loki asked.

"Another daughter." Hena responded.

"What was it that cursed your mother?" Volstagg asked. Being a father himself, his concern was somewhat more elaborate.

"Something outside of Anaheim. It happened when they traveled to another realm. I believe it was called Vormir, but I cannot be certain. Very dark magic rested there." Hena said "It has put a lot of grief onto my mother's shoulders."

"Has she lost children because of it?" Volstagg asked.

Hena took a moment to think about what she would say, face solemn.

"She was with child four times before me, but she lost each one of them. That was when they realized the depth of the dark magic within her and were able to stay it. There were three others between Mazi and me that did not survive either. They thought that once the curse was lifted from Mazi, that they would be able to have more children, but that may not be possible." she said "As such, they have a lot on their minds right now. Many decisions to be made."

---

Thor debated with himself for a long time about whether or not to go and tell Odin what Hena had passed on. Him, the Warriors, and several of his mortal friends had gone outside. He hadn't asked them to accompany him, but he imagined they wanted to hear the reply from the leader of Asgard.

But Thor was still hesitating on approaching his father about it. Hena hadn't said it in front of Odin and Loki was obviously very opposed to him lending a hand to Anaheim. Worse yet, after their argument, Thor wasn't sure Odin would care to help them either. But he thought it would be best for the king to better understand Valder's vehemence. They'd lost seven children already. It did not seem fair for them to suffer another.

The conflict over Loki had also bothered Thor quite a bit. And, even though they wouldn't be very affected by it, it was on the the rest of the other's minds too.

"You know, just as a passing thought." Tony said, waving his hands as if encouraging them to indulge him "That scepter could be useful the next time we see someone here we don't like. Use it against them and gain allies at the same time."

Captain America looked at him for a moment.

"You mean, use it to take control of their minds?" he asked.

"Why not?" Tony asked "Mr. Ugly Red Guy could be a great reporter to Thanos himself. Spill him a few secrets that aren't true."

"Oh, yes, if only we'd had the scepter then." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

As they conversed about that, Thor's attention was drawn back to the house as he thought of Anaheim's predicament. Loki was actually coming up to them now. It was rare to see him approach them without someone asking him to do so. But he went right to Thor and no one else.

His older brother waited expectantly, unsure of what Loki would have to say to him at this moment. If Thor didn't know that mind reading was only Hena's power, he would have suspected Loki knew what had passed between the two kings.

The God of Mischief had a very stoic face, almost as if his actions were reluctant. He was relatively close to Thor, perhaps to keep the words private. He held out a small piece of paper.

"When you get back to Asgard, you need to go to the library." he said, voice intent and quiet "You need to get the book that I have written here. It will be in the area protected by enchantments. Odin can let you through to it if you ask him. Once you have it, either you or him need to get it to Anaheim. Take it to Valder and Svleiva."

"What is it?" Thor asked, taking the paper slowly from him.

"Information that will help them. Perhaps provide another way to remove the curse." Loki replied "I doubt they have come across it before. The book needs to get there."

Thor stood in silence for a moment, taking in the gravity of the moment. He unfolded the paper and read the words on it before looking back up.

"Alright." he said finally.

Loki took a retreating step back and gave a tiny, almost nonexistent, nod in his direction. He turned fully to walk back to where Hena stayed.

Thor watched him silently, paper still grasped in his hand. Loki clearly hadn't told Hena anything about it, so he wasn't going to ruin that, but he still felt stunned.

Fandral's arms were folded as he stepped up next to Thor, scowling thoughtfully.

"He came to you in confidence." he said softly, almost in awe.

Thor pressed his lips together briefly. "He knows he won't be able to do it for himself."
The thought filled him with a tiny bit of bitterness towards his brother, but more of remorse.

"So he turned to you." Fandral replied, also weary of their whole situation "That signifies trust to me."

The God of Thunder glanced down at the title written on the paper in Loki's elegant handwriting. He knew he didn't have to, but he fully intended to make sure this unfamiliar book got to Anaheim. Even if Odin wished differently. Although, the king HAD implied that he would have helped Anaheim if informed of their problem.

It seemed Loki wasn't quite willing to go to his adopted father himself.

"Personally, after I heard about what he did here, I thought he'd lost his ability to have compassion for others like that. I'm glad to see that this isn't the case." Fandral said, his voice only loud enough for Thor to hear him.

The prince didn't respond as he was pondering about whether or not he should go to Odin now or later. The king was speaking with all of the guards, including the ones from Anaheim. Out of all of them, Adden was the one who responded the most. He appeared very intent on what the Allfather had to say.

Several minutes passed before Thor turned around to walk back to the house. Every head to turned to follow him in surprise, but they didn't say anything.

"Did Stark get the incident here on tape?" Captain America asked, glancing at Hawkeye as they did the same.

"Tape as in did he get it recorded, or is it actually on a tape?" Hawkeye asked with a bit of dryness "We don't use those anymore, so if you meant the latter, no, he didn't."

"Am I that old to you guys?" Captain America asked.

Hawkeye looked at him, one eyebrow up quizzically "You realize that VHS tapes were invented after your time too, right? Humor was lost on you. Yes, I assume that the suit that landed here would have recorded the nothingness that only Mazi could see. Why, you want to see it again?"

"It's just good to have something to back us up. Even if it's nothing." Captain America replied easily.

"I'm so sad that this makes sense to us." Hawkeye said.

"It would make sense to anyone else if they were in our shoes." Captain America pointed out, stepping onto the porch.

"Except, they're not, so it's just us. And, on another note, are you planning on going with Thor and whoever else on the trips to Anaheim?"

"Beyond Anaheim." Volstagg corrected from behind him.

Hawkeye glanced briefly back, if only to see who said it.

"Right. Around, beyond, through, on top, wherever."

Hena was just inside, sitting on the chair closest to the door. She was holding Loki's book he'd been reading for the past several days. It was the same book Hawkeye had peeked in. She hadn't read in front of them yet, but her face suggested she was very invested in it. In fact, she didn't even look up when they passed.

Thor was a bit confused to see that Loki wasn't in there. He could have sworn that he saw him walk in. Captain America walked over to Tony, who was by his board, rubbing his eyes with one hand. Thor almost asked over to the billionaire, but then saw Loki climbing up the few steps onto the porch. He wasn't sure what else his brother could have been doing out there and it was slightly unnerving that his first thought was that could have been something counter to their cause.

Loki came in, gaze on Hena. He leaned to look at the book for a moment, but remained silent for her. Hena's eyes were extremely focused, as if reading something enticing. She let out a deep breath and then glanced up to look at everyone.

"Ah!" she jumped as she realized Loki was there. His eyebrows went up as she stared at him with a scowl.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"

"A moment ago. You were...very interested. I didn't want to disturb you." Loki replied.

"Well, walk louder. Then we wouldn't have this problem." Hena said, pushing her hair back behind her ears. She opened the book again, going right back to where she left off. Her optimistic attitude had returned.

"This is very interesting. I had no idea that realms were so well connected. It almost makes me feel vunerable." she said.

"The book also reiterates that the borders are generally very secure." Loki assured her.

"I am very glad of that. Billions of pathways could still be unknown to us."

"Likely. But not necessarily a security risk." he said.

Hena let her finger follow underneath where she was reading for a moment.

"You and Thor could technically open portals then, yes?" she said. Thor looked over, alerted to his name. Hawkeye tilted his head, frowning.

"Uh, no." Loki responded, blinking at her.

"That's not what it states here." Hena lifted the book for him to see. He read it for her, despite the fact that he was certain of the answer.

"Wielders of the few manifestations of Aesir power can merge to create an energy force that could form a sustainable link between two separate realms." Hena said, having already memorized it.

"This unification is greatly discouraged among common practice. The amount necessary to sustain a gateway is unattainable for most wielders." Loki continued for her.

Hena pulled it back down, eyes narrowed "How many times have you read this?"

"You were quite literally holding the words in front of my face." he replied, putting out a hand "But you are correct. In theory, it would be possible for the two of us to open a portal. However, I don't believe we would be able to reach the amount of power to do so without it being lethal."

"Not with me here." Hena said with a large smile as she looked back down at the book.

"That...is a different situation." Loki replied thoughtfully.

"I believe we could do that." Hena still sounded very eager.

"See, no." Loki reached and took the book from her in annoyance "This is why I don't want you reading these things. Better to remain in ignorance of things your powers could do. It becomes extremely dangerous otherwise."

Hena stood up indignantly, hands on her hips "Then you need to stop as well." she reached to grab the book back, but Loki let it vanish with a wave of his hands. She folded her arms, although she did not appear upset.

"Who knows, these things could be useful when and if we meet beings outside of Anaheim."

"That's exactly the time you would not want to armed with knowledge." Loki replied.

"I'm not sure that's true." Hena said "The right knowledge can keep me alive. I'll need it when I'm there, trust me."

Loki slowly brought his head back, inhaling and exhaling.

"I'm going to say something and you're not going to like it. You may not even listen to it, but I am going to say it anyway."

"I am excellent at listening to irritating things." Hena replied, chin raised in amused expectation.

"Going to the outskirts of Anaheim is going to be precarious." he said "You aren't going to be going there."

"You're right, I'm not listening to that." Hena said, looking away haughtily "They're outside MY realm. What do you expect me to do? Wait for reports?"

"You don't think there is a reason your father rarely let's you from Anaheim?" Loki asked pointedly.

"My father would let me leave at my discretion." Hena retorted "He has precautions set in place, and they are for a ridiculous reason."

"No, they are a very legitimate reason. Your power of stabilizing and intensifying energy is unique to you, Mazi, and your mother. You do not realize how valuable you would be to certain beings." Loki said "Good or light beings would want to use you for themselves, let alone others without such integrity."

Hena leaned backwards, face stoic. Unsurprisingly, they had drawn the attention of the others in the room. Neither Valder nor Odin had mentioned Hena joining the missions, but even Thor had thought it was implied. Now he was not so sure that was the case.

"I do realize that." Hena said testily "And I also realize that I have a responsibility to protect what I can do. But I am very capable of doing so."

"You are. But this will not be the same. You will not be facing creatures will any sense of moral code. Fighting will be changed dramatically." Loki said.

"How do you mean?" Thor immediately asked, one hand extended with the question. The God of Mischief scowled over at him, suddenly very reluctant to give out information.

"You are to give what could be useful. This would be considered useful." Thor continued, waiting for a response.

"You are most definitely overstepping the agreement." Loki replied coolly.

"I do not believe so." Thor said flatly. Hena glanced in between them and then spoke with a sigh.

"It would probably be for the best." she said "I'm going to have to share it with my father as well. Most realms live with morality as a high priority. Anything different should be made known."

"I should hope it doesn't come as a shock to anyone that this exists." Loki replied.

"Honestly, me too." Hena agreed. Thor didn't say anything, worried he might alienate his brother again. But Loki looked over, still slightly peeved.

"You do know how Asgardians are trained in honorable fighting?" he asked frostily.

"Yes, of course." Thor replied.

"Well, forget all of that." Loki growled, making Thor blink several times. The Warriors frowned as well.

"When you are fighting these things invading the realms, they will not allow you a moment of weakness or hesitation." Loki continued "If you show them that, they will kill you. If you surrender to them, they will kill you. If you give them mercy, they will kill you."

"Sound friendly." Hawkeye said.

Captain America eyed Loki warily "We don't fight that way. Not dirty."

"Then they will kill you." Loki replied, leaning forward in irritation "You asked for advice and there it is. You cannot be your merciful selves with them. They will always go for the lethal blow. Whether you are on the ground, fighting, or recovering. They aren't going to wait. Go for the kill whenever possible if you want to live."

"Odin wouldn't allow us to do that." Volstagg said "Neither would Valder, or any other wise king."

"Have they ever fought creatures like the ones we could face?" Loki asked. Of course, it depended on who he was speaking of, because the Avengers were most certainly familiar with the Chitari. But those weren't near the creatures he was referring to.

"I do not know." Volstagg said "But we follow the rules of civility."

"Then say goodbye to your family before you head to war." Loki advised, causing them to fall into a solemn silence "It may not be our way. And you may never have to do it again, but for this fight, forget your training. I would not be surprised if Odin has used such tactics in the past."

"I would doubt it." Thor said "Whatever you think of him, he is a good king, and has been for a long time."

Loki's eyebrows rose.

"I never said he wasn't a good king." he replied bitterly "Truly, I believe he is. In fact, I think he is a perfectly marvelous king. He is likely the best king a realm could have."

Thor frowned at him, having no reply for the unexpected response.

"But a poor father?" Hena asked plainly. She didn't mean that, obviously, but was rather speaking what she suspected Loki was getting at. He held out a hand to her in agreement, nodding as he did so.

"Even if I were to do fight as they do." Hena continued, not giving time for any conflict to begin "I doubt you would tell me I should go with the the teams to the darker realms."

"Hena, physical battle is one thing. Manipulation is another. If in some circumstance you are apprehended by them, the very first thing they will do is travel to Anaheim and get Mazi, or one of your parents. They will force you to do what they want or you will suffer the consequences. You will be exploited for your power in anyway they can because it would be useful to their dying breath." Loki said pointedly.

"Well, then, if we are being honest, you should not be going either." Hena said firmly "You also have unique abilities."

Loki's eyes flicked back and forth for a moment.

"Well," he said slowly "Yes. But I would probably be the best candidate to go."

"No, you're not! What makes you believe they aren't going to exploit you?" Hena demanded.

"Nothing." Loki said honestly "But, they'll pay me heed before they do anyone else. Perhaps for a short time, but more than you would receive otherwise.

"You cannot be serious, Loki." Hena sounded incredulous.

"Well, for once I am." he said.

She bristled at that, eyes glaring "You think you will not allow me to go when you will be the least safe of all of us?" she whipped around angrily to face the door and walked outside. Loki said nothing as she left, although he did watch with a hint of surprise.

It was quiet inside now, everyone shocked at the turn the conversation had suddenly taken. All they could think about was the fact that the God of Mischief hadn't wanted to keep his life when he made the deal with Odin. Maybe he didn't intend to die if he joined Thor and the others in the exhibition, but that didn't mean he was safe. Captain America finally broke the silence.

"She's right." he said quietly, eyes on the ground as he lightly shook his head "We aren't putting anyone's life in danger like that."

"You do not need to worry about my life." Loki responded.

"Then at least you should." Captain America said, now looking right at him adamantly. Thor's eyes widened as his friend mistakenly hinted that they knew his younger brother had asked to be killed as part the agreement. Odin had specifically warned against that. Captain America glanced down, cursing himself as he realized the same.

Loki's eyes had narrowed significantly. The combination of all three actions had caught his attention and now they were beginning to make sense. He raised his chin, daring one of them to say something. Thor met his gaze as if to beg him not to retaliate. But there was no such luck.

Loki turned around, ready to seek out the Allfather himself. The situation had only gotten worse.

"Loki, wait." Thor said, only taking a few steps after him. Hena, who was outside, looked as Loki passed her. She frowned at his demeanor, confused at what could have taken place in the few seconds she's been gone.

"I'm sorry, Thor." Captain America muttered, blinking in frustration.

"Loki knows we would have found out eventually." Thor said, the anger and worry in his voice aimed at his brother.

---

"Is this your idea of a private covenant?"

Odin glanced back briefly at the scathing tone before excusing the guards. He turned to face Loki, eyes in a scowl. The man had hardly spoken a word to him while here.

But the God of Mischief was approaching him now with very hard and angry eyes.

"What are you speaking of?" Odin asked, turning his head slightly.

Loki glared as he seemed to evade an immediate response.

"Was I mistaken in thinking that we weren't going to make public the details of our arrangement? I give you information and you fulfill my requests. I recall us even stating that it didn't need to leave that room. But, here we are, surrounded by others that are very familiar with my terms. I wondered if mortals had suddenly adapted to hear conversations hundreds of feet away. Or was it something else?"

Odin's face didn't waver at the accusation. He didn't even glance at his other son leaving the house, presumably to follow Loki. Hena hadn't come too much closer, but her eyes were wide. She did look back at the others joining the God of Thunder, silently demanding to know what had happened. They didn't know that Loki had purposely retracted the memory of him making that bargain with Odin so Hena did not see it. Perhaps because he intended to remove that part of their agreement. But the Anaheimien princess could all too clearly see the memories of everyone else around her now.

Thor went quickly forward, already having missed some of their words.

"It seems as though I really did not need to unhold my end of the bargain." Loki said, as if he could spit at Odin's feet "Your warnings may start coming later than you would hope."

"Don't make threats." Odin advised him calmly, hanging onto the last syllable for a moment.

"Right, it would be best that they take you by surprise." Loki replied with a contemptful dip of his head.

"I do apologize for the breach of confidence, but where Thor is concerned, it becomes a familial matter."

Loki laughed bitterly under his breath "Familial matter. Really? Is that the way we'll spin it? Seems hardly necessary now, does it not?"

"Perhaps to you." Odin responded.

"Just to me? I doubt that. It seems as though everything would have been better if I had just died in the first place. If you would have just let me die. Then you wouldn't have to be dealing with it now."

Hena blinked in pain as he said this. Thor had glanced briefly in her direction just in time to see that. Her arms were brought close to her body in uneasiness. Loki and Odin had never had a discussion on their resentments. When Loki had returned to Asgard, he'd been sentenced and put in prison. And when the God of Mischief had been released, they'd only spoken briefly a few times.

"No. I have never spoken nor believed that." Odin replied "You are speaking those words. Not me."

Loki's eyes opened in disbelief and he brought back his head with an open mouth.

"'Your birthright...was to die.'" he said slowly, glancing up as if he could hear the words "'If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me.' I would like for you to tell me again how those words did not leave your mouth."

Odin's face still did not fluster. It took many moments for it to dawn on some of them that Loki must have been repeating words from his sentencing.

"That I thought you should have been allowed to die never did." Odin replied.

"You are failing to see the similarities." Loki said "That and seeking to pacify me so that you can keep your title of being the protector of the nine realms. I am, after all, the only one who can help you do so right now. Seems ironic to many degrees."

"Because of what you did here?" Odin asked, eyes narrowing at him seriously.

"Because you only brought me to your 'loving' home to bring unity. Unfortunately for you, that did not come to pass. And you've discovered that I could once again be the bearer of peace now that another conflict has arisen."

"And do you choose to do so?" Odin asked "That would not appear to be the case at this time."

"I'm sorry, I'm merely following the example of the older son you hold so dearly to your heart." Loki replied with feigned innocence, causing Thor's head to jerk over to him. The God of Mischief could assume he was there, but he didn't look backwards "Wasn't it he that led us to slaughter Jotunheim? I can't imagine why he doesn't face such an unforgiving punishment. I can't imagine at all."

"I know you are aware that the intentions of your actions were different. You intended only to harm others. To put yourself above them. Thor acted as a defense of Asgard. And even if they were not different, you have other crimes added to your history. Ones that fall before your madness here on Midgard."

"I don't believe you can sense the intentions of anyone." Loki said truthfully "Unless you have suddenly become part of the Anaheimien royal family."

Hena flinched at those words. Not because they were hurtful, but because of the arguement itself. Odin's face was becoming more rigid. Pulled back and reserved.

"Loki." he said tightly "Before you came here, you betrayed Asgard. You let frost giants into our realm. And then proceeded to try and destroy their entire race."

"Wouldn't we have been better of without them? Monsters? Wasn't I bringing about the peace you desired so much?" Loki asked savagely, holding out one hand.

"Do you truly believe they are nothing more than that?" Odin asked solemnly.

"That is what you have taught me."

"I never spoke of them as if they should be eradicated. Never in that manner. They had to be controlled, but they are still living creatures. You seem to have forgotten that."

"You slaughtered them in droves." Loki's voice was dripping with icy amusement "Told us stories of all the horrible things they had done. How their lives were nothing compared to Asgardians."

"And they would say the same of us. We protect our own." Odin said firmly.

"Cloaking me in Aesir skin does nothing to change the fact that I am a frost giant. Obviously I am not yours." Loki replied with a small twist of his head.

"You are the only one who defines your worth based on that." Odin told him firmly.

"Well, if sending me back to Jotunheim would have brought about an everlasting peace, I must have been worth everything to you."

Hena opened her mouth, fearful of the king's response to that. But Loki could not see her, only Odin could.

"You mock those long forgotten plans." he said "But then what were your intentions for destroying Jotunheim?"

Those words jarred Thor into realizing that maybe Loki had wanted the icy realm obliterated so that the peace his younger brother had been meant to create could rein, but he wouldn't have to leave his home. He wouldn't have to live somewhere so unfamiliar. And he'd wanted so badly to impress Odin. To do what the Allfather wanted without following the exact means of getting there. It had also been the birthplace of the lies that had changed everything for him.

"I am surprised you approved of Thor preventing me from doing it." Loki said, without responding directly to the question.

"Then I made a very poor impression upon you." Odin replied.

"Yes, I am who I am because of you." Loki said coldly.

"No. I defended your nature as you were raised, believing it not to be true. Perhaps it was." Odin growled, exchanging insult for insult.

Loki's eyes widened, lit with deep anger, making Hena inhale sharply. She glanced at Thor desperately.

"Am I nothing to you?" Loki snarled "Was I always? Tell me. Tell me, Odin. If I was not, then explain the lack of attention, the lack of pride, the lack of any sort of acknowledgement from you!"

Hena slowly drew her hands over her mouth, trembling, as tears filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Thor watched her for a moment before returning his pained gaze to the conflict. Hena closed her own, releasing another tear as Odin spoke.

"Your perception of your childhood has been twisted." he sounded matter of fact and his eyes were stoic.

"Has it?" Loki asked with pure contempt, inclining his head a bit with his words.

"Yes it has." Odin replied harshly "And I think you know by whom."

"I was aware of this long before my fall from Asgard." Loki glared "You shunned me for Thor and you know that. You have always known that."

"If you believe you were shunned, you are wrong." Odin replied firmly.

"That is not an answer." Loki spat "You avoid acknowledging any fault on your part."

"As do you, Loki." Odin said. The way in which he spoke made it sound more like he was talking to a son now. It had been a long time since he had addressed Loki by his name in such a manner "You grew closer to your mother. Thor grew closer to me. But there was never rejection."

"No." Loki was clearly finding it hard to carry on talking because his voice quivered with such anger. He pointed at the ground "The fact that you even attempt to use that excuse is pathetic. Mother treated us as equals, always. But from the moment you brought me from Jotunheim, I was defective in your eyes. Never truly a son to attain all that you had."

"Thor was first born." Odin spoke over him, voice sharpening "For him to become Asgard's king was law. That was never about you."

"I never wanted the throne!" Loki practically screamed at him. His fists clenched as he stared at his adopted father with wild eyes, demanding that he understand. Thor watched with a very grieved expression, unknowingly shaking his head.

"Thor was only-born. It wouldn't have mattered if I was older." Loki snarled "Because I was a Frost giant. I was to be sent back to Jotunheim all along."

"Those were not going to be carried out." Odin repeated.

"That was always my intended purpose." Loki said, eyes glistening as he stared at his adopted father with pure disbelief "I couldn't have been enough. You sit on your throne in ignorance of things you have done each and everyday. Frigga deserved so much better than a man like you."

"And she deserved better than a son like you who would betray her realm and so viciously attack others. One who left her for power." Odin replied sharply.

Pain flashed through Loki's expression so quickly, it was hardly noticeable. Then it was replaced by stone hard coldness. Hena began to walk forward towards them, lips held together to stop them from shaking.

"Yes, she did." Loki growled savagely "She absolutely did. Because she didn't do anything to perpetuate that. But you have. And she's dead, Odin. I imagine it would be great relief for you to get rid of the son" he spat the word like a curse "who tears down your great name now that she's not here. Why would you even wait until the year is up?"

"You have made up the lies surrounding what happened and tangled them into a web around you." Odin replied, head up "You have woven them so tightly, no truth could ever undo them. I cannot unravel that for you. You will not accept the-"

"Tell me!" Loki snarled "Tell me what I was to you!"

"Quiet!" Odin commanded sharply, but he did not shout "After what has happened, we no longer need to have this conversation. Do what you were brought here to do. That is all that is required of you now." He turned around, clenching Gungnir in his right hand.

Loki's eyes blazed and he took several steps after the Allfather. Thor suddenly moved towards him quickly and the Asgardian soldiers guarding the scepter hurried forward. Almost immediately, the Anaheimien guards raised their own spears and swords at them after a loud order from Adden. The two groups were at a stand off. Volstagg stepped forward in shock, worried a fight would break out between them. Hena was there near Loki now, so those from Anaheim may have just been defending her, but it was not clear.

Thor stepped in front and grabbed his brother's arm to prevent him from following the Allfather. Only then did the other Avengers and Warriors see that Loki held a knife in his hand. He barely seemed to notice Thor, intent on Odin. Then Hena's hands pressed against his chest.

"Loki, don't!. Please, stop." she pleaded with him.

"Loki!" Thor snapped angrily, still having to hold his younger brother back. He was bewildered as to why the Allfather was not saying a word.

Odin had not turned around. There wasn't a way he had not sensed that he'd been in mortal danger. But he seemed to be purposefully looking the other way until the light of the Bifrost opened up to return him to Asgard.

Thor pried the dagger from Loki's hand and threw it to the side in disgust. Only then did he release his brother, eyeing him warily still. Odin had not done anything, so the God of Thunder didn't think it was his place. But he was still appalled at what he'd just had to prevent.

Hena trembled as she grasped Loki's lower arms.

"Loki, he cannot face you." she whispered "He cannot. Please, hear my words."

Finally, Loki dragged his narrow eyes away from the field and looked at her.

Thor pointed over at the Asgardian soldiers, signaling them to retreat now. It would do nothing but cause more trouble for them to do something the Allfather had not ordered. They did so, but slowly. Only then did the Anaheimien guards do the same.

Loki broke away from Hena's grasp, not wanting to unleash his anger on her, and walked away. Thor watched him silently, still drawing in steadying breaths. Hearing the depth of his younger brother's hurt had pierced him to the core.

But he was also angry. Loki had come so close to possibly convincing Odin of the good that was in him. It was ruined. He wouldn't look beyond what he thought was true.

He refused to see that he had been an invaluable member of their family.

---

It was now late evening and Loki still hadn't spoken to anyone, even Hena. He was in plain sight, but something about his demeanor warned them to stay away right now. The weak trust the Avengers had been beginning to form with him was essentially gone now. They were wary as ever, although Captain America did feel partially responsible for what had happened. Thor had told him it wasn't his fault, but that wasn't entirely true. As Loki had rightfully pointed out, nobody but the royal Anaheim family could read minds, so he may never have found out that Odin said a word without the soldier's slip.

Hena watched the God of Mischief with restless eyes. She was torn between going to offer company and leaving him to his thoughts. The latter had not always shown to be beneficial in the past, but she couldn't force him to forgive anyone.

Loki had made his bargain with Odin before her and her family had come to Midgard. He'd been certain that's what he wanted at the time. The argument had initially been about Loki feeling the king had treated their agreement as a trivial matter. If he'd listened to Odin tell Thor, he might feel differently.

Unfortunately, the words had led to another and neither of them were willing to admit fault.
Loki's dagger was still in the field where it had been thrown aside. He'd left it there. He had plenty of others. Volstagg had initially nearly been spitting with rage at Loki's actions once the Allfather had left, but Fandral had talked him down. Now, all of them were in same position as Thor. Sorrow or anger.

Loki's face was still ice cold as he contemplated everything that had been said. Fury still burned inside. He stared out at the trees with narrowed eyes. Odin's departure didn't seem to have helped at all. It had been even more insulting. Thor wasn't sure how to interpret it. The king wasn't one to back down from an altercation, unless he found it meaningless. And maybe that was the answer. Every answer had been so contradictory.

"You have to let it go."

The words were said quietly, without any scorn. Loki didn't move, not even to look back.

Captain America held the discarded knife in his hand, slowly twisting the hilt so that it rotated shortly in his hand.

"You have to. Because holding onto it isn't going to change it." he said.

Loki's chin slowly went up, although his face wasn't observable.

"How old are you?" he asked plainly "Nearly one hundred? And you've lived maybe a third of of that?"

Captain America tilted his head, pausing to make sure he heard the rest of whatever the God of Mischief intended to say. Loki turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"You've been hurt and held grudges for things that seem so important in a span of thirty years." he said, his voice soft and angry "Now try imagining that spaced out into centuries. Don't tell me to let it go when you have absolutely no perspective on anything that has occurred in my life."

"You're allowing it to take over your life." Captain America said.

"Again, name one thing similar about our lives. Open your own eyes before telling me to open mine." Loki replied, walking past him. Captain America held out the knife, face stoic. Loki looked down at it before lifting his eyes to the soldier's face.

"Keep it." he said "And go finish what I started."

He continued on his way, hands clenched in fists as he trekked back to the house. Captain America waited a moment, peering at the weapon with a shake of his head before following him.

Hena waited as Loki approached. Thor was nearby, but his face was a lot less receptive.

"I need to return to Anaheim." she said immediately once he was a few yards away.
Loki stopped and stared at her, but he did not object to the wish. Thor's heart dropped. That was the last thing that his brother needed right now, but he wouldn't say so. Loki likely thought he'd driven her away.

"I will return tomorrow." Hena continued making Thor blink "But I need to go for now."

The God of Mischief's eyes flicked down and then up and he nodded at her.

Thor stepped closer to say something himself, but it appeared that she wasn't done.

Hena reached took one of each of the brother's hands. Loki scowled in confusion.

"Listen." she said lowly "I'm sorry."

There was a dull flash of light and both of Odin's sons jerked back their hands with a hiss of pain. The Warriors stared in shock as the two of them looked at their hands. Between their first finger and thumb was a small dark symbol. Loki looked up at Hena, eyes horrified.

She held up her hands, showing them that each one had a similar shape. They were both different, coordinating with the ones the brother's had on themselves.

"I have made a three way connection." she said "But it is not a link between our minds. This is a link between our lives, specifically me and each of you. If either of you die, I will die at the same moment."

Thor's eyes widened and Loki opened his mouth sharply, but Hena backed up.

"You might want to look out for each other right now." she said.

"Hena, that is not funny. Remove this. Now." Loki ordered angrily, stepping after her.

"You could spend all of your time trying to break it. Sooner or later I suspect you could. But it might just be easier to keep Thor alive." Hena replied, quickening her backward pace.

"Hena!" Loki hissed warningly.

"To keep you both from doing something rash." Hena said, dipping her head "I'll see you soon."
With that, she was enveloped into a sudden bright light. Her father must have been waiting for her.

Loki stared, eyes wide in pure and utter disbelief. He looked down at the mark on his hand and then back at Thor.

---

Odin did not speak to Heimdall when he returned or to any of his guards on the way up to his chambers. He walked into the silent room, where the light was dimming. He looked over at the bed and the table where several books and brushes still remained. That side of the blankets was never disturbed anymore. The basin never filled. The curtains surrounding the windows opened only by servants.

It took several more moments for him to walk over to the balcony. There was a crash as Gungnir fell to the floor, forgotten.

"Frigga." he said softly "Forgive me."

Hi, I hope that was a good chapter for everyone. I poured my soul into that, so please review for me. :) Thank you so much. RemoraD, you asked for conflict. I mean, I already intended to do this, but hey, never hurts to ask!