Chapter 13

Harry and Alex appeared with a sharp crack! On a steep cliff that hung over a dark abyss. They were at the very edge of Asgard and behind them there was a strength of nothingness a few miles before the bright and lively city of Asgard. The wind blew harshly here, where few Asgardians ventured and creatures of the dark lurked. Alex waved his wand bringing up a cluster of runic symbols which he began to assemble. "If all goes well, the passage will be ready in a little over an hour. After that it will only last about ten minutes at best." Harry nodded in affirmative before sprinting to Asgard, short distance apparition making his progress faster. In no time he was mingling in the crowd of Asgardians within the city, careful not to bring any undue attention to himself. His wandering brought him closer to the palace where Odin resided. He carefully moved around the area, spotting guards protecting the entrance that led to the vast gardens that stood between the city and the palace, no doubt swarmed with more guards he's have to avoid.

Casting a notice-me-not charm on himself he took out his death wand and pointed it to the guard right at the door. "Imperior." Immediately, the guard's eyes became glassy and a content smile slipped onto his face. He opened the door, to the confusion of his partners, letting harry slip in unnoticed. Inside, he applied the strongest invisibility spell he could conjure and walked freely to the castle. He lingered around until he found a wayward guard whom he put under the controlling spell. "Show me the most discrete route to the prison cells." He demanded. The poor guard grinned happily. "Yes. Follow me." He was led around the massive building that glimmered like gold to a secret passage that he guessed only the inner guards know about. The clueless guard pressed the gem of his sword to the door making it shimmer before clicked open. "Keep it open." He ordered and entered, setting a brusque pace to his target.

Loki laid on his cot in his cell seemingly relaxed and unconcern with his predicament. His eyes were closed but he wasn't asleep. Behind his eyelids images flashed by, fueling his anger, despair and loneliness as they always did.

/No Loki./

/They are our enemy, they must be killed!/

/Father, I did it for you. That way you would see me./

/No, that's not it. You took me for a reason, I am for a purpose./

/Loki that's not it. You are like a son to me./

/TELL ME!/

His eyes snapped open, glistening with pain and unshed tears. For a long time he had thought he could prove himself, his worth. That he was as good an Asgardian as his brother was and would make an even better king. Alas. That dream was shuttered the moment he found out he was not even an Asgardian but a Jotun. Part of the race he grew up learning were mindless, bloodthirsty beasts that deserved being wiped out. After all, how can you have the child of the enemy at the throne? These thoughts filled him with bitter and righteous fury.

Now he was locked up in tis retched place. By his own faults he must admit but that didn't make it any better. It wasn't the first time he was locked up here. He had committed some crimes in the past, being the god of mischief guaranteed he'd end up here, but this time there was no trial, no sentencing, so he was unsure how long he would be here. A bit unnerving considering the extent of his crimes this time. His mother has only visited once, not in person mind you but as a hologram and that was to gaze at him and ask after his wellbeing. The rest of the time he was all alone, bar the guards that came to sneer and jeer at his misfortune. It made his blood boil how they thought they were better than him, that he was now beneath. HIM! Loki, prince of Asgard! In all that time Thor has not even graced him with his presence either. Why? Thor always came if only to berate him for his wrongdoings. Did he finally tire of him? Does he now think less of him? Did he hide away out of shame or spite, unable to gaze at his less than desirable brother any longer?

All these thought swam in his head, bringing him despair and rage like no other. His thoughts were disturbed by the silence in the dungeons. He listened for sounds but they were lacking. Never in his imprisonment has it ever been so silent. There was at least some sort of background noise. Now, everything was absolutely still. He walked to the force shield that blocked his escape. Beyond it he could see the crumpled forms of the guard littering the whole hall. Adrenalin rose within his veins at the implications. It was either someone somehow found a way to escape without his notice or someone from outside came in. For what purpose?

"We meet again, Loki." The Asgardian whipped around so quickly his vision doubled a moment. "You!" he snarled. The man across from him grinned humorlessly, all teeth and sharp edges. "What purpose has brought you here? As you can see, I have nothing for you to steal." "But you." "Excuse me?" Loki blinked at the unexpected reply. The man clad in some sort of thick leather-like cloth along with a trench coat of similar but darker material came forth, steel-toed boots almost soundless on the marble floor. Loki, despite himself, took a step back watching something akin to sadistic glee light up in those green eyes.

"I came for you, Loki of Asgard." He repeated, stopping inches from Loki. Loki straightened up gaining as much of his composure as he could. He glowered at Hadrian. "What for?" Hadrian smiled again. "To break you free of course." "What?" the convict uttered, disbelief and doubt coloring his voice. Hadrian tilted his head. "I didn't mumble, did I?" Loki glared. "What do you have to gain for this?" His to-be-rescuer stepped back, now regarding Loki appraisingly. "That is inconsequential at the moment. You should be worried about the fate that awaits you within these walls." He said. Loki frowned. "What do you mean?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You do not know?" he asked. Realization lit his eyes a bit more. "You do not know." "Know what?" the prisoner snapped, anticipation making him impatient. A short laugh left Hadrian's mouth. He began to circle Loki, like a basilisk coiling around a helpless little lamb, ready to end its life with one bite. The Asgardian shivered in fear. "You sit here awaiting a farce of a trial that would never come yet you do not question. You think it is going to be fair, just like all the others. That you will spend the rest of your days rotting away in this very cell." Harry hissed, his silky voice smooth like water yet sharp like daggers, and a mocking tone making the words all the more painful. "And yet you do not know you are being kept here like a pig for slaughter, to sate the thirst of the masses you so thoroughly offended."

"What are you talking about?" Loki puzzled but a sharp smile was his only answer. Then comprehension dawned on him. His eyes widened, face going paler than it already was. He stared at the still form of his current tormentor. "It can't be." "Yes." Hadrian purred, taking great pleasure from revealing this information. "They have finally tired of you Loki so they are doing away with you. They crave your blood, they yearn to end your existence, and Odin is all too willing to oblige them. Get rid of the son that was never meant to be. A peace offering that has lost its value and has long become a liability." Loki flinched, knowing the words to be true. Harry continued, now a pitying tone turning the sharp swords that were his words into an icy void that was suffocating. "Poor Loki. Runt son of Laufy the frost giant king. Whatever are we going to do now that you are nothing."

"Shut up! You have no right to mock me, Midgardian!" Loki shouted, the hurt audible even in his fury that blossomed from the icy shock and melancholy. How dare this earthling think such of him! How dare he take pleasure from his suffering! Then it hit him again. They were going to kill him. Odin was going to kill him. Sit on his throne and watch the light leave his eyes. What of his mother? What did Frigga have to say about this? Is this the reason for her continued absence? Did she agree to it? What of Thor?

Harry's face cleared of all emotion and he stepped further away from Loki. "You're right. I don't. Now that you are well informed we must be leaving." He said, moving to the now non-existent force shield. Loki watched him, pushing all emotion to the back of his mind as best he could. "Where are you taking me?" "To a safe place. Now come, time is running out." With little fanfare, Loki followed the man. As much as he hated him for his actions and recent words he was his only chance at freedom. If he got into the guarded place in all the nice realms he can get them out, right?

They stepped over the bloody forms of the guards, Loki sneering in pleasure at his now dead tormentors. They exited the dungeons to find a single guard at the door. He made to blast the man with his now-free magic only to be stopped by Hadrian. "He is our accomplice." Was his explanation. Loki raised an eyebrow at the guard who sported a blissful smile on his face. 'He's enchanted.' Loki realized. Harry took out a cloak from his pocket as the guard moved to lead them out of the palace grounds. He threw it around Loki's shoulder and brought the hood up over his face. A tingling sensation washed over him before realizing he could not see himself, just his faint footsteps. "An invisibility cloak. Stay silent." Hadrian explained.

They reached the gates. Their accomplice knocked twice. The heavy gates opened a fraction to reveal a guard who sported the same blissful smile. This allowed them to slip through and curiously, the other guards who were not tempered with did not notice Hadrian walk by them so casually. As soon as they were through the broke off the two guards. Murmurs of "What happened?" followed behind them until they were lost in the crowd.

At midday the streets were filled with busy citizens so the cloak became a disadvantage. People bumped into nothing and it would cease to serve its purpose. So Hadrian took off the cloak, stuffing it back into his pocket. As soon as it was off people jumped away from Loki but then their eyes glazed over and they continued with their business. Loki's interest was perked. "What enchantments do you use?" he finally asked as they continued walking through the busy streets. Hadrian replied. "Ones you know nothing of. They will not last long though, the Asgardian magic in the air tempers with the spells. So we do not have long until we are noticed. And if something brings people's attention to our presence the spell would fail." Loki scowled but remained silent.

Just then a voice shouted. "Hey! Stop that prisoner! Loki has escaped." It was the previously imperiored guards along with an entourage of other armed men. It was at that point that the tingling feeling left him and the people around them screamed as they noticed them. Hadrian grabbed his upper arm in a bruising grip. A tugging sensation at his navel made him gasp as he was pulled and squeezed uncomfortably into a narrow tube then spat out unceremoniously on the other side. Only Hadrian's firm hold on his arm prevented him from falling and it took a great deal of effort not to empty his stomach on the rocks below. He barely had time to survey his surroundings before Hadrian forced him into a run. They were at the very fringe of Asgard city, the beginnings of an expanse of nothing stretching out before them. He followed Hadrian's example, running into the wasteland. No doubt Heimdal had seen them and has already sent soldiers after them. He does not know how Hadrian planned to get them out of here but they definitely had no time to linger.

After a few minutes they heard the hum of vehicles. Loki chanced a look back to see hovercrafts chasing after them. Again, his arm was grabbed before the strange feeling of teleportation overcame him. When he was on his feet again the soldiers were distant blobs. This process repeated four more times, each time the effects on Loki's person lessening. On the last jump they came upon a man who was standing there, a plethora of runes surrounding him in a wash of color. Beyond him a cliff fell into nothing.

The man was arranging the runes in patterns he had never seen before. Each time they would collapse into nothing and the mounting frustration of their weaver became more apparent. Hadrian frowned. "Problems Alex?" The man, Alex, grunted. "It seems there is a disturbance from this side, a barrier if you will, that is preventing the spell from forming. I suspect it is the Asgardian magic. Since it is so different from ours it has proved to be incompatible with the last rune of the sequence, so every time it tries to form it fails to connect with the magic on Midgard. The first connection was possible because Midgardian magic reached out to Asgard and was subtle enough to find a way in. the other way around is proving to be difficult if not impossible. In other words, we cannot travel back from this end."

Alex's ramblings tapered off into silence. Loki was panicked. "So what, this is it? You brought me out here just so I can get killed or worse, captured again? Was this all for nothing?" he shouted. Alex shot him a withering glare. "Well, sorry oh mighty prince for falling short of your expectations." He bit out harshly. Harry spoke before Loki could snap something back. "Alex, call up those runes again but this time the ending rune must not be 'route' but 'passage'. Got it?" Alex gave him a pensive look but complied, his wand plying with motion. Hadrian pulled out a ruby red stone and let it float before him. He made sharp motions with his hands, as if calling upon something. Wisps of red mist seeped out of the jewel, mixing with the magic in the air and Hadrian's own magic.

"What is he doing?" Loki asked curiously. Alex replied. "I don't know for sure, but I suspect he is trying to replace or at least dilute Asgard's magic with the Sorcerer's Stone's ambient magic. The rune 'route' would not work because in magical terms it means a pre-existing channel has to be opened. 'Passage' on the other hand will force-create a new way for us. The Sorcerer's Stone holds massive amount of magic, and its healing properties may keep us alive through the ordeal." Alex finished the last rune with a flourish. It held. Loki stared in horror. "May?! You mean we can die from this?" Alex did not deem him with a reply. The runes flashed gold. Hadrian flicked his wrist, sending the glowing red energy into the runes to power them. They gave a blinding purple light which then connected to the three of them.

"Halt!" Someone shouted. It was Odin who led the soldiers to their position. His face was contorted with fury. As they began to disappear he threw his staff at Loki, sharp end first. The Jotun's eyes widened momentarily, fearing it would hit its mark, but then everything disappeared in a dazzle of color. He tumbled through the passage, screaming as pressure pressed him on all sides in a heated embrace that left him gasping with pain. After what felt like eons he hit the ground with a painful crunch!, breaking his arm and ankle in the process. He hissed in agony but reluctantly opened his eyes. A canopy of leaves cast a green glow on the area, the sun filtering between them to blind him. He groaned, getting up, mindful of his injuries. Next to him was the now dull Sorcerer's Stone. He picked it up on his way to his feet.

A pained groan drew his attention behind himself. His eyes widened. There was blood. Lots of blood everywhere. Alex crouched next to the limp form from which the blood was from. Hadrian's body was stained in crimson liquid trembling in seemingly untold amounts of pain. As he came closer his blood turned to ice. A large chunk of flesh was missing from Hadrian's arm, the white bone barely discernible from the large amount of blood staining it and pouring from the wound. He also didn't think a human limb should be bent the way Hadrian's left leg was.

"Boss? Boss? Harry, can you hear me? Stay with me Harry. Don't you dare fall asleep." Alex fretted, hands shaking with numbing fear. Emerald eyes gazed into Alex's blue ones, glassy in his agony. He gasped as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver necklace now painted red. Alex recognized the portkey. He gripped it, wanting to get Hadrian help as soon as possible. "Alex." Harry breathed, finger twitching to gesture beyond Alex. His second in command followed the move. Loki stood there as if lost. He glared scathingly at him as if to say all of this was his fault. Loki wouldn't blame him. "Come here and hold this." Alex snapped. Loki frowned but took the instruction. As soon as he gripped the silver cord that familiar tug came upon him, less intense, and they disappeared from the forest, a splatter of blood marking their arrival.

Thor was summoned to Asgard mere hours after Loki's escape. He was puzzled as to the urgency of the call and worried about the state of affairs on Asgard. He marched into the throne room and got down on one knee, fist over his heart. "All-father, you summoned me." Odin was not alone. Next to him was his queen Frigga, the warriors three and Lady Sif stood by the entrance and some guards were stationed around the room. Odin looked positively upset. "Loki has escaped." He stated. Thor was startled. "How? Was he alone?" he worried. Frigga was impressed by her son's line of questioning. Mere years ago he would have demanded why he wasn't caught yet. It seems he had matured a bit.

Odin glared. "He got aid from outside, Aid from Midgard! Weren't you tasked with watching over them?!" This surprised the blonde even more. He said carefully. "I was tasked with retrieving Loki from the Midgardians." Odin calmed down a bit. He waved his hand dismissively. "No matter. Your duty now is to retrieve Loki again since you are familiar with Midgard's people. I will not let Loki escape justice again!" Thor nodded and made to turn back but paused. He looked up at his father curiously. "Father, what verdict was awarded to Loki?" Curiously, Odin's face cut off at this. He looked upon his son for a minute before replying. "Execution."

Thor's eyes went wide with astonishment then he laughed, thinking it may have been a joke. Frigga looked away. "That's a good one father. I did not know you had such a morbid sense of humor." He said between chuckles, but they slowly died down as he watched his father's unchanging face and his mother's shame. He looked around to see his friends' pitying faces. Finally he turned back to Odin. "You're serious?" he whispered. Odin sighed. "Loki has stepped too far. We all know he has always been a trouble maker but this is unforgivable. Asgard has been the protector of the nine realms for many, many centuries. Crimes such as those your brother committed are considered treason." "But that does not mean they warrant such a punishment." Thor protested. "Loki is a bad egg Thor, and I cannot assure anyone he will not repeat his actions." "Then lock him up in the dungeons. Anything but this!" Odin shook his head. "Loki escaped the dungeons many times." "Then improve security, add to the guards! We can…" "Enough!" Odin roared, silencing Thor's desperate rant. "I have made my decision. Loki is the greatest mistake I've ever made and I'm going to fix it." Thor flinched as if slapped. He took a step back. "Is that it then?" he asked, gazing into Odin's eyes only to see icy resolve. It broke his heart further. One look at his mother made it even worse. He turned his back to them and fled, ignoring the cries of everyone around him.

Frigga watched her son go, her heart heavy with pain and regret. She loved Loki, very much, but she has been convinced there is no way to save him. That only death could release him from the suffering he brought upon himself. She knew she may lose both her sons during the execution. She wished she could find another way.