Twenty Five

February 3, 2017 - #FreeLoki

"Hello, everyone and welcome back to my channel! My name..."

"STARK!" A man came into view with a goatee.

"Yes, Stephanie?" Tony batted his eyelashes.

"Get in there. Turn this live so no one has any way of saying we edited for victim-blaming. I only want to do this once." He groused.

"Well, that was Dr. Stephen Strange, sorcerer extroidinaire – now I can't stand magic so this may get a little tense for me." He shrugged as he moved into the room.

"Friend Tony!" Thor boomed.

"Not Friend Tony, Thor. You tried to choke me the last time we saw each other." He pointed out dryly.

"Well...That was then!" He said boisterously.

"How many times do I have to tell you, brother?" A snide voice appeared from behind Thor. Thor whipped around. "Not everyone appreciates your brutish tendencies." He sneered.

"Brother! We must tell Father – he has been searching for you..." Thor started to say when he was interrupted by Doctor Strange.

"I don't think so." He crossed his arms and sat at the table. "We have some things to work through." He waved his hand and a clipboard appeared with a folder adhered to it. "Sit, both of you. Stark is here for backup."

"Why should I?" Loki said dangerously.

"I'll lock you in a pocket dimension for 500 years instead, if you'd like." Strange said calmly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you drive a bargain." Loki said as he took a seat next to Tony, far away from Thor. Thor frowned but took a seat.

"What is this about? Loki has not yet served his time for his crimes." He sat down with a thump.

"Well, on Earth, we tend to make sure the wrong-doer was actually aware that they were doing something wrong, not under any influences before we sentence them. And make sure they don't have any mental issues."

"Mental issues?" Thor and Loki said at the same time, Loki offended and Thor confused.

"Yes, like they aren't all their mentally – if so, then they would get help, not be punished for not knowing they did something wrong."

Loki hummed under his breath and Thor still looked confused.

"Close your mouth, Thor. You look like a dunce." Loki reprimanded. Thor immediately closed his mouth.

"Let's start. We are going off an American form, so we will adjust where we can. Birth Name?"

"Loptr." Loki answered.

"That is different than your name now."

"Yes, the Allfather and Allmother changed it to a more Asgardian name when they kidnapped me." Loki sneered.

"That is not true." Thor insisted. Loki didn't comment.

"What is your ethnicity?" Strange didn't pay attention to Thor, not yet. He wanted to pay attention to Loki, trying to pay attention to the body language that he was exhibiting. They were only getting started and it seemed that he was already defensive.

"I am a Jotunn by blood, rightful heir to the throne of Jotunheim." Loki sneered. "However, I killed my mother when he invaded Asgard, so I am known as a kinslayer, therefore ineligible for the throne as it stands now. My brother, Helblindi, is King."

"Father. Laufey is your father." Thor corrected. Loki sneered.

"You're a simpleton. We were always taught that some Jotunn are intersex, both genders. My father is Farbauti, obviously."

"What?"

Loki rolled his eyes.

"It was in our history classes that Farbauti took the throne after Laufey lost the Casket of Winters to Odin as the Jotunn council decided he wasn't capable of decisions of merit. Laufey was a shapeshifter, which made him intersex. Farbauti did not have any magical powers or shapeshifting abilities so he was born a male. Laufey took back the reign when Farbauti died."

"What would you like to be called?" Strange asked, changing the subject.

"Loki." He said succinctly.

"Loki it is then. Moving on. What happened to upset that status quo? Things were fine with your adopted family until it wasn't. What tipped the scales?" Strange asked, flipping a sheet of paper, moving to the next page, scribbling something down.

Loki frowned.

"You want to take this, Thor?" He said snidely and Strange looked up to Thor looking sheepish.

"Thor, you want to take this one?" Strange asked. Thor swallowed but nodded.

"I invaded Jotunheim, against my brother's advice and got banished to Midgard without my hammer." Thor said succinctly.

"Missing quite a bit in between. He killed dozens of Jotunn warriors and got off with a vacation! To Midgard, somewhere I always got told I couldn't go!" Loki's voice rose as his agitation set in.

"Loki, you know why you couldn't go." Thor tried.

"Why?!" He suddenly screamed, his hands going up to his head, growling under his breath and then his skin changed from alabaster to blue, with markings on his skin and red eyes. "Because of this?" He hissed, looking much more dangerous than he ever did with the scepter. Tony and Strange exchanged glances and frowned.

"Your people tried to control Midgard…" Thor was interrupted by Loki.

"MY PEOPLE?! Where does it end? I was raised Asgardian yet everyone, yourself included, seems to hold me to the standard of Jotunn! When I didn't even know I was one until Thor got banished! And you know what stories I got told to make sure I was a good little Asgardian boy? That if I wasn't good, the Jotunns were going to get me!" He was exhaling heavily. Thor looked gutted.

"Let me get this straight." Tony said, interrupting for the first time. "Loki didn't know he was a Jotunn but you did, Thor?" Tony asked.

"No. I did not. Until after…" Thor trailed off.

"Until what, Thor?" Strange pressed.

"Loki was holding the side of the bridge and I tried to catch him when he let go but he let go too fast. I found out about his heritage after."

Loki was silent.

"So, Loki, you tried committing suicide." Strange stated.

"I felt as though I had no other choice. I was distained for my magic, not being a warrior, not being manly enough, I was a Jotunn – which were openly loathed by Asgardians and I just asked Father – I mean, Odin, for one thing – some recognition that I could lead Asgard…But he wouldn't even give me that. No, Loki. Now I realize that he stole me as a prize of war!" He screamed at the end.

"No, Loki, he loved you!" Thor was adamant.

"If Mother hadn't loved me the way she did, you'd be dealing with a much more deadly brother. If I had not so much affection for you, Thor, you would already be dead. You and Odin." Loki's blue skin faded back to alabaster and his green eyes were dull with sadness.

Strange felt he was wholly underqualified to deal with the issues that Loki had, abandonment, being lied to, now attempted suicide.

"What do you mean, distained for your magic?" Tony asked, curiously.

"Magic is for females." Thor answered.

"Well, Loki does it and he is male." Tony pointed out.

"I was ridiculed for it, even by Thor. He is blockhead, don't waste your breath." Loki crossed his arms. "On Jotunheim, I have discovered, I would have been revered for it. But on Asgard, if you were male, you were to be a warrior, to prepare for war. I was more interested in my studies of magic and history. If I wasn't a prince, I would have been killed long ago."

"You are notoriously hard to kill." Thor smirked.

"I'm sorry, Thor…" Tony interrupted. "Are you suggesting that others tried to kill Loki but failed?"

"I knew of some people who tried to poison him but obviously his magic saved him!" Thor boomed, laughing awkwardly when no one even so much as smirked.

"Obviously his different body chemistry saved him, not magic." Tony deadpanned.

"Let's go back to the suicide, letting go of this bridge. What do you remember?" Strange was trying to get back on track.

"I let go and I remember falling and falling and hitting the ground, hard. Someone was there. But instead of someone who had good intentions of helping me…It was…The Other."

Thor gasped, shocked to his core.

"The Other." Tony sounded skeptical.

"I've heard of him." Strange was extremely serious now. This had become real. "The Other is an ally of the Mad Titan."

"Mad Titan?" Thor was confused.

"You wouldn't know anything of him. Odin never referenced him. I learned small facts from the Yggdrasil, the universe tree." Thor nodded and looked back to Strange.

"So, you were taken to him?" Strange inferred.

"Yes, and I was made to feel pain I didn't think I could ever feel. Unable to speak his name but his paranoia did not extend to his children, which is what he considered The Other." Loki cleared his throat, feeling remnants of a possible Geis, a curse upon anyone who utters the name. "I was eventually told I would go to Earth, to wreak havoc in his name."

"The purple raisin." Tony clarified.

"Yes. I was under the effect of an Infinity Stone in the scepter. To control the minds, someone was guiding me from the other side. I decided New York – as I knew that was where Thor was. I figured there had to have been some other people that could stop me. And there was." He smirked victoriously.

"So what broke it? Could you have done it yourself?" Tony asked.

"No. It was that Green Raging Monster you have, who broke it. Forcefully."

"Ah. Hulk smashing you into the floor."

"Yes. It seemed that I brought a team together, yet you are all broken now. Alas." He said, mock sadly.

"We can get back together to defeat the purple raisin." Tony raised his chin. "None of our prides are worth people getting killed over."

"Admirable. We shall see. He is coming and you, Stark, have painted a huge target on yourself. Due to that power explosion that happened." Loki smirked.

"Yeah...Wasn't my intention to get his attention, I'll tell you that." Tony admitted. "Just trying to save New York."

"Well, I think the council would agree you were not operating under your own power, your own decision making." Strange declared. "You are clearly in need of a good psychologist to help you get over these issues you have from childhood. Thor clearly isn't helping. I suggest you find someone who can help you and stay with them. The Accords Council will arrange a citizenship. You are under the jurisdiction of Earth, now. As a watched prisoner."

"He is of Asgard!" Thor got to his feet.

"Only when it suits you!" Loki got to his feet and his daggers materialized into his hands, him holding them in a defensive position. Thor growled and held up his hammer.

"What you're not going to be doing is causing damage to my Tower." Tony said with authority in his voice. The Iron Man suit materialized over his body and held a repulsor towards Thor. "Loki can stay with me."

Thor's shoulders drooped.

"Is this about Sokovia?" Thor whispered.

"I can make my own decisions regarding anything, including your brother, Thor. I'm an adult in this world. Loki, would you like to stay with me?" He asked.

"It is preferable to prison."

"What a resounding endorsement." Tony said dryly, causing Loki to smirk.

"I think this is an acceptable arrangement. I will check in monthly to see how Loki is progressing." Strange got to his feet and rotated his wrist, opening a portal to his Sanctum. "Stark, we'll be in touch."

"Going back to your tower, Princess Stephanie?" He teased.

"Piss off, Stark." He growled before closing the portal.

"Do not go back to Asgard in my tower. Your portal thing destroys everything. Take it outside. You can say goodbye to Loki." He crossed his arms but didn't leave.

"What should I tell Father?" He asked.

"The truth. That someone realized I wasn't myself. Someone that knew me." He said spitefully before turning to Tony. "Let's go."

Tony and Loki left the room as Thor was left, watching the door before sighing and making his way outside.

Man the feels…never though Loki would be like good? Sort of good?

-Reply: He has a lot of demons but I think he'll be okay.

-Reply: He's a good anti-hero. Like literally the definition.

-Reply: I'm glad this was live so all the haters could be disproved.

-Reply: But the mean media!

-Reply: Ok, Donald Trump go off!
-Reply: LOOL!

-Reply: Loki is free so we accomplished another hashtag victory! #FREELOKI

-Reply: maybe he'll be in future videos?! As he's living with Tony?!

He's FREE?! WTF MAN!

-Reply: Hawkeye, calm down!

-Reply: Widow, do not start with me right now.

-Reply: Who else is going to stop you from making bad decisions?

-Reply: You're not my wife, you can't tell me what to do.

-Reply: Thank god for that.

This is fascinating. This is Professor White from Norway. We have myths dating back thousands of years of Loki and his mythos. Would Loki be willing to give us some insight? Who is Sleipnir? Fenrir? And Jörmungandr?

-Reply: He said sure, call my office on Monday. -TS

-Reply: Thank you so much! -Professor White, Head of Mythology