"After all this time, you have finally decided to honour me by your visit." Thanos was looking at Odin with a mocking expression.

"There has never been anything worth my attention in your part of the universe." Odin replied emotionlessly.

"Until now."

"Yes. Until now."

"Still, I keep thinking. How come that your son fell down onto my planet?" Thanos was clearly enjoying having the upper hand for the first time in thousand years.

"What happens on Asgard is none of your business." Odin paused. "Where is he?"

"Follow me."

Thanos didn't bother to check if the Allfather would go after him and began descending towards the dungeons.

…

"I hope this will get more relevant soon." Fury said.

They all watched how four Chitauri guards beat Loki until he was reduced to a little, bloody ball lying on the cold ground. When they seemed satisfied with their job, they left the cell without a word.

Loki breathed out loudly. This wasn't that bad. He understood that he suffered only minor injuries such as bruises, cuts and welts. None of his bones seemed to be broken. Carefully, he crawled towards the bed. With an effort, he lifted himself up and put himself onto the mattress. He pulled the blanket over his body and rested his head on the pillow. He tried to sleep.

"I am sorry that you don't find my brother's suffering entertaining enough." Thor glared daggers at Fury.

"That's enough. Both of you." Natasha spoke for the first time since they dived into Loki's memories.

"Why can't we speak to or see Loki?" Steve asked slightly worried.

"He is the one performing the spell. He can see what we see but the magic doesn't allow him to communicate with us." Strange replied.

"Do you have an answer for everything?" Tony asked. "I want to make a bargain. Show me your tricks and I show you mine."

Strange smiled for the first time in front of the Avengers.

"Be careful, Mr Stark. I am quite talented and patient at bargaining. I tend to get what I want."

"Someone is coming." Natasha was the first one to hear the approaching steps.

Thor lifted his eyes and what he saw almost brought him to his knees.

Thanos was coming back. By his side, his father was walking towards his brother's cell. Meanwhile, Loki seemed to be deep asleep.

...

"What did you do to him?" Odin asked Thanos. His voice didn't betray any emotions as he was watching Loki's curled up figure on the small bed. His body was covered by a plain blanket, but the Allfather could see his hands and his face. Loki's face bore the signs of torture, but his breathing was regular.

"Oh, nothing. He will be fine. If you agree to my conditions."

"If I agree to your conditions, will you let him go?"

"Yes. You can bring him back to Asgard and live in your fake, hypocrite fairy-tale happily ever after."

"I am listening." Odin said only, his eye focused on Thanos.

This was the moment the Mad Titan was waiting for thousand years.

"A long time ago, you locked away someone I care about. You locked her away despite her continuous support for your conquest of the universe. I want her back."

"After all this time, you still haven't forgotten about her?"

"I have a long memory."

"So have I." Odin paused. "What exactly do you propose?"

"You can take your son back to Asgard. No further harm will come to him neither by my hands nor my subjects'. In exchange, you will free Hela and let her join me."

Odin's eye went behind the iron bars inside the cell. It settled on the broken figure on the bed whom he used to call his son.

Odin has always known that the Frost Giants couldn't be trusted. That's why he took Loki on the fateful day. The Allfather didn't lie when he said that both Thor and Loki were born to be kings. His plan was genius. Upon Laufey's death, he would install Loki on the throne of Jotunheim as a puppet king. With this one simple move, Odin would finally be able to control the Frost Giants who would have to accept Loki as their king. In the end, he was Laufey's son.

As Loki grew older, Odin was becoming more and more confident about his plan. The boy was quiet and weak. He would spend his days in the library buried in books. Odin presumed he was ashamed to always end up beaten by the real Asgardians on the practice field and so he would hide away. None of his behaviour seemed to pose a real threat to Odin's plans. The boy may have developed a fine talent for mischief and lying, but Odin hoped to use those for his own benefit. The king of Jotunheim must be able to manipulate his subjects to his will. His will, which would be controlled by Odin.

The only thing that bothered Odin was the fondness that Frigga and Thor seemed to develop for the youngest member of their family. To Odin's astonishment, Frigga liked Loki from the moment he placed him into her arms. When he told her about the cruel fate the boy would have encountered on Jotunheim, Frigga brought the little baby boy closer to her chest and gently kissed his forehead. Later, Frigga would always disapprove of his criticism of Loki's inability when it came to fighting. She would say that Odin should show him more love.

Odin tried. He would find Loki and tell him that he loved him. The boy would look at him with unsure eyes.

No matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard.

Yet Odin became truly worried when Frigga decided to share her gifts with the Jotun boy. When Odin confronted her, angry, telling her that they cannot fully trust a Frost Giant, Frigga would look him in the eye and answer simply.

"No. But we can trust our son."

Odin sighed. Looking at the figure behind the bars, he didn't know whom he saw.

Was it a dangerous Frost Giant that infiltrated his family and tried to kill his son?

Or was it, as Frigga would always claim, their son to whom Odin should have shown more affection?

The old king wasn't sure. When it came to Loki, he never knew. Frigga would tell him that Loki was not as confident as Thor was and so he needed more approval and love. Odin would tell her that a real son of his would not be so weak.

Later, Odin would come to apologise to her and spend some time with his adopted son, trying to see him through his wife's eyes. Trying to love him as his son and see him more than just a relic that was waiting to be used at the opportune moment.

"Are you finding it difficult to answer my demands, Allfather?" Thanos' imperceptibly curious tone interrupted Odin's thoughts.

"Hela will not be freed upon any circumstances."

"Excuse me?" Thanos retorted.

"You heard me."

"So you will let your son die an agonising, slow death by my hand?" Thanos' left eyebrow was slightly raised.

"Ask a different price for letting him go." Odin said.

"There is no other bargain. It is Loki for Hela."

"The Asgardian vault has many invaluable treasures, as you are very well aware. Some of them have been taken from you. Name a different price."

"There is no other option."

Frigga's horrified face when Thor told her that Loki let go floated into Odin's mind.

Odin imagined Thor wandering around the Asgardian palace as a ghost.

Yet Hela could not be let out. Not for someone who sent the Destroyer to kill his son.

"Then there is no deal." Odin said and with one last look at Loki he turned around and began walking back.

"You're bluffing." Thanos called after him. "I know you went to Jotunheim to save Thor from Laufey. And we both know that Laufey is not half as evil as I am. You would not let your son to rot here. So stop playing with me and stop wasting my time."

Odin ceased walking and turned to face Thanos.

"No. I would not let my son to rot here." And without another word, Odin disappeared.

Thanos stared at the place where the Allfather was standing just a second ago. This was not possible. What was this supposed to mean?

For the first time in thousand years, someone has managed to catch him off guard.

Once again, it was the Allfather.

He was so close to getting Hela back. Together, they could begin an unprecedented conquest of the universe.

Now it all seemed to be gone.

Because of the Allfather's will.

Thanos curled his fists. He could explode with anger.

Once again, he had been manipulated by Odin.

Thanos was sick of it.

He would have his conquest. Even without Hela. In the end, anyone is replaceable.

The Mad Titan turned around, caught an iron bar and with one mighty yank, he tossed it aside. The sound of the iron hitting the rock-like wall resonated throughout the dungeons.

Immediately, Loki woke up and jerked his head up.

…

"No." Thor whispered and unable to support his weight any longer, he slipped onto his knees. "How is it even possible? Loki didn't see this. He is asleep. Does he know that father came here?" The Thundered uttered almost inaudibly, horrified and confused.

"It is the nature of the spell. Loki brought us into his memories, that is true. But I think that even he doesn't know the exact nature of the spell. I don't know it either. Magic is a unique, almost alive entity. Sometimes even such a sorcerer supreme as your brother cannot fully control his magic. Sometimes it can take control of him and go into its own direction." Strange answered.

"Do you think he knows? That father denied bringing him back to Asgard?" Thor said, his voice dried out of any emotions.

"He most likely didn't. But don't forget, he sees what we see. He knows now."

What do you think? Did you expect this?

I hope to have shown that Odin was hesitant to do what he did. I am truly not fond of him, but I wanted to portray him somehow torn. In the end, making him leave Loki to Thanos' mercy should be enough revenge for me trying to show that ultimately, he is the villain of the piece. Also, I somehow needed to capture the difference between Odin's regretful "No" and his emotionless dealing with a prisoner whom he refused to call by his name. The change in Odin's behaviour and attitude was profound and that little speech of his is quite unforgettable.

Frigga's reaction and Thanos' revenge in the next chapter.