A messenger came to her from the Observatory. He returned to her the stone.

Sitting in her garden, she laid aside her book, and she took it from him. She thanked him.

As quickly as he'd come, he'd saluted her, and he was gone.

The stone was warm in her palm.

So, they had returned, then.

Her heart skipped a quick rush in her breast. But she would not go to them. She would remain within her quarters.

She dared not press hope too fiercely.

She breathed a long, slow breath, taking in all the rich warmth of her garden. Then she rose. She took the stone and she went within her chambers.

"Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made, to be ruled.

"In the end, you will always kneel."

"…I thought you dead."

"Did you mourn?"

"We all did. Our father –"

"Your father. He did tell you of my true parentage, did he not?"

"We were raised together. We played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I who was, and should be king!"

"So you take the world I love as a recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."

"And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them."

"Well, yes."

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, Brother. A throne would suit you ill."

"…I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract and when I wield it –"

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?"

"I am a king!"

"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! Give up this poisonous dream! You come home."

"…I don't have it. You need the Cube to bring me home. But I've sent it off, I know not where."

"Listen well, Brother,"

"…I'm listening."

"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"Oh, I've heard… The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man… How desperate are you that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace, and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share… And then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, let me know if "real power" wants a magazine or something."

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

"It's no accident, Loki taking Eric Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."

"He talks about you a lot. You changed his life. You changed everything around here.'

"They were better as they were. We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced but we come here, battling like bilge snipe."

"…Like what?"

"Bilge Snipe. You know, huge, scaly, big antlers… You don't have those?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, they are repulsive. And they trample everything in their path. …When I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me here, and your people paid the price. And now, again...

"In my youth, I courted war."

"War hasn't started yet… You think you could make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?"

"I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield. It's not just power he craves, it's vengeance, upon me… There's no pain would prise his need from him."

"A lot of guys think that until the pain starts."

"…What are you asking me to do?"

"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?"

"Loki is a prisoner."

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?"

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Dreykov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire? Barton told me everything.

"Your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Patheic!

"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are part of you. And they will never…go…away.

"I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull.

"This is my bargain, you mewling quim."

"You're a monster."

"Oh no, you brought the monster."

"Banner."
"What?"

"That's your play."

"These humans think us gods. Shall we test that?"

"You're going to lose."

"Am I? Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky…where exactly is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction."

"Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a headcount here. Your brother, the demigod. A super soldier, living legend who kinda lives up to the legend. A man with breathtaking anger management issues. A couple of master assassins and you, Big Fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan."

"Not a great plan."

"Loki, turn off the Tesseract or I will destroy it!"

"You can't! There's no stopping it. There is only, the war."

"So be it."

"Send the rest."

"You think this madness will end with your rule?"

"It's too late. It's too late to stop it."

"We can, together."

"…Sentiment."

"Enough! You are all of you beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by –"

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

Frigga rested her forehead in her hands, and she let the images, the words, fluctuate in her mind like light playing through clear water on the sand beneath.


Cheap chapter, I know. Sorry. Better next time. Promise.

Originally I was gonna separate the Avengers quotes from each other, but during the editing process I realized that I liked this better. I think the confusion of not knowing where/when you are at any given moment adds something to it.

I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint too much, but rather, in this setting, sheds light on what a mother's reaction might be to receiving this report of her sons.