Some Things Never Change, Or Do They?
Summary - Thor wants to stop a fight while Loki just wants to watch. Happens after chapter 8, 'Wisdom not Arrogance.'
Loki had been watching for about twenty minutes before Thor appeared, theatrically landing on the concrete with his red cape billowing in the cool night air around him. He was weilding Mjölnir although it would do him little good here and he looked around with an anguished expression on his face.
Alternatively, Loki's expression was one of amused interest as he sat atop a nearby roof and he teleported to crouch atop a street light that was close to his brother.
"Come to watch the show?" Loki asked from above.
"Loki?" Thor blinked, spinning round to search for him. He looked confused when he saw Loki sitting atop the street light. "Are you alright? What are you doing up there?" he asked.
The God of Thunder had been worried sick about his brother ever since Loki had all but fled from Tony's mansion a few days ago. But Loki appeared perfectly well and Thor had no explanation for that. Loki had seemed so tired when he'd last seen him but knowing his brother it was probably an illusion.
"I'm watching, of course," Loki said, as though it were obvious.
"Watching?"
"The fight, Thor, I'm watching the mortals fight," Loki shook his head, exasperated.
"Why?"
"Because it's entertaining. Look at them, they're fighting over nothing. All this... chaos...and for what? Isn't it glorious?" he grinned.
The shop windows on the street were all shattered, small fires blazed in the dark and people were screaming and fighting brutally, showing no signs of stopping.
"No, this is not glorious. This is tragic."
"Ah, Midgard has aged you by at least ten thousand years. You used to start brawls like this every day and you'd be right in the thick of it," Loki sneered.
"I have changed."
"More to the pity."
"I will stop this fight," Thor declared.
"Why?" Loki asked. "There is no enemy for you to defeat here. Your precious mortals are attacking themselves. They chose to act this way. Why not sit here with me and enjoy it for what it is; an unintelligent predator species fighting for no reason. You used to revel in mindless fighting."
"I cannot just do nothing!"
"Thor, you can save the mortals from every enemy in the Nine if you try, but you can't save them from themselves."
"Loki...are you responsible for this?" Thor asked, reluctantly.
"Sadly, no, but I almost wish I was," Loki replied, grinning wildly as one man was thrown through a shop window.
He teleported to the fallen man's side and raised his right hand which was faintly glowing a pale green, and then held it above the man's face. "Fight back," Loki whispered and the man opened his eyes and then ran towards his attacker with renewed energy. Loki laughed as man and his attacker tumbled to the ground in a cacophonous mess of angry fists and venomous snarls.
"Loki, stop!" Thor cried, grabbing his brother by the shoulders and staring right into his green eyes. "Stop this madness!" he begged.
"Madness?" Loki asked, tilting his head. "No, this is what the mortals are really like. This is their true nature...and mine," he said.
"That is not true! What has happened to make you believe that?"
"It is the truth. I'm not one of your Avengers. I am God of Chaos, Mischief and Lies. This is where I belong," Loki declared with a remorseful tint in his green eyes.
"No!" Thor yelled, grabbing "Mischievous though you may be, you can be so much more, brother. This part of your nature does not have to define you. Look at them! Look at this chaos and tell me you do not revel in it!" he pleaded.
"...I can't," Loki shook his head, closing his eyes.
"Look at them, Loki!" Thor repeated, shaking Loki until he consented to reopen his eyes.
As Thor said, Loki looked at the humans around him and while a very loud part of him was dancing for joy at the chaos, a much more quiet voice was telling him that this was wrong.
"It's...beautiful," Loki whispered.
"No!" Thor bellowed, "You cannot mean that! Keep looking!"
"I...that is what I see," he replied, calmly.
"You lie!"
"Its the truth."
"It cannot be the truth!"
"Well, it is," Loki snarled, pushing Thor back and freeing himself, "This is what I was meant for! This is me, Thor!"
"All of us revel in chaos at some point, brother, we are warriors, it is in our blood. But not this. Not the chaos of the innocent. We cannot find joy in this."
"Innocent?"
"Yes, innocent. These mortals are innocent."
"No one is innocent."
"You are angry, I can see that, but it not their fault," Thor said. "Father told me what happened. He told me that you were imprisoned and tortured..."
"This has nothing to do with..."
"I am sorry for what happened to you," Thor said, placing his hand on Loki's shoulder. "You did not deserve it. I make no excuses. I should have been there to help you."
"I don't need your help!" Loki hissed, pushing Thor away again.
"You are my brother. I will always want to help you even if you say you don't need it and it pains me to know that you have been hurt."
"I'm perfectly well."
"As you say," Thor sighed. "But I am pleased to see you again so soon. I feared you would be long gone by now."
"I will be..." Loki went to turn around to leave but Thor's hand shout out to lightly grasp his forearm.
"Help me to stop this...please...and then we can talk," the blonde said.
"How do you plan on stopping them?" Loki scoffed.
"You can influence minds. You did so earlier."
"That was one mind; an angry mind that didn't need much persuasion to retaliate. There are hundreds of people here who will not be influenced quite so easily...Besides...why would I want to dissuade them?"
"You know that this is wrong. However angry you are, however hurt you may be...deep down, some part of you knows that this is wrong!"
Loki scowled, knowing that Thor was right but also knowing that Thor couldn't see the other part of his brother that thought this was all simply wonderful. Loki wasn't quite sure which of those facts rattled him more.
"I didn't start this," was all Loki could bring himself to say.
"But you can end it."
"...No."
"Please, Loki!"
"You can't save everyone, Thor."
"I can try."
"You're a fool," Loki retorted.
"Aye, maybe so," Thor smiled.
"A simple lighting blast and one of your little speeches should be more than sufficient to calm these idiots," Loki told him after a moment, finally turning his back on Thor and walking away.
"Wait, Loki!" Thor cried, rushing forwards in an attempt to grab hold of his brother's coat but it was too late. Loki had teleported away, leaving Thor alone.