AN: If you've seen Captain America The Winter Soldier you'll know where Loki's scepter is. We're going to pretend it's on Asgard.

Odin walked through the hall. Heavy, purposeful footsteps told him his son was walking behind him. He turned and greeted Thor, realizing he was a man greeting a child. He never could get used to the fact his son was now ready to replace him.

Munin circled above them as they conversed. Recently the birds have taken to Thor. Wherever Thor seemed to be one or both ravens would accompany him. So they think him an adequate replacement as well.

He will do well in my stead, Odin thought. But there was still something lingering in the back of his mind that resembled fear and mistrust. Would you really do well in my stead or do I think this because you are my son and therefore an extension of all my accomplishments?

"Father," Thor seemed to be using this title with him more often in the past few days, and always with a slight coldness, like it was a bitter accusation flung from his lips. 'You've made me. You've done this. Every one of my actions is on your hands because I would not be here to do them if it weren't for you.'

But that would be behaving like a child, which Odin thought was beyond his son. He was reminded of his own recent lapse into childish behaviors, putting his lust for revenge over the lives of his people. A wise king would not have done that. Thor tried to tell me this, but I did not listen. Perhaps this was his reasoning for being so cold towards his father?

Frigga was gone, Loki did everything in his power to tear himself away, and now Thor was slipping from him. But Thor had come back, not run off to Jane Foster as he had expected, which meant he was ready to assume his position in Asgard. All he had to give was his kingdom, which was in shambles. Restoring the kingdom meant restoring his relationship with his son.

"Father," Thor spat again. Perhaps he was not as ready as Odin thought. What was the harm in delaying his rule but a few months after the restoration?

"You are not listening to me," he said, colder still.

"I'm listening quite well," Odin replied, finishing the sentence with "my son" to remind him of his place. Thor opened his mouth to argue further but Odin did not allow it. "I hear you clearly, but your words do nothing but belittle perspective and assert your own inferior one."

"But these halls are empty! The guards…"

"…are doing as I've commanded. Restoring Asgard, enforcing order, and protecting only those who require it."

"All menial tasks. They should be positioned in more important areas like here in the castle, or in the dungeon, or at very least in the vault. The vault is accessible to anyone. This morning I walked right in without obstruction. Did you know the Aether is missing? That is one of the infinity stones, father. Do you know where it is?"

"I've sent it away" This was a shock to Thor. He blinked not knowing what to say. Why where you looking for it anyway? "Our numbers have dwindled significantly. There are not enough guards to put everywhere. You were spoiled as a child with a healthy military force." Use my actions as an example, watch me and learn.

He gave Thor a moment to try and figure this out. Gears were turning in his son's head but they ultimately lead to disappointment, and the persuasion began again. He's not ready. Perhaps I've built him up too greatly in my mind.

"Enough!" Odin barked.

Thor's expression was that of sorrow and fear. The expression was a familiar one, but not for the God of Thunder, but he could not place where he had seen it. The lips were tight, wide wet eyes, shoulders pushed back by an invisible force. Frigga's face came to mind, but he did not remember her ever making such a cowered gesture. Thor recovered almost instantly and tried to argue once again.

Odin did not let him. "You are inexperienced and I refuse to prove my point to one who knows so little when it comes to ruling and restoring a kingdom. I am the king, and my orders shall stand whether you think them adequate or not." You are not ready, not yet.

Loki fumed. He wanted to be alone but Fandral dragged him to the tavern, insisting they needed a bit of fun after a hard day's work. Odin had them doing degrading tasks. Much like Sif could not ignore his talents he could not ignore their usefulness. Hardened, skilled warriors should not be doing clean up. Were they to start shining shoes and washing Odin's delicates next? He tried to discuss this, but they reverted back to the sheep he always took them for and casually changed the subject. It seemed their days of treasons and rebellions were behind them.

Here he sat huddled over a stein of mead watching them giggle and chatter. The occasional worried glance his way told him his expression was probably something menacing. They each took their turn in trying to coax the Thunder God out of his thundery mood. They could have succeeded if he was in fact his brother, but Loki did what Loki always did and that was to retreat inside his mind.

'You are an old man and a fool!' He had put that phrase in Thor's head, only he added 'stubborn' to that list. Odin only cared about what Odin thought, everyone else did not matter. You've been on the throne too long, old man. You've forgotten that even kings can be blind. Thor was a stubborn blockhead, but on occasion he paused to hear his brother's voice, even if the words were mostly ignored.

The crackle of crushed porcelain brought his mind back to his current surroundings. Long, pale hands attached to tapered wrists strangled the stein. He panicked momentarily but a lock of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye settled him. Green light ripped from his wrists restoring he illusion.

He scanned the faces of those in the crowd. He locked eyes with Sif, but she smiled warmly and returned to her conversation with the woman beside her. If anyone had seen they were not reacting to it.

A hefty hand slapped him on the back, sending Loki's heart to his throat. Volstagg beamed down at him. "Your father means well. His heart is in the right place. Do not take it so personally."

"I'm sure you are right". Which means nothing, my heart was in the right place and look where that got me.

"Now will you show us some cheer? You're starting to resemble our fallen Frost Giant friend." Volstagg gave a laugh as hearty as his dinner.

Munin made a beeline for his head, cutting off all laughter. This of course was all Loki's doing. The real raven was locked away in Thor's bedchambers for the time being. It was a risky placement, but necessary for a decent night's sleep.

"I swear that bird has a vendetta against my head."

Loki stood up, "I will take it back to the castle and inform father of its devilry." He made a show of apprehending the uncooperative raven, and then bade his former friends farewell.

Loki entered the castle in his true form, practically giftwrapping his presence to Odin. His solitude in the corridors infuriated him. He even went out of his way to lengthen the time it took him to get to Frigga's room to encourage discovery, but nothing happened.

"It's irresponsible, is what it is," he complained to Hugin, whom he found perched up in a tree. Loki tore off a string of Cherry Blossoms and the bird hopped to a higher branch. "Irresponsible and embarrassing; to think I needed that ogre's approval! You know that is where Thor inherited his senselessness from."

"Loki," the raven croaked.

Loki sighed, "You're only listening to me because you think I have meat, aren't you? Well I don't have any right now, so you can just leave." Unsurprisingly the bird took off.

Loki tossed the stick into a nearby fountain, making a sizable splash. He dipped his fingers into it, wiggling them slightly. The water turned to ice around them while a wry smile appeared on his lips.

Odin's vault was a place Loki usually avoided. The vault was hid dark memories for him and he wished to leave them down there. Now he made his way down there for the second time that day, but with a much different intent.

No guards guarding the door, just like earlier. This morning he gingerly opened the door as Thor. A swift kick as Loki announced his arrival in the deserted vault. Loud, purposeful scrapes and thuds of his boots sent an audible confirmation that no one would come to take him away. He cherished every thunk of his boots as he descended the stairs.

He paused on the platform, fixing his eyes on his intended target, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Odin practically pried it from his fingers when Thor brought him back from New York. To be truthful he forgot he still had it, but when one falls from the Bifrost and into the tender loving hands of Thanos silly things like weapons tend to be forgotten. Now he intended to have it back.

He descended the final set of stairs he shouting, "I am Loki, son of Laufey, stolen by Odin, defeated by Thor, back from the dead and ready to level Asgard." It was much louder and angrier than he intended. The echo of his own angry voice shouting back at him sent chills up his spine. It was the voice of someone enraged, hungry for destruction.

He paused again now on the lower platform, letting the last echoes soften. Then silence. "If there are any guards around, I'm going to take the casket. Now would be the perfect time to come and stop me. Look, here I go!" He swaggered to the pedestal, waved his arms like a composer, and picket up the casket. Weary eyes shot to the wall which held the Destroyer, but it remained still.

"Last chance, boys. Wouldn't want to be responsible for this blunder, would we?" His mockery answered in silence, as expected.

He was caught off guard by the blue-grey coloring and markings creeping up his fingers and hands. Am I cursed? A quick swish of hands dismissed both the casket and the memory.

All that was left to do now was to wait until Odin discovered it missing. It occurred to him this might take a long time, which made him question whether or not taking it was worth it in the first place. Putting it back was not an option simply because he felt it belonged to him. In hindsight stealing something so closely associated with him probably wasn't such a good idea. You really didn't think this one through, did you? Loki felt as though he was losing his touch.

A familiar object to his right caught his attention. Menacing gears began to turn in his mind.

With his simple wool cloak draped around him Odin strolled through the streets of Asgard looking for Sif. While Fandral worked alongside Heimdall on the defense shields she and Volstagg volunteered to help restore homes. From what heard they were making fast progress. He arrived to see them impersonating his son with their hammers, much to the enjoyment of the children whose house they repaired.

"Lady Sif, I wish to speak with you."

"I did not know you, allfather," she sheepishly put down the hammer and joined him in the street.

"Tell me, do you enjoy this work?" his hand gestured to the dilapidated house behind her.

"These tasks must be done, I do not mind them." Her smile crinkled a bit.

"Your expression tells me otherwise"

She spoke her words slowly, "I must admit the battlefield is more desirable, but sometimes aiding the realm requires monotonous duties.

"As I suspected," Odin declared. "Our army suffered greatly after the invasion, with more than half either injured severely or dead. I will need to replenish their numbers and restore it to its former glory. Your experience and skills would serve Asgard better in this endeavor than your current duties."

"I agree, but would not Thor be better?"

"He will aid you, if he wishes," if he could find him to ask him. Even his trusty raven could retrieve him. "Put together a group of established soldiers of your choosing and start recruitment at once. Start by teaching the novices basic maneuvers and position them…"

Odin did not get to finish his instructions. A group of exasperated guards surrounded them, their weapons pointed at Sif.

"What is this madness?" Odin demanded.

"My lord, the lady Sif has stolen the Chitauri Scepter," said the guard. His wounds backed up this statement.

Volstagg rushed to her aid. "That is nonsense; I've been by her side all day."

The guard was not satisfied with her alibi, vehemently defending his accusations. He had seen her with his own eyes and felt her blows on his body. Both Volstagg and Sif vehemently denied any involvement in whatever happened to him. The argument grew vicious and not even Odin could quiet them.

They were too preoccupied to notice the airship hovering above their heads. The blue energy barreling into the house behind them was a little harder to miss.

"I suppose you'll blame me for that as well!" barked Sif.

Sif's doppelganger cocked an eyebrow at the scene below her. If she wanted to destroy them she could have done it a few minutes prior. She could still do major damage at this moment as well, but this was not the time for damage and destruction.

Loki ran delicate fingers through Sif's raven tresses, making sure all in attendance got a good look at who wielded the scepter. The guard did what was commanded of him, compile a group of fellow soldiers and lead the way to the real Sif. Odin's presence was not expected until later, but this only altered the mission slightly.

Premeditated words floated in Loki's mind. Sif's doppelganger strengthened her back, elongated her neck, and opened her mouth to address the crowd beneath her.

A rock collided with her head. At least she thought it was a rock. There was too little time to register what the object had been before a set of fists followed it. Judging by the ferocious onslaught of punches the real Lady Sif was not too fond of imitations. A swipe of scepter sent her back momentarily, leaving the Loki room to stumble back and regain posture.

"You dare blacken my name!"

"I plan to blacken more than your name, dear Sif" was what Loki would have said if he had time to say it. Unfortunately he now found himself held high above her head and hurled nose first into the floor of the ship.

Loki had made a terrible mistake. Why did he think getting on Sif's bad side was a good idea? Sif readied herself for another onslaught but Loki flung his body overboard. This proved also to be a bad idea. He lay broken, battered, and surrounded by enemies, but still in the shape of Sif. A quick smoke spell obscured their vision, creating an easy, albeit overused getaway.

Odin thought briefly of Loki, but then remembered the cold dead body he had seen the day before. He was surprised in how disappointed that realization left him.

The mist dispersed revealing nothing, shocking no one. Sif lowered the ship and ordered a guard to return it to its proper place. He obeyed quite sheepishly.

She quickly turned to Odin, "Allfather, did you witness the direction of the culprit's escape?"

"No, I did not."

Sif brought a fist to her chest and pledged, "I will do everything in my power to retrieve the scepter and bring the miscreant to justice"

"No need, Lady Sif," the familiar voice of Fandral called to her. "I've half completed your mission," he held up the scepter.

"And the offender?" Sif asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

"Put up a good fight, got me with a swift right hook, and took off," Fandral replied, flipping the scepter to emphasize his words.

Sif looked at Odin. Odin looked back at Sif. Then they both looked back at Fandral. Fandral gave a heavy sigh and fired a blue energy blast. Odin swore it hit her leg, but he saw no wound as she chased the imposter in retaliation. Volstagg followed in suit and soon all three vanished from Odin's sight.

Loki perched on a rooftop and watched the scene play out just as he hoped. Sif and Volstagg were out of his hair, while only Odin and a few guards remained. Odin barked orders, dividing them into two groups. One group to the aid of Sif and Volstagg, the other he took with him back to the castle, most likely off to get his precious staff, Gungnir.

Usually Loki's plans where well thought out with backup plans ensuring an inevitable outcome. This did not describe his current situation. His death, it seemed, had made him far too impulsive and sloppy for his own liking. Loki nursed his shoulder with his free hand and looked around to get his bearings. A spark of inspiration hit him and set out in a direction, using the rooftops and archways to make his path.

He checked in on the illusion a few times, making sure things were going well. A few times they came close to catching it, little skirmished ensued which always ended with the Fandral getting away. When the real Fandral turned up to assist his friends Loki turned the illusion to that of Odin. He made a mockery of the king by making the illusion jump about like a court jester spewing vulgar phrases at anyone who got close enough to it. Loki did not know where the real Odin was for certain, but he assumed the king was somewhere close to the castle. He made a mental note to find him once the scepter was taken care of.

Loki arrived at his destination unnoticed. He knocked on the door, far too simple of décor for his taste, and waited. What came next depended on that door opening.

Loki gave a genuine outburst of laughter as Egill opened the door. "Hello, my new friend! I am in dire need of your help."

Egill's face showed he was not too keen on being considered a friend of Loki's, but he allowed him to enter his home. Loki made show of exhaustion while leaning on walls and breathing heavily while discreetly surveying the interior. Much to Loki's delight they seemed to be alone.

"What is going on outside, my lord? There is chaos in the streets. I fear for my wife and child."

"Some lunatic got it in his mind to take off with a very important scepter." He held it up to the man. "This scepter to be precise. The man is a master of illusion, like me, and they do not know the one he carries is a fake." Loki winced at an imaginary pain. Egill offered him some water, too which Loki politely refused. "I need to get my brother's assistance. I must send message to him to get him to come home. But I cannot do it carrying this around as it prevents me from contacting him. You must keep it here with you for a little while. Can you do this?"

"I…yes…but…I…"

"Good, good. Now listen." He brought the man closer to his face, inches from his eyes. "When night falls you will bring this to the castle grounds. You will see Thor and you will give it to Thor. Only Thor, no one else. He will be waiting for you where you met me yesterday. You remember, yes?" The man nodded, accidently bumping his forehead against Loki's briefly. Loki smiled warmly, letting his eyes tear up slightly for effect. "You do us a great service. I shall repay you tenfold, my friend."

Loki dropped the Chitauri scepter in the man's hands. Egill looked like a child being told to do something he was never taught. Loki placed a hand on his shoulder and spewed vague words of encouragement and more promises he did not intend to keep before hurrying out the door.

He sent his mind to the back to the illusion to see the bruised face of Odin coughing up blood with a smile as Volstagg sent a bloody boot into its skull. Illusions have no weight or mass, but a few quick blood splatters at the right time can trick the mind into thinking contact had occurred. To Loki's knowledge only one other sorcerer could successfully pull that off, and that other person had been Frigga.

The false king managed to roll away, sending the warriors on another game of cat and mouse. Everything seemed to be going his way for once. Now all he had to do was find the real Odin.

In hindsight making friends with Loki was one of the worst decisions Egill had ever made. It was true what he said about disliking the Frost Giants, but all motivation to make nice had been in trying to save his own life. He knew many people died at the hand of Loki and he did not want to be another name on that list.

His wife arrived home from the market with their son only moments after Loki left, both thankfully unharmed. Now he could hear his toddler running about just outside the bedroom door. Various renditions of 'Your Father is sleeping. He will play when he wakes' came from his wife.

He waited in agony for the sky to turn dark. "I've been called to the castle," he explained to his wife when he could wait no longer. She expressed concern over his safety, but he told her not to worry and that he would be alright. He kissed her goodbye and ruffled his son's hair and set out with reluctance.

The staff, now concealed in an old fraying blanket hung heavily in his hand as he made the long trek to the castle. Instead of doing what Loki wanted of him he decided to go to the palace and confess to Odin. The king would grant him protection. This was the right thing to do.

He expected to be accosted by soldiers at the palace gates, but the area seemed deserted. Most likely trying to apprehend the culprit, he thought. He followed the sound of cawing ravens, which lead him directly to the Allfather.

He told Odin everything, about Loki, about his fears for his family, and about the truth behind the chaos still occurring in the street. Throughout his tale the king neither said a word nor showed any change in expression.

"May I ask but one question, Egill?" Egill nodded. "Why must all my friends betray me?"

There was a flash of green light before Egill blacked out.

Fandral just finished telling him the thief had disappeared under mysterious circumstances when Thor came barreling into the throne room with an unconscious man over his shoulder. Behind him a battle worn Sif carried the Chitauri Scepter. Thor threw the man down on the floor, allowing Odin to see a wide trail of blood down his neck and shirt front.

"Thor, I've spent the better part of a day trying to find you. Where have you been?"

"This fiend," Thor began, "Took on the guise of my friends to terrorize Asgard. He not only crippled our already battered realm but did so in a way in which sullies the reputation of our loyal warriors."

The man began to stir, moaning and coughing up blood. He pushed his own fingers into his bloody mouth. Tears began to streak down his horror stricken face.

"For some unknown reason," Thor continued, "he tore his tongue from his own throat. His reasons for this self-mutilation are as lost as his reasons for the senseless chaos. I fear the only method of dealing with such an insect is to put him to death."

The man began to plead in guttural sounds, but the exact words where lost to Odin. Thor raised his hammer in threatening fashion and barked an order for silence.

"Enough," Odin ordered. "Guards, take the criminal to his new home in the dungeons."

Thor lowered his hammer in disbelief as the guards did as they were commanded. "But father…"

"Enough" Odin repeated. "We've seen too much chaos this day. If there is to be further bloodshed we shall put it off until tomorrow."

Thor looked utterly defeated. Odin was not sure of what his son was up to all day, but it was plain to see he was physically and emotionally exhausted. His hunched posture supplemented the uncharacteristic paleness of his complexion.

Red rimmed watery eyes radiated fury directed solely at Odin. "This would have never happened if you had listened to my earlier advice." The words dripped with unnatural venom.

Odin swallowed angry pride and let his son leave in silence. No one in attendance seemed to question the truthfulness of Thor's statement.