They Come on White Horses: Chapter 20
Requested by: NoVacancyMind and many wonderful others
Sequel to Knights.
College is interesting...I still haven't figured out if I like it yet. :/ Wonder how Loki feels?
Besides that, I have upped my crazy level and on top of the college thing and writing 3 multi-chapter stories at the same time, I have written a one-shot featuring Loki, of course. It is a bit dark, no bad ending, but the drama did take me a bit by surprise. So check it out: THE TONGUE'S GREATEST FEAR.
Please enjoy and review!
Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will. So sad.
Who Is the Monster?
They had all fallen into a state of communal dozing when the doors finally opened. A group of five guards showed up, their clanking steps alerting the Avengers and waking them all, including Loki. He had been completely passed out for a few hours, while the others talked and then fell asleep themselves. Frigga woke and laid her hand on her son's shoulder when he tried to stand.
"Yes?" she asked, feigning confusion. It seemed the guards had not expected to see the Crown Prince Thor and the Allmother sitting around and sleeping with the Midgardians and the prisoner. It took them a few moments to compose themselves, though a few still scowled at Loki. He recognized the guard that Thor had knocked out for trying to put the muzzle back on him. Just to mess with him, Loki wiggled his fingers at the guard and smirked as his face turned red. Tony caught the act, and though he didn't know why that particular soldier was so riled up, he bit his tongue to keep a bark of laughter in. Frigga had seen it as well, and simply chose not to comment.
"The trial of Loki Odinson is about to begin. We are to escort the prisoner to the throne room." Frigga stood and smiled, dragging Loki up with her, and linking her arm through his.
"Well then, let us get this over with, shall we." With a cheerful smile, she bypassed the guards, arm-in-arm with her chained son, and the others followed behind them, smiling at the guards sputtering.
"Yo-Your Majesty-" The one soldier that dared try to speak up was silenced with one dark look from Thor. So, instead, the guards were forced to follow the group who had formed a protective circle around Loki and Frigga. The parade stopped when they reached the closed doors to the throne room, giving the guards a chance to run to the front of the pack and send someone in to formally announce their arrival. Finally, the doors opened for all of them, and they proceeded forward.
They could all see the disapproval in Odin's face, but that didn't stop any of them. If anything, it urged them to close ranks even more around their new team member. However, because it was a 'formal trial', the Allmother could not stay by her sons. She extracted her arm from her son's and went to stand at the bottom of the dais. Despite his exhaustion and blooming migraine, Loki stood as tall and straight as he could, lifting his chin in challenge to the Allfather. He even stepped a little bit away from the group to show that he did not need them there…but they chose to be there.
Odin's eyes narrowed in response, and he sat up straighter in his own chair. The only others in attendance were the guards at the entrances and exits, seeming to say Odin expected Loki to try and escape. The princes were a bit surprised that the council had decided not to attend, though it could be Odin barred their entry so to save him some face when he confronts his 'son'. No matter the reason, both were pleased to notice their absence. Loki allowed himself one last glance at his mother, who smiled in support, before blocking out everything else and focusing solely on the Allfather.
"Loki Odinson, do you know why you are here before this court today?" Loki nodded solemnly. "And those with you? I do not recall inviting the Midgardians to this formal hearing." To play it safe, the Avengers delegated Thor to speak. So, he stepped forward to address his father.
"They requested to come in support of Loki, Father. We believe Loki has not done any wrong." Odin's face twitched at his son looping himself in with the Midgardians.
"You all share this view?" His eye landed on Steve, prompting him to step forward.
"Yes, your Majesty. What Loki did saved the lives of two of our team members and destroyed our enemy in the process. We can't see how that breaks the bounds of his probation." Odin face was entirely blank.
"Loki destroyed the very things making sure he did not harm others. The very act of trying to remove them would have been cause for trial. Yet, he completely destroyed them, freeing his magic. He must be punished for his crime." Loki's jaw clenched, and he felt his nails dig into his palms. He would not look away from Odin, but he could not feel the strong desire to turn away. All of those years he had been trying to gain favor in his eyes, to make him even the slightest bit proud, and even now he does not see. Loki's magic was strong enough to break the bracelets that supposed to ensure he could not even stave off a headache with it. The sheer power was immense, and could very well rival Odin's own.
Loki nearly cringed when Tony moved forward to stand beside him. Odin may have an issue with Loki attacking Midgard and trying to destroy the Frost Giants, but he himself had no qualms with killing a mortal if they offended him in the slightest. He wanted to push Tony back behind Bruce, because if Odin did try something, there was the chance that the beast could protect him. However, to do so would give Odin the excuse to kill him right on the spot, citing an attack on a mortal as his reason. Loki would act if the situation called for it; to do so now would cause much pain and heartache.
Then Tony opened his mouth.
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Bruce, Steve and Thor all tried to push Tony back behind the group, while Natasha and Clint smirked in agreement.
"Man of Iron, you cannot say such things to the Allfather." Tony scoffed.
"If he was actually a father, we wouldn't be standing here. He's just trying to cover his own ass by throwing Loki under the bus…his son." Loki did turn to watch as Thor and Bruce and Steve all converged on Tony, trying to shut him up before he blew it for real. Loki saw his mother's smile tighten and her anxious glances towards Odin. Loki…saw Odin only smirk at the inventor, and then the Allfather opened his mouth.
"And what would you know about how a father acts, Anthony Stark? Yours drank to forget you, and you do the same." Loki's chains clanked as he surged forward. He had been watching the entire time. He knew what had happened. He knew everything! And he used the pain of a child against the man he had become.
"How dare-" Thor wrapped a hand around his mouth before he could do anymore damage. However, Odin was already on his feet, staff pointed at the entire group, and the guards were inching closer.
"I Will Not. Have my authority questioned by Midgardians, and my own son. I have watched over the nine realms for centuries, and they have prospered. This is because of the decisions I have made in regards to matters such as this. You are far too young to understand. You are but babes, clinging to the temporary source of comfort provided to you. But do not forget the one who has kept your world safe while you clawed your way into base civilization." A tense silence reigned over the entire assembly. No one moved. No one spoke. No one knew how they could possibly turn it around without making it any worse than it already was.
"Now, now, Grandfather. No need to lose your temper." Loki's heart leaped and stuttered even as he watched Odin pale ever so slightly. The Trickster turned to watch his daughter approach in all of her sharp wit and beauty. It had been so long since he had last seen any of his children, and he nearly started tearing up right there. The Avengers watched in awe, confusion and slight surprise. Both the Allmother and Thor smiled as Hel drew closer to the dais. She stopped however when she reached her father. Thor inclined his head.
"Niece." Hel smiled sweetly at the Thunderer and gave him a small curtsy.
"Uncle." Then she turned her full attention to Loki. Her own eyes started to grow misty, before she blinked them fiercely away.
"Father." Loki cleared his throat before answering in turn.
"Hel." He suddenly found himself with an armful of his daughter and his brother's hand on his back to steady him.
"It has been far too long," he heard her murmur in his ear. Loki could only grunt in agreement. The moment was broken by Odin slamming the butt of his staff on the ground.
"I will not tolerate this intrusion into my throne room." Loki felt his daughter's arms tense around him, and smirked when he saw the cold fury in her eyes. Odin did not know who he was messing with. Hel turned to her grandfather, and everyone else decided it would be best to stay out of her way.
"I think you need to stop pretending to be the smartest man in the room, Allfather." Odin sputtered in indignation. He opened his mouth to argue, but Hel cut him off.
"You are nothing but a scared old man, who needs to get his priorities straight." The Allfather looked to his queen for support but all he found was more ire. The Allmother raised an eyebrow to her husband.
"Do not expect me to defend you, My King. I too share our granddaughter's sentiments. Either set this right, or I will." The threat was a very realistic one. To fear the Allmother was wise, however, Odin did not seem to be particularly wise that day. He glared first at his wife then Hel, then finally Loki.
"You are a menace. You have turned my own wife against me. I no longer will acknowledge you as family. You have no place in this realm or any other. You-" Hel could not contain her rage any longer.
"You should not hold place as king!" Everyone was shocked by her outburst, and while Loki might share her sentiment, he did not wish to see his daughter the object of Odin's uncontrolled fury.
"Hel, do not-" The Queen of Hel smiled at her father, squeezed his hand and stepped towards the throne. Odin was stunned into quiet fury and looked about ready to explode.
"A king is wise. A king knows when to grant mercy or justice or whether they can be the same. A king knows who his true allies are and which enemies lie in shadows. A king…admits when he is scared." Odin's mouth flew open, but Hel didn't let him get a word in. "You are scared of my father; you are scared of his power, that it might be stronger than your own. He has sat where you are now, and you are afraid that he would steal it from you, not that he would. You let your fear guide you. The only reason any of us are here now is because you wanted an excuse to get rid of my father, and satisfy your fear. He has done nothing wrong, and you know it."
The Avengers felt like cheering, and even Frigga had a smug look on her face. Loki however, was still wary of the indignation and rage displayed on Odin's face. One thing you can not really predict is what someone will do when angry and backed into a corner, and the Allfather had a habit of doing some pretty nasty stuff. It was time Loki stood up for himself, and if anything take Odin's focus off of his daughter in case he did do something extreme.
"If I may, I wish to speak for myself." Odin didn't say anything, and Loki just took that as 'permission'. "For years, I called you father, I did everything I could to please you and make you proud. I even gave you grandchildren." Here he smiled at his beautiful Hel. Then he turned his cold stare back to the Allfather. "And yet, despite all of that, all I would get from you would be, 'Why can't you be more like Thor? Stop with that magic, that is for women.' and time and again I have been severely punished for acts either I didn't do, or was forced into doing. I don't have enough fingers to count how many times this has happened. But then, you topped all of that off by taking my children away from me. You stole them, bound them, left them for dead, and most I am banned from seeing until our deaths." Hel came to him and wrapped her arm around his waist as she could tell he was struggling. When he could keep his voice steady, he continued. "And now, you wish to continue the pattern, and once again punish me for something that everyone else considers a worthy, noble act of selflessness. Do you hate me so much, that you would execute me or lock me away for eternity, for saving children?" Everyone could feel the disgust rolling off of Loki as he spoke, and in all honesty they shared it.
"I am a Frost Giant. You knew this yet raised me to believe my…people were bloodthirsty monsters that hide under children's beds. But what I cannot understand is how after all these years you cannot see…that you are the monster." A blanket of silence fell over the room, and all eyes left Loki and went to the Allfather.
He looked weak, frail, and ready to fall into the Odin-sleep as though Loki's words had pushed him there. Finally, the old king sunk into his throne and bowed his head. He did not say anything, not a word. Odin did not even lift his head to look at them. He simply raised his staff and let the end slam on the ground once…and the chains that had bound Loki, were gone.
Finally! I brought in one of Loki's kids! I like Hel, she's kind of badass. :) Like her dad.
Please review! :)