The god who would be King

I do not own any film in the Marvel franchise.

Chapter 3-From the Beginning

After the failed invasion of the Dark Elves, the Alfather resumed his duties as Protector of the Realm. The people of Asgard felt sorrow for their king. He no longer had his queen, Frigga, who had been dutifully and sincerely mourned by the entire kingdom, after her tragic death at the hands of Malekith's minion Algrim.

Neither of his sons was at his side any longer. The youngest had been killed in battle against the Dark Elves. Some of Asgard's citizens wondered why Prince Loki had not been granted a hero's funeral, hearing that he had been killed in honorable battle alongside his brother Thor.

As for Thor, he was also absent, preferring life on Midgard, where it was whispered he had fallen in love with a mortal there. Plus, the exploits of the Heir to the throne were not unknown to the Asgardians. The talk was, Thor had saved Midgard more than once, and had even aligned himself with other humans who fought any evil that threatened their world.

Loki had been one of those threats, but after being captured and spending time imprisoned, he had proven himself a worthy warrior, sacrificing his own life to save his brother's. Few people actually knew of Loki's treachery on Asgard and Earth, so when Odin was visibly pleased at the suggestion that a statue be erected in Loki's honor, no one thought anything of it.

Odin stood on the balcony that overlooked the city. There was activity above and below, as the people went about their daily business, now free from the threat of war with the Frost Giants or Dark Elves. A smirk appeared on the old man's face, before it shifted into the more youthful face of Loki. He was, at last, king of all Asgard. But what to do? He had spent so much time scheming his way to the throne, he had not thought of what he might do, once there. Surely, there were things to occupy his time, problems to be solved, menaces to be fought. Loki wanted to be needed, and felt as king, he could actually live up to the standards of his father.

"But he is not my father. He never was," he reminded himself aloud. His words came more from habit than any truth of his feelings. He could finally concede that this was his family, and Asgard was his world. He wanted no other. Had not everything he'd done been in the good interests of the realm? And Thor didn't want to lead the kingdom. His heart was elsewhere, and he admitted that his desires didn't match what Asgard needed in its king.

What did it matter? Odin was safely locked away in the lower levels of the palace dungeons. Loki had cast a glammer around the cell, so that anyone passing by would see only a random prisoner. He made sure the older man was comfortably set with furniture, good food, and whatever else he wanted. But he would no longer rule. That burden now rested on Loki's shoulders. But such a weight was not to be borne for long.

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Heimdall stood at his post at the Bifrost, as he done for far longer than he cared to remember. He had served Asgard and his kings faithfully, although once, he put Asgard's good over that of the then Regent Loki. Heimdall never trusted Loki, but in his duties, had to obey. Within reason.

Odin was now awake from his Odinsleep, rested enough to resume his rule. So much had happened after. Loki's resurrection and attack on Midgard, his subsequent imprisonment, the attack by the Dark Elves, the death of Queen Frigga, and the loss of Loki to final death. He had somehow managed to become more honorable than he ever had been before, fighting beside his brother Thor. Everything was returning to normal now. So why did Heimdall feel there was something wrong.

It was Odin. From time immemorial, Heimdall's far-vision allowed him to see everything, both in Asgard, and elsewhere in the nine realms. But of late, Heimdall was not able to view things as easily as before. What he did see, was unclear, blurry, and he felt, not to be trusted. He said nothing to Odin. His king had been through so much already.

Finally, Heindall could ignore things no longer. He sought out his king. When he spoke with Odin, the once-trusted ruler seemed evasive, and unworried about Heimdall's concerns.

"My King," he said, when granted an audience with Odin, "is there anything amiss?"

'Odin' narrowed his eyes at the Guardian. "Why do you ask, Heimdall?"

He chose his words carefully. "My far-vision is not able to see all that I must, to keep the realm safe."

"Do you sense some danger, Gatekeeper? Is there something I should be made aware of?" Loki was sure that the glammer to keep Heimdall from seeing him while he pretended to be Odin was working.

"Not that I can see, my liege. But that is a problem. There are gaps in my ability. It feels as if I am looking at a window that has been covered with sheer curtains. I can see, but something is blocking me from having a clear view. Never has my far-vision been blocked. Only one other time has that happened. I worry that there may be some outside influence preventing me from performing my duty to the best of my being."

"Perhaps your senses have weakened after your years of service," the king replied. "You may need to train another to take your place."

Heimdall had heard those words before. Then Regent Loki had said this when the Gatekeeper mentioned his inablity to see him while in the realm of the Frost Giants. He nodded his head in obeisance. "Perhaps, my king. But I have been the Guardian of the Realm for a long time, and will continue to serve Asgard until I can serve no longer. I am always vigilant, to protect our kingdom."

"Then shouldn't you be at your post, rather than chasing spirits?"

Heimdall bristled at being told his duties, ones he knew only too well. And Odin would know this. "I'll return at once, my king," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"Do that then!" Odin said brusquely.

He waited for Odin to give him leave to go. It might be understandable for the king to lose his temper after what he had been through, but there was a sense of desperation in his tone as well.

Loki watched Heimdall leave the throne room, wondering if he suspected his secret. He would have to think of a way to convince the Gatekeeper he was wrong in any suspicions, or get rid of him quietly. It wouldn't do to be deposed just as he had declared himself king.

Returning to the Bifrost, Heimdall sent for a guard, who then went in search of the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif. Thor's friends would know how to find him on Midgard. Heimdall needed the former heir to the throne, and quickly.

When Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, and Sif appeared, they rushed over to Heimdall, all asking at once why he had demanded their presence. Was it Thor, they wanted to know. Was something wrong? Had he returned to Asgard?

"No," Heimdall interrupted. "I need you to go to Midgard, and find Thor Odinson as soon as possible."

Fandral, always sensible, stepped forward, and calmly asked the Gatekeeper why Thor needed to be fetched in so urgent a manner.

"I require Thor to be here, to question his father, our king. There may be a pretender on the throne," Heimdall said darkly.

"Pretender?" Hogun asked.

"Someone who can appear as Odin, and take by force, what is not his by right," Heimdall responded.

Volstagg guessed what Heimdall was not saying outright. "Loki." He never had much respect for his friend's younger brother, and only tolerated his presence at the best of times, for Thor's sake. It had never been difficult to tease the second heir to the throne, and he felt that Loki didn't like him very much because of it.

"That's not possible," the Lady Sif said. "Thor saw Loki killed. The guard sent by Odin said he found Loki's body on Svartalfheim."

Heimdall said, "And didn't bring back the body for a proper funeral? Would he have left behind a prince of Asgard?"

Everyone looked at each other. The impossible truth didn't sit well with any of them. These friends of Thor were amongst the few who knew what Loki had done on Midgard, and how he had been punished by Odin with imprisonment. Yet, even this had not stopped the younger son of their king from committing treason once more.

"So where is Odin? Is he dead?" Hogun asked.

"If our king had been killed, I would sense it. I believe him to be locked away in the dungeons, a fitting place in Loki's mind, since that is where Odin had placed him."

"But the dungeons are watched by guards night and day. Wouldn't they see him at some time or other?" Volstagg reasoned.

"There are dungeons, and there are dungeons," Heimdall said enigmatically. "Below the criminal level, lies a lower level for the most hardened, dangerous prisoners."

"Surely Loki would not hide the king there!" Sif insisted. Even in his madness, he could not do that to his father. The lower dungeon was not seen by more than few guards and the prisoners they held. It was rumored to be a dismal place. The wretched souls locked away there would never see the light of day again.

"That is what you must find out, Sif. Loki has the ability to make things appear as they are not."

"Alright. You all go to Midgard, and find Thor," Sif said, indicating the Warriors Three with a wave of her hand. "I'll stay here, and look for King Odin."

Troubled, Volstagg went over to the woman warrior. "Are you sure, Sif? Maybe you should go with Fandral and Hogun, and I will go to the dungeons."

"I'll be fine," she said, touched at his concern, but peeved he still thought her too frail for the job. "I'm lighter on my feet than you are. The guards would hear you coming long before you reached the dungeons."

Volstagg frowned, then laughed aloud. "True, Lady, true. Then to Midgard we go."

Heimdall inserted his sword into the Bifrost mechanism, watching as the vortex began to open. "Thor is in the place you had gone before, with he lives with Jane Foster. You can find him there."

"That should be simple then. It's not a large city," Volstagg remarked. In that moment, the Warriors Three were sucked into the whirling vortex.

Heimdall turned to the female warrior. He gave her instructions, telling her the way to the lower dungeons. "Do not let the guards find you, Sif. They will take you to Odin, and that would mean your end. Go with care."

If Heimdall was right, and when had he ever been wrong, Loki had to be removed from the throne. Who knew what damage he might cause to the realm if he continued to rule unchallenged. Sif ran off to find the true king of Asgard.

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The Warriors Three arrived on Earth with little fanfare. The town was quiet. This time, there was no one watching on the roof tops. There was no one searching for them. With determination in their hearts, they went off to find their friend, heading for the place where Jane Foster had done most of her work concerning the Einstein-Rosen bridge.

Before they had even reached the door of the building, a large man came running out to greet the approaching Asgardians.

"Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, it's good to see you, my friends," Thor cried out with pleasure. "But what brings you to Midgard?"

"We have come to bring you home, Thor. Heimdall needs you urgently." Hogun spoke calmly, so that Thor would not get too excited. He tended to act rashly when excited.

"Home. Why am I needed there? Is Father alright?" Thor was content to be here with Jane, and help her and Darcy with their work on the mortal version of the Bifrost. Occasionally, he had been called to SHIELD headquarters, having agreed to work with the Avengers, as the small group of superheroes called themselves. But he had not expected to return home any time soon.

"Heimdall has sent us, Thor," Fandral said. "He thinks the throne has been taken over by an imposter."

Thor frowned in confusion. "Imposter?"

Volstagg delivered the bad news. "Loki."

"No. I saw Loki killed. He had been run though with a blade. He died in my arms!" He clenched his fist, still remembering watching his brother die. "He cannot be alive. What did Heimdall say?"

"He feels that Odin is not...Odin. He's not acting like the king. And when he tries to use his far-vision, it's blocked, so that he cannot see Odin." Fandral didn't like accusing Loki of treason, especially when he had died honorably, but if he had, in fact, not died at all...

"Loki alive. Is it possible?" Thor's mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. "I must tell Jane I will be going back to Asgard. Wait for me a moment." Thor ran to find Jane, and let her know he had to leave, but that he would try to return to her as quickly as possible.

Jane came to the window, and watched as Thor left with his friends. She waved sadly as the group left. Fandral turned around, and gave her an encouraging smile, telling her all would be well.

Leading their friend to the departure point, the Warriors Three and Thor were drawn into the vortex that brought them back to Asgard.

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The Lady Sif had reached the dungeons, and finding the secret hall that Heimdall had told her about, snuck in to search the cells there. The rumors were true. This place was dank, dark, and without life. One by one, she peered into each cell, all the while evading the guards that walked the halls. She would call out low. "My king, are you there?" Some prisoners would look her way. Most paid her no attention. Finally, just as she was about to give up any hope, thinking Heimdall had to be wrong, Sif heard a voice call to her.

"Over here, Lady Sif."

Peering into a rather large comfortably appointed cell, which in itself was unlike any of the others, stood an older man unfamiliar to her. "My liege? Is that you?"

The man approached the barrier. "Yes, Sif. I am Odin."

With her hand fisted over her chest, Sif bowed her head to the man, then wondered if it were possible he was lying. Still, how would a prisoner know her name, or why she was here.

As if knowing what was playing in her mind, the old man reassured her, "It is I, Sif. Loki has taken my place on the throne. He could not bring himself to kill me, so instead, placed me here. Is he still in Asgard?"

"Yes, my king. It was Heimdall who suspected something wasn't right. He could not use his far-vision anywhere in the palace."

"Loki has placed a glammer here so none can see me as myself. He must have placed one around himself as well."

"My lord, Thor is on his way home, to confront Loki, and expose him as a traitor. He should be here soon with the Warriors Three."

"Then Sif, wait for his arrival. Have him find Loki, and when he has been revealed, come for me." Odin truly hoped his younger son would avoid a fight, and give in to his older brother. Loki had been mad to try to take over Midgard, but this latest crime was far worse. What was a father to do with so treasonous a son? Perhaps he had done all he could. This time, there would be no mercy.

Sif gave the old man a curt nod, and left the dungeons. She wanted to wait at the palace but dared not risk running into Loki. In due haste, she headed back to the Bifrost. There, she would wait for the Warriors Three and Thor.

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The Bifrost opened into Asgard. Heimdall quickly greeted Thor, and told him what he suspected. "You must confront Odin, and find out if it is Loki."

Just then, Sif came riding across the bridge, shouting at Thor. "Wait!" When she arrived, she jumped from the horse's back, and raced over to her friend. Panting, she told him, "Your father is well and in the lower dungeons."

"You found him?" Volstagg asked, glad that Loki had not killed his king.

"Yes. Thor, he says for you to confront Loki, then come for him. I can show you the way."

Thor grabbed Sif by the shoulders, saying, "You have done well, dear friend. Now I want you all to stay in the city, but do not enter the palace yet."

"But Thor..."

Thor turned to Fandral, and shook his head. "No, my friends. I must confront Loki myself. Stand ready to accompany me to the dungeons to retrieve my father." Thor went over to Heimdall. "Thank you as well, Gatekeeper. You are worthy of your position."

Heimdall nodded his head in respect to Thor. "Go quickly, son of Odin."

The warriors rode their horses across the bridge, while Thor flew on ahead to kill his brother, or die trying.

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Loki sat in the throne room, alone and bored. He had imagined he would find something that he could choose as a special project, something even Odin himself had not thought of. He now had the power, but just didn't know what to with it. Had this been Midgard, he knew there would be much work to do. The Midgardians were a foolish lot who waged war on each other, wasted their world's resources, and generally had no clue how to rule themselves. But Asgard was ages old, and most problems had been dealt with back in ancient times.

Loki heard voices outside the doors to the throne room, and sat upright as befitted kingly stance. He tried not to show his shock at seeing his brother Thor enter the chamber. He did not display this surprise openly, but assumed Odin's stoic appearance. "My son, why have you paid us a visit this day?"

Thor approached the throne warily, watching his "father's" every move. "I have been away for awhile now, and wanted to see that you are well."

"Did Heimdall call to you, Thor?" Loki tried to maintain a nonchalant attitude, even though inside, he knew his brother was not in Asgard to exchange pleasantries. "He seems to be worried about me. I suppose with all that has happened..."

"Are you well, Father?" Thor moved closer to the throne itself. He felt the heft of Mjolnir in his hand. If this was, indeed, Loki...

"I am well, my son. And Jane, how fares your woman?"

Now Thor knew something wasn't right. Odin never showed any concern for Jane Foster, even when she needed their help to remove the Aether from her body. Odin believed that no mortal should ever have been brought to Asgard, no matter that Thor loved her. Frigga had understood his concern though. So had Loki, for all his jests about and with Jane. He had even protected Jane in the battle against Malekith and his agents. Thor peered more closely at the man who was hiding in the guise of his father. With his hammer at the ready, Thor spoke. "Give it up, brother. Your deep concern for Jane Foster exposes your true self. Heimdall was right to suspect it was you, and not our father, who sat upon the throne. Do you give up now, or do you fight me?"

Loki's first impulse was to fight, but there was no reason. Thor knew his secret, due to the meddling of the Gatekeeper. If the people of Asgard knew that secret, his reign would be over in any case. Loki shifted to his actual form, and set down the king's symbol of power. "You win, brother. Take the scepter. I will not fight you." He grinned widely. "I was bored anyway. Being king was not what I thought it would be."

Thor picked up his father's scepter, and call the guards, who came running into the room. They looked at one another in confusion, when they saw Loki sitting at the foot of the throne.

The Warriors Three, with Lady Sif, entered the room to find Thor had succeeded in confronting Loki in what turned out to be a bloodless confrontation.

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Loki's trial would be swift. Odin had determined his son was incapable of reform. He and Thor had given him chance after chance, with no change in Loki's attitude.

"Loki of Asgard," Odin addressed the man who stood before him, in chains, "you have been found guilty of treason, taking the throne illegally and with malice. You are hereby condemned to be executed at sunrise tomorrow. As your king, I grant you a merciful end. As your father..."

"Spare me the speeches, great King," Loki said with his usual sarcasm. "I accept my fate, and am well out of here."

Odin would not let Loki be deprived of his final judgment. "Once you have been executed, I will step down from the throne, and give it the rightful heir. Thor of Asgard, you will assume the role of King of the Realm."

Thor was aghast. He could not rule his former home without leaving his new home on Midgard. And Jane. What of Jane? "Father, I do not wish to rule. I explained this to you, to Loki rather. He is more suited to rule than I."

"Loki cannot rule! You are my son by birth, and the throne is yours by right!"

"Then, Father, I ask that Jane be allowed to come to Asgard, as my wife and queen."

Both Odin's and Loki's faces expressed surprise. So Thor had asked the mortal to marry him, and she had obviously accepted. Odin shook his head. "No, I cannot allow that."

"Then I will not stay!" Thor said angrily. "She will be my wife on Midgard, if not here."

Odin sat heavily on the throne. "My son, I am old and tired. I want you to take the throne, and I will go away to the far regions to live in peace until I return to Valhalla." He thought for a few moments. "You may bring your bride to Asgard for your wedding, followed by your coronation."

"Then, Father, I ask that you spare my brother. I cannot envision his execution not interfering with my happiness."

"No! That is not possible. He has repeatedly shown himself unworthy of the status I have given him as my son."

"Please, Father. I'm begging you." Thor knelt at Odin's feet.

Loki watched as his brother begged for his life. An imperceptible smile appeared on his face. He was ready to die, but perhaps it was not to be. Still, a lifetime of imprisonment did not appeal to him. So he waited.

Odin knew what Thor said was true. To have the blood of his son on his hands before he gave his other son the throne, would not suit him as king and father. But Odin had had enough of Loki's tricks. "You will remain locked up in the lower dungeons for the rest of your days. Or, until your brother chooses to free you. As king, that will be his right. But while I rule, you have no place in Asgard society. Mayhaps Thor will see you for what you are, someone never to be trusted. You say you are not of this family? Then you will have your wish, Loki. You have no place in this family." Odin tapped the floor with his scepter, and the guards took the prisoner away. But Odin didn't know if what he saw in Loki's eyes was hurt, confusion, or just muted anger. He wasn't sure if he would ever know, for it was his intention never to see his younger son again.

Author's Note:

This is only my interpretation of Loki's takeover and takedown. We won't know until the next film, what really happened.

Thanks for reading!