He always knew he was different. Where his family's hair held golden locks while he himself held locks of ebony. Where their eyes shone brightly his were dulled and a common green. He had known for years that he was different from them. Their father would chastise and punish him for wrong doings where he would laugh and praise his eldest with a slap on the wrist. Their father would take Thor out for a spar and never once look to him to come along. It was in those days he had learned his skills were not in strength but wisdom.
His mother had mentored him in magic, illusions and various forms of strategy and skill. He loved his mother for she alone made him feel welcomed, she made him feel accepted for who he was. She was the kindest to him where all others were cruel. When he got something wrong, she did not curse his name but encouraged him to try again. It was because of her that he was able to create such complex illusions. Where she could master double layered illusions he had mastered triple.
Odin disapproved greatly that his second son would merely sit beside a window in the palace and bury his head in a book the take up a sword and fight. He was too small, too skinny to lift an ax or swing a club. He was weak, pathetic to the point he had nothing to offer Asgard, and he made sure all knew this.
Magic is for cowards, for those too weak to fight with true strength. Magic, illusions and everything else were merely parlor tricks. They would get him nowhere, not like true strength. "Why can't you act like Thor?! Why can't you use true strength like Thor? Why are you so small, why can't you be big like Thor?" so many more were spoken, the result of disappointment. That's all he was to his father, a disappointment.
Yet, here he was bound in chains Thor's father had made just for him. The cold metal bit into his wrists, digging deeper and deeper in to his skin. The muzzle on his mouth, an extra precaution least he use his silver tongue against anyone who came, there were few. Few that Odin would allow and none were fond of him. This was his life now; this was his reason a prisoner, a relic to be kept as a trophy a show of power and superiority. A show of Odin's strength.
The guards would make jokes of him, berate him, mock him. They were encouraged to, Odin wanted him to suffer, to know true punishment, true torment and yet he had suffered far worse than their childish mockery. Even with his arms bound tightly behind his back, even if the collar was placed around his neck like a dog, even if he was given so little in the world they could do nothing worse than the Chitauri. It was all child's play now.
"Look at the great liar now." One guard started as he entered the cell. "Loki of Asgard…no that's right, Loki of Jotunheim. The unwanted son of Laufey." Loki kept his head down, his eyes focused on his feet. This man wasn't worthy of eye contact. This man was a lowly prison guard, too weak to be of the Asgard army. "Too small to be a Frost Giant," he took the butt of his spear and picked up Loki's head. "Too small to be an Asgardian." He averted his eyes. It wasn't worth it. He wanted him to bear into him, to see the true and frightful glare of Loki. He would not give it to him. For those who received it wore it as if some rare honor and it was. Loki had made eye contact with so few. Even Odin had yet to see it.
The man laughed. "Pitiful, to think someone so small, so weak could possibly had been our King!" he captured Loki's neck with his hand, forcing his head to look at him. He closed his eyes, refusing the guard anything he could possibly hope to gain. The man simply chuckled. "Such a pretty face Odin gave to you," the muzzle strap was unclipped and it fell to the ground. His stoic face faltered for a split second. Just enough for the other to catch it. "So it's true then. You served the Kingdom on your back, with in the crowned prince's chamber." Another falter, a pained expression but no glare, no words, nothing of what the guard was hoping for. He stroked the sore skin where the muzzle had left its mark. "Perhaps we should put that silver tongue…" he pushed the other on his back, chains rattling wildly at the movement and echoing in the dark chamber made for him alone. He let out a small grunt at the sudden force, allowing his head to lull to the side. His eyes now open and fixated on the wall. Still not the reaction he was hoping for. "…to better use?" He ran his fingers lightly across the lips of the former prince. It was then he was greeted with what he wanted. Loki's cold emerald eyes glaring at him out of their corners. A deep hate filled glare that sent shivers of fear down his spine, a look of a man ready to kill you at any moment and you just wonder why he waits, why he toys with your mind so. The guard smiled. "There we are. So full of hate, so ice cold like all Jotun scum." He began to quickly undo his wrappings, first his sword, then his coat and so on.
Loki, he just simply smiled and moved his head back to stare at the half naked guard before him. This upset him, pride issues were well known among the males in Asgard. Rape was a serious offence and yet he had the gull to smile at him for it. He gripped the prisoner's neck, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Why jest? What purpose does it serve? You will be humiliated, more so than you already have!"
The Liar burst into laughter, laughter the boomed through the whole of Asgard's prisoner depths. "It's amazing, how weak men kick at the wounded animal. A beast far hungrier than its self is sure to come along to stake its claim." His face grew serious, deadly once more. "Yet, you lay claim to a beast that had been claimed."
Before the guard could respond, he was pulled by his hair, pulled up and into the wall where he was face to face with the crowned prince. His face was white, his body shook with fear as the mighty hammer was placed to his neck. "There is always a larger, hungrier animal out there, only the strong can hope to survive." His throat was crushed with one simple jab of the hammer, but it did not stop him. Thor beat him until there was nothing left but a sorry pile of bones and flesh. Far too gone to recognize a face.
His brother closed his eyes and looked up. "Over doing it again, brother?" he asked not expecting an answer.
"He had laid his hands on you, I was merciful to him." He said, anger embedded in his words. He moved to the other, picking him up and softly brushing him off. His brother was strong though he appeared weak, he was wise well beyond his years and his temper was mostly well hidden. He looked pathetic in this place, bound and chained like a wild dog. It didn't suit him, no Loki was a free spirit, a cage was no place for him. "Tis I who should be chained." He whispered, not looking to his brother.
The Liar shrugged. "Perhaps, but the Allfather would never allow his heir to be locked away. The Golden child of Asgard, oh no, the sun must shine on. The moon however, will not be missed, a sore in the sky." He turned from his brother, knowing that this was all his fault.
Thor put his hand to the back of his brother's neck, much as he always had when speaking to his brother about serious matters. He loved this, for he could look into his brother's emerald eyes. "No brother! Not a day goes by that I do not long for the moon! Not a day goes by that I curse my birthright and wish to deny the throne if only to have you by my side! I cannot abandon the throne, Loki, but when I become king I will see to it that you are never to leave my side. I will change the laws father has held, the old ways are dead and I wish for new. You will take your place beside my throne!"
Loki smiled. "Is this the grand image you see Thor Odinson? Of me beside your throne, as your equal? Because I see me before it, kneeling once more in your shadow." He could see the hurt in his brother's eyes. The pain of his manipulation of his words, but truth be told he feared a kingdom with Thor at its head.
Blue eyes narrowed in pain. "Why must you twist my words? I see you as my equal, my brother, my love! Why must you hate me so? I was banished to Midgard for your sake…"
"No, you were banished for arrogance. A boy wanting to prove himself a man, the same reason you came to my bedchamber that night."
His face twisted from anger to pain. "If I could take that night back I would! Yet, since then have I not showered you with affections, with gifts, with love? Had I not taken you on hunts, praised you before Father and defended you against his wrath? Had I done nothing to prove my love for you?" he asked, taking Loki's face and cupping it in his hands. He rested his forehead against his brother's. "Did I not spare you from death countless times?"
Loki said nothing. All of it was true. Thor had indeed felt horrible for that night, for the tragic spiral of events that led to his imprisonment. Had he been left on Midgard he would surely have been killed. "Such is true Thor, but I never asked it of you. I do not need affection, I do not need gifts, I do not need love, I do not need Asgard and I certainly do not need you." His words were harsh.
The larger man held him tightly. "Do not say such lies Loki! You need it more then all of Asgard! You are the prince and…"
Toxic eyes narrowed. "Oh no Thor, you are prince of Asgard not I. You are the Son of Odin not I." he looked down, unable to bare the hurt look in his enemies face. Thor was not this weak. Thor did not show emotions like a maiden. No, he was strong, the perfect son of Asgard.
"Why do you deny it? Yes you are not his son by blood but…" he placed his hand on Loki's chest where his heart was. "But here you are. You are of Asgard so why say otherwise? Why bring it up?"
"Because, Thor…" he turned to look at him. His eyes glazed with tears. "No one will let me forget! They didn't hesitate to turn from me, to shun me, to show nothing but hatred at the fact that I am the monster they tell their children about. The vicious Jotun that would sooner freeze you then drink with you. I am the monster they fear because that is what they see me as. A monster so misshapen that I was left to die, they fear me because I was rejected by my own and they can't wrap their heads around why. Why would Odin take me, save me from death if he did not have a purpose for me. I found that purpose; I am a relic a trophy to remind him of his glory over my Father!" he bore into those sapphire eyes, digging deeply into them that he swore he could see Thor's soul. "So tell me brother, am I cursed?"
"No." he said softly before moving to his head to the other's. His eyes level with Loki's and lips smiling brightly with that halfwit smile of his. "You are Loki of Asgard…" He pressed his lips to his brother's as his hands wrapped around him. One claimed his lower back, pushing his thin body closer to him. The other remained entangled in his brother's long raven colored hair. His passion only grew as his brother let out a soft moan. He was beautiful, strong, cunning, and intelligent beyond Thor's capability to understand, in simplest of word perfection. How long had it been since he held Loki this way? As if to never let him go? He pulled away from the kiss, panting and looking at the lovely blush on his brother's cheeks. Thor smiled at the disorganized look of the trickster. "And my one and only love." He placed his hand on his shoulder. "Let no one tell you otherwise." With that he took out a dagger and cut to bonds that held him. "Come brother, we take our leave."
"But where in all the nine realms are we to go? Heimdall will see us leaving before…" he tried to stand but his legs were too weak from lack of use. He remained silently sitting on the floor, refusing to ask Thor for help.
"You are injured?" he asked, moving to his brother and gave him a quick check. Loki tried to push him away but it was feeble. He had grown weak from his confinement, his lack of nutrition. For a prisoner, the best they had was the left over bread nearly as hard as stone. How could Loki stand if he had not the strength to? He let out a deep sigh, knowing his brother would say nothing of it, far too prideful to do that.
Thor moved to him, scooping him up bridal style and holding him close despite his meager protests. "Nonsense brother, you have evaded his eyes before, we shall do the same now. As for where, Midgard. My friends will help us." He summoned Mjolnir and placed at his side.
Loki didn't seem content at the idea but he wasn't going to protest due to the fact he was in no condition to truly fight Thor. He would never admit how happy he was to finally be free. To finally be able to leave his dark prison. Frankly, he wasn't going to argue the fact Thor was setting him free, once his strength was up he could easily escape again. He could flee his brother and never look back. "They will not accept me. Not after I myself had harmed so many of their kind."
The thunder god shook his head. "They will I'll show them, prove to them that you were controlled by the Tesseract, that you had no choice but to obey the Chitauri. Hawkeye, he was controlled by you they have to understand that and…"
"But what if I wasn't controlled? Have you thought of that?" his voice was low, slowly going over the words to allow it to sink in. Thor was far from quick witted, so he would have to take his time. "What if I wanted to do all of that? To kill so many innocent people?"
"NO!" his brother's voice boomed through the prison. "It is not like you brother! You are not a killer, not by heart." He picked up his pace, pushing himself to moved faster. He had little time to waist. "You are nothing like the Jotun. Know that now brother and let no one tell you otherwise."
Loki opened his mouth to speak yet he closed it as soon as his eyes laid sight upon the Alfather. Odin stood there, holding several guards near him and eyeing them with hatred. "Thor Odinson…what you have done is treason…but I know you to be bewitched by Loki Laufeyson." He gripped his sword tightly. "For that…the punishment is death."
He left no time for protest, no time for an explanation as he moved swiftly to Thor, to the monster in his arms. Loki was a means to an end. A child he kidnaped in hopes of holding an eternal peace with Laufey. It didn't work though. Laufey had simply claimed him unfit to rule for he was far too small, even by Asgard standards. He was useless, worthless to their cause, their needs. Loki could not claim the throne, for the throne was not his. With his birth, the birth of a runt, he was sentenced to abandonment and death. If it had not been for Freya, for his beloved wife's compassion and want of another child one that she herself could have, could raise with all her knowledge, Odin would have left him the same way his own father had to the mercy of Jotunheim and the Jotuns.
Loki was a thorn in Odin's side for far too long. He was an embarrassment, a scrawny child that refused to eat meat, refused to spar for long periods of time, who turned from direct combat. Loki was no son, he could never be a true man of worth to Asgard, no not like Thor, not like his heir. That is what Odin had thought, that Loki's bewitchment of his son was simply for the throne. Thor was foolish yes, he would marry his brother for what he deemed love and Loki would stab him in the back on their wedding night, claiming the throne for himself. Odin had to stop it, to end the suffering his son would endure at the hands of the Jotun he should have killed so long ago. The very life he was now going to end, when it should never have begun.