Chapter Eight
Loki appeared inside the vault, and before him stood the Casket of Ancient Winters upon its stand. He stood there for a full thirty seconds before walking towards it. The blue glow was beautiful, as was the immense power it beheld. Loki reached out and touched it, watched his arms fade to blue as he lifted the heavy object into the air. The blue began to spread across his body, and when he looked up, his eyes were a fierce, burning red. But then there was a noise, the vault's wall was separating, as there was the destroyer, come to defend the house of Odin from the Frost Giant within.
Loki ignored it's rousing, concentrated instead on the sensation of Odin's spell fading away, and this hideous form taking hold.
"STOP!" He heard Odin's voice behind him. He glanced up to see the Destroyer pause then retreat.
"Am I cursed?" He asked slowly after the Destroyer had sunk back behind its confines. He didn't turn though, but sighed and placed the Casket back down upon its pedestal.
"No..." Odin said, taking the steps down into the chamber.
"Then what am I?" Loki asked, looking down at his arms which still remained blue.
"You're my son..." Odin said, a warmth to his tone, but also a wariness underlying. Loki rolled his eyes then began to turn slowly, fixing his blood red eyes on Odin as his skin began to shift him back to an Aesir appearance.
"What more than that? That Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jötunheimr that day was it?"
Odin sighed wearily. "No."
Loki watched as Odin sighed heavily, figuring that he could no longer hold the truth from him.
"In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the Temple, and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring; abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son."
"Laufey's son..." Loki said slowly, desperately struggling to make sense of it all. So it was as Tony's talking voice from the sky had said, he truly was the son of... Laufey. "Why? You were knee-deep in Jötunn blood. Why would you take me?" He asked slowly.
"You were an innocent child." Odin said, attempting to offer him a comforting smile.
"So you took me. And for what purpose?"
Odin stayed silent, shifting on the spot as he tried to figure out how to word it. Loki felt something within him snap, as he then yelled, "TELL ME!" With tears shining in his green iris, focusing all his sadness, anger and confusion on Odin who looked at him with a pained expression.
"To one day unite our kingdoms, make an alliance, permanent peace... Through you. You could have brought peace to the realms. But those plans no longer matter."
"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?" Loki all but spat, disgusted at the fact his father, no, Odin would treat him that way.
Odin shook his head slowly with a tired groan. "Why do you twist my words?"
"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?"
"You are my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."
"Why? Because, I-I-I-I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?" He said, stuttering slightly while trying to control his anger.
Odin stretched a hand out. "Don't."
"You know it all makes sense now." Loki let his feelings flow, all the resentment he had felt these years. "Why you favoured Thor all these years...
"Loki, listen..."
"Because no matter how much you came to 'love' me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!"
As Odin's body began to shake, he lifted his hand in an attempt to point at Loki, but it felt slightly off course because of the Odin-Sleep approaching. 'No, not now...' He thought worryingly, but Loki didn't seem to be taking any notice of him at all. Odin tried to fight it off.
"Listen to me!" Odin said, trying to fight it off as Loki started to stride out towards the doors to the vault. "Loki!" Odin tried again, taking a step towards him, but was then overcome with the enormous mental, emotional, and physical strains of the recent events and this conversation, as the Odin-sleep consumed him.
Loki rushed to his side, kneeling on the ground. "Guards!"
-Page Break-
Frigga sat at her husband's bedside, holding his hand as he lay there looking pale and lifeless. His body and the bed he lay upon were surrounded by a golden glow, which was protecting him like a crypt or a force field. Loki sat at Odin's side across from Frigga, staring apathetically down at him, only to glance up when Frigga spoke.
"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family." She said softly.
"So why did he lie?"
"He kept the truth from you so that you would never have to feel different. You are in every way our son Loki, and we your family. You must know that."
Loki looked away from her and down to Odin's body.
"You can speak to him. He can see and hear us even now."
"How long will it last?"
"We cannot know. This time was different, we were unprepared."
"I never get used to this." Loki looked contemplative. "The most powerful being in the Nine Realms lying helpless until his body is restored."
"But he's put it off for so long now, I fear..."
Loki saw the pain in her eyes and reached across the bed to take her hand comfortingly. She smiled gratefully then wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You're a good son." She said softly. Loki just sat there, uncertain of how he should react, and about how he really feels about everything that had happened. "We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And your brother..."
Loki turned to look straight at her with confusion. "What hope is there for Thor?"
Frigga smiled then looked down at her husband again. "There's always a purpose to everything your father does... Thor may yet find a way home.
Loki's worried expression consorted into a troubled one from the revelation.
Loki stood and bowed to his mother. He was about to leave when the Einherjar guards entered the room and blocked his way out.
Loki tensed. How had they found out? Was his mother just going to let them take him away? Surely not. Loki prepared for the worst, but the guards just continued to stand there, motionless. He looked to his mother, baffled.
"Thor is banished." She smiled up at him and took his hand once more. "The line of succession falls to you. Until he awakens, Asgard is yours."
The Einherjar knelt before the now shocked Loki. Another entered, holding Gungnir before him, and then walked over to Loki before kneeling down and offering the spear up to him.
"Make your father proud." Frigga said with a smile, subconsciously squeezing Odin's hand as she did. Loki glanced back at her before turning then tentatively reaching out to take it.
It felt good in his hand.
-Page break-
"Mother has forbidden your return." Loki said solemnly. Thor nodded then lowered his head, feeling thoroughly beaten. He'd sat alone in an interrogation room at the temporary SHIELD HQ, when Loki had come to visit him.
"This is goodbye, brother. I'm so sorry." Loki said sadly, although this was all just a show to put on so that Thor thought he would never return to Asgard. To his surprise, instead of getting mad or angry about it, Thor just shook his head and smiled sadly.
"No, I'm sorry. Loki... Thank you for coming here."
"Nothing could have stopped me." Loki said, faking a small smile as he sensed the mortal agent returning to the room. "Fare well, brother." He said before teleporting out of the room and into the main sector where Mjölnir was currently sat.
Since becoming king of Asgard, or temporary king until further notice, Loki had found himself enjoying the rule. Except for one little detail. The people didn't trust him. He knew that it would take time for them all to warn to him, especially as it was just weeks ago that they all thought it was Thor who was next.
Using his magic, he made sure that no-one could see him before walking up to the hammer and trying to grab it. He winced as he pulled, groaning slightly in annoyance as he didn't feel it budge an inch then let go with a frown. He had thought, to show the people of Asgard that he was just as worthy as his so-called-brother, he would take Mjölnir as his own, but the spell his father had uttered on it before sending it here held fast so he could see that he was apparently deemed 'not worthy'.
Forgetting that plan, he drew his jacket tighter around himself then began to walk out of the facility.
It had been a couple of weeks since he was last on Midgard, what with being so busy with royal duties and helping take care of Odin's body and Frigga, so he hadn't seen Tony Stark in a while. He smirked to himself as he began forming some plans for him later on then teleported to his location.
Loki found himself in Tony's living room. Everything seemed quiet, which made him frown, and he was about to ask the talking computer where he was when the man himself entered, coming down from the upper staircase. Stark. Naked.
"Jarvis, remind me to-HOLY SHIT!" Tony cried out, falling backwards on the stairs as he stared at Loki with wide eyes. "Jeez, don't suddenly appear like... that..." He paused and glanced down, remembering his nude state and blushed slightly in embarrassment.
Loki chuckled. "Do you make it a habit to wander around naked, or did you have a feeling I'd show up?"
"I, er..." Tony coughed. "Just felt like it. A man's free to do whatever he wants in his own home, right?" He said as he stood back up.
"Forgive me if I don't join you." Loki walked up to him and kissed him passionately. "I am sorry I have been away so long pet. I have been busy with a recent promotion."
Tony frowned. "Promotion? What do..." His eyes suddenly widened in realisation. "Wait, you don't mean to tell me that you're-"
"King of Asgard."
Tony's jaw dropped.
"I think it rather calls for celebration." Loki's hands slipped to Tony's ass and squeezed.
Tony yelped in surprise then gave Loki a very seductive look. "Well, if it's what his majesty wants..."
"Oh you are." Loki ran his hands up and down Tony's back, feeling the familiar warmth of his skin.
Tony hummed pleasantly and shut his eyes. "I've really missed you..." He said in a dreamy state, before freezing and opening his eyes wide in shock as he realised he'd said it out loud. "Er, I mean, well, that is..." He stumbled over his words, feeling himself heat up further in embarrassment.
"I've missed you too, Anthony." Loki said before he slid his tongue between Tony's lips and kissed him deeply.