Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Marvel-characters!

AN: Thank you so much for all the reviews! They keep inspiring me to write so please keep them coming. In response to some of the reviews: I'm afraid Torchwood has nothing to do with this, though it would have made for one brilliant story! I'm not trying to overdose on the LokiWump here, so if I ever cross a few lines (make it sappy and overdramatic) then feel free to tell me. Any and all feedback and constructive criticism is welcome.

On with the fic!

~ Shadows and Regrets ~

Chapter 5

~ o ~

A few months earlier on Asgard

~ o ~

Loki – with his hands bound behind his back – looked up. He was currently on both knees before the King of Asgard and he hated it. Odin was looking down at him – both literally as figuratively - and his eyes betrayed no emotion. Either the Allfather had finally learned to shield his emotions away or he simply cared nothing for the man currently before him. Loki didn't know what he preferred.

Frigga and Thor were present as well. They could not help but look sad and…disappointed. Loki wished they would not look at him like that. It made the little hairs in the back of his neck stand up. He would have said something to them, but his mouth was still gagged with that irritable metal tool he had received on earth. It must be a creation from the Iron Man, Loki thought.

"Loki…Laufeyson," Odin said after a silence that had lasted for minutes. Loki had called himself with that name before, but to actually hear Odin call him Laufey's son still stung. "You have appeared before the tribunal and you have been found guilty of war crimes by the Elders of Asgard."

It was suffice to say that Loki had expected nothing else. Of course they found him guilty! There had not even been a proper interrogation, just a bunch of old, foolish men that had looked at him with contempt. What Loki wanted to know was the severity of his punishment. Asgard had evolved beyond the point of torturing their prisoners, but it was known throughout the universe that the Æsir could still be very cruel.

While Odin continued to speak, Loki looked directly into his eyes. It was as if he was challenging his so-called father with his dark and provocative gaze. Would Odin dare to look back at him like that? Did the King even feel remotely guilty about the situation? Was this not Odin's fault in the end?

"You shall be imprisoned for as long as I see fit, without the right for visitors. Solitude will give you time to think about your actions. During you stay in a cell, your magic shall be drawn from your body."

Loki's eyes widened when he heard Odin say those last few words. He cared nothing about imprisonment or about solitude. He could easily escape a cell in the dungeons of the palace. Loki had lived here his entire life after all and he knew the weak spots. However, magic would have been vital. Losing that was what he feared most. It had always been the source of his power. Without magic, Loki would not escape. Without magic, he was nothing!

For the shortest moment, he expected Thor to speak for him; to defend him. He dared not look at his brother, however. He wasn't sure what was visible in his eyes at the moment, but he knew the darkness had been replaced by fear. Loki did not want Thor to see that in him, not while he was kneeling and gagged.

The heir of Asgard said nothing and remained standing beside his mother. Loki gave in and looked at him – silently pleaded with him – but Thor only looked right back at him. Clearly, the golden prince saw that this punishment was just. Loki became faintly aware that he was breathing heavily, but he could not control it.

Before he realized what was happening, he felt two guards heave him up. They waited until the war criminal stood firmly on his feet and then guided him away from the throne room. Loki thought about struggling, but he somehow found himself numb. He was going to lose his magic forever and he would be locked in a cell for who knows how many centuries! Alone.

After the two guards shoved him into a small cell with four blinding white walls, they removed the gag and enchanted ropes that held his hands together behind his back. That same rope had prevented him from using magic, but he had been placed into the cell too quickly for Loki to use his magic. As soon as the guards closed the heavy steel door – again painted in a blinding white color - Loki could feel the air around him sucking his magic away.

The cell was incredibly small. At least, it was small compared to his old bedchambers in this palace. He had expected imprisonment, but on some deep level within he had hoped that he would simply be confined to his chambers. Perhaps that punishment would have been much too light, Loki realized. It had been foolish to think that. The cell held a bed, a small table and a wash basin. Near the left corner stood toilet. There was a small window – much too small to use as an escape-route – that let in the warm sunlight.

Loki absentmindedly rubbed his sore wrists. The ropes had burned his skin and he had no magic to heal the minor wounds. Not knowing what to do with himself, he sat down on the bed and inhaled deeply. When he had first arrived on Earth – planning to make it his Kingdom – he had not thought he would ever return to Asgard. He had certainly not expected to be a prisoner here.

There was a small hatch that allowed guards to look inside the cell and it opened. Loki knew who would appear. There really was only one person on Asgard that would break the rule of solitude for him. Loki stood again and moved to stand before the steel door. Thor was looking at him through the small gap. His blue eyes stood radiant with something Loki could not quite place. It might be sorrow.

"Hello, Thor," Loki knew he shouldn't sound so poisonous, "have you come to gloat?"

"Of course not," Thor replied calmly. It seemed he had found the best way to react to Loki's many comments; by ignoring the hateful undertones. "Loki, you must understand that this is for your own good. Lately, you have been so…"

"So what?" Loki snapped.

"So angry!" Thor closed his eyes, clearly cursing himself for his little outburst. When he opened his eyes again, he looked calm once more. "I barely recognize you anymore. You have been corrupted, brother, by anger and hatred."

Loki conjured his most devilish grin. "And locking me away will surely help."

"Taking your magic away will," Thor said, "you've been driven mad with power. The walls of this cell will drain your magic. If you stay inside long enough, the magic won't return to you once you leave this place. You'll see everything clearer then."

"You're delusional," Loki whispered harshly. He couldn't believe Thor and everyone else actually believed this. Magic had nothing to do with his quest for a Kingdom or with his quest for acceptance of his family.

"No," Thor shook his head, "I am merely trying to help you, as is father. I will come back for you as soon as possible – I don't care father has forbidden contact - and I swear that I will help you, but I must go now."

"Back to earth?"

"Yes. I will see you soon, brother."

The hatch closed and Loki was alone again. He sighed deeply and allowed himself to slide down against one of those hideous walls. It seemed there was no way out of this situation and Thor wasn't going to help him either. It appeared he had to bide his time. One day, someone would make a mistake and Loki would take advantage of the situation.

If only that day would come quickly…

~ o ~

Present time

~ o ~

Thor didn't ask anyone's permission. Frankly, he didn't think he needed it. This was his brother and he was responsible for him. If taking Loki to Asgard would keep him safe, then everyone else would just have to live with that. Even Loki himself.

It took him a few minutes to get out of the building since he had to support his brother along the way, but he felt lucky that no one tried to stop them. Every agent of SHIELD was too busy preparing for another attack by the Chitauri and they clearly had no time to focus on Thor or his plans.

Thor, who had an arm around Loki's waist, ignored his brother's pleads to stop as he finally reached outdoors. "I have to get you home, Loki," he said stubbornly, "you'll be safe there."

"Asgard will never be safe for me," Loki argued. His knees threatened to give out for the umpteenth time, but Thor had a firm grip on him and kept him standing up. "Listen to me, Thor, just take me somewhere else. Take me to Jotunheim for all I care, but not Asgard. Not to him. Please, Thor. Brother!"

Thor was completely stunned to hear Loki call him 'brother' again since he had not done so in months. It almost made him stop, but Thor pressed on and only came to a halt when he stood in the middle of a patch of green grass. There was no one around here and Thor concluded that it was safe enough. He directed his gaze to the clouded sky.

"Heimdall?" He called out as he felt Loki cringe back underneath his grasp. "Heimdall, my friend, can you hear me?"

Behind them, Thor heard the protests of his friends. He looked over his shoulder and found Tony, Fury and Steve running towards him. They did not look pleased. Fury carried a gun, but Thor trusted that the leader of SHIELD would not dare to fire it at him. He did not like disappointing them, but Thor remained focused and kept his priorities in order. He ignored them and only thought of Loki.

"Heimdall, I need you!"

The sky darkened and Thor felt Loki shrink away from him. If Loki had a choice, he would probably choose a duel with Fury at the moment. For a moment, Thor wondered why Loki had grown so… What exactly was Loki towards their home now? He had always been angry, but now he seemed fearful of Asgard. Thor had no time to think much about it, though.

The power of the Bifrost momentarily threw him of balance, but he maintained his grip on Loki. The odd sensation of being transported away from earth lasted a few seconds and when new scenery became visible, Thor was relieved to find the familiar surroundings of Asgard around him.

He was home.

Loki looked like he had just arrived in hell.

"Thank you, Heimdall," Thor said as his eyes landed on the gatekeeper.

Heimdall stayed strangely quiet and Thor frowned. He instantly noticed Heimdall's odd behavior. Then he followed Heimdall's line of sight and he was surprised to find his father standing on the bridge. Two black ravens circled above them. Odin was also joined by what appeared to be half an army of guards and warriors. Thor instinctively tightened his grip on Loki.

"Father?" Thor asked with doubt in his voice. "What is going on?"

"Arrest him," Odin said, pointing at Loki who was leaning heavily on Thor's shoulder. The journey by Bifrost had exhausted him. The guards acted as their King had commanded, but Thor stepped back – taking Loki with him - and raised Mjolnir defensively. Again, Odin commanded, "Thor, let him go."

"Father, look at him!" Thor still did not release Loki. "He needs help. Why are you arresting him when he obviously needs medical attention?"

Odin's eyes shifted across Loki's fragile body, paused on his bandaged eye and then turned to look back at Thor. He didn't seem affected by the horrendous sight of his beaten son. Thor tried to read his father's eyes, he tried to understand what he was thinking right now, but those older blue eyes were closed off to him. There lay secrets in Odin's gaze, but Thor could never comprehend them.

"Arrest Loki," the old King repeated, "I will not have him escaping my cell again."

The guards moved forward for the second time and this time Thor was forced to let go of his brother. It was him against at least thirty warriors and guards and even though Thor knew he could defeat them all, he knew he could never fight them and keep Loki safe.

Loki said nothing, he didn't even struggle (mostly because he was physically too weak to do so), but his green eyes told Thor more than enough. He had never seen Loki frightened like this and Thor felt a painful tug at his heart. He wanted to embrace his brother, he wanted to protect him and it seemed that now he had to protect him from Odin.

But how in all the realms was Thor supposed to go against his father and King? He felt torn. He wanted to please his father, he wanted to listen to him because he was the Allfather and he was wise and strong. Surely Odin knew what he was doing? But on the other hand Thor wanted to look after his little brother who clearly needed him right now.

Right now, the golden prince could only watch as the guards brought Loki back to a cell. He could only watch as Odin walked away, his face void of any emotion.

This, he had not expected to happen.

AN: I don't think that chapter-ending came as a surprise…did it? Thoughts?