June, 2012
Asgard
"Perhaps," Frigga suggested carefully to her husband. "Receiving the knowledge of Sigyn's murder will be enough of a punishment for Loki?"
Odin snorted. "He never cared for his wife; it was nothing but a political match and frivolous guise for him, we all know that."
"But still, his wife was murdered for his actions. Knowing she fell at the hands of angry Asgardian rioters-"
"Is going to bring him nothing but relief. He did not love her, he'd long grown tired of her, they weren't even soulmates. Sigyn's death has no bearing on his life whatsoever, save except – as I said – as a sort of relief, a problem that he no longer has to contend with." Odin lowered his head into his hands, moaning, "How to punish one so… twisted as he?"
Frigga winced, deciding not to once again bring up the fact that Loki still claimed mind control had played a part in his actions and not noticing for a moment that Odin had raised his head slowly, a spark of an idea flashing behind his eyes as he murmured. "A solitary prison cell means nothing to someone who enjoys being alone and learning day in and day out… but making him do good and be among people, Midgardians, getting to know and be considerate of them – that would be more torture to him than anything else I could concoct!"
"Then what exactly are you concocting?" Frigga asked curiously.
The rarest beginnings of a smile flickered at the edges of Odin's mouth as he asked her, "What if we were to turn Loki into a matchmaker?"
"What?!" Frigga choked out.
"The… Avengers, they call themselves – Heimdall has told me a little of them. Some of them are in contact with their soulmates but are having issues acknowledging their bonds as they ought. Surely Loki with all of his tricks could make that happen – give them their happiness where he tried to steal their very lives! Isn't that a more perfect sort of recompense then rotting away with his books?!"
Frigga stared at him, blinked once, twice, before an adoring smile grew on her face and she spoke words only she could get away with, "This is so ridiculous it just might work, you crazy old man."
"Oh, my dear," Odin grinned at her, a smile that – when he allowed it – was just as mischievous as his wayward son's – "You have no idea." Suddenly he called out to the guard standing silently at the doorway, "Call Loki to my throne room; it is time for him to receive his judgment."
"This is… is lunacy!" Loki cried, daring even while kneeling in front of his father in chains.
"Perhaps it is," Odin allowed calmly. "But it is still my ruling and you will follow through with it. You would do well to listen to the information I have to give and then make a plan of action."
"Do you not realize," Loki continued to seethe. "That what you are asking me to do will require me to take up residence in Midgard? They will kill me – or is that what you want?"
"It is not," Odin snapped hotly. "My desire is for you to do exactly as I've asked you to, and if you believe that requires relocation to Midgard, then so be it."
Loki growled deep in his throat, and the growl emerged in the form of words as he asked with a touch of resignation buried under all the unhappiness in his voice, "The 'information' you mentioned?"
"You'll want to know who is soulmates with whom. Agents Barton and Romanoff-"
"I already know about them," Loki said impatiently, rolling his eyes.
"Very well," Odin continued. "According to Heimdall, Tony Stark has already met his female soulmate, Virginia Potts, and has recently met their third who is being a bit resistant when it comes to acknowledging their bond. He refuses to even meet Miss Potts."
"Dr. Banner," Loki drawled, not about to admit that it was only a guess.
"Yes," Odin sighed, growing equally impatient with Loki as the trickster was with him and deciding, "Since you appear to know so much about the situation, perhaps you do not need my input after all. Complete your mission in full and I will consider your punishment complete as well. I'm going to give you free reign to do as you wish as the means to the end, but understand this: if you hurt anyone in any realm, you will be back on Asgard and facing a guillotine. Do we understand one another?"
Loki shrugged carelessly – he'd really expected death anyway; anything less was something of a pleasant surprise – "Very well."
"Then be off with you," Odin ordered.
Frigga, who had been standing silently at her husband's side, flicked her wrist once and Loki's chains dropped with a loud clatter onto the floor. Nodding to Odin and managing to smile thinly at his mother, Loki turned on his heel and started making his way towards Heimdall… who would deliver him into Midgard and the midst of this stupid punishment Odin had concocted.
Thor met him right outside the throne room, asking, "Where are you going? Why are you free? What did Father say?"
"I am going," Loki bit out unhappily, not stopping for Thor to catch up with him as he walked. "To Midgard – to the newly-built Avengers Tower, if you'd be so kind as to put in a good word for me. I'm free because the All-Father all but declared me so, as long as I complete a few tasks in Midgard." Loki turned, walking backwards as he looked his brother in the eye and answered his last question. "As for what his verdict was, that, dear brother, is none of your concern."
Then Loki froze in his tracks, nearly tripping over his own two feet as his eyes widened while a realization hit him. The All-Father wanted him to put every one of the Avengers in a position to live a happy life with their soulmate – or apparently, in the case of Stark and Banner, soulmates – and… Thor was now considered an Avenger.