"They…what?" Loki hissed again.
His voice was far less patient – if one could mistake his earlier tone for patient – and rang with confusion and revulsion. There were a dozen possibilities that ran through his mind, but none of them really made any sense.
"They…are of the mind that you have been – been enthralled by Father and forced to do…everything," Thor explained reluctantly, "Helbindi requests proof otherwise."
Loki snorted in mirthless laughter at that, leaning his head onto the back of the couch and staring up at the ceiling.
"Proof? How do they plan to acquire that? And what of Jotunheimr – what I did to them?" he demanded, "I killed their king."
Thor sighed, aching to hit something; battle at least made sense. These negotiations were beyond ridiculous.
"I do not know. As for the bifrost and Laufey – they believe that was Father's doing as well," he replied.
"He was in the Odinsleep," Loki muttered, lifting a hand to rub at his forehead. They are idiots.
"I know," Thor agreed.
"And Odin's thoughts?" his brother sighed.
"He will not give them anything unless you desire to come," he reassured, watching Loki carefully.
As expected, the darker prince snorted derisively, and Thor ignored the twinge of pain in his chest. Loki still hadn't forgiven Odin, he knew, for anything – the lying, the favoritism, the "No, Loki" – but it didn't mean that it didn't still hurt Thor to hear his brother's searing doubt.
"And is that to protect me or just needle them?" Loki queried scathingly.
"Loki, you know as well as I that our father loves you," Thor retorted, "He is trying to keep your best interest at heart – even with the threat of war with Jotunheimr looming because of our actions. Despite your repeated attempts to separate yourself, you are his son and he cares for you as such!"
He had stood at some point during that speech, as had Loki.
"Of course, he cares for his son; he showed as much everyday of our childhood and since. Robed him in gold, praised his every folly – he would never leave his son dangling over an abyss or in the so-gentle hands of captors," Loki shot back, "I have little doubt that he has his son's best interest ever at the forefront of his mind."
Green sparked at his hands, and Mjolnir had torn through the floor to reach Thor's grip, but neither backed down. This had been an argument long in the making, and neither the storm shaking the building's very foundation nor the likelihood of hurting each other was going to stop them.
"Never were you loved less than me, Loki! Do not play the part of the forgotten son – it suits you ill. Father and Mother have always supported your magic and sheltered you from the full ramifications of your mischief. Were it not for their interference, you would be long dead by now for some of your pranks," Thor shouted.
"'Know your place, Loki' – 'Step aside, brother, this is for men'," Loki quoted sharply, "How many of these were said to you, Thor? How often were you cut down and humiliated in front of the court for stepping out of line? You started a war with Jotunheimr and spent three days on Midgard; I cut a lock from Sif's hair and had my lips sewn shut. Is this the love of which you speak?"
"That was your folly for promising them your head!" Thor protested, "You taunted every notable man or woman in all of the realms, and your worst punishment was silence for less than an hour. Because you were punished means only that our parents tried to teach you – not that they ever loved you less."
From the doorway, Tony – in a less-dented one of his suits – and Steve – shield gripped tightly – watched anxiously. They'd all heard the thunder roar and Mjolnir tear through three floors – Bruce had only barely missed it, and the Other Guy had shown up in time to take out an entire wall as he leapt from the building – and the lightning scorching the walls had been hard to miss. Now, though, they weren't sure what to do; Clint and Coulson were off trying to hunt down the missing Hulk, and Natasha was filling Fury in as she helped evacuate the building. If the gods were about to have a throwdown in Stark Tower, they could at least try to keep the casualties at a minimum.
"My worst punishment? What of my children, mutilated and banished; being bound beneath a serpent for two hundred years? What of them, Thor? You presume to speak of my punishments as mere slaps on the wrist, but you know nothing of what they are," the trickster was yelling – which was weird, Tony noted, as Loki rarely lifted his voice beyond a low level – back.
"So, how likely am I to die if I step in?" Tony queried casually.
"Tony, no – neither of them are thinking-" Steve started to protest, but the other man was already strolling across the decimated lounge.
"You know, I'm always up for remodeling, but you could let me know, first," he called languidly to the raging gods, "Between Mew-mew over there and the Jolly Green Giant, I'm starting to think you don't like the place."
"Step back, Stark," Thor rumbled, a warning in his low voice and darkened eyes, "This is none of your concern."
"Heh, actually, it's kind of my building you're destroying and my people you're scaring, so yeah – it really is my business," Tony corrected lightly.
Thor bristled, and Tony could swear he smelled the lightning crackling along his skin. The magic dancing over Loki's fingertips, meanwhile, had vanished, and the trickster god now stood with a bored gloss over his hard eyes. Yep, this was a dumb move, Tony mused not-entirely-cheerfully.
"So, uh, you guys want to take this somewhere else? Manhattan's had enough of people beating the shit out her without her heroes doing it, too," he suggested firmly, "Fly or teleport or whatever, but don't do this here."
His voice was both cajoling and authoritative, but Tony really wasn't sure how much good it'd do; the storm outside wasn't showing any signs of abating, and both gods looked just as close to launching themselves at each other as they had before he intruded. Then, Loki vanished.
"Brother – Norns damn it," Thor yelled, lunging too late.
"Y-" Tony started before Mjolnir became a blur and Thor launched himself out of the window, "Oh, fuck you all!"
Waves lapped hungrily at the shore, cresting white and breaking against the sand. Slowing his breath down to its normal rate, Loki waited patiently as the waves reached further and further up the shore. He'd positioned himself nearly ten meters from the water's edge in the first place, and already, it seemed he would have to move back again.
"Father," his son's voice finally hissed.
A faint smile slipped unattended onto Loki's lips as he glanced up from his boots. Jormugandr's broad head was stretched up to be almost eye level with him, and he'd turned just enough for one massive red eye to watch his father. Reaching a hand out palm up, Loki was immediately gratified with the barest weight of his son's scaly chin.
"Hello, Jor," he greeted, gently rubbing one of the endtable-sized plates on his son's nose.
"Father, you look weary," his son answered in a low vibration that spread through both their bones, and Loki resisted a flinch at those too-familiar words, "Have you been fighting with Thor again?"
The trickster hummed faintly, and the great sea snake snorted derisively – or at least, that was how Loki translated the huff of air.
"You should not quarrel with him, Father; it does neither of you any good," the serpent chided.
"Have you seen him recently?" Loki asked instead of following that topic.
"No," Jormugandr answered, crimson eye narrowing in something akin to irritation, "He has been much too distracted with his mortal pets to pay me any mind. As have you."
"My apologies," Loki replied gently, "I should have come sooner."
Satisfied at actually getting an apology from his father, Jormugandr lifted his head and pushed some fifty feet of his bulk – barely the start of his neck – onto the island on which Loki stood. As he settled into the still warm sand, Loki folded himself gracefully beside his son's eye. It was an old position, one that had become their norm since Jormugandr had been little more than a babe, and the serpent's eyes hooded slightly with pleasure at the warmth of his father's back. He was well aware that it was magic warming Loki's body up from its general jotunn-cold, and that thought added to his contentment.
"How is Sigyn and Little Brother?" he queried.
"Well enough. They send their best – and Vali still demands you show him how to shift into a snake," Loki answered with a soft laugh.
The chuckle that rumbled through the enormous snake's body was enough to cause the waves to pick up again near where his body broke the surface.
"The All-father would be most displeased," he rumbled.
"All the better reason to teach him," Loki mused lightly.
"Someday, they will find a punishment enough to break you, Father," Jormugandr warned, worry clear in his vermillion eye.
If there was something broken in Loki's smile, well, there were many things to blame. Ignoring the quiet plea of please, father, do not leave us again, he reached an arm up and gently began tracing runes into his son's armored skin until the serpent sighed softly and slipped into comfortable sleep. Loki let his hand finish off the spell before he leaned back, eyes open, and watched the stars.
"So, we have two pissed off gods – one that could be anywhere on Earth and the other that could be anywhere – as in an-y-where – a knocked out Hulk, and a half-broken tower. Hey, anyone think this sounds familiar?" Clint summarized, the last part coming out muffled as he lowered his head to his arms.
They were all sitting in the lounge despite the wreckage and new plastic once again taking the place of Tony's window. Clint sat beside Natasha, who'd gently laid a hand on the base of his neck, and Steve chewed his lip across from them while Tony scribbled onto a tablet. Bruce was sleeping off his latest Hulk-out in Steve's room given the demolished conditions of his own.
A soft rustling startled them as all four lunged for some form of weaponry (being the two without real weapons on them, Steve and Tony ended up with a spoon and an empty bottle, respectively). The plastic was gone now, replaced by pristine glass identical to the kind Thor had shattered several hours ago, and the floor was smooth as marble.
"Any word from Thor or Loki, J?" Tony called warily.
"Mr. Odinsson is in his room, sir, and Loki is on the roof," the AI informed them.
Tony started at this lack of etiquette, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"J, what happened to Loki Odinsson?" he inquired.
"Loki informed me that 'Odinsson' was not his proper surname, and when I asked, he had little preference over the alternatives, sir," JARVIS replied.
"Alternatives?" Steve asked curiously.
"Loki Odinsson has also been known by the names of Silvertongue, Lie-smith, Skywalker, Laufeyson, Hveðrungr, Lejemand and Farbautijarson, sir," the AI listed before adding, "although he seemed displeased by both the patrimonial and maternal titles."
"Skywalker?" Clint sniggered, lifting his head.
"Oh, hell yes," Tony giggled, "Loki Skywalker – wait. Shit, they didn't name Luke after him, did they?"
Steve stared between them, trying to understand the humor and giving up shortly after he failed. It had been way too long a day for this.
"So…angry gods?" he prompted, "I can talk to Thor."
"Yeah, right. I'll ta-" Clint started before Natasha cut him off.
"Tony should talk to Loki," she suggested.
"Huh?" the genius mumbled, glancing up from his tablet.
"You two are practically identical," she pointed out, crossing her arms.
"Uh, yeah. Crazy God of Mischief and mostly-sane genius. I totally see the similarities. Not," Tony snorted.
"You're both brilliant men with deep rooted family problems who work what many would consider magic," she ignored his protest at that, "and both of you use way too much sarcasm. You're perfect."
Tony huffed but didn't object. In all honesty, he couldn't really.
"Fine. But if I end up on the sidewalk or ripped to bits in another dimension, you have to face Pepper," he pouted.
AN: Well, Jormugandr got in there for a little bit...
Tabby - honestly, this review totally made my day. I'm so glad you like it and think the characterization/plot/writing is going well. It means a lot!
ChibiGikochin - Unfortunately, I've only ever read snippets and summaries of the myths, so I have no idea what the actual cause of Midgard's destruction is. Your idea's really cool, though - I wish it would've worked in this story!
Everyone Who Keeps Asking Me to Update - not to be snippy, but I'm updating almost every day. Literally, as soon as I finish a chapter, I upload it, and while it's nice to know people want to read more...well, could you just say that instead of 'update soon!'? I'm not going to be passive aggressive or anything and slow updates, but it's a little tiring to see that when the most you've had to wait is about two days.
Anyway, thanks a bunch for the support; I really do appreciate it and love writing for such a responsive audience!
...and now we interrupt your fanfiction reading for some shameless self-promotion!
If you like this story/my writing, check out my original fiction on deviantART - just type in tagg18 and you should be able to find it pretty quickly.