Midgard
205 years later
Loki's three year old son, Nathan, threw another toy car at the wall in his room. He was sulking, Loki knew, because he'd thrown a tantrum earlier and now was in a time-out. Jane, Thor, and their young twins were coming over to have lunch with them and spend the day- had actually just rung the bell. Nathan was quite a handful when he was upset, and Loki hoped seeing the twins, Isaac and Liam- who he loved- would calm him down a bit.
Loki would be especially grateful if that were the case today because he hadn't been sleeping well for the past few weeks. He'd been plagued by nightmares of battles he'd never fought, and of people he'd never met. It left him tired and drained, and he'd just been feeling...off. He had an appointment to see a doctor at the end of the week that Darcy had made him make. He was sure it was nothing too serious- probably just mostly stress from work- but she worried, bless her.
He put the rag he'd been using to mop up Nathan's spilled orange juice in the laundry bin and quickly washed his hands before he went to let Thor and Jane in.
Except, it was Thor and...someone else. An older man with white hair and an eye-patch, who seemed to radiate authority. Was he with the cops or something?
"Thor?" Loki asked, confused. "Where's Jane?" He was a little taken aback by the somberness Thor was showing. He was usual quite enthusiastic and happy these days, Jane having brought him out of his shell a little bit, but he was definitely very subdued at the moment. "Is she okay? Did something happen? Come in, please." He gestured for them to enter. "And I'm sorry, I don't know your name," he said to the older man, who also looked very serious. "Who are you?'
The older man stared at him strangely. For that matter, Thor was looking at him weirdly too. What was going on?
"I am Odin," he said, and Loki swore he could almost remember something...
"Brother-" Thor started to say, but stopped as Darcy came in. They were standing awkwardly in the living room at this point. Well, it would be awkward, if it wasn't so confusing. Actually no. It was both.
"Hey Thor," Darcy said, frowning at him and Odin. "Where's Jane and the boys?" She put an arm around Loki's waist and rested her head on his shoulder as she was wont to do, and he put his arm around hers. Sideways hugs, she called them.
Loki grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny of both Odin and Thor. Odin was staring at Darcy and his embrace with a look of distaste and almost revulsion. Thor just looked very sad. It was all very unusual.
"What's going on here?" Darcy asked, picking up on the bizarre vibes everyone was giving off. "Am I missing something? Did something happen? What is happen?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Thor said, laughing humorlessly as he tried to find the words. "You see-" he stopped, and started again. "What happened was- fuck. This is harder to do than I had thought."
"Thor? You're scaring me," Darcy said, alarmed, and Loki lifted her hand absently and kissed it reassuringly.
"Maybe we should sit down?" Loki suggested. Whatever it was that Thor was trying to say was obviously difficult for him, and it felt forced and unnatural to just be standing around their living room.
Thor considered it, but shook his head. "This needs to be done quickly," he said, almost to himself.
"You wanted to be the one to say it," Odin said testily, "So say it, or I will. Enough delaying- there is much that must be done, Thor. You know this."
Well, that was a strange thing to say, Loki thought.
Thor just nodded though."Loki, do you remember back when we were kids?" he asked.
"Thor," Loki said, exasperated by this line of questioning that was coming out of the blue. "You know I don't remember our childhood. We've talked about this. What the hell is going on?"
"What about mom and dad? Do you remember them?"
Loki's brows furrowed. "You are asking if I remember our parents? Have you gone daft?"
Thor just looked at him. "What are their names?" he asked, dead serious.
"Their names? I cannot believe this is happening-"
"Their names, brother. What are they?"
"Well, I- they're...I mean...they're mom and dad," Loki finished somewhat lamely. He never really thought about them, unless Darcy brought up how unhappy it made her that he wasn't in contact with them. He hadn't been since he was eighteen and he'd found out that he was adopted. That had been some thirteen years ago.
"You don't know their names, do you?" Thor asked. It was...true. How could it be true!? "That's because your memory has been tampered with. Mine had been as well. We are not human, brother. We are Asgardian- gods. Immortal. I know this is going to sound insane- I certainly thought so when father came to tell me yesterday, but it's true. I remember everything now."
"Okay," Darcy said, her arms crossed and brows raised in annoyance. "What are you talking about? Memories being tampered with? Being gods? This is a really bad idea of a joke, Thor."
"It is no joke," Thor said seriously. "I wish that it were."
"You said father came to see you," Loki said, grabbing hold of the part that at least made a little sense. "What do you-?"
Thor looked over at Odin, who stared at Loki, his expression unreadable.
"Him?" Darcy asked, shocked.
She stared at Odin incredulously, taking in his bizarre appearance, garbed in foreign-looking clothes that seemed even faintly medieval. Her eyes fell to the scabbard at his side, and the sword hidden within it. "You're his father?" she asked dubiously, searching for a family resemblance in his face.
Odin stared back at her harshly, and Darcy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously, suddenly wishing that her hair was a bit neater rather than falling out of the messy bun she'd put it in this morning.
"It is unfortunate that this," he nodded at Darcy, who huffed in offense, "has occurred, and something must be done about it- but there are more important things happening." He winced, shifting his weight and flexing his arm.
"Are you okay?" Darcy asked reluctantly. She really didn't like this guy's attitude, but...she didn't necessarily want to see him in pain.
Odin flicked his eyes over her, dismissing her. "I am well enough," he said shortly, and turned his attention to Loki again, who had been awfully quiet while this was going on. He was trying to make sense of what Odin and Thor were saying.
He wanted to dismiss it as outright ridiculous, the way he was sure Darcy had, and all reason pointed to that- and yet it sounded almost...familiar. Like he had known this at one point.
"Loki, you are needed back on Asgard. I can restore your memories there, and I have need of your help- of both of your help," Odin said, looking at Thor as well. "Much has happened that needs righting, and I cannot do it alone. Especially not with my...well, this is not the time."
Loki considered Odin and Thor. They were both so serious. He was intrigued, and excited, and wary. Because he believed them, as crazy as it was. What they were saying struck a chord within him, and he needed to find out what they meant.
"Honey," he said, looking down at Darcy, who clearly thought they were full of shit. "I don't know how to explain it to you, but- I need to know this. I need to know what they're talking about."
Darcy did a double-take. "What?" She asked, sure she must have misheard.
"I've been having those dreams," Loki said, trying to explain in words the deep, unsettling certainty that was gripping him. A tightness that was wrapping itself around him, squeezing, whispering of things that could not be and yet... "And I've been feeling so strange lately. These things are connected- I know they are. I can feel it in my bones. I'm sorry, Darcy. I know this is probably freaking you out." He cupped a hand to her cheek, staring deeply into her confused eyes. "I'm sorry. I love you."
"I don't understand," she whispered, holding his hand to her cheek. "Stop it. Please. Just...stop it."
Thor shifted awkwardly and looked away, disliking being present at such an intimate moment. Odin just waited impatiently.
"We don't have time for this," he said.
Loki narrowed his eyes at Odin. "There is always time for Darcy," he said angrily. Darcy laughed shakily, feeling a prick of tears that she blinked quickly away. This was all so wrong! It shouldn't be happening. And Loki was just okay with it!? She had no idea how to deal with this. Was she the only one who was sane?
"Loki,"she pleaded. "Think about what you're saying. It doesn't make sense."
He smiled at her tenderly. "I'm sorry. I know. I just- I can't explain it." He turned to Odin. "How do we...get there?"
"The Bifrost," Odin answered, pleased that Loki finally seemed ready. "Heimdall will open it for us."
"Bifrost...?" Loki asked, the name clicking somewhere in his mind. He'd heard that before...
The sound of little feet drew him from his thoughts. Turning around he saw that Nathan had run out into the living room and stood staring at Odin and his clothes in awe.
"Who are you?" Nathan asked with the bold curiosity of a child as he sucked his thumb. It was a bad habit that Darcy had been trying to get him to break because she'd heard it screwed up your teeth- at the moment though it just served to emphasize how young he was.
Loki vowed silently to himself that he would be back in a couple days. He really didn't want to leave, but he needed to know why he'd been feeling so strange and what was going on, and the only way to do that was to go with Odin.
Odin raised his brows and sighed. "So you too," he said to Loki. Then both his sons had mortal children. Perfect.
"That's daddy's daddy," Darcy said, scooping Nate up into her arms in an unconscious and futile desire to shield him from these strange, new developments. Nathan was pleased that he wasn't being yelled at, because he was supposed to be in a time-out.
"Daddy's going to go on a short," she emphasized 'short' sharply, and Loki nodded affirmation, "vacation with him and Uncle Thor."
Nathan frowned, sulking. His dad was gone enough as it was! "Daddy! No." He blinked his big brown eyes up at Loki, willing him not to go.
"Sorry, kiddo," Loki said, smiling regretfully. He'd really miss them both. It would be fine though- he'd see them soon.
"Fine," Nathan said mulishly. "Then I'm coming with you."
Loki chuckled. He ruffled Nathan's hair and kissed his cheek. "Another time," he told him. He and Darcy looked at each other for a long moment, and Loki wished so badly that he could explain just how much he needed this, because he could see that she just didn't understand- and he couldn't blame her. He knew it sounded crazy. He still didn't really even believe it would actually work. Seriously, he was waiting for some guy called 'Heimdall' to- what? Beam them up, or something? It was ludicrous.
He looked at Odin though, letting him know he was ready, and Odin glanced up at their ceiling. "Heimdall? Now."
He felt a slight wave of nausea as the room, with Darcy and Nathan, shimmered away and was replaced by a large, gold, circular room that was quite obviously like nothing found on earth.
The nausea passed quickly, leaving him in awe of his surroundings. It was an intimidating room. You could feel the power in it, and the history.
The walls were covered in intricate golden carvings that told a story that he couldn't quite follow, and the floor was made of tiles with black patterns on them that could have been a language of some sort. The patterns on the tiles moved, swirling around on the floor as if alive.
Loki was struck with a sense of Deja-vu. He knew that he had been here before, though he couldn't remember when.
A great black man in golden armor stood in the center of the room on a raised dais that held a sphere of white light resembling a lightning bolt. It crackled from side to side, and Loki knew instinctively that it was what had brought them here. It must be the Bifrost- working much like the theory behind the Einstein-Rosen Bridge that he'd been researching and studying for years.
The coincidence was pretty astounding, so much so that Loki doubted it could be coincidence- making him even more confused about just what the hell was going on.
Thor was unfazed by this, presumably having just done it recently. Loki wondered why Odin would have brought Thor back alone in the first place if time was so urgent (though why there was so little time remained a mystery), and why he hadn't just brought them both at the same time as he was doing now.
"Thank you Heimdall," Odin said to the big man. "That will be all." The man nodded once and backed out of the room, the huge, ornate door shutting heavily on his way out. Odin turned to the boys. "Come here, Loki," he said. "I will return your memories. You shall be as you once were."
Well, when phrased like that, Loki wasn't so sure he wanted to get his memories back. He liked who he was. He had a good life. What if he didn't like who he'd used to be? But it really wasn't even a choice- if he could learn more about why he felt so strangely, like their was something under his skin straining to be free, then he would know what it was.
He stepped forward and Odin touched his scepter to Loki's heart. Instantly memories assailed him, the past two hundred years coming rushing at him all at once, and his immortality settling firmly in place once more.
And the power...his magic swarmed through him and he welcomed it like a long lost friend, almost sighing with relief that it was back, his eyes sliding closed.
After a moment, Odin stepped back, the weight of the scepter leaving his chest, and Loki opened his eyes as he felt them flash red and then back to blue. He remembered everything now.
Darcy stared in shock as Loki, Thor, and Odin all vanished right in front of her. They had actually vanished. How was that even possible!? She forced herself not to freak out too visibly, because she didn't want to set Nathan off, but she was pretty blown away.
In her arms, Nathan blinked in confusion and frowned. "Daddy's on vacation then?" he asked.
Darcy took a deep breath and tried for a bright smile. She wasn't sure how close she got. "That's right Nate. Don't worry, he'll be back soon. Let's go see Jane, yeah? And see the boys?" She figured that if Thor was in on this whole thing too, then Jane had to be. And she had a lot of questions. She just hoped Jane had answers.
"Okay," Nathan said, easily accepting this and sliding out of her arms. "Can I bring my race-car? I want to show them how fast it goes."
Normally she wouldn't let him take his toys out and he knew it, because they would inevitably get lost, so it was a bit cheeky of him to ask. But today? Today she was just glad that he was dealing with this so well. It was amazing (and terrifying) how naïve and trusting children were.
"Sure, honey," she said, ruffling his hair and biting her lip. "Go find your shoes and get it. Mommy wants to leave in a few minutes."
He nodded, running off and shouting about "The fastest race-car that ever lived!"
Darcy got herself some water and leaned against the counter, scrubbing a hand over her face. This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen in real life.
Taking a deep breath, she called Jane's cellphone. It rang for a long time and Darcy started worrying that Jane wasn't around, but she picked up finally.
"Darcy?" she said. There was noise in the background. "Boys! Put that down! Thank you...Sorry, Darcy. Just the usual shenanigans over here. But what's up? Has Thor been to see you?"
"Yeah," Darcy said. "You could say that. Loki and him just...left. I don't understand, Jane. They vanished. How is that even possible?"
Jane sighed commiseratingly through the phone. "Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. Come on over- I'm putting some tea on. This could take a while."