Thor's shoulders slumped at their father's admonition, his hammer lowering in defeat. Any other time it would have amused Loki to see his brother so chastened, but the look on Odin's face promised severe punishment – for all of them.

Laufey summoned ice beneath his feet, raising himself up to meet Odin face to face.

"Allfather…you look weary."

It was meant as an insult, but Loki was shocked to see just how true the words were. Odin looked exhausted and out of breath, almost frail. How long had it been since he had rested?

"Laufey, end this now."

"Your boy sought this out," the jotun replied, looking at Odin with undisguised scorn. It was clear he didn't care who the perpetrator was – all of Asgard would all be blamed equally for what had happened.

"You're right. These are the actions of a boy; treat them as such. You and I can end this now, right here, before there is further bloodshed."

Thor never took his eyes off his father. Standing just behind him, Loki could see his body trembling with pent up rage, his continued need for revenge at odds with his subservience to his father.

Laufey regarded Odin indignantly. "We are beyond diplomacy now, Allfather. He'll get what he came for - war…and death."

"So be it."

Laufey raised his hand to strike, a dagger of ice conjured in his palm, but before he could land a blow Odin raised Gungnir, a blast of power radiating from the end of the spear. It knocked the jotun king back just long enough for Heimdall to open the Bifröst once again, pulling their group up and away to the safety of Asgard.

The wind in the void was merciless, and Loki wondered idly how he could extricate himself from the situation once they landed, but before he could form any sort of decent plan they were once again in the Observatory. It already seemed a lifetime ago that they had been here, leaving for Jotunheim.

"Why did you bring us back?" yelled Thor. Unsurprisingly, even with death staring them in the face, he felt they had been winning.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started?"

"I was protecting my home-"

"You cannot even protect your friends – how can you hope to protect the kingdom?!" Odin turned to Volstagg, who still held Fandral across his shoulder. "Get him to the healing room – now!"

The Warriors Three and Sif retreated at once, all too happy to leave the sons of Odin to his wrath. Loki knew better than to try and join them. Whatever his father's punishment, he would be required to face it alongside his brother.

He stood at the side of the room, silently watching as Odin continued to berate Thor, who was obstinately giving back as much as he was getting. Loki had waited ages for this, to see Thor torn down bit by bit – by their father, no less – but now that it was happening, it felt like a hollow victory. It should never have taken this much to see he wasn't ready, Father. You have always been blinded in the glow of your favored son.

Thor had finally reached his breaking point, their father having insulted him one too many times – a vain, greedy, cruel BOY – and roared back "You are an old man and a fool!"

The atmosphere in the room changed immediately, all of the fight and venom in Odin's words evaporating in the ensuing stillness. He looked down at the floor, and when he spoke again, it was nearly a whisper.

"Yes. I was a fool to think you were ready."

The change in the air was palpable, and Loki felt compelled to do something, anything. No matter how badly he wanted his brother's humiliation, he never intended it to go this far. He moved closer, speaking before he could even form a plan of what to say. "Father-"

Odin whirled on him, an unintelligible growl escaping his lips as he jabbed a finger his direction, silencing him before he could say another word. Loki stopped short, an overwhelming sense of self-preservation causing him to nearly trip over himself to shrink back, to be invisible once more.

His father turned back in Thor's direction, his jaw set in a hard line. "Thor Odinson. You have betrayed the express command of your king," he said, his voice cracking with a sadness Loki never imagined he would hear from him. "Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war."

The last word was punctuated by the crash of Gungnir as Odin slammed it into the Observatory mechanism, the branches of Yggdrasil lighting up the room once more. Loki stared in stunned silence, barely able to comprehend what was happening. Odin descended the steps to Thor's side and began ripping Thor's armor apart, piece by piece, the metal sizzling under Odin's hand as he removed the magic keeping it in place.

"You are unworthy of these realms. You are unworthy of your title! You are UNWORTHY…of the loved ones you have betrayed."

Thor stared back at their father, his realization of just how dire his situation was finally settling into his features. Loki couldn't remember a time when Thor had looked so young and fragile – strong, confident, mighty Thor – and he was shocked at how unsettled he was to witness it.

Odin looked Thor square in the eye, as though he was hoping to find regret in his face, but Thor just stared back, unable even in that moment to repent for his actions. With a sigh, Odin retreated back up the steps.

"I now take from you, your power!" he said, calling Mjölnir to his waiting hand. "In the name of my father, and his father before" – the remains of Thor's armor dissolved at his words – "I, Odin Allfather, CAST YOU OUT!"

A bolt of lightning from the end of Mjolnir, and Thor was thrown up and back, his limbs scrabbling for purchase as the Bifrost carried him away in a flash of light. Loki ran toward the opening, looking for a sign of his brother but taking care to stay far enough to the side to avoid being carried away as well. He caught movement just before Mjolnir whizzed past his head, disappearing into the void just behind his brother.

He stood rooted to the spot, his head buzzing in disbelief. Turning back to Odin, he watched as he removed Gungnir from the mechanism, the Observatory slowly coming to a complete stop. He wanted to speak, but he could barely draw breath.

"You sent the messenger to me. Why not come yourself, if you were so concerned?"

"There was no time, Father. I thought you would get word and arrive before-"

"I had hoped that as king, Thor's greatest asset would be you as his advisor," said Odin, his gaze fierce. "And yet, now I see I was mistaken in that as well. You cannot advise someone whose anger and retribution you fear."

Loki took in a sharp breath. "I don't fear-"

"You cannot hesitate to make difficult decisions, Loki. You were all nearly killed today – if that guard had arrived even a moment later…" He allowed his words to trail off with a shake of his head.

Loki swallowed thickly. "Where have you sent him, Father?"

"To Midgard, the one realm where he may have a hope of survival without his powers." Odin descended the stairs once more, retreating toward the Observatory entrance.

Loki started to follow him, when a flash of a memory flitted through his mind. His arm, blue beneath the touch of the jotun. If anyone could explain what had happened, it was his father.

"Wait, Father, I need to know-"

"Not now," said Odin over his shoulder. "I need to think on what has happened…alone." He didn't even slow as he walked, brushing past Heimdall and mounting Sleipnir where he waited for him. He spurred the horse back down the Bifröst as quickly as he could, leaving Loki to return to the palace in uneasy solitude.

Sigyn sat in Loki's chambers, trying to ignore the oppressive silence and her rumbling stomach as she waited for her mother to return. It was taking much too long, and she had just about decided to try leaving the room once again when she caught the sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor. The door swung in, and her mother's face peeked around the edge. She was flushed and out of breath.

"Sigyn, come quickly! The servants in the kitchens were talking of someone being taken to the healing room earlier – and I thought I heard Prince Loki's name mentioned-"

"What?" Sigyn jumped from her seat. "How long ago?"

"I'm not sure, darling," she said, waving Sigyn toward the door. "Come now!"

Sigyn bolted across the room, only to be stopped once again by the guards at the door. She'd had enough, her frustration bubbling over into white hot rage.

"If Loki is injured and you're keeping me from him," she said, hissing through her teeth, "I will see to it the only duty you have for the next ten years is to shovel out the royal stables. Now move!"

Dagmar gasped at her boldness, and the guards hesitated just long enough for her to slip past them and break into a run before they could stop her. They were larger than her, but their heavy armor put them at a severe disadvantage in a foot race. She left her mother behind as well, needing nothing more than to find Loki safe and uninjured.

Loki went directly to the healing room upon his arrival at the palace. Sigyn was safe in his chambers; he wanted to be sure Fandral's injuries had been cared for before he went to her. With Thor's banishment, the rest of Loki's plans were on hold indefinitely. He wasn't ready to face her disappointment, not yet.

He arrived just as the healer was leaving. Fandral was reclining on a couch amongst the others, his chest completely free of any injury. They all turned to Loki as he entered, but Sif was the first to speak.

"Loki! What happened after we left?" She looked past him to the door. "Where is Thor?"

He was shocked the news hadn't reached them yet. He took a deep breath. "Thor has been banished from the kingdom for his actions. Father stripped him of his powers and sent him to Midgard."

Sif's eyes grew wide. "Banished?"

"Yes. And we should all count ourselves lucky to have been spared the same fate."

Loki stood to the side, letting his announcement settle over the room like a heavy blanket. Volstagg finally broke the silence.

"We should never have let him go."

"There was no stopping him," said Sif.

"At least he's only banished and not dead – which is what we'd all be if that guard hadn't told Odin where we'd gone," said Fandral. For once, he seemed to have the most sense of all of them.

Volstagg hissed as Hogun rubbed a salve onto his frostbitten arm. "How did the guard even know?"

Loki spoke up. "I told him."

Everyone turned to him in shock. "What?" asked Fandral.

"I told him to go to Odin after we'd left. He should be flogged for taking so long – we should never have reached Jotunheim."

"You told the guard?" asked Volstagg, incredulous.

"I saved our lives – and Thor's," said Loki. You should all be grateful to me, and still your only concern is Thor. "I had no idea Father would banish him for what he did-"

"Loki," said Sif, jumping from her seat. "You must go to the Allfather and convince him to change his mind-"

"And if I do, then what?" Loki knew he shouldn't have been surprised at the level of devotion they were showing to Thor, but it still angered him. "I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is. He's arrogant, he's reckless, he's dangerous. You saw how he was today…is that what Asgard needs from its king?"

He didn't wait for an answer, turning on his heels and storming off toward the door. He wasn't quite clear of the room when he heard Sif's voice, full of venom.

"He may speak of the good of Asgard, but he's always been jealous of Thor."

The door shut behind him, cutting off whatever else the others may have said in response. He stood in the hallway, rubbing his temple and willing his anger to subside. Fools, all of them.

He brought his left hand down from his head, staring at it as if seeing it for the first time. He turned it back and forth, tracing over it with his other hand, confused but unable to explain what had happened on Jotunheim. His father had been unwilling to listen to him – but perhaps he could get his answers elsewhere. He hesitated only a moment, suddenly desperate for Sigyn's warmth and comfort, but she would need to wait a bit longer. He turned the other direction, heading to the weapons vault instead.

Sigyn burst through the doors of the healing room, counting the heads quickly and coming up short by two.

"Loki?" she asked, looking around in confusion. "Is he alright?"

"You've just missed him," said Fandral. "I assumed he went to find you. To tell you what happened."

"What happened?" She clutched the neckline of her dress, out of breath and panicked, suddenly realizing who else was missing. "Thor…oh, no – has something happened to Thor?"

The men all looked to Sif where she stood, waiting for her to explain. "Thor has been banished to Midgard." She looked at Sigyn with a mixture of anger and pity. "Loki refuses to speak to the Allfather about it, to help bring him back."

"What? Why not?" Thor had nearly been crowned king just that morning, and now he'd been banished? It didn't make any sense.

"Who knows what motivates Loki to take action or not," said Sif, in a tone that implied she had an idea, but she wasn't about to share it with the woman Loki slept with every night. "Perhaps you can talk some sense into him."

"You give me far too much credit. I don't hold as much influence over him as you think."

"And you are being entirely too modest," said Sif. She approached Sigyn, who was shocked to see genuine sadness on the warrior's face. "Loki listens to you. Please, if you love him as I love Thor…then you must know I would do anything for his return."

Sigyn lowered her gaze, unable to face the fear and worry in Sif's eyes. "I…I will do what I can."

The vault had been carefully cleaned and restored; not a trace of the jotun attack remained. Everything looked deceptively normal. Loki could almost convince himself that nothing had changed, that Thor was happily settling into the throne instead of suffering alone and powerless on Midgard – but the image of his brother being stripped of his armor was still too fresh.

His father's words echoed in his mind. You cannot hesitate to make difficult decisions, Loki. With Thor gone, he was being given a chance to prove his value, to show everyone just how much they had underestimated his powers. But first, he needed answers.

He approached the Casket quickly. Reaching out to it, his arms felt heavy, a sense of dread filling his heart and spreading out into his entire body. His breath was too fast, his hands too shaky, but before he could completely lose his nerve, he grasped the handles on the ends.

At once, a preternatural calm settled over him, and he knew. The blue glow traveled up his fingers, and he could feel it in his arms, his torso, every covered and uncovered part of his body – lifting a burden he'd never known he was carrying. It was as if the Casket was an extension of himself, communicating with him in a language he shouldn't understand – ice, cold, pain, power, power, POWER-

"Stop!"

Odin's voice cut through the fog. He hadn't even heard him enter the vault.

"Am I cursed?" Please, say yes. Lie if you must, but say yes. I can't bear the alternative.

"No."

"What am I?"

"You're my son," said Odin, as though that was answer enough.

"What more than that?" he asked, returning the Casket to its stand and feeling the prickle on his skin as the blue faded away. He turned to face the man he had been raised to love and fear in equal measures, the man whose approval he had fruitlessly sought above anyone else, the man he called father. Odin stood on the vault steps, and even as Loki approached him, the distance between them felt immeasurable.

"The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"

"No." The word was barely audible, but with it, any remaining hope Loki held dissolved away. He stopped at the foot of the steps, waiting for Odin to continue.

"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." A heavy sigh. "Laufey's son."

It took all of Loki's strength to remain standing on his suddenly weak legs. "Laufey's son?"

"Yes."

"Why? You were knee-deep in jotun blood…why would you take me?" Leaving me to die would have been less cruel than this.

"You were an innocent child-"

"No…you took me for a purpose. What was it?"

Silence, immense and infuriating.

"Tell me!"

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace…through you."

"What?" Born to be a king, you said. But not of Asgard.

"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?"

"Why do you twist my words-"

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?"

"You're my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."

Protect me from the truth? "What…that I-I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?"

Rage, uncontrolled and overwhelming, rose up in Loki, and he could taste bile in the back of his throat. He advanced up the stairs, barely aware that Odin had fallen back and was reaching out to him with a single shaking hand.

"It all makes sense now – why you favored Thor all these years! Because no matter how much you claimed to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard."

Loki leaned over his father's limp body – he's not your father, not really your father – the slow, deep breaths indicating he had fallen into Odinsleep.

They were totally alone in the vault, Odin completely at his mercy, and for one fleeting moment Loki imagined how easy it would be to smother him where he lay – usurper, traitor, TYRANT – but before he could act, an image of his mother's face, devastated and grief stricken, stayed his hand. He grasped Odin's arm instead, calling for the guards outside the vault. They rushed in, gently lifting Odin up and carrying him away without a word, Loki trailing behind like a lost child.