Odin stood before the shattered throne, lost in years of thought. He had given his life to this seat, as all good kings were expected to do, at the expense of his familial ties. Was this how the old rulers wiled away their last breaths, standing before their legacy and wondering where they went wrong? He should not have taken Loki as a baby. Every child born after the crown prince was expected to live their lives for diplomatic reasons; Loki somehow knew he was not meant for anything else but the crown. No matter Odin's attempts, Loki would not sit by to while away as the time came for Thor to ascend. It was centuries too late, now. If he could have gone back and done it all again, he would have left the child to starve in the temple. Baldur would still be alive, then, and maybe Frigga.
A guard approached the All-Father as quietly as he could. "Forgive me, my liege," he spoke. "I have returned from the Dark World with news."
Odin turned slightly. He did not like the tone in this soldier's voice. "Thor?" he asked, suspecting the worst.
The guard shook his head. "There was no sign of Thor, or the weapon, but. . ." He dared step closer to the throne.
"What?" Odin demanded, face gaunt and tired.
"We found a body." The guard lowered his head.
Odin's good eye drifted away from the servant. "Loki," he whispered.
The guard looked up through his eyelashes, an apologetic smile on his face.
The All-Father bid his servant leave. As soon as the guard was gone, Odin summoned Heimdall. The gatekeeper and overseer was quickly at his king's side. He helped the old man to his chambers.
"Heimdall, I expect you to take the throne until Thor returns."
"My King, why not Tyr? My treason does not favor the title." Heimdall asked.
"Nevermind your crime," Odin sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Tyr is a war general, and, while it may be necessary. . ." He shook his head. "Thor and Tyr do not agree on costs."
Heimdall might have smiled. "You have faith in your son that he will stop Malekith and recover the Aether."
"It is not I who demands faith, but my Queen." Odin then summoned the council of elders, who presented Gungnir to Heimdall just as they once did to Loki. After the brief bestowing was over, Odin rested against his pillows and fell into the Odinsleep.
While Thor battled Malekith across the Convergence, Heimdall sent a transmission to the leaders of living realms. (Midgard was graciously overlooked, the battle being fought mostly on their ground.)
"Malekith, the ruler of the Dark World, has returned. While we are doing our best to stop him, the Convergence transports the battle without warning. Many of you have already seen such actions. Malekith and Thor Odinson could be battling at your feet at any moment. The dark elf intends to destroy all realms. Request that your citizens take immediate shelter. Gather your soldiers and prepare for battle."
He then did his best to protect the Asgardian people. The civilians were ushered out of the city, where they laid in wait inside the mountains. The dwarves of old Nornheim constructed these caverns ten thousand years ago, should Asgard ever be in peril again. Heimdall was thankful for the old Norns' kindness. Once they were safe, Heimdall gathered what soldiers were left into the great hall, where they sat in wait. With the Tesseract, he rebuilt the throne, the pillars, and several walls. It would take time to go around the city to rebuild other structures, but for now, he could at least do this much.
And then a portal opened up over the sea.
Black tendrils extended from the sky, searching for anything to destroy. They fell heavily upon the newly built observatory, Heimdall's home, and ate up its years of life. In moments, the building was black and brittle and crumbling away. 'Again,' he thought with dismay. The temporary king retreated to the weapons vault, where he stowed away the Tesseract. One lonesome guard watched him cautiously, unsure of what to make of Heimdall's presence.
"Only the king is allowed down here," he said, moving to block Heimdall's approach.
"I am the king," Heimdall responded, "and to your ears, it does not come as a shock. Am I incorrect, Loki?"
The guard gave a grin and revealed his face, though staying in costume. "Alas," he sighed, "I cannot stay hidden for long."
Heimdall brushed past him and returned the Tesseract to its place. Loki came beside him, stood quietly by the rock. It pulsed slowly. "Your brother thinks you dead," said Heimdall.
"I know," Loki answered. "I brought back my own body. I think, once Thor is through rampaging across the worlds, I'll take the Tesseract and bid myself leave."
Heimdall turned to face him. "I cannot allow you to take the cube. I will, however, allow your departure."
Loki narrowed his eyes. "Heimdall, even with all your great wisdom and powerful sight, you cannot fathom the information I have. I strongly recommend giving me the cube. I could save trillions of lives."
"'Could'," Heimdall repeated voice low. "Yet the possibility of that outcome is a fraction of a percent. I cannot risk you losing this weapon to an enemy."
Loki gritted his teeth. "Are those not the same words Odin spoke to Thor? I understand that you intend to rule as well as you can for the next few hours, but know this: my death cannot and will not stop the Ragnarök. Thanos travels in the shadows of all realms, observing the devastation. He has taken control of the prophecy and will do everything in his power to destroy us all. You know he can, Heimdall. He seeks the infinity stones, and with each passing moment, he grows stronger. I can take the Tesseract and disappear. It will be kept safe in my possession. Thanos will not find me. The time I spent in his 'care' taught me everything about him. He is blinded by his love for Death. He will kill everything for her, including himself when the time comes. We just have to hold off until then. Until Death takes him. After that, you can take the cube back and I will stay gone. And everything will be like it's supposed to."
Heimdall was quiet.
"Do you consent?" Loki whispered curtly.
"Malekith is defeated. Your brother calls to summon his allies."
Loki scowled. "Did you listen to me at all?"
"Cloak yourself in Odin's garb. When he returns, Thor will request a council with the King in response to his actions. No one knows Odin is retired yet." And Heimdall left the vault to return to the Bifrost, decaying though not unusable.
Several hours later, Thor finally came to Asgard. Loki cursed under his breath, hobbling his way to the throne under Odin's disguise. The armor was heavy, the eye patch, a nuisance. Even magic had weight. He sat, a borrowed Gungnir held tight in his fist. Heimdall brought Thor to the palace, then stepped away to the shadows of the court.
Thor knelt before the throne, bowing his head. He was quietly surprised to see the hall rebuilt so quickly. "Father, I have come to face the charges for the treason I have committed against you."
It was silent for a tense moment as Odin rubbed his chin. "What news have you of Malekith and the Dark World?"
Thor swallowed. "Malekith is dead. Svartalfheim is silent and Midgard is safe, as are the rest of the realms."
"And the weapon?"
"Jane is. . ." Thor shook his head. "The Aether is contained. Volstaag and Lady Sif have locked it away. They travel to Vanaheim now, seeking out the Collector under my orders. He is an ally we can trust."
The All-Father stood. "You once said there would never be a wiser king than me. You were wrong. The alignment has brought all the realms together. Every one of them saw you offer your life to save them. What can Asgard offer its new king in return?"
"My life," Thor responded after a moment's hesitation. He stood as well. "Father, I cannot be king of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the nine realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair. Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice. It changes you. I'd rather be a good man than a great king."
"Is this my son I hear, or the woman he loves?" Odin questioned.
"When you speak, do I never hear Mother's voice?" the golden haired prince chuckled.
Odin sighed, remembering the late Queen.
"This is not for Jane, Father," Thor assured. "She does not know what I came here to say." Odin sat heavily upon the throne. "Now, forbid me to see her, or say she can rule at my side, it changes nothing."
"One son who wanted the throne too much," Odin interrupted, "another who will not take it. Is this my legacy?"
"Loki died with honor," Thor said proudly. "I shall try to live the same. Is that not legacy enough?" Odin nodded, eyes downcast. Thor offered Mjølnir to his father.
Odin held up his hand in refusal. "It belongs to you, if you are worthy of it," he smiled.
"I shall try to be," Thor promised.
Odin sobered. "I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good fortune."
Thor nodded. "I know." He bowed and turned to leave.
"If I were proud of the man my son had become," Odin continued, "even that I could not say. It would speak only from my heart. Go, my son."
"Thank you, Father," Thor smiled, and left the hall.
"No," Odin whispered after a while. The magic faded away, revealing a smirking Loki. "Thank you."
Heimdall came forth from the shadows. "Is it wise to reveal yourself, when anyone could be watching?"
"Where has he gone?" Loki asked, returning Gungnir. "He cannot travel back to Midgard without you. His friends are all off-realm. He has no reason to stay here, yet he wanders off like lumbering livestock."
Heimdall might have smiled. "I told him they brought back your body. He has gone to offer help in preparation for carving your longboat." Loki winced. "You are welcome to stay the night and watch the procession. You did not get to participate in Frigga's sendoff."
"Thor will expect his father to speak for me. I cannot speak for myself. I will take the cube and go. Tell him after I leave that Odin has since fallen into the Odinsleep with the relief that Malekith's short reign of terror is over." Loki ran a hand though his matted hair.
Heimdall heaved a long sigh. "Relax and bathe. Gather your necessities. I must tend to the people, and then I will fetch you the cube."
"I can obtain it without you," Loki suggested.
Heimdall denied him quickly.
҉
Loki bathed in the mineral pool in silence. It felt nice to bathe again, after the last four nights. Even while in the dungeons he was allowed to bathe, but not like this. The only light over the bath was weak, from the stars outside the great window. In the glow, he counted his scars.
The oldest, the bilgesnipe bite, still took up most of his left side. The jagged marks radiated from the ball of his shoulder, around his collarbone and neck. A gouge wound on the back of his right calf was Sif's mark, a training 'accident'. No doubt payback for her hair. Fresher scars acquired from the Chitauri torture ran from his jugular down to the bottom of his ribs. Pockmarks littered his torso from the flogging, front and back. On his lips, razor thin lines from the muzzle. Two lines, identical in length and width, hovered over his heart. One from the scepter. One from the sword.
He ducked under the water, scrubbing at the white scars on his chest. They would never wash off, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps, with enough magic, he could heal them away. He came up for air. His skin glowed just as white as the mineral water. He saw only a shadow of himself in his reflection. His hair, his eyes, his mouth. In the darkness of the room, he looked like a ghost, a living corpse. And he was.
He removed himself from the bath, dried off, dressed, cloaked himself in magic. Invisibility was a child's trick to him now, though he did remember a time when he boasted it proudly. He attended the funeral ceremony in time to see the lighting of the pyres. One longboat led the rest, supposedly Loki's body. His upper lip curled in disgust; that atrocious guard had not earned such an honor. In only four days since Frigga's funeral, Asgard saw another fleet of ships fall away into nothingness to be delivered to the stars. The citizens sent up lantern orbs, white-blue balls of cool fire, each to symbolize a family that mourned a death.
When Loki was quite through with observing, he made his way down several streets. A young child followed him, hidden in a red cape. When Loki walked, she walked. When Loki stopped, she stopped. It unnerved him. The girl pulled back her hood and stared into the nothingness that was his soul. "Will you stop the war?" she asked. Loki saw that her eyes were clouded. She was blind. "Will you stop the war?" she asked again. "Our tribe has come to Odin with visions before. My clan is dying to help you hold off the Ragnarök. Will you stop the war?"
"Are you one of hers?" Loki hissed, still hidden under his own spell. It would not have mattered, if the girl was truly blind. It was not so difficult to conjure up a trick like that.
The girl shook her head. "She awaits you. Look to her for help. She will summon Lady Death when the time is right. Be careful, Prince. Thanos searches for you. He yearns for you. He attempts to watch through our eyes."
"Possession?" he asked cautiously. His skin prickled to realize the girl had likely blinded herself.
The girl nodded. "I am one of the last. Stop the war. Save us." She collapsed.
Loki did not have to near the child to know she was dead.
An hour later, Loki and Heimdall met before Odin's bed. The temporary king removed a parcel from under his arm. The cube was swathed in rags to hide the glow. "Convince me before the All-Father to give you the cube," he murmured.
Loki clenched his fists, glaring down at Odin.
"I intend to stop the fear that grips you all. The Ragnarök is in motion. Thanos is biding his time, searching for more power. He will destroy us in one bloody war for the sake of his beloved Death. I will take the cube and run, stay in hiding for the rest of eternity so long as Thanos is still alive. Of all the weapons in the universe, he seeks the Tesseract above all. That was his original plan two years ago. I doubt much has changed. When he threatens murder in exchange for my whereabouts, because he will, I will reveal myself long enough for him to try to track me. I will prove to you once and for all that I am worthy of a throne, and you cannot stop me from receiving it. I am meant to be a king. I will do my duty, bloody and inglorious as it may be."
He looked up, a wry smile curling his lips. "Was that enough to convince you?"
Heimdall awarded him the cube. Loki bid farewell and disappeared, using the Tesseract as his portal. The temporary king did his best to keep watch of the raven haired prince, but it would not take long to find that his actions were shrouded. Why should he be different in this secrecy?
Thor spent the next morning in his brother's bed chambers. The place had been left untouched since Loki's fall from the Bifrost. No maids came to clean as per Thor's request. Nothing was out of place, except some assorted books that Frigga had taken to the dungeons for Loki's pleasure. There was something different about this room after Loki's death. Uninhabited before, abandoned now. Would they seal it off like a tomb, or clear it out and rid the palace of Loki's memory? The golden haired prince could not stay for more than a few minutes. The pain was unbearable.
He removed himself from Loki's chambers and sought out his father. He went to the old king's side and sat for a few hours, lost in thought. Odin had given him permission to stay on Midgard. From what Heimdall made it seem last night, the king collapsed moments later, leaving Heimdall in charge during Thor's absence. The golden haired prince sighed, patted his father's hand, and stood.
"Leaving so soon?" asked the gatekeeper and overseer. How long had he been standing by the door? "Why not partake in the feast?"
Thor shook his head. "A feast to boast Malekith's death without either of my brothers, my mother, or my father? I think not."
Heimdall nodded. "Your mortal waits for you."
Thor looked down at Odin briefly. "I do not think it is wise to speak of her in his presence."
The overseer might have smiled. "He does not hate her as much as you think."
They went to the brittle observatory, where they made their final preparations.
"If anything happens that requires my immediate presence, let me know. I will be of aid, as I promised to the All-Father."
"I will do my best. However, when your father awakens, you will be required to come to Asgard," Heimdall noted.
Thor nodded. The gatekeeper and overseer powered up the Bifrost, and then Thor was gone.
The golden haired prince arrived on the balcony of Jane's new living quarters. Thunder crackled in an otherwise clear sky, and through the window, she saw a great beam of light. Jane practically jumped from the table to greet him. She never smiled brighter than in that moment. As soon as the Bifrost was shut, they drew close and shared a deep kiss.
"Aw!" Darcy cooed from the window. Selvig and Ian clapped. The couple parted, Jane blushing, Thor grinning in amusement.
They invited him inside, offering him coffee. Thor gratefully accepted.
"So did everything go alright with your dad? I mean, he's not mad or anything, right? If you're here?" Jane stumbled out, falling over her words.
Thor nodded. "He was proud of me, despite disobeying. He has given me leave for a while to stay Midgard. He fell into the Odinsleep almost immediately after, giving the throne to Heimdall to take care of while I am here."
"What's the 'Odinsleep'?" Ian asked, sitting across from them.
"My father uses magic to protect many things, and it puts a great strain on him," Thor explained. "On occasion, and especially after stressful times, he falls into what we call the Odinsleep, a period of deep rest taken to replenish his strength. It can last anywhere from a few days to a few years."
Darcy whistled, coming to sit beside Ian. "Sleeping Beauty much?" she chuckled.
Thor frowned in thought, unsure of her comment.
Selvig grinned. "How long are you in town for? I wouldn't mind taking another drink with you, down at the bars."
Thor returned the smile, taking Jane's hand. "I will be here for as long as I can."
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25.4.14