Chapter 17: Everything is Painted Gray

JÖTUNHEIM

Charles sat, warming Loki's hands by the campfire while Sif slept on the other side. The blue, patterned skin had been chased away by the heat of the flames, causing his deceptively human-like hands to grow pink at the fingertips. Charles could feel that he was getting a bit on the warmer side, and idly wondered whether it was only jötuns who didn't perspire, or if no Asgardians did. If so, it was amazing that they didn't faint more often. They sweat. It's disgusting, Loki informed him.

You're back, Charles greeted with a smile.

This is my body. I have not returned for your benefit.

"Still cross, then," Charles acknowledged under his breath. Sif jerked awake.

"Parasite," she greeted, meeting his eyes through the flickering flames.

Charles sighed. It seemed that nobody liked him this morning. "I wish that you would stop calling me that," he told Sif gently. "We don't need to be enemies."

"How do you intend to escape this place?" she interrogated, ignoring his attempt at peacemaking.

"I don't know. That passage is the only one that I know of in this realm. I don't think that Loki came here more than maybe two or three times. He wasn't keen on venturing too far."

Loki scoffed.

I thought it best not to let her know about that particular journey, Charles explained in response to the contrary memory.

"That is because of the Frost Giants. We must leave this realm before they notice us," Sif stated, getting up to poke at the fire with her sword. "You are a fool to venture this far into their lands."

"You sound as if you don't like Jötuns any more than you like me."

Sif flashed him a savage look. "I have no cause to."

"Loki is Jötun too," Charles reminded her.

She averted her eyes, bothered by the valid point.

"There's a chance that the people here might prove to be-" Charles broke off in mid-sentence, looking towards the mouth of the cave with unfocused eyes.

Sif perked up, readying her sword. "What is it?"

Charles walked to the cave mouth and peered out at the barely visible figures in the distance. "We've got company."

Sif stood, extending both blades of her sword.

"Don't bother. There are seven of them, and I don't fight."

"You will if you want to live," Sif countered.

"No. We're on their land. We'll run and hide for as long as we can. I won't harm anyone, and neither will you," Charles commanded, blocking Sif's weapon with Loki's forearm.

You're mad, Loki remarked.

You don't disagree, Charles countered, stamping out the campfire.

Loki chuckled. That's hardly a contradiction.

"I am not a coward!" Sif protested.

"That's good to hear," Charles assured, as if it were an afterthought, making his way out of the tunnel.

You see what I have to put up with? Loki said of the warrior's bloodthirsty behavior. Sif lingered behind until they were a few meters away, and then gave in and ran to catch up. Loki's fingers were turning blue in the icy wind. Charles closed his eyes to finish the process but- No. Don't revert. Not yet.

"This chill is growing lethal. We won't get far," Sif shouted over the wind.

"We'll find someplace to hide," Charles shouted back. Why not?

The blizzard is white, among other no doubt obvious reasons, Loki explained with an air of condescension.

She's right; we won't last.

"Where?" Sif challenged.

Charles looked around then pointed up at a jagged outcropping half-hooded by the encroaching glacier. It wasn't much in the way of shelter, but it would cover her until the patrol passed. She gave him a narrow look, undoubtedly because it couldn't hide them both.

"Go," Charles urged. "I've got a plan." The wind was rapidly dying down again, giving Loki's plan a slim chance of success.

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

"There," Wanda announced out of the blue, leaning past the pilot's chair to point at an old building through the windscreen. Natasha nodded and began to take the hover down.

"Where is 'there?'" Tony asked, leaning in through the space between their seats to look.

Wanda once again indicated the old, colonial style house. Tony scoffed.

"That's kinda clichéd."

"It is where it is," Wanda replied, with a shrug. "We'll be able to enter on the second floor.

"I don't see anything."

"None of us do, Tony," Jane's voice trickled in from the back. "That's why Wanda's here."

"Why are you here, Son of Stark?" Thor challenged. He still hadn't quite gotten over his anger yet.

"Guilt," Wanda answered for the mechanic. "He's setting things right."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Maxwell."

Wanda smiled at him. "You're welcome, Mr. Stark."

Tony eyed the woman's Stepford smile with apprehension and backed out of the pilot's area.

The hover landed with a soft thump. "All right. We've got two Sentinels tracking, twenty clicks to the north. They'll have picked us up on sensors when we came in," Natasha informed the others as she flicked the last line of switches to power down the hover. "Our window of opportunity is closing rapidly. Let's move," she added, leading the way out through the back of the craft with Wanda close behind.

"We'll need someone to keep a lookout," Wanda suggested, preoccupied with the buttons of her coat.

"I'm on it," Tony said, putting on his helmet. Then he flew straight up into the sky to monitor from above.

Wanda led the way into the old house and upstairs without prompting, pulling on her mismatched wool gloves as she went. She stopped abruptly at the door to an old study to stare at the window, almost causing Thor to walk into her.

"Wanda?" Jane prompted.

"Wish me luck!" Wanda said and ran right through the study window, vanishing without a trace.

"Good luck," Jane said, belatedly. Thor pulled her in for a goodbye kiss.

"Farewell, Lady Jane. I will return to you as soon as we can."

"Come home safe, okay?" Jane replied, tracing his cheekbone with her finger, "Both of you."

"I will do my best." It was the most that Thor felt he could promise, given the varying lucidity of his impromptu travelling companion.

The couple stole one more quick kiss, then Thor vanished through the same hidden distortion that the Scarlet Witch had bounded into.

Jane looked at the deceptively ordinary window for a second before she set about placing and programing the equipment that she had brought to monitor the rift. There was an ominous crash from the direction of the stairs.

"Um. Guys. We've got a lot of trouble out here! I'm holding most of them off, but you two should really make a run for the hover," Tony reported over the comms.

Natasha pulled her gun out of its holster, and cocked it.

"I haven't even taken any readings yet," Jane lamented, sounding resigned.

"Stay behind me," Agent Romanoff instructed and headed for the door.

JÖTUNHEIM

The patrol was a group of six statuesque, spearbearers decked out in minimal, black leathers, and a seventh man with green detail over his shoulders and collar. He was much shorter than the others, but powerfully built. Even without any visible weaponry on his person, Charles knew instinctively that this one was the most dangerous in the group. The patrol passed by, barely even glancing in their direction. Charles held his breath anyway. I cannot believe that this is working, Loki observed. They were almost free when the commander of the group stopped and turned back toward the cave.

"Halt," he ordered, holding a hand up. He sampled the air near the cave mouth.

Is he sniffing for us? Charles thought incredulously. In this storm?

The Commander sniffed again, beginning to turn away from the cave. He knelt down and placed his hand over their hastily-concealed footprints.

This is more my sort of luck, Loki remarked. The Jötun followed an invisible trail with his eyes up the snow bank they were hiding in. His eyes locked with Loki's and the corners of his dark lips twitched upwards. Before anyone could react, Sif dropped out of her hiding place to fight the jötun patrol. She had managed to disarm two of them before Charles had gotten to his feet, and she would have killed at least one if the leader hadn't stepped in to incapacitate her. He didn't bother to fight her directly. Instead he drew the small crossbow off his belt, looking exasperated as he put a bolt through her leg.

"Do not try to get up," he cautioned, aiming the next bolt right between Sif's eyes. He looked to one of his uninjured men. "Take her weapon."

Sif glared stubbornly up at him, but then her gaze flicked to her traveling companion. The two jötuns closest to Loki had blades of ice pointed at his throat. Sif relinquished her sword. "The knife too," the Commander prompted and she begrudgingly allowed one of his men to retrieve it from her belt.

"I'm unarmed," Charles informed the warrior who was checking him over. The Commander raised an eyebrow at him and his claim went otherwise ignored.

"This one bears no weapons," the warrior reported a moment later.

"That one needs no weapons," the Commander corrected.

"Have we met before?" Charles asked with a sinking feeling in his gut.

The Commander shot him a Look.

"Sire?" One warrior questioned.

The jötun prince hesitated for a second, then commanded, "Knock hir out."

The last thing that Charles saw was Sif's look of utter surprise before the back of Loki's head erupted with pain and everything went black.

ASTRAL PLANE

Charles jerked upright on a massive, marble windowsill, running a hand through his hair. He had no idea how they were going to get out of this mess. Not to mention where exactly this was supposed to be. A wild forest stretched below intersected by a jagged, frozen cliff face. The sky was a foggy mix of lavender, turquoise and silver. Everything below was dusted with frost and snow. Whatever world this was, it was beautiful. Lord Loki sat down on the other end of the massive ledge, tucking his black-feathered cloak into the space between them while he waited. Charles wondered when he'd get to visit Erik again while he watched an elegant, grey raptor-type bird swoop over the forest in search of prey. His attention shifted to Lord Loki, who began taking his fine, leather gloves off with excessive precision. The double doors opposite them opened and an equally excited, vivid-blue boy burst into the room and tackled him in a hug.

"Agh! I missed you too, Baby Brother," Lord Loki chuckled out, patting the precocious child on the back.

"No, not anymore! There is a real baby now. Soon I will be your big brother too!"

"Oh? How do you figure that?" Lord Loki questioned, holding the boy out at arms length for a more thorough inspection.

His brother crossed his arms over his chest. He was already only a head shorter than Lord Loki's full height, even though he looked to be only about eleven years old by human standards.

"True enough, but you are still my little brother," Lord Loki decided.

"That makes no sense."

"I came first, so I win," Lord Loki concluded with a teasing grin.

Charles vacated his seat in the nick of time, and the young boy slouched into the open space.

"How long can you stay with us?"

"I was not given permission to leave Asgard this time, so technically..." Lord Loki saw his brother's shoulders beginning to slump and amended. "I will stay for as long as we want."

"He is taking you away from us."

"Come now," Lord Loki comforted, draping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Odin is my brother as well. He only wants what is best for me. I will make him understand in time."

"Soon he will keep you forever. I don't want to be the eldest," the boy said gravely. "I would have to take care of everybody. I can barely look after Byleistr."

"I am certain that mother will help with that," Lord Loki assured him with the hint of a smile.

His brother turned away and Charles saw a dark look cross his young face. "You have been gone for a long time."

"I know that," Lord Loki said and nudged his shoulder. "But I promise you, I will always return."

"You cannot make that oath," the boy said reasonably.

Loki held out his hand. "I already have."

JÖTUNHEIM

Loki regained consciousness at the feeling of two unfamiliar presences lingering nearby, and took stock of what he knew. Charles had taken control of his body in order to aid their escape. Sif had followed him, but she wasn't here now. Charles had retreated too far for Loki even to feel his presence without conscious effort. On the bright side, they weren't dead yet. He was lying on a smooth, cool surface, probably carved stone, and someone had changed his clothes while he was out. By the feel, His new attire was of very fine quality, even though it was made for a member of the third gender.

"Why must everyone undress me?" Loki inquired aloud, announcing his wakefulness.

The presence at the far end of the room let out an amused snort. "Mum did that. You were soaked in melted snow. Chilled you to the bone before we even reached home."

"We're in Laufey's castle?" Loki verified, opening his eyes to take in their dark, almost gothic surroundings. There was an ancient, jötun mage sitting on the edge of his carved slab running hir hands over Loki's chest, an inch away from touching him. The jötun prince who had led the patrol earlier was leaning against the wall watching them with his leather vest unbound, and his tattooed arms crossed over his bare chest. The ink seemed to trace over specific elements of his ridge patterns, as if to accentuate them.

"Don't be daft. We're in the royal temple."

Loki turned an incredulous stare on the Prince. "I blew that up," he contradicted, then realized what he'd just said and tensed. The old mage batted at his chest in chastisement for moving while ze was trying to heal him.

The Prince outright laughed at him. "You aren't serious."

"The bifrost. I let it build and..."

"Your aim is terrible."

Loki gawked and moved to sit up, but the mage shoved him back down, pinning him in place with implied reproach.

"You badly damaged the capitol, mostly the palace court. I was there," the Prince told him, sobering at the memory. "Why did you do that?"

Loki stared up at the ceiling, suddenly unable to face the others. "I don't see why it matters. I have done it. There is no excusing my actions."

"Yeah, but it is a bit... crude," the Prince floundered. His tone and affable demeanor were sending the godling for a loop. "You are a Trickster."

Loki squinted at him, trying to decipher what in Hel's name was going on. "Yes..."

"You do not typically obliterate people."

"You seem rather certain of that. Forgive me, your Highness, but I do not believe that we have met."

"I shall pardon your error, your Grace, but we really are quite familiar," the Prince replied, in a parody of Loki's formal manner. "I am your brother, Byleistr."

The breath caught in Loki's throat and his expression went perfectly blank. "I have no family here."

"You have a family, Lopt: two brothers and the usual parents. Or do you imagine that you simply budded from a scraggleweed like a will-o-the-wisp?"

"I killed King Laufey," Loki snapped, disregarding both the unfamiliar name and the mocking folktale reference.

"Why?" Byleistr asked loudly. At least this time he was reacting in a more predictable way.

"At the time, he was attempting to murder the Allfather. I made the wrong decision," Loki replied, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns carved into the stone around him.

"Oh. That makes more sense," Byleistr said calming down, although he still looked pretty upset.

"That does not mean that I regret it," Loki clarified. "He left me to die as an infant. You had your chance to be my family, and you abandoned me."

"Is that what he's been telling you? That we discarded you!? A little baby out in the cold, in a war zone!"

"Yes."

"That-" Byleistr stared at him for a beat, then did what amounted to a sort of enraged jig. Turning on the spot, he kicked at the shelf beside him, and slapped a torch down out of its housing. He then punched the wall behind him several times before turning and throwing a bolt of ice through the window behind Loki with a shatter of dark glass.

"With respect, Sire," the Mage objected, halting in hir ministrations.

"Leave," Byleistr dismissed and ze begrudgingly obeyed, hobbling out past him with the help of an ancient, crystal cane.

"You have let in a draft," Loki noted, disregarding his brother's tempestuous expression. It was hard for him to be swayed by such displays after a life full of Thor's destructive rages. "Also, if you plan to hold me here, you've just allowed me a good escape route."

Byleistr leaned forward on the edge of Loki's slab, squeezing his eyes shut. Loki saw ice beginning to build up under his clenched fists. The Trickster's eye's danced over Byleistr's face. He was fairly certain that he was counting down under his breath.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Unfortunately, Helblindi would not allow it," Byleistr ground out.

"He's your king now, am I right? That is my fault too, I suppose-"

Byleistr placed a hand over Loki's mouth, triggering blue to spread out from the point of contact. "I need you to be quiet."

ELSEWHERE ON JÖTUNHEIM

Wanda immediately began to shiver as they entered the frosty, alien realm despite the three layers of sweaters and the tailored wool winter coat wrapped around her. She tugged the edge of her fur-rimmed hood with one gloved hand to shield herself against the biting wind.

"This way!" Thor shouted to her, leading her down the invisible path towards the castle.

The journey wasn't far at all, but the storm made it seem endless, at least to Thor. Wanda, in contrast, hummed a happy tune to herself while she took in the sights along their path. As off-putting as the inappropriately-cheerful melody coming from behind him was. The Thunderer tried to keep in mind that at least hearing it meant that she wasn't lost in the storm. Two dark silhouettes melted out of the cliffs on either side of the trail before they reached the ruined palace walls. Thor stepped forward, partly shielding Wanda and held his arms out in a submissive gesture. Fortunately, the mutant stopped humming and paid attention to his silent cues.

"We come as peaceful visitors of your King," Thor announced, allowing the larger of the two jötun warriors to check him for hidden weapons. The giant's hand hovered suspiciously over Mjölnir.

"What is your intention?" the other guard inquired.

"We're here to request an audience with your King," Wanda answered, starting forward, but Thor blocked her with an outstretched arm.

"You would lead a mortal into the Court of Jötunheim?"

"She is under my protection," Thor warned.

"Thor," Wanda interjected, patting his arm, and he elaborated.

"We have come in search of my brother. Once we are satisfied with our search, we will leave you in peace."

The two guards exchanged a conspiratorial glance and the silent one smiled, as if at some inside joke. The other one waved him off.

"You may enter- unarmed."

Thor stared at him for a long moment, then removed Mjölnir from its place on his belt and dropped it onto the dark ice between them with a loud crack.

The jötun smiled lopsidedly down at him and stepped aside with a sarcastic flourish. "After you, your Highness."

Thor warily led Wanda in through the massive stone entryway. When the guards strode past to escort them, Thor leaned closer to whisper to Wanda, "Keep close and follow my lead."

Wanda smiled dreamily up at him, "I get it."

Thor wasn't at all convinced that she did, but knew that there was little that he could do about it.

The senior guard stopped in front of a dark stone platform followed by a set of narrowing stairs. A slender, finely-muscled man was standing halfway up, blocking most of their view of the dais above. He was smaller than the guards, which was still more than a head taller than Thor.

"Odinson," he greeted before the guards had even announced their presence. There was amusement in his tone. The king turned to address the closest guard. "Thank you Grim, you and your men may return to your posts."

The guard hesitated, but bowed and complied without a dissenting word.

"King Helblindi," Thor began, kneeling in a humble show of deference. "I have come to request your help in a personal matter."

"Yes. I have heard that your father has lost his most valuable prisoner," Helblindi remarked.

"We have not come to you on behalf of the Allfather," Thor disagreed, keeping his gaze lowered. "You must know that if we have tracked him to your realm, the Allfather's men will not be far behind."

"Is that a threat?" King Helblindi asked mildly, slowly descending the steps towards them.

"No, Sire, merely a warning. I understand your need for justice in light of my brother's crimes, but I must ask that you overlook them for the present time. Loki's assistance is needed in order to counter a threat to all our realms," Thor pleaded.

Wanda however was looking past the King. There was a mound of glistening black pooled over two thirds of the oversized, iron and slate throne. It took her a while to register the jet black feathers from their outlines against the vine-like patterns of metal beyond. They fluttered gently in the nearly imperceptible breeze that was gradually building around them. She glanced at Thor. He hadn't noticed it yet.

"Of what dire threat do you speak, Asgardian? I cannot imagine that such a claim could be accurate."

"I cannot name the invader..." Thor admitted. "Loki would not reveal his identity to me, but if his claims bear any hint of truth, we are all in peril."

"You expect me to act on faith due to some vague warning that you claim to have heard from the prince of lies," Helblindi questioned. His expression remained more-or-less neutral, but there was a flicker of mirth in his tawny-green eyes.

"With respect, King Helblindi-" Thor responded angrily. "I gave you my word that the danger is very real. If you are too-"

"Are you certain that you have thought this through, Odinson?" Helblindi questioned patiently, not moved in the slightest by the Thunder God's failing temper.

Thor's gaze snapped to his face in utter surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

"I believe that I have allowed you quite a bit of latitude, Prince Thor. However, I find myself questioning the veracity of your stated intentions considering your lack of respect."

Thor's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. Please. If there is any way for me to prove to you that I..." Thor trailed off, at a loss. It seemed certain to him that he would not be allowed to see his brother again.

"Oh, take pity on him, Helblindi. The idiot always means well," remarked a familiar drawl, freezing Thor in place. "He is merely being... Well, Thor."

The corner of Helblindi's mouth quirked upwards in a small smile and he looked fondly over his shoulder at the bundle of raven's feathers on his throne. The dark shape stretched out a pair of long, booted legs and a leather-gloved hand reached up out of the cloak to grab the back of the throne for leverage. Loki turned to face them, smirking down at his foster brother.

"If I didn't know you better, Thor. I'd think that you had missed me."

A/N: Haha! Yeah. Ummm... does this count as a cliffie? Oh, well. I posted this sooner than expected, so it probably balances out. Anyway, thanks for reading, and special thanks to icanhearthedrums, janieceal, and One of the Colorless for taking the time to review. As always, reviews and questions are both entirely welcomed (although I try to avoid answering anything that gives too much away.) It helps to know that people are interested. Wow this note is long... Later!