For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95
Chapter 43
For the first time in a long while, Loki awoke slowly, his eyes closed as he listened and breathed in the fresh air in the room. He opened his eyes slowly, savoring the feeling of being able to wake up at his own leisure, without any ghosts plaguing him physically or mentally. The god blinked sluggishly, his body registering a warm presence on the right side of his body. He glanced down to see a mop of unruly black hair on his chest, a tan arm slung over his waist, his leg entangled with the other's. He grinned lightly and tightened his grip on the boy, his own arm under said boy's body. After last night's unplanned talk with his brother, they had both reclined on the roof for a long while, before Thor had suggested that they should return back to their rooms to get ready for the next day. Loki had agreed and slipped into bed on the other side of Percy, but somehow, through the night, the other boy had managed to mimic an octopus and curled around him.
Loki smiled slightly at the thought of Percy snuggling up to him, the two of them just lying in bed and enjoying their mornings. It seemed pretty domestic, and Loki was surprised at how much the thought pleased him. He had always viewed himself as a solitary person, doing what he wanted where he wanted. Never in a million years did he think that he would find someone who could keep up with him and understand him so thoroughly.
"Stop thinking so hard Lokes... It's too early for that." A sleep-filled voice grumbled.
Loki raised an eyebrow at the nickname, "How would you know whether I'm thinking or not?" He asked amusedly.
Percy lifted his head up and glared at the god, "I can practically hear your thoughts." He grumbled, "Now stop thinking so hard, I want to go back to sleep."
Loki grinned as Percy plonked his head back on his chest, intent on squeezing in more sleep. The god let his little lover rest there for several seconds before he sat up abruptly, causing Percy to squawk as he flailed and fell off the bed, dragging half the sheets down along with him. Loki chuckled, smirking at Percy who scowled at him as he clambered back up.
The demigod punched the god in the arm, glaring fiercely, "What was that for?" He cried out indignantly.
Loki just kept his smirk on, standing up in a fluid motion and moving over to the side door of his room, "You should get up, we have to be in the throne room this morning."
Percy sighed and flopped back onto the bed, "Why?"
Loki looked up from where he washed his face in the basin near the side door leading to the bathroom, his lips turned down slightly, "The Allfather is going to announce our presence. We cannot just run around on Asgard without telling anybody after all."
Percy blinked and sat up again, making Loki wonder how the boy wasn't dizzy with all the vertical-horizontal movement he had made. "Wait, announce us? Then what is he going to announce you as?" Percy asked worriedly.
Loki sighed, placing both hands on either side of the basin's rim, staring into his own face reflecting back at him in the water. "I do not know." He said softly.
He heard a rustle, then felt two arms encircle his waist, a body pressed into his back. "I won't let him say anything that'll hurt you or make your stay on Asgard unpleasant." Percy said, his voice slightly muffled by the fact that his face was pressed into the god's back.
Loki sighed and gripped the hands that were at his waist, turning around and pulling the demigod close to him, breathing in his smell, "Me being on Asgard alone will be enough cause for a riot."
Percy looked up at him, determination shining in his oceanic eyes, "I won't let that happen. Anyone who wants a piece of you will have to go through me. Besides, I don't think Thor will allow that to happen either."
Loki chuckled, ducking his head to kiss Percy full on the lips. They both resurfaced for air after several seconds, and Loki pushed Percy towards the basin he had used earlier. "Wash your face, I'll be in the washing area. You can either wait for me to come out or you can join me." He said, a fiendish grin on his lips as he danced out of Percy's reach, quickly entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Percy scowled at the door, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment as he quickly dunked his head with water.
Further down the corridor, a similar commotion was taking place as the avengers all woke up and attempted to get ready for the day. Natasha, being an early riser by nature, managed to get first dibs on the adjacent connecting bathroom. Steve had been up the same time as she was, but being the gentleman he was, he let her go first. She did her normal routine, unbothered by commotion that was going on outside the door. From the sounds of it, Tony had just woken up, and he and Clint were arguing over who got to go to the bathroom next. While she rinsed herself of the soap - she brought her own soap bar - she wondered idly if they realised that there were two bathrooms in the common room. The red haired assassin considered telling the two immature males about it, but then decided against it. It was hard to come by adequate entertainment after all. She stepped out of the bath, draining the water away as she did, toweling herself dry. She opened the door and gestured for Steve to enter, the captain giving her a grateful look as he quickly escaped into the bathroom.
Natasha sent a baleful look towards the two still squabbling individuals, suppressing a smirk when she saw Bruce quietly enter the other bathroom, not wanting to deal with the commotion so early in the morning. The fiery haired avenger snapped to attention when the door creaked open, relaxing minutely when it revealed a small mousy girl who held a pile of clothes in her arms.
The brown haired servant girl let out an 'eep' at the sight of Natasha staring at her, quickly lowering her eyes to the ground as she shuffled closer. "Uh-um, my l-lady," she stammered, executing a quick curtsy, her eyes still glued to the ground. "T-the crown pr-prince instructed m-me to deliver your c-clothes t-to you."
Natasha let her gaze slide over the pile of clothes, then back to the girl again, "Why? Are our own clothes not enough?"
The servant girl flinched and said, "I-it is more appropriate f-for g-guests of Asgard t-to dress i-in the colors of t-the realm."
Natasha narrowed her eyes, "We are guests here, should we not wear the clothes that represent the realm we came from?"
The servant girl seemed to deflate, staring meekly at the ground, not daring to respond to Natasha's question. The assassin sighed and walked over, grabbing the pile of clothes from the girl who jumped, her grey eyes wide. "M-my l-lady?"
Natasha raised an eyebrow, "This is for us right?"
The girl bowed her head and nodded, "Y-yes it is, b-but I c-can take it for y-you if you want?"
Natasha shook her head, "It's fine, you won't know how to deal with these idiots anyway." She said, jerking her head in the direction of the Clint and Tony, both of whom were shoving each other away from the door that Steve just came out from. Natasha watched amusedly as the girl's eyes grew big and round at the way she addressed the males on her team, no doubt the servant was unaccustomed to Earth's method of interaction.
The assassin blinked and asked, "What's your name?"
The girl in question jumped again - she was one easily frightened girl, Natasha noted - and stammered out, "S-sylvi,* m-my lady."
Natasha nodded at her, "Thanks Sylvi, how so we get to the throne room later on? Will Thor be coming?"
Sylvi blanched at the casual way that Natasha used her prince's name, but didn't comment on it, figuring that it was a Midgardian quirk. She shook her head at the question, saying, "I-I will be escorting y-you there later o-on, p-perhaps I will wait o-outside?"
Natasha craned her neck over her shoulder, apparently, Clint had won the battle and Tony had found the second bathroom, both guys coming out of their respective toilets. She turned back to Sylvi and said, "Yeah I think you should wait for us outside, don't want you to get scarred for life by the idiots around here." She smirked wryly.
Sylvi offered a shy smile in return and bowed, retreating from the room and leaving Natasha to deal with immature children. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, barking out orders that made everyone freeze in place before they each grabbed their clothes silently from her and went back to their respective rooms to change.
They all gathered around several minutes later in Asgardian garb, minus the armor that most of them wore. Natasha had the feeling that they had been dealt and insult by the Allfather himself by not giving them armor to wear. Of course, it could be that they did not have their sizes in armor, nor did they have much preparation time for their arrival anyway, but her gut feeling was telling her that it was because the king did not view them as warriors. On the way to the throne room from Loki's room, she had observed, from the glimpses she got of the guards and servants, that the former wore full body armor, while the latter wore none at all. Of course, logic dictated that the guards, who most likely were to face more battle than the servants, would have to don their armor for protection. However, Natasha had also caught sight of several healers - judging by the bandages they had carried - who also wore armor, if only the bare minimum needed. She knew that the king did not approve of mortals, and in this, showed his opinion that he did not consider them to be warriors, only mere commoners. If he had thought of them as warriors worthy of the battlefield, Odin would have allowed them to wear their own suits, irregardless of whether or not they fit in. Nevertheless, Natasha suppressed her irritation and let her face fall into a smooth mask, the only indication of her annoyance evident in her light green eyes. She herself wore a light green dress, the skirt swishing around at her ankles. The sleeves were decorated with swirls and spattered with dark green leaves, extending all the way to her wrists. A golden clasp on her shoulder clipped a lone piece of evergreen cloth around her chest, much like how one would wear a scarf. Her shoulder length hair was pinned back such that it still fell down her neck, but did not stick up in all directions, exposing her forehead. Steve was clad in a right navy blue tunic - which Natasha didn't think was actually supposed to be tight, accompanied by dark brown pants which disappeared into his combat boots that SHIELD had provided him with for his missions. A thin black belt encircled his hips over his shirt, which were short sleeved, exposing his muscled arms to the air. Tony was dressed - and complaining - in a sky blue outfit, similar to Steve's, with the exception that his belt was not visible, and his sleeves extended until his elbows. He wore the boots that was provided for them, rotating his leg back and forth to test it's fitting. Bruce stood slightly behind Tony, nervously arranging his glasses while they waited for Sylvi to appear. He was dressed in a light grey tunic, opting instead to go with his own pants rather than the provided ones. Not that he thought that he needed it, but if he 'hulked out', he'd rather have his own pants than have the Asgardian pants tear and leave him naked. Clint stood on the other side of Steve, safe from Tony's reach while he teased the genius about his outfit, combing a hand through his dark brown hair. He wore a dark purple tunic with black pants and combat boots. Choosing to go stylish and clicking the belt diagonally over his waist such that one side of it hung on his hip, while the other dropped lower than that. Natasha shook her head slightly at her partner's choice of dressing. It was so obviously not what Asgardians would wear that she knew that he had done it on purpose. Like her, he hadn't missed the significance of not allowing them to dress in their own clothes, and he was responding to the insult in his own way.
After several minutes, Sylvi returned to escort them to the throne room. She led the way, her head bowed slightly as she walked. None of the avengers save Natasha and Clint brought any weapons, the two of them having concealed several knives beneath the layer of clothing that they wore. The servant girl led them into an alcove and stopped short, causing Steve, who was first in line, to stumble as he tried to avoid colliding into her. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight of the two princes and one other standing in the same alcove they were.
Sylvi quickly bowed and squeaked out a "M-my lord, I mean, lords."
Thor grinned at the sight of his friends and strode forward to clap them each on the back, while Loki just looked at them boredly, casually observing his nails. The two of them wore their standard tunic and armor, the same ones that Thor had been dressed in in the clearing that he had fought ironman, while Loki stuck to the half armor that he wore on the Helicarrier, minus the horns. Thor nodded to Sylvi, saying, "Many thanks, uh," he faltered, shooting a glance at Loki. The younger god glanced at the servant girl and said, "Sylvi, her name is Sylvi. You should have better memory of the faces you have seen since we were children." The green clad god spoke up.
Said servant girl just felt her eyes grow round, her cheeks reddening as the crown prince thanked her, her mind reeling at the fact that the second prince actually remembered her name. She curtsied, said her welcome, and quickly left them in the alcove, shyly offering Natasha a smile when the woman quirked her lips as she passed.
Percy strode past Loki and greeted the Avengers as well, and Natasha observed that he was clad in Loki's colors, a deep, forest green tunic which was held together by a belt, with sleeves that extended all the way to his wrists, though the section of his forearm was covered by vambraces. His black pants, like Steve's, disappeared into combat boots, giving him a rugged look that was further accentuated by the presence of pieces of armor that clad his abdomen and his legs. It wasn't a full body armor, but he was covered in enough armor to signify his status as a warrior. Natasha nodded at him as he walked closer, noting the changes in his face. When she first met Percy, he had been screaming his heart out on the streets, his face streaked with dirt, grime, blood, and lord knows what other stuff, his eyes shining in anguish as they uncovered the body of his mother. The second time she saw him, it was in the director's office, then, his face had been set in stone, completely unmoving and emotionless that the Black Widow had been unnerved. Every time she went on a mission with him after that, he only ever exhibited a calm and professional attitude, never responding to anything that their victims might have said before they disappeared off the face of the earth. The one time he had ever lost his cool was when they had uncovered a slave ring that specialized in 'comfort women'. That was the first time that Natasha had ever witnessed the legendary fury of Percy Jackson, and she would never admit it out loud, but seeing the younger agent become a deadly hurricane of fury had awakened her primal instincts which told her to flee as far away as possible. But she wasn't the Black Widow for no reason though, and she stood her ground, taking out as many as she can while keeping an eye on the raging storm around her. Even till today, she still stood by her stand that it rivaled facing the Hulk with his attention on you. (And yes, she did compare both experiences)
Now, Percy's face was smooth, no tense, drawn lines on his face that made him look decades older than he really was. He still masked his emotions, but he no longer looked dead. Percy looked more alive than she had ever seen him, and that was since he had joined SHIELD all those years ago. Which was why, despite her reservations about the trickster god, she didn't comment on the relationship the two shared. Because Natasha was trained to observe what lay beneath the surface, and she saw the changes that had happened in her colleague and friend after Loki had lived with them. She didn't approve of the god, but she knew that whatever Loki and Percy had, it was doing wonders for the latter.
They were all soon called to attention by a guard, who bowed respectfully to Thor, glanced dismissively at the avengers, gave Percy a curious look and downright sneered at Loki. Thor narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, stopped only by Loki's hand. The god just smirked, tilted his head and thanked the guard, rolling his name on his tongue and spitting it out like honey dipped poison. The guard flushed angrily and averted his eyes from the god, bowing stiffly to the crown prince and informed them that they were to proceed into he throne room. Thor went first, followed by the Avengers, Percy came after them and the rear was brought up by Loki. The blond god wanted Loki to enter into the throne room beside him, but Loki refused, saying that it would tarnish the council's opinion of the Avengers if they were allowed to bring their hatred of him up. Besides, the mischievous god had added in an undertone, a devious smirk curling his lips, it would be an interesting 'camera-worthy moment' as the mortals said, to watch the council's faces as he walked in.
They walked out of the alcove and bypassed the doors, Thor with his head held high as his entrance was announced, his cape billowing behind him, Mjolnir at his belt. The avengers came in pairs, with Steve heading them alone, as his position as leader of the team, while Natasha and Clint came after him, both of their faces emotionless. Bruce and Tony brought up the rear, the former with a timid smile, the latter with a cocky grin on his face as he surveyed the people gathered in the throne room. The mutterings that started when Thor walked in grew louder as the Avengers paraded after him, council members leaning over and whispering to each other at the sight of mortals on Asgard. Percy came after them, and the mutterings increased even more, some council members even pointing at him, their eyes wide in shock. All of them bowed to Odin, who remained on his throne, Gungnir in hand. He wore his golden armor, sitting regally, deciding to forgo his helmet. Frigga stood beside him, also dressed in armor and boots, her hair pinned up behind her head. The difference in their dressing was painfully obvious to Thor, who kept his face impassive even as he bowed to his father and let his eyes soften minutely as he locked eyes with his mother. Frigga smiled warmly at him, her seemingly tired face lighting up at the sight of her son.
Thor's attention was brought back to the throne room as the council suddenly erupted into chaos. He watched as Odin closed his lone eye wearily, ignoring the outraged yells of the council behind him as Loki stepped into view. The younger god grinned devilishly, dismissing the Allfather with barely a glance, while he inclined his head towards his mother. Frigga's lips twisted into a mixture of amusement and disapproval, as thought she could not decide whether or not to reprimand her youngest for his disrespect. Thor turned away and hid his own amusement at his brother's actions. After all, it wasn't as though he liked the council, though a disapproving frown did tug momentarily at his lips when Loki refused to bow to Odin.
The king opened his eyes just as Loki came to stand beside Percy, his stern gaze sweeping over all who were gathered in the great hall of Asgard. He raised a hand, the voices falling silent almost immediately as they all looked towards their king, some with disgruntled looks on their faces. Odin lowered his hand, his voice booming across the hall. "Thor Odinson, my son, my firstborn, Asgard welcomes you back with open arms." He turned to the Avengers, "Mortal warriors, I have heard and observed much of your battles, and I welcome you to Asgard in hopes that she will be to your liking. I thank you for your gracious offer of help in such dire times of need. Perseus Jackson," the old king said, "Most, if not all of Asgard, has heard of your prowess in battle against your enemies, on the behalf of the council and of the realm, I welcome you to Asgard." Percy smiled, the gesture not reaching his eyes as he have a short bow.
The king turned to the last and final person of the ragtag group, "It seems that your return to Asgard is inevitable, Loki...Laufeyson."
The room erupted into chaos.
Percy resisted the urge to dig his elbow into Loki's side, pushing away the urge to wipe the infuriating smirk off the god's face. He settled for glaring at said god through the corner of his eye, trying to convey his annoyance via air waves. Loki remained unaffected, blatantly disregarding all forms of decorum as the council erupted into a mass of shouts and unintelligible yells that echoed across the great hall. Odin narrowed his eyes at Loki's smirk and slammed Gungnir onto the ground three times, sending a sharp glare at the council members, silencing their tongue with a single look. The king cast his eyes downwards, "State your intention in coming here Loki Laufeyson."
The god in question smirked and stepped forward, "What, no special greetings for your long last son?" He said, raising an eyebrow, allowing several seconds of silence before he sighed dramatically and continued, "If you insist... I am here to aid my brother and his mortal friends as well as Asgard apparently, in your war against the Mad Titan."
One of the council members, Tyr, if Loki remembered correctly, sneered, "And what would you know of the Mad Titan?"
Loki squashed down the urge to rearrange the old warrior's face, instead, meeting his accusing gaze head on unflinchingly, "I dare say that I know more about the Titan than all of you combined."
"And how would you come by such information?" Another council member asked, "Perhaps you are one of his many spies? Sent to Asgard to complete his mission like a dog." Many council members roared with laughter, while the king merely gazed at his once-son impassively. Frigga pressed her lips together tightly, her mother's instinct crying out to defend her son, but her mind knowing that her words would be use against her. Even as the thought formed in her head, her mind spun with the cold logic that she used in council meetings, shooting down each of the council member's bigoted suggestions.
Thor clenched his fists, glaring darkly at the council members who had insulted his brother. It was the first time he was aware of the bias that Loki faced, and he wondered now how he had managed to remain blind to all of these for so many centuries. The avengers, despite not being fans of Loki, were more than appalled at the way that he was treated. Sure, he was a criminal, but this was meant to be a council, a jury, and it was evident that the Asgardian population never favored the darker prince. Tony was left to rethink his opinion of Loki. If the god had to face such criticisms all day long for all his life, it was a wonder that he didn't snap sooner.
Loki kept the smirk that was threatening to erupt on his face at the sight of the indignant expressions on the faces of his mother, brother and even the mortals. It made him consider what Thor had said about the avengers warming up to him. Surprisingly, or not, Percy was the only one who remained unaffected. On the outside at least. Loki had interacted with the boy enough times to read his expression - or lack thereof - easily. The stony face was wiped clean of expressions, giving Percy an impassive and indifferent look. The look in his eyes though, were a different story. His normally warm sea green eyes were now blackened with cold fury. Loki could see the tension in the boy's body, and if it wasn't because of their audience, the god would have kissed Percy right there and then for being so adorable. True, anyone who had ever faced the legendary fury of Percy Jackson was unlikely to describe him as adorable. But Loki was not just anyone, he was the embodiment of chaos, and he played with fire just because he could, dancing the fine line between getting burnt and staying unharmed. He turned back to the council, raising an eyebrow, "Yes, I am a spy for the Mad Titan, and I am telling you of what I am now, where you can easily subdue me or slit my throat and prevent the Titan from succeeding in his mission." Loki said dryly, rolling his eyes, "And because I am a spy, I will now proceed to inform you of my exact plans and the manner I would execute them in. Would you care to listen?"
The council members erupted in outrage, shouting obscenities at the emerald clad god. Odin sighed and stood up fluidly, addressing his wayward son, "Loki, you are here on the generosity of Asgard and it's king, I suggest that you refrain from dealing insults to the ones who allow you to be here-"
"Correction Allfather," Loki interrupted, "I am here on the generosity of my own self, and I find that no insult has been dealt at all. After all, not a word of contempt from me has been directed to Her Majesty Queen Frigga."
Odin's eyes widened and he turned to his wife, who locked blazing grey-green eyes with his own lone eye.
"Blasphemy!" A young man stood up, "You dare to accuse the queen of treason? Of conspiring with a known traitor and criminal?"
Loki looked at him, a new one he mused, "Traitor and criminal?" He parroted, "I deny such claims. I am neither a traitor, nor am I a criminal."
"You escaped from the prison!" The same young man continued angrily, "You committed crimes against Asgard and against the realms that are under Asgard's protection, all in the name of Asgard!"
Loki blinked, wondering if he had heard correctly, while the young councilman smirked in triumph at the shocked look on the god's face. The smirk was wiped off soon enough when Loki threw his head back and laughed, "I cannot believe this," he said, grinning widely. "I am neither a traitor not a criminal. My deeds as regent were for Asgard's benefit. To wipe out her mortal enemy with no casualties on our part. Yes, I was a criminal, imprisoned on charges of declaration of war against another realm, but I was given a chance to make amends for the crimes I have committed by Odin Allfather himself. Released and pardoned by him as per the contract we agreed upon." Loki smirked at the shell shocked looks on the council's faces, as well as the annoyed look on one of the older members who pulled the young man back onto his seat. "Perhaps you have so conveniently misplaced that one little detail in your tiny little brains, but as per the Allfather's agreement, I have made my amendments through my actions on Midgard, and therefore fulfilled my side of the agreement."
The room dropped into dead silence, nobody knowing what to say as the god tilted his head smugly. "Now," he continued, "Perhaps we could move on to the more pressing matter of the impending war rather than choosing to cling on to this measly topic of my current status in Asgard?"
An elderly councilwoman cleared her throat and nodded, Alfhild** was her name if Loki remembered correctly, "He is correct. We have more pressing matters which we should attend to instead of squabbling around like mere children!" The fearsome old lady stood up, bowed to the king, and turned to the queen. "Your Majesty, if we may verify the validity of the guest's claim that you were responsible for requesting his presence?"
Frigga nodded, "Yes, I requested for my sons' aid against our enemy. Loki passed on the message to Thor, and both my sons have arrived on Asgard with that very intention."
Alfhild nodded slightly, "Yet you did not consult the council in your decision, why not so? Loki Laufeyson is known publicly as a criminal, and not many are aware of the amendments made to his original punishments, in allowing him to return to Asgard, such actions would have been deemed treacherous."
Frigga inclined her head in acknowledgement of the warning, and chose her next words carefully. "As a Weaver, it is well known that I cannot reveal much of what I see, but what I can reveal is that Loki has the blessings of the Norns themselves, and is crucial in this upcoming battle."
The council erupted into another out roar. The young man from before stood up and hollered, "ENOUGH!" Waiting for them to quiet down, he continued, "Your Majesty," he said, bowing respectfully, "With all due respect, it is not that we do not trust your word as a Weaver and as the Seer of the Future. However, Laufeyson here is a known criminal who is known to be one of Asgard's enemies, and his act of escapism from his sentence does not fall in his favor. Furthermore, his crimes also include mass genocide, patricide, suicide and usurpation of the throne."
Frigga inclined her head, acknowledging his point, "You claim that he is a known criminal against Asgard, yet the only crimes he has ever committed was to lead an army against a realm under our protection in the name of Asgard. As proven, that particular invasion had extenuating circumstances which led to Laufeyson's admittedly poor choice of actions. Perhaps not to be fully evicted of all charges, but at the very least, some leniency should be allowed in light of the surrounding circumstances yes?"
The councilman nodded hesitantly, and Frigga continued, "As for the attack on Jotunheim, again, it is not the most ideal of actions, however, Loki Laufeyson was, at the time, Regent of the realm whilst my husband and king Odin rested in his slumber. I personally bestowed the power of Regency onto my son, who retained the right to ascend the throne as per the custom. Thor, being the crown prince, should have been crowned as Regent, however, as he was otherwise occupied at the time, the only person left in the royal family who was eligible to take the throne of Asgard was Laufeyson himself." The queen stated cooly, her voice never wavering as she spoke. Loki blinked, slightly shocked at the ironclad way she had come to his defense. She had not absolved him of all his crimes, no, that would have opened up a door for the council to accuse her of bias and this render her entire argument void. Instead, she had presented them with the facts of the events that happened, appealing to the extenuating circumstances that might have influenced his every decision - though extenuating circumstances was a mild way to describe his time with the Titan - making the council draw conclusions for themselves about his crimes.
The young man closed his mouth, an uncertain look on his face as he cast glances at his fellow council members, all of whom were whispering to each other. Alfhild, the old lady who had supported Loki back when he was regent, stood up again and called the council to order. "I propose that we discuss the ramifications of Loki Laufeyson's transgressions at a later date. A full trial will be held for him again in review of the information that has been uncovered. For now, I motion that we allow him to contribute to Asgard's defense as a continuation of his previous sentence."
The murmurings grew louder and the avengers plus Percy looked at each other, wondering how the situation would turn out. Tyr stood up and said, "And how will we ensure Laufeyson's cooperation?" He sneered, "If we give him the freedom to roam around the realm, who will be responsible if - or when - he runs away at the first sight of danger? Who will be responsible if he turns out to be a mole and slits our throats in the night?"
"I will."
The whole council turned, and Loki did as well, his eyes growing wide as his brother stepped up beside him, a fierce look on his handsome face. "I will take charge of my brother, I will vouch for him and his actions. Should he commit any crime or treachery here on Asgard, let it be on my head."
"I object." Odin spoke up, seemingly finding his voice at last, his cold grey eye piercing. "Laufeyson is a criminal, and a flighty one at that, I will not risk the life of my son for that of a criminal."
A shocked gasp rippled through the room, and, try as he might, Loki couldn't contain the tiny flinch of his body. He had told himself that numerous times, but to hear Odin say it aloud... It stung. The god forced his face into a mask, burying his emotions deep within the walls of his heart. Thor, standing close to his brother, felt the minute flinch when his father practically disowned Loki. He growled lowly, wanting to bring out Mjolnir and brain everyone who dared to spit at his brother's feet. The thunder god reigned in his temper, a voice sounding like Loki's telling him not to do anything rash that would worsen the situation.
Odin continued as if nothing had happened, "I support the motion, however, that Laufeyson will need a guard to monitor him at all times. Someone who is trustworthy and able to apprehend him if necessary. Thor, you will not be guarding him, the emotional ties you have towards Laufeyson veil your judgement of him."
The young councilman eagerly asked, "Your majesty, who shall we appoint then?"
Odin surveyed the whole room, taking in the tense figure of the only teen in the midst of the whole group, "I appoint Hogun of the Warriors Three as Loki's guard."
The earthlings looked at the two brothers in confusion, while Thor just frowned. There were many other guards other than Hogun who were equally capable, but the thunder god refrained from speaking. If his father wanted Hogun to tail his brother... Well, Hogun was his friend, he could talk to the grim warrior. Loki on the other hand, merely looked up and met the gaze of the old king evenly, not wavering as he would have in the past, being forced to hold his father's (not father's) eye. Odin slammed Gungnir three times into the ground, bellowing his decree of Loki's return to Asgard. He then turned to the dark prince, "What information do you have for us on the Titan?"
Loki grinned fiendishly, "I do not freely give knowledge away for free."
The council - predictably, Loki thought - once again went into an uproar at his words, silencing only when the Allfather raised his hand.
The king narrowed his eye, "State your price. If it is within reason, it will be considered."
Loki tilted his head, thinking for a moment, "I will need access to all the scrolls and texts on sorcery and seidr that you have, and I do not mean the ones in the great library, those I have read several times over when I was a child. I mean your personal collection Allfather, and the ones that you have hidden away from public eye."
Odin frowned, "Your request is not reasonable, those scrolls and texts are ancient and contain powerful spells, I will not relinquish them to you."
Loki shrugged, "Then you will not receive your information, or your help and we will all leave this realm to burn."
"You dare to threaten me?" Odin thundered, "I, who have defeated Thanos the Mad Titan myself in solo combat?"
"And if you are so great and powerful, Allfather," Loki sneered, "Then why don't you fight him in a solo battle again? Defeat him such that he might be sequestered away in a corner of the Void where he will remain, biding his time and gathering his power such that he might break into the Realms when the time comes and this whole cycle repeats itself?" Loki threw his head back and laughed, giving the king of Asgard a condescending stare, "No, you cannot do that because you are weak, powerless against the might of a titan. The strength you once had in your bones are gone Allfather," the green eyes god spat poisonously, "and you will give me access to those scrolls because you have no other choice. If you could vanquish him, you would not have sealed off Asgard from the rest of the realm. Admit it my liege, you need the help of the most powerful Mage in all Nine Realms, you need my help."
Odin pressed his lips together, while the hall remained still, the tension hanging thickly in the air.
"My liege," Tyr spoke up, sending Loki a harsh glare, "Loki is known as the Liesmith, he bends and twists his words in order to confuse us-"
"Enough Tyr, he is right, Thanos is too powerful right now, and he is gathering even more power in the Void as we speak."
The king turned and glared at his second son, the one who had been raised to unite the two realms, and who had grown up far too smart. "You intend to...dispose of the Titan."
Loki smirked lazily, a gleam in his eye, "One does not simply dispose of a powerful being such as the Titan, but I suppose you could put it that way."
Odin nodded, silently assessing the situation, "I suppose that our intentions have aligned then."
Loki smirked, "Then we may proceed to discuss the details of our little deal, Allfather."
"Alright what gives?" Tony said the moment they had settled down in a corner to have their first meal of the day, the genius grabbing food off the table and shoving it into his mouth as he plopped down onto a chair, propping his legs up on the table, ignoring the disapproving look from Steve. The man looked at Loki, pointing at him with his breadstick - the thing he had picked up - saying, "All I know is two things, one, I hate your kind of council meetings, and two, I hate your council meetings."
Loki snorted and sat down - more gracefully - opposite the genius, reaching out to grab an apple from the basket of fruits that had been placed on the large dining table before them. The other avengers slowly trickled into the room and sat down, Percy coming to sit on Loki's left, while Thor ended up on the right of his brother. In between Tony and Percy was Steve, who was beside Loki. Bruce came to sit on Tony's other side, with Clint and Natasha filling the space left.
"I agree with princess over there," Clint said, jerking a thumb in Tony's direction, who flipped a finger at him, "Those meetings really suck, and I say this when I have experienced Fury's kind of meetings."
Steve nodded his agreement, turning to Loki, "Why did you ask for those scrolls? We could have done without the trouble if you just told the Allfather the information he needed."
Loki snorted, vanishing the core of the apple as he reached for another unknown fruit. "That is where you are wrong Captain," he smirked, biting a whole mouthful of fruit, "Information is always valuable, I am sure your fellow team member can attest to that." He said, nodding to Natasha, who nodded reluctantly at his point.
Thor picked up the conversation, "But i do not understand brother, why did you not ask for full pardon? Father - the Allfather would have done anything to know how to combat Thanos."
Loki laughed lightly, "And you Thor, are becoming more devious each day, I consider my life goals fulfilled." He grinned, "I did not put that request in because -"
"It would never have been granted." Percy cut in, Loki nodding along as he took another juicy bite. The demigod frowned, "What I don't get is why he agreed in the end, I mean, I'm all for him agreeing, but wouldn't that make him look weak? Considering what you said?"
Loki shook his head, "He put up a show of disgruntlement and anger, well, the anger is probably genuine, but the Allfather is desperate. Thanos is far more powerful than he was before, and Odin, while he really did defeat him in the past, barely did so and spent most of his energy banishing the Titan in the far corners of the Void." The trickster looked to Thor, "That is why he has the Odinsleep now, even as he recuperates his strength, he cannot restore himself back to the level that he once was. On top of that, he has spent much energy barricading the Titan within Asgard as well, not to mention holding up the defenses of the realm. The Allfather is stretched thin, and the mages of Asgard, while more powerful than any realm except Vanaheim, are mere ants to the Titan. No, Odin needs help, and as powerful as my mother is, she is one person, and she is supporting him as he supports the realm. Not only do they have to deal with Thanos, there is also his chitauri army as well, though the warriors can handle them."
"So those scrolls," Bruce piped up, "you think they're necessary?"
Loki smiled humorlessly, "I don't think, I know they are necessary. As Odin said, those scrolls are old, almost as old as the Titan himself."
"And they may contain what we need to kill him?" Percy asked, his eyes landing on a blue colored food. He had no idea what it was but popped it into his mouth anyway, almost melting at the taste that assaulted his taste buds.
Loki raised an eyebrow at his lover's antics but said nothing, "A spell? No, if only it would be that easy to defeat him. What I hope to find, is a way to control the Gauntlet."
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