Chapter Text
Thor and Loki are laying in the gardens, looking up at the night sky.
“Why so anxious?”
“I'm not ready. I can't take the throne yet, but Father will not listen.” He sighs at his brother’s words, but agrees.
“I can always sabotage it. It will be no hardship.” He turns to look at his green eyes reflecting the stars.
“If you are caught-”
“I’ll play it off as a petty jealousy thing. And I can hide myself from both Heimdall and Father’s gaze.” He shrugs off his worries, vibrant green shining in mirth and anticipation.
“What are you planning?”
He smirks and answers with, “Don't you trust me, big brother?”
Once the chaos has diminished and Asgard is mostly back in peace, Thor corners Loki, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, and Sif hanging in the background.
“Jotun, Loki, really?” he hisses so the others can't hear.
“The coronation is off, is it not? And I gave us a reason to return to Jotunheim.”
“Except Father has expressedly forbidden going for revenge.”
“We are not going for revenge though.” He smiles a bit, but his frown doesn't waver. “Alright, alright, we won't go. We’ll let the heat die down some before we attempt to go and get more information.” He sighs after a moment.
“Everyone will be expecting me to go to Jotunheim anyways. I'm the hothead, remember?”
“There is no need to play into their stereotypes, Thor.” He claps a hand to his shoulder.
“Will you be by my side?”
“What kind of inane question is that?” Green eyes roll, making him chuckle slightly, turning to join the Warriors Three and Sif.
“When do we go?” Sif asks, not looking at Loki.
“Now.” Loki follows Thor and his friends as they go to Hemdall and ask for a passage to Jotunheim.
Within seconds of landing in the realm of ice they're surrounded by Frost Giants, the Jotuns. The Warriors Three and Sif immediately start attacking, and Loki wants to sigh. If it was just him and Thor, like intended, there would probably be no fighting. One about to grab Sif gets his dagger in the throat, but Sif doesn't even acknowledge Loki. Thor is doing okay, and so are Hogun and Volstagg. He ends up shoving Fandral out of the way of one Jotun’s hand, only for it to enclose around his wrist. Instead of turning black with frostbite, like expected, Loki’s hand goes sapphire blue, the same color as the Jotun grabbing him. Fandral scrambles to his feet, even as the Jotun holding Loki loses his head due to his sword. He finds the Aesir staring at him in a sort of horror that makes him sneer.
Panic claws its way up his throat.
He searches for Thor, while trying his damndest to ignore his discolored arm, the blue slowly leeching upwards. Before he can reach his brother, the bifrost opens up and they're sucked back to Asgard, Odin seething in fury as they settle. Loki immediately wraps his arm in illusions to make it look Aesir. It passes in a blur as he fights to keep his panic contained, as he watches Odin strip Thor of his powers and banish him to Midgard until he can learn humility. His open palm keeps Loki quiet, trusting Thor to know what he's doing. Once he's gone, he doesn't move, even as Odin storms off, as Fandral whispers to his friends, as they toss him suspicious glances. He jerks when Heimdall lays a hand on his shoulder.
“My Prince?”
“Where is my Mother?”
“The gardens.”
“Thank you, Heimdall. Please watch over my brother.”
“Of course, my Prince.” He nods and rushes off, heading directly for his mother. Frigga is standing under a blossoming tree when he gets there.
“Loki.” He stops before his mother can hug him, the panic again raising. “Is something wrong, my son?” That startles a laugh from him.
“The All Father has deemed it necessary to banish Thor to Midgard for a lesson.” Pain flickers over Frigga’s face, and Loki takes a breath. “Then there's this.” He stops the illusion, showing how the majority of him is sapphire blue, his eyes probably red. He'd need a mirror to know for sure. “Mother, can you explain this?” Frigga seems to search for words, before stepping forward and laying a hand on his cheek.
“When your father went to war in Jotunheim, he found a babe left alone and brought his home and named him his heir. You, my child.”
“I am not your child.”
“Yes, you are. You were my child the moment I set eyes on you, and nothing will stop that.”
“Even though Thor is yours by blood and I am not?” Frigga seems to take a deep breath.
“He is not,” she whispers, and Loki goes still.
“He’s adopted too? Mother, you need you tell him. If he finds out like I did…” Frigga nods after a moment. Loki runs a hand through his hair, before focusing and returning to his Aesir form.
“I'm going to talk to Father, see if he can tell me more about how he found me.”
“Are you upset?”
“Only that no one told me,” he answers honestly, leaving his mother under the tree. He finds Odin in his study and braces himself for a difficult conversation. “Father, may I enter?”
“Come in child.” He steps in, not shifting under his heavy gaze.
“A Jotun grabbed me, and instead of getting frostbite, I, myself, turned into a Jotun.” He stays silent for a long moment, then tells a story of how on his way home from Jotunheim he found the abandoned runt child of the King Laufey in a temple. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I felt there was no need.”
“No need? The entire time you raised me to believe that Jotuns are evil, vile, barbaric monsters, you've known that I, myself, was Jotun. You raised me to hate myself! How is that in any way okay?”
“Do not argue with me,” he snaps, standing up. Loki's mouth clicks shut, and Odin sits back down. He goes on a rant about how he felt it was for the best, only to fall asleep midway. For a few moments, he just stares at him, then huffs and leaves.
“Classic, Odin, real classic. Use Odinsleep to get out of a conversation you know you're wrong in,” he mutters heading towards the gardens in search of his mother again. “Mother.” Frigga looks up with a soft smile. “Father is in Odinsleep.”
“You must take the throne then.”
“What? Why can't you?”
“You are his heir, and your brother is not here.” Loki grimaces, about to say that he is not Odin’s son, until a thought flickers through his head. Best not burn that bridge yet.
“Mother, I have never wanted that throne.”
“Oh, I know child. But still, it is your responsibility.”
“I want Thor back,” he pouts. Frigga lays a gentle hand on his cheek and presses a kiss to his forehead.
Loki stares at the mirror, dropping the Aesir glamour, studying his sapphire blue skin. His magic lashes out in anger and frustration, shattering the image. He paces around his room until he forces herself to calm down and fix the mirror. He makes himself study the raised markings objectively, summoning pictures of Laufey and Farbauti to compare them. He really is their son. His magic swells before he calms himself, going to sit in the middle of his bed, eyes closed, breathing even. The darkness wavers until he's standing in front of Thor.
“Loki?” He reaches out, only to pass right through him.
“Sorry, astral projection.” There are three mortals behind him.
“Is something wrong?”
“Odin is asleep, so I'm sitting on the throne.” Thor winces, and he nods. “I need you home. I found out something while we were on Jotunheim and once we got back.”
“I'm pulling a blank on how exactly to get home.” Loki pauses, brain whirling. “Loki?”
“Don't you trust me, big brother?”
“Less so when you say that,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. He just grins, his mirage vanishing in a swirl. His eyes fly open, grinning widely. Scrambling from his bed, he walks quickly to the bifrost, stopping next to Heimdall.
“My King?” Loki wrinkles his nose and he chuckles.
“Are we friends, Heimdall?” He raises an eyebrow, gold eyes staring at him.
“I believe so.” He grins again.
“See, I need Thor home for reasons. I have a plan to get him home quicker, if you're willing to play along?” His eyebrow stays up, and he watches him. “I just need you to let the Warriors Three and Sif go to Thor. Then, don't let them back until Thor can come too.” He sighs after a moment, shaking his head.
“Alright, Prince Loki.”
“Thank you, Heimdall, I appreciate it.” He moves back to the palace, good luck holding when he practically runs into just the people he was looking for. He gets glares and silence. Okay, he might hurt them a little in his plan. Just a little. “Well, hi.”
“We know,” Sif sneers at him, and Fandral shifts uneasily.
“Congratulations, it's always good to know things,” Loki says slowly.
“We know that you're a monster.” He blinks slowly at the female warrior, tilting his head slightly.
“Pity, isn't it, that Thor’s coronation was ruined? By Jotuns no less,” Loki muses, watching understanding dawn across their faces. “Anyways, as your King, there is a decree that no one is to contact or help Thor in any way. Good day.” He turns and saunters down the hall, halfway down conjuring an image that keeps walking while he slips around a corner, watching them whisper amongst themselves.
“Loki.” Loki spins around to smile innocently at his mother.
“What are you doing?”
“I want Thor home.” He shrugs, glancing back over his shoulder in time to see the four hurry off towards the bifrost. How easy it is for them to disregard his word. “So, I'm bringing him home.” Frigga studies him for a minute.
“Your plans do tend to work, and I haven't known you to lose unless on purpose.”
The Destroyer hits the ground, instantly focusing on Thor, Loki controlling it from Asgard.
“We really going to do this, Loki?” Three mortals and the four warriors stare in shock as the weapon starts attacking the god of thunder. Loki keeps in mind that he's without his powers, not exactly pulling his hits, but still holding back. He mostly smacks around the Aesir, only focusing on the mortals when he knows Thor or the Aesir can protect them. Loki pauses, making the destroyer pause too. “Loki?”
“Don't you trust me, big brother?” His eyes go wide seconds before he has the destroyer backhand him. He flies back, skidding across the asphalt, not getting up. The Destroyer mimics Loki’s in the empty throne room. He's pacing as one of the female mortals run to Thor's side. He has one hand tapping a rapid beat against his thigh, biting his thumb on the other. When Thor falls unconscious, Loki, looking out of the Destroyer, takes a step towards him, muttering under his breath. A power surge has the Destroyer wrapping an arm around the woman and walking backwards a bit. “Peace. He'll be okay,” Loki says through the Destroyer, using it to shield the woman as Mjolnir returns to Thor, lightning crashing down on him.
“That hurt.” Thor glares at him.
“Sorry. I couldn't think of anything else that would work.”
“No, it was a good idea, and it did work. Just hurts.” Loki creates a temporary pathway, stepping from Asgard to Midgard in the span of a few moments.
“Let me see.” He tilts his chin to the side, letting his grasp it to examine his busted lip and fractured jaw. His hands glow green, the same shade as his eyes, healing the wounds. “Better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
“Of course. It was my fault.” He frowns at that.
“No-”
“It was Thor, all of it.”
“You gave me a way out. I didn't take it. Now come meet my new friends.” He tugs him over to the three mortals. “Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, and Erik Selvig. Meet my brother, Loki.” He shakes their hands with a bright smile.
“I didn't hurt any of you, did I?” He gets three negatives, easing some of his stress. “Thank the Norns.”
“You only attacked us when they had a chance to get between us,” Darcy says after a stunned moment.
“I hold no ire towards you three.” Loki shrugs.
“I'm so confused.” Erik stares at him.
“I simply wanted my brother home, and this was the quickest way to do so.”
“Why?”
“Why what, Dr. Foster?”
“Why do you want him home so bad? They made it sound like you wanted him gone for good.” He motions towards the Aesir.
“I am currently on the throne because Thor is here, and Odin used Odin sleep, a coma, to get out of an argument he was losing. I dislike the responsibility and desire to shove it onto Thor as soon as possible.”
“What were you two arguing about this time?” Thor turns an exasperated look on him.
“Why do you automatically assume it's my fault?”
“Because you and Mother are the only ones that can win an argument against him. And you're the only one willing to do so.” He snickers, not bothering to disagree.
“I'm adopted.” He does a double take.
“I'm sorry. What?” He allows his true colors to bleed through. Pale skin going sapphire blue, green eyes going red, black hair remaining the same.
“He found me, the runt child of Laufey, abandoned in a temple.” He returns to his Aesir form.
“Loki, that doesn't-”
“I know. Trust me, I know.” The Aesir warriors move to Thor’s side, glaring at Loki in distrust.
“What happened?” Thor asks him. He shrugs.
“I needed a reason to send the Destroyer. They made it easy.” He frowns at him for another minute, then turns his attention to the warriors.
“What happened?”
“He tried to forbid us from helping you,” Sif answers, righteous fury all encompassing her. Thor goes very still.
“Tell me they didn't.” He turns back to Loki, face carefully blank.
“I can be very persuasive, and I needed a reason to send it.”
“How long? How long did it take them to commit treason against their king?”
“Five sentences." His jaw twitches, but he stays silent. They spend a few more moments there, Loki attached to his brother's hip, the Aesir looking down on him and the mortals, completely missing Thor’s anger.
As soon as the bifrost closes, Heimdall alerts them to a situation on the rainbow bridge. They rush out there and find several Jotun moving out of a portal and towards Asgard. Loki stays by his brother up until an eleven foot tall Frost Giant hits him hard enough to send him skidding across the bridge. He can't help the scream ripped from him as he slips off the edge. Thor just manages to grab his hand before he plummets into the void, but just barely, and he can feel himself slipping with every motion either of them makes. A Jotun looms over Thor, and Loki reacts instantly, conjuring and throwing a dagger, the harsh movement tugging his hand from Thor's.
Horror contorts his face as he falls into the darkness beneath them.