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Dusk had fallen upon Asgard, quieting the palace and the typical hustle and bustle that the day tended to bring. Silence had swept through it entirely as the occupants within the grand spotlight of the kingdom had drifted off into slumber for the evening.
All but one .
Quiet, careful footsteps were the only faint noise within the palace at this hour as a hooded figure roamed through the familiar halls, cautious of any guards that should be keeping watch at the hour. Soon enough, the hooded individual had wandered down into the depths of the palace where the cells were kept, gaze sweeping silently over a few of the occupants within. Most appeared to be asleep, at least for the time being. Eventually, his gaze fell onto the cell of interest as the god crossed the distance towards it, reaching up to lower the hood of the cloak.
Looking upon his younger brother, Thor could only take a few moments to process how, and why, they had ended here. Sure, their relationship as siblings had been rather rocky over the years, but at the end of the day he had always assumed they loved one another. Thor certainly loved his brother, even after all the deeds and betrayals that had been done. Perhaps he had been a bit harsh within their youth, full of arrogance and pride that had managed to push Loki away and alienate him.
If that were the case, he accepted responsibility for those actions; even if Loki had made the choices that had led them to this point, Thor still had a heart full of love for his dear, younger sibling. No matter what happened or what life threw at the two of them, they would find a way through. Together.
He would make certain of it.
“Loki.”
Green hued eyes slowly fluttered open upon the utterance of his name, and the all too familiar voice that had spoken it. The god of mischief had hardly been sleeping as it was, and given this particular visit, he doubted any sleep would come for the rest of the night.
“Hello, brother.”
Feeling the eyes all but boring into him, Loki heaved a heavy sigh as he pushed himself up from the bed, attention shifting towards his brother. He had been expecting a visit like this given Thor’s predictability most days. “I assume you’re not here for the ambiance, then?” No amusement could be found in Thor’s expression, whose head gave a shake at the words.
“No, brother. I’m here to discuss the events that happened on Midgard. Your anger is understandable given the circumstances, but your actions were not. The brother I knew would never have done anything so cruel and destructive.”
Bristling at the words, Loki hardened instantly, eyes narrowing, expression quickly closing off. If there was one thing that the god of mischief had grown quite talented at, it was concealing his true emotions with the walls that had been carefully built up over the centuries. “Maybe you never knew me as well as you believed.”
“I don’t believe that for a single second, Loki. You’re my brother, and–.” Before Thor could get another word in, Loki had shot up from the bed, eyes flaring with unbridled anger.
“I’m not your brother! You are not my brother. You never were,” the god hissed out sharply, words dripping with venom. Despite the clear anger seething from the god of mischief, Thor did not allow it to deter him from the mission at hand. He knew, whatever had happened down on Midgard, something, or someone else had to have been in control.
“We may not be blood, but that does not change the fact you and I were still raised together, Loki. As I said on Midgard, we played together. We fought together. Nothing has changed for me. Even when I learned the news, I never thought less of you. Family has never been just about blood. I still see you as my brother no matter what has happened between us.”
A scoff sounded from the cell, Loki approaching the barrier. “You are a fool, as you always have been.”
“No, Loki. I merely love my brother and see that he has been used as a puppet. Now you are being punished. Shall you not tell me the truth of what happened? Why did you attack Midgard? The brother I knew never would have done so, even in rage.”
Seconds ticked by as silence once more settled over the two brothers. A war was raging inside of Loki – a storm that never seemed to stop.
The truth was far more complicated than either of them knew what to do with. Loki didn’t wish to view himself as a pawn, nor did Thor wish to see his brother as a puppet whose strings had been pulled by an unseen force. Finally breaking their locked gaze, the god of mischief let out a bitter laugh, turning from Thor as footsteps began to carry him throughout the prison. Fitting, he supposed. Perhaps this is always where he had been meant to end up.
“Please just talk to me, brother. I won’t judge you.” If only it was as simple as that. Head shaking, Loki paced throughout the cell, arms carefully folded behind his back. No one could possibly understand. Better left unsaid. “I attacked your precious Midgard to get at you,” the god spat out instead. Thor remained silent, eyes trailing after his brother. “You took everything from me. Father always preferred you and made it obvious in everything that we did. I was never good enough in his eyes.” Or, rather, a single eye, Loki thought wryly.
“You’re angry. I understand that. It still doesn’t explain what happened. You forget that I could see regret shining in your eyes as you looked upon the city and saw the destruction being laid in your wake. For what? A petty rivalry? I know that there have been times I have not been the brother you deserved, but this was never you.”
A green flash as a side table flung its way towards the area where Thor was standing, slamming against the barrier. “Of course, you would never understand! You were always the favorite!” How was that something Thor could never seem to get through that thick skull of his? “I don’t expect you to understand why I attacked your precious little realm. You don’t need to. I only regret that my reign ended before it truly even began.”
Lies from the lie smith.
Even Loki’s silver tongue could not save him from this fate. The galaxy seemed hell bent on pushing the god into villainy no matter how he may have fought against it in the very beginning. Eventually the resentment and anger had just boiled over. In the end, that would always win.
“I refuse to rise to your barbs. Or any attempt to anger me. I do not see a cruel would-be king, brother. I see a wounded animal licking his wounds and lashing out.”
Hesitation flashed in emerald hues, albeit briefly, at the god of thunders statement. Was Thor wrong? No. Truth rang out in the words no matter if Loki wished to believe it or not. “Loki, tell me what truly happened when you let go. Where did it lead you to, who did you encounter? I know you were not in full control of your actions, no matter how much you may protest otherwise. Perhaps I could talk to father, if you just let me in.”
Anger sparked once more within Loki, more furniture barreling into the barrier locking him within. Hands gripped into tight fists as the magic within yearned to lash out more than it could do in this cell. If he was free perhaps then people could truly see all the pain and sorrow that had befallen him throughout the centuries of being raised in Asgard. With the truth finally out in the open, everything finally made more sense in Loki’s eyes. He had always been the outcast. Had always been different .
“Father doesn’t care for me. He never loved me. I was merely a token in his eyes – a spoil of war that could, perhaps, one day mend the broken fence between his kingdom and Jotunheim. That is all I ever was. All I could truly ever be to him.”
Thor could hear the hidden sorrow within his brother’s voice no matter how much Loki tried to carefully conceal it. They’d had centuries together, after all. Though he may not be as inherently intelligent as his younger sibling, he did catch onto things many others did not. Especially whenever it came to Loki.
Stepping forward, closer towards the cell that encaged the other, Thor pressed a palm to the barrier that separated them. Fitting, he mused, how an actual barrier was a brilliant metaphor for what their entire lives had always been. Odin had been certain to keep the two boys competitive for centuries with the promise of the throne dangling before them like a carrot on a stick. He’d heard one of the Avengers make a remark that was something along those lines and couldn’t help but see how fitting it was. Had he been more aware of the pain that Loki suffered through while growing up, perhaps Thor could have been a better brother than what he had been. He had made mistakes.
Arrogance was only one of the many that had been made over the centuries they had both lived. It had taken Midgard for the god of thunder to see the truth of who he had become to finally change his ways. Now, he could be a better person. A better brother . Time had passed, yes, but that didn’t mean the broken bond between him and Loki had to remain shattered and unrepaired.
“No matter what our father believes or thinks about you, or why he chose to take you from Jotunheim that day, you are my brother. The truth of your birth has not changed that, nor have your actions on Midgard. You are in pain, Loki. All I want to do is help you.” Thor studied Loki with an earnest expression, watching the conflict on his brother’s features.
“You can’t help me,” he hissed out.
“Loki --.”
“No!” Eyes filled with anger, the god of mischief’s hands slammed against the barrier, just missing where Thor’s hand was pressed so earnestly on the opposite side. “Get it through that thick skull of yours, Thor! I don’t want your help!” He didn’t. At least, that’s what Loki kept telling himself. Easier to continue pushing his brother away than accept the olive branch that was being so tenderly held out. Always easier to burn the bridges that were being made than allow them to be fully built and crossed.
Being seen was far too much of a terrifying ordeal.
“You can’t mend every single broken thing that you find, brother. I am not some project for you to fix, or puzzle to solve that will ease your guilty heart of past misdeeds within our youth. Do not pretend that this sentiment here is anything but that.”
No matter if the god of mischief’s heart ached to accept the help that Thor was offering. Ached to mend the broken fence between them that had been allowed to deteriorate over the centuries. Even if Thor had grown during his banishment on Midgard, nothing would fully change that bitter resentment that coated Loki’s tongue every single time he thought of the unfairness between them in their youth. Odin would always prefer his golden child, as would all of Asgard. Better to accept that now rather than allow the wound within his heart to continue growing.
“You’re so wrapped up in your self-hatred and desire to be right that you cannot see the truth right in front of you, Loki.” That was the saddest part of this entire ordeal, wasn’t it? Seeing someone Thor loved so dearly wrapped up in so much bitterness and self-hatred. Constantly going through the same cycle over, and over, and over again even when it failed every single round.
Thor had learned. He’d broken the cycle and become better for it. Would Loki ever do the same?
Silence befell the two, emerald orbs narrowing into slits at the words spoken. He could see the anger brewing within their depths, but also the pain that Loki tried so desperately to hide behind an air of charm and disdain.
Hand falling away from the barrier, the god of mischief turned away, eyes falling onto the wall instead as he glared daggers into it. As if that would do anything to change this fate and what had happened. Nothing was going to change his fate. Not even Thor.
“Leave me to rot down in this prison of my own making in peace, Thor. I’m certain our dear father would not be pleased to hear that you have been disobeying his orders. Wouldn’t wish to disappoint as the golden child, now would we?” Venom dropped into every single word spoken, casual cruelness to help drive that wedge already between them even further.
Predictable.
Sighing faintly, Thor stepped back, hand falling away from the barrier as well. All he could do was watch his brother with sad, sorrowful eyes.
“No matter what has happened, I still love you, Loki. That will never change. I’ll be here when you are ready.”
The words were met only with silence as Loki kept his back to the god of thunder, refusing to crack. It was better this way.
Head shaking, Thor gazed at his younger brother once more before turning to make his leave from the depths of the Asgardian palace, which held the worst criminals imaginable. Loki didn’t belong there. Yet it seemed no matter what he did, or said, it wouldn’t change what had already happened.
With a heavy heart, he took his leave, footsteps as light as they had been upon entering the area what seemed like an eternity ago. Perhaps he had been unable to get through to Loki today, but Thor held true that one day he would.
One day they would mend the broken fence between them.