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For a moment, standing with Jane and his mother, Thor almost felt normal. Not as though the situation were typical, rather, it was just unusual enough that it didn’t remind him of what was lacking.
He had told everyone that this distracted long-drawn melancholy was not about Jane, and it wasn’t. But her presence helped, and he found himself glad that it had been necessary to bring her here. Selfish as it might be to be glad of such a thing.
It only lasted a moment.
Then an alarm sounded from Valaskjálf.
Frigga cast a worried gaze that direction. “The prisons.”
They had not yet finished bringing in all the rebels. The cells were still being filled with enemies of Asgard - those who hated the Allfather and had hoped to bring an end to his reign. Those who would strike at him in any way they could. They had little hope of escaping the dungeon, but…
Thor looked toward the Palace. “Loki.”
Would the rebels recognize him? If they had the ability to break free would they be able to reach him as well?
“Go,” Frigga said.
Thor glanced back at his mother, then down at Jane.
“I will look after her.” Frigga nodded at him.
Needing no further encouragement than that Thor ran up the nearby steps, summoning Mjolnir, which met him just as he jumped from the balcony and sped him towards the palace.
The prisons were in a sort of isolated, chasm-like space beneath Valskjálf, the only true exit being the branching stairs which were suspended over the chasm and led down into the dungeon.
There was, however, a large space in a portion of the roof which allowed for ventilation and it was this that Thor dropped through, rather than utilize the stairs as all the guards must.
He landed with a thud, interrupting the ongoing chaos as everyone turned to stare.
“Return to your cells and no further harm will come to you,” he offered. “You have my word.”
Almost immediately, he was hit in the face by one of the prisoners who must not have believed him.
Thor grabbed them by the neck, holding Mjolnir against their chest, “Very well, you do not have my word.”
The ensuing scuffle did not take long. A portion of the prisoners rushed toward him and he knocked them aside with little effort, wondering how such easily-defeated foes had managed to escape.
From his spot near the doors Thor could see a pair of Einherjar who had been felled halfway down the hall - they must have been the first to respond to whichever prisoner had started this.
Thor glanced around the dungeon, seeing no one who looked particularly dangerous. It must have been the sheer number of them that had caused the difficulty.
A number of the cells were still active, the prisoners inside shouting and hitting the walls, eager to join the rest in their pathetic escape attempt.
Thor breathed out in relief. He needn’t have worried.
Then it occurred to him, after over a year of being impeded, he was finally in the dungeons.
He looked towards his friends.
Fandral and Volstagg were preoccupied, as were the guards that had rushed in just after Thor arrived. They would make quick work of subduing the remaining prisoners.
He might not get another chance like this.
If anyone spared him a glance, they would see a very angry-looking Thor walking towards Loki’s cell. They might assume he had singled Loki out as the potential cause of this skirmish. They might even assume, as he opened the cell, that he intended to threaten Loki until he set things right somehow.
It would be a foolish assumption. And in all cases they’d be wrong.
The cell wall opened and in a rush Thor strode inside.
Loki looked up, eyes widening into a surprised expression and moved to clamber to his feet, dropping his book.
Without a thought Thor stepped forward and threw his arms around him, engulfing Loki in a hug.
As Loki hadn’t managed to rise fully, the force of the hug had them both stumbling. Thor landed on his knees and only just managed to keep Loki from sprawling by pulling him towards himself and rocking back on his heels.
He only vaguely registered the sharp exhale of breath and only belatedly did it occur to him that - given their last encounter was not especially friendly, Loki might be one of the people who would think he meant to do Loki harm.
Thor reached up and patted the back of Loki’s head and felt Loki startle at the touch.
“I didn’t-“ Thor started. It hadn’t been his intention to frighten Loki. He had had plenty of time to consider the actions they both had taken on Midgard and had realized amongst other missteps, this one gesture that he had neglected. “Sorry, I- I never-“
He could feel Loki pushing against him so he loosened his arms thinking Loki would scramble away from him. But Loki simply sat back, still within reach, looking mildly alarmed and wary.
Thor lowered his hands to his lap, “I meant to do that on Midgard…”
“What?” Loki hissed lowly, “Attack me?”
Thor offered an apologetic look. “Hug you,” he said lamely.
Loki scoffed.
“Are you doing well?” Thor glanced around the cell, glad that they hadn’t been lying about giving Loki a bed. He noted a bowl of fruit, and a pile of dusty-looking books in the corner.
Loki made another disbelieving sound, “Is this some new interrogation tactic? I had nothing to do with the prison break.”
Thor frowned at his brother, “Of course not, how could you have?”
Loki scowled back at him, looking offended.
Thor glanced out of the cell toward the dwindling fight then back at Loki. “Don’t tell me you expected me to suspect you.”
Loki’s lips pinched together in a flat line and he narrowed his eyes at Thor.
Thor huffed a laugh, “If you could break out anyone you would have done so, yourself, before now.”
Loki glanced away, looking annoyed even as he smiled. “So after all this time, you finally were reminded of the prison’s existence and thought to drop in and say ‘hello’?”
Thor stared for a moment.
Reminded?
“I didn’t forget about you, Loki.”
Loki raised his eyebrows. “It wouldn’t matter to me if you did.” He moved as if he meant to get up.
Thor grabbed his forearm, “I didn’t forget you! I’ve been away!”
“Right. Striving to undo the damage I’ve done - how could I have forgotten?” Loki tried to pull away again, but Thor held on.
“No, I wasn’t on Midgard. I-“
“I wasn’t referring to Midgard.” Loki snapped.
Thor frowned in confusion.
Loki inhaled through his teeth and shot Thor another exasperated look. “Obviously none of these prisoners look like the people of Midgard.” He nodded at one of the inmates on the ground. “That one’s from Ria, is he not?”
Thor looked at the man, then back to Loki. “Yes… but you had nothing to do with that.”
“Not according to Odin.”
Thor glowered at him a moment, before Loki’s words made sense. “He can’t possibly blame you for all the unrest.”
Loki hummed, “Tell that to him.”
“But you’ve been here this whole time!” The very idea was ridiculous!
Loki frowned at him as though he were overlooking something obvious. “He told me this when he sentenced me to life in the dungeons, Thor, it’s hardly new information.”
Oh.
The damage…
“The ever mighty, ever vulnerable Asgard ,” Loki had said to him once, long ago.
Any perceived weakness would be exploited; that was the way of the world.
The riots had broken out once the troublemakers of the realms had realized Asgard couldn’t reach them via Bifrost.
Thor had wondered, during that miserable year that followed, whether there might’ve been some other way to stop the Bifrost. Its destruction had meant the salvation of Jotunheim, but had inadvertently lead to Loki’s death - and then the ensuing chaos in the Nine. But at the time it had felt like the only solution. And now, looking back, he could confidently say that he would do it again rather than let Loki’s rage destroy Jotunheim. …It was easier to think that, now, with Loki in front of him, restored.
“Is this why your sentence was so harsh? He blames you for the unrest as well?”
Loki’s frown became all the more incredulous “Why are you acting as though you’re only just now hearing about this?”
“I wasn’t allowed at your sentencing.”
“And no one thought to inform you?”
Thor shrugged, feeling a little exasperated himself. “They told me what the Allfather had decided, nothing beyond that.”
Loki stared at him. As if Loki had somehow forgotten just how little anyone cared to keep him apprised of things.
Thor shook his head, “If I had been there I would have explained to Fathe-“
“Oh, you’re explaining things to Odin now?” Loki jibed.
“I would have appealed to him. I was the one who decided… it is unjust for you to take all the blame.”
Loki blinked at him, looking uncertain. Then Loki scoffed again, “I thought you would be pleased after I attacked your beloved Earth.”
“I know of few things that have ever displeased me more.”
Loki shook his head, “But you agreed with Odin-“
Thor scowled at him, “What in the Nine gave you that idea?” Since when had he ever simply agreed with their father? Loki had done the same thing often enough, why couldn’t he see?
Loki bristled. “I’m not sure, perhaps it was being tossed around on Midgard, or the muzzle, or the fact that you brought me here and left me to my fate, and when I somehow avoided execution at Frigga’s request you didn’t even deign to so much as ask after me!”
Execution
Avoided?
At Frigga’s request?
Thor’s mind reeled.
What?
Loki…
“What do you mean?” Thor gasped.
“What do you mean, what do I mean?” Loki hissed, he once again tried to pull his arm away.
Thor tightened his hold, “You said Mother helped you avoid execution.”
Loki’s nostrils flared. “Yes, Odin wanted to execute me and was persuaded otherwise.”
“I don’t bel- no. You’re exaggerating.”
Loki gritted his teeth. “He told me as much himself.”
“You misunderstood,” Thor tried.
“I misunderstood nothing,” Loki spit back.
“But he wouldn’t do such a thing!”
“No?”
“No! You’re his son!”
“I am NOT his son!” Loki jabbed the fingers of his free hand into Thor’s side.
With a huff Thor doubled over, allowing Loki to jump up and move away.
Loki paced toward the bed, then rounded on Thor. “He told me, ‘Frigga is the only reason you’re still alive.’” He breathed heavily. “It cannot be made much clearer than that.”
Thor stared up at him in shock.
When he had brought Loki back - he hadn’t been naive enough to think there wouldn’t be some form of punishment for Loki’s crimes, but he would’ve wagered his life on the conviction that their father loved Loki. As cold and unfeeling as that love might be, he had assumed there was enough to protect Loki. That the Allfather might execute Loki had not even occurred to him.
He felt ill.
If he had known that were a possibility he wouldn’t have brought Loki back.
If he had heard such a thing at Loki’s sentencing he would not have been able to keep silent.
He would not have dared leave Loki at their mercy.
His mind turned to their mother. Her, lovingly gazing upon Odin, speaking of him in a fond tone. Recent memories, not even a day old.
She’d had to argue Loki’s life to be spared? How could she even bare to look at Odin after that? How could she support him? Was she playing along the way Thor was? The same way that Loki thought meant his approval of Odin?
The ground felt like it was shaking.
As if he were happy with how things turned out, rather than biding his time until he took up the throne and could fix it?
Pounding sounds echoed through his brain.
Loki thought he had stayed away of his own free will. That he had either forgotten or didn’t care. That he approved.
Loki cast a worried expression toward the ceiling.
The ground felt like it was shaking again.
“Then neither am I.”
“What?” Loki looked at him, distracted, guilt clouding his expression.
What could he possibly be feeling guilty about? Thor thought.
He shook his head and sat up, “If you’re not his son-“
“Thor…” Loki interrupted and glanced out of the cell. “One of those prisoners they brought in- I told him to take the left stairway.”
Thor pushed himself up to his feet. Fine, if Loki wanted to change the subject. Thor scowled, “Why?”
Loki looked briefly sheepish then his expression turned defensive. “Well, it isn’t as though there are many opportunities for mischief down here.”
A picture of himself stuck somewhere without sky, flashed through Thor’s mind, making him shudder. It was an egregious oversight, indeed.
“Ah.” Thor frowned towards guards outside the cell. They looked startled.
“Thor,” Loki pressed.
Just then, an uncharacteristically alarmed Fandral ran up to the cell, “That came from the throne room!”
It only then occurred to Thor that the shaking and pounding hadn’t been in his imagination.
Thor took two steps toward the panel, then spun around and strode back to Loki.
This time he managed to embrace his brother without knocking them both over. And this time Loki did not flinch away.
Thor put his hand at the back of Loki’s neck, and rested his temple against his hair.
“When I begged you to come home,” he explained quickly, “it was not with the intention that you be locked away and I never permitted to see you again. I love you, Loki, nothing can change that. And, disclaim Odin all you like, I am your brother first and forever.”
He heard Loki take an unsteady breath. Then another inhale through the nose, like he did when he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
Thor pulled back, and if Loki’s eyes were more shiny than usual, Thor chose not to comment on it.
He rested his forehead against Loki’s briefly. “I’ll be back as soon as I am able,” he promised.
Loki’s nod was so small it was almost imperceptible. But at least it was acknowledgment.
Thor squeezed Loki’s shoulders and nodded back.
Then he left to see what all the fuss was about.