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Loki: Viking god of trickery, artifice, magic, fire, lies, evil and chaos, blood brother of Odin.
Loki or Loptr, in Norse mythology and Norse creed, is the god of cunning and deceit, an ingenious inventor of techniques, often compared to other ambiguous deities having the role of trickster.
He is an ambivalent figure in the Norse pantheon. In some myths he is the companion of Odin and Thor (and often the gods get out of trouble thanks to his great cunning), while in others he is the one who attacks the cosmic order, deceiver, brawler, fearsome and chameleonic, sometimes malignant. His figure, in this second case, is often outlined as a character intent on concocting deceptions and conspiracies, without ever acting in person.
"Stiles, are you still reading that book?"
Stiles turned to see Derek teetering in the doorway.
The boy was definitely attractive, especially since Scott had somehow decided that the best way to get his best friend and the one who had become a cross between an older brother and a father to talk about their feelings was to lock them in a room and stop Derek's wolf force from opening the door.
When Scott opened the door, however, he surely regretted doing that.
Stiles didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about the mental scar Scott must have sustained.
"Hey, big bad wolf. I was just reading while you did your Alpha’s stuff." Stiles smiled at his boyfriend, in a light mood, mostly due to the memory of how they got together.
Derek sighed, walking up to the boy and saying. "I wasn't doing Alpha stuff, Stiles. I was busy making sure Erika and Boyde had a good anchor before tomorrow's Full Moon."
Stiles nodded. "Alpha stuff, just like I said."
Derek shook his head, leaning down to leave a kiss on the boy's head, who leaned extremely happy for that physical affection.
"Why are you so obsessed with Norse mythology, love?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Stiles asked back, after raising his head. "You'll never know when something that appears in any mythology will actually impact our lives. And by impact, I mean kill us."
Derek snorted, seeming vaguely amused by his boyfriend's humor. "Yes I understood." Then, he shook his head. "I think you're overthinking this. We have no evidence to indicate that these beings actually exist."
"The first recognized werewolf is Fenrir. Who is one of Loki's children." Stiles said, quoting something he'd read the day before. "So technically, your species’ origin goes back to Norse mythology itself."
"Some believe that werewolves are traced back to Deucalion, love. Which is from Greek mythology."
"That's not the same." Stiles shook his head, knowing the boy would miss the point, as he often did. "Deucalion was punished for something he did, he wasn't born that way."
"Not all werewolves are born this way, Stiles." Derek smiled, moved by his boyfriend's explanation. Then, he got the boy to his feet, using his wolf strength to overcome any resistance Stiles might have put up. "Forget the books, you're messed up."
Stiles muttered something and Derek smiled.
"I can't speak ‘human tired and jaded’ language, sorry."
"And I don't speak ‘big grumpy wolf’, but you don't hear me repeat it over and over." Stiles answered and Derek laughed. "Actually you don't. But it could be because I'm not grumpy."
"Aren't you grumpy?" Stiles stared at him shocked. "You're like the grumpiest person I know!"
"I was grumpy. Now that I have you, I'm not anymore, love."
Stiles smiled at his sweet, big, grumpy boyfriend.
After they shared a kiss, Derek walked his mate up to their bedroom, not seeing Stiles cast a thoughtful glance at the page where Loki's figure had been depicted.
He was sure he'd seen it before.
~~~~
Beacon Hill.
Historic district of the US city of Boston, with a population of approximately 27,000.
On the highest part of the hill is the Massachusetts State House, the seat of the state government, with which the name of the neighborhood is often associated by metonym.
The area is home to many historic Victorian-style buildings and places of historical significance.
But this was not the most interesting part of the city.
Beacon Hills was in fact a real beacon for supernatural creatures as a result of the Nemeton, a magical tree in the middle of the Beacon Hills Preserve that could be nourished by various rituals of sacrifice.
Even though the tree was cut down at some point between 1943 and 2005, these possible rituals could give it enough power to draw supernaturals to the city like a magnet.
The supernatural Beacon Hills lighthouse received additional power from a large number of strong telluric currents, which formed a web of mystical geothermal energy that criss-crossed the earth within the city limits.
These currents converged in different places in the city which made them "hot-spots", containing a great deal of mystical energy; such convergences include Nemeton itself, First National Bank, Beacon Hills High School, Beacon Hills Animal Clinic, and Eichen House.
Those convergences had attracted werewolves, such as the Hale, druids, werecoyotes, hunters, and other creatures unknown to most.
They had also attracted a god, those currents.
The power, the magic that flowed through the land had made that city a beacon even miles away, even to distant planets.
Loki, the god of deception, magic and chaos, had felt that call as if it were in his veins, as if his ichor, his divine blood, was consuming him from within to go and look, to appreciate, to respect that city.
And Loki had no desire to hold back.
He got out, he reached the city that called to him, the duties of his brother as the heir that allowed him to disappear without attracting attention.
He went through the city, studied the sources of magic, and appreciated that very magic.
He continued his journey observing the different creatures that inhabited the city, smiling at their sight.
They called to him, but they could not recognize him.
How lucky these mortals were not to recognize a god in their midst.
How Loki envied their ignorance and naivety.
"May I help you, sir?"
Surprised, Loki turned around.
Ahead of him, a man, about twenty years old, with light blue eyes and dark brown hair, looked up at him, a gentle smile on his face.
He had seen it. Loki was surprised.
This human, without any magic, could see him.
"Yes indeed."
The human, Noah, was nothing special.
He was the new sheriff of the town and knew absolutely nothing of the supernatural that inhabited his city.
He couldn't see them and obviously he didn't even conceive of their existence.
Despite this, despite the sheer futility of what was happening, Loki enjoyed the younger boy's company.
It was refreshing.
Noah was calm, he was good.
Loki had never wanted something so strong.
"Tell me, Noah. Have you ever thought about leaving Beacon Hills?" Loki asked.
"Leaving Beacon Hills? No, it's my home. The only home I know of." Noah laughed, shaking his head.
Loki smiled, even though he was still thoughtful.
Did the magic of the place also attract non-supernaturals?
Could they too feel the magic of the place and did they yearn for it?
Could Noah feel his magic, Loki's, and desire it?
Was that why he still hadn't walked away from him?
Did he hope that proximity would make him more powerful? Did he hope the proximity would calm him down?
But no, humans did not see or feel magic, and could not recognize who possessed it, unless informed by themselves.
Probably, Noah was made calmer by Loki's magic, and that was what remained.
Loki nodded and answered the question the boy had asked.
"I'm just passing through. I've heard a few stories about this city, mostly folklore."
"And you wanted to check if they were true?" Noah laughed, shaking his head. "I've never seen a werewolf, but I've seen weirdos every day. Can I show you them and tell me if they're as good as your folklore stories?"
Loki laughed, acknowledging the joke, even though part of him was disappointed that Noah hadn't actually seen anything.
He had hoped, but….
Sighing, Loki forced himself to endure the next few hours of torture, talking to someone who appreciated him as a person, but that he would never accept what he was.
When it was time to say goodbye, Loki promised himself that he would return to Beacon Hills.
And, seeing Noah kissing a girl softly, he gave part of his magic to the girl, to the fetus that was growing in her womb.
Loki was the god of deception, artifice, magic, fire, lies, evil and chaos.
But he loved his mother deeply, and he knew that having a child was generally the greatest gift anyone could conceive.
Loki wanted to give that pleasure to Noah.
~~~~
The kanima is a shapeshifter derived from the bite of a werewolf.
To be precise, it is a werewolf unable to complete the mutation due to a past burden undermined in his mind and heart.
The mutation initially manifests itself through the secretion of a bizarre black fluid, the symptom of the rejection of the bite.
Unlike werewolves, the kanima seeks a master rather than a pack and he is unaware of his transformation.
It looks like a reptile, covered in scales and provided with a tail, fangs and claws, all imbued
of a powerful viscous neurotoxin capable of acting and paralyzing any being from the neck down for several hours.
The kanima is equipped like werewolves with more developed senses as well as an even more surprising agility accompanied by the ability to climb inclined surfaces.
The mutation of the kanima originally occurs only during the nights of the full moon during which it spends its time looking for someone to command it and to bond with.
Once bonded (usually through palm contact) it usually changes on command based on its master's orders.
The kanima's mind is linked to that of its handler, which is why emotions, thoughts and fears are shared.
It is possible to gain control of the kanima by killing the previous master.
Stiles interrupted his reading at the noise outside his door.
The door opened and Erika entered.
"Hey, Stiles."
"Hi, Erika, how are you?" Stiles smiled at the girl.
He and Erika had always been good friends, almost as good as Stiles and Scott.
Erika had always had a lot of trouble with her epilepsy and Stiles, knowing its symptoms, was one of the few who didn't tease her.
His attitude, combined with the way in which he had destroyed all the videos taken during an epileptic attack of the girl, throwing the cell phones of those who refused to hand them over to check that they had been eliminated in the water.
Stopping them from sharing that video was what convinced Erika more than anything that Stiles really cared about her.
Sure, there had been a really awkward attempt by Erika to kiss him, but once Stiles had explained to the girl that that was really a case of it's not you, it's me, meaning he was totally, unquestionably and absolutely gay, Erika had been his best friend.
She even laughed when Jackson became convinced, for some reason, that Stiles was madly in love with Lydia Martin.
And, no, Stiles wasn't in love with Lydia, he was just sorry that the girl felt forced to be stupid and superficial in order to be appreciated, when she clearly could have won the Fitzgerald Medal.
Or the Nobel Prize.
Or whatever she wanted.
But he wasn't in love with her.
"Norse Mythology again?" Erika asked, with a smile.
"I don't spend all my time reading about Norse mythology, why does everyone think that's what I do?"
Erika laughed, saying. "Because that's what you do most of the time, enough that everyone thinks that's what you just do."
Stiles winced, annoyed that the girl was right.
"Okay, you got me there. Right now, I'm not looking at Norse mythology, Erika. For your information, I'm reading about kanima." Stiles handed over the thick book he'd retrieved from the town library earlier that morning. "Like werewolves, kanimas have had a lot of history in folklore. The only problem is that many times folklore isn't a reliable source."
"Why not?" Erika asked, quickly reading what was written, before handing the book back to Stiles, which she answered. "Because, Erika, not all stories are true."
At Erika's confused look, Stiles said. "Uh, take it as… silver. According to myths and stories even touching it is supposed to kill a werewolf. Well, it doesn't kill you. While it's true that it takes a silver bullet to kill a werewolf, it doesn’t mean that any contact with silver is lethal."
Erika nodded. "So to the true stories, speculation has been added?"
"And also fantasy stories in order to make it all that much more interesting." Stiles nodded. Then, he pointed to the text. "Many of these things have also been said by Doc, but I'm not very persuaded."
Erika nodded, crossing her legs on the chair to sit more comfortably.
"So why are you looking for the kanima and not Loki? Sorry, but you were getting super fixated on those gods and I'm not convinced by the change of heart."
Erika observed the boy, before laughing. "Oh, did Derek tell you about how he thinks Lydia is responsible?"
Stiles snorted. "We both know very well that Derek couldn't wait to find an excuse to kill Lydia."
Erika laughed, amused by her friend's difficulties. "You know, if you were going to avoid this, you shouldn't have started a relationship with a big, bad, jealous wolf."
Stiles threw a pillow at her, exclaiming. "It's not my fault that Derek won't accept the fact that I'm not interested in Lydia like that!"
Erika kept laughing and just for that, Stiles started planning his revenge.
Maybe wetting her would have been…?
A flash of green light shot from Stiles' hands, enveloping Erika before vanishing her, leaving behind a startled Stiles and a wet, shocked Erika.
~~~
New York, or New York City to distinguish it from the state of the same name, was a city
of the United States of America located in the state of New York.
Also known worldwide as the "Big Apple", it was the most populous city in the state of New York and in the United States, doubly exceeding Los Angeles, the second largest city in the country by population.
It was even recognized as a global city in the Alpha++ category making it the most important city for the global as well as the national economy.
Plus, Stark's tower made the city the hub of what the Avengers were all about.
Loki knew they had faced the chitauri, though he had no idea who had called them or why.
However, he could recognize that some of the esteem the heroes were now receiving was probably deserved.
Part of the god was surprised, honestly.
New York did not have telluric currents and convergences.
It wasn't a hot spot for magic and the supernatural.
It wasn't like Beacon Hills.
Just thinking of the city made the god wish he was there.
Without even thinking of following his brother back to Asgard, Loki vanished with a gust of wind, appearing next to the Nemeton.
~~~~
"And you did what?"
Stiles was really tired of repeating the same thing to the exact same people.
But no matter how many times he tried to repeat a simple concept, they just wouldn't accept his explanation and demanded more.
As if Stiles could explain how he could create a green flash out of his hands.
Or how he could have bathed Erika without more than a mere thought.
The answer was: I have no idea.
The answer was not accepted.
Somehow, Stiles should have been able to find a plausible explanation for something impossible.
Which, while it had become something of a habit, usually also had a basis in literature of some sort.
Green smoke acting to satisfy Stiles' wishes had no basis, so Stiles had no explanation to offer the gaggle of onlookers watching.
"Look, I don't think Stiles has any other answers right now." Scott chimes in and Stiles looks at him gratefully.
Erika was the second to stand up for him. "Exactly, guys. It's pretty amazing what he's managed to do, but I don't think he can do it like this out of thin air."
Scott nodded at Erika's words. "Right. And if it's new to him too, he must be able to have the time to come to terms with something he suddenly could do, the time each of us required after becoming a werewolf."
Boyde and Isaac nodded, Derek's arm wrapped around his boyfriend's waist, his lips occasionally brushing the hair above Stiles' temple.
"Now, we have other important things to check. The kanima." Scott spoke, clearly. "The Argents are also interested in him. I think Gerard wants to use him for his own purposes and I don't know what those are."
Sensing the conversation turning to more familiar territory, threats from the Argents, and various dangers, Stiles relaxed, grinning gratefully at Scott who just nodded.
~~~
Loki appeared on top of the hillock, walking through the city.
Nothing had changed yet everything was different.
It was amazing how things could change in less than twenty years.
Loki wondered if Noah would recognize him.
~~~
Stiles snorted at Matt.
From being with them in the library, and then being attacked by a nasty, murderous lizard, Matt was worrying about a bump he'd gotten.
If he hadn't stopped talking, Stiles would have been happy to give him another one.
~~~
Walking through the shops, Loki recognized the police station.
Noah definitely should have been there if he was anywhere.
Loki smiled, starting to walk towards that building.
~~~
"Is going to your father a good idea? We really can't tell him what we're looking for." Scott said, following Stiles anyway.
“If you show your wolf thing, dad will believe me and we can get some real help with this. Not that I don't trust your Doc, but…”
"You don't trust my Doc." Scott sighed and Stiles shrugged. "Yeah, sorry I can't do that."
Scott snorted in amusement. "At least you don't try to deny it anymore."
~~~
Opening the doors, Loki was hit by a boy who was entering like him.
"Excuse me, I..."
When the boy looked up, green eyes like his stared at him.
Loki gasped.
This was Noah's son.
And, his friend was clearly a werewolf.
And more importantly, the child had his magic.
Loki had accidentally given birth to a son.
This wasn't a good sign.
~~~
"So you are a god."
"Precisely."
"And Scott, Erika, Isaac, Boyde and Derek are werewolves?"
"Yep."
"Lydia is… what is she?"
"A banshee. She senses when people are dying."
"Okay. The Argents are…something not good, right?"
"Hunters. They kill werewolves for fun, mostly. In theory, they should hunt what hunts them, but they're not doing it much anymore."
"And you, when we met years ago, gave some of your magic to my son, making you a sort of parent."
"Some kind of parent?" A puff. "I'm totally a parent. Can't you see he even has my eyes?"
"Okay, the third parent, then!" A sigh. "Other creatures I need to know about?"
"It doesn't seem like it, well other than the kanima."
"What is a kanima?"
"A murderous creature that kills under the command of a person who is made its master."
"This is extremely dangerous." A thoughtful sigh. "Other things you forgot?"
"Uh, can I do magic?"
"What?"
Loki looks at those present, Noah as he looks stunned at his son, Stiles slightly guilty at his admission and Scott, his son's friend, extremely amused by his friend's difficulties, but still present as a sidekick.
Well, people in Asgard would hardly have noticed his absence. Loki could stay a few more months on Earth.
Maybe even years, depending on how much he managed to distract Odin from his absence.
He still had a boyfriend to scare.