Chapter Text
As the human flying machine swept through the air like a giant metal eagle, the sky around it blackened with clouds. The air grew thick and tense, shivering with anticipation for his coming. For the gathering storm could sense the approach of its master – god of thunder, wielder of lightening, lord over the weather. The wind howled its glee and the rain poured down in joy. Then, with a dazzling flash and a booming crack of thunder, the Mighty Thor arrived!
The humans, noble warriors though they were, cowered inside their metal contraption, buffeted by powers they could not possibly understand. Although none cowered more than the Trickster Loki, traitor prince, who knew in his twisted heart that punishment for his sins was at hand. As Thor, golden muscles rippling, tore open the metal container like parchment and strode inside, Loki bolted from his seat, unable to face the brother that he had so deeply wronged. Thor caught him easily, and Loki withered under his burning, righteous gaze. As the human warriors protested, not realizing noble Thor’s intentions to help them, Thor leapt from the flying machine and carried Loki out into the raging storm.
Thor and Loki crashed into the rocks like stars falling from heaven, but there was not a scratch upon either – for the gods are not so easily injured.
“Where is the Tesseract!” Thor shouted. Although he longed to embrace his villainous, yet beloved brother, noble Thor knew that he must first put an end to Loki’s schemes. Climbing to his feet, Loki greeted his brother with a sneer.
“Oh, I’ve missed you, too,” the trickster laughed, bitterness clouding what should have been words of joy. Mighty Thor’s mighty heart clenched in sadness and anger. Even after all of Loki’s crimes, he had mourned his brother with the depth and power of a boiling ocean of feelings. Asgard had been flooded for months as their Prince had poured down torrents of rain, standing in place of his manly tears, for the brother lost in the void of space. And now, to find that Loki was not only alive, but unrepentant and once again perpetuating his wicked mischief? Whatever madness had seized hold of Loki to turn him against the mighty Thor had burrowed its way into his core, rotting him from the inside. The God of Thunder was horrified that the once sweet and intelligent Loki had been transformed into this dark, twisted creature.
“Do I look to be in a gaming mood?” Thor demanded, the wind billowing out his golden hair and glorious red cape. But Loki had no appreciation for the fabulous Thor, or the gravity of the situation.
“You should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth-“ Thor cut off Loki’s stream of nonsense, grabbing hold of him.
“I thought you dead,” noble Thor pleaded, hoping that the truth of his grief – of his mighty and powerful love – would dispel the greasy sheen of hate that clung to the fallen prince. Loki was unimpressed.
“Did you mourn?” he sneered, his cruel mockery stabbing at Thor’s great heart like tiny knives. Did he truly believe that he had not been missed?
“We all did,” Thor protested. “Our Father –“
“Your father!” Loki cut off Thor’s words of kindness with a shove, which did not damage mighty Thor’s body, but did great hurt upon his spirit. “He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?” Thor’s mind whirled. Did Loki not understand that he was part of their family? Was it the revelation that he was a member of a defeated race long despised in Asgard and frequently described as lowly, monstrous beasts – was this what had driven Loki into madness? Thor had never realized that Loki was so sensitive. Thor racked his mighty brain, wondering how he could get Loki to abandon his imagined slights.
Before the Trickster could say another word, Thor pulled him into a powerful embrace, squeezing as if he could crush the evil out of wicked Loki with his brawny arms. Then he pulled back, his clear blue eyes staring into Loki’s poisonous green, one hand resting on the back of the Trickster’s neck in fraternal affection.
“Don’t you realize that we love you? Your true parentage matters not to mighty Thor! Or to our parents! They have known your race all your life, and they have loved you just the same!” Something flickered in Loki’s wild green eyes – perhaps a glimmer of sanity returning? Thor dared not to hope. Loki shook his head, trying to pull away, but Thor held him with an iron grip of love.
“No,” Loki babbled. “They have never loved me! They have always loved you more!”
“That is not true,” Thor pressed. “They have loved us both equally! Help me set this right, Loki! Come back with me to Asgard, and you will find only forgiveness!” Loki’s lower lip trembled in a womanly fashion, as his eyes filled with glimmering tears.
“Thor, would they really forgive me? After all I’ve done?” Finally, the veil of madness was starting to lift from his eyes.
“Loki,” Thor smiled magnanimously. “They already have.” Then the fallen prince threw his slender arms around his muscular brother, sobbing uncontrollably, his mental poison dripping out with his flowing tears.
“Oh Thor,” Loki cried. “I’m so sorry. I have caused you so much hurt. I was just jealous of how awesome you are.”
“There, there,” soothed Thor, massaging his back in a completely platonic way. “Someday, you can be as awesome as I am. Not right away, of course, but someday. Now, let us retrieve the Tesseract and set things right.” Thor did not cry, but the rain crashed down around him, expressing his manly joy. Loki pulled back to look at Thor, his streaming eyes now hardened and resolute with new courage.
“Yes, brother, we will put this right. And then I will make up for all the wrongs I have caused you. I will take you to see your mortal lover, and then I will help fix the Bifrost, and I will bake muffins for you and all your friends – “
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“Um, Thor? What are you doing?”
“What? Nothing!” Thor hunched his huge frame over the laptop, while Darcy ducked under his arm to catch a glimpse of the screen.
“Thor, dude, you know that’s not how it really happened, right?” Darcy was starting to get a bit worried about the thunder god. He’d taken to this whole “writing as therapy” thing a little too enthusiastically, and now it was hard to pry him away from the laptop. Thor snapped the laptop closed, blushing red.
“Aye, I know. This is not how it happened. It’s how it should have happened.” Thor heaved a long sigh.
“Yeah, Erik and I are definitely taking you out for drinks,” Darcy decided, pulling Thor out of his chair.