Chapter Text
The following days were a whirlwind of activity. The Avengers, SHIELD, and various allies spread out across the numerous cities ravaged by the Chitauri attacks. The devastation was extensive: countless lives lost, numerous injuries, and a staggering number of buildings reduced to rubble. No city had been spared. Streets were lined with debris, and emergency services were stretched thin as they worked tirelessly to rescue survivors and tend to the wounded. Hospitals overflowed with the injured, and makeshift clinics sprang up in parks and community centers. The once bustling urban landscapes now resembled war zones.
Teams were organized, with specific groups assigned to different cities to maximize efficiency. Loki found himself grouped with his brother Thor and Steve Rogers. Much to Loki’s dismay, Thor refused to leave his side, determined to protect him. The Chitauri’s message, translated and broadcasted to the populace, framed Loki as the instigator of the attacks. This was a crushing blow to Loki, who had only recently been accepted as an official member of the Avengers after a year of living and fighting alongside them on Earth. The decision had been met with skepticism, but Loki had slowly earned their trust. The Chitauri attacks shattered this hard-earned trust almost instantly.
Loki tried to ignore the waves of hatred directed at him, but he couldn’t help but feel that perhaps he should have stayed in the dungeons of Asgard. In most cities, he was met with glares, boos, insults, and worse. Despite the Avengers’ efforts to reason with the people, mass hysteria prevailed. The general sentiment was clear: Loki was a symbol of danger, and his presence was no longer welcome on Earth.
During a visit to a particularly devastated city, Loki, Thor, Steve, and several SHIELD agents faced an unruly mob. The crowd's anger was palpable, fists raised in the air. Men, women, and children, injured or not, were all present to make their feelings known.
"Get off our planet, Loki !"
"You brought this on us !"
"We don't want you here !"
Steve and the SHIELD agents did their best to hold back the masses, trying to push them back calmly, but the crowd was growing increasingly aggressive. Loki saw a piece of debris hurtling towards him. Instead of dodging it, he let it hit him squarely in the left eye. Blood began to trickle down his face from the gash. A grimace of pain appeared on his face as he looked in the direction the projectile had come from. It was an adolescent who looked visibly shocked at having hit the god and seeing that he hadn't moved. A hint of regret showed in his eyes as he tried to make himself small in the crowd.
Thor immediately stepped in front of his brother, his eyes blazing with fury. He raised Mjolnir, summoning a thunderous crack of lightning that silenced the crowd momentarily. "Enough !" he bellowed. "This is not Loki's fault ! He remains an Avenger, and we will set this right. Please, people of Midgard, try to understand !"
Despite Thor’s powerful display, the crowd’s murmurs continued, clearly unconvinced and still seething with anger. Steve turned to Thor, his expression grim. "You need to get back to the ship. It's too dangerous here. I'll stay and handle things with the agents. Stay with Loki."
Thor nodded reluctantly, his heart heavy for his brother. They made their way back to the ship amidst a sea of hostility. The journey was difficult, but they managed to leave the crowd without too much trouble, Loki keeping his head high and looking straight ahead to maintain his dignity, the only thing keeping his mind sane.
Once inside, Thor insisted on tending to Loki's wound. "Let me see your eye," he said, his voice softening with concern.
Loki shook his head. "It's already healing. There's no need, Thor."
"Humor me," Thor insisted, gently pressing a disinfectant cloth to the cut. "Why didn't you dodge that debris ? You saw it coming."
Loki's eyes reflected deep sadness. "Because I deserved it, Thor. They're right to be angry with me. And don’t be naive, my presence on Earth has never truly been accepted. My place isn’t here."
Thor's jaw tightened, his frustration evident. "You don’t deserve this, Loki. You’ve fought with us, bled with us. They don’t understand everything that’s happened. Remember that time in Berlin a few month ago when you stopped that Hydra attack ? You saved countless lives. People saw you as a hero that day."
Loki sighed, looking away. "the damage is already done thor…"
Thor finished cleaning the wound and stood up, looking at Loki who was still seated. "We’ll get through this. We always do."
They spent the rest of the day on the ship, away from the hostility of the crowd, doing what they could remotely to assist the others. It was a long, quiet journey back to the compound, each lost in their thoughts.
Upon returning to the compound, they gathered in the common room to debrief with the rest of the team. The atmosphere was somber, everyone acutely aware of the mounting tensions and the strain on Loki.
Tony started the meeting, his usual humor replaced with a serious tone. "Alright, let's get down to business. What’s the situation out there ?"
Thor spoke first. "The cities are in ruins, and the people... they're angry. They blame Loki for the attacks."
Steve nodded, adding, "It's bad, Tony. We need to find a way to address this before it gets out of hand."
Natasha spoke up. "We need to clear Loki's name. Publicly. Maybe a press conference, something to show that he’s on our side and that we stand with him."
Clint, leaning against the wall, sighed. "Easier said than done. People are scared. They need someone to blame."
Bruce looked at Loki, his concern evident. "Loki, you okay with that ? Going public again, I mean."
Loki, still pale and tired, shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. Unless you want a terrorist attack at the press conference if I'm present. The last time I tried to talk to people, it didn’t go well."
Tony leaned back in his chair, contemplating their next move. "We need a plan. A solid one. And we need to find out where these attacks are coming from. Any leads from SHIELD, Fury ?"
Fury, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. "We’re tracking several signals. It's going to take time"
After the meeting, the Avengers decided to unwind with a relaxing evening after the tensions of the past few days. Tony suggested a movie night, though in Tony’s case, it was less of a suggestion and more of a command. Even Loki, who was exhausted and tried to retreat to his room, found himself roped into the gathering.
Everyone settled in the living room. Tony, after a heated debate with Clint and Thor, finally chose the movie.
Clint threw his hands up in mock defeat. “Alright, Stark, if we’re watching your choice, it better not be another one of those sci-fi disasters.”
Tony smirked. “Relax, Barton. We’re watching ‘Galaxy Gladiators: The Last Stand.’ It’s a classic.”
Thor furrowed his brow. “Galaxy Gladiators ? I do not know this film. Are there mighty warriors ?”
Rhodey, who had joined them, laughed as he placed the pizza order. “Oh, there are warriors, all right. And space battles. You’ll love it, Thor.”
Loki, seeking some solitude, claimed a single armchair. He wanted to avoid being sandwiched between Thor and someone else, not to mention Thor's endless questions during a movie he didn't know—something that happened often due to his near-zero knowledge of Midgardian cinema, according to Clint.
Halfway through the movie, Loki was struggling to keep his eyes open. He didn't want to fall asleep and risk having a nightmare in front of everyone, but the more he tried to focus on the screen, the blurrier it became. Voices sounded distant, and before he knew it, his eyes closed completely, and his body relaxed into the chair.
It was Tony who first noticed Loki had fallen asleep, gently snoring. He nudged Clint with a grin. “Look at Sleeping Beauty over there.”
Clint chuckled. “Guess the God of Mischief couldn’t handle the Gladiators.”
Thor, noticing his brother’s exhaustion, frowned with concern. “Let him rest. He needs it.”
Natasha quietly got up and draped a blanket over Loki’s lap, ensuring he was comfortable. The evening continued, but soon, Loki found himself plunged into another nightmare.
In his dream, Loki was back on Thanos ship, chained in his cell, enduring the Chitauri's tortures. The pain was as real and excruciating as he remembered, the same fear gripping his heart. Alien voices taunted him, their cruel words echoing in his mind.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. Loki was in a dark, unfamiliar place, a void where nothing seemed real, yet he couldn’t wake up. Thanos' voice boomed in his head, clearer than ever before. Loki clutched his ears, but it didn’t stop the sound.
“Your freedom will be short-lived,” Thanos sneered. “I will return for you, and this time, you will suffer more than you can imagine. I will kill everything you hold dear before I torture you and end your miserable life.”
Loki tried to speak, but his voice felt trapped in his throat. The nightmare shifted again, and he saw Thor being pierced by a spear meant for him. Loki screamed, a heart-wrenching cry that echoed through the void as he fell beside his brother.
Back in the living room, Loki began to thrash in his sleep, sweat beading on his forehead. His breathing became erratic, and his hands gripped the armrests tightly, causing the fabric to frost over.
“Hey, something’s wrong with Loki,” Clint pointed out.
Tony paused the movie and turned on the lights. “Hey Loki ! Wake up !”
Thor rushed to his brother's side, shaking him gently. “brother, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
But Loki was deeply entrenched in his nightmare. Thanos voice continued to taunt him, the images of his brother’s death replaying in his mind. Without realizing it, his powers began to manifest more, the armrests of the chair now completely frozen.
Steve approached cautiously and placed a hand on Loki’s arm, trying to wake him. “Loki, it’s alright. Wake up.”
The instant Steve’s hand touched Loki’s arm, he recoiled in pain. “Ow ! He’s freezing !”
At that moment, Loki jolted awake with a gasp, eyes wide with terror. He looked around frantically, still caught between the dream and reality. Thor, seeing the panic in his brother’s eyes, spoke soothingly. “You’re safe, Loki. You’re here with us.”
Loki’s breathing slowed, but his hands continued to tremble. He looked at Steve, who was nursing a frostbitten hand. “I... I’m sorry,” Loki stammered.
Steve shook his head, managing a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. I’ve had worse.”
Loki sprang to his feet, startling Thor, and stared in horror at Steve's nearly frozen hand. Steve attempted to reassure him, saying, "It'll be fine. Bruce can heal it quickly," but Loki was unconvinced. His response, a mix of fear and anger, was directed straight at Steve's eyes.
“I could have killed you !” Loki exclaimed, his voice trembling. “You were reckless to touch me without thinking.”
Thor, seeing the distress in his brother’s eyes, stepped forward. “Brother, it's alright. You didn’t mean to—”
But Loki recoiled from Thor’s touch as if it burned him. “Don’t touch me !” he snapped, his breathing ragged.
Thor, clearly hurt and confused, asked gently, “Loki, what— ?”
Seeing the concerned and curious faces around him, Loki realized he couldn’t hide the truth any longer. Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, he began, “My power.... has been increasingly uncontrollable. It’s like there’s a surplus of energy inside me, desperate to break free.”
Thor looked surprised. “What do you mean, uncontrollable ?”
Loki hesitated, then spoke, “It’s…because I’m not Asgardian.”
Tony looked puzzled. “What do you mean, not Asgardian ? We know you’re adopted, but—”
Loki sighed, the weight of his words pressing down on him. “I’m not just adopted. My true origins are... different. I am a Jotun, a Frost Giant from Jotunheim.”
Bruce’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait what ?”
Thor continued, stepping in to help his brother. “He was adopted by Odin. A spell was cast to give Loki an Asgardian appearance, hiding his true origins until he discovered them during our attack on Jotunheim.”
Loki nodded, still uneasy. “The cold, the ice... they are the primary elements of my true nature. Recently, this power has been slipping from my control, and I don’t understand why.”
Bruce offered, “Maybe I can run some tests, see if we can figure out what’s going on ?”
Loki shook his head. “Midgardian technology can’t help me. It’s... it’s deeper than that.”
Thor placed a reassuring hand on Loki’s shoulder, and this time, Loki did not flinch. “We need to go back to Asgard. Mother and Father might know more about what’s happening to you.”
Tony frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. “We need everyone here in case Thanos attacks again. We can’t afford to be a man down.”
Natasha interjected, “We can manage without Thor and Loki for a while. If Loki can’t control his power, it won’t help the situation here either.”
After a brief but intense discussion, they all agreed that Thor and Loki should return to Asgard to seek answers. Loki turned to Thor, apprehension clear in his eyes. “Are you sure this is the right move, Thor ? You know I’m not exactly welcome in Asgard, even after... everything.”
Thor nodded, his expression resolute. “I’m sure, it’s gonna be okay ”
The next morning, Thor and Loki prepared for their departure. Only Steve accompanied them to the roof of the compound, the others already embroiled in the complex situation on Earth. Thor gave Steve a hearty embrace. " We’ll be back as soon as we can," he promised. Loki, still hesitant with physical contact, offered a nod, a silent farewell.
Standing side by side, the brothers waited as Thor called out to Heimdall. Steve watched from a distance as the radiant, multicolored beam of the Bifrost enveloped them, and in a blink, they were gone.
In the observatory at the end of the Bifrost, Heimdall stood vigilant, his sword firmly in hand. As the blinding light subsided, Thor and Loki materialized before him. Heimdall greeted them with a nod, a rare smile gracing his stoic face.
"Welcome back, my friends," Heimdall said.
Thor clasped Heimdall's arm in a warrior's greeting, his laughter echoing in the chamber. "It’s good to see you, old friend !"
Loki gave a polite nod. "Heimdall," he acknowledged, his tone respectful.
Thor quickly got to the point. "We need to speak with Odin immediately. It’s urgent."
Heimdall’s expression grew serious. "Follow me," he said, leading them towards the throne room.
As they entered, Frigga was the first to react, rushing towards her sons. "My boys, you have no idea how much I've missed you !" she exclaimed, enveloping them in a warm embrace. Thor hugged her back with enthusiasm, while Loki stood a bit stiffly, his nerves evident.
"Are you alright, Loki ?" Frigga asked, her eyes searching his face for signs of distress.
Loki sighed, trying to mask his anxiety. "I'm fine, Mother. Truly."
Odin rose from his throne, his gaze sharp and questioning. "my sons, what brings you back to Asgard so suddenly ? I sense a grave matter at hand."
Thor stepped forward, his voice steady. "Father, Thanos is alive. He has attacked Earth again, targeting Loki specifically. We fear Asgard might also be in danger."
Frigga gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Odin's expression hardened. "This is dire news indeed," he said gravely.
Thor continued, "We need to prepare for another potential assault. But there is another pressing issue," he added, glancing at Loki.
Loki took a deep breath, stepping forward to address Odin and Frigga. "My powers have become unstable," he confessed. "They’re manifesting uncontrollably, and I don’t know how to handle them."
Frigga and Odin exchanged a worried glance. "Is it your magic ?" Frigga asked, concern etched in her features.
Loki shook his head. "No, Mother. It’s the Jotun power within me."
Odin and Frigga shared a look, and Loki sensed they were hiding something. "What is it you're not telling me ?" he demanded.
Odin began to speak, but Frigga interrupted gently. "We need to show them," she said. Odin nodded in agreement.
Frigga led them to a hidden chamber deep within the palace, where Asgard's most dangerous and powerful artifacts were kept. At the far end, she used her magic to reveal a secret compartment. Inside was an ancient mural, covered in intricate drawings and inscriptions in the language of the Frost Giants.
Thor looked puzzled. "Mother, what is this ?"
Frigga’s gaze was somber. "This was found in the cave where Loki was abandoned in Jotunheim. It speaks of a prophecy." She began translating the ancient text:
"When a son of giants stands between worlds, Bearing the fury of eternal ice, He will unleash an ancient, dreadful power, Enough to destroy even the mightiest gods.
But this power comes at a terrible price, For the ice will burn his own heart, And the strength that makes him invincible Could also consume him entirely.
Only the wisdom of his ancestors And the love of his kin Can guide him through the darkness And prevent him from falling into the void."
Thor and Loki stood in stunned silence. Loki’s face twisted in a mix of anger and sorrow. "Why didn't you tell me about this ?" he demanded. "Another secret, another part of my life kept from me. Do you realize what this means ? I'm destined for either immense power or destruction."
Frigga reached out, taking Loki's hands in hers. "We hoped the prophecy would never come to pass. You've already endured so much, my son. We wanted to spare you from more suffering."
Loki pulled away, his emotions roiling. "Spare me ? How many more secrets are there ? How much more am I supposed to bear ?"
Thor, stepping in to calm his brother, asked Frigga, "What do we need to do to help Loki control his powers without harming himself ?"
Frigga sighed, her eyes filled with concern. "He must return to Jotunheim. There, among his people, he can learn to control his Jotun abilities. There's someone there who can help him, though I don't know their identity or if they are still alive."
Thor turned to Loki, determination in his eyes. "Then we go to Jotunheim. We'll find this person and get you the help you need."
Loki, frustrated and reluctant, tried to protest. "Thor, we can't just go back there."
Thor placed a firm hand on Loki's shoulder. "We have no choice, brother. We face this together."
Loki continued to vehemently refuse the notion of going to Jotunheim. "There must be another way for me to control these abilities," he insisted, his voice rising in desperation. "Surely, there’s someone in the Nine Realms, perhaps even in Asgard, who can help me."
Frigga's voice was calm but firm. "Loki, there is no one who can help you like the Jotuns can. The prophecy is clear, and time is running out. If we wait too long, your powers will consume you."
Loki's anger flared even hotter. "I've never had a choice in my life," he spat. "Destined to be the God of Mischief, destined for destruction, destined to never have a throne or real power. Destined to lose."
Frigga shook her head, her eyes filled with sorrow. "That's not true, Loki. You mustn't think that way."
Loki laughed bitterly. "Thanos was right about one thing. I was born to be a puppet, manipulated by fate."
Thor, unable to contain his own anger any longer, struck Loki across the face, the sound echoing through the chamber. Frigga gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock. The room fell silent except for Thor’s heavy breathing.
Loki raised a hand to his stinging cheek, already turning red, and slowly turned to face his brother.
Thor grabbed Loki by the front of his tunic, pulling him close. "You don't have the right to speak about yourself like that," he said fiercely, though his anger was now under control. "You mustn't believe Thanos's lies. I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. You are going to Jotunheim, whether you like it or not, because I refuse to lose you again."
Loki stood there in silence, his gaze lowered. After a long moment, he spoke quietly. "I was wrong to lose my temper. I’m sorry. If this is the only solution, then we will go. But we need a team. We can’t survive alone. We need someone who can lead us to Utgard, through the Frozen Wastes. Someone who knows the terrain."
Thor nodded, his expression softening slightly. "We’ll need an experienced guide. I propose we take Skurge. He knows Jotunheim well and can navigate the treacherous landscape."
Loki considered this for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Skurge it is. We’ll need to prepare."
Frigga looked at her sons, a mix of relief and concern in her eyes. "I will ensure everything is ready for your journey. Be careful, both of you."