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Chapter Text

It had always fascinated him, the way time seemed to run so differently between the Realms. And nothing showed this the same way as the relation between Asgard and Midgard. They never seemed to be running on the same time. He could spend an hour on Asgard then return to Midgard only to discover he had been gone a decade. Or he could spend a century on Asgard yet arrive on Midgard, finding no more than a day had passed.

Thor, he liked to count his years in accordance with Midgard's rotations around its sun. Many of the gods did. It made them feel important. Special. He, he had always found that way of thinking so limiting. But it was expected, so he did. Even though it wouldn't have made any sense. Because he would have to have existed before he was born. Now knowing his true origins, it made far more sense.

Idly he wondered what the people of Midgard would think if they knew he had always loved their Realm far more than Thor ever had. Not that it mattered anymore.

Loki allowed himself to be herded along. Wondering idly what kind of punishment he would have to face this time. They would have to get creative, or else they ran the risk of repeating themselves. He held no illusions that his so-called father would bother listen to him. The man had always been selfish. It was a wonder that Thor wasn't even more boorish than he already was.

"I will speak with the prisoner alone", the All-Father said. Meaning, of course, his wife and son. His real son. The guards, they remained. "Well, Silvertongue. Speak."

"Woff", the Trickster said. "Oh, I'm sorry. You addressed me like one would a dog so I assumed I was supposed to answer in kind."

"Don't test my patience."

"I wasn't aware you had one."

Odin growled, his face becoming red with rage. Really, where did people thing Thor got his anger issues from? It wasn't from Frigga, despite her temper sometimes boiling over. No, that would require Frigga to be the actual mother to the Thunderer. In truth, the only son of Odin she had given birth to was Baldur.

Of course the oaf got it from his father.

"Enough!" The old man barked. "You have rained down death and destruction on two Realms while clearly feeling no remorse whatsoever!"

That was rich, considering the man's own history. It was also not true. Loki did feel remorse. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember much of what had happened in both cases. Learning the truth of his own origin had fractured his mind. Making him behave erratically and completely unlike himself. As for Midgard... well, he still had the scars needed to explain that.

"I don't know why you bother. I will tell you the truth, you will accuse me of lying. Using the godly title you gave me. And then punish me anyway. Mind if we just jump to the punishment?"

"ENOUGH! I WILL NOT HAVE ANYMORE OF YOUR LIES! I SENTENCE YOU TO ETERNITY IN THE DUNGEONS!"

How original. See, he knew they would repeat themselves. He had received the same punishment three times already, this being the fourth. Each time they realised they had to let him out because they needed him. Except the one time he let himself out.

The truth was, he felt exhausted. His body was hurting, his mind was hurting even more, his magic had been almost completely drained, and he was hungry. Letting his mind wander, it took him a while to realise that the guards were, in fact, not guiding him to the dungeons. Instead they were leading him out of the Palace altogether. Odd.

Eventually they reached a clearing. Anticipating a beating he was very surprised when his shackles were removed. Freeing him. Rubbing his wrists, he eyed the men suspiciously. 

"What is this?" He demanded. 

"We will open a portal to Midgard for you", one of the guards said. A youth, barely old enough to be called a man. "Others will be waiting for you, to give you aid."

Loki paused, taking in the words. "You are helping me escape... why?"

"You don't remember me, your highness." It wasn't a question but the Trickster nodded anyway. "You saved my life. Protected me when no one else would."

Startled, he studied the youth. Slowly a memory resurfaced. One of a few centuries before. "The boy..." he said. "The one whose father..."

"Yes. The one whose father would beat him within an inch of his life, in public."

He remembered. The man had been a drunk, taking pleasure in abusing his own son. No one had bothered to step in. Saying the son had probably deserved it. That the father was a warrior and because of that needed some relief. Loki had heard of this, and had forcibly removed the boy from his abuser. Finding him a proper, loving home. Even though it meant he himself had been punished. 

"All of us here, we saved by you, your highness. We requested to be the ones to guard you today. For the sake of this moment."

The others nodded. Then they all brought out mage stones. Stones that allowed even someone without seidr of their own to perform magic. Together they opened a portal. Showing a small field on the other side. The portal was barely big enough for him to go through. 

"Please, your highness", one of the other said. "Go, and be safe. Thank you."

All of them echoed the sentiment. He decided to accept their kindness. Ducking his head, Loki stepped through the portal. Barely had he cleared it before it snapped shut. 

Looking around, he knew immediately he was back on Midgard. The air, the feel, was different, from any other Realm or world he had seen. In the far distance, he could see tall buildings. Likely from a city. He was free, but on a Realm that probably hated him. Suddenly there were movement.

One mortal man and two women were walking towards him. Completely at ease. The man spoke. "We welcome you, Traveller", he said.

Loki breathed in sharply. It was a long time since he had been called that, with that specific intonation. Allowing him to know that they meant him no harm. And that they knew who he were.

"We have prepared a place for you to rest", one of the women said. "No one will come for you there. Please. This way."

"We have food ready", the other woman chimed in. "Please, let us help you."

It might have been foolish, but he felt the echoes of the old covenant. Allowing him to trust them. 

"I would love that. Thank you."

Chapter Text

The wind flew pleasantly through his hair as the pick-up truck drove along the road. It was uneven and a tire would occasionally graze over a rock or hit a hole. Inside the car sat the three mortals, they had offered him a seat but he had declined. Unlike them, he would be perfectly fine even if he fell out. Besides, he liked the sensation of the speed wind.

Their journey took about half an hour before the car stopped in front of a run down building. It looked similar to an old chapel. One that hadn't been used in a long time. He jumped down from the truck bed as the humans stepped out.

"This way, Traveller", the man said and lead him inside. It didn't just look like an old chapel, it was one. Benches faced the front and tall windows let in light. Everything relating to religion had been removed, however. There were people inside. When he entered, they turned to look at him. They knew who he was, he could see it in their eyes. Yet, there were no hatred or disdain. Because there was no artificial source of light, the space inside was fairly dark. Making the people inside mostly shapes to his eyes.

The three led him to the front where they encouraged him to sit down. While the man stayed behind, the other two set about finding food and clothing for him. Or so they said. After a moment two other people approached. One was a tall man, the other was a very young girl. 

"Go on", the man said to the girl. "You can tell him."

"Um..." the child said. "Thank you, for protecting us. Here. For you." She held out a small flower to him. Loki smiled at her and accepted it.

"I don't know if I deserve any thanks, but I will accept this pretty flower. Thank you, Little One." As he watched her whole face lit up.

"Traveller", the first man said, voice kind. "We have no doubt you protected us. We of the Covenant have never forgotten what you sacrificed for our sake. To protect us from other gods."

Yes. The Covenant. His promise to humanity. Loki had always liked the humans. While their lives were small and insignificant, they had also been full of so much life and change. Pushing past their limits. Good or bad. He had not been able to stand the way other gods treated the mortals. So he had placed himself in-between. Drawing their ire. Because if his fellow gods were too focused on him, they couldn't spend any time on the humans.

"Here, Traveller. Please, eat." It was one of the women, she held a tray with food. Thankful, he accepted it and ate. All too aware of the eyes on him.

The things that made gods varied. As did the things that made someone a gods follower. For some, it was about being remembered. As long as enough people remember their name, they could keep their existence. For others it was the amount of worshippers. Having followers, for most of them, meant gaining power through numbers. To be a follower of a god you had to, as a rule, worship them.

What made someone a follower of Loki was different. It had nothing to do with worship. You didn't even have to like him or believe in him. As long as you showed aspects of Loki's nature, you became his follower. Though, the Trickster himself didn't use the word follower to describe those who were touched by his powers. He much preferred to use the description agent. They were agents of his. Of chaos, of mischief, of any of his many aspects. And most importantly, they were all the outcasts. The ones that didn't fit in among others.

While other gods took power from their worshippers, Loki did not. Rather, he shared, knowingly or not, his powers with his agents.

Such were his thoughts as he ate. The soup was thick and filling. Allowing strength to return to his body. He had been so focused on his food that he had failed to notice that the humans had gathered around him. It wasn't until he looked up that he realised they were in a semicircle. Watching him, looking at him. With awe. Gratitude. 

Once they saw he had noticed them, they began leaving items at his feet. Trinkets, treats, and - in the case of the children - wildflowers. As he put the tray aside, one brave girl came up to him, sat down beside him and snuggled up to his side.

Loki blinked in surprise. Because it was an act of seeking comfort. From him. Gently he petted her hair, soft smile on his face. Seeing this the other children, one after another, came up to him. Seeking comfort from his presence. 

"I can't tell if you are being brave or foolish, Little Ones", he chuckled. Letting them.

"They know you, Traveller", one woman said. "They know you are their protector. That they have nothing to fear from you."

The words hurt. Because he was certain that there were plenty of children right now, who feared him greatly. Of all the things Thanos had made him do, putting children in harms way was the one thing that tore his heart apart. Making them experience fear and horror. To know that he had failed them. Yet here were a group of children that felt the need to seek him out for comfort.

"They know you, Traveller", another woman said.

"We all know you, Traveller", someone else said. 

"We know who you are. Who you really are", said a third.

Long before Loki had been dubbed the god of lies, he had been known as the god of inventions, the god of fire, and the protector of children. It was he who brought the warmth of fire to the Old Norse, taught them to make nets to fish, and how to keep safe. And he had protected children from harm. Especially the kind that came from adults. It had nothing to do with morality, he had just detested the kind of man or woman who could bring harm to a child. So he had protected them. All those who couldn't protect themselves.

Indeed, long before his fellow gods had branded him evil, he had been known in a very different way to the humans. A much kinder and hopeful way.

He had been known as the friend of humanity.

He only remained on week in the chapel before they moved him. There were nothing forceful about the action. Rather, they had looked concerned and even scared as they drove him to a new location. Keeping to smaller roads and avoiding places with a lot of people. He had not known what to do with the realisation that they were trying to protect him.

Arriving at another half abandoned building, he was received by yet another group of people. Who called themselves the People of the Covenant. They never spoke his name, always using a nickname or a title. This repeated until they finally brought him to a small village, hiding away in a forest. By now, he had seen at least a hundred people, not counting the children, who all knew him and still were intent on protecting him.

"Welcome, Traveller", a tall man with blond hair greeted him as he stepped out of the vehicle. "I'm Liam, and this is the Village of the Covenant. Though officially it is called Northwood. We have prepared a place for you."

Liam lead Loki to the largest building in the small village. On the outside, it was nothing special. It wasn't until he stepped inside that he realised it was a temple. Simple, bare, yet tastefully decorated. There were tables with chairs, doors leading to other rooms. At the far end was a small altar on top which sat a wooden bowl. The bowl was decorated with runes. In front of the altar was a big, thick cushion. It wasn't until he was offered to sit on it, that Loki realised the temple was dedicated to him.

He had never tried to gain worshippers. Never asked for it or lorded his powers over the mortals. Yet, it appeared he somehow had a bunch of them anyway. Made even more apparent when the village gathered inside, kneeling in front of him, clasping their hands in prayer.

"I don't understand", he said finally. Giving air to the thought that had swirled in his head for the last couple of months. "I have done nothing for you, any of you. In fact, I brought death and destruction upon your world. Why would you help me? Show me such reverence?"

"We don't need anything from you, Traveller", Liam replied. Who, like the rest, was kneeling in front of him. "All we want, is to repay you. To do for you what you have always done for us."

"We never forgot", a red haired woman he would later learn was named Julie told him. "And we have protected the truth. Whatever the truth lies behind the invasion and New York, we still believe in you. Because no matter what, you always believed in us."

Chapter Text

The room he had been given in the temple was comfortable. Nothing particularly big, but comfortable nonetheless. Julie and her brother Thomas had volunteered as his attendants. Which was ironic since he had lacked any personal servants on Asgard. No one had been willing to serve the evil Prince. Yet these mortal siblings were competing over who could best serve him.

Northwood was an interesting village. Here lived people from all walks of life. People of all races, genders, sexualities, and ability. Some were born in the village while others had moved there. What tied them all together was the Covenant. 

The villagers did a good job of hiding the true nature of their home. While being fairly isolated, it still had common amenities. Stayed connected with the bigger world. Liam explain that while no cameras was allowed in the temple, they didn't forbid their youngsters from owning devices. Recognising the allure of the forbidden.

So while he was free to move about in the village, they cautioned him to be careful. This was, of course, no issue for Loki. He merely changed his appearance outside the temple. Taking in the small settlement, feeling amazed at how self-sufficient they were.

It fascinated him that they didn't seem to expect anything from him. Yet they seemed to bask in his presence. Bringing him gifts, wanting to be in his vicinity. In short, they treated him like a god. Of course, he was a god, but he wasn't used to be being treated as one. Those who sought him the most were the children. Several of whom had scars on their souls. Especially those who had a single parent.

"Traveller", Liam said, bringing a basket of fresh bread. While acting as a leader, the man was also a baker. Owning a small bakery in town. "Is everything to your liking?"

"Everyone has treated me with far more kindness than I deserve", Loki answered, picking up a steaming bread roll. Breathing in the delicious scent.

"You have done more for us than I think you realise." The mortal smiled kindly. While he would sometimes use a formal tone, he knew the god wasn't one for formalities. "Your magic alone has often protected us."

"My magic?"

"Are you perhaps unaware? Any place we dedicate to you becomes a haven for the vulnerable. No one who has malicious intentions can enter. Especially not those who would hurt children. It is actually how we vet anyone wanting to move or work in the village."

No one malicious could enter a place dedicated to him? That was new. Not that he had ever been aware of a place that was dedicated to him. True, he had often protected those who were vulnerable against harm. And he had always protected the mortals against the gods. Until his madness after Jotunheim and falling into the hands on Thanos. Then he had suddenly become the monster they had always claimed he was.

"Traveller?"

"I'm sorry, I got lost in thought. Mind saying that again?"

"The children want a proper name to call you. They know your true name, but saying it would put you in danger", Liam said. Not put out by having to repeat himself.

Loki pondered the question. Saying his name would draw the attention of Heimdall, even though he was cloaking himself. The risk of his name alerting the Avengers was lesser, they had no reason to believe it was actually referring to him. Tapping his lips he recalled something. Making him smile softly. An old disguise he had used occasionally. Holding out his hand he summoned Laevateinn, spinning the wand he transformed it into a lute. With a shake of his head, his appearance shifted. Making him shorter, stockier. His hair became predominantly reddish brown with streaks of blond and black while his famed green eyes turned blue.

"When I'm like this, you can call me Volsang", he said. "It is an old disguise of mine. Few are aware of the connection between the Bard of the Realms, and the Trickster."

"I understand. I will tell the others that this you is Volsang. I'm sure it will delight the children as well. Especially if you tell them stories."

Loki smiled. There were few things he loved more than tell stories to children. It still amazed him that these people cared so much about him. All he could do was try and repay them to the fullest of his abilities. 

Many people assumed Tony hated reading. That wasn't true. He loved books. It was just that he could read much faster than the average human. Meaning he finished a book way to quickly. So, he tended to avoid fiction because they didn't engage him long enough. Scientific books at least meant he had to engage on order to learn. 

So yeah, the multimillionaire loved books. They just didn't satisfy his needs for very long. Shoot him. It was probably the need for engagement that made him dive into projects. Engineering was perfect because it was never ending, but it wasn't the only thing that could make him start to dig.

Finding out gods were real, that had definitely tickled his brain. Which was why Tony began looking into Norse mythology. Hopefully Loki wouldn't come knocking any time soon, but Thor would probably make another appearance. So why not find out more?

At least, it had looked like a good idea. Now he wasn't so sure. Because if even one of these myths were true, he wasn't surprised that Loki had snapped. Sure, he seemed to have gotten himself into trouble more than once, but the response from the other gods definitely looked to be over the top.

"Is it just me, or does it seem like Loki is mostly messing with his fellow gods?" He pondered aloud.

"It is not so much mostly, I'd say", JARVIS chimed in, "so much as only his fellow gods. There is not one mention of him messing with humans."

"None? Not a single one?"

"None, sir. Of course, these are only stories."

If you had asked him a couple of years ago, he would have agreed. But now he knew that the Norse pantheon actually existed. So maybe there was more truth to them than one might think.

"But seriously, what's up with Loki having the weirdest kids? A horse, a snake, and a wolf? How do you even accomplish that?"

"He is also called the Mother of Monsters."

"The mother of monsters? Not the father? Geez, Reindeer Games has gotten up to some stuff. Anything else that stands out to you?"

"I don't know if it is relevant, but some stories name Loki as the one who brought fire to humanity. Defying Odin in the process. He is also associated with knots and supposedly invented the fishing net."

"With knots. What, he is into BDSM? Actually that would make a surprisingly amount of sense. With all that leather. Guess murder isn't too much of a surprise for a guy like that."

"...Sir, if I may... I am find some hints to some sort of Covenant and a promise. Something Loki has supposedly done for humanity."

"Probably the whole fire thing. And he doesn't get any brownie points for teaching monkeys how to rub two sticks together." Tony stretched. "Enough research for one day. It is not like we will ever see the guy again. Asgard can handle him."

Bringing up some schematics he put all thought of Norse gods out his head. Unless Thor actually came knocking, he would probably have very little to do with the gods. Besides, he was an atheist. Or at least agnostic. 

Standing in the forest, Loki breathed in before summoning a knife. Making a cut across his palm, letting the blood fall to the ground.

"My blood before your blood, my breath before your breath, my pain before your pain. This is my promise to you. To free humanity from the tyranny of the gods, to allow humanity to live free and ever changing. To you all, I make my Covenant."

The people standing around him were worn and tired. Winter bringing nothing but cold and darkness. Breathing into his hands, the god summoned the heat of Sol. Crafting the first flame. He placed it in the hearth. Light chased away the darkness, warmth chased away the cold. For the people who had long lived under the yokel of the gods, this kindness from one so above them was felt deep.

They waited until he departed, gathering around his hearth. Making a cut in their palms, letting the blood flow.

"Our blood is you blood, our breath is your breath, our strength is your strength. To thee we make this promise, to answer your sacrifice", they chanted in unison. Sealing the Covenant. 

To gods, humans were no more than pieces on a board. Toys to play with. To humans, gods were being of fright and terror. Yet, here they had seen a god bleed, for their sake. Promising to take their place. Who had brought them life through the flame. Knowing there were little they could do for him. So they made a promise, that if there ever was a time when this god would need their help, they would do anything in their power to aid him.

They would have faith.

Chapter Text

It was with a smile he returned to the temple and shed his disguise. Sitting down on the step leading to the altar. He had removed the huge pillow almost immediately, it made him feel like a relic. Everyone in Northwood had been made aware that Volsang was actually Loki, but their attitude was very different. Making the disguise work even better. As the Bard, he sang songs and told stories to anyone who wanted to listen. And they would laugh and joke around in response.

As soon as he returned to the temple though, the reverence returned as well. That wasn't to say they didn't approach him casually, but they showed him more deference without Volsang. He didn't mind. It was important to them and it was thanks to their kindness that he could take it easy. Have time to heal from his time in the Void. Truly, mortals were such amazing creatures and he would probably always love them dearly.

"Traveller!" A woman suddenly called out to him. She was holding a boy in her arms, maybe six or seven years old. "He has been sick for a week by now and his fever suddenly spiked! It is a four hour drive to the nearest hospital and our only ambulance is already taking a woman in labour there. If you can..."

"Let me have a look", Loki said and received the child who was unconscious. Shivering and sweating from the high fever. Healing magic wasn't his strong suit, but he knew all the spells. First he sent his seidr into the boy to see what was wrong. Finding a viral infection. While not all that dangerous to an adult, it was wrecking havoc on the young body. Knowing what was wrong he agreed it would take to long to get him to human healers. Thus, he weaved a spell that would boost the natural healing and restore stamina. Bringing down the dangerous fever. Unlike the higher races, humans were sensitive to the influence of seidr. Benefitting from a more subtle approach whenever possible. 

He wondered if Eir would have been proud to know he had taken her lessons to heart.

The boy in his arms blinked awake, likely feeling groggy still. He groaned and looked up at the god who held him.

"Traveller?" He asked in his young voice, still weak and feeble. "Mom?"

"She's here, Little One. You worried her", Loki replied and adjusted his arms to help the boy sit up. "What's you name, Little One?"

"Martin."

"Your mother is right here, Martin."

Martin blinked, looking between his mother and the Trickster. Then, he snuggled up to the god. Smiling softly, Loki wrapped his arms around the tiny body. Keeping him safe as he fell asleep.

"Traveller..." the woman said. "Thank you."

"Are you alone? His father...?"

"In prison. Because of what he did to Martin. I felt lost and ended up wandering here. When we settled in, they told us about you. It had been three years, and Martin has never accepted a man coming this close to him in all that time. Thank you. Thank you so much... I..." She began crying. He knew those tears. Having shed them himself more than once.

"What's your name?" He asked gently.

"Lisa. I'm sorry... I'm crying like a child... being so weak and pathetic..."

"I don't think you are weak, Lisa. How can you be? You faced a parents worst nightmare and still had the strength to be there for your son. You are allowed to cry when it gets hard."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Loki allowed her to sit down by his side, seeking the same comfort as her son. It was a small thing to do. How many generations had people like this existed? Finding solace in a distant figure that had only showed the most basic of kindness.

Liam closed the temple door softly, waving away Julie and Thomas. They could attend to the god later. Right now, he didn't want to disturb the tranquility inside. He had seen Lisa running desperately with Martin in her arms. The poor woman had arrived to Northwood with her son and the stuff inside her car. Having no friends and family left after what had happened. 

It wasn't an unusual story in the village. Liam himself had moved there as a young boy, to live with his grandmother as he his father had brutally murdered his mother. The old woman had brought him to the temple, telling him of the misunderstood god. The one who took up a burden to protect them against his fellow gods. Even as it earned him titles as a god of lies and evil.

"He did so for no other reason than because he cares", she had explained. "He holds no expectations."

"Can he hear us?" Young Liam had asked.

"I think only one god can truly hear prayers. But then, I don't think he needs to hear them to help us. This is a place were no evil can enter. Thanks to the magic he is giving to us. Knowingly or not."

"No evil?"

"None. So if you ever feel afraid, come here. Because here no harm will come to you."

Liam had taken the words to heart and had eventually found solace. As he grew older and discovered that his heart would beat for other boys, not girls, he had hid in the temple. Only for his grandmother to come for him. Accepting him. That's when he truly learned how different Northwood was from the world outside. This was the one place where you could be yourself, without judgement. 

Loki didn't understand how they could show him so much kindness. Constantly referring to New York. The destruction and death. Even after having confided that he didn't invade by choice. It spoke in depth of what kind of life he had lived. Of the enormity of his sacrifice. 

Their god might not understand, but it didn't change the sheer love his true followers had for him. Loki didn't have to do anything for them. Because he had already done more than enough for all of humanity. At least, that's what they thought. 

"Sir, on the topic of Loki", JARVIS said. Breaking Tony's train of thought. Looking up from his latest project - a self-plating toaster - it took him a few moments to catch up to the words. 

"What about him?"

"It seems like he might be on Earth."

"Wait, what?! Since when?"

"I can't be entirely sure, the footage is several months old."

"Months?! What the heck is Asgard doing? So, what's the damage."

"None, sir. Although, from the footage, Loki is not alone."

"None? Alright, show it to me."

A holographic screen popped up, showing a small gas station. There were no sound and the footage grainy. Wherever this was, it wasn't high tech. It showed two men entering, the first holding the door for the second. Saying something. The second person was none other than Loki himself. Dressed in in a simple jacket and jeans. Towering over his companion. Nodding to the other man. The potential hostage said something else and approached the till while Mr. World Domination browsed the shelves. Eventually picking up a sandwich and something to drink. Bringing it to the till where his hostage paid for it.

"Do a lip reading analysis, would you?"

"Immediately, sir. Due to the poor quality, I could only discern a few words. It appears that Mr. Loki's companion is encouraging him to pick out some food while he pays for gas. There is no sign of distress."

"Brainwashing?"

"Hard to say, sir. He do, however, appear to call Mr. Loki 'Traveller', using it like one would a name or nickname. Meaning he likely know who he is talking to."

"How old is this footage?"

"Six months, sir."

"Damn. JARVIS, do a deep search through every database you can find. Run a facial recognition software, voice recognition, and speech pattern recognition."

"...of course. Though, if I may."

"What?"

"Based on his companion's behaviour, some discretion might be wise."

"Not go running in with guns blazing?"

"Indeed. Of these people know who he is and what he has done..."

"They won't be happy with the Avengers. Got it. Alright, tell me when you think you might have a location."

"As you wish, sir. Though you might want to consider that they have a good reason for their actions."

But Tony had already returned to his project, tuning out his AI.

Chapter Text

Flying over the tree tops, Tony studied the small village. Located not far from the Canadian border, it was sitting in a forest. He couldn't tell which state it was supposed to belong to. Despite sitting in the middle of the woods, there were several farms dotting the surrounding. 

Northwood. A village of less than two thousand inhabitants. With four hours to the closest town. According to JARVIS, the place was surprisingly self-sufficient. It had a school going from elementary to high school, a clinic, fire department, and small police station. Most of the food was grown locally and everything else was brought in based on need. It was definitely perfect for someone trying to lay low.

Using the suits stealth function he swooped in lower. It was JARVIS who had located the place. Using every method available and then some. At his speed, he wouldn't make a lot of noise. Allowing him to observe. On the surface, nothing seemed out of place. That was, until he saw the much larger building. Sitting at the seat of honour, so to speak. It wasn't a church, but it was obviously important. 

Deciding it was a good place to start, Tony found a place to land. Only bringing a gauntlet with him. Carefully, he sneaked closer. The doors stood open, defying the cold weather. Taking another quick look around he slipped inside. There was an odd sensation, almost as if he had popped a bubble. To his surprise it was warmer inside than outside.

"Hello, Stark", a deep, soft voice came. Jumping, the engineer realised he was looking straight at Loki. Who was smiling in amusement. Tony was about to raise his repulsor when he noticed the god was surrounded by children. A few were even perched in his lap. A small girl was sleeping soundly, leaning against the man.

"Who in their right mind would let you look after their kids?" The engineer demanded.

"I would ask you lower your voice, you are scaring them. Everything is alright, Liam. Stark is just visiting."

Spinning on his heels, Tony came to face to face with a stranger. Who looked very unhappy to see him. The stranger than addressed Loki.

"You don't have to allow him here, Traveller."

"I hold no grudge against the Avengers. He could enter the temple, that's good enough for now."

"Okay, what the fuck is going on here!" Tony demanded loudly.

"Your voice, Stark. Lower it or I will expell you from here." Glaring at the god, the engineer startled to realise that several children were looking at him in fear. While clinging to Loki, of all people. Something weird was going on here.

"Are you holding these people hostage?" He demanded, though in a lower voice.

"Mr. Stark, I think it is time for you to leave", the other man said.

"Be at ease, Liam. He has reasons for his suspicion. Valid ones, I'd say."

"We won't allow him to hurt you."

"I know. And I'm grateful. Even so, I did bring harm to this Realm and he saved it. His reaction is understandable."

"Can you two not talk like I'm not here?" Tony finally said, crossing his ams. "I want an explanation. And I'm not leaving this place without one."

"Very well, Mr. Stark. I will explain. If you agree to leave the temple", the other human said. "Come with me and we will talk."

"What about Loki?"

"He is free to go and stay as he wish."

Reluctantly the engineer followed the other outside, leaving Loki behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the children snuggling even closer to the god. Who let them, with a soft smile.

"I'm surprised you would leave your kids with that mad man."

"If you knew what we know, you wouldn't be surprised. My name is Liam, this way please."

"You are the mayor?"

"No, we don't have a mayor. But I am part of the village council."

Liam guided him through Northwood until they reached a small bakery with an apartment on top. Inside it smelled of freshly baked bread. A small bell chimed merrily and a short man with red hair and green eyes came out.

"Liam! Is the Traveller okay? This is..."

"He is okay. This man and I will talk upstairs." To Tony's surprise, the two men kissed. Noticing, Liam just said. "This is my husband."

"Are you two okay?" The engineer asked as he and the blond man climbed the stairs. "I mean, this is a small village in the middle of nowhere."

"Northwood isn't like other places."

"Yeah, most places wouldn't shelter Loki."

"Stark... we are all aware of what he did in New York. No one is denying that. But the truth is far more complicated than you realise. Sit down, I will make us some coffee. Sugar? Milk?"

"Black, please..." sitting down, Tony looked around. It was your average kitchen. A table with a few chairs, some photos on the wall. As he waited, the redhead popped in with a basket of fresh cookies before going back down. They were good cookies. Finally Liam sat down, handing him a cup of coffee. "Alright, explain."

"We call ourselves the People of the Covenant. While there are not a lot of us, you can find almost everywhere. Including other Realms. On Earth, this is one Village of the Covenant. There are others. There is one thing that ties us together, we are remember the promise that created the Covenant."

"Really, did you break bread and share wine?"

"Stark", the tone was stern. "Loki has made an enormous sacrifice. One we can never hope of repaying. A long, long time ago, he promised with his blood that he would place himself between us and the other gods. Protecting us."

"Good job he did of that..." Tony muttered. Knowing that he was testing the patience of his host.

"Considering he thwarted his own invasion, I'd say so."

"He said that, did he?"

Liam sighed. "I've seen children less stubborn. We won't let you take him away if you are going to hurt him."

"Are you sure he hasn't brainwashed you? Why would you to such lengths for him?"

"Is it really so strange to you? To love your god?"

"I'm an atheist. My only god is science and it needs no love."

"You are a child. Stubborn for the sole purpose of being stubborn. Listen, Stark. If you are a man of science, so this should hold true for you. No matter your feelings on the subject, the truth will always be the truth. Your opinion, my opinion. Neither matter. He will be going with you in order to protect us. When he does, I ask that you show him enough grace to withhold judgment until you do know the truth."

For once, Tony hesitated. Liam calling him a child had actually hurt. Crying about being an adult wouldn't help his case. This man was serious.

"Alright. If he comes with me willingly, I will at least not hand over him to Asgard or SHIELD until I know it is the right thing to do. Good enough?"

"No."

"No?!"

"Would you accept handing an abuse victim back to their abuser? So no Asgard."

"Okay! Fine no Asgard!"

"Do you swear on your troth?"

"Yeah, sure. I swear on my troth that I won't hand him over to SHIELD unless I'm sure it is the right thing to do, and I won't let anyone else do it either. And I swear I won't ever hand him back to Asgard, nor let anyone else do it. Happy?"

"Yes. Or at least, as happy as I can be. Considering you are stealing away our god even though he is finally among us again."

Tony shook his head. He would never understand religion. 

He had known the moment Stark came into the temple that his time in the Village was up. Even if he stayed this time, there was no telling what would happen next. What if the rest of the Avengers showed up? SHIELD? Not to mention Asgard, lead by Thor.

No, much better to leave while he had the situation under control. This would cause the least damage. The inventor had been visibly surprised when he agreed to leave. That didn't make it easier to handle all the tears. 

These people had showed such an enormous amount of kindness. Coming to him for help, for comfort, and for protection. Repaying him through compassion and care. Julie and Thomas were weeping openly. All the children grabbing his clothes, wailing and crying for him to not go. It didn't help that all the adults had similar expressions of grief.

"I will be well", he told them. "Thank you, for everything."

"I will inform our people in New York", Liam said. "They will help you if you need it."

"I know. You have all built a wonderful community of love and acceptance. I couldn't be more proud of you all."

Going down on a knee, he gave each child present a blessing that would protect them. If he had eased their troubled for even a little, he would be happy. Finally, he waved goodbye and followed Stark out of the village.

"I still don't get how they can be so comfortable with their kids being near you", the man said.

"It is not that strange, Stark. After all, I'm the Norse patron god of children."

The expression he got in return was quite funny.

Chapter Text

Compared to what he had expected, living with Loki was... different. It had started before they even left Northwood when the god turned to him and said:

"Do you intend to use the old fashioned of travel or should we teleport?"

All casual like he hadn't even suggested they break natural law. Tony had, of course, already summoned his suit. Not believing the guy for even a second he had snarked back:

"If you want to do that, go ahead."

And then Loki had done just that. In an instant he had transported them from the forest to the the Tower. Directly to the penthouse even. He had then waited patiently while the engineer ranted about magic and had even offered to be placed in a cell. You know, if it made him feel safer. Somehow, placing the guy in a cell didn't feel like a safe option. Without a better option, he had decided to give the god a room in his penthouse. After all, that way JARVIS could keep an eye on him and alert Tony should he be doing anything shady.

Which he didn't. All he did was eat, sleep, and read. Mostly staying in his assigned room until Tony couldn't stand it anymore and dragged him to his living room where they watched a movie. To his frustration the easy and relaxed expression rarely disappeared. Except when he looked out of a window and spotted signs of destruction. Then he would look sad and regretful.

After a few weeks of this, the engineer broke and called in the rest of the Avengers. If he had to babysit a god, they should also have to do it. Obviously, they were not very happy about it.

"Explain why we should babysit him instead of shipping him off to SHIELD?" Barton demanded. "Or better yet, Asgard!"

"Because I promised on my trott that I wouldn't do that", Tony said. "At least until I know it is the right thing to do."

"Your trott?" Rogers asked, visibly confused. "And promised who? Loki himself?"

"Nope. I promised, and you are not going to believe this, a worshipper of his. Like, there was literally a whole village saying he is their god and whatnot."

"And you promised on your 'trott'?" Banner asked, sounding confused. "What even is that?"

"No idea."

"Why not just ask him?" Romanoff said and nodded to the god in question, who were leisurely reading a book. As they focused on him, Loki looked up.

"Can I help you?" He asked mildly.

"That Liam guy made me swear on my trott. Was does that mean?"

"Your trott? Do you perhaps mean your troth?"

"Uh, yeah. That's sounds accurate."

"What did you do, Stark? Liam is a very kind person, for you to anger him so..."

"What? Wait, what does that mean?"

"Swearing on your troth means to make an oath of your true name. In order words, on your soul. Breaking an oath like that would mean forfeiting your soul."

A chill went through Tony, remembering the coldness in Liam's eyes. Maybe he had been unnecessarily rude, but come on. A whole village dedicated to Loki of all people? Who would believe that? Though, maybe that assumption was the issue. 

"Are you saying that Tony could die if we were to take you to SHIELD?" Romanoff demanded.

"Depending on the oath he swore? Yes. At the very least, if he allows it to happen. But oaths like this often comes with conditions in both directions. What was your condition, Stark?"

"...that you would come willingly and without a fight..."

"Ah... I see now. No wonder why Liam had confidence in making you swear that oath."

"Uh, yeah, speaking of that guy. He said you made some kind of promise. The whole Covenant thing. What was that?"

"It is an old thing", the god shrugged. "I never anticipated the mortals to make a promise of their own. I swore a blood oath that I would take humanity's place with the gods. To redirect their attention towards myself."

"Right... and what did they promise in turn?"

"They never told me the full extent of it, only saying that they would lend me their strength whenever I would need it."

"Just one more question", Romanoff said. "How long ago was this?"

Loki paused, rubbing his chin in thought. "Let's see. We are talking about the age of mythology, which wasn't the most coherent time period. Dawn of humanity. At least for the Old Norse." He was musing, looking nostalgic. "But I remember that it was just before I gifted the flames of Sol to the mortals. I can't be more accurate than that. Time for a god is... weird."

"I see, thank you for your cooperation."

Observing the Avengers brought Loki to the strangest of realisations. They were all children. Not in terms of physical or mental age. But in terms of their souls. They were carrying so much baggage and hurt. His impression of wasn't helped by the fact that they liked to squabble like children as well. Getting into petty arguments. Pulling pranks worthy of Loki himself while getting upset when they were repaid in kind.

It was doing strange things to the god. Especially to the feeling of guilt he already carried. He had fought against children. Not only had he mind controlled one, he had thrown one out of the window.

He was the protector of children. In his immeasurable long life, he had never brought harm to a child. Until now. Thanos was going to pay dearly for his part in this. Viewing the Avengers as children made him feel... softer... towards them. While he had not held a grudge from the beginning, he now found himself feeling protective of them. Amused by their antics and worried by their more dangerous habits.

It was an odd feeling for sure. Not even the people of Northwood had created such a feeling in him. Their children had, but all children did that. These were adults.

He watched as Tony argued with someone over the phone. Sounding increasingly agitated as the conversation continued. When the call ended the inventor sighed deeply. Slumping his shoulders. Then he suddenly froze.

"Mischief, what are you doing?"

Startled, Loki realised he had reached out and was now gently ruffling the short brown hair. Like one would a small child. He would have stopped, if it wasn't for the fact that the man was slightly leaning into the touch. Prompting the god to wrap his arms around the man in a gentle hug. Causing the man to squawk, sputtering in confusion.

"Huh? Wha... wait..  wha... huh? Uh..  Loki? I mean, this is nice and all but... Uh, mind letting go of me?"

"You don't seem to mind", the Trickster replied with some amusement. Considering the man had responded to the hug by hugging back.

"Conditioned response."

"Somehow I doubt that. I know a hurt child when I'm seeing one." Nonetheless, he let go. Ruffling the short hair one more time.

"Dude... I'm not a child..."

"Not on the outside, no. On the inside? Now that is a completely different matter." Picking up his now finished book, Loki left for the library. Time to pick out something new. While plotting revenge on Thanos, of course.

Tony stared after the god, touching his hair in confusion. Still feeling kind of strange. 

"JARVIS, did that really happen? He didn't put a mind whammy on me or something, right?"

"I didn't detect any signs of magic, sir."

"Then what happened? I'm feeling all weird."

"I'd say that Mr. Loki was giving you a hug, sir."

"Oh, okay. So I didn't imagine it. Great. Fuck... nothing makes sense anymore. First I find some kind of Loki cult, and now the guy is giving me hugs."

"I did warn you, sir, that if people were protecting him, it was likely because they feel like they have a good reason to."

"Just because they think they have a good reason, doesn't mean that they do."

"Mr. Loki is after all a god."

"And? What has that to do with something?"

"When people believe in a god, we usually call that faith."

Tony glared at the closest camera. But he had promised. Heck, he had sworn on his soul. So far, he had found nothing to sway him one way or another. Which confused him even more.

Chapter Text

The Avengers had held a meeting. Trying to reach a consensus on how to proceed. Unsurprisingly, Barton and Romanoff had still wanted to cart off the god to SHIELD. Tony, knowing what would happen to him if he allowed it, had disagreed. Not wanting to risk his life, Banner and Rogers had also been opposed. Without Thor, it made for three against two.

"These people asked us to be sure before we act", Cap insisted. "I don't think it is that much to ask."

"They asked Stark. Not us", Barton snarked.

"It amounts to the same thing. We have already sent him away once. This time, we owe it to the people who helped him to be sure it is the right thing to do."

"He could have mind controlled them", Romanoff noted.

"Could have, but it was a sizable village and all of them came to see him off. Several people were literally crying", Tony explained. "And not all of them were children. Let's do what they asked. Let's make sure."

"How?" Banner asked. "I agree with what you are saying but how are we going to do that?"

"Simple, we are going to get to know the guy. Maybe make him help with some Avengers business even."

The rest had then decided it was the engineer's job to befriend the god. Four against one. Their justification? He was the one who made the oath, therefore it was his responsibility. Oh, and he should be careful because Loki was the god of lies and all that.

Geez... how nice of them! How was he even supposed to begin? It wasn't like he could walk up to the guy and ask "Do you deserve to be put in the slammer?" Or he could, but who in their right mind would answer "Yes" to that question. He wouldn't.

Loki had called himself a patron of children. In the stories, he had a bunch of children. Maybe that was a place to start?

Unsurprisingly, the god was sitting on the living room sofa, reading. He used to hide away in his room, but after Tony had dragged him out enough times, he now used the living room. Swallowing, the engineer sat down on the nearby armchair. 

"So, you have a bunch of kids, huh?" Wow. Great start, Stark. The god looked at him.

"I have no children, Stark", he said.

"According to the myths you do. Not all of them human looking either."

"Ah... right. I didn't father them, I made them."

"That's usually how it goes, buddy."

"No, I mean... I created them in the same way you created JARVIS."

"Wait, your kids are robots?"

"In a manner of speaking, I guess", Loki rolled his shoulders. Looking uncomfortable. "To anyone simply looking at them, they are no different from any other living thing. They breath, they eat, and they eliminate waste. If you cut them open they will bleed and they have organs. But they don't have a soul. Everything about them are artificial."

"And no one has ever noticed?"

"I doubt it. Odin certainly didn't react when he cut up Narfi and Vali to use their intestines as chains to tie me up beneath a snake spitting acid. He would likely been less pleased with himself if he had noticed. I do admit the organs being artificial was what allowed me to free myself."

A chill went down Tony's spine. He had dismissed the myth, since it claimed that the Trickster was chained until the end of time. Which he would cause. After all, the guy had headed an invasion.

"The myths are true?" He choked out, hearing the horrified disbelief in his voice.

"To a degree, and not always in the way you might think when you hear them. Baldur, for example, is still alive. Even though my punishment was for 'killing him'."

"How? Like, was he brought back to life or something?"

"No, what I took wasn't his life, it was his ego. To the gods, it is the same thing. Never mind that he became a much more pleasant person afterwards. I had deprived him of his honour, and that meant I had to be punished. I tell you, it took forever to get the acid out of my eyes."

What got to Tony was how casually Loki was talking. Like being tortured was a very normal thing that just happened sometimes. If Odin was his dad, then... and if you thought about it...

"Those things that supposedly happened to your kids, did they..."

"For the most part, yes. I created Jormungand to protect Midgard from the get go, so him being sent here was only a boon. Hel needed a warden, and I provided one. She might be the only one with a soul, but if so, it was granted by someone else. Fenris was admittedly a miscalculation. I had never imagined he would frighten the gods to the point where they chained him up and drew a sword through his maw. I'm not to happy about Sleipnir either. He was supposed to be my steed but Odin snatched him away from me."

"But... but... they, Thor and the rest, they thought all of them were your flesh and blood children, didn't they?"

"They did."

"And they still did all that? Not to mention committing murder."

"I don't see why you are surprised. Thor alone has bathed in the blood of his enemies. He was only punished last time because he went after Jotunheim this close to the Convergence. And a time-out on Midgard is hardly a hardship."

He fled. There were no other word for it. While it could have all been a lie, something about the tone convinced Tony it wasn't. He was starting to see what Liam had meant. Loki deserved a chance. 

Thunder roared across Asgard's skies as Thor raged. While he had never thought Loki would stay long in his cell, never would the Thunderer thought that his brother would never reach it at all. Yet the records showed that the Trickster never set his foot in the dungeons. To make matters worse, none of the guards would say anything. Either saying that they hadn't seen anything or that they had brought Loki to where he was supposed to go.

Kin was important to Thor. He had many brothers, not a single one having the same mother as he. In his world, you were suppose to love your kin, even when you didn't like them. Meaning that while he loved his Trickster of a sibling, he didn't like him very much.

And now that very same sibling was missing from Asgard. There were few places in the Nine were Loki had not made himself into an enemy. Though the Thunderer figured it unlikely that the Trickster would willingly leave the Nine. The most likely place for him to go, would be Midgard. Even after having made himself an enemy of the mortal Realm as well.

After all, it would be easy to hide.

Decided Thor ventured out to the observatory and the restored Bifrost. He would seek the aid of the Avengers. They would probably prefer to have Loki removed from Midgard once more, post haste. Thus, he stepped out into the rainbow bridge. Returning to the site of his latest triumph. 

Chapter Text

He recognised the energy approaching, allowing to temporarily retreat and hide. While staying close enough to keep an eye on things. Luckily, no one else had been in the common room, meaning he had a clean escape. Only moments later Thor crashed through a window. Hammer held high and eyes blazing. His violent entrance caused alarms to go off, making his fellow Avengers rush to answer the threat. Only to see the Thunderer standing there all calm.

"Please tell me you were not the one who destroyed my windows?" Tony whined. "Those were Hulk proof. Hulk. Proof."

"It was the fastest was inside", the oaf said while shrugging. "I have grave news. It came to my attention that Loki never reached the dungeons of Asgard. It is my belief that he is hiding on this Realm."

"Uh... yeah... about that..."

"I will of course find him as quickly as possible and then return him to Asgard."

"No, see that's..."

Thor wasn't listening. That was dangerous. Making a split second decision Loki shifted and donned his guise as Volsang. Hoping most of the mortals would be able to make a smooth follow up. Slinging Laevateinn across his back, in the shape of a lute, he sauntered out.

"I thought I heard a familiar rumble, is that Prince Thor my eyes spy", he said in Volsang's singing lilt. Noticing the wide eyes on the Avengers at this apparent stranger.

"Volsang! You scoundrel!" His brother yelled joyously. "I should have known the Bard of the Realms would find his way to a place of such victory!"

Meanwhile, Loki sought the gaze of Stark. Meeting his eyes, the god winked. Understanding dawned on the investor's face. 

"You know him?" The Captain asked.

"Aye! He is a known face in Odin's halls. Often appearing to help us celebrate whenever we have thwarted my brother's wicked plans." It was easy to see when the Midgardian guardian put the pieces together. Realising the truth. Of course, the agents had already noticed. The only one still confused were Banner. 

"Did I hear you mention Prince Loki?" 

"Your ears are as good as always. Aye, he escaped Asgard and I need to find him, bring him back so he may be punished."

"Oh? And here I was told he will be making reparations to Midgard. Was I mistaken?"

"Reparations? Is this true?" Thor turned to Rogers, who were closest to Asgardian physique. To his credit, the man didn't even hesitate.

"Yes. We talked it over with him and came to an agreement. He made an oath to help."

Clever. Loki had told them about the blood oath he had made a long time ago. Meaning the Captain was technically speaking the truth. The time line was just slightly muddled. Very clever.

"And as it was only fair, we, I also swore an oath", Tony hurriedly added. "On my trott and everything."

"Your trott?" The Thunderer tilted his head like a confused dog.

"He means his troth", Loki supplied. "To not let Prince Loki be taken away without just reasons."

"My brother tricked you, Stark?"

"No, it was someone else who asked me to make the oath."

"I see. Where is he? I would talk to him."

"He is... um..." the inventor was struggling to come up with an answer. Thankfully Rogers was able to handle it.

"He is where he is supposed to be. You will see him later", he said. For now, let's see about getting you a room. If you are staying that is."

"Most certainly, who knows what wickedness Loki will cook up without me. What about you, Volsang? Are you staying?"

"Alas, good prince", Loki said. "My feet have the last of wandering. Already they are urging me to take them away on a new adventure."

In response the oaf roared in laughter. "I should have known. Until next time then, good Volsang." He allowed himself to be herded away by the Captain. The remaining Avengers breathed a sigh of relief. Well, except Banner who was still confused.

"I'm sorry", he said. "But who are you?"

"This is Mischief, Brucie Bear", Stark sighed. "You almost gave me a heart attack. What if Thor talks to this guy later?"

"That won't be of any concern. I am Volsang. It has always been me. Whenever I had to lay low but keep an eye on the situation in Asgard, I would disguise me as him. He has a reputation for being a wanderer that never settles down in any one place. Of course, this is a secret."

"Clever. It allowed you to interfere without being in danger", Romanoff nodded. "While also staying in the now. You would make a good spy."

"A terrifying one", Barton muttered.

"I can believe I'm saying this, but you should scram for a few hours. Make the story believable", the inventor said. Sighing deeply. "Just... please don't make me regret this..."

"It is good timing, actually. Liam did ask me to make contact with the People of the Covenant in New York. I'm sure they are anxious to hear from me. I will go meet them."

Tony watched "Volsang" leave, saw him shift from one step to the next as he exited the Tower. Through cameras, of course. It took no time at all before he had lost track of the god.

Sighing, again, he hid his face in his hands. Life were complicated, he knew that. But somehow it had become even more complicated ever sense ancient gods were added into the mix. He needed answers, but he wasn't sure how to get them. Asking Thor was a given, but hearing the Thunderer assume that Loki was up to no good had been jarring. Considering how friendly the Trickster had been, how willing to talk about his past. Just because Thor believed he was telling the truth didn't mean that his truth was the actual truth.

Adding a groan to his sigh, the engineer finally understood why Liam of Northwood had decided to keep mum about everything. He had realised that Tony wouldn't have listened anyway. Because the billionaire had already decided he knew the answer. So instead, he had created a situation where Tony had to listen. Maybe he should have expected as much from a Loki worshipper.

Now adding a second sigh to his misery, he addressed his AI. "JARVIS, does Loki have a phone?"

"I don't believe he does, sir. And no, I haven't been able to track him."

"Of course he doesn't..." sprawling across the table in frustration, Tony wished he had just left Loki in Northwood. Then, none of this would be happening.

To be a follower of Loki, all you had to do was showing aspects of his nature. It had to be ingrained, part of who you are. But you didn't have to believe in him, worship him, or even like him. You did have to know of his existence. 

Simply worshipping him didn't make you a follower. Though the type to worship him usually also qualified to be a follower. Being an agent of the Trickster meant you gained his protection, such as it was. Usually too subtle to notice. Unless you came aware of it.

The People of the Covenant worshipped Loki. Embraced all that he stood for, knowing it was not anything evil or villainous. For generations, they had taught those around them to love and care for their god. In return, the protection they had gained was strong. Unyielding. Any strength or magic they could have gained would have been rejected. Wanting it redirected to their god.

They were not, however, the only followers of Loki. Just the most cohesive and numerous group. If one thought of the qualities needed, all of the human Avengers also qualified. Even if they themselves had no idea about this.

Chapter Text

The proper meeting between the godly brothers were tense. With Thor glaring at Loki while the Trickster mostly ignored him. Studying his nails nonchalantly. 

"How did you escape Asgard?"

"What, like it is hard? Honestly, I don't see what all the fuzz was about. Both of us know I wouldn't have stayed in that cell. I could hardly risk Odin finding another acid spitting snake to place me under."

"This is not a laughing matter!"

"Neither was the acid snake. It hurt a lot, you know. If I hadn't been a god, my eyes would have been permanently damaged. I would have become blind. Or rather, I would have died altogether."

"You know I didn't agree with father about that punishment!"

"You didn't exactly oppose him either. Nor did any of our dear brothers."

Tony was kind of relieved to see most of the Avengers sharing his nauseous expression. Because what they were talking about was vile. He had figured the story was true, but having it confirmed was still harrowing. And it wasn't even all of it.

"Hey, Point Break... what about your nephews? Why are neither of you talking about them?" The engineer said. Loki gave him a curious look, probably because the guy had already spilled the beans on his "kids", but Thor winced.

"What happened to Narfi and Vali was... unfortunate..."

"What happened to them?" Cap asked, voice tight.

"They... Odin had them excuted when they spoke up in defence of my brother. He then used their innards as chains."

"Yeah, see, Thunder Pants. We call that murder here. How old were the kids anyway?"

"In Midgardian years, they would have been the equivalent of ten", the Thunderer said.

"Yikes. Wow, okay. So your daddy casually committed infanticide. On his own grandkids. Only to tie up his son and then torture him some more. And here I thought I knew all about crappy dads but this is on a completely different level."

"You dare question the All-Father!?" The sudden rage in Thor's voice made Tony back up. Realising that the blond god had raised his hammer. Eyes glowing. The rest of the team was also on high alert. Especially as goldilocks came closer.

"Oh, stop being such a mewling brat", Loki said, cutting through the tension. "You are worse than Lady Freya when she has broken a nail. Though, maybe I shouldn't be too surprised. You did seem genuinely sad when your wedding dress broke that time you pretended to be her. Maybe that was your true self all along."

Just like that, the anger levelled at Tony only seconds before was turned on the god of mischief. A beefy hand shot out and grabbed the Trickster by the collar.

"You will shut your mouth!" The god of thunder rumbled.

"Or what? You will sew it shut it again?" The hit sent the Trickster flying, leaving a visible mark. Despite this, the god just got back up. Cackling while wearing a shit eating grin. "You know, all always found that a weird way of thanking me. It was after all thanks to me you got that hammer of yours."

"You. Will. Cease. Your. Prattle." Each word was accompanied by another punch. Until Steve grabbed the raised arm.

"Thor, that's enough!" He shouted. For a moment it looked like the soldier would receive a punch of his own. Then the blond god seemed to think better about it. He shoved his sibling into the wall and walked off. Leaving Loki leaning against the wall. Blood dripping from his mouth, his face heavily bruised with a split lip.

Tony's heart hammered in his chest, so hard he almost thought he might be having a heart attack. Understanding fully what had just happened. Loki had inserted himself between his brother and the humans. Knowingly drawing the fury. The god had just protected mortals against another god.

Fuck.

He hadn't had time to prepare, so it actually hurt pretty bad this time around. His enhanced healing would have some work to do. A hand landed on his shoulder, making him flinch slightly. Looking up he almost flinched again upon seeing blond hair and blue eyes. But no, this was the Captain. Frowning in worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"It is nothing that won't heal with some rest", Loki said. "It could be worse."

"About your children..."

"As I have already explained to Stark, none of them are actual living things. Just very realistic automatons made to fulfill a purpose. It was unfortunate to lose Narfi and Vali but it also saved me a lot of pain."

"You also said that no one else knows this", Stark said.

"I'm sure the People of the Covenant do, but otherwise you are correct."

A strong but gentle hand helped him up on his feet. Someone else handed him a wet towel to wipe the blood away. For all that their souls were young and vulnerable, the Avengers were no children. They looked at him with obvious concern.

"You didn't have to do that..." the inventor said. "Protecting me..."

"And in what world could you have faced Thor fury and lived? This is what I promised to do. Just because I was forced to invade doesn't mean I have forgotten it. Besides, this was my just deserts for being too weak to prevent the invasion in the first place."

"Loki... no... that's not..." the Captain said, an extremely sad look on his face.

"Alright", Stark said instead. "That means you have been punished enough. Meaning you can move on and stop punishing yourself."

"Tony..."

"Trust me, when you are drowning in guilt, it doesn't help to hear others defend you. You just feel more guilty. Loki wants to make reparations, so let him. It is the only way he can let go of the guilt."

It was kind of amusing to hear them talk about him. Almost like they viewed him as a child in need of their protection. He truly loved mortals. Being hit in the face was a small price to pay if it meant they were safe.

"Can we really allow Thor on Earth if he is going to act like that?" Banner said. "If it had been Tony who had been hit..."

"You won't be able to make him go away", the Trickster supplied. "To him, you are not much more than amusing pets that he has no qualms putting down if he thinks it is needed."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"You can always try and prove him wrong. It won't do much good, but he is not even close to being as bad as Odin. Thor can be handled, Odin can not."

Closing the door behind him, he paused. Looking at the blood clinging to his fist. The reality of his actions just sinking in. Why did he do that? For all that his brother was good at provoking him, to react with violence...

It scared him, sometimes. To see all the ways he was starting to be like his father. Because the All-Father had never been a particularly kind man. Something all the brothers had experienced in some way or another. Not least because only Thor and Loki were acknowledged as Princes of Asgard. Baldur, Vidar, and Vali didn't hold such a title. And they were at least acknowledged as sons of Odin. Baldur used to be the third Prince of Asgard. Until his ego was murdered.

Despite the fact that the man himself had spoken in Loki's defence, the result had not changed. Odin had still punished his adopted son. Though, maybe it was because at that point, they all believed the Trickster to be Baldur's full blooded brother.

Suddenly the blood felt like it was burning and Thor hurried to wash it off. Not wanting to consider the condition he left his sibling in. As wicked and mercurial as the Trickster could be, he didn't deserve a beating for being annoying.

Nor did Stark. The original target of his ire. Mortals were different, of course they would take issue with the fates of Loki's offspring. Strange as they were. Even if the Trickster himself was fairly blasé about the whole thing. Of course, you couldn't expect much love or compassion from a god of evil. That didn't mean that those around him didn't deserve such things.

Like poor Narfi and Vali, who had to pay for their father's sins.

Opening a window, Thor breathed in the air of Midgard. His head always felt clearer when he spent a prolonged period of time on his mother's Realm. Maybe it was Gaea's way of watching over him. Preventing him from becoming too much like Odin.

Chapter Text

He had barely begun to think of the (mortal) Avengers as adults when they started behaving like children again. Baffled and amused he watched Barton literally playing a game of keep away with Stark. Admittedly, the inventor wasn't very amused. Considering how much he was yelling and shouting. But it was hardly the behaviour of an adult.

"Barton, I swear, this is not funny. Give that back!"

"Oh, does it containes your darkest secrets?"

"No, but that doesn't mean you can mess around with it!".

The two men were squabbling over some kind of device. Small enough to be held in one hand. Very unassuming and it didn't look very important. Normally, Loki wouldn't have intervened at this point in a squabble between children, but he remember to clearly being the victim of similar torment as a child. This being Avengers Tower, it was likely that the device was in fact very important. Thus, he snatched it from Barton's hand and handed it back to Tony.

"Hey", the archer protested. "That's cheating!"

"Fuck you! Okay? Fuck you! This harddrive is part of my new upgrade for JARVIS!" The inventor was fuming.

"So don't leave it out."

"I was gathering all the components for my upgrade before going to the mainframe. You can kiss those special arrows you wanted goodbye." The brunet huffed and marched off. Taking his device with him."

"You were certainly quick to jump in", Barton turned to Loki, sulking. 

"You were the one acting like a child", the god shrugged. "And a bully. Pranks are one thing, as long as everyone can laugh afterwards. Bullying is by definition when only one is laughing in the end."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"I am the Trickster god. I'm literally the one making the definition."

"That's just cheating with extra steps."

Unable to help himself Loki laughed, he then reached out his hand and ruffled the archer's hair. In much the same manner he had done for Tony. He knew his initial estimate had been accurate. The Avengers were definitely children at heart.

He had not anticipated there would be a whole circus when he made the suggestion. All he wanted was to offer Loki a chance at making the reparations he so desperately wanted. Without putting him in more danger. Tony had mentioned the god liked children, so Steve had suggested they would visit the pediatric ward in a hospital. For some reason, the engineer had dragged in a camera team that would be broadcasting live. All personnel and every parents had signed something to show they approved.

Which was why the god of mischief was walking through a hospital corridor with a entourage. One that included Thor as well, since the Thunderer didn't trust his brother. While not dressed in his leathers, the clothes Loki wore were definitely not from Earth. The cut looked too different. 

The parents in the first room were visibly nervous as the god entered, everyone else was watching from outside the room. Steve watched as the Trickster approached a small boy surrounded by machines. Unlike the adults, the child was watching Loki with wide eyed wonder in his eyes. Even reaching out to the man, who knelt by the bed. Speaking to the boy softly and with a voice full of warmth. Soon enough there were laughter filling the room. Small illusions of animals danced about the bed. Tumbling and walking about. Doing silly things.

At one point, the boy scooted closer to the god, whispering in his ear. Chuckling, Loki made a gesture and the illusions stopped.

"Go ahead", he said gently and the boy tried to move a hand. In response the light figures began dancing again. Encouraged, he made another gesture and the illusions responded. More laughter erupted from the boy as he played with the light. The game ended when a nurse arrived, announcing the boy needed to rest. Lower lip wobbling, the child threw his arms around the Trickster. Hugging him tightly. 

"Don't go", he cried. "I will be good."

"Little One, even though I leave, you won't be alone. You have a strong and brave heart. One day in the future you will become a remarkable adult. Of that I have no doubt. Until then, I will lend you my strength." Loki placed a soft kiss of the boy's forehead, leaving behind a golden rune. "May the fires of Sol burn bright in your soul."

Steve glanced at the parents and was surprised to see that they were crying while wearing wobbly smiles. Full of love and gratitude. 

"Thank you", the mother said and took Loki's hand. "Thank you, truly. He hasn't laughed like that in a long time."

"I don't care what others say about you", the father said. "You are a good person."

"Have heart", the god said. "Everything will work out to the best."

This repeated in every single room they visited. Every sick or injured child got their laughter back after spending time with the god. They all seemed to find his presence soothing. At one point, they had been in a ward with several beds in the same room. Every child had flocked around the Trickster on their own. Even those whose parents tried to stop them. Completely unconcerned Loki had let them climb into his lap or onto his back. Telling them stories and doing some harmless magic. Before he left, he would give them that same rune.

The visit was drawing to a close when Loki suddenly stopped and turned towards a closed door. Ignoring the protests he opened it. Inside were a boy hooked up to a myriad of machines, including an oxygen mask. He didn't even stir at the sudden commotion. Sitting by the bed was a drained looking woman. When the door opened she looked up, her eyes becoming wide.

"This room is not part of the tour", a nurse protested. Steve was about to say something, defuse the situation, when the woman inside spoke.

"Traveller?" She said and was looking at Loki with wonder. And hope. Unlike all the other parents, she immediately threw herself at the god. Starting to sob into his shoulder. Apparently having anticipated this, the Trickster wrapped her in his arms. Letting her cry her heart out. Only when she had calmed down did he gently push her away. Approaching the bed instead.

"How long has he been like this?"

"Months, Traveller. They tell me he won't wake up again, but I... I can't... I can't let go of him. He used to bed me for stories about you, about the Covenant."

That's when Steve understood why this woman was acting so widely different from the other parents. Tony had told them about this village of apparent Loki worshippers. Hinting that there were likely others. And that they called themselves the People of the Covenant. She was one of them. Seeing him like this was probably a very profound experience. 

"Healing magic is not my strongest ability, but I will do what I can", the Trickster promised and placed a hand on the small brow. "His body is whole, no sickness or injury. Yet his mind has gotten lost. This was done to him."

"Yes", the woman sobbed. "They say he is braindead. I've already buried my husband... to bury my son as well..."

"It won't come to that. My blood before your blood, my breath before your breath, my pain before your pain. With the power of the Covenant, I grant you grace and life anew."

It was subtle, but Steve still heard the woman mumble. "Our blood is your blood, our breath is your breath, our strength is your strength", she said. "In the Covenant we will have faith."

"Mommy?" A small voice cut through the sudden silence. To all the humans astonishment, the comatose boy had woken up. Blinking against the light.

"Billy!" The woman exclaimed and seemed to teleport to her son's side. Hugging him with every fibre of her being. "Thank you, Traveller, thank you."

Chapter Text

He had never seen his brother like this before. The way he had acted in the healing hall. Gentle, kind. Tender. Approaching each child with warmth, easing their pain and giving them joy. It was far more than he had even seen his brother give his own children. 

Thor watched as Loki talked with the woman who had called him "Traveller", expressing her gratitude. Seeing her eyes shine with complex emotions as she held her son. There were love in those eyes. Directed at the Trickster. A strange kind of love.

The mortal healers began badgering his brother, insisting he had to leave. While mother and son begged for him to stay just a bit longer. Making things tense. Taking command of the situation, Loki spoke.

"Let's not make a commotion", he said.

"Traveller..."

"I can come visit again before you leave. Stark has been kind enough to provide me with a phone, all you need to do is add your number."

"Really? You would let me..?"

"I would love nothing more."

Thor wasn't sure what they did with the small tools, but once they were finished, they all left the hospital room. Leaving mother and child behind. On their way back to the Tower, his brother thanked the Captain for arranging the visits.

"The one who actually arranged it were Tony", the Midgardian warrior said. "You should thank him..."

"But you were the one to suggest it. If possible, I would love to do other visits to other hospitals."

"I'm sure it can be arranged. No one likes seeing a sick or hurt kid. Even if you can't do more than making them laugh for a bit, I'm sure it is appreciated."

"I wish I could do more, but healing is not one of my domains. At best I can lend them some of my strength, boost their natural healing. People of the Covenant are a but different as they already possess some of my powers for themselves. Making it easier for me to heal them."

"I wasn't aware you had followers, brother", Thor said. "But shouldn't you take their strength for yourself? Rather than giving out your own?"

"I have plenty of followers, but the People of the Covenant are different. As for taking their strength, there is no way I would do that. My agents are not livestock for me to use as I please. But I don't expect you to understand the difference."

The Thunderer bristled at the condescending tone. Here he had started to consider his brother in a different light when he showed himself to be as arrogant as always. Sure, it was a long time since anyone prayed to him and presented an offering in exchange for rain or protection. But he was still more of a god than Loki. Followers gave strength to their god. That was just how it worked.

Even so, he couldn't get that mortal woman out of his mind. The way she had looked at the Trickster. With so much warmth, hope, and trust. Things he didn't associate with his wayward sibling at all.

As his thoughts turned, they returned to the Tower and headed up to the penthouse. The moment they stepped out a familiar voice sounded. 

"And there is our man of the hour." It was the human spy master, Fury.

The livestream from the hospital had been a huge success. Rather than relying on a TV-station, Tony had used the official Stark Industries web page. Since they already hosted regular livestreams. As it turned out, SHIELD had been monitoring the web page and was alerted when Loki showed up. Prompting Fury to arrive just minutes prior to the god returning. Being far from happy.

"Why wasn't I informed of Loki's return to Earth?" He demanded.

"And what would you have done? Placed him in a cell?" Tony snarked back.

"It is where he belong."

"Well, unfortunately for me, and you, that isn't quite true. Also, if you try to insist I have to stop you or my soul will be in danger."

"Don't exaggerate, Stark."

"I'm not. The context is a bit complicated, but I basically swore on my soul that I wouldn't hand him over until I'm sure he deserves it."

"And the invasion wasn't proof enough for that?"

"Turns out, it is not that simple."

"I wouldn't care if the Avengers decided to lock me up", Loki said. "But your SHIELD is hardly a place of justice, considering how deep the lies go. While no cell can hold me for long, I rather not have to deal with that."

"We are not going to lock you up", Steve said, crossing his arms. "You have confessed to acting under duress and are willing to make reparations. That's good enough."

"So he says", Tony said. "Besides, you would face the wrath of a few hundred Loki worshippers. They take it very seriously."

"To my eyes it looks like you all have been brainwashed. But fine, I will keep an eye on things. For now. Don't coke crying to me when he shows his true colours."

The pirate marched out, somehow making entering an elevator into a show. He also ignored the Trickster's little wave goodbye. Maybe he could also tell it was decidedly sarcastic. 

"Well, that's out of the way. Good job with the sick kiddos, by the way. People seemed to like it", the engineer said.

"It is I who need to thank you. I enjoyed myself immensely."

"Good to hear. Look, I've been meaning to ask, how old are you? Just out of curiosity."

"I'm over fifteen hundreds years old", Thor said proudly. 

"Or so he like to say", Loki said dryly. "Many of the gods like to count their age according to the Midgardian calender but this system is exceedingly flawed."

"Why?"

"Because how time works between the Realms. If we were to go by Midgardian time, I would have existed before I was born."

"Er..."

"According to Midgardian count, I would be just over one thousand years old. However, I've been around the since the age of mythology. Or since the beginning of time. There is no consistency in regards to time. Jotunheim lies several centuries in the past while Alfheim lies in the future. Between Midgard and the other Realms, there is no consistency at all. It was often impossible to tell how much time actually passed."

"But how could you exist before you were born?"

"There was an incursion by Jotunheim some one thousand and fifty years ago, counting Midgardian years. This host was repelled by Odin and his armies. He then travelled to the Realm of Giants where he supposedly found me. But because that Realm is situated in the past, bringing me to Asgard meant also bringing me into the past of the golden Realm. Into the age of mythology. Allowing me to exist and be active in the past. Because Asgard is constantly rewriting itself, this is less of an issue than one might think."

Tony wanted to clutch his head. Even hearing the explaination, he couldn't make head or tail of it. The rules of the universe used to make much more sense. Then fucking gods had to get involved. 

"So, if time is so strange, how come it seems to aligned right now?" Romanoff asked.

"That's because the Convergence is less than a year away. During that time, the Realms align. For a short window, they are on the same axel, rotating at the exact same speed across Yggdrasil. Things are more volatile during this period. The walls of reality thinning. After the Convergence is over, it will take a century or two before things go back to normal", Loki explained. "The Convergence occur every ten thousand years. Last time it occurred, it was during the Dawn of the Gods. I suspect that the time after this, it will be the Twilight of the Gods."

"Mind that my brother is speaking of the Nine Realms only", Thor said. "Other gods and godly dimensions are not affected by this. Though, many of your earthly gods comes from the Age of Mythology as well. Like Mount Olympus."

"So, there is no head honcho of the gods?" Tony asked.

"Each pantheon have its own leader", the Trickster replied. "And there are many gods in the universe. Gods, celestials, and over dimensional beings. Like the Beyonder. There are also plenty of beings that reaches even above the gods. It is said that above all of us is the ultimate god, The One Above All. But no one has ever seen them. New gods are also born constantly, usually when something or someone becomes a subject of worship."

Now his head hurt even more. Pouring himself a drink, Tony wished he had never heard of gods and whatnot. They seemed to have a tendency to make life complicated for everyone else.

Chapter Text

"Loki", Thor said, making his brother look up. "We need to talk. 

"That is incorrect. You want us to talk. That is not the same as us needing to do so", the Trickster said.

"Can you take something seriously for once!"

"I take things seriously more often than not, you just haven't noticed."

"Loki."

"Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

"How did you escape Asgard?"

"Ah, so this is an interrogation. Why didn't you just say so? Could have saved both of us a lot of effort."

"I'm not interrogating you. I simply want to know."

"So you say, but you haven't exactly proven that I can trust you."

For once, the Thunderer wished he could speak with his wayward sibling without them making it into a performance. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he took a deep breath. Loki tended to respond well to sincerity, so maybe that could work now.

"I thought I lost you. Not just your ego. You. To your own pain and madness. Then, you arrived on this Realm even more a madman. When you disappeared again, without ever reaching the dungeons... it worried me. Of what you might do. Yet, when I returned, the other Avengers were willing to defend you. That woman at the healing hall, she looked at you with love. It was a kind of love I had never seen before. Unfamiliar. You yourself showed a side I never knew existed. So, how did you escape Asgard?"

His brother studied him for a long while. Green eyes calculating. Seemingly coming to a decision. "I never reached the dungeons because the people helping me escape were my guards", he finally said. "I barely remembered them, but they had never forgotten me."

"Your guards? Why?"

"I think they wanted to repay me. They were once children I saved and protected. Helped them escape abusive situations, stepping in when no one else would."

"You saved them... why?"

"Because there is nothing I detest more than adults causing harm to a child."

There were strong conviction in the words. How come he had never known his sibling liked children? Cared for them? And...

"What about your own children? You have always acted rather... nonchalant about them and their treatment. I always found it odd."

"Thor... do you actually acknowledge what was done to Fenris and the rest?"

Adjusting his grip on Mjolnir, Thor tried to put his thoughts into words. It was harder than he had imagined. Because it exposed him, and Loki wasn't someone you usually showed weakness in front of.

"When I am on Midgard, things become... clearer... my temper less... volatile... than on Asgard. It lets me feel closer to my mother Gaea, whom I rarely get to see. I know Frigga cares for me and sees me as her son. But it is still different to be on my real mother's Realm."

"Your mind becomes clouded on Asgard..? That's concerning, in more ways than one... to answer your question. I don't actually have children."

"What? But what about..."

"They are not actual living beings. I created them using magic to serve a purpose. In essence, they are elaborate puppets."

"Puppets..."

"Yes. I made them to be as lifelike as possible, but that's all. That's why I wasn't overly concerned about them either. It is not that I have never wanted children of my own, I just didn't trust Asgard enough to actually have some. In many ways, I created Narfi and Vali to see how Odin and the rest of our people would treat an actual child of mine."

"...Father murdered them..."

"Broke them is more accurate, but no one but me knew that."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Thor didn't know what to think. "Why telling me now?"

"Because I think you are finally able to listen. I don't hate you, Thor. Out of all our brothers, you have always been the one I'm closest to. You always treated me like you actually cared. The rest just seemed to tolerate me."

"Is that why you killed Baldur's ego?"

"He asked me to."

"...what?"

"He didn't like who he had become and wanted to severe his ties to Asgard. So, he asked me for help. That's also why he defended me afterwards."

"I just assumed it was because he thought you were full blooded siblings..."

"Honestly? We both suspected this wasn't true, considering how different our treatment was. Though, we did think we were half-siblings with different fathers."

"...so you suspected Odin wasn't..."

"I thought it strange, how different our treatment were. Even for sons of Odin, I was singled out a lot. Granted, a good amount of that was on purpose on my part."

"On purpose? Why?"

"To protect the mortals", Loki smiled then. A kind and gentle smile. "I have always loved the mortals, Thor. They are ever changing, capable of so much kindness and so much cruelty in equal measure. And I saw them suffer because of us gods. So, I decided to protect them."

"Against other gods."

"Indeed. It is worth remembering, brother dearest, that it was you lot who dubbed me god of lies, god of evil. Not the humans."

He left. What could he possibly say? It was becoming obvious to Thor that he didn't know his brother at all.

Thor had gone to Midgard in search of Loki. Instead of returning with the wretch, he had remained. Living with the mortals. Why did the foundling always has to mess everything up? If he had known, he would never have brought the boy to Asgard!

Odin gripped Gungnir hard. He was going to go to the bottom of this. And when he had dragged the Trickster back in chains, he was going to rid the cosmos of its stain for good. No more imprisonment. No more simple punishments. He would erase Loki from existence. Until the very memory of him were gone.

But to do that, he needed to find the foundling. And leaving Asgard meant placing himself at the mercy of other Realms, other gods. Once, it would have been no issue. But the All Power was tied to his rule on Asgard, if he left, its influence would weaken. Especially if he went to Midgard where Gaea resided, who had never quite forgiven him for taking Thor away from her. As the Earth goddess, she was powerful in her own right.

No, he would have to be careful and avoid going himself. Not that he had to. He was king. There were many he could send. Including his own sons.

"Go to Midgard", he told Vidar and Vali. Once, he would have called on Baldur. But the fool had had his connection to Asgard severed, his ego killed, and now all he did was live in a cabin with his wife. "Bring back Thor and Loki."

"Thor I understand, but Loki too?" Vali said. "Wouldn't we be better off just leaving that cur where he is? Or better yet, renounce him from Asgard altogether."

Vidar said nothing, like usual. Only keeping his head down. Odin growled. He hated when people disobeyed him. More than that, he hated when his own children dared question him.

"I have given you my orders, all you need to do is obey."

"Understood", quiet Vidar muttered. Dragging his brother out with him. It was at times like this the All-Father sorely regretted his wild youth. Life would have been so much easier if he had stopped after one son. One heir. Or better yet, if he could have been without any at all.

"Ugh, why do Father have to be so obsessed with Loki? If he wants to mess around on Midgard, let him. Who cares?! And Thor! Just because he is the Crown Prince he gets to do whatever he wants? Where is the fairness in that?" Vali whined as they made their way to the Bifrost.

Vidar said nothing. He was a god of vengeance. Feelings such as resentment were all to familiar to him. Often, it had been his own feelings. Towards his father, his brothers, the universe at large. Time had eventually taught him how little he deserved his own resentment. Especially when looking at Loki. Who, despite everything, showed remarkable kindness to those who needed it. Including Vidar himself. Considering how often he had stayed quiet when his brother was being punished. 

Now, he was seeing vengeance in their father's eye. Towards the one son he had picked himself, who he had actually chosen. Proving there were no love in the All-Father's heart. And for all that Frigga could be a loving mother, she could also be callous. Standing aside when she should take a stand. Loki might have been a favourite since he favoured magic, like her, but that hadn't stopped her from standing by when her favourite was cruelly punished. One did not need to look further than her own grandchildren. 

He agreed with Vali that Loki should be allowed to remain on Midgard if he wished. But he didn't think their brother was a coward. If anything, he was the bravest of all of them.

Chapter Text

He returned to his penthouse to find Natasha and an unknown woman sitting on his couch. Doing their nails. The unknown woman was currently getting her nails painted black. Probably to match her makeup. It wasn't exactly heavy, but you could definitely see that she had it. The lipstick was such dark red colour it was barely visible as red and no other colour. The eyeliner was a thick black while the eye shadow a shimmering green. Perfectly accenting vivid green... eyes...

"Loki?" Tony said. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my nails done", the god...dess... said. The usual baritone exchanged for a alto vibrato.

"And this appearance?"

"I felt like a woman today." As if that explained anything. 

"And you..." the engineer nodded to the spy.

"It is lowering the testosterone levels in the Towers", Romanoff said. Shrugging. Which didn't explain why she was painting Loki's nails. "Flirting is forbidden by the way."

Yeah, no need to tell him that. Because he had already tried that with male Loki, only to learn that the god viewed mortals as off limits. Moreover, he thought of the Avengers as children. Meaning they were way out of his strike zone. No amount of flirting had convinced him that having a horizontal tango was a good idea. In fact, it made him treat Tony even more as a child. A child longing for physical contact. Making the Trickster embrace him in a decidedly not sexy way.

And the engineer wouldn't tell anyone he actually kind of liked the hugs. The bastard was a really great hugger. No wonder his worshippers took every chance they got. Especially since he handed them out freely.

Or well, when she did. He guessed. Since Loki was currently a woman.

Fucking gods.

"So that's why you have made a spa in my living room?"

"Don't be such a baby, Stark", Romanoff said. "When you invite someone into your living space, you sometimes have to deal."

"You have your own floor."

"Loki doesn't. This is her floor."

Okay, that was fair enough. The goddess was currently blowing gently on her nails. Then she paused, tilting her head.

"We are going to be having company", she said. The next second the Tower shook.

Bruce blinked, because out on the helipad two men stood. They had a faint resemblance to each other but otherwise couldn't have been more different. One had short blond hair and hard, blue eyes. The other had dark brown hair with brown eyes, he was also taller, more muscular. Both wore obviously Asgardian clothing.

Maybe wanting to avoid a repeat of before, JARVIS opened a door to let the men inside. They looked around, one with open disdain, the other unreadable. A booming voice cut through Bruce's thoughts.

"Vali! Vidar!" Thor exclaimed and approached the duo. Throwing his arms around the other blond god. Who didn't take kindly to the gesture.

"Get off me!" He grumbled, trying to pry the Thunderer off. "I said, get off!"

The god of thunder did so just as the rest of the Avengers, and a strange woman, walked into the room. Tony took one look at the three gods, raised an eyebrow and spoke.

"I take it you know them", the engineer said.

"Friends, these are two of my brothers. Vali and Vidar."

"Of course you would call mortals your friends"  the other blond god, Vali, said. "We are not here for a social visit."

"Then why are you here, brother?"

"Loki", the dark-haired one, Vidar, said. Looking directly at the woman.

"I can make a guess", she said, smiling wryly. Making Bruce, Steve, and Barton look at her incredulously. 

"Of course we find you like this?" Vali said. "Not only right beside Thor, but being your usual unnatural self."

"We are gods, brother dearest. By definition, we are supernatural. Am I right in assuming Odin wants me dragged back to Asgard? Preferably in chains?"

"Good, you are on the same page."

"I do hope you didn't think I would be going with you willingly?"

"When have you ever. Father was furious when we left."

"He is rarely anything else."

"Vali, Vidar..." Thor said. "Do you really intend to hand over our sibling to Father?"

"Yes." "No." The two newcomers looked at each other. 

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Vali demanded.

"Odin wants vengeance. He does not deserve it", Vidar said softly. "It would be a false vengeance."

"What is he talking about?" Tony asked Loki, who shrugged.

"Vidar is the god of vengeance. He is also known as the Silent One", the Trickster said. "He rarely speaks much more than this. And just so you know, Vali, I won't return to Asgard. In fact, I'm making reparations here on Midgard."

"You little..."

Before any of them could react, the shorter blond god lunged at the god of mischief. Only to be stopped by Thor. It didn't get any prettier after that.

Vali grappled with their older brother uselessly. Shouting insults at every turn. All while their sister studied them calmly. Loki, as ever, was a hard one to pin down. Changing gender whenever they felt like it. Vidar did feel sympathy for his foolish younger brother. Unlike the rest of them, Vali had been born much later. After Baldur's ego death. Causing him to have a chip on his shoulders. Constantly comparing himself to their princely siblings. It had to be hard, seeing both of them disregard through position he himself longed for.

That didn't mean they could act thoughtless. After all, being a prince had never protected Loki in the slightest.

Ignoring the grappling contest, that Vali was losing, Vidar approached his sister. She seemed to be in good condition. Currently wearing nice clothes and makeup. Visibly amused.

"Don't return to Asgard", the god of vengeance said.

"I didn't really have any such intentions... but you seem quite concerned."

"I fear Odin's intentions."

"He is a foolish old man who keeps repeating the same thing."

"This time is different."

"Oh?"

"He will kill you."

"I'm surprised you don't want me to be killed. I didn't know you cared."

"You Loki, are brave. Kind. You never looked down on us or treated us differently. Strong people are brave, they are strong because they are brave."

"Is it snowing in Muspelheim? I have never heard you speak this much."

"Vidar!" Vali growled from where Thor pinned him down. "Are you betraying Father?"

"Father doesn't deserve loyalty. I'm not on your side, Loki. Not as of yet. But I don't want to see you killed, either. You have done many bad things. There is no denying that. So, I'm not on your side."

"Lokes here has also done a lot of good", one of the mortals said. "He... she had done to a bunch of hospitals, healing up the sick and injuried kids inside. Wouldn't it be a good idea to find out why he did all that other stuff?"

Vidar nodded. That was a good idea. 

Everyone filed out of the room. Leaving only Vali sprawled on the floor. And Loki. Deciding to return to his male form, but leaving the black nail polish, he approached his brother. In many way, he sympathised with Vali. Just like him, his youngest brother just wanted to be validated. Be acknowledged. And just like Loki had been, he sought all of that from Odin. The man who denied him everything except his last name of Odinson.

Seen to Asgardian years, the other god was young. Born to basically replace Baldur but still was treated as second tier. Gently, he reached out and ruffled the short, blond hair.

"I don't need your pity."

"It is not pity, Vali."

"I don't believe you."

"That's okay. I understand how you feel. To want to desperately to fit in. Feeling constantly out of place and unwelcome. Having to watch Odin heap praise on someone else."

Vali raised his head, confusion on his face. "But you are a prince! Father made you a prince, and you are not even of his blood!"

"I was the scapegoat. The darkness to Thor's light. Admittedly, I placed myself in that position. Mostly on purpose. But that was also his intentions. The only reason he hasn't removed me from the succession is because he believes it would draw shame upon the House of Odin."

"I hate you. I hate Thor."

"That's fine, I can understand why."

"I only exist because of you. Father even stole my name from you! He told me, that he gave me my name to deprive you of it! And Thor! He gets away with everything!"

"I know. I'm sorry you have ended up in the crossfire. But that's all the more reason to not let Odin get away with it, no? He can't touch you here. Maybe you can use the time to figure out who you are. Not who other people think you should be."

"You really think I can do that?"

"Midgard is a pretty good place for it. You could try spending some time in a nice little village called Northwood. They are all good people. Even more so than you would usually find on Midgard."

"But Father..."

"Is too scared to leave his golden throne."

"...I will think about it..."

Loki was pretty sure Vali would go to Northwood. He would, of course, warn the people there that they were about to have another god in their midst. Not that he place a potential danger without taking several precautions. While he wanted to help his brother, he was making him go to Northwood for a reason. Specifically because it was a home to the People of the Covenant. It was a good place for his dear brother to learn exactly what mortals thought of the gods.

Chapter Text

Surprisingly, Vidar decided to also go to Northwood. Supposedly to find out why Loki found the place so special. While Liam and the rest were apprehensive, they nonetheless agreed to take in the gods. Especially once the Trickster told them to call him right away if there ever were issues.

The day of, he teleported the four of them - because of course Thor wanted to see the place - to the village outskirts. Waiting for him were Julie and Thomas, who leaped into his arms. Hugging him tightly. For all that they had acted as attendants, they had also relished in the opportunity for comfort. Like so many in the village, they carried a heavy past.

"Liam said he wished for them to enter the Temple first", Thomas said. "Mentioning it would make things easier."

"I suspect he is right, though the rules for gods tend to be a bit different", Loki said as the sibling duo guided them. "I don't think you have to worry too much. Thor won't stay here and neither Vidar nor Vali have ever really interacted with mortals."

"It eases us to hear you say that, Traveller", Julie said. Using that formal tone they often took with him. Maybe playing it up even, because of the other gods. As they passed into the village proper, all three of his brothers stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong? We still have some distance to walk", he told them.

"You can't feel it?" Vali asked, sounding incredulous. "I can taste it!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"This place, it is filled with your power, brother", Thor said. "I have never felt it being this thick."

"..." Vidar said nothing and just nodded.

"That isn't so strange", Thomas said. "This is the Village of the Covenant. All of us has dedicated our hearts to him alone."

"I've heard of the Covenant before", the Thunderer said. "You mentioned it in the healing halls too. What is that?"

"A promise I made", Loki replied.

"And a promise made in return", Julie said. "We are here."

The temple stood unchanged. Waiting for them were Liam, dressed in his usual jacket and jeans. Looking relieved and happy to see him. He made a small bow.

"Traveller, it gladens our hearts to see you return to us, no matter how brief", he said.

"You are really playing it up", the Trickster said in amusement. "How are everyone?"

"For the most part, they have been doing good. The children have missed you immensely. We have been worried for you."

"The oath Stark made acted as quite the deterrent."

"Good. That was why I made him give it."

"He did curse you out quite a bit."

"That doesn't surprise me. Shall we talk inside?" The casual invite was clever, but it wouldn't work on gods. As Loki had expected, his brothers noticed immediately. 

"A ward", Vidar said.

"More like a sanctuary", Vali said. "But it isn't Loki's magic. His powers, but not his magic."

"I've seen such for other gods' followers, but never for you, brother", Thor said. "Will you invite us inside?"

Liam frowned and turned to the Trickster. "The temple is dedicated to me. For another god to enter, I would have to allow them inside. The powers that keep bad people out won't work on them. At the same time, they can only enter if I give them leave. I can place conditions for them to be allowed to enter, though."

"Conditions", the Silent One hummed. "Give us them."

"Very well. You can only enter my domain if you hold no malice towards me, my agents, the People of the Covenant, or other mortals. These conditions only extend to you three, you may not invite another god inside without my leave."

The three nodded and then entered the Temple. For the humans nearby, it was probably a relief that they fulfilled the conditions. Unfortunately, even then, it wasn't perfect. Lacking malice and causing harm was two different things. It was always a risk, letting another god enter your domain. Interestingly, all three of his brothers hurried out again. Looking kind of green.

"Sorry, brother", Thor said, "but that place is filled even more with your powers. Being in there was rather suffocating."

"Oh, right. I did live there for a while. My apologies, I genuinely forgot. I guess the temple is out then."

"We have another place prepared for them, Traveller", Liam said. Sounding amused. He would be. Considering the casual chaos unfolding in front of him. An agent of his would enjoy a certain amount of mischief. That was for sure.

Loki's little village was... quaint. Maybe. Vali had never really left Asgard. Certainly not to visit Midgard. Now he was in the middle of a place that worshipped his brother. Someone he had always been told was the personification of lies and evil. His envy of the Trickster had been immense, because if you were evil, surely that meant you were free. He had never been. Odin had fathered him as a replacement, and he never lived that down.

Vali was starting to realise that Loki probably wasn't evil. The people in the village were kind. Careful around him, but kind nonetheless. To them, the strange god was like a big dog that still needed training. All while they worshipped Loki.

Rather than letting him sit around, Liam gave him jobs to do. Fixing a roof, making a delivery, helping an old lady, bake. He liked baking. Pounding the dough, see it come together, rise in the oven, and then eat the fresh bread. It was even more fun seeing someone else enjoy the bread. He preferred baking to hunting. His old job, on Asgard. Hunting game. People. Anyone and anything his father pointed him at.

Eventually he was allowed to handle the bakery on his own. That was fun. As a god, he didn't need as much sleep. So he could be awake early and start preparing while his hosts slept in. He would also clean up after closing.

Daniel, Liam's husband, joked that they had accidentally adopted a god as their son. At first, Liam seemed worried Vali would take offense, but he found that he actually enjoyed the idea. Norns knew he could use an actual loving father. Never mind two. 

And all these kind and loving people, dedicated their lives to Loki. Loved him as their god. This prompted Liam and Daniel to explain to him about the Covenant. What it was and what it meant.

Vali had thought he resented Odin before. Now, he hated him.

So many puzzle pieces fell into place for Vidar when he saw Northwood. Felt his brother's power permeating the very air. Sensing the gentle nature of that power. No wonder Odin had failed to find Loki while he stayed here. The whole village had to be hidden from supernatural surveillance. Here was a place no monsters could enter. No strange and unwelcome gods. It was unlikely they would have been able to find the village without the Trickster guiding them.

Unlike Vali, Vidar wasn't interested in integrating with the mortals. Instead, he was content with studying them. Talking and listening to them. Learning soon enough exactly why they worshipped Loki. Answering a long held question. 

Why had Loki committed so many crimes on Asgard? 

In realising it was to protect the mortals, Vidar also realised those were only called crimes because Odin had called them so.

He was a god of vengeance. He could tell. If Odin remained in power, Loki wouldn't be the only one in danger. But it was also starting to look like Loki was the only one who could have the power to stop him. If, and only if, he could learn to harness the power his followers gave to him freely.

Vidar also knew that the one who would be hardest to convince wouldn't be his Trickster of a brother. It would be Thor.

Chapter Text

He was starting to garner attention. Apparently, his image had not been widely spread after the invasion. Meaning his more recent acts of reparations were what most mortals had come to associate him with. Specifically with the magic he displayed. People would show up at Avengers Tower, either for their own sake or for a loved one. Begging for healing.

Loki felt rather troubled by this. He wasn't a healer. Healing wasn't his domain. While he had been a student of Eir, the goddess of healing, what he could actually do was limited. Because those who came seemed to expect a miracle without understanding that all magic came with a price. In the hospitals, he had simply boosted the natural healing of the children. Bringing them joy and cheer along the way. Ease the pain for those whose lifespan sadly would be cut short.

They only remembered the comatose boy waking up. Not understanding that it was only possible because of the Covenant. 

Even so, he couldn't help but at least try. To ease pain, soften fear, and giving some of his strength. It was much easier when he helped children. That fell within his domains, allowing him to place blessings. Despite all this, people left disappointed. Because they had hoped for something he couldn't give them.

Though, at least they came for genuine help. There were those who approached to try and make him use his magic to make them richer. Including an orange-skinned buffoon who gave him the creeps. Tony had laughed quite hard when the god ranted about the encounter.

On top of this, Loki had to deal with Thor. Who was becoming visibly jealous at all the attention. Insisting on joining him whenever the visitors were allowed inside the Tower. Hovering uselessly. Trying to entice them to ask for his powers. One brave soul had asked if the Thunderer could do healing magic. Drawing anger. The Trickster had had to step in before things went to far.

"Don't be such a baby!" He had hissed, grabbing his older brother by the ear. Clearly startled, the blond had ended up allowing himself to be dragged away. "These people come here hoping to be healed. Of course they are going to ask about that."

"But..."

"No buts! This isn't Asgard where everyone has to bend to your will, regardless if they like it or not."

"That's not how..."

"No? No one has ever been forced to follow your orders?"

Thor had quieted down after that, but it didn't stop him from trying to peddle his weather or fertility power. It didn't help that he couldn't help make people pregnant. Only help crops grow. Not realising he was working on the wrong audience. 

It wasn't just unrelated people arriving to see him. People of the Covenant started to visit as well. Many just wishing to see him at least once. Often staying for as long as possible. Even help sorting out those he could and couldn't help. Their presence was sparking curiosity. And unlike Northwood that kept itself hidden, not causing ripples, the New Yorkers was willing to speak at length about the promise he had made.

Spreading the word.

Meaning knowledge of the Covenant was spreading rapidly. 

His fellow Avengers had brought him and his brother to a location called California. Unlike New York, this place was hot and dry. An unforgiving sun was hammering down on them. Loki had lasted maybe an hour before he had to seek shelter and get away from the hot air. Stark had seemed a bit guilty due to the Trickster collapsing.

"He is a freaking god! How can some hot air take him out?"

"My brother was born on a frozen Realm, heat has always affected him poorly", Thor explained. "Is there are reason why we have come to this place?"

"Well, you have been whin... complained about wanting to be useful. So here you go. Useful."

"I fail to understand the connection."

"This area has been experiencing severe drought", Banner explained. "You powers are related to weather right?"

"You want it to rain?"

"Basically, yes."

Now this, he understood. Using Mjolnir he shot into the sky. Summoning the storm to do his bidding. His servant answered eagerly. Instinctively he knew that water on Midgard was a finite resource. To use it in one area he had to take it from another. This was no issue for him, however. He simply redirected weather patterns across the globe. Taking excessive rainfall and bringing it to him, to this draught ridden place. It wasn't something he had to think too much about.

As he watched the thirsty ground swallow the rain he heard a voice. Calling him.

Thor it said. Beckoning him. He found himself following the voice. Somehow, the voice was achingly familiar. There were no telling how long he followed the voice. It grew stronger. Clearer. Leading him to a small grove of trees. Waiting for him were a woman. When he landed she came up to him.

"Thor", she said. "My son. My sweet boy." She reached out and gently touched his cheek. Their energies connected and he knew who she was.

"Mother? Mother Gaea?"

"Yes, my love. My sweet, sweet child. How I have longed to meet you. Come, let's talk." She took his hand, guiding him to a cave. The moment they stepped inside, there was a shimmer, and he knew he was inside her domain. Unlike Loki's temple, the powers surrounding him felt warm. Welcoming. Like he belonged. There was a hearth with a small fire, a couple of chairs near a small table, and a narrow bed.

"Is this where you live?" Thor said dubiously. 

"It is for now. My domain can be many things. I felt this was more appropriate for our talk." Gaea gestured for him to sit down and he obliged. "You have no idea how I have longed to see you again."

"...Father said you gave me to him. To be raised as his firstborn son."

"Odin says many things", her expression grew bitter. "You had barely been born when he tore you from my arms. Taking you with him. I begged him to let you stay with me longer. So that I may nurse you and nurture you. Instead he forbid me from seeing you."

"Then... how..."

"You might find some irony in my words... but I started to pray to Loki."

"To my brother?" Thor found himself without words for one. Had his father lied to him? Odin had lied to Loki, claiming to be his father and Frigga his mother. Had he also lied to the Thunderer? And she had turned to the god of mischief? 

"I saw him, with the mortals. Heard his promise. And I found myself adding my voice to theirs. He alone was going against Odin. Challenging the gods. Barred from Asgard there was little I could do. Then Loki returned here just recently, twice. The first time he protected my domain against the Mad Titan. The second time... his true powers have started to awaken. They broke through Odin's bonds. Allowing me to call to you."

"Loki's true powers..."

"Aye. And they are a wonder to behold."

"But you are a goddess! Why do you pray to another god?"

"Do you not pray to the Norns? It is the same thing. And it worked, because you are before me once more."

"You're alive?" Tony asked Loki, who was resting in the quinjet. A wet towel over his eyes.

"I assure you, heat isn't enough to kill me", came the reply. With a shaking hand the god of mischief removed the towel. "He summoned the rain then."

"You can say that again." Outside the rain were pouring down so heavily it might actually start to cause trouble. There were limits to how much water the dried out ground could absorb, so it was starting to accumulate on the surface. "Big bro flew away somewhere and forgot to turn off the faucet."

Groaning, Loki managed to get to his feet, allowing the engineer to show him. It was like a curtain of water. Even with raingear, the humans were all drenched and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Above them, thunder rumbled. Studying their surroundings, the Trickster didn't seem too bothered.

"It will calm down soon enough, you don't have to worry."

"And the thunder?" Barton grumbled, shivering. 

"He is a god of thunder. What did you expect?"

"I'm more concerned about where he went", Steve said. "What if he is in danger?"

Tony was quite convinced that Thor wasn't the type to be in danger, more like the type to put others in danger. The god of mischief evidently agreed. 

"He's fine. In fact..." here the Trickster paused. "I believe he is having a very important reunion. A very, very important reunion."

"Oh, good."

"Maybe. It might also be the prelude to something bigger. Odin is not one to take disobedience lightly."

Now, that was just ominous. 

Chapter Text

It was a quiet Thor that rejoined them. His expression both happy and grim, clearly conflicted. By now, the rain had eased to nothing more than a slow drizzle. Fizzling out on its own.

"There's the man of the hour", Tony quipped, earning a tired look from the Thunderer. 

"I'm not in the mood, Anthony", he said. Making Loki frown, this wasn't his brother's usual behaviour. "I've gotten a lot to thing about and have no patience for your blabbing."

"When do you ever", the inventor muttered. 

"Man of Iron..."

"Fine! I will leave it! Geez."

"I have no patience for your needling either, brother."

"Evidently. What happened? I thought you were meeting with Gaea." While they talked the quinjet took off, the raincloud followed them like a particularly persistent fly.

"I did. It was the things she told me that has clouded my heart. If Mother Gaea speaks truly, Father has lied to me."

"Are you surprised? Odin isn't some kind of paragon of virtue, Thor. He has only treated you with a moderate amount of care because you are his heir."

"I wish I was surprised, but I also know he lied to you. I can't pretend it is above him."

"Hmm... that an unusual amount of maturity, coming from you. What did she say?"

"Mother Gaea told me Father tore me from her arms and then forbid her from seeing me. Banning her from Asgard and bonding her here. All while he told me she abandoned me. I admit I was sometimes jealous of you for being his true born son. The irony of which doesn't escape me."

Odin was definitely a cruel old man. He predated even the age of mythology, reaching into the age of creation. More than any other god, the All-Father had meddled with the mortals. Doning a disguise and walk among them. Stirring up trouble. It wasn't until Loki came into the picture that he got too distracted to cause a disturbance. Which in turn allowed the humans to focus on their own lives. Developing their world, their society. For good and bad. Their self-destructive tendencies were... concerning. 

"Mother Gaea... she said she prayed to you."

"To me? That sounds... like a bad idea..."

"She doesn't think so. I don't understand it myself, but she seemed genuinely grateful to you. Saying it was thanks to you that she got to see me again."

"I... I... see..." What was he supposed to say to that? A goddess had been praying to him. Out of all the gods and celestials in the cosmos, she had turned to him. The one who who messed with other gods. It made no sense to him, but if that was what she wanted. He could do nothing.

To be frank, he wasn't sure at all why anyone would pray to him in the first place. Yet, he had seen it enough by now to take it in stride. Normally. 

"My father can't be trusted", Thor said. Sounding bitter. Very, very bitter. "All this time, he has placed the blame at the feet of others. Including yours. But if there is anyone who can be called the god of lies it is Odin. Nay, god of evil."

"Thor... we might be hidden thanks to my magic, but if you draw his attentions..."

"I don't care! For too long I've stood by as our so-called father has hurt everyone around me. No more! I will bring him down, if it is the last thing I do!"

"You can't. Thor, you don't have the strength or power needed to defeat him. He would take your mind, reduce you to nothing but his puppet."

"He is old! His power will surely wane soon enough!"

"Yes, Odin is old. But that's what makes him dangerous. He is from the age of creation, he had a hand in forming the Nine Realms. You will never defeat him."

"Won't stop me from trying!"

"Uh, could you not plot a rebellion while on Earth, please?" Tony said. 

"It is none of your concern, Anthony. You maybe the Man of Iron, but this is a matter for Asgard."

Hearing Thor's words, Loki smacked him. Making his brother rub his head while eyeing him with reproach. "You are currently on his Realm. This is very much his concern. If Odin point his ire at Midgard, do you really think Tony would be spared? Iron Man is your ally. All the Avengers are."

Honestly! Vali he could understand, given he was younger than the rest of them. But how in the Nine Realms did Loki become the responsible one? He wasn't even the oldest!

So. Loki had diffused the situation on the plane, but that didn't really change anything. There were still a bunch of gods on Earth planning a rebellion against daddy in the sky. Wasn't that some kind of Greek mythology? 

...

Was it mythology? Or were the Olympians also real? Hm. 

Tony pondered the question but decided that he didn't know the answer. Meaning he had to find the one who did. Good thing they shared a floor. Which was probably kind of mean, now that he thought about it. Everyone else had their own space and there were an open floor available. 

"I can hear you think", the god of mischief said. Turning a page in his book.

'What, you can read minds now?"

"No need, you are an open book. What's on your mind?"

"Thought I was an open book."

"I can go back to ignoring you."

"Fine, fine. Are the Olympians real? Actually, are all the old myths true?"

"To a degree, yes", Loki closed his book and placed it on the table. "First you need to understand that there is a difference between gods on Midgard and gods in the rest of the universe."

"Okay..."

"Midgard is the only planet with such a diverse amount of pantheons. Most only have one. Or as is the case for the other Nine Realms, several planets sharing one."

"With you so far."

"The dawn of the gods can be divided into two different ages. Age of Creation, and Age of Mythology. During the age of creation, the world was created. In a sort of metametaphorical kind of way."

"Meta what now?"

"Metametaphorical. The worlds were created by the physics you love so much, but at the same time they were created through the metaphors seen in your myths. For example, Odin and his brothers slaughtering the primodal giant Ymir to create the Nine Realms. The act was real, but also metaphorical. The planets already existed, the act just made them into the Nine Realms."

"So the same goes for the other pantheons? They defined the world through their acts even though those act were in reality symbolical?"

"Very good."

Tony just stopped himself from feeling like small boy being praised by his dad. That would have been ridiculous. Never mind that the god often treated him like a child. 

"And the other one? Age of..."

"Mythology. It is where most of the other stories come from. The physical and metametaphorical was very close. For humans this was several thousand of years ago, for the most part. For the gods, it depends."

"You know what? I'm going to stop trying to understand you gods. It just gives me a headache."

"Poor thing."

"Ha ha, very funny." Muttering to himself the engineer flopped down in an armchair. One more question was nagging in his mind though. And it was insistent.

"How come Thor is all 'Anthony' this and 'Man of Iron' that, while you are using 'Tony' and 'Iron Man' like a normal person?"

"Those are the names you have chosen for yourself, no? Who am I to deny you the right of self determination? To deny your chosen name would be to claim I have more right to your identity than you do."

"Anthony is my full name, though."

"Do you ever use it?"

"Not really, no."

"Thus your right to self determination. I'm not going to trample on that for my own preference or comfort. I would do the same if your self determination made you a woman. You are the only who can decide who you are and how you identify."

"Then what about Thor? He keeps using 'Anthony' or 'Man of Iron'."

"Have you met my brother?"

"Touché."

Chapter Text

Still filled with rage over his mother's treatment by Odin and Loki's refusal, Thor decided to venture to the village up north, where his other two brothers currently resided. He didn't get the response he had expected. 

"Are you actually an idiot?" Vali scoffed. "Or are you working hard to seem like one."

"Odin..."

"Is a piece of shit. But he is a powerful piece of shit. He would strike us down while barely lifting a finger. He might spare you, but he wouldn't never spare us."

"But..."

"No."

"Vidar..."

"We can't win", his soft-spoken brother said.

"See, even Vidar agrees with me. I'm not going to get myself killed to satisfy your thirst of blood."

"Surely there has to be a way!" Thor insisted. He knew their father was powerful, but even the powerful had weaknesses. Right? There had to be something. Anything. 

"No. We can't win", Vidar repeated.

"There you have it. Eat a bun instead. I made them."

His brothers had, of course, sensed him when he arrived and had met him outside the village. They were currently borrowing some kind of table with built-in seating. Making use of the protections afforded to the village of Wood of North. Vali had certainly started to adopt more... Midgardian... vocabulary. Wanting to show appreciation to his youngest brother, he took a bun and bit into it.

"This is very good, brother. I'm impressed."

"Good", Vidar nodded.

They were quiet for a while, shared the bounty brought. Sighing, Thor thumbed Mjolnir.

"Father has done so many awful things. To all of us. To my mother Gaea. To Asgard. To Loki."

"Yeah, no shit", Vali muttered.

"And yet we can do nothing."

"We can do nothing", Vidar said, sounding insistent. "We can not win." He made a gesture to the three of them. As if to emphasise something. Making the Thunderer frown deeply.

"You have said as much already", he complained. But his youngest brother looked like he had had an epiphany. 

"You are saying that none of us, we three here, can't win against Odin. But that there is someone who can."

"Who could that possibly be?" Thor said. "Who holds so much power?"

"Loki", the god of vengeance said calmly. "Through the Covenant he established. He is awakening."

"Loki? Mother Gaea also said something about his awakening but..."

"The nature of the promise gives him power."

"I don't understand..."

"I think I do..." Vali said, tapping his lips. "Liam and Daniel explained it to me. While Loki promised to protect the mortals, they promised to lend him their strength. This is different from how a god gains strength through their followers. The People of the Covenant have given him power for millennia, on purpose. Allowing to survive against all odds, despite everything he has been put through because of that promise."

"Yes. And the power has not disappeared", Vidar said. "It has accumulated, carving out a new path for Loki. Allowing him to grow powerful, to awakening in truth. Only he can challenge the All-Father and have a chance of winning."

It was rare for the god of vengeance to speak freely. But now he was obviously pushing through he reluctance. Lending weight to his words. Still. Thor could admit he still felt reluctant. For so long, Loki had been a thorn in the side to the gods. Causing trouble and doing so many bad things. To trust him with overthrowing Odin...

"You need to let go", Vidar said. "Of the past."

"He's right, brother", Vali agreed. "Loki did what he did to protect the mortals from us gods. Not because he was evil or malicious. It was Father who started calling him god of lies and evil, not the humans. We can trust him, though we will need to frame it as protecting mortals. He won't lift a finger just to give us satisfaction."

"We can't lie. Loki can see lies."

"Meaning we can't do anything unless we can know for certain Odin will become a danger to Midgard", Thor sighed. "And prove that to Loki."

"Not true. We can help him realise his true power. Make him embrace it."

"Sure, that's a plan. But how are we supposed to do that? It is not like we can just say 'Hey Loki, you are super powerful now, want to try it out?"

"Good or bad, it appears our sibling will never stop causing headaches", the Thunderer groaned.

An alarm suddenly blared across the city, making people nearby scramble for shelter. Having just left a hospital, Loki was surprised by the sudden chaos. Until he saw the monster tearing through the streets. A gigantic, red orange, reptilian. Snapping after people, attempting to eat them.

Without hesitation, the god of mischief made a beam of raw magic, distracting it. Shaking its giant head, the beast zeroed in on him. Making the ground shake as it slithered closer. Maw open. He jumped before its jaw could grasp him, vaulting and landing on its nose. Using his momentum to slam its head into the asphalt. The next moment it had flicked its head back up. Sending him flying.

Trying to right himself in the air, his flight was suddenly interrupted. Holding him were none other than Iron Man.

"That was close", Tony said. "You okay, Mischief?"

"Takes more than that to injure me. That said, that thing is tougher than I thought. It withstood my magic blast."

"According to SHIELD it is called Crawling Creature and is usually confined to the Grand Canyon. How it managed to get to New York, I have no idea."

"Or maybe someone brought it here."

"Uh... how? It is huge!"

Loki politely left the grip of Iron Man, being more than capable of flying on his own. Looking down at the vicious reptile, a suspicion formed in his mind. Thor had left Asgard, and then had not returned. Vali and Vidar had been sent to capture him. Only to go hide in Northwood. A place hidden from Heimdall. The only clue being the Avengers, who lived in New York.

Suddenly white hit fury filled him. Once more, Odin was bringing down disaster upon the mortals. A god. Harming the people Loki was sworn to protect. Out of a petty need for revenge.

Ignoring Tony's shout of alarm, he dived down. Crafting ropes of light than he wound around the monster. Especially around its hideous maw. It trashed. People were nearby, having been to late to get away. As the beast threw itself around, it threatened to crush them. Growling, the Trickster placed himself between a huge limb and a group of humans. Taking the brunt of the impact.

"Go!" He told them. They didn't have to be told twice. On the other side, more people were trapped. Distracting the Crawling Creature, he gave Tony time to lead anyone still nearby away. At the same time, the rest of the Avengers were arriving. It felt conflicting, seeing them join the fight. After all, they were still like children in his eyes. Especially when faced with this beast. Barton and Romanoff quickly realised they wouldn't be able to do more than provide distraction made themselves scarce. Helping with evacuation.

Banner transformed into the Hulk. Who happily started grappling with his opponent. Except there were now two beasts levelling New York to the ground. At least the bindings around the creatures mouth were holding. Steve also seemed exasperated by this.

"Damn... I don't think my insurance can cover this", Tony said. "Are you okay, Loki? You look a bit beat up."

"I'm fine", anger still boiled in him but he was also becoming tired. Whatever this monster was, it was strong and sturdy. No wonder Odin had picked it for his plans.

"You don't look fine..."

"Trust me. I won't rest until I've thwarted Odin's plans."

"Odin? What's All-Daddy got to do with this?"

"This is his doing. His attempt at petty revenge at his sons. For disobedience."

"Seriously?! Fuck that!" The inventor got quiet. Seeming to to think. "I can't believe I'm about to do this... but it is worth a try... hey, Lokes?"

"What?"

"My blood is your blood, my breath is your breath, my strength is your strength."

For a long moment, Loki just felt confusion. Then power started surging through his body. Washing away exhaustion, healing any injuries, and making his magic swell. Deciding to wait with the questions, he turned his focus on the Crawling Creature. Creating several long, thin, spears of pure energy, he released them all at the same time. Driving them through the beast's though hide, piercing through flesh. For a few minutes the monster trashed, before becoming still. Now dead.

The surge of power left and the Trickster would have fallen if not for Steve's steadying arm around his waist. It didn't take long for SHIELD agents to arrive on the scene. Allowing the Avengers to return to the Tower. Awaiting debriefing. 

Chapter Text

Loki looked buzzed. Almost drunk. Which was probably wasn't a good thing when Fury was staring the god down, but Tony had his own problems. Mainly making sure that SHIELD wouldn't try to do experiments on the monster the Avengers had just defeated. They didn't need a repeat zombie style.

"What the actual fuck was that?" The Director demanded. Glaring at the Trickster. 

"I'm honestly not quite sure myself", Loki answered, his eyes not quite focusing. "It was a... surge..."

"Uh, yeah, that was probably me", the engineer admitted.

"Explain." The pirate shifted his glare.

"Well, I figured there is this whole Covenant thing, right? And like, it was made with the whole of humanity? Even if only his worshippers remembered it. So, I kind of decided to perhaps see if the Covenant would literally maybe give Loki power." Tony tried to grin. "Evidently, it worked."

The Avengers were also looking at him, a mix of expressions. Natasha's face was carefully blank, Steve was frowning, Clint was clearly trying to suppress laughter, and Bruce seemed resigned. Thor had not been back for a few days, so jury was out.

Massaging the bridge of his nose, Fury was obviously not happy. Then again, was he ever? The pirate glanced at the buzzed Trickster, apparently deciding that was a dead-end, and focused on Tony.

"You really thought it was a good idea to power up a super villain god even more?"

"Loki is not a super villain. Haven't you been following the news?"

"I've seen him put on a show."

"That's not true", Steve interjected. "I've been there. Seen he help countless of children. Besides, he saved tons of life today."

"That's true", Natasha chimed in. "Even before Stark powered him up, Loki was risking his life."

The Director glared at them each in turn. Realising they were not backing down, he zeroed in on the god again. "And you don't happen to have an idea why the Crawling Creature ended up in New York?"

"Odin", Loki said. "He wants to punish me and my brothers."

"Did you just say 'brothers' in plural?"

Oh. Right. They had forgotten to inform the pirate that there were more Asgardian gods on Earth.

Odin was furious. He had watched the entire thing from his throne. Finding the monster had been easy. Unleashing it on the mortal city was no issue to him. However, none of his sons had showed up. Instead it had been Laufey's changeling of a son. Who should have been an obedient tool but instead caused an endless string of trouble. No amount of punishment or torture had put an end to his mischief. 

Now, the Trickster had prevented Odin from teaching his actual sons a lesson. At the same time, the All-Father could find no trace of Thor, Vidar, or Vali. It was like they had been swallowed by the Earth's crust. No matter. He sent would send Hugin and Munin to Midgard, they could see through concealment. 

In the meanwhile, he would gather his hosts in preparation. Loki had been a thorn in his side for way too long. Somehow he had turned Odin's sons away from him. For that, and all the rest, he would pay. 

Besides him, Frigga was giving him worried looks. She had once been a fierce shield maiden who had conquered his heart. Yet, it seemed motherhood had softened her. Made her weak. No, that wasn't true. She could still be fierce when needed. Except when it came to her sons. Even though the only son she birthed had lost his place in Asgard, her heart had embraced all of Odin's sons as her own. Including her adopted son.

"Your expression is dark, husband", she said. 'What's the matter?"

"That is none of your concern."

"I'm your wife", Frigga sniffed. "Not one of the young maidens occasionally visit your bed. Tell me."

Odin gave her a look. Like this she did remind him of her glory days. Radiant and powerful. "What else these days?" He relented. "Loki. He has defied me for the last time and he will pay."

"...I understand..."

"Call Tyr. I have a war to plan."

Heart pounding Frigga closed the door to the great hall behind her. She had always known Odin was a warmonger. It was his power that had once drawn her to accept his proposal. But today, that power frightened her instead. Because now, it threatened her children. Hurrying down the hall, Frigga felt an emptiness in her heart.

Baldur had been her only child that she bore. A son she still loved. Yet, because her womb otherwise remained barren, she had always accepted each child Odin brought her as her own. Every single one. Not even feeling bitter seeing her blood son relegated to the position of third Prince. No, she loved all of her sons. Apparently, she did so way more than Odin ever had, and that realization made something shift in her. 

Midgard was facing a war. Brought by her husband. Because Loki had done what he always did, defy orders and causing trouble. Now Frigga was wondering if there had been another reason for her mischievous son's actions.

After informing Tyr Odin wanted to see him, the queen of Asgard ventured out. Heading for the very edge of the Golden Realm. To a quiet cabin. Sitting on the steps mending a tunic were gentle Nanna, Baldur's wife.

"My queen!" She exclaimed upon seeing Frigga.

"No need for that, my dear. Is your husband home?"

"Of course!" The gentle woman stood and headed inside. Despite the death of her husband's Ego, Nanna had never left his side. A good woman and wide indeed. Soon enough Baldur emerged. Seeing his mother he smiled and engulfed her in a hug.

"Mother! It is so good to see you! I've missed you. How are my brothers?"

"It is for the sake of your brothers that I have come. I can't leave Asgard, but you can. I need you to carry them a message."

Her beautiful son smiled broadly. He had changed a lot after his "death". Maybe that had been the goal all along. He certainly seemed happier.

"I'm guessing you are defying Odin by asking for this. If that's the case, I'm more than happy to do it! In fact, it shall be my pleasure. Nanna, dearest. Want to go on a journey?"

Nanna smiled at her husband. "Anything for you, dear."

Chapter Text

One night found Tony shuffling through the penthouse, his head throbbing. For some reason, his dreams were always haunted by all sorts of things. Faces of people he never had seen in his life. Hoping that some alcohol could calm his mind, Tony sought his living room. Only to find that he wasn't the only one up and about. 

"Loki?" The god turned from the window and looked at him. Expression unusually pensive. "Haunted by demons."

"Demons are very much real, so I hope not", the god said, sounding amused. "Contemplating my dreams, mostly."

Ignoring the comment about demons Tony joined the Trickster at the window. It was a peaceful sight. The city almost looked like a miniature cosmos. Of course, like the real cosmos, there were chaos under the surface.

"Yeah... same... my dreams are always so weird. People I haven't seen in years, people I never met, situations I have never been in."

Loki chuckled. "I'm not surprised. It is called Piercing the Veil."

"What veil?"

"The multiverse. Whenever you are dreaming about yourself, you are getting a glimpse of the multiverse. Piercing the Veil of another universe."

"The multiverse is real?" There was awe in the engineer's voice.

"Oh, yes. Very much so. I actually don't mind Piercing the Veil", Loki said.

"Yeah? Why is that?"

"It reminds me that my life could be worse."

Worse? In Tony's mind, the god had already had a pretty shitty life. How could it possibly get any worse? Then again, Tony's own dreams was pretty shitty. Especially if he was seeing other versions of himself. 

"Want a drink?" He offered the god. Who smiled gently.

"Sure."

Baldur and Nanna stepped out in a bustling city filled with mortals. For a moment they just stared. Last time they saw Midgard, the people had been living in wooden huts and been riding horses. Even so, they shook themselves out of their stupor and began looking around. There were some looks but that was all.

"Where do we find them, you think?" Nanna said, her eyes wide curiosity. 

"Hmm", Baldur mused. Finding Thor would probably not be too hard, but talking to the Thunderer would be useless. Yet finding Loki would be harder than a needle in a haystack. 

"Excuse me", his wife stopped a passers-by. "Do you know where we might find Loki? Odinson?"

The man squinted at Nanna, taking in her appearance. "Probably at Avengers Tower", he said. "That's where heroes and gods live. Or so they say."

"Where is this Tower?"

"You see the tall building with a giant A? That's the place."

"Thank you very much! May the Norns be with you, good sir!" Nanna waved after the retreating man, shouting her thanks. Chuckling Baldur offered his arm, she happily took it. 

"Mortal heroes", he mused. "I can see why Thor would be interested, but Loki?"

"Loki has always liked mortals", Nanna said. "Maybe that's why?"

"True."

Enjoying the sights they made their way to the Tower. Occasionally stopping to ask for directions. There was a constant chaos in the air. People everywhere. No wonder his mischievous sibling liked it here. Finally they stood in front of two glass doors. Like so many doors, they opened and closed on their own. Baldur watched as Nanna played with them, chuckling to himself. 

"Can I help you?" A mortal man appeared in the doorway. He was fairly short and had a peculiar beard. From his chest shone a blue light.

"We are looking for someone", Baldur said. "Loki Odinson?"

"More gods..." The man muttered to himself. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Our mother has entrusted me with a message."

"Right. And the lady?"

"Is my wife."

"...I see. Alright. But if you try anything... both of you will be thrown out."

More Asgardians. It was like they were multiplying. Tony watched them warily as they rode the elevator. The man and woman seemed curious about the purpose of the small room. Both exclaimed when the doors opened and revealed the common area. As the engineer had predicted, Loki was sprawled on the sofa, reading.

"We got company", the inventor announced. The Trickster looked up and seemed taken aback seeing the two Asgardians. Rather than looking apprehensive, he seemed genuinely happy to see them.

"Baldur! And lovely Nanna! What are you two doing here? Tony, this is my brother, Baldur, and his wife, Nanna." Loki said. 

"Baldur... wasn't that the guy you both killed and didn't kill." Tony was surprised that both gods laughed.

"Loki did indeed kill me", Baldur said. "My ego that is. He freed me from Odin's influence. Speaking of Odin's influence. Where is Thor?"

"I would assume Northwood. Vidar and Vali is there as well. It is a small village." Loki didn't go into details. "So, what's the purpose of your visit. I doubt you travelled all the way to Midgard to say hi."

"Mother wanted me to warn you. Odin is preparing for war."

"Again? Who is he fighting this time?"

"To put it simply. You."

Tony swallowed. This Baldur dude was pointing right at Loki.

His first reaction was a lack of surprise. His second was anger. That Odin would choose the extreme to punish Loki, that was no surprise. Rather, Loki was surprised it hadn't come sooner. That wasn't what angered him. No, what made the Trickster angry was the idea that the old fool would dare threaten the realm, the People the god of mischief had sworn to protect.

Something had to have been visible in his eyes, because Tony recoiled. At the same time Nanna and Baldur looked at him with more and more confidence. 

"There he is", Nanna said with awe. "The true Loki. The god of the flame that burns in the dark. The god that brings hope."

"You won't be able to face Odin alone", Baldur warned. "The Einherjar are his loyal warriors, deep under his influence."

Odin's influence. An insidious things with how subtle it was. Within Asgard ran a power that used to be called the All-Power which belonged to the kings of Asgard. For long it had been called the Odin Force, and for good reason. The All-Father had turned the power to his own thing. It whispered in the minds of Asgard's people. Making people start to think like Odin. It wasn't mind control. It couldn't turn people into something they weren't. But it skewed their sense of right and wrong into what Odin himself thought.

Loki took a deep breath. The Odin Force wasn't omnipotent. It had limits. One of those limits were that it didn't work as well on those that had blood from outside Asgard or Vanaheim. Thor, Vali, and Vidar all had blood from different realms. Specifically, they had Jotun blood. From Odin, true, but also from their mothers. Gaea herself was an Earth Giant. For someone like Loki, Odin's influence was nearly non existent. While for Baldur, it had been brutal.

That was why Nanna had begged Loki for help. To save her beloved husband from the forces turning his gentle nature to something else entirely. 

"He won't be alone", Tony said. "He will have the Avengers to help him. Also, we might just have a secret weapon against All-Daddy. It is called faith."