Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Loki leaning on the rail of the command bridge, looking at the great empty hall. It had been filled with Asgardians when Thor got his coronation. It’s almost empty now and they are all scattered over the ship. Trying to pick up their lives or working on things as instructed. Turning this old interstellar passenger ship more and more into an Asgard in space.
He sighs. Just when he and Thor were starting to patch things up between them, that damn ship had to appear. Loki hadn’t hesitated for a moment. He teleported to the cockpit and hit the button of the improbability drive. He knew it would teleport the ship in a heartbeat. The down side was that it would be unknown where they would end up. But at least they would be away from Thanos.

After that, he had a lot of thinking to do. He had to go to Thor’s private quarters and face the music. There was no other way. When he entered, Thor was very defensive. Loki explains what really had happened when he fell of the Bifrost. Thanos capturing him. The torture he went though. All the things he had done and why. Thor found it all hard to believe. Even after he had taken off the top of his armour and his shirt, Thor wouldn’t believe the scars that covered his body. “Nice glamour, brother.” He had said with a smug face. “Fine then,”Loki had yelled, “Then do NOT believe me. See if I care if half the universe will burn like Asgard.” And with that, he had grabbed the Tesseract, tossed his armour over his naked shoulder and stormed out of Thor’s room.
He had done the most difficult thing for him, he had shown his brother his bare soul, all tattered and torn, no lies and Thor still wouldn’t believe him. Why didn’t have his ‘brother’ a bit more of Frigga in him? She could always tell if he was lying or not. Odin never could. Too much of Odin in that big oaf of a ‘brother’.

Loki had run through the hallways. His magic had concealed his body again with a green tunic. HIs armour still tossed over his shoulder. The Tesseract safely tucked away in his pockets of time and space. Asgardians eyes had followed him as he ran. He entered the old party ship of the Grandmaster. How he wished he could slam a door shut. Cursed spaceships. He tossed his armour in a corner as he crashed down in the pilot seat. Rubbing his eyes with one hand as he thought of what to do next. Just when he was about to decide to turn himself in and be killed before half the universe got destroyed, he had felt a big warm hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry brother, for not believing you. Please, let’s talk.” Loki had sighed, his head resting in his hand.

Thor had finally understood his brother. He had started to feel when Loki was telling the truth. In a way that horrible event and the hurtful truth coming out, was bringing the two brothers closer together. Their bond slowly starting to be repaired as they talked. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” “ You wouldn’t have believed me at all.”
They had talked for a long time. Together they had come up with a plan. Not an elegant one but the others were far worse. Thor would be gathering some of the former arena slaves. Together with the Brunhilde and the Hulk he would go after Thanos. Taking the Tesseract with him and leaving Loki behind on this big ship. “Loki, do what you do best: run and hide. Take our people and hide them where nobody can find them. Protect them.”
It had stung Loki that Thor thought that this was the best that he could do. That it was better not to have his brother by his side in combat. But he knew, nobody could hide better then him. But now he had to hide a whole population. And that’s even more difficult then causing Ragnarok. How are you going to hide a population? A population that’s living on a very big ship traveling through the universe.

Loki is the god of lies and trickery. It would have been beneath him not to come up with a plan to hide them all. Heimdall would be an important part in it all. He had confined Heimdall in his plan. ‘This is very bold, prince Loki. very bold. What if it fails? Then we all will be dead.’ Loki had looked at him with stern face. “We are already dead as we are now. It wouldn’t make any difference. The difference will be when we succeed. Then we are sure we live, have the time to heal and become strong again.” Heimdall had nodded silently.

Which leaves him here on the bridge right now, coordinating the preparations with Heimdall’s help. The fact that the two of them were working together had given the people the trust he needed to complete the preparations for the plan.
The success of a good trick lies in the preparation. It will be very tricky to pull it all off. He’s aiming for the best outcome but that one will be very tricky. One second to late or to early and it’s goodbye Loki and the Asgardians. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest. The excitement of a daring trick in progress mixed with the heavy burden of saving a race.

Work is progressing quite nicely. Faster than he had expected. Almost all the pylons Loki needs are in place and ready to be used. Perhaps when all of this is finished quickly, there could be time for a small party. In their current condition, a party would be a big word, with the limited resources they have. But it will be something to lighten the mood. Having the people in good spirits before the trick will be executed.

The party is in full swing when suddenly big bright red lights are flashing. A shrill shrieking alarm comes out of every speaker in the ship. Loki looks at Heimdall, Heimdall stares in a specific direction, looking straight through the entire ship to see what’s outside. His voice sounds strung when he lets out “It’s time.” Gone is the joyous mood. Gone are all the happy thoughts. Only fear hangs in the air while everybody runs to their quarters as they were instructed. Hurdled together with the ones they love. Perhaps dieing with the ones they love. Eyes closed while praying to the powers that be, to aid their ruling prince in his bold trick to keep them safe.

Heimdall takes his stance, staring at the destination. Locking on to it. Make sure he has his connection to it as stable as he can get.
Loki teleports near the center of the ship. Teleporting to the specific spot was too risky. It’s a cramp small place and he has to climb and wriggle to get in the right position. Stuck between two levels of the ship, Loki can start his magic. Every bit of glamour he had been using these past weeks to make things a bit nicer on the ship, even the one he uses to disguise himself as an Asgardian, dissolves. He needs every shred of magic power he can get. He can feel the power of the prayer of the Asgardians. It’s not exactly magic, but it will certainly help with the spell.
He shakes his head. He has to concentrate on this spell completely. His whole being must breathe the spell. Thus Loki starts. The pylons all over the ship start to glow. He can feel the magic soaring through his body. He need to connect but at the same time he need to contain the power, till the time is right.
His body feels more and more tense as the power builds up inside of him. The pylons glow brighter and brighter till they are bright like shiny stars. Just as he feels he can’t hold it any longer, Loki let it all go, screaming while he feels his body exploding with power. Filling the ship and its surroundings with blinding bright light.

Chapter Text

The battle with Thanos did go well at first. But soon matters are taking for the worst. Thor was prepared for all kinds of battle, except the battle of the mind. Loki had warned him. But Thor had never experienced something like this before in his whole life. And there hadn’t been enough time to prepare him for this. He is totally surprised when Thanos invaded his mind for the first time. No matter what kind of defences Thor pulls up, Thanos tares it down with great ease. Battling Thanos physically and mentally is wearing Thor down. Some of his men have turned on him, thanks to Thanos. Hulk stays loyal. His anger is his own shield. Nothing can penetrate that. The Valkyrie is stubborn, but he can see that she is struggling too, just like himself. To many bad memories and feelings Thanos can use and twist around.

To Thor’s horror, Thanos finds Thor's achilles heel. The ship starts to pursuit the big ship with Loki and the Asgardians. Thor and the others fight desperately to stop it. It’s a nightmare come true for Thor when he sees that ship again on the big screen. The big guns of the ship of Thanos aimed at it, firing at it….
There is a big blow, soundless but oh so clearly, on the big screen. Hellish bright light fills the room. Blinding anyone in that room temporarily. When the light has faded, the big ship is gone. Only debris is left.

Thor screams like he has never before. He feels as if his own heart is being ripped out. For him, all is lost. The last bit of home is gone forever. Thanos enjoys the internal torment of Thor. Reveling in the knowledge that he, Thanos, has done more damage to Odin's son then any other being in the universe. He’s laughing while he fends off the attacks of Thor. Heart broken, Thor orders the team to retreat. He doesn’t want to lose what’s left of his team. Miraculously they manage to escape Thanos. His taunting laughter still ringing in their ears.

For Thor there is little time to grieve. He gathers creatures he knows who can help him with the battle against Thanos. Heroes of different worlds and realms are joined together as they start to fight Thanos. Weapons are forged to give them the edge to beat Thanos. Many brave heroes lose their lives as they try to stop him to reach the last stone.
But all is lost as Thanos has managed to gain the last stone. With an evil smirk on his face he insert the last one. “Nothing can stop me now, little king of nothing. Soon, you will be nothing as well.” His eyes glow menacing as all the stones start to glow. “Have a horrible death.” He tell the last remaining heroes. Seeing the despair in their eyes as he evokes the full power of the glove.

Immediately there is a big agonizing scream. It’s not of any of the heroes, but of Thanos himself. He holds on to what is left of his lower arm. Magical vapours still burning and eating away at his arm. Thor doesn’t hesitate for a moment and charges with every lighting bolt he has. Airborne as the Hulk has thrown him towards Thanos. The lighting and thunder he had used against Hela was pale in comparison with what he’s using now. He doesn’t care what will happen to him. As long as Thanos goes down. There is only a small pile of ash left when Thor is finished with Thanos.
The battle with what’s left of his army, is short and fierce. His troops no longer have Thanos at their side. Because their drive is gone, they cave in rather quickly. The victory is hollow, but at least the universe is save.

Starlord and Thor gather the stones after the battle. They are the only ones that can hold the unshielded stones. Although Starlord can’t hold them very long. His mortal side does not agree with the stones. Thor can hold one at the time, but he doesn’t like the feeling of those things. He must force himself to not throw it away.
Dr Strange stares at the stones and notices that one of the stones is missing. He checks the stones and discover that the space stone, the stone that was in the Tesseract, is missing. All they can find of the stone are two small blue shards. Dr. Strange starts to chuckle as he examens them. “This one was never an infinity stone. It was an excellent fake. It still emits a bit of the eternal power, but it’s fading. No wonder it didn’t work when Thanos tried to go full force. The gem couldn’t hold such power” Gamora looks at Thor. “Wasn’t that the stone your brother had?” Thor sits down. He frowns as his mind starts to piece it all together. His face cracks as he starts to laugh like a mad man. Rubbing his face while tears flow over his face. “His last trick.. His very last trick has saved us all.” “ That must be one heck of a fake stone. Thanos whooped our asses with that thing several times, the bastard.” says Rocket. Dr. Strange nods. “Your brother is.. Was .. a stronger mage then I thought. When I made him fall...” Thor interrupts him, “Yes, he was.. And I never gave him any credits for it.” He buries his face in his hands. There is no sound but everybody knows that the God of Thunder is crying. His big frame is shaking. They have won the war, but Thor has lost everything. His family, his people, even his realm no longer exists. He is the last of his kind.

Thor goes back to Earth with the rest of the humans. It will be his new home for ever. Tony gives Thor his own apartment in the Avengers Tower. It’s challenging to find furniture and decorations that come close to what he once had on Asgard. Despite the cold walls, the inside of his apartment has this warm glow. Tony made sure Thor has an apartment at the sunny side of the tower and a balcony to land on. Forgetting that Thor no longer has Mjolnir to transport him. But Thor likes it anyway. A bit of outside high up in the sky. He knows his brother would have loved it: standing on the balcony, looking down on the ‘ants’.
The biggest achievement was that his friends had managed to find an artist to paint an accurate painting of him and Loki, with Asgard on the background. Thor had been amazed of the details of it. It had brought him to tears when they had it revealed.
Now it’s hanging in his living room. Two big candles at each side. A chest under it with an incense burner on it. His way of coping with everything he has lost. A king of nothing indeed.

It has been 5 years now since he had lost everything. They all noticed his change. The once go-happy God of Thunder is gone. No more bragging, No more thundering laughter. No more that ‘things would turn out just fine’. His grief has marked his face. The thunders he summons these days are always wild and deadly. He cares little about what happens to him. Some say he borders on suicidal. But being a god among mortals, death will not come his way. The new Thor is grumpy and moody. His sarcasm borders on that of Loki.

Thor enters the communal room, wondering if there is something that will help him to pull free from his monotone circle of negative thoughts. Steve is watching a documentary on the TV. Thor leans on the back of the couch, next to Steve, watching the show for a bit. He sees, what humans consider, ancient buildings passing by. “What are you watching?” Thor asks. Steven smiles. “Something to fill in the gaps of the time when I was asleep. This is a documentary about the 8 world wonders. When I went to sleep there were only 7.” “World wonders? Why wonders? They are build by Midgardians.” Thor shrugs. The buildings on Asgard were much older then these buildings. Nothing wonderous about them. “They are, but they are build in such a manner, so far ahead of their time. Some are wondering if they are build by humans at all.” “Oh?” Thor takes place next to Steve on the couch.
Together they watch the show. He chuckles as he sees the Colosseum. “Nice arena but a bit small.” Steve pokes Thor in his side. “Shhh.. you can’t hear the narrator.” After the Colosseum the Chichen Itza is shown. The voice of the narrator gets excited as he introduces the new 8th world wonder.
Thor’s eyes widens as he sees the construction. It’s a bit build like Stonehenge but with smooth marble. In the middle there is no altar, but a big disk with markings on it. Thor recognise those markings as Asgardian. Thor is ecstatic. “It’s Asgard.. It’s Asgard”, he shouts. He wants to see more. To calm Thor, Steven takes him to the lab. Tony has a big 3D projector there. That might help.

The machine whirrs and a good image of the Asgardian Stonehenge appears. The Asgardian runes are now far more visible than before. But now there is more. Thor discovers, hidden in the runes, the secret rune of Loki. A soft and happy “Loki” escapes his lips.
When they were kids, Loki had come up with hidden runes for the two of them. Runes which allowed them to send secret messages to each other. Thor had his own special secret mark, just like Loki. It had helped in in several gameplays in their youth. And later on, all grown up, it had proven its usefulness on more than one occasion.
Thor jumps on the platform to decipher the code. He walks around in the 3D version. But this doesn’t do the image any good. It flickers, things get blurry or even distorted. His eyes practically glowing as he turns to Steve. “Thank you for your trouble, friend Steve. But this will not do. I have to get there.” Steve hasn’t seen Thor this excited in years. A soft melancholic smile appears on his face. “ Ok, but you’re not going alone. The rest and I will come along with you. You never know what Loki had planned with this thing.” Thor looks annoyed at Steven. “I want to go now. I want to know.” A calm voice of Tony comes from one of the testing cabins. “Point Break, you have waited 5 years for a signal. If this is one, then a few more hours won’t be much of a problem.” While he talks, he walks out of the cabin. His Iron Man suit is starting to enclose the frail human body.
It doesn’t take long for the rest of the Avengers to assemble in the hangar. After a short briefing, they all go aboard. There is some scepsis. Some think this is something Loki had left behind when he was attacking New York. But Clint has a strong feeling that this is not the case. He has no idea how. He simply knows it has nothing to do with New York.

While talking about all the theories they have, the quinjet lands on a clear patch near the construction. A group of archaeologists are stationed here. The leader greet the group, but Thor only give a small nod while he walks past him, straight to the construction. Some of the archaeologists try to stop him, but he evades them easily. In no time Thor stands in the middle of the construction. His eyes wide and with a sparkle, only those who know Thor from before Thanos, recognise.
Tony has convinced the archaeologists that they should not interfere. It gives Thor the opportunity to explore the construction on his own. At first he only looks around. Taking in all the stones and their positions. He stares up the sun, then to the stones again. Then he starts bouncing around the place like a little kid, looking at runes, laughing like the go happy guy he once was.
“Hey Point Break, finally in your happy place?” Thor turns to Tony, glowing with joy. “This is a message from Asgard.” Bruce raises an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s buildings these days instead of ravens?” Thor gives Bruce a confused look. Not quite comprehending the similarities between the two ‘message’ systems.

Thor now starts to walk in a set pattern throughout the construction. Touching one rune each time he makes a turn. The symbol lights up and keeps on glowing softly afterwards. Thor stops in the middle of the construction, standing on a perfectly round smooth stone. Thor looks up and smiles, then yells: “ I’m coming home, brother!” The stones glow brightly and beam their light to the middle of the construction. Thor stands in the bright light as the light shoots up into the sky. The next thing, Thor is gone.

It happens so fast, none of the Avengers had time to respond. There is not a trace of what has happened here. Everything is back to normal, except the man in the middle is gone. They have no idea where to go look for Thor. Thor can be anywhere in space. How are you going to build a tracker for that? Tony sighs. He couldn't have seen this coming. None of them could. They return to Stark Tower. Worried about the fate of their friend.

Chapter Text

Thor is surrounded by light. He sees small flashes of coloured light pass him by. It’s like the Bifrost but Thor feels that this one is different, more refined. Earth shrinks… then grows again. When the light stops, he is still on Earth but he sees a small village with houses which are clearly influenced by Asgard architecture.
But before he can get a good look at it, the bright light comes again. It pulls him away from this village. Earth shrinks again.. And shrinks.. And shrinks. Thor looks up, to see where the beam is heading. There is something up ahead. Before he can have a good look at it, he’s already there. Thor can’t believe his eyes. This is a new Asgard, one with gold and green. It does breathe Asgardian architecture, but it has an organic feel. There are trees and plants everywhere in the city, as far as he can see.

‘My Lord Thor. Welcome to New Asgard.’ A young voice behind him startles him for a second. The voice sounds familiar. It’s like Heimdalls but younger. He turns around and looks straight into the eyes of a younger version of Heimdall. The young man smiles. “I’m Erin. I have send word to my dad about you. He will be here any.. “ The rest of his words do not leave his mouth as his dad appears next to him. Thor stares at Heimdall. “You’re alive!” Heimdall smiles. “So are you, My King.”

Thor had almost forgotten that he was king. He was crowned on that ship, a very hasty and sober coronation. Heimdall turns to the young man. “Son, I will take it from here.” He nods and leaves. “Well, My King, I will show you around New Asgard for a bit. The royal family is not available at the moment. They will be back in a few days.” “Royal family?” Echoes Thor. “How?” Heimdall laughs. “I thought you know about the bird and the bees by now.” Thor chuckles sheepishly. “Loki is no longer single and you are an uncle now.” Heimdall chuckles. “Congratulations your highness.” He pets the stunned Thor on his shoulders. “Let's take a tour through New Asgard while we wait.”

Thor and Heimdall wanders through New Asgard. It shines, like the old Asgard, but it is so much more full of life. He even spots different species among the Asgardians. There are shops with none Asgardian owners. He even spotted a Frost Giant who owned an ice parlour. It is all too clear, business is booming in New Asgard.
As he had seen from afar, he now witness it from close by. Plant life is integrated in the buildings. Making the village look more like a natural environment. Birds and other flying creatures Thor had never seen before, are flying around.
Another new thing is more than anything else proof that this Asgard is very different from the old one, magic. In the old days magic was tolerated to put it mildly. It was used for healing or helping the plants grow. The use in battle was limited to only one school only. To use all kinds of schools like Loki always did was frowned upon. Thor only used one, the school of air. He had specialized himself in thunder and lightning. But now the city is vibrating with magic. Thor can feel magic running through him. It nips at his own. Rejuvenating it, streamlining it. He can feel the thunder singing in his veins.
There are also things missing. Big statues for example. None.. not even one of Loki. He remembers the statues of his ancestors and that statue of Loki in old Asgard. He had expected at least a big one of Loki.

The people they meet greet Heimdall and nod in a short greeting to Thor. As if they don’t recognise him. Heimdall sees the confusion on Thor’s face. “You look very different from how they remember you in general. Your hair is short. You have one yellow eye. A scar on your face and you wear Midgardian cloths.” Thor smiles. “I can fix the clothing thing.” Heimdall shakes his head. “No, keep it. Lets surprise Loki when he comes back. He’s waiting for you to show up for 5 years now. What kept you so long?” Thor shrugs. “I thought you all had died. So I never bothered to look for you.” Heimdall gets a mysterious smile on his face. “Ohh.. Thor, you are in for some surprises.”

It’s almost evening when they stop near a home. Heimdall knocks on the door and Volstagg opens the door. “Heimdall, my friend, what brings you on this hour?” His voice trails away as he looks to the stranger next to his friend. His eyes widened in surprise. “Thor!!” “Shhh” hisses Heimdall, “not so loud.” Volstagg opens the door to let his friends in. “Come .. come.. Have a seat.” Thor can only stare. Hadn’t Volstagg died while trying to ward off Hela? Heimdall tugs the perplexed Thor along with him as he enters the house. “I thought you were dead.” Volstagg laughs. “As you can see, my friend, I am perfectly alive. Beer?” Thor laughs. His friend is still the same after all that happened. “ What about the others?” He asks as Volstagg gives him a nice big pint of beer. “Ohh. the rest of the gang is alive and kicking too.” Volstagg chuckles in a playful devious way. “In some cases I would say, even more than just kicking.” Heimdall throws him a glare.

(When I was starting to write this part, the radio suddenly play the Immigrant Song.)
When everybody has a beer or any other beverage, Heimdall starts to explain what happened. “Remember that you told your brother to hide us?” Thor nods while taking a big sip from his beer. “Loki came up to hide us just out of time and out of place. Hiding in our own shadow, he said. It took the cooperation of the whole of Asgard to do this. He needed pilons all over the ship so he could channel the energie around the ship. I was needed to navigate through time, while he let the spell do its work. We had debris of old ships attached to the outside.” Heimdall laughs. “We looked like a flying junk yard. He said, it was for a diversersion. I only understood why we needed that, when Thanos his ship was in front of us. The moment we jumped back in time, the junk was left behind. The junk was not included in the teleportation circle. As was some minor parts of the ship. All in all we arrived pretty unharmed on our destination, almost on the same spot but 700 Midgardian years in the past.”

Thor's eyes had become bigger and bigger as the story unfold. “I.. I.. I didn’t know he was able to pull such a trick.” Stammers Thor after Heimdall has finished the story. “It wasn’t as easy as it sounds. We spend days looking for him. Once found, he was sleeping for weeks, in Jotun form.” Thor blinks, “ In his JOTUN form? He hates that form.” Heimdall nods. “Yes, he did. But he preferred his own discomfort above Asgard being destroyed. We didn’t know it at the time but he had the space stone with him as well. He didn’t want to use the space stone for it. He said it would leave a trace, which would prove very unhealthy for us.”
Thor grumbles. “I had a deal with him. He would give me the space stone, while I went after Thanos. He gave me a fake one.” Heimdall smirks. “And how well had that worked out for you if it had been the real one?” Thor gaze darkens. Muttering some words under his breath. “Yes, indeed. You would have lost. Half the universe would have been turned to dust.” Thor stares shocked into the eyes of Heimdall. “How.. how.. Would you know this?” “ Loki had watched millions and millions of outcomes. There were only 3 where the universe stayed how it was. Although one of them wasn’t adviseble. He said that one the universe would still be cut in half. The one he had planned was the best. But it did need some serious preparations. He was channeling the power from the real stone to the fake one, so it wouldn’t be noticed by normal use. Only when used full force the connection would break.” “ You were back in time, did he channel it the whole time?” Heimdall shakes his head.” No, he only had to do it 5 years ago. Again timing was of the essence. He started channeling the moment the ship had disappeared. He had locked himself up in a room. We were not allowed to disturb. He had to make sure the fake one looked very real. I had kept an eye on him during the whole process. Once he was smacked against the wall, I knew the job was done. He slept for 3 days afterwards.”
Thor says nothing while staring at his beer. Watching the foam slowly dissolve. “He was helping me, again. Hidden, from the shadows…. As usual. And as usual I didn’t notice a thing.” Heimdall chuckles. “If you had, all his hard work had been for nothing. He knows what Thanos can do.” “ Could do.” Thor corrects him. ”There is nothing left of him.” A dark grin plays on Thor's face. “ The only one that has turned to dust was him.” One short jolt of electricity runs over his body. Heimdall lifts an eyebrow, coughs softly and continues.” Right, your Highness. Loki had been working on a fake stone for the last two years before you showed up again on Asgard. As said, we didn’t know at the time of the jump it was there. And with the one of that particular time era at the place where it should be, his space stone signature was hidden. Only when the ship jumped it became visible. Henceforth his channeling starting only at that time.” Thor holds up his hand. “Stop here. I would like to pass time line with time loops story. I get the big idea. And I’m glad his plan has worked. Even Though I think I have made it a bit more difficult for him because of my request.” Finally Volstagg chimes in.”Loki loves a good challenge. And he was more then up to this one.” They all nod.. Taking a sip of their drinks.

The rest of the evening is spend with talking. The things they’ve done since they split up. Thor is staying with Heimdall, who lives across the street of Volstagg. He can’t stay with Volstaggs since he has a full house with wife and 2 lovely kids. The next couple of days Heimdall or Volstagg show specific things of New Asgard to Thor. And the more Thor sees, the more he realises that Loki didn’t only rebuild Asgard, he has reshaped it. Thor must admit, it feels even better than the old Asgard. Perhaps it is all because the people have put the lies of the past behind them. He sometimes can hear conversations that clearly goes about the time Odin and Hella rode together in battle. He has learned from Heimdall that any talk of Hella was strictly forbidden under Odins law. Heimdall doesn’t want to say what kind of punishment there was when you did. He can only guess it was quite severe.

But finally the day has come that the royal family has returned. Thor feels very excited. It shows. There is a soft rumble in the air even though the sky is clear. Heimdall is leading Thor through the city into the castle. The castle does have a familiar ring to it. There are some elements of the old castle. Elements that bring back good memories to Thor.
Heimdall talks to somebody from the staff. The man points and Heimdall gives a short courtesy bow. “He’s in the courts garden.” Heimdall chuckles. “And your brother has no idea that you are here.” Heimdall picks up the pace. Thor can see through the windows the garden.

The garden is magnificent. It reminds him of the garden of his mother. When he comes around the corner he sees the small terras with Loki talking to two guards. His back is turned to Thor. He is wearing a simple crown on his head. One of the guards looks past Loki as he sees Thor and Heimdall. Checking the situation. The guard says something and Loki turns around. His eyes grow big.. A smile starts to play on his lips. At first he walks dignified towards Thor, but very quickly he starts running to him. “Brother, you found me!” Thor laughs and opens his arms. The things of the past, are in the past and stay there. What he sees here, is his younger brother being happy to see him. He does not have the heart to mope about the long silence. The crown slides a bit at the side when Loki runs into Thor. He wraps his arms around Loki quickly. Loki does the same. They stay like this for a while.. Silently. Enjoying the feel of each other, hearing each others heartbeat, smelling each others scent. A firm confirmation that the other is alive and well.

After a while they finally break the hug. “What took you so long?” Asks Loki while his fingers tenderly wipe a tear of happiness from the corner of Thor's good eye. Thor’s voice sounds off when he answers. Emotions still running high. “I thought you were all gone, dead. Destroyed by Thanos.” Loki smiles. “Yeah, it was tricky. It was a precaution. Creating a smokescreen when we jumped time.” He peaks around Thor to Heimdall, who simply lifts his thumb up. He waves as he leaves the two reunited brothers alone. “I guess Heimdall told you all about it.” “For as far as I can understand the trick, yes. But going back into time. Why?” Loki thnks. How could he explain it so his brother would understand. “When you stack two things, from the top it looks like there is only one, right?” Thor nods. “This was similar. Every creature in the universe has its own signature. When you go back in your own time, your time traveling signature slides under the signature of the original of that timeline. So technically New Asgard was hiding in the shadows of the Old Asgard.” Thor whistles. “You’ve done a great job brother, great job. Just one thing.. Why 700 years?” Loki sighs softly. “It was rushed. I didn’t have enough time to calculate it all thoroughly. I had hoped it would have been a 100 years, but it turned out to be 700.” He shrugs. “It could have been worse, it could have been thousand or more.” Thor pats his brother on his back. “It’s ok. I’m glad, I managed to find you at last.” Loki opens his mouth to respond when suddenly children voices are calling. “Mother, look what we found!“

Two children, one blond and the other black haired, are running to Loki, followed by a teenager with chestnut coloured hair. One of the children holds up a white stone where small blue veins run through it. The teenager grins sheepishly. “Sorry dad, they insisted going here first. They got the best of me.” Loki smiles as he kneels down. His arms wide to greet the children. The kids run into his arms as he holds them in a warm tender embrace. Kissing them both on the head. “Now, show me what is so important that it couldn’t wait?” The little boy holds up the stone. Loki takes the stone from the boys hand and holds it against the sunlight. He chuckles. “You finally found what you were looking for. Well done, Beinir.” “It was Runa’s idea to look for one on the other side of the forest.” Loki frowns a bit.”Haven’t I told you not to go there?” Runa steps up to defend her brother. “You said we shouldn’t go there alone. Thus we invited Finn to come with us.” Loki smirks. Finn Carries a big ass grin on his face. Loki rustles the hair of the two kids as he rises again. “Ok you three, go to Brenna and see if she’s has something for you to eat.” The kids cheer. Finn nods as he guide the kids away and to the castle's kitchen.

Thor had stood there the whole time, listening. One calling his brother dad but the kids call him mother? The old Thor had wanted to have answers right away. Thor has finally learned to be patience. When Loki faces him again, he finally speaks. “Those were my cousins?” Loki nods. “Finn is adopted. Beinir and Runa are my kids.” “And mine” Thor turns around and looks straight into the face of Fandral. “Wait.. you’re alive too?” Fandral can’t escape the crushing hug of Thor. “Did you say, they are yours too?” Fandral nods with a big smile. “Yep Thor, you’re an uncle now.” His smile widens.”And I’m your brother in law too.” Thor blinks with a small frown. “Hadn’t I warned you not to lay hands on my brother?” “Au contraire, my brother, I laid hands on him.” Loki looks with a lewd glare in his eyes pass Thor to Fandral. Fandral chuckles while he gets a small cute blush on his face. Thor feels suddenly uncomfortable and takes a step to get out of the way. Fandral steps up and kisses Loki. The two share an intimate eye contact moment. “You’re going to check the guards?” Loki purrs. Fandral nods. “Yeah. Be back as soon as I can.” He turns his head towards Thor. “Can’t wait to hear all your stories. Thor simply smiles. “Ok. Don’t forget the ale.” Fandral laughs while he turns to go the guards.

Finally alone with Loki again, Thor can’t resist to ask. Before something else comes in between. “The boy, Finn? , called you father, but the two kids call you mother. Did you turn female for a while?” Loki shakes his head. “No, I am Jotun, remember?” Thor nods. “That means that I have two genders. That’s all. I was quite surprised the first time myself. I didn’t know I was able to.” Thor hugs his brother again. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Loki taps him playfully on Thor’s nose. “Don’t worry, it’s ok. Oh.. before I forgot. You’ve found me brother so..” Loki takes off his crown and hands it to Thor. Thor stares at the crown of Asgard, given to him so casually. He stares bewildered to his brother. Loki sighs. “It was the deal, remember. Me hiding with Asgard, you finding us, you taking leadership again.” Thor stammers, “yeah.. But.. “ He gestures to the area around them. “Look at this all. It’s all you.” Loki shrinks a bit back. “Sorry, brother, I didn’t mean it to be so. I’ll fix it. Promise.” Thor is taken back by the sudden action of his brother. He puts his hand on the side of Loki’s neck, like he used to. His eyes locking in to the panicing eyes of his brother. “Don’t worry, brother. It looks wonderful, even better than the original. I love it. I’ve heard all you’ve done. I’m so proud of you, my brother. You’ve earned it. “ He puts the crown back in to Loki's hand. “Oh. no..no ..no..Custom is that the crown goes to the eldest. You’re older than me.” Loki shoves the crown back to Thor. Thor laughs. “I am the oldest now? I don’t think so. How much did we differ?” Loki thinks. “350” Thor nods. “And how long have you been in hiding with Asgard?” “700” Thor smiles. “Right. That makes you now 350 years older than me. I am your LITTLE brother from now on.” And with that, Thor pushes the crown back into Loki’s hands. Panic flares in Loki’s eyes. “Trust me, Thor. I never meant that to happen. I didn’t want to take over. Seriously, I didn’t want to.” Thor grabs Loki’s hands and fold them around the crown. “I know you didn’t. It’s ok. You’ve done something I wouldn’t be able to do. Look at your empire. It runs smoothly. You are king now, Loki. Please stay king. The people love you. They want you.” His blue eyes look tenderly into his brother's eyes. The panic is slowly fading away. “You’re sure about this?” Thor grabs the crown and puts it on Loki’s head. “And here by I, Thor Odinson, crown you, Loki Odinson, to be king of Asgard.” Loki feels a lump in his throat. All he can do is hug his brother.

Later on they are walking together towards the kitchen. Thor can see that Loki’s mind is somewhere else since his ‘coronation’. “Brother, what are you worrying about?” Loki stops walking. “Did you know we still have a settlement on Midgard?” Thos shakes his head. “It’s the place where we initially landed. We only stayed for a 100 years. Then we moved to this place. Not all wanted to leave Midgard. Some of us stayed behind. It has grown quite nicely. Just their leadership leaves something be desired for. They ask more attention of me then the whole of the rest of the 19 realms.” Thor smiles. “Do you want me to keep an eye on them? Help them out?” Loki looks his way. HIs eyes shine. “You’ve really grown, brother. Yes,if you want to. I know, it’s not the crown of Asgard but…” Thor places his hand over Loki’s mouth. “Shush. I said, it’s ok. Besides. I am the younger brother now, remember?” They both chuckles as they continue to walk. The alluring scent of fresh baked bread is already greeting them.

Chapter Text

Ever since Thanos had been destroyed on Midgard, Midgard had to deal with alien invaders at the regular basis. Many wanted to test their strength against those short lived Midgardians. Earth’s heroes together with Thor and the Mid-Asgardians, as the Asgardians of the settlement has called themselves, were able to fend of each attack so far. Some more successful than the other, but victorious in the end.
Except for this time. The battle went on for weeks. There seemed no end to the flood of soldiers and monsters ready to fight them. Fatigue was showing on the faces of the defenders of Midgard. For Thor it felt like they had the whole universe on their doorstep, trying to claim Midgard, or Earth as the inhabitants call it. He happily kicked each and every one back to the dark cravate of space they came from. But even him and his team were starting to get tired.

Steven’s voice sounds ragged through the communication system. “Thor, did you manage to send the message to Asgard?” Thor pants in the mike for a second before he answers. “Yes, my brother should have received the message by now. Help will be on the way.” Tony laughs loudly into his microphone. “Really Point Break? You called for help from Crazy Bread? Oh man.. We’re screwed.” Thor wants to counter that remark. “Yes, and my brother will come. He is not the same man when he attacked New York. Trust me friend Stark. He will come.” Tony sighs. “So old and yet so naive. I don’t expect any help from your little brother.” “Big Brother” Thor corrects him. “Yeah, yeah.. what ever. Keep on dreaming, Goldy Locks, while the rest of us are going to kick their asses to kingdom come.” Tony grunts as he turns to attack another monster. Another enemy blast had hit his suit.

Just as Tony wanted to make another snide remark about Thor's brother, when the sky turned pitch dark. There was deep rumble in the sky, making the ground shake. The Asgardians who fought alongside with Thor started to smile. Thor looked up, puzzled expression on his face. This was not the bifrost, as far as Thor knows.
A long tear of pure light appears. Out of that tear a big ramp appeared. As if it was made of glass, light and all the colours of the universe. It descends down to earth while small figures appear at the top.

A big part of the army of the enemy had turned to see what was happening behind them. Judging by their actions they knew what was coming. Not that this knowledge would help them in anyway. Because the army that came down from the sky, rolls over the army of the enemy like a tidal wave. Resistance is futile.

For the humans it’s as if Lord of the Rings has come to life. The army is made of elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs and all other race of fairy tales. Up in the sky the Valkyrie flow on their horned winged horses. Three dragons, each with 7 heads roars in the sky. Incinerating the ships of the enemy.
And in the midst of this crushing army is a slender figure, sitting on a eight legged horse. The figure wears a dark leather and metal armour with a green cape. On his head is a golden helmet with two long curved horns. Eyes glowing with a hellish green light. He’s holding a staff that glows with the same light as the ramp.
He lifts the staff and the army stops, right before the defence line of the protectors of Midgard. Tony’s voice croakes over the line. “Holy fuck, that’s your brothers army?” Thor gins proudly while his second in command introduces the aiding army over the comsystem. “Behold, the army of the 20 realms, lead by his royal highness, the All Mother Loki.” Tony with a small voice. “All Mother?” “According to Asgard, he is.”, converms Thor. His voice made clear, there is no discussion on this matter.

The army has made a pincer move around the leaders of the invading army. Many soldiers have surrendered and being held by spear, sword, gun or whatever weapon the soldier of Loki's army is wielding. Their leaders standing grudgingly before Loki. Loki still sits on his horse, looking taller than life and the air of all omnipotence radiates from him like it did once from Odin.
“What do you have to say for yourselves, Kardoch?” His voice is not loud. Yet everybody can hear him as if they are the ones standing in front of him. Kardoch shrugs his shoulders. “Nothing more to add, my Lord. All is already said.” “Then I don’t have to either. You knew the consequences for you and your captains, if you did something like this.” Some of Kardoch’s captains flinch. They know what will happen. They look at eachother. The look of impending doom shines in their eyes.
The All Mother Loki lifts his staff up. A green lightning comes from the sky and obliterates Kardoch. Strands of that lighting hits the captains. Many disintegrates to dust, except a few. All Mother Loki lifts one eyebrow. His soldiers rally the captains that are left and escort them to stand in front of King Loki. He starts to speak again. “The only reason why you are still breathing, is because you apparently have the brain to make wiser decisions for your people then your previous leaders. I will ban you and your army to your realm. Your kind will only be able to leave your realm, when you are worthy to mingle with the rest of the universe.”
These words make Thor remember the rant his father gave him about being worthy of something. It resulted in Mjolnir being the judge who’s worthy or not. Those who are spared, nods, mumbling thinks like ‘Thank you, All Mother’ ‘We will, All Mother’ and are escorted off the planet.

Loki turns and looks at Thor. Both grinning as if they were kids who just had a great day at a theme park. “I was thinking of having a vacation on Midgard. Any suggestions, brother?” Thor opens his mouth, but Loki is ahead of him. “No brother, not Mid-Asgard. It will turn into work in no time. Somewhere nice, comfy for my family and me. No fuss, just relax.” Thor looks at Tony, who’s already has his helmet down. “Tony my friend, you have the most knowledge of good relaxing spots on Midgard. Suggestions would be most welcome.” Tony displays a wide grin. “Ofcourse I know the best spots on Earth.. Midgard.. Whatever you call it here. Even better, I will let you use any of my homes to have your vacation. And I have great locations for my private homes. Malibu is wonderful this time of the year. If you really want to relax, mi casa es sous casa.” Loki tilts his head a bit, while he looks at Tony. “ Really? Letting Crazy Bread stay in one of your homes. What happened?” Tony grins sheepishly at Loki. “You happened, Ba.… Loki.. Ehmmm.” Stark is biting his tongue and tries to switch to a more civilised man. He realised that Loki had heard everything, even though he hadn’t been there. The words that follow are spoken a bit uncomfortable but well meant nonetheless. “Your highness, thank you for your aid in this drawing combat. Please accept my offering to use one of my homes as your vacation destination. It’s the least I can do.”
The tips of his lips curl up. He remembers way way back when he threw Stark out of the window. And now this man is offering him his homes? He appreciates the hospitality of the man and his efforts to rise above his usual slang. “As it so happens, you still owe me a drink. Can’t think of any better place to receive it than in one or your homes.” Loki’s eyes sparkle softly as he speaks. Stark grins.

As he want to say something, one of Loki’s warriors intervenes. He doesn’t look too happy and his voice is husked. Tony can’t understand a thing, but by the looks on Loki’s face, it’s no good. He turns his face, now masked with a neutral expression, to Tony. “Duties calls, Stark.” With a small courtesy nod, he turns and follows the soldier. While he walks, the whole army kneels. Thor’s second tugs his sleeve. Suggesting him to do the same. The army of Mid-Asgard is kneeling too, including Thor.
Loki kneels down next to the fallen soldier. There is a soft talk that no one can understand except Loki and the fallen man. Loki closes the eyes of the man after the talk is done. Ice forms around the man while Loki rises. His armour has changed into a more ceremonial one. On his head, in sharp contrast to the rest of the outfit, was a simple crown. He himself has changed too. His skin now blue with markings, horns sticking out of the crown and natural red eyes. His face still a neutral mask, but his eyes carry the sorrow of great loss.
The fallen man, a big blue giant, is wrapped up in ice and floats horizontal right behind Loki. He only looks back at the icy casket. His hand touches it briefly while only for a second a sad smile plays on his lips before he turns around and starts walking to the entrance. The casket follows him silently.
Silently and orderly the army gets back up and follows the casket. Only the rustling of armour and tunics are heard. Thor beckons Tony, who silently kneels next to Thor. In a hushed voice Thor explains. “This was the last of his officers that helped build this army. This battle was a honorary battle. Mid-Asgard will play tribute as well. We will return soon.” Tony nods shortly. Together with Mid-Asgard he gets on his feet. He stays behind while Thor with his army follows Loki’s army.
The heroes, not quite knowing what’s going on, had stayed silent while this scene had been unfolding for their eyes. Only when the last being had stepped on the ramp and it all had disappeared, they dared to talk to each other. Tony explained it and the story passed through all the ranks of this makeshift army. They all went home, still impressed by the events, happy to be alive. The death toll could have been so much higher if help hadn’t arrived. They might have even lost the battle.

Weeks later, dark clouds form above Stark Tower. A beam of rainbow light descends, ending on the platform, normally used for heli crafts. When the light disappears, Thor, Loki, Fandral and the kids are standing there. The imprint of the bifrost still glowing on the ground. Tony steps outside. “Greetings, my friends. Welcome to Stark Tower. And where might your vacation destination be?” Loki smirks. “Here, in your tower.” “But why? I have so many nice locations around the world.” “But this one here will be the most fun.” Loki’s smile is a bit mischievous. And right then and there, Tony knows that this will be one vacation he’s never going to forget.