Temptation

The Truth?

Thor stood, stunned. What in Valhalla's name had just happened? Loki and Eva had disappeared, Tony had failed to find Zola, and Fury was now screaming at anyone who would listen to find them and find them NOW!!!!

"I'm going to have to speak to the WSC and explain why I let Loki steal Zola and slip through my fingers. You do know that, don't you? The fact that if he'd asked me, I'd have given him the bus fare to take that little weasel away, makes no odds. " he turned to Thor as they made their way along to the main conference room. "What in God's name am I going to tell them? He just 'disappeared' like the genie in the bottle? "

"What's a genie?" Thor looked at him, puzzled."And why would it be in a bottle - wouldn't a box be more practical?" Fury looked at him, his non-existent eyebrows raised to the heavens.

"Idiots. I'm trying to protect the world, and I'm surrounded by idiots." he sighed. "It's a mystical being like a ghost that grants wishes." he explained to the great 6'4" five year old in front of him. Thor shrugged.

"Oh, you mean a Spokelse! Why didn't you say?" he nodded, and Fury rolled his eye. Thor put a massive hand on Fury's shoulder. He was one of the few who could literally look down on him. "Let me go back to Asgard. There is someone there who will be able to find Loki without too much trouble. As for the Dark Elves? I have a feeling without Loki. You won't have too much trouble rounding them up. Malekith won't soil his hand with battle, not these days. He'll be too concerned working out what Loki is really up to.

Fury nodded and turned back, speaking into his comms. "Hill? Get everyone not currently looking for Zola on Elf detail. Yes. I DID just say Elf detail..... Do I SOUND like I'm joking? I'm not goddamn Santa Claus!" He turned to a couple of agents now standing guard at the door. "You two on me, let's go."

Thor turned and looked up, "Heimdal, when you're ready!" he commanded, Mjolnir raised at the ready. A blinding flash of light, and he was gone. A minute or two later, a small man in a black boilersuit with a mop in his hand walked in and surveyed the scene. Shaking his head, he sighed. Blood on the floor and a scorch mark indicating the Bi-frost had been and gone.

"No respect. First the grass, now the laminate. No respect at all....." he sighed and set to work.....

Odin sat on this throne, Frigga at his side. They chatted quietly, looking over some missives from Vanaheim and an application from one of the local traders to supply the palace with fresh fruit. It wasn't the usual morning for the Allfather. Normally, he had an army of minions to deal with such things, but this was no usual morning.

Today, he had finally told Loki the truth, and he was about to lie to Thor. For the best possible of reasons. Love. For them both..

He'd been wakened by his wife with a start. "Odin, wake up. ODIN!" she'd nudged him, sitting up staring at the bottom of the bed. He mumbled and sat up grumpily.

"What... woman, can you not let me.... oh! So you're back? Any luck?." he addressed the apparition that glowed green and flickered like the northern lights. Frigga looked at him. Why wasn't he shouting? Why wasn't he swearing to clap their wayward son in chains?

"Loki? What are you doing here?" she asked. Ghosts, apparitions, corporal projections? Nothing to a woman brought up by witches. What dumbfounded her was the fact that Odin seemed to have been expecting it.

As they watched, Loki smiled and half-bowed. "Father," he almost sounded sincere, "Mother," this time, his voice was soft and loving. She smiled softly. It was good to see him look so well, even under these circumstances.

Odin stood, pulling on a robe. "Much as I asked for an immediate update, I had assumed that you would allow us to at least get out of bed! I shall return, my dear. Loki? With me." he kissed Frigga's cheek and left the room to sit in an antechamber. Loki's avatar followed him, but not till he had walked over and spoken to his mother.

"I am ok, mother, and I will explain everything to you in due course. All I ask for now is your trust and patience. Oh, and Eva says that she has many MANY questions for you when she gets back, mostly about my childhood, I believe. Please make it sound interesting!" he smiled and blew her a kiss.

Frigga laughed softly, "Oh Loki, you were nothing if not an interesting child!" As his image receded, she lay back on the pillows she sighed. Life had always been an adventure. If, when she'd agreed to take in the baby, she'd known just how MUCH she... no, she wouldn't have changed a thing. Well, maybe not EVERYTHING any way.

"So," Odin turned to Loki. "Tell me. Have you captured Malekith?"

"No. Not yet. But part one of the plan is complete. We have Zola." Loki stepped to one side and behind him cowered a small, bespectacled man in a lab coat. Beside him stood Eva, a sword held to his throat. She looked up and smiled. Although she couldn't see or hear him, that was Loki's privilege through the projection. She knew Odin would see and hear her.

"Allfather. Thank you for allowing us to carry out this mission. It has been my honour to serve you. We just need to make sure that Malekith follows us. I think our bait will be quite sufficient." She nodded deferentially, and Loki stepped back in front of them.

"Father, we will be in Asgard presently. I will remove the cloaking spell, and Heimdal should see us shortly - I have a feeling that Thor will be hot on our heels as soon as he does. We need to be ready to explain this to him. In words that he will actually understand." Loki smirked, and Odin shook his head.

"Even in the midst of conflict, you never miss a chance, do you?" Odin stood to go back to Frigga. "One day, one day when Thor is King, you will see why I DIDN'T name you my heir. Ruling is not just about sharp intellect. It is about empathy for others. Ruling is about sacrifice. What Thor give up? What Thor will have to take on? Is something I would not ask you to do. Something I was NEVER prepared to ask you to do."

"Why?" Loki asked, suddenly feeling his world shift for the second time in his life.

"You don't want the truth, Loki. You wouldn't believe it if you heard it." Odin looked at him sadly.

"Tell me....please..." Loki said, voice hoarse with emotion.

"I would not have asked you to give up whatever love you had found. I would not have the weight of a million expectations and dreams bow you. You are worthy of so much more Loki. So much more." He turned away, walking back to his waiting Queen, leaving Loki open mouthed.

Loki's avatar faded and disappeared.

As he turned and looked at Eva, she saw the look on his face. "Loki?" He turned to her, his eyes pricking with tears. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Come on, we have a lot to do and not much time to do it in......"