His True Kingdom

Chapter Two - Loki's Prologue:

Loki was sitting in his usual corner in the fancy glass prison cell. The lost prince wrapped by an unbreakable metal box, his faded green shirt reflected on his green shiny eyes. Unnoticed by the living, he was to waste away in Asgard. Not as its king—rightful king, but a mere prisoner who everyone frowned upon and wished he would be sent to a barren moon away from the beautiful kingdom of Odin. Loki pushed away his long and dry hair off his face and let out a soft sigh. He stared into the stainless edges of his cell, always calculating some sort of an escape. He got up and started walking back and forth at his ease. Due to Frigga's plea, Loki was not executed after his trial and he was not quite sure how a God could possibly be. Odin did not find it necessary to send him off to a land known to no one. So Loki was imprisoned for life in Asgard. The Chitauri and whoever was backing him were to come to Asgard to take the tesseract even if Loki was present or not. Loki's punishment wouldn't bring peace; at least this was Odin's theory. Some believed Odin simply surrendered to his tender feelings for his son; some said Loki was kept so he would be presented to the evil forces when they came. Nevertheless, for a reason unknown to anyone but to Odin, Loki was kept "alive".

For a whole year he'd been under watch. The only living being he could see was the servant who would leave his two daily meals under the small opening in the room—who would never utter a single word. Loki could see in his eyes the hatred he'd seen in the eyes of everyone else since his arrival, so he never attempted to talk. It was no use regardless of what he said or did. As his dinner was being gently pushed into the room, he came to a stop. He bound his hands together like the heavy burdens and grievous mistakes bound inside his broken heart. His emerald eyes of beauty fixed upon the meal, woe came onto him.

"How could I miscalculate? How could I neglect humans' powers so much to cause my downfall once more?" he thought, overwhelmed. Loki slowly sat down by the meal, crossing his sore legs.

"If I am to ever break free, I will show no mercy to these loathsome creatures!"

Almost letting out a snarl, Loki pushed his meal away as he over ventilated. Suddenly, Loki heard a monstrous and familiar voice. It was giggling, immediately recognizing the voice—Loki turned towards its direction in shock. As he looked around him, his surroundings melt like ice cream in a sunny day and turned into a pale blue barren wasteland. Realizing where he was summoned, he barely could retain himself.

"Buried... Alive" the voice laughed. Loki gulped and had no words to utter. He was ready to hear his sentence once Asgard was invaded. Yes, Bifrost was restored; however Asgard's absence caused its grasp to loosen on the other realms. He could already imagine Asgard being destroyed; he had mixed feelings towards the idea.

"Show yourself you foul creature" Loki was growing impatient. He kept looking around to see a figure but it was all dust and shimmering stars around him.

"You've FAILED ME ASGARDIAN!!!!" the voice broke like the thunder and Loki jumped from where he was—wrapping himself around in desperation. Sometimes even the mightiest could get tired of dragging on. Loki blinked and looked down, his breathing got heavier. For some strange reason, he felt lonelier than ever before.

"I know what I've done" Loki pleaded calmly. "But..."

"SILENCE! Odinson..." voice replied, full with sarcasm and satisfaction.

"Don't you ever call me that!!!" Loki walked fast towards where he thought the voice was coming from, but there was nothing there.

"I, Thanos, have given you ancient power! With the sceptre in your hand the only reason for your failure is your own VENDETTA. It blinds you with pride. How quickly did you forget... that you were a CAST OUT PRINCE!?!" The voice of Thanos shouted madly. Loki smirked.

"Spare the meaningless admonitions and..." Loki turned around, only to see a giant red figure in front of him—that had eyes of blue glowing orbs that interrupted his sentence. They were terrorizing, horrifying eyes and created an oppressed disgust in his mind.

Thanos had a wide grin on his face in the shadows he was sitting. His appearance was of no ordinary being in the realms. In Loki's honest eyes, Thanos looked like he had unlimited power in his hands already yet still was a figure in question. He still desperately sought the tesseract, no doubt. He was tall and gaunt, shrouded from head to toe with an ancient armor that seemed like it endured countless fights. His skin was as if it was dabbled in thick blood—as if he was sprinkled with the horror of scarlet red for ages.

"Is he really all that powerful?" Loki was dreadfully nervous.

Thanos slowly made a move towards Loki. He did not move back, in his weak figure he tried to refrain and keep still in front of the ancient one. The red monster stared into his eyes and had a small laugh examining Loki's wavy long hair.

"I may have a use for you... Asgardian"

Loki sweetly chuckled "Well isn't that unexpected? After all I've done, you'd have use of me? Why don't you just end me right here?"

"This will be the last mission and if you're to succeed, I just might spare your life" the sarcastic undertone barely was gone from his voice.

"No, you will not" Loki thought and kept smiling in pain. He knew he had no choice, if he were to deny this offer he'd either get killed now or later when Asgard was down in ashes. This way, he could just maybe make an escape.

"I will accept your most gracious offer" Loki bowed his head before Thanos. He felt so out of it, so weary of fighting. His desire for the throne of Asgard, Midgard or any realm was vanishing. His hatred and desperation was around him like the nymphs of the night, he only wanted one thing: To kill Thor. His consciousness was only focused on this one single task; he did not care what he had to sacrifice as he had nothing to, other than his own life.

"You're to retrieve 'someone' for us." Thanos pleaded. Loki felt like he was running in circles.

"I'm off to a mission in Swartalfheim, I suppose" said Loki, frowning and thinking how boring this mission was going to be with kidnapping a dark elf of some sort.

"No, you're going...back" Thanos smiled with great pleasure and added:

"To Earth"