Illusions | Loki & Jane

12. The Banishment

The Allfather only needed to strike his staff, Gungnir on the ground once and the Frost Giants had been defeated before they could do more harm with the help of the Destroyer. The king entered the vault with his sons, where they found an icy sight. The guards were lying frozen and dead on the floor, while the Frost Giants were destroyed. Loki heard his conscience alerting him, but he quickly ignored his own thoughts.

"The Jotuns must pay for what they have done." Thor stated angrily, just as the God of Mischief had anticipated.

"They have payed with their lives." Odin replied calmly, with his eyes focusing the Casket of Ancient Winters. "The Destroyer did its job, and the Casket is safe. All is well."

Thor looked at him in disbelief. "All is well?! They broke into the Weapons Vault! If the Frost Giants had stolen even one of these relics-"

"But they didn't."

"Well, I want to know why!" Thor's rage was well visible.

"I have a truce with Laufey, the king of the Jotun." Odin shook his head almost invisibly.

"They just broke your truce! They know you are vulnerable."

Odin sighed and turned to his son. "And what action would you take?"

"March into Jotunheim as you once did, teach them a lesson, break their spirits so they'll never dare try to cross our borders again!"

"You're thinking only as a warrior!"

"This was an act of war!"

"It was the act of but a few, doomed to fail."

"Look at how far they've got!"

"We will find the breach in our defenses. It will be found, and it will be sealed."

"As king of Asgard -"

"BUT YOU'RE NOT KING!" Odin's patience had snapped, it was enough. "Not yet." He whispered.
Loki saw it in his eyes, his father knew that Thor wasn't ready yet, there was disappointment, yet still hope. He had to push the God of Thunder over the edge, so that even the Allfather would see that his son was nothing but a boy.
He walked up to his brother, when Thor was sitting defeated in the hall, after upending one of the banquet-tables in rage. "It's unwise to be in my company right now, brother." He said. Loki just wanted to talk to him when the Warriors Three and Sif entered the room, bewildered of the mess Thor had created. The Demigod didn't let them distract him, he knew how to talk to his brother so he would get the idea of defying Odin, without noticing that it had been Loki behind the wheel. It didn't take long and they were on their way to Jotunheim. Oh Thor you're so predictable. The black-haired Demigod thought chuckling. All went according to plan until they were in the middle of a fight with hundreds of Frost Giants and a huge monster. Loki had not seen this coming. He particularly hadn't foreseen Odin having to save them and that Laufey would declare a war. Well, they did go a little bit too much over the edge, maybe.

"Why did you bring us back?" In Thor's voice was the adrenaline still hearable.

"Have you realized what you've done? What you've started?" Odin asked full of fury.

Yes they had started a war, this was very bad indeed, Loki knew this was on his account, nevertheless he decided to say nothing, rather listening to their fight quietly.

"... You'd stand giving speeches, while Asgard falls." He heard his brother say.

"YOU ARE A VAIN, GREEDY, CRUEL BOY!"

Whoops, Thor better shut up now, father is extremely angry.

"AND YOU ARE AN OLD MAN AND A FOOL!"