Blood and Knifes

2:10

"Wait, what?" Megan followed Loki's horrified gaze to find an equally horrified Thor.

"Brother..."

"Brother!" Loki flashed a grin, and in the span of time that it took Megan to blink, Loki's injuries were gone. "How is Asgard?"

"No. You don't get to weasel your way out of this one, brother," Thor warned.

Loki's smile froze. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Loki..." Thor sat in the chair beside him. Megan scooted onto Loki's hospital bed and laid their head on his chest.

"I... When- When I... fell? When I fell, I... I wasn't supposed to live." Loki swallowed. "Mother had appointed me as king, and when you came back from Midgard, I knew you were fit to take the throne. I thought... I wanted my final act to be something you and father would proud of me for. I could do that which you both had attempted: kill all the frost giants."

"Loki... You must know, I-"

Megan leaned forward and flicked him in the forehead. "Not helpful."

Thor scowled playfully, and went to flick them as well, but Loki threw himself atop them.

"Thor, no! Midgardian! Not Asgardian!"

Thor blinked. "What- oh! Oh. My apologies, Megan."

"Er, it's fine, I guess. Um... Yeah, I'm not going to question what just happened, carry on."

Loki let out a quick laugh and rolled off of them. "Where was I? Ah... killing the frost giants. I... Father had raised us both to hate the frost giants, yes?" Thor nodded. "When we went to Jotunheim... I... after your banishment, I went to the weapons chamber to... investigate something I had seen on Jotunheim. I- I picked up the Casket of Winters and- and I- I- I confronted father. He told me the truth. The truth about a child he stole from the temple in Jotunheim, stolen- stolen to use as a bargaining chip in future wars and treaties. Laufey's child." Loki looked up and looked Thor in the eyes, even as a tear slid from his own. "Me. I- I wanted to wipe out the Jotuns, you see. When you broke the Bifrost... I thought I could get rid of them all. I think I really just wanted to get rid of one."

Megan intertwined their fingers with his, and snuggled into him. Thor brushed a few tears from his own eyes.

"But it didn't work," Loki continued. "I... I think I'd rather it did. I fell for years. And- and when I landed... I... someone found me. I... He... Time works differently in space. He- he chained me on his realm for- for centuries. He wanted me to..." he looked at Thor hesitantly. "To find him more infinity stones."

"Infinity stones?" Thor reiterated. "But those are just a myth."

"That's what I thought at well. But he was from mythology as well. I refused to help him. I- I held on for about 600 years. But then he started... meddling with my mind. I... He twisted my memories. I- I know that. The main course he took was melding my mind to those of his children. That way they- when they sent me to the Tesseract, they- they could access it through me, and- and use it to influence me. Your scientists might have learned that it heightens emotion. It... increased my fear. The archer, Barton, he also experienced the mind control. I... Please, brother. I'm sorry. I- I'm so sorry."