Nothing is Sacred

He could barely make sense of the images that were flooding his mind. Years of them built up and showed a life he had no recollection of ever living.

But as the memories returned, he did remember it.

Loki had lived a thousand years next to Thor. So many memories returned of him and Thor together.

He had spent his youth in a golden castle with a golden prince, and he had been happy.

He had been very happy.

Frigga and Thor had always favored him, and he hadn’t seen it then, or even before the memory erasure but it was clear as day now. The one who had always held the greatest sway over Thor had been Loki. And likewise, the one who turned Loki into his most reactionary self was Thor.

He wasn’t Asgardian. But he was raised as an Asgardian Prince, only to find out he was Jotunn royalty.

Loki had claims to not one, but two thrones in distant worlds. Loki wondered if some sarcastic force of nature was laughing at him right now.

More than that, the rush of seidr through his veins and the knowledge of how to use it surfaced and he opened his eyes to his physical body with a smirk.

Tyr was giving him a malicious grin, which faltered when he saw the look on Loki’s face.

And before he could toss Loki to the ground of Midgard, Loki laid a hand gently on Tyr’s exposed wrist.

Tyr screamed from the pain of it, and tried to let Loki go, but with acrobatic finesse Loki swung himself and Tyr back to the center of the roof.

“What did you do to Peter?” Loki asked as he kicked Tyr, who was clawing at his freezer burnt skin.

“Probably dead!” Tyr said maliciously as he summoned his axe and swung at Loki.

It was easy enough to dodge. Though Loki’s body was sorely out of practice. It had spent the last few decades mostly reading and writing. Both pursuits he loved and had enjoyed.

Loki would look for Peter after he dealt with Tyr. This would be dangerous, and it would be better not to involve the youth.

While the Loki of old would not care for the life of a mortal, any mortal at all. He now did. He had a special affection for the youth, their tenacity and vivaciousness. He liked them, and he liked teaching them.

And living among them had been nice.

“So your plan was to kill me and Thor.” Loki said as he summoned his knives and hurled them at Tyr. “Then what? Storm Asgard with your sorceress army? Hardly the triumvirate I would support.”

Tyr didn’t manage to dodge them all. “You only support Thor! You’ve always been his little wife. Sif is manlier than you. Someone like you would never understand the need for real change. Especially when they’re in bed with the King.”

A memory image was summoned along with the word ‘bed’. In a second and a half Loki recalled several instances in which he and Thor had been in bed together. One in particular was Thor’s face between his legs licking a spot that was just right and Loki moaning and swearing for all of Asgard to hear.

Loki almost blushed. His counterpart had been right about him enjoying his clitoris….

“I understand change well enough.” Loki defended himself as he dodged several of Tyr’s slow attacks. “I never liked your endless shed of innocent blood. Contrary to what you think, war is not always the answer.”

“And you have the answers? No one trusts you. Especially not with your silver tongue.” Tyr yelled.

Loki rolled his eyes. “You’re insufferable. Are those your best insults? I’ve received worse from angry students.” Loki laughed as he blasted Tyr with seidr.

Tyr fell backwards and rolled across the roof. Loki laughed maniacally as he stalked over.

“I think you should change your name to Pyrrhus of Epirus.” Loki said. “You keep fighting these battles. You challenge me, and then you challenge Thor. And all because you want to be King. You want power and you want to use it to hurt Asgard and Jotunheim and Midgard! But you’ll never win. I also don’t agree with the notions of divine rule. Why is Odin King? I don’t know, nor do I particularly care at this point. He is not my King and he is not my Father anymore.”

By then Loki had reached him and Tyr jumped up and tried to stab Loki, luckily Tyr hadn’t seen the ice Loki had spread from his feet and he slipped.

“Yet now you threaten not just me, but my most dear person and Midgardians. They have no part in these wars of yours, but you want them dead. And unless you adopt one and raise it as your own if you become King, they’ll have no representation and no say.”

Tyr laughed. “Why should I care about that? It’s all about Asgard. Once I am King, I’ll have the weapons vault. Once I have it I can wage even greater wars. Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Nornheim, Alfheim, Muspelheim, even Midgard will all be obliterated and Asgard will rule as the complete power. And I will be King. Odin has been too soft. Ever since he stole you he’s been soft to those horned freaks.”

Self-consciously Loki thinks about the small protrusions on his skull. Only Frost Giants of noble birth and with certain seidr abilities grow horns. It is not right to shame them, for in Jotunheim horns are a sign of supremacy.

Tyr really is a low life bully.

Loki readies more seidr to blast at Tyr, but he moves too quickly and tackles Loki and they both fall off the building.

As gravity pulls them down to the ground, Loki shoves Tyr off him and turns into a bird in time to avoid the earth. Tyr is not so lucky and the crater he makes is fairly sizeable. It will be a great burden on the city to fix it.

Loki lands on the ground and turns back to himself. Stepping over to Tyr fearfully.

As he leans over to look into the crater Tyr launches himself out and wraps a hand around Loki’s throat with a roar.

Loki’s head is shoved into the concrete below him and he would cry out, except that his wind pipe is sealed. And Tyr is smart enough to keep his exposed skin away from Loki’s traveling hands.

Loki is about to knee him away, when someone else peels Tyr off of Loki with some sort of weapon.

Loki looks up from his spot on the ground and it is Frigga who is engaged with Tyr in combat. And doing a fine job of making Tyr look like a fool.

Loki has a second to think about how dangerous it is for his Mother to be here. Until he gets up himself and goes to join the fray, but a strong hand stops him.

Thunder clashes and Thor runs out and uses Mjolnir against Tyr.

Thor and Frigga do not often team up in battle. In fact, Loki can’t remember it ever happening before. He knew his Mother used to be a shield maiden, but has never seen her in battle. Odin must be daft, drugged or in his sleep to allow his wife to travel to Midgard and do battle against Tyr.

They make a good team though. And within moments Tyr has made a retreat, and once he is gone there is silence.

There is a ringing in Loki’s head that only gets louder as the silence settles.

Thor had gone after Tyr leaving Loki and Frigga alone.

She steps over various debris and helps Loki stand. “Are you well?” She asked as she touched the various bruises.

“I am. Thank you for helping me. Mother.”

Her face brightens and she pulls Loki into a hug. It has been long since they have been able to do this, and Loki hugs her back. He has missed her.

“How did you get Odin to allow you passage here? It is dangerous.” Loki asks.

She only laughs. “There is no force greater than a worried Mother. And I have been so worried for you.” She put her hand on the side of Loki’s face. “My poor baby.”

“I’m perfectly fine. Tyr’s sorrowful attempts at insults were worse than his attacks. Do you know where he has retreated to?”

“All of them have gone. I assume they are still on Midgard, because it takes a great amount of energy to travel between realms, and Heimdall has closed the bi-frost to everyone except the royal family.”

Loki hummed and mulled it over. The Avengers would need to go on alert. And Loki would need to help them once Tyr and the terrible two resurface.

Loki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Everything was more complicated now.

“Do you want to return to Asgard? The Healers can help you.” Frigga asked as she took Loki’s hand in her own.

“Not yet. I am needed here. But I will return to Asgard sometime. I must formally abdicate from the line of succession. I have no need or use for a throne, and I will not inherit one.”

Frigga smiled at him. “I see.” She said. She looked like she had more to say about it, but now was not the time.

By then Thor had returned.

“I was unable to find Tyr’s whereabouts.” Thor reported. “But I do not think it will be long before the next attack.”

Frigga nodded. “It will be soon.”

Thor placed a hand on his Mother’s shoulder and smiled at her. Before turning his attention to Loki.

“What were you thinking?” Thor asked as he stepped into Loki’s space. “Confronting Tyr by yourself! That was so dangerous and colossally stupid!”

Loki just smirked at him and stepped forward into Thor’s space. “I thought you knew Thor.” Loki said.

“I do what I want.”

And Thor’s face fills with shock at the familiar words. “Loki—“ He said.

“I do think we have mortals to save. We should get to work.” Loki said as he clapped a hand on Thor’s shoulder.