What If He Were Alive?
Chapter 42: What If He Were Alive?
Shortly after Thor and Steve had gotten back to the tower the skies grew a cloudy and a light rain started up over the city. Thor leaned against one of the windows in the communal floor. Looking out over the city.
Steve looked over from where he was shrugging off his jacket. "You feeling okay today?"
Thor gave a hefty sigh. "Aye. This morning at the park for just a second I could have sworrn I saw my brother."
Steve gave him a sympathetic look as he draped his jacket over his arm. "I know how that. It's hard not to see the ones we love and lost in the people we meet."
"He spoke Old Norse...the way he spoke it was so like the way my brother used to speak. He had a way of pronouncing his words so clearly. He was a diplomat after all...never wanted things to be unclear. He was his height to. I found myself looking closely at his eyes. Trying to see if it was him, but...I know it was not. I only wish it were so." He didn't realize a couple tears were running down his cheeks until he felt them sliding down them and he reached up to wipe them away.
"Did he...ever get some sort of a ceremony?" Steve asked curiously as he joined Thor at the window.
Thor shook his head. "The Aesir were never fond of him. Even after..." his eyes shut momentarily. He still couldn't bring himself to talk about it. "Thrre was no body to burn. I just pray everyday that he found mother up in Valhalla. I just wish my last words to him hadn't been "You're the worst." He said as he wiped a couple more tears away.
Steve gave his shoulder a pat, but he knew there was little to do to truly ease the kind of pain Thor felt. "I'm sure he knows you didn't mean that. Especially if he's looking over you now and then."
"Thank you friend Steven, your words are wise."
Steve laughed a little. "Well I am technically a little over a hundred now so I guess I should play the part once in a while." He said before he checked his phone for the time. "I promised Tony I would watch Morgan today while he's out chasing some leads on Amora and Doom's whereabouts, you want to come with?"
Thor thought about that before he actually did smile a little. "Ah, it has been a while since I have gotten to visit the young Lady Morgan. I think I will join you."
***
Loki woke up early that afternoon around two and found a fuzzy lump snuggled up up to his side sleeping away next to him. There was an ache in his chest that hadn't been there in a long time and he found himself thinking back to the void. To the older Loki in the golden horned helmet and armor. No wonder he had gone back to see his brother after so long.
He found himself wondering if maybe there could be a small chance that things would be okay if he went and saw him. Peter had said he missed him. That only lead right back to the conundrum of him not being that Loki. No...he had held firm for over a decade now it was better not to risk it.
He pulled himself from the blankets and checked the tie on the green robe with the gold outline flowers. Dregnr looked over as she felt Loki moving and her tail started to wag as she got up and jumped off the bed to follow after him.
"Mobius? Boys?" He called out. Wanting to get a feel for where everyone was.
"Loki!" Both boys over and threw their arms around him.
"Are you feeling better?" Kevin asked.
Loki smiled as he hugged both of them back and felt that ache in his chest ease a little. He would be alright. As long as he had these precious boys and his dear Mobius he would be fine. "I am. I'm sorry Kevin, about this morning. I did not mean to frighten you."
"It's okay." Kevin said as they both pulled away.
Mobius was next to give him a hug as well and he clung to him a little tighter for a moment before he broke away from him as well. "So what have I missed?"
***
Thor was in the middle of telling a grand story of one of the sillier times he had had from his childhood. It was nice to talk about the earlier days and Morgan was certainly getting a kick out of it.
Peter came swinging up onto the balcony and his mask pulled back into the rest of his nano suit and he stepped into the Penthouse. "Hey Thor! When did you get here?"
"Peter!" Morgan called as she tackled him into a hug.
He laughed as he returned the favor. "Hey Morgan."
"Ah friend Peter! I just got here two days ago. It is good to be back. I have missed my friends here."
Peter smiled, but it was a little awkward being back around Thor in person knowing what he knew now. And even more knowing that he was in the same city. "So...was the rain you this morning? Cause there wasn't any in the forecast this morning. Not that I care I'm just curious." He wondered as he let Morgan go so she could return to the feast of apples and peanut that Steve has sliced up for her as an afternoon snack.
Thor's shoulders fell a little as the rain was menitoned. "Oh....aye. I apologize. I just met someone who reminded me of my brother is all."
Peter took one look at the absolutely crushed look on Thor's face and he couldn't do it. He knew he had made a promise to Loki, but Thor was his friend first and he couldn't sit here and let him look so heartbroken when his brother less than an hour away. "Hey Thor, come out to the balcony real quick. I've been working on some new moves with my webs."
Thor's brow furrowed. "Wouldn't the gym be better for that?"
"Uhh...Mr. Stark said it's a pain to clean up because it gums up the bots."
"Oh. Okay I'll be out there in a moment then."
Peter nodded as he went out ahead of him and perched himself on the balcony to watch the streets below while he waited. The door opened and then shut a couple minutes later and Thor leaned on the railing next to him. Peter took a breath. No going back now. "If Loki...were somehow alive...even if it wasn't uh...your Loki...how would react?"
Thor looked over at Peter with a confused look on his face. "I fear I do not understand your question young Peter. If it is Loki then it is my brother. I would just be hurt that he hid from for so long."
Peter took a moment to gather his thoughts before he nodded. "Okay so...think of it like this. The time that we're living right now our day to day lives, this is one timeline. Our universe."
Thor looked over to him and nodded. "Aye I am with you so far."
"But this isn't the only timeline that's playing out. I'm sure you have heard of the multiverse from Strange. Right?"
Thor's eyes lit up with understanding. "Aye. I do not understand it much, but I get the idea of it. He said it's like there are other timelines going on around us...but we don't see them or hear them or are even aware of them."
Peter hopped off the rail in his excitement. "Exactly! Hang on! I know somthing that will help." He disappeared back inside and pestered Steve for a piece of paper and pen and came back out and leaned back against the rail. Thor turned around and leaned back against it next to him so he could see what Peter was drawing.
Peter started out with just a straightline. "Okay kind of think about it like a tree. So this straightline for us would be our main branch."
Thor nodded. "I'm with you so far."
"Right. So on this main branch for some of the major decisions there's different ways that thing can go. So because of that," Peter drew a couple lines along the main line like branches. "There are sometimes ways that it branches off from our timeline because the change is so significant that it makes it's own story. Then more branches form on those and so on and so forth."
Thor looked at the drawing for a couple more minutes as he processed that before he nodded. "I understand better now." He said before he looked to Peter. "That still does not change the fact that Loki i-was...my brother." He said as he turned and leaned forward on the railing again. "It is a nice thought young Peter. Maybe on one of those branches he managed to find the happiness he so deserved."
"Thor...I'm trying to tell you that Loki...a version of him anyway. Is alive here."
Thor turned to look at Peter so fast Peter was a little dizzy, but the hope on his face unmatched. "How do you come to know this? How can you be so sure?"
"I've seen him. I've met him. One of the kids at my college that I'm a friend with is his son."
"Son?" Thor echoed faintly as he leaned back against the rail and gripped at it to keep himself upright.
"Thor...what did the person in the park look like?"
Thor thought back on it and swallowed a little. "Brown hair, but it had black highlights that were so like my brothers locks. Blue green eyes...he was the same height as Loki had been. He had a familiar with him which he called Dregnr."
"That was him." Peter confrimed. "That's the glamour he uses these days. To the public he presents himself as Lyle."
"Please take me to him. You know where he is yes? I have to see him young Peter. Please."
Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "Ahhh..."
"Please..."
"Here's the thing. He made me swear that I wouldn't tell him...cause he's really afraid you would be angry for faking his death again. That you wouldn't give him time to explain. He's also really scared that because he's not 'your Loki' that you won't want anything to do with him. He has a little family and he just wants to protect them. So...we can't just go barging over there..."
"But..."
"Hang on..." He pulled out his phone and found Sean's number. He texted back and forth with him for a couple minutes and then he looked up to Thor. "Alright. I've got a plan."
***
Loki and Mobius were seated around the table with Sean and Kevin enjoying a dinner they had all worked on together. It was nice to be together as a family again.
Sean looked over as his phone pinged and picked it up. He read the message before he looked up. "Hey Dad? Loki? Peter wants to know if we can hang out with him tonight for a couple hours. He said he knows this really cool arcade over in Brooklyn that he thinks we'll both like. I think MJ and Ned are gonna be there to."
Loki was a little uncertain, but before he could speak Mobius rubbed his knee under the table assuringly. "I want you all either home here or back at his place by ten o clock tonight and make sure you check in with us alright?"
"Yes Dad!" They both cheered as Sean sent a confirmation that they could go. "Cool he's gonna be here in an hour."
The boys finished their dinner a little quicker so that they could and get ready and Loki looked over to Mobius. "I'm not sure Mobi. This city is a little dangerous after dark."
"They'll be with an Avenger sweetheart it will be okay."
Once the boys raced outside to meet Peter when they got the call that he was there he told them to have fun and be safe and mother henned them all the way out the door. He couldn't help, but worry, but Mobius was right they were with an Avenger.
Once they left Mobius pulled him to the couch and laid down before he opened his arms so that Loki could cuddle up against him. Dregnr laid out on the floor next to the couch and Mobius reached for the remote to find something for them to watch.
***
Thor waited in the Lobby of the building Peter and him had been let into when they had gotten there. After Peter and two boys who he didn't nor looked to much like his brother for the claims that were his kids left.
He looked to the elevator that would take him up to the eighteenth floor. Apartment 1810. He doubled checked the piece of scrap paper it had been written down on for him again as he suddenly found himself nervous. What was he going to say? Would his brother look the same as he remembered? There was only one way to find out.
He stepped into the elevator once it was came down for him and while he waited for it to take him up he adjusted the sleeves of the flannel he was wearing nervously. He had left Stormbreaker at home. The last thing he wanted to do was for his brother to feel threatened in any way.
He picked his way along the hall to the door that had the number on it and raised his hand to knock on it then stepped back and buried his hands in his pockets to wait.