Lokison
“Take them!” Loki shouted, handing Alexander a leather bag.
“Take them, and keep your mother safe,” he panted, still trying to fight off enemies at the same time.
“Father…I can help. Please!”
“Norns, can’t you see we are losing? Get your mother out of here. Now!”
With a dismissive glare, Loki managed to force his only son away from the battle just in time for the next wave of enemies to attack.
“I love you son; darling,” he whispered, trying to picture his lover’s face as he fought with all of his strength, knowing it was a lost cause.
*******
April was livid; angry tears pouring down her face.
“Take me back! Right now! I mean it! I may not be any good with a dagger, but I will not sit here and let your father die!”
Alexander knew he couldn’t defy Loki’s orders, though. After all, Loki was king, whether the Avengers wanted to believe it or not.
“Mother, I…”
“If you can’t take me, then go help him! I know the only reason he sent you away is to protect me. Now that I’m safe, he will be glad to see you return.”
As much as he wanted to believe his skills would turn the battle to their favor, Alexander knew that was not the case. However, that did not mean
he couldn’t help. He just wouldn’t tell his mother how he was planning to help.
“Okay. I’ll go. But, please forgive me if—“
“No. Don’t even say it. I love you, sweetheart. Go and…make your father proud.”
*******
Alexander had taken his mother to Alfheim, where their little family had spent so many years in hiding. He had been born there, in a house that
Loki had built with his magic. That was where his mother was currently staying; where she would be safe no matter what happened.
He opened the leather bag Loki had given him, peering inside. The sheer amount of power inside the bag was almost too much to comprehend,
and he was glad that his father had taught him how to wield it. The infinity stones were incredibly useful in the right hands, but incredibly
dangerous in the wrong ones.
Placing his hands around the stones, he closed his eyes and blinked out of sight.
He knew he would not be well received at his chosen destination, especially considering he had chosen to go back in time to a few months prior-
to a time of unrest. However, having the stones at his disposal would make his mission a lot easier. They might even guarantee his success.
Several months prior to the Avengers’ attack on Asgard, before Loki had taken the throne, Loki had been made aware of a sudden change in
leadership in Jotunheim; one that was not exactly accepted by everyone. Now that everything had gone to hell at home, Alexander decided to use
their unrest to his- and his father’s- advantage.
The new king was not a descendent of Laufey, nor any other former ruler. He had simply taken the seat as if one could walk in and steal it. The
only reason he had succeeded is that Jotunheim was in such disrepair that the natives were unable, or unwilling to fight him.
All of that was about to change though. With the power he now possessed, Alexander would be able to restore the realm to its former glory in no
time at all. Then, he could leverage his new position as their leader to change what was currently happening in Asgard.
As he thought of his father fighting off all of those freaks alone, his stomach churned, even though he knew he was not even in the same timeline
anymore. He whispered a prayer to whomever would listen that his mother would have the good sense to stay put while he was gone. He knew
she wasn’t to be trusted when his father was in danger.
*******
Seventeen years… for seventeen years we lived here with no one bothering us. All I ever wanted was you, Loki. I know you wanted to make me a
queen, but the price was too much to pay.
April tried to think of a way to help. Any way. She didn’t care if she died in the process. She just wanted Loki and Alexander safe. Now she was
sorry she had sent her son away. What if they both died? What would she do then? When she’d taken that apple from Loki, she had assumed she
would still be the one who passed first. After all, he was the warrior; the fighter. He was the one with the magic, not her. She was still just a
human. A human who just happened to never age. Facing immortality without him was…she couldn’t bear it.
*******
As Alexander strutted into the temple in his Jotun form, he spotted the imposter king immediately. Not recognized as an intruder, he was able to
quickly and easily cast a spell to bind the giant to his seat. Striding forward, he took out the dagger that Loki had given him so many years ago,
and cut the man down. There was no time for extemporaneous threats anyway. He was there for one reason only; to save his father from certain
death.
There were shocked sounds from the other Jotnar who had witnessed his violence. As they came at him with the intent to avenge their fallen
king, he pulled one of the stones from the bag hanging at his waist.
“Before you make a fatal mistake by attacking me, listen to what I have come to say.”
All of their eyes were on the stone as Alexander began to speak. “I am in possession of all of the stones. I can restore Jotunheim in a way that
even your precious Casket could not. Allow me to lead you, and a new order for Jotunheim will be yours.”
He punctuated his little speech by restoring just part of the temple where they stood; just enough to pique their interest.
Several of the Jotnar began to show signs of agreement, but Alexander was not yet satisfied. He decided to test their loyalty by taking a page
from his father’s book.
“Kneel, and I will give you what you need.”
Within weeks, Jotunheim was restored, and Alexander was revered as one of the greatest rulers the realm had ever known. His next course of
action thrilled them to no end, and they were more than willing to follow him. But first, he had to do a little mission of his own; he had to find a
way to lower Asgard’s defenses enough to get his warriors through.
*******
Odin had known about Loki’s son for years. How Loki and April thought they could hide from him, he would never know. Gods knew he had tried
to keep them apart. The idea of Loki raising children who would grow to be just like him was both repulsive and terrifying.
He had done everything in his considerable power to stop their relationship from progressing, including hiring a sorcerer to brainwash Loki to be
more like Thor. He’d known that puny mortal girl wouldn’t care much for Loki if his plan had worked. Better still, Loki wouldn’t even remember her.
However, for whatever reason, the sorcerer in question backed out of their deal.
His next attempt involved locking Loki in the dungeons for days at a time, hoping his absence would anger the girl. Unfortunately, she was merely
worried about him, and welcomed him back with open arms each time.
He had even gone so far as to try to injure him with an “accidental” explosion during one of their experiments. Nothing worked.
He had thwarted both of their attempts at bringing the girl to live at the tower. It had been fairly easy to manipulate that idiot in the metal suit into
forgetting where she lived, but Thor had been harder to convince. For some reason, his eldest son actually believed they made a suitable match.
Loki had probably brainwashed him.
He let out a sigh, considering how lucky he had been that Loki really had only wanted to settle down with her.
So, when Loki’s son strolled into his chambers, looking exactly like his father at his age, he knew trouble would follow.
Alexander had pulled quite a few tricks to get inside Odin’s inner sanctum, and he was not about to waste the precious few moments that he had
before the guards came to unceremoniously toss him out.
“Hello grandfather.”
Those were the only words he spoke before giving the signal to his warriors to storm the palace.
When it was all over, Odin was locked inside a magical cage not unlike those inside the dungeon; his own powers bound until such time that
Alexander decided he had paid his debt to his father.
Asgard was- for now- his. After all, he was Loki’s heir.
He smirked at the thought, just before Asgard’s armies caught on to the disruption and the battle between the Jotnar and Asgardians began.
Hours later, Alexander smirked as he strutted around the throne room; proud of their victory.
Midgard: 18 Years Earlier
April was worried sick. She hadn’t heard from Loki in over a week, and the last time they had spoken to each other, he had been planning
something dangerous. She’d had a bad feeling about it then, but hadn’t said anything because she was well known for her anxious nature. And
Loki was a god after all. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t take care of himself.
I just miss him so much.
“Mother.”
The voice behind her startled her out of her thoughts. Mother?
When she turned, she was mildly shocked to see who had called her by that name. He typically referred to her as “Mommy,” but never Mother.
Alexander.
Such a sweet boy. One she had been immediately drawn to. Sadly, he was in foster care. No mother or father, they said. Perhaps that was why he had grown so close to her.
“Did- did you need something?”
Alexander, who was only five years old, walked up the hallway with purpose and took her hand.
“I need you to come with me. Now.”
His voice. It’s…different.
She bent down and grasped his shoulders, holding him tightly. “Alexander, what is going on?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t suspect this day would come. That you actually thought I was just another one of your students. I gave you so many clues.”
He rolled his eyes dramatically, and suddenly April realized that Loki might have been right when he said that the boy could be important. He
looked like…like Loki when he rolled his eyes.
Quickly, she thought back to all of the things that had happened between the two of them; things that made her question his true identity.
He told me to look for the North Star…out of nowhere…after I had been searching for Asgard.
He asked me to take him with me to see the stars.
He said he loved Loki, and he thought Thor was ‘stinky.’ Loki is the ‘good guy.’
He seemed to heal himself when he was stung by that wasp.
He seemed to help me get over my migraine that day, just by standing next to me.
Am I crazy?
“Mother!” Alexander whispered loudly, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“We must go. Now. The time has come to make things right. Now, are you going to follow me, or do I need to show you who I really am?”
April stared at him for a split-second too long, and he grasped her hand tightly, pulling her toward the back door. As soon as they were out of the
hallway and concealed by the tall foliage of the school garden, he began to drop his well-crafted illusion.
“Now, will you come with me?” Alexander whispered impatiently.
April nodded, open-mouthed as she took in the sight before her. Suddenly, the little boy she had been watching out for had morphed into a man.
But not just any man; there was no doubt in her mind who he was.
He towered over her in his leather and metal armor, and she didn’t fail to notice the green trim or the short gold horns he wore on his head. His dark brown hair fell to his chin, and his lips curled into a characteristic smirk.
“You’re...our son. Loki was right,” she breathed, still marveling at the handsome young man.
“Father is almost always right. But now we must go and save him, because this is one of the few times he has miscalculated.”
Once again, Alexander took April’s hands in his own, looking down at her lovingly. She wanted to ask him what had happened. She was internally
screaming at the thought of her Loki being in danger, but she knew they were in a hurry.
“This will be a bit uncomfortable, and for that I am truly sorry, mother. But in time, you’ll get used to it. Trust me.”
As soon as the last word left his lips, April felt her feet leave the earth. It was as if all of space was pressing on her body, and the only thing that
could distract her from the feeling of sheer terror was the thought of something happening to him.
When the pressure stopped, she found herself wrapped in her son’s arms.
“I knew you’d fall on your face, so…”
She smiled at him. “We did a good job raising you, didn’t we? Thank you, son. Now, please…tell me what’s happened.”
He took a deep, agonized breath before speaking. “Alright, mother, but first you must promise not to fret. We will make this right, no matter how
many times I have to go back and do it again. Second, we have to keep a low profile, so…”
April watched as he flicked his wrist, and they both took on a different persona. They looked like a couple of old peasants walking through town.
She guessed he had taken her to Asgard, but she wasn’t completely sure, and she didn’t care at the moment. She just wanted to know what was
wrong with Loki.
As they walked, Alexander explained how he had come to Midgard, and why they were currently walking through the streets on their way to the palace.
“So, Loki is locked in the dungeons right now…for trying to steal that damn scepter. And seventeen years into the future, he’s battling the
Avengers and a few hundred soldiers…alone. Why aren’t we helping him there?”
The look on Alexander’s face told April all she needed to know.
“Because that battle is already lost, mother. We have to stop it from ever happening. Honestly, I shouldn’t have involved you in this at all, but I
knew Odin was just going to keep trying to stop the two of you from ever getting together, and I was sick of it. That’s why I brought you here.
When I get father released, you can finally be together.”
April considered that for a moment, but couldn’t understand.
“But, how…how do we exist in the future if Odin wouldn’t allow us to be together? Did you do this once before, and…?”
Alexander smiled softly, shaking his head.
“No. That was all father’s doing. You should know he went through hell to get you the first time—escaped Asgard through a portal, and hid on a
distant planet for months before taking another portal to Midgard to get to you. Or so the story goes…”
“What happened?” April whispered.
“I guess you two stayed on that planet for a long time, all alone. But when father realized that you were carrying me, he brought you to Alfheim so
he could start searching for the infinity stones…to protect us. Everything would have been fine if those idiotic Avengers hadn’t decided they
needed to save Asgard from his rule.”
“Wait- so, did he finally take his rightful place on the throne?”
Alexander chuckled, squeezing her arm just a bit.
“I see we think much the same, mother. He does make a fine ruler, does he not? And, yes. With the aid of the stones, he was able to force Odin
to…retire. But unfortunately, when ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ got wind of it, they attacked. That’s why we’re here now. They knew father would
have Asgard’s armies, so they brought every freak they could find. It…wasn’t pretty.”
Images of the battle that was taking place in another time filled April’s mind, and she shook her head from side to side in an attempt to clear the
horror away. She felt her eyes begin to tear, so she wiped at them with the backs of her hands. Now was not the time to get emotional.
“Okay… stop. I- I’ve heard enough. I’m sorry. I just…”
Alexander stopped walking and placed his hands on her shoulders to look her directly in the eyes.
“Before I left, I promised you- well, the other you- that I would find a way to save him. I won’t let either of you down I can’t stand to see your tears,
mother. We will fix this. I swear.”
As they approached the palace, April began to wonder how Alexander planned to get them inside.
“Are you going to just waltz in there and take the All-father hostage?”
He smirked at her, and she was once again reminded of Loki.
“Ehehehe… no, mother. You underestimate my intelligence. Odin has some dignitaries visiting from another realm today. I plan to wait until they
have arrived, knock them on their collective asses, and we will become them…until we get inside Odin’s chambers. Then it will be time for the
great reveal.”
Oh.
As Odin sat waiting for his visitors to arrive, he allowed his mind to wander toward his wayward adopted son who was locked away in the
dungeons. He laughed to himself, thinking of how Loki had looked when they had caught him searching every corner of the weapons vault for his
scepter.
If Odin were honest with himself, he would admit that he secretly loved having Loki under lock and key. When he was locked away, Odin didn’t
have to face the mistakes he had made as a father. When Loki made a mistake that landed him in the dungeons, Odin could rest easy thinking it
wasn’t his fault Loki had turned out the way he had. He simply blamed it on his Jotun heritage, letting himself off of the proverbial hook.
He also didn’t have to look at the son he had failed so miserably. He often lamented the fact that he had allowed Loki to serve his sentence on
Midgard. He would be a lot less trouble if he were down in the dungeons.
Out of sight, out of mind.
A noise startled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up just in time to see his chamber doors fly open.
“Hello grandfather.”
Within seconds, Odin was sprawled across his desk on his back looking up at Loki’s incredibly disrespectful son.
“So sorry for the sneak attack, but I knew you wouldn’t see me during your regular office hours, old man. Now let me see…oh yes, you’re coming with us.”
Alexander quickly grasped April’s hand before whirling the three of them out of existence.
When they reappeared, they were in much the same positions; still inside Odin’s chambers. However, the room had been drastically rearranged.
As April scanned the room, she noticed that many of the creature comforts Odin had lying around were missing, and there was a large
shimmering box in the corner.
In it sat Odin---17 years into the future.
“This is treason! I will have you in a cell next to your father!” The younger Odin bellowed, still lying atop the desk. He hadn’t yet noticed his
doppelgänger.
“Ehehehe… I don’t think you will, grandfather. Take a good look around first, but don’t run away. There are a few Jotnar out there that will gladly send you to Valhalla.”
He glanced around the room, and gasped when he saw himself. The older Odin was facing away from the three of them. It seemed he no longer
cared who was in the room with him.
“What is the meaning of this? Is this one of those illusions, like your father so loves to use?”
“Sadly, no,” Alexander mocked, “This,” he waved his hand at the cage, “is your future…that is, unless you meet certain—requirements.”
Alexander patiently explained how he had used his warriors from Jotunheim to overtake the throne of Asgard. He then told Odin that all he
wanted was for his father to go free; free from the dungeons, and free from Stark Tower. He placed his arm around April’s shoulder in a show of
protection as well as affection.
“And I want you to stay away from my parents. I mean it. Leave them alone. They love each other enough to tear the fabric of reality apart just to
be together, so why would you want to take that away from them?”
“If you agree to these demands, this future that you see in front of you will disappear.”
April watched as Odin angrily paced back and forth. He didn’t like having to submit to anyone, but the idea of submitting to Loki’s son was killing
him.
Finally, he stopped, slammed his fist on the desk, and spoke.
“FINE. But you will keep your end of the deal! I keep my throne! You three leave Asgard and never return.”
He then looked straight at April.
“You should know that Loki will eventually stray. He is easily bored. Seventeen years is nothing to him. You are nothing to him.”
Alexander grasped their arms and took them back before Odin could say anything more. April could see that he was seething, and wondered how
he would get back at the old man.
“Get out of my sight. The guards will release your criminal to you, and I shall have no part in it.”
Alexander was deathly quiet on the way to the dungeons, and April couldn’t help trying to make him feel better.
“Don’t worry about what he said. I don’t believe it anyway. He’s just a nasty old man, and he’s angry that he lost.”
She received no response, however. Plotting. He was plotting, just like his father.
When they finally made it into the dungeons, April was both excited to finally see Loki and completely devastated that he had been forced to live
in such a place. She was half tempted to go back to Odin’s chambers just so she could slap him hard across his face.
“Mother…Father doesn’t know me. He might think…”
April giggled. “No way! You look exactly like him. There’s no way he’ll think you’re anything other than our son, sweetheart. Besides, I told him
about you…about the little boy at school. And, well, he already loves you. He said as much.”
Alexander’s eyes teared up, and he smiled. “He did? A little boy he never even met?”
She nodded. “He knew who you were, even then. Let’s go. I’m dying here, son.”
The guards were obviously irritated that they had been ordered to let Loki out, so they were not friendly, but neither April nor Alexander really
cared. As they approached Loki’s cell, April was bouncing with excitement.
Loki was laying on his back on the small bed in his cell, trying to pass the time in any way he could when he heard footsteps and voices in the
hallway. He wasn’t even sure he cared who was out there, but at least it would provide a distraction for a moment or two.
When he raised his head and looked out, he thought he was finally hallucinating. Finally.
April only thought she knew how utterly beautiful her Loki was until she saw him in person. He raised his head, peering out at her, and she
gasped out loud, completely embarrassing herself.
He looked so confused, though.
“Loki, my darling love! We’re breaking you out!”
Loki continued to stare at his daydream, hoping she wouldn’t vanish. Then he realized she was speaking to him. We’re breaking you out…
“Good Gods… April? Is it really you?”
He stood up and walked over to the barrier just as the guards let it down.
She didn’t even answer. She just flung herself at him, and he caught her, holding her so tightly he was afraid she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
April couldn’t help herself. She cried. Down in the cold dark depths of Asgard, in the most depressing place she had ever seen; this was the
happiest moment of her life. She was finally where she belonged. Loki’s arms wrapped around her; his face in her hair… it felt so good.
“Don’t cry, love,” he whispered, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.
“How did you get here? How did you manage to get Odin to let me out?”
April shook her head. “In a minute, darling. Right now, kiss me.”
“Ahem… I’m still here,” Alexander huffed.
April giggled, and Loki smirked at her. “I see you brought our son with you, brilliant girl,” he pulled Alexander to him, hugging him tightly.
“Oh, no. That was all him, darling. He’s the one who did all of this. You should be very proud of your boy.”
“I thought he was…smaller.”
“Well, that’s all part of the story. Let’s get out of here, and we’ll tell you all about it.”
Loki wrapped an arm around April as they walked, and kissed the top of her head.
“If I have to go back to that blasted tower, at least I can take you with me this time.”
She glanced at Alexander, and he smiled mischievously, suddenly excited that Loki hadn’t realized he was free.
“Tell him, son. It was your doing, so you should be the one.”
Alexander beamed at her.
“Father, the thing is, you don’t have to go back. You’re free. You and mother are free to go live your lives. That was part of the deal I made with
Odin…”
Loki suddenly stopped walking, forcing the other two to stop as well.
“You—you mean, I’m well and truly free? Because of you, my son?”
“Well, yes. Otherwise, Odin would have kept you two apart for the next several years, and that can’t happen…for a number of reasons.”
Loki once again pulled Alexander in for a tight hug, crushing his son in his arms.
“I couldn’t possibly be any prouder of you, my son. I love you. I’ve loved you since April told me about you. I just knew you belonged to us.”
For the next few hours, Alexander and April retold the story of their adventure together. When they were finished, Alexander hugged his mother
and father, and went back to his own time. He claimed he was leaving because he didn’t want to meddle with the timeline any more than he had
to, but Loki knew he was just giving his parents some alone time. After all, they couldn’t rewrite history completely, or he wouldn’t exist.
“Darling, where do you want to go? We have other realms to explore.”
“Oh, Loki…you know I just want to be with you, no matter the place. Take me everywhere, my love. But first, I really need your lips on mine. We
were interrupted the first time, and I have been longing for a kiss since it finally became a real possibility.”
The first place they went was an open field with a single willow tree surrounded by tall grass. They spent the rest of the day kissing, cuddling,
making love, and just learning each others’ touch.
17 Years Later
“We had a deal, Lokisson! You said you wouldn’t do this if I complied!” Odin yelled as he was thrown into the clear cell.
“Ehehehe… You do realize who my father is, don’t you? And if I recall, you only said you wanted to keep your throne. Take a look in the corner, old man. I’m nothing if not thorough.”
Odin let out a scream of exasperation when he realized that Alexander had actually moved his throne into the cell with him.
“Why are you doing this? I did everything you asked of me!”
“You insulted my mother. You told her that my father would stray. You told her she meant nothing to him. And for that, you must pay. Enjoy your
throne.”
As Alexander leapt back into the original time, he prayed everything would be different. He had no real way of knowing whether his actions would
stop the battle from happening, so he held his breath before opening his eyes.
Standing in the open field in front of the palace, he saw no warriors unless children in costume counted as warriors. There must have been at
least five of them; two in pretty dresses and three in toy armor. They all had dark hair, pale skin, and piercing blue-green eyes.
Under a tree on the far side of the field, he could see his mother and father, and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing they were both alright. As he
approached, he realized that his mother had grown a bit- particularly right in the middle.
“Where have you been, boy?” She scolded. “I’ve missed you… I haven’t seen you in hours!”
Loki glanced at Alexander, giving him a knowing look. They both realized at the same moment that she wouldn’t remember that this was
supposed to be the day of the attack. The day everything changed. She wouldn’t realize that he had been part of so many timelines. It was better
this way. Loki had protected her from so many things; including knowing too much.
“Mother, I was just out riding. Don’t be angry.”
“It’s alright son,” Loki said, gently running his palm over her swollen belly, “You remember how sensitive she is when she is with child. She is just
trying to protect her babies. She does the same to me.”
Alexander couldn’t help himself. After everything he had been through, he knelt down beside his parents and gave them each a tight hug. He
stealthily slipped the bag containing the infinity stones into Loki’s hand before standing up, glad to be rid of them.
“I’ve missed you both today. I’m going to go play with the littles now. You two…enjoy yourselves.”