Flashback
( Back in Asgard Dungeons...)

Loki POV

I was lying on my bed, staring at the spotless white ceiling of my cell when I heard the footsteps. Steady and heavy. I sighed and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. The echoing sounds of footsteps stopped near my cell.

"I know you are awake Loki. Get up." Thor spoke up. I laughed softly and opened my eyes. I swung my legs down and got up. I walked near to face him, hands clasped behind.

"Woah there! Look who has come to meet me! The golden son. The future king of Asgard. All time favorite. Thor Odinson." I spat out Odinson.
"Why His Majesty has decided to grace me, a filthy jotun, his presence in a wee cell!" I asked him with a mocked bow.

"Stop it, Loki! Father wants to talk to you about your punishment."

"Oh yes! Your father! So has he finally agreed to free me from this life or is he eager to sew my lips shut again?" I sneered.

"Brother please, for the sake of Norns , when will you stop being so sarcastic!? You know very well that you deserve this!" Thor bellowed desperately making me wince in disgust.

"Stop that Thor. I'm not your brother. I NEVER WAS!" I yelled.

A look of hurt flashed on his face for a moment and a very deep and small part of mine, felt bad for him and urged me to say sorry.

Oh my! I didn't know I still have some of my old-emo self hidden inside me.

"And yeah.... I deserved this, right?" I spreaded my hands highlighting the small closed up cell. "And I thought I deserve the throne. So silly of me!" Thor ignored me.

"Guards! Open the cell." He ordered, not sparing me another glance. No sooner I came out, I was bound in chains and cuffs. I couldn't help but smile. The once prince of Asgard is now bound as a wild, mad dog.

"So much precautions for just a single one like me - I am flattered. " I smirked and Thor glared at me. "Let's proceed to the throne room. Allfather is waiting." He announced and we started moving.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

The doors of the throne room opened and we went in with Thor leading, as always. With each steps, I can feel my sudden nervousness increasing, but as usual my face was blank.

Years of practice...

My eyes searched for the one whom I still love the most, my mother. I found her standing near the steps of throne, staring at me sadly.
" 𝘚𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦." She said in my mind.
" 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. " I replied back.

"I wish to speak with the prisoner alone." Odin spoke up, banging Gungnir on ground. "Except Frigga." He added quickly when she glared at him.

Woah! Prisoner! Right...

Thor left quickly, patting me on back. The guards looked unsure about leaving me alone but left when mother signalled them to leave. Do they really think me some deranged prisoner?

"Loki Odinson. I have decided to change your punishment." Odin decided to open his mouth. "Instead of wasting rest of your life in the dungeons, it has been decided that you will go with Thor and stay in Midgard with the the mighty warriors there and help to fix the destruction you caused by your invansion. "He declared in a single breath monotonous voice.

Wait what?!

Midgard? Me? Stay with those freaks in armour?

Odin's clearly drunk.

"Come again." I said, raising my brows.

"Have you gone deaf, young man?" He roared. "You'll be staying with the Avengers in Midgard till I think you're changed!"

I was flabbergasted. I expected him to order something painful and gross like beheading me, sewing my lips shut, making me blind or cutting my tongue. But I didn't even dreamt of going back to that weird, inferior realm again.

"You will accompany Thor tonight." Odin broke my daze.

"No. I am not going back there. I would rather die than to live among those puny pathetic mortals." I threw the words at him but deep inside I knew that it's futile.

"I told Frigga the same that he can die instead of going to Midgard. He is not Thor that he would go through a change of heart. " Odin retorted but quickly shut his mouth up when mother glared dangerously at him.

I tried to ignore but couldn't drop the feeling of jealousy and hurt at his rough talks. He never misses a chance of loathing and taunting me and praising Thor.

Sometimes I wish I could strangle him.

Odin cleared his throat. "Loki, go and pack whatever you need for you are going tonight."

My heart hammered against my ribs as panic settled in me. No way I'm going back to that realm. "I won't go there! You can't make me Odin!" I spat. "If you do, I'll make sure the deaths are more than a hundred this time!"

"I CAN AND I WILL!" Odin yelled angrily, cutting me off. "DON'T YOU DARE TO KILL SOMEONE OR I SWEAR ON MY GLORIOUS ANCESTORS I'LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!"

How better I feel...

Is this the man I tried my whole life to please? Shame on me.

"I didn't ask you for your opinion, young man! I'm not giving you choices to choose." He continued, this time thankfully not screaming his lungs out. "A prisoner's opinion doesn't matter."

Hot white rage bubbled inside me as I glared at the old lousy biased scum bag who never loses a chance to loathe me.

"YES! That's the thing. Loki never mattered to his father but only to his king Odin, as a peace treaty. As a possession to show off to everyone that see, how great he is to adopt a monster's offspring." I shouted, eyes pricking. "I was a prisoner since you took me here! And I never mattered!"

"I can't even imagine that how could I have wasted my whole life on pleasing such a fool like you!" I sneered.

"Loki! No!" I heard mum cry but it was too late for me to stop.

"A lier you are! And a pathetic one at that. How dare you to take me for granted? You fed me lies! A hundreds of lies! Where is the throne you promised me? Where is the kingdom? YOU LIER! YOU ARE THE GREATEST LIER! IT SHOULD BE YOU WHO SAID GET THE TITLE OF GOD OF LIES, NOT ME!"

I didn't even know when the guards had returned back until I was being pulled back with rough hands.

"I'm a prisoner, huh? Cared to ask me why? Did you ever wondered why the Prince of Asgard is a prisoner now?" I asked, my struggles against the guards stopping. "Did you try to find me when I fell into the abiss? Did you mourn for me? Did you? ANSWER ME!" I screamed, trying to fight my way out and stab that old man.

"ENOUGH!" He boomed, face pink with fury. "I'll not tolerate such vile words from a spoilt brat like you! Be thankful for I'm not off with your head till now Loki. You don't deserve a second chance! You're not capable-"

"Enough Odin! I wish to have some words with my son. Alone." She announced glaring at Odin, leaving no chance to argue more. Odin stared at her for a moment and with a deep breath nodded.

"Guards! Unhand him!" Mother ordered and I felt myself being released. Odin stepped down from the throne and walked out but not before sparing me a 'you-will-pay-for-it' look which I obviously ignored as usual.

Mother quickly approached me and vanished my cuffs and chains. No sooner I was free, she engulfed me in her tight embrace. I hugged her back, melting in her warm, loving touch. Oh how I craved for these affections all these 12 months of isolation.

We pulled back after a long hug. She caressed my face, "My son!" She whispered sniffling and smiling but stopped suddenly. "You need a haircut, Loki." She said making faces which made me laugh. "Never mother! I love my hair, you know." I said flicking my hair.

She laughed. "I was teasing son." But that smile didn't reach her eyes.

"What is it mother?" I asked and she carresed my face. "I missed you soo much, son. I missed holding my youngest son. You see, in between your fights it's me who's suffering." Tears leaked from her eyes.

Nothing could hurt me more than seeing my mother crying. Because of me.

"I'm sorry mother. I was not a good son." I wiped her tears. "I'm changed mother. I'm not your old Loki. I've committed some...some crimes which can never be forgiven." I put up a smile. "You're got Thor. Forget me. I don't deserve you."

"Don't say that Loki! Don't you ever say that again!" She sobbed clutching my robe. "Thor was always Odin's but you were mine Loki! You are my son! No matter what you do, you'll remain my son and nothing can change that!" She cupped my face. "I see my son who used to gift me flowers, fingers bleeding with pierced thorns. I see my son who used to sleep with his head on my lap. I see my son in you. He's there. Just bring him back to me, can't you?"

I gulped, blinking back the tears. No wonder that I've borrowed the trait of silver tongue from her.

"You hope too much mother." I sighed. She smiled sadly. "That's what mothers are for.

"But son you should go with Thor to Midgard " she said, suddenly serious. "Mother please. Why don't you understand? They will never allow me to stay near them after what I did to their realm." I said desperately trying to change her mind.

"How can you say that before trying it? Everyone needs to know that you are changed and this is the the golden chance to prove that." She explained.

"But moth-" "Just do it for me, son. Please." She insisted. Well, I can't say no now. Running my hands through uncombed hair, I huffed. "And what if they kick me out?" I asked her, still unsure about the idea.

"Give them your best behaviour, Loki. Behave with them properly and try your best to earn their trust. Don't try to stab them. And take this." She took out a bracelet type thing made of of black metal with a green stone in the middle.

"What's this mother?" I asked her as she took my hand and slipped the bracelet which immediately changed it's size to fit my wrist and the stone glowed slightly.

She smirked. Uh oh!

"This will ensure that you behave properly. Whenever you will misbehave with someone who is good of heart, the bracelet will feel warmer against your skin. The warmth depends on the scale of your misbehave. " She said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Means that if I stab someone, it will burn me?" She nodded.

Joy! So fun!

She cupped my face. "Take care my son. Be safe. And don't take Odin's words to heart. He is an oaf just like Thor." She said smiling. I hugged her again.  "You take care too." "I love you my son. Never doubt that." She whispered, patting my back. "I will never stop loving you, mother." I replied back.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

My hands were cuffed again and that damned muzzle was placed on my mouth. Mother came to see us off. She kissed my and Thor's head. "Take care. And Loki, remember what I said." I nodded.

"Take care of your brother and comb your hairs please." She said to Thor. "I will Mother." He boomed. She waved at us.

"Heimdall." Thor looked at the Seer, nodding. "Farewell, my princes. " He bid us and turned the sword. The next moment, we were sucked into the portal and landed on a terrace.

"This is the Avengers Tower, Loki." Thor informed.

"I would have never known if you hadn't informed me Thor!" I really wanted to spit this out at him but damn this muzzle.

"I want you to behave Loki. No attacking and no sneering."

I rolled my eyes making sure he notices that. I'm not his pet for Bor's sake!

"We should get going." He gave me a nudge and started walking.

I smiled and wondered what will be the expressions of my loving foes when they will face me again....

*phew* such a long chapter...
Finished!!

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Hail Loki
Hail Mischief