Loki paced the length of the room yet again, hands folded behind his back as he stared at the floor deep in thought. He had paid no mind to counting how many times he had crossed the room, but Thor, who had, had counted up to six-hundred-and-seventy-eight. Having reached a wall, Loki stopped, turned about face and began pacing again. Thor sighed.
Six-hundred-and-seventy-nine.
"If you do not cease this incessant pacing," he groaned, "you shall wear out the carpet, Brother."
Loki's head snapped up, a scowl marking his features. "Does it look as if I care, Brother?"
"Why must you be so anxious?"
"I do not wish to be kept within this house. Surely there are better things to do than to...than to...than to stare at that ridiculous screen all night!"
Thor relaxed into the sofa cushions again. "You know the rules, Loki. I did not create them. The mortals did."
He raised the electronic wand of power and turned up the volume on the picture box. On the screen, a troupe of children, costumed beneath white sheets or with their faces concealed by ghoulish masks, were looking in their paper bags and revealing to each other what was inside.
"I got five pieces of candy!" remarked a green-faced hag.
"I got a chocolate bar!" said another fellow.
"I got a quarter!" exclaimed a third.
A miserable white-sheeted child took an object from his pack. "I got a rock."
Thor heaved a mighty laugh, and waved to Loki, who wasn't looking.
"Oh, Brother, you really should come and see this! It's all about a bald-headed child named Charlie Brown who knows nothing but misfortune. It is as if every form of mischief and unluckiness has been cast upon him. Did you play a hand in this child's comical misery, Loki?"
No reply.
"Loki?"
Thor turned away from the picture box. The god of mischief had stopped his pacing, and was now standing by the window with the curtain slightly drawn, staring out into the darkness.
"What are these strange creatures walking about at such an hour of the night?" he murmured.
In an instant, Thor leaped from the couch and swung the curtain back into its place. A dark and horrified look gleamed in his eyes as he took Loki by the shoulders.
"Do you not remember what Tony Stark warned us of?" His voice was a cold, low whisper. "On this night, evil spirits walk the streets. They cannot know we are in this house. We must not leave the lights burning on our porches nor open our doors to them, or they will devour everything we love. Do you hear me, Brother? Everything."
The room hushed in the wake of his words. Even the picture box had ceased to speak. The brothers stared into each other's eyes, unwilling to relent and let the other have his way. Every passing moment seemed to drain the house of all comfort, all safety. The lights - had they flickered? And outside - had the porch steps groaned with the weight of the monsters lurking in the shadows? The wind howled and something scraped along the windows.
The color vanished from Thor's face.
Loki swallowed hard. "There is nothing to fear, Brother," he whispered shakily. "Nothing to fear at-"
The loud peal of the doorbell rang throughout the house.
Loki's eyes went wide. "Get your weapon."
Thor dashed into the other room. And Loki seized his chance. He rushed to the front door and flung it wide.
"Come, you dark creatures! Bow before your new-"
He stopped short as the small group of midgets before him shouted, "Trick or treat!"
He blinked. What was this? A troupe of mortal children dressed in costumes? This was hardly what he would call evil.
His eyes gazed over the children. One, a girl with whiskers painted onto her little round face, was decked in a black leotard and frilly tutu, with black cat ears protruding from the top of her head. Beside her, a skinny boy wearing an elephant costume - complete with long trunk and big ears - held out an orange plastic bucket shaped like a pumpkin.
"Can we have some candy, pweez?" said a tiny voice to Loki's right. He looked in its direction, and there before him, was a sight that melted his frost giant heart.
His suspicious glare disappeared and he clapped his hands in glee. "What an adorable little mortal!"
He scooped up the little boy in his arms, rushed into the house and slammed the door.
"Thor! Thor! Come quick! I have found something incredible upon our doorstep!"
Thor scrambled into the living room, eyes wide, axe held high above his head. "Where is the evil spirit?" he cried. "I shall return it to its abode with a single blow!"
"Thor, you oaf! Not in front of the mortal!"
The god promptly dropped his weapon.
"Where did that child come from?" He paused and frowned, peering closer. "And why does he look like you?"
The little boy in Loki's arms did, in fact, greatly resemble him. Dark hair peeked out from beneath the large gold helmet on his small head; two horns protruded from the it, though their points were much shorter and duller than the ones on Loki's own. The boy wore a black suit with a long green cape fixed to his shoulders with safety pins.
He was, if not smaller and not at all villainous, a near-perfect imitation of the god of mischief himself.
"I'm going to keep him."
"Loki, you cannot keep..."
But Loki ignored his brother. He set the boy on his feet and knelt beside him.
"And what is a fearless little mortal like you doing out on a night like this? I must say, I admire your taste in costume. It's quite distinguished."
The little boy grinned. "I'm going trick-or-treating!"
"Tricks?" Loki's eyes gleamed.
He shrugged. "Or treats."
"And how might you acquire these tricks or treats?"
"You find people's houses an' knock on th'doors. An' if they're nice, they give you candies an' stuffs."
Loki cocked his head. "And if they're not nice?"
The little boy looked around, then leaned close and whispered with great seriousness. "Then you can trick 'em an' stuff."
A terrible grin lit the god's face. "Oh, I'm beginning to like the sound of this."
He suddenly stood up and went to the coat closet beside the front door. Opening the door, he began rummaging through the items inside, searching for what he wanted.
Thor, meanwhile, was still hammering on.
"You cannot keep this mortal, Loki. Simply because our Father kidnapped you when you were a child doesn't give you the right to do the same. He might grow up to be just like you, and that would be horrendous. I wouldn't be able to stand another one of you! Loki, are you hearing me? I will not allow-" He stopped to watch as Loki took a helmet and dark green bundle from the closet. He set the golden helmet upon his head, then shook the dust from his green cape and latched it around his shoulders. "Loki, what are you doing?"
Loki swept his cape behind him in a royal air. "I am going trick-or-treating with Loki, Jr and his friends. I do not know when I shall return. Don't wait up for me."
"Loki, you are mad!" Thor fumed. "What about the evil spirits? The foul creatures?"
The trickster god grinned wide, revealing his perfect white teeth. "Don't forget the mischief."
"Loki!"
He took the small mortal's hand in his own and swung the door open. "Come along, Loki, Jr. We have some tricking to do."
"Wha' 'bout the treats?" The little boy squeaked.
Loki waved his hand. "You shall do you; I shall do me. I shall trick the mortals and you can steal all their treats. Oh, what fun we're going to have!"
As he moved to close the door behind them, Loki spied Thor glaring at him. He merely grinned and gave a short bow.
"You know, Brother," he said, "I think I'm going to enjoy this time of year."

*

Happy last day of October 2018, everyone! This short story came about from a fun conversation with AnnaMozzy where we imagined how the Marvel villains would react to trick-or-treating. Be sure to read her take on this idea - "Trick-or-Thanos," located in her book Tidbit Tales.