Loki: The God of Magic

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

The Citadel at the End of Time

Loki began to giggle. It quickly turned into full-blown, unrestrained laughter.

"You think he just went mad?" Sylvie asked her companion, watching their counterpart laugh like a madman.

"Oh," He Who Remains wagged his finger, grinning. "He knows what I am talking about. Come on, champ, don't keep us waiting. What is it?"

"Something I won't share with anyone," he explained. Except Thor when the time came, if it ever would.

"Come on, I've been dying to know it for centuries. At least give me a clue."

"No."

"Okay then."

"Why does TVA exist?" he asked once his laughter was under control.

Asgard was not unknown to his Earth, it just did not exist. Neither the Masters of the Mystical Arts nor the myriad of alien races out there.

He was from another universe.

"Ah, the crux of the matter," He Who Remains said, activating a device on his desk.

His explanation of a multiversal war, caused by his counterparts for dominance, sounded too insane, even by his standards. Yet, he could feel the truth in every word. The chaos caused by the variants was devastating. Even the Emergence of a Celestial seemed trivial in comparison.

"There it is. You kill me, and you set my variants free," he explained crudely.

"Your math is backwards. Humans, from what I have seen, justify killing millions to save billions. Not erasing entire timelines to stop a war," Loki commented.

His counterparts were still struggling to make sense of what they were watching.

"That's the thing. There is a way to stop all of this from happening. All the timelines stay, without the threat of a multiversal war."

"How?"

"Here, let me show you," he said, showing his timeline.

"Once I saw that your timeline could not be erased, I contained it in a finite curve. That way, the TVA did not have to worry about the branches while I continued to research," he said, displaying spiraling lines, each representing a timeline.

Next, he played a recording, showing him against a variant of He Who Remains. In the recording, he punched a hole through the human's chest, and in a second, most of the variants turned to dust.

More screens displayed an increasing amount of the human's variants. Most died, some were spared, and it all happened in an instant.

"Whatever you did to my counterpart there, it killed every single chaotic variant in an instant. A multiversal weapon aimed at a single person," he said, raising his index finger.

He Who Remains clapped his hands. "Here is the deal. We go back to the moment where the war started and you kill all my evil variants. No war means no TVA, and more importantly, none of this ever happens. Except for the ones stuck in the Void, they are going to stay there unless you send them back."

"Why though? You have all this power. You are fate itself," he said. Power was not alluring to him. He wondered if it was the same for the human in front of him.

"I have been doing this for a long time, champ. I am tired. The only company I have is a holographic clock. I want to retire in peace."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

He turned to the variants in love. "As for you two, you will never have been taken by the TVA. You can live your childhood as if you never left," he said, pointing at Sylvie and then to Loki next to her, "and you can go back to escaping."

His mirror counterpart turned to Sylvie, eyes downcast. "Wait, then we'll never have known each other."

"Sorry champ, can't have everything." He Who Remains shrugged.

"Sylvie…"

"I don't think she'll take that offer," Loki said. His female counterpart was still itching to kill the human, and he could not blame her.

"You don't want everything you lost back?" his male counterpart asked.

"She has been seeking revenge longer than she has lived in Asgard. It is all she knows. Throwing it away for a life she does not remember is difficult, almost impossible."

"You think I should just give up?" she scoffed.

He glanced at her for the briefest of moments and reached for his tea. "All I know is you won't be able to kill him."

Sylvie leaped from her chair, a blade in her hand. Before she could get to the desk, He Who Remains held the device on his left wrist up and flicked a hologram. Sylvie was rewound back to her chair, eyes wide.

She slouched on her chair, dropping the blade. "That's it? He does all this and gets his happy ending."

"You can kill him, can't you?" she asked the strongest Loki, but it was her target who answered.

"He can," the sole human in the room said, too giddy for the words he uttered.

He put down the cup. "You have been very forthcoming."

"Consider it my apology for the trouble TVA caused you and the whole mess with Laufey."

"Why not send me a message? I would have come," he said. An invitation would have gone a long way to keep him from resorting to violence.

"You consumed a planet and two Celestials. Trying to open a Timedoor in Asgard was like trying to pierce through a steel block with a wooden needle."

"And now," he spread his hands, "is the time to make a decision. Your temporal manipulation is beyond mine on a personal scale; you can kill me. Alternatively, we shake hands. You two can return to the moments you were taken; you kill my variants, and everyone gets a happy ending."

"Except for the lover boy," he added, winking at the mirror Loki.

"Or you three leave and things continue as they were," he offered as a final option.

He glanced at Sylvie and the counterpart next to her. "You will have to choose. Peace or revenge."

He couldn't imagine himself in her place, no matter the fact they were the same person.

"If you kill him and every other variant, then I won't have to."

He Who Remains raised a hand, displaying more screens. "But not all of my variants are evil. Some have done great things, saving lives, being heroes, and all that glamorous philanthropism."

Loki crossed his arms, eyes locked on the table.

—
​

Midgard

Thor opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. The memories of the last couple of hours rushed to his mind. The face he saw brought him to reality.

"Hi. Just taking a little blood."

"I would prefer it if you did not," he said, stopping the human gently. He needed to leave immediately.

"It's just a routine procedure."

"I am well. Where are my clothes?" The gown he was wearing revealed too much for his liking.

"Sir, you were hit by a car and were tased afterwards. You really should lay down."

"I would like to leave now."

"Well, we can't keep you if you are insistent. I will give you privacy to dress."

Once the healer left, he rolled out of the bed, quickly dressing to find a way back home. Heimdall was unlikely to respond to him in his current state as an exile. His parents did not know that Midgard had progressed much since the time the Aesir were last on the planet.

He would not have known it either had Loki not informed him of his travels.

His mother would have found a way, but she must believe he is not in danger. Which only left his brother to help him, and he had no idea where he was.

He had to return to the location where the Bifrost had deposited him.

His musings stopped when he saw the female that had assaulted him with a strange weapon. Any other time, he would have made an issue out of it, but now, he had to avoid attention.

—
​

Sneaking out of the healing hall was all the more difficult since he could not read the language. Once he followed other Midgardians and left the building, he felt like cursing.

He had no idea where to go.

Tall structures as far as he could see with no idea where he might have landed. His only option was to ask the group that had brought him to the hall, but the idea soured his tongue.

He remembered Loki's words on seidr. It was a natural part of him, like another muscle. His father was mighty enough to strip that part off of him but not enough to transform him into a Midgardian.

He just had to rebuild that muscle or find a way to reclaim Mjolnir. Even if his powers had not been taken away, he could not summon it realms apart.

A plan formed in his mind. He had to be away from the Midgardians to call for Loki and hope his brother hears. If not, make a camp and survive until Loki discovers he was exiled. Making camp in this desolate biome was not easy, but he would make do.

He left the town, searching for shelter. All those days spent in the Tenth Realm's survival areas would come in handy. At least he hoped.

"I should stop hoping and start doing," he grumbled to himself.

As the sun set, he felt the temperature drop sharply. If he had his powers, it would not have affected him, but now, he was vulnerable to the elements. His choice of shelter was a hole in the ground. He checked the inside with a makeshift torch for venomous creatures. Closing the entrance with foliage to keep the cold out, he settled in for the night.

—
​

His hunger woke him up.

Crawling out of the hole, he dusted his clothes. The sun was rising, warming the air once more. He searched the area for water and anything he could hunt for food. There was no water in sight, but he saw an animal on the ground, running. It almost looked like a bird.

Choosing a sharp, flat stone, he launched it at where the bird would be. His aim proved correct, and the animal went down. It was small but would be enough for now.

He had to pluck and clean the animal with his bare hands. Cooking it over the rolling weeds he caught, Thor ate the tasteless meat.

Admittedly, he should have had better self-control, but his father could not handle the truth either.

Leaving the thought of Asgard aside, he decided to seek water. There was green foliage across the road paved with black stone. Taking his chances, he crossed it, finding a small puddle. He drank first and cleaned his hands second before washing his face.

Sated, he thought about what to do. Lost in thoughts, he barely heard a loud, ear-scratching sound, followed by something impacting him at great speeds. Just like the previous day. Getting to his feet with a snarl, Thor was about to give whomever it was a piece of his mind.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. I swear I am not doing this on purpose," the Midgardian female said, her eyes wide.

The same Midgardian female who had struck him with her vehicle and taken him to the healing hall, along with her companions.

She was earnest in her apology, and his fury washed away. He sighed, rolled his left shoulder, and walked away.

"Wait, wait, please." She ran in front of him, raising her hands. "Can we talk? You came out of the Einstein Rosen Bridge, right?"

He considered keeping silent, but if his father did not want him to give clues to the Midgardians, he should have not sent him to this realm.

"If by an Einstein-Rosen bridge you mean the Bifrost, then yes," he said.

"Bifrost?" She froze for a second, trying to remember where she had heard the word from. "The one in the Scandinavian myths? Asgard, Odin, Thor, and all that?"

"I am that Thor."

The older male shook his head. "He is obviously out of his mind. We should take him back to the hospital."

"I am quite sane, Midgardian." Though, without any way to prove it, he knew coming across as mad was inevitable.

"Can you do magic?" the female wearing glasses asked, hand still on the weapon she had used on him.

"I can not. My father stripped me of my powers and banished me to this realm."

"You know what, why don't you be our guest? Consider it an apology for, you know, hitting you with our car. Twice," the redheaded female said, raising two fingers at the end.

"That is awfully trusting of you."

—
​

"So, Asgard is real," Jane said with a flat tone. He did not need to be wise to know she did not believe it.

She had immediately launched a series of queries as to the nature of his arrival on this world, and he was hard pressed to answer.

"Yes."

"And you were banished to Earth because you and your father had a fight?"

"Basically."

The other female, Darcy, snorted. "Why Earth, though?"

"I don't think he is aware this realm has developed so much." And Midgard was the only realm that did not know his status as a prince of Asgard.

"That sounds extremely irresponsible," Selvig said, rubbing his temples.

"Believe me, it is nothing compared to half the things he has done in the past."

"Like what?" Jane asked.

"Going on a conquest of the Nine Realms and beyond. Turning our sister into a bloodthirsty warrior bent on continuing where he left off. Hiding my brother's true parentage. Trying to gather six of the most devastating artifacts in the universe. And of course, his willingness to let Ragnarok happen rather than do something about Hela."

"Wait, Hela is your sister?" Darcy said, reading something off the device in her hand.

"Your beliefs concerning Asgard are extremely wrong. As my brother, Loki, explained it, the Midgardian seers ingested too many magical mushrooms. I heard some of it. The part concerning Sleipnir was especially amusing."

He had teased his brother so much that one day he had woken up with horse ears and a tail, courtesy of a very persistent spell.

"He is not your brother's, you know…" Darcy said, trying not to sound insulting.

"That horse is older than both of us combined."

The man, Erik Selvig, muttered something to the female, Jane, while the two kept glancing at him. He could guess what it was about. They had no reason to believe his claims. He must appear like a madman to them.

He squeezed his fist, focusing to draw out any sliver of seidr left in his body. It was akin to squeezing blood out of Uru ore. Yet, he succeeded.

A bolt of lightning, one that wouldn't kill anything larger than the bird he had hunted this morning, flew out of his hand, going through the open window. His hosts saw the bolt clearly, turning to him with wide eyes.

He felt something trickling down his nose.

His fingers came back bloody. His head ached and the world spun once more.

—
​

In the next chapter:

He came into existence in his room, tired. While he could never be physically tired unless his enormous reserves somehow ran out, the ordeal weighed heavily on his mind. He left the room to join the lunch. He had time traveled to three days after he had left just to not have to deal with Laufey.

With the TVA gone, everything should be fine now.

"Loki? You returned?!" Sif exclaimed, stopping her pacing.

"Yes, Sif, I have."

"Quick. You must convince the Allfather to lift Thor's exile."

He blinked, eyebrows rising to his forehead. "I am sorry, what?"



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

The Citadel at the End of Time

"Still haven't decided?"

"It's not just revenge, is it?" He Who Remains grinned. It only served to make Sylvie scowl. "You are afraid of losing who you are. If none of this happens, you will become a Loki, and Sylvie will never have existed."

She averted her eyes.

"No worries, I got you two covered," the human said, opening a time door.

Mirror Loki leaped out of his chair, blinking at the person on the other end. "Is that Thor? What happened to him?"

His brother was sitting on a hill, hair unkempt, overweight, and stance sunken. The God of Thunder that stood for peace was gone. What remained was a shadow.

"Depression. He lost his mother first, then his father, then Asgard, then half of the population of Asgard, and finally, his brother. They also lost the war against Thanos, who shattered the stones to subatomic particles."

He blinked. The Titan was going to die, or worse, but he had to resolve the mess here first.

"Thor…" his mirror counterpart whispered, torn between two impossible choices.

"Here is another option, just for you two. Go to that timeline," He Who Remains offered.

Sylvie looked at the Timedoor, watching Thor, whose face she had begun to forget, sit there silently. "Be a sister to a Thor I never knew?"

"You have the rest of your life to know him and the lover boy here."

"Sylvie, I know you want revenge," his mirror counterpart began. She turned sharply to him with a scowl. "But I can't kill him, can I? I literally can't because he'd see it all coming."

"True," He Who Remains said with a chuckle, fanning the flames.

"What about you, oh so superior Loki? Are you just going to ignore the fact that TVA tried to prune your timeline?" she said, trying to convince him to do what she could not.

The human was ready for this apparently, since his answer was immediate. "What better way to take revenge than ensure the TVA never exists in the first place?"

He frowned. "I accept your offer. A pulse specifically targeting your counterparts across the timelines while drawing power from the said timelines should ensure they all die for all of eternity."

"Just what I like to hear."

"And you two? Hurry up now, before the opportunity is gone."

Sylvie scowled and threw a knife at the smug human. He held the device on his wrist out, rewinding the attack back. The conjured knife was gone while she sunk into her chair.

"Fine," she conceded. The idea of trying to kill the human responsible for all that she had gone through for eternity, and failing each time, sounded tiring.

"Really?"

"Yes. The more I stay here, the more I hate myself. Let's just go."

He Who Remains opened the Timedoor again, holding his hand out. Loki got up first, holding his hand out for Sylvie. She took it, still glaring at He Who Remains. She turned around sharply, stepping through the portal with Loki into New Asgard.

"Look at the love birds go," He Who Remains said, shaking his head. "Come on, champ, the Council of Kang's await."

"Kang. Is that your name?"

"Nope."

—
​

The Council of Kangs

Loki stepped out of the Timedoor into an arena of all places.

One full of variants of He Who Remains. Thousands crowded the seats, with gigantic statues on all sides. The said human was quick to raise his hands, announcing himself to his counterparts. "Hey, hey, hey. Miss me, guys?"

"The Exiled One. You dare return?!" One Kang, with blue skin and ostentatious clothing, rasped out.

"Yeah, Papa Smurf, and look who I brought with me."

"A Loki? You brought a clown to amuse us?" Another Kang, donning high-tech armor, snorted, firing a blue beam out of his hand.

Loki let the shot impact his chest, breaking down and absorbing the energy. The Kangs looked at one another, reconsidering.

"More like your demise," He Who Remains chuckled. Loki disappeared from his spot, appearing behind the Kang who had attacked him. His arm pierced through the arrogant mortal's chest through and through. He held a piece of the spine in his hand.

Kang froze on the spot, the light in his eyes dimming. The remaining counterparts were quick to act, but so was Loki.

"Cease."

That one word was an order of multiversal magnitude. The cheering Kangs on the seats, the ones about to attack him—they all ceased all movement, standing still like statues. Everyone except Loki and He Who Remains had just been covered with a dense layer of seidr, forcibly stopping their movements.

He Who Remains began to cackle, pulling the blue Kang's long mustache. "Ever since I saw what you could do, I dreamt of this moment. It is even better than I could imagine."

Loki ignored the human's ramblings, focusing on his work.

A pulse, one meant to consume to fuel itself and continue its eternal mission, was released, using the Kang he had just killed as the anchor point. All variants of a person shared a quantum wavelength that the kill pulse would track. The pulse was sentient in a manner meant to ascertain whether the Kang was good or a genocidal, multiverse-level threat and kill them.

All in an instant.

Each frozen Kang began to crumble to ashes.

He Who Remains' laughter turned to howling like a beast, dancing through the ash raining on him. Ashes of thousands of Kangs, his counterparts that he had spent so long trying to stop. When only he and Loki were left in a sea of ashes, he stopped, breath ragged from the physical exertion.

Loki shook his hand, clearing the ash.

"I can't believe it's over," he muttered with a distant tone. All those eons, and he was finally free.

The last Kang clapped his hands. "Welp, I'll go deal with the TVA. You won't see it ever again, or me for that matter."

"What will you do now?"

"Find a little resort and retire. Thanks for everything, champ." He Who Remains gave a two-finger salute. He opened a time door and left.

Loki had no reason to stay, but there was still something else to do.

—
​

The Void

He appeared in the bunker. His child and old alligator counterparts were still in there, lazing around the room.

"You are back," his older-looking counterpart said.

"Yes. The TVA is no more. They will not hunt any variants any more. You three can stay here, or I can send you to the moments you were taken," he offered. He wasn't going to care, but at least these two seemed to regret their actions. They deserved a chance.

Unlike the boastful version.

As for the alligator, he did not care enough to consider the downsides.

"May I ask how you managed it?" the older Loki asked.

"No," he said with half-lidded eyes. The situation with Kang was already a mess. He was not going to waste time explaining it.

"I see."

"Quickly now, I still have much to do."

"I... I killed Thor. I can't go back," the child Loki said, eyes cast down.

"I'll send you to the day before, then."

"Oh."

"I'll accept that most gracious offer."

The alligator growled, low and pleased.

The child Loki hiccuped but nodded.

"Great, off you three go," he muttered, flicking his hand forward, fingers spreading. All three Lokis became transparent, slowly phasing back into the timelines he designated for them. He also made sure to leave a note to the kid.

Now, only one person left.

—
​

He had felt the variant of Thor, who had been transformed into a frog, left locked in a jar right above the bunker.

Breaking the curse, he flicked him back to the moment he was taken, ignoring the accusations that spilled out of his lips.

As Alioth began to collapse, he left the Void to return home.

—
​

Asgard

He came into existence in his room, tired. While he could never be physically tired unless his enormous reserves somehow ran out, the ordeal weighed heavily on his mind. He left the room to join the lunch. He had time traveled to three days after he had left just to not have to deal with Laufey.

With the TVA gone, everything should be fine now.

"Loki? You returned?!" Sif exclaimed, stopping her pacing.

"Yes, Sif, I have."

"Quick. You must convince the Allfather to lift Thor's exile."

He blinked, eyebrows rising to his forehead. "I am sorry, what?"

—
​

He rubbed his temples. The physical action did nothing to soothe his mind in turmoil, but there was nothing to do. His brother had attacked Laufey, breaking the king of Jotunheim's jaw, and was exiled after another heated argument with his father.

"I will go and deal with this mess." First, he had to see his father.

—
​

"Father," he greeted Odin. The aging king was on his throne, wearing his armor, looking like the glorious warrior king he was. A sight that did not bode well.

He tapped Gungnir on the ground twice, dismissing everyone in the throne room. "My wayward son. Where have you been?"

"Long story."

"Tell me, boy, when did you two learn about Hela?" he asked with a low voice, fingers tightening around the spear.

"A century ago or so. We discovered her prison and spoke to her for a bit. I actually regularly visit her to change her mind, though it has been difficult so far."

"You never thought to mention this? To reveal the truth?" he raised his voice, shaking the throne room. Old or not, he was still mighty.

"Thor did the very first day we met Hela. I convinced him otherwise, as it would put you in a difficult situation."

"How considerate."

"Anyway, I will deal with Laufey first, then visit Thor," he said. He would not allow a war. Not because the Jotnar could hope to win, but because it was a waste of time.

"You will do neither."

"I was not really asking."

"Do not think I won't exile you as well," he said, pointing at him with Gungnir.

"Why are you so bitter? Because we weren't willing to let our home be destroyed? So you could be absolved of everything you did to build Asgard's empire?"

"Enough. You know not what you speak of."

"Odin Allfather. The conqueror who tried to gather the Infinity Stones, only to stop because he could not sacrifice the daughter he locked away for millennia."

His father's hand slackened and he dropped the spear. "How do you?"

He grinned. "I will let you discover that for yourself." With those words, he disappeared.

—
​

Jotunheim

He had gazed at Jotunheim before, out of curiosity as to what his birth place looked like. Cold and dark with no sunlight, it certainly was a world uninhabitable to anyone else but the Jotnar.

Laufey was at his throne, his jaw healed, planning war with his generals.

He phased into the same wavelength, appearing out of thin air to the Jotnar.

"You!" His birth father screamed. Dozens of Jotnar turned to him, weapons bared. He raised two fingers and flicked them down. All the Jotnar except Laufey slammed to the ground face down, struggling to rise to no avail.

"Yes, me."

"What do you want?" Laufey demanded. He knew the boy's powers outstripped his, and perhaps even the Allfather's. Even the King of Asgard could not stop time so whimsically.

Which is why the threat of war was just that.

"I want you to abdicate," Loki said. Peace between Jotunheim and Asgard was not possible while Laufey was king.

"Your brother started this. Do not think I will be cowed into submission."

Loki huffed. He spread his arms, uttering four words that all in the palace heard.

"Let there be light."

The darkness of the realm of the Frost Giant was abolished. The sun blazed into existence, high above the clouds, yet clearly visible. It was small in comparison to a real star since he did not wish to waste all that power. He had also dimmed the heat to not set the atmosphere on fire.

Still, the football-field-sized burning ball of gas was more than enough.

Laufer screamed.

The infrared and ultraviolet radiations, extremely dangerous to a being of cold who had never been exposed to them in such a raw form, burned him alive. The remaining Jotnar were not spared either, shrieking.

Laufey began to claw at his skin, thrashing on the ground like a worm, having fallen out of his throne. The palace, all constructed out of ice, began to melt.

"Please, stop!" Laufey's ragged cries cracked the melting ice blocks.

He raised a hand to his ear, leaning forward. "I am sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your arrogance. Can you repeat that?"

"I will abdicate," he declared, rolling on the ground.

"Immediately?"

"Yes!"

He snapped his fingers and the star disappeared, absorbed back. He flicked Laufey back to his throne, all wounds gone. He had even repaired the melting slabs of ice.

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" he asked, healing him and the remaining Jotnar. It wouldn't do if they appeared in the peace talks wounded.

"Helblindi, I believe?" he asked the heir to Jotunheim's throne.

"Yes," his half-brother stuttered, rising to his feet as allowed.

"I am certain you, as the new King of Jotunheim, will pursue peace with Asgard. My father knows my brother is in the wrong, and if you are smart, there can be a beneficial peace between Asgard and Jotunheim," he said. This was the perfect opportunity for both sides to sit down and hammer an agreement.

"Most certainly, Prince Loki."

"Excellent, because next time, Jotunheim will have a permanent, true star," he warned, there one second, gone the next.

—
​

He Who Remains activated his contingency plan, stopping the TVA from ever coming into existence. All the variants taken to work in the organization, and the ones pruned, never went through any of these ordeals. An infinite amount of timelines burst into existence, sending quakes through the multiverse.

In each timeline, the moment any version of Nathaniel Richards began to plan for domination of the timelines, they crumbled into ashes with their ambitions. The timelines were spared the chaotic war.

In one timeline Loki and Sylvie met a version of Thor. Spared from nonexistence, they explained the situation. Thor, who had lost all hope, had suddenly gained two siblings, relighting a fire that had died in his heart.

The old Loki, who had missed his brother, made his way to New Asgard once more. The child Loki woke up the day before he had murdered his brother during a prank gone wrong. He wondered if it was all a dream, but a sticky, green paper fell to his face, telling him it was not.

He abandoned any idea of the prank, rushing to find his brother.

As for alligator Loki, he swore to be careful with what he ate from now on.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"You told them everything?" he asked. Not that Thor was too interested in the inner workings of Bifrost; what he told them would be the bare bones.

His brother crossed his arms, a lopsided grin on his face as he looked up. "If Father didn't want me to, he should not have exiled me here."

"Fair," Loki said. A green wave washed over him, transmuting the suit into his green and dark robes.



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Midgard

Loki pressed the doorbell, waiting.

He was dressed in a suit to not arouse suspicion. His brother was staying with three humans, and he didn't know how much Thor had told them. He could have learned, but life was no fun when you knew everything.

A brown-haired female wearing glasses opened the door.

"Excuse me miss, I am looking for my brother. Tall, golden hair, big," he said, describing his brother. It would be difficult for him to be ignored by the Midgardians.

"Oh my god, you are Loki," she said, opening the door wider. "Come in; the big guy is in the kitchen."

He blinked and took a step inside. "Thank you." It appears Thor's ability to make quick friends had worked to his advantage once more.

"Guys, Thor's brother is here," she shouted, alerting the remaining residents of the house.

"Brother," Thor said, rushing out of the kitchen. He gathered Loki in a bear hug. Stripped of his powers or not, he was still physically strong.

Loki returned the hug, patting him on the back.

"Where have you been these last days?" Thor asked.

"It is a long, long story."

"Ah, right. These are Jane, Erik, and Darcy, my new friends. I have been helping Jane with her work while they allowed me to stay here," he said, introducing each of the humans.

It was not lost on him how his brother's voice softened upon gesturing to Jane.

"With her work?" he asked.

Jane held her hand out, and he took it, gently shaking. "I am an astrophysicist. Thor has been telling me about Bifrost and the Nine Realms."

"You told them everything?" he asked. Not that Thor was too interested in the inner workings of Bifrost; what he told them would be the bare bones.

His brother crossed his arms, a lopsided grin on his face as he looked up. "If Father didn't want me to, he should not have exiled me here."

"Fair," Loki said. A green wave washed over him, transmuting the suit into his green and dark robes.

"Oh my god," Jane breathed out while Erik and Darcy watched the magic with bulging eyes.

"How exactly did you manage to get yourself exiled in the first place?" he asked. Sif didn't know beyond that Thor had attacked the Jotnar envoys.

"Father didn't tell you?"

"He wasn't in a very talkative mood. I left quickly to deal with Jotunheim before finding you."

"Why don't you join us for breakfast while we talk?" Jane offered, gesturing to the kitchen.

"Thank you," Loki said, following along.

The kitchen was cozy, something you wouldn't find in Asgard's grand feast hall. He was familiar with Midgardian cuisine enough to know his way around.

Thor was quick to launch into the tale of his exile. Laufey, defeated and humiliated, was leaving Asgard. Thor, in a moment of spite, decided to taunt the King of Jotunheim. His birth father had responded by calling him a monster. In a moment of weakness, it brought Hela to Thor's mind. His brother lost control, and the next thing he knew, Mjolnir was escorting Laufey through the Bifrost by his jaw.

He and Father had gotten into a fight, which ended with Thor calling him a fool and a liar, which ended with Odin banishing his eldest son because he started a war with the Jotnar over an insult.

"You will be happy to know I convinced Laufey to abdicate in favor of his son, Helblindi. He is more inclined for a peaceful resolution compared to his father. I don't believe there will be a war," he explained.

Not unless Helblindi was a fool.

"I am sorry. You had to go through all that because of me," Thor apologized. He knew he and Loki could have handled the situation with the Jotnar, but because of their father, it had all fallen onto his brother's shoulders.

"Oh stop. I never needed a reason to put Laufey down," he said. His lips twitched at the memory of how easily the previous King of Jotunheim had folded.

"Since we have time, why don't you tell your long story?" Thor asked, pouring him a cup of coffee.

He took the cup, glancing at their host.

"If it's something you can't tell us, there is a room upstairs," Jane said, pointing to the hallway.

"I can tell you, I am just afraid doing so might give you an existential crisis," he warned. Knowing TVA, which technically was fate itself, existed would be difficult for them to swallow.

Thor winced. "That bad?"

"Yes."

"Then let's leave it aside for now. Father apparently sent Mjolnir after me, but the government built a facility around it. I can't summon it, and they won't just let me stroll in," Thor said.

Loki waved his hand, teleporting Mjolnir to the middle of the room.

Their hosts flinched at the sudden appearance of a hammer on the empty chair. Thor leaped to his feet, trying to lift the hammer, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pulled.

"Don't bother. There is an enchantment around it," he said, waving his hand again.

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the powers of Thor," their father's voice rang out of the hammer.

"That's your dad? Damn, he must be one hell of a storyteller with that voice," Darcy said, focusing on a completely different part.

"He actually is," Thor said. Whenever he had time, he would visit children in schools and tell stories.

"So, wait, whoever is worthy, they can just have his powers?" Erik finally spoke, having been a silent observer so far.

"Yes. A lesson intended for my brother, but anyone that can lift the hammer will indeed possess his command over lightning and the physical capabilities of an Aesir."

"No offense, but that sounds highly irresponsible," he said, looking at Darcy with a frown as she poked the hammer.

"Our father doesn't really know how much you have progressed. We have a policy of non-interference as long as there isn't an invasion. He must have chosen Midgard because he believes there would be nothing to present a danger to Thor nor worshippers to treat him like a prince," he explained the reasons why his father had chosen this realm but nodded at the end, "But yes, irresponsible."

Thor chuckled with a dry voice, looking at his hammer. "He lied, hid his past, and is willing to let Asgard be destroyed, yet decides I am not worthy."

"What does it even mean? To be worthy?" he asked with an amused edge at the last word.

"I assume it is about being selfless so you don't start a war over an insult," Loki said, making an educated guess.

"He should exile himself too, then, for all those wars of conquest."

Loki turned to the humans, giving a small bow with thin lips. "My apologies; we brought our family troubles to your home."

"Believe me, it is not a problem. Hearing all of this is so fascinating," Jane said. Knowing aliens had the same kind of problems, if only grander in scale, made them relatable.

"Not to sound condescending, but Thor said you were the greatest magician in Asgard. Can't you break the enchantment?" Erik asked.

"I can, but it would be like giving Jane all the knowledge on astrophysics," he said. He was all too willing to help his brother, but simply handing him his powers back wouldn't be helping.

She tilted her head back. "I wouldn't accomplish anything."

"Exactly."

"Even if he could, I wouldn't want him to. This is my mess to fix; you already did more than I could ask for," Thor said, glancing at his hammer.

"You are welcome."

"By the way, do you have mead with you?" his brother asked, rubbing his stomach.

"Of course you would ask for that." He snapped his fingers, summoning a synthesizer from his pocket dimension.

"What is that?" Jane asked, getting up to investigate the machine. It was a rectangular, golden box with three white circles at the top.

"A synthesizer. It creates material necessities out of energy," he said, ordering a mug of ale for Thor. The circles glowed as the energy flowed and a mug of cold ale appeared on top with a flash.

"Holy crap," Darcy said, attention suddenly turning on the new machine.

"Can it make anything?" Jane asked, watching Thor drink the mug in one go. Asgard was even more advanced than she had thought. They were basically a post-scarcity society.

"This one is for basic necessities such as food. There are industrial-grade synthesizers for more complex needs. Feel free to try whatever you want." It would be a way to show his gratitude for helping Thor. His brother would have managed on his own; he knew that much, but it was best not to draw too much attention.

"I suppose I should go and help those in need. It might yet break the enchantment."

"You don't have an ID; I don't think that's a good idea," Erik said. With the government sniffing around, an ID-less person acting as a hero would draw attention.

"Here," Loki said, a USA ID card appearing in between his fingers with a flourish.

"You can make fake IDs too? Cool."

"It is not fake. I added it to the local government archives."

Erik huffed. "Just with a wave of your hand?" He was taking these revelations relatively well, he knew, but each second things got more ridiculous.

"Yes. I am more accomplished than most others."

"Thor mentioned you were a scholar. How exactly does energy manipulation work?" Jane asked

Darcy, who had taken a sip from the watered-down mead she had synthesized, frowned. "Energy manipulation? He said magic, right?"

"I said 'seidr,'" he began, turning the Allspeak off for a moment. "My language, the Allspeak, makes you hear the words as their closest equivalent. Since Jane and Eric are more scientifically inclined, they understand it as energy manipulation, whereas Darcy picks it up as magic."

Darcy's head jerked back. "I feel like I was just called an idiot."

"You were not. It simply depends on how you see the world," he said.

He created an orb in his hand for demonstration. "As for what seidr is, it is a cosmic power that the Aesir and some of the other races in the Nine Realms have the genetic capability to utilize. It differs from race to race and person to person."

The orb transformed into a ball of lightning, turning to a small galaxy, an illusion replica of Odinforce, and finally, his mother's conjuration. "Thor's seidr manifests itself as thunder and lightning, while mine is wider in scope. Our father is a cosmic-level threat, while mother is extremely accomplished but the weakest when it comes to direct combat applications."

Their hosts watched without blinking, absorbing every moment.

"Do humans have that genetic capability?" Jane asked. Could the myriad of myths on Earth about magic and the supernatural be tied to this genetic variance?

"No. Asgard, Alfheim, Jotunheim, Muspelheim, Vanaheim, and Nornheim, to a much smaller degree, have that cosmic energy naturally found in the environment. Midgard and the rest do not; hence, you never evolved for it," he explained.

"Ah man, I wanted to be a magician too," Darcy said, deflating on her chair.

"Can I ask some questions about the Bifrost? Just enough to cover the basics?" Jane asked, her eyes shining.

Loki glanced at Thor, whose gaze softened upon looking at her once more. His brother nodded, and he shrugged.

"Ask away."

—
​

Jane Foster was quick to grasp the basics of how the Bifrost worked. Seeing as her people only had theories to work on, her understanding of the involved physics was advanced. He gave her enough to point her in the right direction but not enough to diminish her interest.

With Thor safe, he had no idea what else to do. He did not wish to return to Asgard until tempers cooled. Intruding on Jane Foster's hospitality anymore was not something he wanted either.

In truth, his mind was on a different matter.

Learning that other universes, so different from his own, existed out there had made him immensely curious. The knowledge that he had come from another Earth, an ordinary world without any of the supernatural and the extraterrestrial sights he had seen, explained everything.

He had thought places like Kamar-Taj, Asgard, and the myriad of alien races were simply hidden from the eyes of an ordinary human.

The facts were mindblowingly different.

A sense of wanderlust had taken him. He wished to travel and see what they had to offer. He had also considered traveling to his birth dimension but decided against it. There was nothing to see there except faded memories. His time could be spent better.

He could even take Cosmo. The mess with Laufey and the TVA meant he hadn't seen his faithful companion for the last few days. He could take her, travel, see, and discover.

Of course, there was something else he needed to do first.

Jane had gathered readings on the Bifrost during Thor's arrival, but her equipment and research data were seized by the government. She didn't think she would ever be able to get it back. Most of the devices were her creations.

The house and the occupants were already warded against danger. He just had to retrieve the seized property.

—
​

Coulson raised the phone to his ear, gazing at the sight of the foreign object with a tight look on his face. "Sir, we have a problem."

"What is it, Coulson?" the gruff voice on the other end asked.

"The hammer disappeared half an hour ago."

There was a brief silence as he prepared himself for what was to come. "Are you telling me it was stolen?"

"No sir. The scientists were getting some readings. It was there one second, gone the next. We don't know how," he said. It sounded like a blatant excuse, but the recipient knew Phil Coulson did not make excuses.

An even longer beat of silence stretched out. "Did they manage to learn something at least?"

"It's alien. The metal is nothing we have ever seen. Same for the energy signatures," he said. It all boiled down to the fact they knew nothing except it was not from Earth.

"Find the damn hammer, Coulson."

"Yes sir," he said to himself, pocketing the phone.

"Agent Coulson," a scientist approached, avoiding eye contact with him. It was either he made the man nervous or there was bad news coming.

"What is it?"

"The equipment we took from Jane Foster. They disappeared from the storage as well."

"Any leads on who?"

"No. Just like the hammer, they blinked out of existence."

Phil turned around, a small twitch in his eye.

Another visit to Miss Foster's house was in order. He would have to explain to the woman how her research and equipment had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

He could feel the accounting and the legal teams grumbling over a settlement.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"You seem to be in a good mood," he commented, appearing behind the boy. He flinched, rolling away from the bench and conjuring a blade. He ignored it, sitting on the other end of the empty seat.

"What are you doing here?" "The child-Loki hissed, eyes darting around. Contrary to his worries, the garden was empty. If everyone kept to their schedule, Odin was listening to petitions, Frigga was entertaining guests in another section of the garden, and Thor was off on an adventure.



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[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Midgard

"Wait, but how?" Jane asked, rubbing her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or her bleary eyes were making her see things due to lack of caffeine.

"Magic," he said, wiggling his fingers with green sparks bursting to life.

She took a notebook, flipping it open. "But won't those SHIELD agents know?"

"You do not have to worry. I placed a charm on this place. The agents will see nothing," he said. None of the objects he retrieved would be visible to the agents, nor could they touch any.

"I don't know how to thank you."

"It was kind of our fault, and you took my brother in. No thanks are necessary," he said, waving his hand.

"We did hit him with our car, twice," Darcy muttered, moving some papers away.

"And don't forget how you tased Thor," Erik reminded.

Loki's eyes widened and his grin reached his ears. "You tased the God of Thunder?"

"Yeah," Darcy winced, realizing how bad of an idea that was. "He just freaked me out."

"That will get you famous on Asgard. Taking down Thor with his own powers," he said, chuckling. Everyone would get a good laugh out of it.

"Hilarious," his brother drawled, crossing his arms.

He patted him on the shoulder, still smiling. "It is. I am glad you agree."

Thor shook his head. "So where are you off to?"

Loki glanced at him. It had become easier for Thor to read his intentions these last years. "I need to follow up on some people. Then I intend to take Cosmo with me for a short trip."

"Who is Cosmo?" Darcy asked.

"She is Loki's hound."

"Like the one the Soviets sent to space," Erik said, remembering the name.

"She is that Cosmo."

"But how? Did she somehow make it to Asgard?" Jane asked, looking at Thor expectantly. His brother turned to him. Cosmo did not care if her tale was told, but he still wanted to ask for permission.

Loki shrugged. If Thor wanted to spend more time with Jane, he wasn't going to begrudge him a story.

"No, her story is a bit more complicated," he said, gesturing for them to take a seat.

—
​

"Anything else from Earth alive out there?"

"None that I know of."

"Here," he said, holding out a green circlet of magic, intertwined together like vines. "If there is an emergency, call me."

"Thank you, brother; have a safe trip."

—
​

Timeline CL1

Slipping between timelines was like going through a pool of jello. He felt himself struggle to push through the barrier for a moment. When the feeling passed, he stood in Asgard.

One with skiffs in the sky.

Otherwise, it was identical to the one he knew. There were no grand differences he could see. The same golden towers, spires, houses, and, of course, the palace.

He sought his child's variant.

He was in the garden, simply sitting there.

"You seem to be in a good mood," he commented, appearing behind the boy. He flinched, rolling away from the bench and conjuring a blade. He ignored it, sitting on the other end of the empty seat.

"What are you doing here?" "The child-Loki hissed, eyes darting around. Contrary to his worries, the garden was empty. If everyone kept to their schedule, Odin was listening to petitions, Frigga was entertaining guests in another section of the garden, and Thor was off on an adventure.

"Checking to see how you are doing," he explained as the kid sat back.

"I am fine," he muttered, looking at the ground, his voice too low.

"You don't sound like it."

"It's nothing."

Loki huffed, watching his child variant sulk. "Come now, if you aren't going to be honest with yourself, who else would you be?"

"It's just…" he finally started to speak but fell silent again.

"Yes?"

"I can't speak to Thor. I can't even look him in the eyes."

"Ah."

Child Loki snorted, glaring at him. "That's your sagely advice?"

"No. My advice is for you to stop worrying over something that did not happen," he said. It wouldn't be that easy, but the kid would have to start somewhere.

His fingers dug into his palms, his lips wobbling. "But that's the thing. It did happen. I did it with my own hands," he said, screaming towards the end.

He didn't say anything, giving the kid time to calm down.

"You are focusing on the wrong part," he said as the boy's breathing returned to normal.

"And what should I focus on?"

"On the fact that you have your brother here, alive and well. You can sit here and wallow in your pity or make use of this opportunity."

His head snapped up, but his soft voice did not match the fire in his eyes. "I don't know how."

"Ever played football?" he asked, creating a football with gold and white hexagons.

"No."

He pulled out a paper book, one of the earliest versions he had written when the computers weren't so widespread. "Here is a rule book. In my Asgard, it is a favorite pastime of many. Since it is a team sport with plenty of rivalry, I wager everyone would love it."

"But…"

He smiled, putting a hand on his child's variant's shoulder. "The timelines stretch into infinity. It is inevitable that there is more than one Loki out there whose Thor is dead. They would give everything for this opportunity."

He looked down, silent while turning the ball between his hands. When he raised his head, his eyes were clear. "Okay, I'll go find him."

"Good. Take care, kid; this will probably be the last time we see each other."

"Thank you."

He slowly faded out of the timeline into the new one.

—
​

Timeline LB1

New Asgard did not live to its name. The golden realm eternal had been reduced to a village of stone and wood on Midgard. The population was a fraction of what it was. Still, they had survived. He saw what appeared to be the new palace and was about to walk towards the building when a voice, quite a bit drunk, called for him.

"Lackey, what are you doing here without your girlfriend?" An Aesir woman, dressed in Midgardian clothing, approached, a bottle of mead in her hand. Her dark, loose hair, sharp cheekbones, and determined gaze weren't features he would forget so easily.

"Who might you be?" he asked. She might be someone that did not exist in her timeline or someone whom he had yet to meet.

She stopped, bottle halfway to her lips, brows furrowing. "Did she hit you too hard?"

"I am from another timeline," he explained. If his counterparts knew her, then she might be aware of him.

Her droopy eyes widened and she went stiff. "Are you the one they call the superior Loki?"

"Yes."

"You don't look any different," she said.

Loki flicked his hand, sending her to Midgard's moon. Counting to five, he brought her back. She collapsed on her knees, heaving for breath.

Looks can be deceiving. "Who were you, again?" he asked her but turned back to face the new arrivals. His counterparts, who were dressed in similar human garbs, were approaching him.

"She is the King of New Asgard and the former Commander of the Valkyries," his male counterpart explained, helping the Valkyrie up.

"Brunnhilde," he snapped his fingers, realizing who she was. "I remember now, Sigrun had mentioned you," he said. He still remembered what he had promised to the deceased Valkyrie.

Brunnhilde pushed his counterpart aside, grasping him by the shoulders. Her eyes were wide and wavering. "Wait, is she alive in your timeline?"

"No. I spoke to her spirit," he said with a ghost of a smile, gently pulling her hands away.

"What did she say?"

"That it wasn't your fault." Valkyrie chuckled, though it was bitter and devoid of any humor. She walked away, snatching the bottle on the ground and sloshing the mead down.

"What are you doing here?" Sylvie asked. She certainly did not expect to see the strongest Loki again.

"Checking to see how you are doing."

"Did you kill them?" she asked, her eyes boring a hole into his head.

"The Kangs? Yes."

"Good. And He Who Remains?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. He claimed he would find a place to retire. I told him not to cross paths with me again."

She clicked her tongue, walking away.

"What about you two? How are things here?"

"Thor is happy to have two siblings. The humans are the opposite about having two Lokis," Valkyrie said from the rock she was sitting on.

He chuckled.

"Wait till we get this TemPad working and take the stones before Thanos destroys them. We'll see if they still think the same," his male counterpart said, wiggling a finger.

Sylvie slapped his finger down, her face scrunched. "That's the thing. You don't know the first thing about temporal physics to fix that, and you are not willing to give it to anyone else."

"And Stark knows about time travel?" he asked, getting into her face.

"No, but he knows more about machines than anyone else in this world."

"Are they always like this?" he asked Valkyrie as the love birds continued to argue.

She pursed her lips, raising and dropping her shoulders. "Not really. Just whenever that device comes up."

He rolled his eyes, holding his hand out. "Here, give it to me."

His counterparts stopped, heads slowly turning to him. They turned to each other again, nodding at the same time. His male counterpart handed the broken tempered glass to him without a word.

His magic washed over it. The circuits were fried, a result of too much temporal radiation. It was a simple fix, and the device came to life.

Valkyrie, suddenly intrigued, approached the device.

"What now?"

"Now, we gather the Avengers, go back before Thanos snaps half the galaxy away, and chop his head off."

"Would you like to stay?"

"Not particularly. I wish you good luck in your endeavor. There is still the fashion disaster Loki I have to visit."

"You know, you are a far better Loki than him. Any chance we can switch you two."

"No," both Lokis replied at the same time. He snickered at the Valkyrie before fading away.

—
​

Timeline OL1

It fascinated him how two timelines could diverge so much in appearances. Where the buildings in New Asgard of the lovebirds were simple in their design, this one was grander. Taller buildings with over-the-top decorations and braziers on tall platforms lighting up the night sky.

This time, he appeared near his counterpart by pure luck. He and Thor were sitting near the small lake, two tankards in hands, drinking.

"At least you seem to be in a better state than the rest."

Both leaped to their feet, with Thor, who was taller and broader than his brother, ripping the battle axe out of the ground. His blonde hair was more golden and his eyes a lighter shade of blue. His face, though, was angular, rather than oval.

"Who are you?"

"Calm down, brother, that's the variant I told you about."

"Ah, apologies."

"No harm done."

"Before you ask, I am simply checking to see how you all are doing."

"You already visited the rest, then."

"I have. The kid was afraid to talk to his Thor; the lovebirds were trying to fix the TemPad to time travel and stop Thanos."

"Pity we don't have one."

He rubbed his eyes. It definitely would make him feel guilty if the same choice was not offered to this counterpart. He closed his eyes, peering back in time to the moment where Thanos had destroyed the stones.

A portal opened, pulling the Mad Titan through time.

He did not waste a moment, immediately targeting the arm wearing the gauntlet. A plasma blade sprung forth from his hand, severing the limb from the elbow. Thanos screamed in pain before Loki flicked his wrist, launching him back.

It happened so fast that both his counterpart and this timeline's Thor were only able to watch with gaping mouths.

He turned the partially melted gauntlet in his hand, pulling out the limb inside. His nose crinkled, and he threw it away. He held the gauntlet to Thor. This version of his brother slowly raised his hand, fingers closing around the metal. He exhaled sharply once he pulled the gauntlet, with all six stones intact.

"I told you he was terrifying," his old counterpart muttered to Thor, who shook his head.

"Brother, Loki, I… I don't know what to say," he said, looking at him with misty eyes.

His lips tightened and he patted Thor on the shoulders. Their looks might differ, but this one could be just as emotional as his Thor. "You don't have to say anything. Thwarting fools like Thanos is reward enough for me."

"I owe you again," his counterpart said.

"Don't be a villain; we'll call it even."

"You don't have to worry; I had enough of it for ten lifetimes."

"Good luck to you both; it's time I was on my way," he said, locking on his timeline.

Thor put a hand on his shoulder, gesturing at the palace. "Would you like to stay at least for the celebrations?"

He patted the oversized hand. "There is something I have to do. My curiosity has been eating me."

His counterpart nodded, understanding in his eyes. "A pity. But know this, you are always welcome here."

"Thank you both," he said with a wave of his hand, disappearing back into his timeline.

—
​

Timeline Alpha

He arrived in his room, sending a mental message to Cosmo. He first found his mother, explaining to her that Thor was safe and in good hands. He also left a bracelet with her, saying he would be busy with something important.

He also sent a message to his father, saying no thanks were necessary for solving the diplomatic issues with the Jotnar. He still didn't want to talk to him. Perhaps the journey would clear his mind enough that he would want to.

Cosmo barged into the room, sitting on her hind legs before him. "Boss, where are we going?" she asked, her magical telepathy sounding more natural than the collar.

He knelt, giving her pets on her head and under her chin, smiling as he did so. "To another universe. My curiosity reached its peak, and I can't wait another second."

"Another universe? Cool. What are we waiting for?" she asked, her tail swinging wildly.

"Nothing. I prepared everything; let us go," he said.

Rising to his feet, he searched for the barriers that He Who Remains had discovered. His hands glowed a deep emerald color, and he grasped them, pulling apart. The barriers resisted the force, pushing back to maintain the universal cohesion. He pushed back even more, tearing open a pure white rift in the fabric of space.

He took a deep breath and stepped through, feeling his body buzz with excitement. Cosmo leaped inside, right behind him.

—
​

Notes: Loki's first trip will be to a DC Universe first, and then God of War Ragnarok, Stargate, Invincible, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Supernatural and Genshin Impact. As for Harry Potter, I need to work on it a bit more before saying anything concrete. See you guys next week.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"I have Asgard, my family, and my friends." Who else did he need to use his powers for?

"What would they want you to do? Ignoring your father, of course." He chuckled at her petulant tone. She never got along with his father, who merely found her to be a curiosity.

"I believe in letting them solve their own problems."

"Doesn't mean you can't lend a hand."

He threw his head back, groaning. "Maybe we can visit this Queen Bee and poke her hive a bit."

Time to play the hero.



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