Archive of Our Own

There was a knock on the ornate wooden door. It caused Loki to stop his morning ritual to pull on his robe before answering the door.

It was still pretty early in the morning but there was always something going on in the building. And while the night was when the hallways were the busiest, the daytime did bring a steady stream of foot traffic.

Meaning it could be any number of beings on the other side of the door. Ranging from housekeeping to Loki's groceries being delivered. And of course, there were guests from previous encounters who didn't understand the rules, that any visits for more favors not authorized by the Grandmaster himself were forbidden on pain of release. Sure life was bad and at some points downright horrible for Loki. But it still wasn't to the point of giving up.

The robe was to help with staying alive. Loki had learned that while he may not be ashamed of his body and loved to flaunt it, others saw it as an open invitation. Especially when Loki was in his female form. It never made sense to Loki why some species of other planets felt that females were weak and could never be as strong as a male.

Being female was one of Loki's favorite forms. There was a point in Loki's life where he had only taken female form when he was little. Much to Odin's dismay and his mother's delight. Thor had been upset because Frigga refused to change Thor even if it was just so they could play Valkyries together. Loki had taken pity on his brother and grew Thor's hair out. A look that Thor very much liked and had been growing it out naturally ever since Odin had cut it.

The memory made Loki smile as he opened the door where an alien of some kind stood. Its neon green shirt announced it as a minion of the Grandmaster. "This is for you," the creature said, handing Loki an envelope and a couple of packages before scrambling away. Loki watched it move on to the next door, its bag heavy with mail for all the Contenders of this floor.

With a sigh Loki shut the door. He placed the mail on his dining table without a backwards glance. There would be time for that later. Moving into the small kitchen, Loki turned off the kettle on the stove before going back to fixing his breakfast. It wasn't much, just some toast and eggs and tea. Loki could manage more if he wanted but it wouldn't be necessary today. Lunch would be in a few hours, meaning Loki and the other Champions would be entertaining the Grandmaster and his favorites.

The food and wine was always flowing at these events. It was just all in how well you did your job if you could work and eat at the same time. Luckily Loki could do both by using his clones. The Grandmaster hadn't figured out yet that there was an extra guest eating away at his food. Loki had made sure to use a form that he wasn't using in his nightly performances. His current favorites were Steven Rogers or Natasha Romanoff. People that were both beautiful and powerful that wouldn't stand out amongst the Grandmaster's vast collection of living jewels.

The Grandmaster was powerful but he was also lazy and complacent. If he was too slow not to question Loki more deeply about his powers, then Loki wasn't going to point out his limits. Natasha had always told Loki, "Don't share all your secrets. They are like currency. Just tell the part that you know you can work with. And save the rest for a rainy day." Natasha was always wise like that. And Loki trusted her council. If she were here, there was no doubt in Loki's mind that she would be running the place by now.

But she wasn't. None of his friends were.

Moving his plate to the table Loki sat down to enjoy his breakfast. Normally he ate with the Hulk but the Hulk had a battle last night and was always slow to rise after Fight days. Loki couldn't blame him, Loki too was sore after the nights the Grandmaster had need of him. It would be ok though. They would dine later in the week together. The only good news was that with so many Champions and Contenders of different types here on Sakaar, the entertainment had to be spread out.

Which meant they had hours and certain days off. Well, some of them did. The low level champions who fought in the rings didn't. The ones higher up like Hulk did if they win. Rules were simple. You win, you keep your status, apartment and you get to rest until your next fight. You lose, more likely than not, you would be dead. At least with Loki's job, he didn't have to worry about death. He was always a favorite.

Loki glared at the envelopes. He knew what they were, he just didn't want to open them yet. Instead Loki looked out his window staring at the many wormholes that littered the sky.
One of those should lead to Earth. It was just – which one? There were so many and not enough time for Loki to learn which one led where. Getting close to the Grandmaster was helping but it didn't look like he knew either. All the Grandmaster cared about was keeping everyone on edge of whether or not he wanted to kill them all or keep them? That and what entertainment would be brought to him that day.

Taking a bite of his toast, Loki chewed unhappily. He had taken a liking to having his toast with jam and butter. Damn Earthlings had spoiled him. Stark and the yummy goodies he would spare no expense buying for his team. Natasha and her exotic chocolates. Banner and his endless types of teas and coffees. Then there was his Mischief-Brother-in-Crime Clint and the pranks that he would drag Loki into.

Loki even missed Parker and all of his damn questions. That kid was so adorable. He needed someone to look out for him. Most of the Avengers were too busy with adult things. The poor little Spider was often forgotten.

The Avengers didn't even know the Spider existed until Loki pointed out that there was someone fighting minor crimes in Queens. Parker was Loki's special project. The kid reminded Loki of himself. A lost soul trying to find his way in the world in desperate need of a firm guiding hand. Loki prayed that someone would look out for him while Loki was gone. Or else there would be hell to pay when Loki got home.

The toast went down in two more bites leaving Loki with the eggs. His heart gave a ping at the thought of the Supersoldiers and their meals. Gods, Loki could go for Steve's pancakes with the whipped cream and real maple syrup. Or Barnes' crepes with the fruit compote and cheese omelette. Hell, Loki would even settle for just some crispy bacon at this point.

Loki just really wanted to go home.

Picking up his mug, Loki washed the phantom tastes of delicious food away with his flavorless tea. He needed to stay centered for now to keep his mind on the goals. Thinking about a home that he couldn't reach wouldn't do him any good right now.

With that in mind, Loki turned back to the mail pile. He decided to open the packages first. They were gifts from his regulars; wine, flowers and clothes. Nothing too impressive but things with nice thoughts behind them. It gave Loki time to stall as he put the flowers into a vase.

The envelope on the other hand would be from the Grandmaster. It would contain Loki's assignment for the night.

"Might as well get it over with," Loki said determinedly as he ripped the thick paper open. The first sheet was just chatter that translated to "You're doing a great job, Honey. Keep up the good work." One thing that Loki had noticed about Sakaar was that they really did take excess to the next level. Just about everything that the Grandmaster did was chaotic and wasteful.

Loki had thought about killing the man and then taking over himself. But he was the god of mischief, not chaos. And this whole planet was a big whole nope. Plus Sakaar was nothing but a giant trash heap, Loki liked to think that he had at least a little class.

If Loki ever wanted to take over a planet, it would be one that he was familiar with. Not Jotunheim, the place was still being fixed. Loki would consider it after it was cleaned up. But Asgard, now that would probably work if they weren't in charge of protecting a good chunk of the universe. No, now that Loki thought about it was easier and more fun to just run with the Avengers.

The second page in the envelope was a little shorter. It stated who Loki would be spending the evening or night with and the expectations of his companion. Loki looked it over, happy to see that it would be only one being he would be entertaining tonight.

Another happy note was that they would not be spending the night. So that was something at least. Setting the annoying paper back down, Loki stood taking his dishes back to the kitchen to clean them.

When Loki had been on Earth, he had often heard Stark complaining about meeting after meeting that "could have been a damn email." Not that Stark would even read those but now Loki knew the feeling. These letters could have been simplified. Thinking about the metal leader made Loki's mouth twitch upwards at memory. Then an idea came to him.

The grin spread across Loki's face. Well at least now, he didn't need to worry about something to wear tonight. After setting the dishes on the drying rack, Loki made his way down the hall to the shower whistling happily as he went.

…

Say what you want about the happenings outside the main buildings of Sakaar but the Grandmaster ran everything inside with a smoothness that was a thing of beauty. From the food that was always served on time to the parties that could start without warning. A possible reason could be because of how scared everyone was. When you were ruled by a tyrant king, you had to be ready to please.

That being said, lunch went well. The food was good, the wine was flowing and the Grandmaster was happy. He even made a point to talk to Loki personally. Made sure that Loki remembered the upcoming birthday celebration. "It will be my birthday and I will have all of the best things my planet has to offer. And that includes having you." The leer made it clear what that entailed. Loki smiled, replying, "You just tell me what time and what you like to see and I will be there."

Loki had already known that the Grandmaster would probably like the ice giant form. The Grandmaster liked rare things. And while Jotuns were not rare, they didn't leave the home planet since the war between Asgard and Jotunheim. All except one.

"That's what I liked to hear, my little Icicle. You will look so beautiful against my bedsheets aboard the Commodore. Might even take you somewhere special like the Milky Way. Let you see your old home so that you can show me how appreciative you are," the Grandmaster had said, with a smirk and a chuckle.

The man was gone before Loki could ask for more details. That was how the Grandmaster was. Dropped you a hint and then left you hanging. Loki figured it was part of the Grandmaster's ruling strategy. No one could take your place if they didn't know everything.

It was smart. There were only a few that were close enough to know some of the intricate wheels of the Grandmaster's web. One of which was Topaz who happened to be Loki’s client for the night. If Loki played his cards right, this might be the ticket he and the Hulk had been waiting for.
...

There was a human's saying that Loki really liked. It was Go fuck yourself. Loki couldn't recall who had said it to him first. It may have been Stark or Clint. Loki's first meeting with the Avengers, hell with all Earthlings, as the Spiderling would say, was not Loki's best work or showing his best side.

Loki would like to claim that was his old self. He had a lot of issues back then that he had to work through. Finding out the people you called mom and dad were not your real parents was an eye-opener. And yeah, getting Thor banished should have just ended with a lesson being learned. A little bit of fun, no loss of life and everyone a little wiser of each other's flaws. But as often with Loki's pranks, things didn't go as they should.

Yes, his brother had come back wiser. Thor wasn't ready to rule yet but he was a hell of a lot closer now. Loki would have to say that he was impressed with how much his brother had grown while on Earth. Maybe that was what drove Loki to being jealous and coming back for revenge. That and all that Thanos had done to him. It was a recipe for disaster. Getting his butt kicked by the Avengers was an eye opener.

But it could have ended worse. Loki wasn't sure what happened to make Odin recant his original decision to let Loki rot in an Asgardian cell. Maybe it was Frigga. It could have also been his brother, Hildibrand, saying that the only thing the Jotuns wanted in retribution for King Laufey's death was for Loki to be free to come to Jotunheim to learn about his people. But what Loki really figured was that it was all Thor's fault.

After all, Odin loved his son dearly and wouldn't deny Thor much. Loki was still learning that Odin loved Loki in his own way. Just that Odin was never sure about how to handle Loki. Not that Loki could blame him.

So when Odin had Loki brought back to the throne room a few weeks after passing his sentence Loki was to say the least surprised at how little time had passed. "I have been told by many that I was too quick to judge you Loki. That I should have at least given you a chance to learn from your mistakes. So since Earth has done so much for one son, it is my wish that it helps you too. I am hopeful that this will work." Odin had stated before Loki was sent to Earth with Thor as his jailer, complete with magic dampening bracelets.

Four years later and thanks to his new family Loki was getting better. Was becoming sentimental and actually ok with it.

A feeling that his past self would have said was a bad thing. Loki guessed that was part of growing up. Getting older. Realizing that your parents were not perfect. Nor were they invincible. Learning your place in Yggdrasil. Loki was still learning who he was and what his purpose was beyond causing a little mischief. He could admit that now he still had a long way to go.

He was just taking it one day and one step at a time. Like right now he was in his Jotun skin. Loki did this every now and then. Let his true form rise up from the magical seal Odin had placed. At first for just short times until he could at least look at himself. Staring at his reflection, Loki could admit that Jotuns had a beauty to them. And as Thor had told him when Loki had finally let him see him in this form, "You are still my brother, no matter how you look nothing, will change that."

Thor had always been accepting and easy to make friends with. Loki was not. But now as Loki stared at his naked blue skin in the dresser mirror, there was something eye-catching about it. And now after spending time on Jotunheim, he knew that as far as looks went, he was blessed.

Jotons were not ugly per se. They were just built differently, more hardy. Loki being a runt was also good luck. It was why he could do magic. While Jotuns were tall and muscled to survive, Loki's body didn't need that because of the magic. A blessing, Loki supposed.

There was a chime from the clock on his bed stand that caused Loki to tear his eyes away from his reflection. It was nearing time for Topaz to arrive. Turning back to the mirror, Loki shifted his form again. There would be time later to come to terms with his true self. Right now he needed to make sure the boss's number two was happy.

It didn't take long for the blue to be completely gone, replaced with Loki's normal pale white color. Closing his eyes, Loki shifted again. This time instead of a different species to a different gender.

Opening her eyes, Loki took in her appearance. She made a lovely girl. The green eyes that hinted of smarts and fun. Black hair that was way more tamed and longer than Loki could manage as a male. Combined with her very nice figure, Loki was a statuesque beauty. With a shimmer of her power, Loki pulled her choice outfit for tonight out of her magic.

The green laced lingerie was one of Loki's favorites. Not only because it looked good on her but it was her favorite color. Green looked good on Loki in any form. Plus this outfit was a gift from someone close to her.

Tony Stark had some event that was mandatory for him to attend and a plus one that was still available. Loki had jumped when Tony had mentioned it offhandedly at an Avengers’ meeting.

Before that, Loki had only ever been to one grand party which had been in Stuttgart. And that was cut short since she was busy attending to other more important matters. But from what she had seen, it was like the parties on Asgard.

Only better.

More tamer and instead of being full stories of bloody battles and conquests in the bedroom, this seemed like an exercise of the mind and tongue. Loki wanted to try it for herself. With Tony's card, she got everything she needed, arriving back to the tower dressed and ready to go. Her entrance to the common room had caused all but one of the team to drop their jaws to the floor.

Only Thor, who had seen Loki's female form plenty of times, remained unfazed. He had simply stepped forward, adjusting a strand of Loki's hair. "Ah there, now you look perfect. Have fun tonight brother, I mean sister. Knock them dead," Thor had said encouragingly.

Loki had indeed rocked that party and felt like the belle of the ball. The night had ended in Tony's bed for the first time but not the last. Stark was a good lay. And nothing made Tony ready to go faster than the green laced lingerie.

With a smile and another burst of magic, Loki let out a clone. This one was a little taller than Loki was. That would come into play later. Loki also made her outfit a little plainer and black.

She didn't want to take away from the fact that she was the star of the show, not the clone. There were still a few more adjustments that needed to be made to their outfits. Dark Loki's outfit, while simpler, did show just as much skin. The two piece outfit was striking and the cuts on the sides of the hips made the cotton lingerie more appealing.

For herself, Loki slimmed down the fabric more giving the one piece the look of a two-piece. She left only a small strip connecting the two parts for dramatic effect. The lingerie would draw the eyes to Loki's chest and then downwards. Dark Loki did a wave of her own hand adding a pair of lite green thigh high stockings.

Loki gave them a critical look. Then with a pleased smile nodded her head in approval. Adding to the look, Loki gave them both matching stiletto heels. Then remembering Topaz liked blue, Loki applied a bright blue lipstick. The last thing they needed were their crowns. A signature that Loki liked to have with every outfit unless it was casual. The golden horns were a sign of who they really were. Of their people. Something that Loki was starting to think they may have subconsciously picked because they knew they were Jotun all along.

There was a forcefully hard knock at the door that startled Loki a little. Dark Loki rose, walking out of the room and to the door. Loki could hear their exchanges as she gave herself a final look over.

"Topaz," Loki greeted as she swept into the room. "Loki, You look real good tonight," Topaz replied. Dark Loki stepped forward, handing off the wine. After Topaz took the drink, Dark Loki moved a chair, placing it in front of Topaz. Perched on the edge, Dark Loki settled into place. Loki then took a seat using Dark Loki's body as a chair.

The leer Topaz gave them both did not go unnoticed. "So," Loki said, throwing back her own cup of wine. With a flick of a wrist, Dark Loki refilled the cup. Seeing this, Topaz quickly drank her own before holding her cup out. Both Lokis smiled twin deviant looks. They knew how Topaz was. She was uptight and bratty around the Grandmaster. But once she relaxed, she was sort of fun to be around. "How was your day?" Loki asked before holding the cup to Dark Loki's lips so she could drink too.

Topaz swallowed before starting to talk. Loki had to prompt her a little now and then to get Topaz to keep drinking. A drink that Loki had to spike a little. Loki's drink was clean of course. She needed to be clear headed to direct the show.

Every now and then Loki would lean in to pepper kisses against Dark Loki's neck or cheek. Dark Loki wasn't idled either. She ran fingertips up and down Loki's body, occasionally toying with the hem of Loki's lingerie. All the while Topaz watched. Going from one subject to another. Never realizing that Loki was guiding the conversation slowly to the question they wanted to know.

The words were barely out of Topaz's mouth before she slumped to the side. Both Lokis waited a moment to see if she would jerk back up and continue on. It had happened one time. Loki had added llama extract to the drink at a team dinner. Loki had been in the middle of a victory dance when both Steve and Bucky popped back up and started talking like they didn't just fall flat on their faces ten seconds ago. The next hour Loki had spent hiding as llamas chased him around the compound and the surrounding woods.

Only after Topaz had taken a deep inhale did Loki jump up. She moved quickly over to Topaz taking her pulse. She needed to make sure that she didn't give Topaz too much. That had happened before. They had given their client a little too much of the poison and it stopped their heart. But it was a simple fix.

Topaz's heartbeat was still strong. It made Loki smile as she bent slightly, placing fingertips to the side of Topaz's head. A quick jolt of power and the images were in place. Topaz would wake in the morning with the memory of a very enjoyable evening. In a minute Loki would magic Topaz back to her own bed.

Standing, Loki did a little victory dance balancing on the tips of her toes. A thing she learned to do from watching sports with Rhodey, Sam and Clint.

Another happy client. Another night without them touching her. "No one fucks or touches me unless I want them to," Loki said standing over Topaz with her hands on her hips. Letting out a little happy giggle, she couldn't believe how well the day had gone.

Loki didn't have much time before she found herself with her back against the wall, a body holding her firmly in place. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't Topaz but Dark Loki. Loki looked into her eyes a little unsure. Her clones didn't normally act on their own. "What's this about?" Loki asked firmly.

Dark Loki smiled before leaning down to kiss Loki deeply, causing her to arch a little into the touch. When they broke apart, it took a moment to catch her breath. "I figured you wanted to celebrate," Dark Loki said, licking her lips. It made Loki cock her head to the side. Normally if Loki did have sex with a clone it was for show for a client. But the client for the evening was out cold, and would be for the rest of the night. So Loki was trying to wrap her mind around the point of it.

It caused Dark Loki to laugh. She shifted again, this time bringing Loki's leg up to her waist. "Since when have we done things because they make sense?" Dark Loki said as she kissed up Loki's neck. Loki melted into the touch. She did have a point.

This made Dark Loki laugh again. "Of course I have a point, I am you after all. So I know us. I also know that we haven't done anything for us in a while so.. Do you want to or not?" Dark Loki asked. She leaned back, giving Loki a little space.

"Well, I suppose," she said, taking her leg and throwing it over Dark Loki's shoulder to draw their bodies closer together. "That's what I thought," Dark Loki said, leaning down to kiss Loki on the lips.

Loki let herself be drawn in. She really did need this and as the self-help books that Bucky kept leaving on the tables in the common room said self-love and self-care are the keys to healthy living. Though this might not be what those books meant.

But then Dark Loki kissed her again and Loki promptly forgot what she had been thinking about other than she wanted more.

...

Loki, despite being tired from the activities of the night before, had woken up early. She was much too excited about the new found information that she had gained. It had been hard enough trying to get a little sleep but Loki knew the importance of caring for oneself. So she slept as well as ate some breakfast before cleaning up.

Once her morning rituals were done, Loki decided on her form for the morning. She was still running high off the praise Topaz had given her so she decided to stay in her female form. Once the shift was done Loki dressed and headed out the door.

Loki already knew that she had already missed her chance to eat with the Hulk for the day but if she hurried she could catch him before training. The walk to the Gladiators’ building wasn't that long. Loki's building was right next to the other. Made that way so the Grandmaster wouldn't have to go far when he made his rounds. All the important buildings were centered around the Colosseum, just like the rhythm of life here.

The ride to the top was quiet and Loki was fidgety at the slow pace. She could of course have made a portal to get up there or could have sent a clone too, but with escape now more than a possibility Loki wanted to save her magic. Just in case.

Once off the elevator, the walk down the hallway to the Hulk's door was uneventful. Loki waited a moment to tap on the door before entering. The Hulk, like Banner, liked simple things. And one of his favorite things was the giant tub that took up a good portion of the room.

"Puny God," came the deep rumble from the waters. Loki smiled, it had taken some time to accept the nickname, just like it had taken time for the Hulk to communicate beyond grunts. "Hey Mindless Beast," Loki replied back playfully. The Hulk grunted at her before sending up a wave with enough water to soak Loki's clothes.

Loki frowned at the state of herself. "Really?" she said. The Hulk just laughed back. He was entertained easily by little things. Although, when Loki was in a pranking mood, the Hulk could be helpful. But being stuck here on this planet, Loki often wished for Banner and that big brain of his. For some reason Banner hadn't made an appearance since they arrived here. When Loki had questioned it, the Hulk just shrugged. "Banner sad" was all Loki had ever gotten back.

The Banner situation added to the list of Loki's worries. From: How long have they been here? Was anyone looking for them? Which was stupid. Loki knew her brother would never stop looking for her. Thor would not stop until he had answers. Then there was the thought of was there anyone alive to look for them? Loki didn't want to really say this but something could have gone wrong that left the Avengers dead. It wasn't like Loki could really know for sure.

Sakaar didn't involve themselves in the news of other planets, especially that of one as small and underdeveloped as Earth. From what the Hulk had told Loki, Sokovia was saved. Or at least most of it. The Hulk was unsure about most of the team members but he knew that Natasha had survived.

Loki could only remember saving the boy Maximoff twin, something that had stretched Loki's power limits. She vaguely remembered the boy and Clint helping her onto the Helicarrier. Then stumbling off to find a place to rest. The Helicarrier had apparently stopped and picked up the Avengers' quinjet before coming to their rescue. Loki figured that this would be the best place to wait for Thor and the others.

After crawling up onto a bench, Loki had fallen asleep, dreaming about how she wanted to help train Wanda. Wanda would need someone who understood the complexities of magic. And with a team of raging alpha males, the subtleties of magic would be lost to them.

Loki's dreamless sleep had been interrupted by the Hulk's roaring at several Scrappers who were trying to capture them. After some fast talking on Loki's part, they were taken to the Grandmaster to start their new lives. Since then, Loki had tried her best to make friends in high places and keep in the Grandmaster's good favor.

"Can I come in? I can scrub your back," Loki offered. The Hulk studied Loki a moment before nodding. They both knew that after a fight the Hulk's back was always a mess. Loki knew just where to touch to help ease the pain. After carefully removing her clothes, Loki slipped into the water. The Hulk watched curiously. He never made a move on Loki and Loki never had any interest in the Hulk. They each had their own someone special waiting back on Earth for them. And while Loki had fooled around before, she always asked her partner's permission beforehand.

The pair of them said nothing as Loki first washed the thick skin before setting to work on the muscles. It gave Loki time to choose her words. She was just beginning to speak when Scrapper 142 showed up busting into the room loud and annoyingly. She took one look at the Hulk and Loki before throwing her hands up into the air. "Dammit! I told you before how hard it is to get him back into training mode after one of your massages. You're doing it on purpose now!" Scrapper 142 yelled.

The Hulk frowned, pulling Loki behind him. "Angry Girl no yell at Puny God," he grumbled. "You heard him Val. No yelling," Loki said to Valkyrie with a wink. To her credit, Valkyrie didn't fuss back. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

It didn't take Loki long to cave under the look. "I wanted to discuss a plan with Hulk," Loki said in a low voice. She wasn't sure if there were any ears in here. Loki hadn't gotten to checking yet. Valkyrie glared for a bit longer before throwing her hands into the air again. "Fine, have your little chat but afterwards you come talk to me." She glared at them both, then turned on her heels leaving the room.

Loki had been very happy to find a fellow Asgardian here. Even if it had taken a bit of time to convince her that while Sakaar was fun now, there was always a chance that she could fall out of favor. Valkyrie had thought it over for a few days, coming to the decision that Loki was right. After telling Loki that she would be on their side, Valkyrie kicked Loki's ass for suggesting that she didn't have a plan.

The Hulk had been a little harder to convince.

It had taken a couple of talks to find out that the Hulk was unhappy with how the people of Earth viewed him. Something that Loki could relate to. But it seemed that wasn't all of it. The other reason had come out after Loki had suggested that they just use the Hulk's muscles and fight their way out. The Hulk had shouted at Loki, "You like the rest. Only like me causes muscle. No caring if I hurt." Then promptly threw Loki out of his room.

Loki had been taken aback by the statement. It had taken a few weeks to mend the bond but now they were ok. And Hulk wanted to go home. Wanted to fight on his own terms. But more importantly, he wanted to tell Natasha how he felt about her. Loki was sure that the spy would be fine with it. Natasha was always good at juggling. Being in a triad sounded like something that was right up her alley.

"Talk," the Hulk voiced. Loki hadn't even noticed the green giant had moved. Loki sent a spell through the room seeking for anything that could be listening. When it came back negative, Loki took a deep breath before saying, "I think I found us a ride home." At the words the Hulk smiled. "Tell me," he rumbled.

…

Loki was late to lunch.

It was really his own fault. He didn't stop talking to the Hulk until late in the afternoon. And then of course, there was the state of his clothes. After going back to his rooms for a quick change and then all but running to the Grandmaster's palace, Loki was able to make it in time for the main course.

The most shocking thing was that both Topaz and the Grandmaster were not in attendance. Which meant one thing.

Sakaar had a new arrival.

Loki had a brief thought of sympathy for the poor sap. But their bad luck could possibly mean good news to Loki. When dessert started and there was still no Grandmaster, Loki knew it meant the new arrival was a Contender.

After lunch, everyone moved to a lower floor for drinks. There was more room here for everyone to spread out and talk. Though no one wanted to talk about anything but the new arrival. Who could it be? Or did they stand a chance against the Hulk. Loki could tell when the Grandmaster had appeared because a heavy fog of tension settled in the room.

It didn't take long for the Grandmaster to walk by as he moved to the DJ booth. The man never could let anything just flow for long without meddling in some way. The blond hair was what got Loki's attention. It reminded him so much of Thor. It took a bit of movement to get a better look at the man in the chair. The same moment that Loki could finally see, the man looked up with those sky blue eyes.

Loki felt his heart pounding with excitement, happiness, fear and hope. "Thor," he whispered.

…

It was a week later when Loki and Thor landed on Earth. They had gone to Asgard first but that was a lost cause. The planet had been abandoned and all that remained were the burnt out husks of the buildings and ashes from the devastating fires. Loki was not sure if they were ever going to find their people. There were signs that whatever had happened on Asgard had left survivors, but no clue as to how many there were or where they had gone.

Thor had been heartbroken. He had been on Earth when Odin had called him back to Asgard saying they were under attack. He had left immediately only to be thrown from the Biforst midtrip, sending Thor to Sakaar instead.

The rebellion against the Grandmaster had gone well and now they had more soldiers to help just nowhere to use that muscle. But Thor was sure that their people were still out there somewhere. By going to Earth, they would at least have comrades and help while they looked. With Loki's magic, they were able to create jumps to get the ship from Asgard to Earth faster.

When they had landed at the upstate Avengers’ Compound, Loki feared that something must have gone terribly wrong across the whole universe. The place was silent in disuse. The buildings were covered in dust and as quiet as the grave. There wasn’t even an AI to greet them. Loki, not for the first time, wondered how long both he and Thor had been trapped on Sakaar.

Unsure of their next step, Loki had suggested that they stay the night. At least here, there was plenty of room for everyone. And it seemed that the pantry was still well stocked. Giving everyone a meal that wasn't all from a can cheered everyone's spirits. It also kept Loki's mind wandering as he, Thor and Hulk made the meal. Val had gone to search the premises for life, running off with the good bottles of Stark's liquor.

Thor, Loki, Hulk and Valkyrie had just sat down to talk over a plan after dinner when a portal opened up right in the middle of the conference room window. A man with black hair streaked with white and sporting a red cloak that Loki knew he wanted, stepped out looking unimpressed at the four of them. Before any of them could react a red and blue blur flew into the room. It was instantly swatted by the Hulk into the nearest wall leaving the whole room in shock.

Loki was the first to move. Hurrying over to where Peter Parker lay sprawled out on the floor. A few prods to the chest and the Spider sat up. "Mr. Loki!!" he gasped out before hugging Loki. Normally Loki was not one for hugs but he, and he hated to say this aloud, actually missed the kid. Once he let go of Loki, Parker moved on to Thor. He didn't hug Hulk. He only gave both the green giant and Val shy looks.

"Parker, where is everyone? Are they dead?" Thor asked in his booming voice, causing Peter to jump into the air. "No, Mr. Thor, Sir. We had to relocate to the War City. A lot has happened and everyone is busy. FRIDAY just told us that someone was here. And then they had to decide who was coming to get you. I volunteered first, because of course, I wanted to be the one to greet you, guys," Peter rambled on. Loki raised his hand to stop the boy. He had forgotten how much the boy had taken after Stark at times.

"Peter, You said we are at war?" Loki said calmly. At the boy's nodding head, Loki continued, "With who?" The man in the cloak finally spoke. Voice deep as he spoke a name Loki had hoped he would never have to hear again. "With Thanos."

…

Loki was the first through the portal. He didn't recognize the location. But there was still a lot of Earth he hadn't seen before. From what he could tell by the bit of cold in the wind there were up North. Maybe Sweden or Norway Loki figured.

But even if Loki had known this place beforehand, he probably couldn't tell. The huge field spanned ahead for miles with craggy high cliffs dropping down to the ocean boarding one side. Throughout the field were metal buildings all shiny that suggested they had not been there long. There were people moving between them like ants. Far in a cleared part of the field was the majority of people. From the looks of it that was where training of some sort was taking place.

Once they were all through the portal the man, Dr. Strange gave them a nod before flying off to another part of the camp. Peter, now calmed down from his earlier excitement, led them through the camp to the field. He pointed out all the various buildings but Loki couldn't focus on them.

This camp was what was left of Asgard. According to what Dr. Strange had said, Thanos had come for the Tesseract. Odin had fought him off, allowing Frigga to use the stone to transport the remaining Asgardians here to Earth. Loki was still reeling on the news that Odin was dead.

The news was a heavy blow to Loki and his brother. They both were unsure of what this would mean for the future. Loki always figured that they would still have many years left with their father. Now with him gone, Loki knew one thing for certain. There would be hell to pay for whoever killed Odin.

A flash of red and white caught Loki's attention. It was Steve. He was directing a group of SHIELD agents who were sparring with two others. Loki knew from the way they moved that it was Wilson and Natasha. Beside Steve was Bucky, as always watching Steve's six. The Sergeant gave their group a salute as they passed.

Overhead there was a roar of blasters as Stark, Rhodey, Vision, Wanda and a woman in some kind of insect armor flew by. They were followed by a blue and white streak that paused long enough for Pietro to give them finger guns before running off.

At the center of the field was a platform. On it Loki could make out three figures. One he knew was Fury right off the bat. The other two, one in black the other in gold. Loki had to wait until they were at the steps to comprehend who he was seeing.

The taller figure in black was Hela. Their sister. She had been part of Odin's Away Army. Keeping the peace on other planets. Last Loki had heard his sister had been on Jotunheim repairing damages in the smaller villages. She turned to them, giving them a wide grin that was all teeth. "Well, look who is here. Late to the party as usual," she teased, waving Stormbreaker at them. Fury looked over to them for just a moment before turning back to the field.

"Don't tease them so, Hela. I am sure your brothers have an exceptional reason for just now getting here," Frigga said. Her face was soft but the magnificent golden armor dress made her look intimidating. That and the way she held Gungnir. Loki realized with a pang that she was the sole ruler of Asgard now. Hela laughed, smiling softly. "I guess it's better to be late than dead." Then she walked to the side before coming back and setting Mjolnir down on the ground with a heavy thud. "We did think you dead, Thor, when Thanos destroyed the Bifrost. Mjolnir landed here on Earth. Loki, no one has seen you for years. You or your friend Hulk," Hela said somberly.

"Years?" Loki asked.

Frigga gave a small smile of her own. "Heimdall couldn't see you, Honey. We had no idea you were still alive. So yes, we thought you were dead. We had hoped you were still out there but we had no proof."

Fury turned to them. "You have been gone for four years."

Loki had been afraid that it had been a long time. But never this long. Loki felt Thor squeeze his shoulder. The reassurance was just what he needed. Straightening up, Loki said. "Then I got some catching up to do. Tell me what I missed."

The End