9 Not Alone Part 1

Plot: After landing on a new planet, Loki discovers something he thought was long gone.

Tone: Serious

The Guardians were sitting at the front of the ship, tending to their own devices. Quill was listening to his music, out loud since his headphones had been broken, Loki and Mantis were sitting together watching the next Avatar episode on their laptop, Drax was asleep, Nebula and Gamora were chatting in hushed whispers and Groot was playing his video game. Rocket walked into the room, a mischievous look on his face.

"I don't know about any of you but I'm in the mood to do something bad," he informed, grinning ear to ear.

"Ooh. Me too…" Quill replied, turning his music off and setting it aside.

"Like what?" Loki asked, pausing the episode. The others gazed at Rocket curiously.

"I dunno," Rocket answered with a shrug. "Steal something?"

"I am Groot!" Groot cheered, looking up from his game.

"Yeah!" Quill replied, nodding. The others nodded, exchanging mischievous glances.

"It's risky, but we do need money," Nebula replied, nodding.

"But who do we steal from?" Mantis asked, looking around.

"A rich man," Loki answered, leaning back in his seat. "They're the greediest creatures in the galaxy."

"Wasn't Tony a rich man?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was different." Loki looked away. "He used his money to save earth… but other rich men… the ones that hog all their money and let others die despite the fact they will never be able to use all that money in their lifetime…" He looked up at Quill, his eyes narrowed. "They disgust me."

"Alright, we're going full-on Robin Hood today." Quill turned on the ship, thrusting it forward. "Let's go!" Loki set the laptop aside, sitting back in his seat and putting his seatbelt on. Drax snapped awake when the ship sped forward.

"Where are we going?!" He exclaimed, pulling his seatbelt on.

"To rob a rich person for money," Rocket answered, gazing at the scanners. "We just gotta find a planet with a decent enough population."

"Whose idea was that?" Drax asked, gazing at the others. He glanced at Loki, his eyes narrowed.

Loki snorted with amusement. "Guilty as charged," he replied, holding up his hands.

"This planet looks pretty promising," Rocket informed, pointing at a green and blue planet similar to Earth. "There are big populations here, here, here, and here." He pointed to various parts of the planet.

"Yeah, I like it," Quill replied, leaning toward the scanner. He pointed at it. "Let's try here. It has the biggest population." He pressed a few buttons on the ship and it zipped toward the planet, getting closer and closer until they zoomed through the atmosphere. The ship landed with a clank.

The group walked down the ramp. In front of them, was a town consisting solely of tall fancy mansions.

"Looks like a rich town to me," Quill informed, leading the group into town.

Rocket glanced at Loki. "So, who should we rob?" Gamora slapped the back of his head. "Ow!" He gasped, rubbing his head.

"Keep that quiet, would you?" Gamora growled, glaring at Rocket. "We'll get caught before we even do anything." Loki nodded to Gamora.

"We gotta think of a plan though," Quill replied, skidding to a halt at one of the street corners. He glanced at Loki. "This was your idea, Lokes. What do you think we should do?"

"Easy," Loki replied, concealing his and the guardians' presence. "We pick the fanciest house and steal the money from their safe."

"That's it?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow. "It can't be that easy."

"It is when you have powers like mine," Loki replied, flicking his hand to summon a knife. He glanced at the houses. A tall white one with pillars and a domed roof immediately stood out to him. "That one looks promising," he replied, pointing his knife at the house.

"I am so glad you joined our team." Mantis rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling brightly.

Loki looked away. "Me too," he muttered, his face warming up. Quill giggled, nudging Loki. He glared at him. Quill cleared his throat, reverting to a straight face.

"So, what do we do, just walk in?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we'll need to get them to open the door first," Loki replied, stopping to gaze at the house. Everything from the porch to the walls was completely white as if every inch was pristine for a display. It was sickening.

"Someone will have to knock on the door to get them to come outside," Loki informed, gesturing to the porch.

"Got it," Quill replied, pointing at Loki.

"I can put them to sleep," Mantis offered, raising her hand.

"Good idea," Loki replied, nodding to her.

"And if there are more people living in the house?" Rocket asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Put them to sleep if they get in the way," Loki ordered, glancing at Mantis. "Otherwise, I can conceal our presence to get past them."

"You can just say you can make us invisible," Quill replied, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to make it sound complicated."

"It only sounds complicated to you because you're an idiot." Gamora nudged him. Quill looked away, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"Let's just get on with it," Loki replied, gesturing for the others to follow him onto the porch.

"I've got an idea," Quill informed. There was a smirk on his face as he knocked on the door. Loki smiled, raising an eyebrow. What is he up to? A pale-skinned man appeared at the door.

"Do you have a minute to talk about God?" Quill asked, pointing at the man.

"W-wha?" The man tilted his head to the side. Loki snorted with laughter. Mantis pushed her way through the group, reaching out and resting her hand on the man's forehead.

"Sleep." The man fell over backward, landing with a hard thud. Loki ducked under the doorway. The group trailed after him, either chuckling or glaring at Quill.

"What was that about?" Drax asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I thought it would be funny," Quill replied, with a shrug.

"It was," Mantis replied, giggling into her hand. Loki nodded. Nebula and Gamora shrugged in agreement. Loki pulled the door shut behind them, creeping forward among the group. Each inch of the house was as white as the walls, with fluffy rugs and furniture decorating the living room while the kitchen shined like a diamond. It was practically begging to be destroyed.

"Hello!" The group stopped. A woman's voice echoed from upstairs. "Did you get the door?" Loki met Mantis's gaze.

"I've got this," she replied with a nod. She made her way up the stairs, a gasp echoing off the walls.

"Who are you?!" the woman demanded. "What are you doing in my house?"

Mantis rested her hand on the woman's forehead. "Sleep." There was a thud. Mantis rushed back down the stairs and caught up with the group, who had gone down one of the hallways. It was full of doors.

"Alright, now where is that safe?" Rocket muttered, looking around.

"In one of these rooms probably," Loki replied, pulling one open. It was a closet full of the most ludicrous outfits Loki had ever seen. He shut the door. About twelve more were waiting for them down the hall.

"Who needs this many closets?!" Quill asked, opening and closing two doors.

"A greedy rich person," Loki replied, glancing into yet another closet.

Quill opened another door. He closed it then pulled it open again, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Ooh… actually…" He grabbed one of the suits. It was a dark red and white one with a bowtie on it. "What do you think?" he asked, gesturing toward Gamora.

"Why are you asking me?" Gamora grunted, rolling her eyes.

Quill looked away. "I was… asking everyone." Loki chuckled. Nice save. "Can I take it?" he asked, glancing at Loki.

"Take what you want," Loki replied with a shrug. "We're here to steal." Quill smiled, scooping the suit into his arm. Loki opened another door. At this point, it seemed like this hallway was just dedicated to closets but they kept searching regardless. Shrugging, Loki grabbed a few suits and dresses.

"I'll take a few too," Nebula replied, tearing them off their hangers. "Just to spite them." Her lip twitched up in a smile. Gamora nodded to her.

Once they had searched all the closets, Gamora, Quill, Mantis, Nebula, and Drax were carrying several outfits each. At the end of the hall, was a dining room. Rooms stretched in several directions, including a second(?) living room, a staircase, and a room that seemed to be filled with shelves of shoes.

"God, this place looked smaller from the outside," Loki grunted, resting his hand on his forehead.

"Let's split up," Quill suggested, "We can cover more ground that way. Rocket, Groot, Drax…" He pointed at the shoe room. "You go that way. Gamora, Nebula, that way." He pointed at the living room. "Mantis, Loki, you're with me up the stairs." Quill winked at him. Loki scowled, knowing immediately what he was insinuating.

The groups went their separate ways. Loki, Quill, and Mantis made their way up the stairs, only to be greeted with yet another hallway.

"How many people live here?" Mantis asked, looking around.

"Only two people apparently," Loki replied with a shrug. Who needs a house this big?! How greedy do you have to be?!

"Lucky for us," Quill replied with a shrug. The three made their way down the hall, stopping in front of a lone door. "This must be a bedroom…"

Loki knocked on the door. Quill's jaw dropped, and he raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Loki asked, with a shrug. "You wanted to walk in on someone in the bedroom?"

Quill snorted with laughter. "Fair enough." He pressed his ear to the door. "I can't hear anything. I don't think there's anyone inside."

Cautiously, Loki pulled open the door. He glanced inside to see a king-sized bed, thankfully empty, sitting in the middle of the room. Beside it was a safe.

"Jackpot!" Quill exclaimed, flinging the door open. Loki and Mantis followed him. The safe was taller than Quill, with a lock at the level of his eyes.

"There must be so much in here!" Quill gasped, pulling at the lock. He grunted, trying to yank it off.

"Allow me," Loki replied, pushing Quill aside. He conjured up a key for the lock, twisting it open and throwing the lock aside. Then he pulled the door open. Loki's eyes widened. Gold coins were stacked unevenly inside, filling every inch of the safe.

Quill glanced at Loki. "Bag. Now." Loki nodded, conjuring up a bland sack. He, Quill, and Mantis all grabbed handfuls of coins, hastily sliding them into the bag. Once they'd gotten it all, Loki tied the sack closed. The three carried it down the stairs, struggling not to drop it.

"Everyone!" Quill called, looking around at the foot of the stairs. They waited a few minutes, and the others appeared. "We found the safe!" Quill announced, struggling to lift the sack of money even with Loki and Mantis's help. "We can leave."

Loki gazed at the others. They were all carrying their outfits from earlier along with a variety of expensive objects including pieces of jewelry and pottery. Rocket, however, held nothing but shoes. Just a huge pile of shoes taller than himself.

"Quill, can you help me carry these shoes?" Rocket asked, shifting in place to gaze up at him.

"What, why are you taking their shoes?!" Quill asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You don't even wear shoes!"

"Because!" Rocket giggled to himself. "When they wake up, they're not gonna have any shoes!" He cackled like a psycho, pulling the pile closer to him. Loki's lip twitched up.

"You know, this is pretty tame for Rocket," Quill commented to Loki.

Rocket stopped laughing. "Oh, I also stole the man's arm." He gestured to the mechanical hand sticking out of the top of the pile. Loki chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, that's more like it," Quill replied, rolling his eyes. Loki smiled, conjuring up a bag and tossing it at Rocket.

"Here, put the stuff in there. Let's get out of here." The group made their way down the hallway.

"You're such an enabler," Quill murmured in Loki's ear. He rolled his eyes.

The group stopped in front of a window. They exchanged glances, smirking. Loki, Quill, and Mantis stepped forward, slamming the sack of coins against the window. It shattered into pieces. The bag fell to the ground, the coins spilling out. Loki jumped out the window. The others followed his lead, Quill, and Mantis helping him pick up the bag again. Laughing, they made their way toward the ship.

"That was fun," Gamora muttered to Nebula. The two nodded to each other. Loki smiled. The group made their way through the town.

"Is that a pub?" Drax asked, stopping and pointing at something. Loki looked to see a small building, with a sign that read 'pub' over it.

"You guys wanna stop for a drink?" Quill asked, glancing at the others.

"Eh, I'm good," Rocket replied, dragging his bag behind him as he walked away. Gamora, Nebula, and Groot shrugged as well.

"We'll get the stuff back to the ship," Nebula replied, taking the bag of the money. Gamora and Groot took the other fancy trinkets with them.

"I suppose I could go for a drink," Loki answered, glancing back at Quill. But I shouldn't have too much.

"And I'll uh…" Mantis stepped forward, standing at Loki's side. "Come too."

Loki gazed at her in surprise. "I thought you didn't drink?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mantis let out a chuckle. "Well, someone has to help you guys when you're too drunk to walk yourselves."

Loki looked away, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, damn." Quill covered his mouth as he chuckled.

Drax burst out laughing pointing at Loki. "That is.." He gasped through his laughs. "So true!" He held his hand out for Mantis, who accepted the high five with an awkward smile.

"Oh, so it's just me?" Loki asked, glancing at Drax and Quill. They fell silent, their eyes wide as they looked away.

"Yeah," Mantis added, resting her hand on Loki's shoulder. "I was referring to all of you." She glanced at Loki. "I didn't mean to single you out," Mantis smirked. "You're all silly." Loki cracked a smile, looking away awkwardly.

The four made their way into the pub, immediately sitting at the front counter and ordering their drinks. Quill took tequila, Drax took vodka, and Loki took red wine.

"Is that blood?" Mantis asked, pointing at Loki's drink.

Loki chuckled. "No, it's just wine." He smiled, taking a sip.

"It does look like blood," Quill replied with a shrug. "To be honest, I could see you drinking blood."

"Quill, I'm not a vampire," Loki replied, rolling his eyes.

"What's a vampire?" Mantis asked, tilting her head to the side.

"They're humans that suck blood and explicitly do not sparkle in the sun." Loki smiled. He still had no idea what Tony meant when he said that.

"Well that's just silly," Drax cut in, his voice dry. "No one sparkles in the sun."

"Except maybe Mantis." Quill nudged Loki's shoulder, smirking. Loki glared at him. She's right here Quill!

Mantis just laughed. "I don't sparkle in the sun, either."

To me you do… Wait, what?! Loki took a sip of his drink, his eyes wide. He fell silent, listening to the people's conversations around the pub as his friends continued to chat.

"This place isn't doing us any favours."

"Yeah, but where else can we go? We don't have a ship."

"We have to get back to Jotunheim." Loki nearly dropped his glass. Is the alcohol already getting to me or did they say what I thought they said?! He looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, three blue humanoid figures were sitting at the table behind them, their eyes as red as blood and hoods covering their heads. Frost giants? But how...?!

Quill glanced at him. "Loki, what are you-" Loki pointed at the frost giants. Mantis and Drax turned around as well, their eyes wide.

"Then we gotta find a way off this garbage planet," one of the Jotuns grunted, presumably a female.

"I saw a spaceship parked outside the city," another one replied, standing up. "Wanna check it out?"

"Sure." The other two stood up, following the other one out of the pub.

"They're talking about the Benatar!" Loki exclaimed, his heart beating out of his chest. "We have to stop them." He stood up.

"I'm sure the others can handle those guys," Drax replied, shrugging and turning back to his drink.

Quill nodded. "They don't look all that tough."

"You don't understand. Those creatures are frost giants!"

Mantis's eyes widened. "I thought you said they were all dead!"

"That's what I thought as well…" Loki bit his lip. I��d be relieved that I didn't commit genocide if they weren't going to hurt my friends!

"Frost giants," Quill echoed, tilting his head to the side. "You mean like you?"

"Yes, except I'm half-Asgardian. Sort of, it's complicated. The touch of a frost giant could kill them."

Quill's eyes widened. "You're right, that is bad." He and Drax stood up from their seats.

"Let's go stop them!" Mantis exclaimed, standing up beside them.

"Without touching them? How?" Drax asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, I can handle it." Loki summoned his daggers into his hands as well as a pair of gloves. I can't let them know who I am…

Quill, Mantis, and Drax followed Loki out of the pub and into the town. A yowl split the air. Loki's eyes widened, and he dashed across the street. They found them! The frost giants were approaching the guardians, who were all backed up on the ramp of the ship. Gamora was gripping her arm, which had turned blue.

"Get away from them!" Loki lunged onto the ramp, standing between his friends and the frost giants.

"Loki, what are you doing?!" Gamora exclaimed, her eyes narrowed at him. The frost giants stared at Loki with wide eyes.

"Get him!" one of them ordered, pointing at him. One of the frost giants lunged at Loki, grabbing his wrists. His daggers slipped out of his hands. Grunting, Loki grabbed the frost giant's wrists, throwing him sideways off the ramp. He summoned his daggers again.

"He's immune!" the short one exclaimed, staggering backward. The female one lunged at Loki, fists raised to attack. Loki caught her wrists. Struggling in place, Loki kicked the frost giant backward, staggering for a moment before he regained his balance. The frost giant stumbled down the ramp.

Stepping forward, Loki shoved his dagger into her stomach, spilling blue blood. Her eyes widened. Shoving Loki backward, she raised her hand and a knife of ice appeared. She slashed it across Loki's face. Loki staggered back, covering his cheek as his heart skipped a beat. The Jotun's eyes were wide. Before Loki could react, the frost giant grabbed his wrist with one hand and ripped his glove off with the other. He flinched, but her grip was too strong. His hand turned as blue as hers. Well, shit...

"You!" The frost giant met his gaze, her eyes wide. "You're one of us!"

The other frost giants gazed at him with similar shocked expressions. Loki struggled free of her grasp.

"So it seems…" Loki muttered, gazing down at his hand, which was slowly returning to its normal shade.

"Why didn't you show them that sooner?" Rocket muttered, folding his arms. Loki glared down at him. It's complicated, okay?

"Wait a minute…" The older male frost giant stepped forward, looking Loki up and down as if he were a painting. His face lit up with realization. "It's you! The one who let us into Asgard!"

Well, no use keeping the secret now. Loki tore off his other glove, taking a step forward and glaring down at the frost giants. "I am Loki of Jotunheim, son of Laufey... your rightful king."

"Son of Laufey?" the younger one echoed, tilting his head to the side.

"But how?" the female one asked, raising an eyebrow. "Laufey's only son was left behind when we were escaping the Asgardians."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "I think the words you're looking for are 'abandoned for being a runt.'"

"Laufey did not intend to abandon you!" The male one replied, his tone gruff.

"And neither did your mother!"

Loki's heart skipped a beat. "My… mother?"

"Farbauti. She's missed you so much!"

"She's at our base. She'd be glad to see you!" The frost giants gazed at him eagerly.

"Um…" Loki took a step back. You were just trying to kill my friends and now you want me to come with you to your base?!

"You should drop the disguise though," the younger one suggested, beaming.

"Yeah, she'll want to see her son, not an Asgardian poser," the female one added, flicking her hand dismissively.

"Er…" Loki cast a glance at the Guardians. "Can you guys wait for me on the ship?"

"Sure!" Rocket waved, turning and heading into the ship. The others followed him inside, aside from Nebula, who approached Loki.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she muttered under her breath.

"I do." No, I absolutely do not. Help me. I can't let them find out I have the casket they will turn on me in an instant. Loki didn't dare say that out loud. Instead, he forced a smile, hoping Nebula would think he seemed confident. She raised an eyebrow but followed the others inside.

Loki and the Jotuns made their way down the ramp, allowing Quill, Mantis, and Drax to pass them.

"See you later?" Mantis asked, gazing at him hopefully.

Loki smiled. "Yes, later." He smiled as he watched her walk away, his entire body feeling as warm as a fireplace.

"Enjoy your family reunion!" Quill called, waving as he walked up the ramp. Loki's smile faded.

"They're-they're not all my family," he replied, gazing at the other frost giants.

"Actually, I'm your uncle," the male frost giant informed, pointing at him. "Farbauti's brother, Brynjolf."

"And I'm your cousin, Randolf," the younger one added, also pointing at Loki.

"Um… nice to meet you…" I suppose. Loki awkwardly began to walk away. The three followed him, the female one walking by his side.

"I'm not related to you, but I'm Embla," she greeted, smiling and pointing at him.

"Hi…" Loki greeted, looking away.

"Have you never met another Jotun?" Randolf asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Not since the uh…" Loki froze, his eyes wide. "The-the event in which the Bifrost was destroyed!"

"Oh, about that!" Embla inched closer, gazing at him curiously. "Do you know how that happened?"

"No." Loki's heart pounded out of his chest, but he kept a straight face. "I wasn't there."

"That's a shame," Brynjolf sighed, his head hung low. "I always wanted to know what happened that day."

"Yes, it was confusing," Embla agreed with a nod. "One minute we were sneaking into Asgard about to murder the treacherous Odin and the next our home was being destroyed." She glanced at Loki. "Say, you must know this. What -or who- was doing that to Jotunheim?"

"Thor," Loki blurted out. He immediately felt a pang of guilt. I am so sorry my dear brother.

"Ah, Odinson. That makes sense." Loki fell silent as he followed the three Jotuns through town. He noticed for the first time how much shorter he was than his fellow Jotuns. Randolf was about as tall as him. Embla and Brynjolf, however, were both a head taller than him, possibly more.

The group made their way toward a more decrepit part of the city, where the buildings were smaller and more run down. They made their way down an alleyway.

"Your mother is in there," Embla informed, pointing at a tall purple curtain at the end of the alley.

"Do you want to speak to her alone?" Brynjolf asked, resting his hand on Loki's shoulder. Loki instinctively flinched away.

"Yes," he answered, switching to his Jotun form. He took a step toward the curtain, his hands suddenly shaking as he raised them. If she finds out that I killed Laufey I'm a goner… Loki cast a glance at the others.

"Go on in," Embla replied, gesturing him forward with her hand. Brynjolf and Randolf nodded along.

Loki let out a sigh. He glanced at the curtain, taking a deep breath as he walked through. On the other side, was another female Jotun, her face covered by a black hood. She was sitting hunched over the table.

"Um… Hello?"

Farbauti glanced up at him, her eyes shining with confusion. "Who are you?"

Loki took a step back. She doesn't recognize me…? "Your-your son? Laufeyson…?"

Farbauti flicked her hood off gazing at him as she stood up. Loki's eyes widened. She was much taller than the other two Jotuns!

"Leif?" Her voice was soft, and her eyes began to water.

"Uh…"

"Oh my gosh!" Farbauti threw herself at Loki, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing. "Leif! You're alive! My Leif!"

"Um…" Loki awkwardly squirmed within the hug. "That's not my name…" Wait, they probably named me something else! "At least not anymore."

"Oh, of course…" Farbauti took a step back, freeing Loki from the hug. "You never knew your birth name. What are you called now?"

"Loki."

"Loki…" Farbauti tilted her head to the side. "That's clearly an Asgardian name."

"Well…" Loki shrugged. "I was raised by Asgardians."

Farbauti's eyes widened. "You were?"

"Yes, I was a prince there too."

"Then you were well taken care of?" Farbauti asked, raising an eyebrow. Her tone sounded accusatory.

"Yes. Frigga was a good mother and Odin…" How do I say this politely? "Tried…" Nailed it. "And I had Thor, even when I didn't appreciate him."

"You were close to them? Asgardians?"

"Yes?" Loki tilted his head to the side.

"Most Jotuns aren't close to anyone outside of their own species."

"Well… I'm not all Jotun." Loki gestured to himself. "Odin cast an enchantment on me to make me more like an Asgardian. I'm not sure how far that enchantment went."

"Not very far apparently," she commented, pointing at his hands.

"Huh?" Loki glanced at his hand, realizing that they were still blue. "Oh… This isn't how I normally look. The enchantment made me look more Asgardian and… Did other things." I don't hurt others when I touch them, for example.

"Well, that explains why you have hair." Farbauti pointed at his hair. "No other Jotuns do."

"Oh… Uh���" Loki pulled his hair back.

Farbauti grabbed his hand. "No, no, I like it." She smiled. "You look nice."

Loki smiled. "Uh… thanks…"

"Have you ever learned how to use your powers?" Farbauti asked, eying him curiously.

"My Jotun powers? Only a little." He turned around, summoning some water and freezing it with a flick of his hands. Farbauti didn't look impressed.

"Wow, you weren't kidding. You barely even know the basics." She stepped aside. Holding up her hand, a knife made entirely of ice appeared in her hand. Loki's eyes widened.

"How… How did you do that?"

"Depositing the air around me," she replied, flicking the knife away. "Though I suppose the enchantment that Odin-" She spat the word out like it was poison. "-put on you might make that more difficult." Farbauti took a step closer, grabbing Loki's hands. His eyes widened. Her hands were much colder than his. "Gosh, your hands are warm!" she gasped, flinching back.

"Really?" Loki asked, smiling. "People always tell me I'm as cold as ice."

"You're not…. You're not overheating are you?!" Her tone was laced with concern.

"No, this is normal for me," Loki answered, with a shrug. Wow, I'm more Asgardian than I realized...

"Ugh, what did that Odin do to you?" Oh, you don't even know the half of it. "You may not be capable of accessing your abilities without the Casket of Ancient Winters. Oh, do you know what happened to the casket?"

Loki's heart skipped a beat. "No, I don't."

"Oh…" Farbauti looked away, letting out a sigh. "I just thought you might since… it was on Asgard last. I know it wasn't destroyed on the planet."

"How?" Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You really don't know anything about your own species, do you?" Loki shook his head. Apparently not. "If the Casket were destroyed, every Jotun would die."

Loki's eyes widened. "Oh…"

"Yes, it's more than just our source of power. Sure, we abused it in the past but without it, we're all clinging onto life." Loki looked away. You killed thousands with the casket. Odin was right to take it away. Or was he…?

"But enough about that." Farbauti smiled, taking a deep breath. "I honestly feel stronger than I have in a while." She shook out her shoulders. "Come on, let's get you acquainted with the others."

Farbauti gestured for him to follow, pushing up the curtain. Loki walked outside. Farbauti allowed the curtain to fall behind them, stepping to stand beside Loki.. The other Jotuns made their way toward them.

"Farbauti," Brynjolf greeted, pointing at them as he approached. "Nice to see you out and about."

Farbauti smiled. "I suppose you've already met my brother, Brynjolf."

"I have," Loki replied, nodding to him.

"And us," Embla added, gesturing to Randolf. The short Jotun smiled at Loki.

"Who is this?" A female Jotun asked, pointing at Loki.

"This is my son, Leif," Farbauti answered. Loki flinched as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Or as he prefers to be called: Loki."

"Wow, Laufeyson," one of the male Jotuns glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Odin found me… as an infant…" Loki glared at Farbauti, though she didn't notice it. "He cast an enchantment on me to make me more like an Asgardian, and raised me on Asgard."

"You were raised by Asgardians?!" one of them asked, their eyes wide. Loki nodded.

"Our sworn enemies?!" another added, her eyes narrowed. "But, why?! And why would Odin of all of them take you in?"

"He did it to serve his own purposes," Loki admitted, biting his lip. "But the others embraced me as one of their own. I only wish the same from all of you." The Jotuns all fell silent, exchanging glances of shock. Loki smiled triumphantly.

"And we will," Farbauti replied, finally breaking the silence. "You'll feel right at home in no time, my son." She gestured to the others. "All of you, introduce yourselves to him."

"Name's Helga," one of the females replied, pointing at Loki.

"I'm Ingrid," one of the males added, pointing at him. He gestured to the female beside him. "This is my twin, Sigrid." Not like I can tell the difference anyway.

"Nice to meet you," Loki replied, waving at them.

"You have a strange way of greeting others," Embla commented, tilting her head to the side.

Loki shrugged. "Go figure."

"Do you know how to use your powers?" Randolf asked, flicking his hand and summoning an icicle. Loki shook his head.

"Would you like to learn?" Farbauti asked, turning to him. "I wouldn't mind teaching you."

"Um… Alright…"