10 Not Alone Part 2

Plot: Loki returns to his "home" planet.

Tone: Serious

Ice was shooting in every direction around the fountain, into the sky, toward the ground, near bystanders who walked by. Farbauti was creating and firing the ice from nothing. Loki watched her from the fountain. He gazed at his hands, straining his fingers as he attempted to condense the air into ice, or even just water.

"Phew," Farbauti sighed, walking toward Loki. "That's more ice than any Jotun has been able to produce in a long time."

"Speak for yourself," Loki grunted, flicking his hand.

"You're still trying too hard," Farbauti replied, sitting down next to Loki. "Loosen up a bit."

Loki took a deep breath. Opening his eyes, Loki held his hands up and flicked them side to side. Water dripped down in front of him. Loki's eyes widened. He extended his hands, guiding the water into a small sphere in front of him.

"Well, it's something," Farbauti replied with a shrug. "Your powers are very strange, I've never seen a Jotun's powers work like this."

"I suppose Odin nerfed me." Loki paused to giggle. However, Farbauti gazed at him, confusion shining in her eyes. "Oh, you don't…" Loki let out a sigh. He glanced at his locket, a wave of sorrow washing over him as he gazed at him and Tony's picture. He would've loved that...

"Who is that with you?" Farbauti asked, pointing at the picture in the locket.

"Hm?" Loki glanced back at Farbauti. For a moment, he had forgotten she was there. "It's my friend, Tony… he passed away a few months ago." Loki looked away, his eyes watering.

"I'm sorry…" Farbauti murmured, resting her hand on Loki's shoulder. Loki pushed her hand aside, standing up.

"Anyways…" He held his hands out, condensing the air into water before quickly freezing it into ice. Loki gestured to the icicle. "How was that?"

"Better," Farbauti replied, nodding. "But the transition between air and ice is more instantaneous." She let out a sigh. "This would be easier if we were on Jotunheim."

"How is the planet?" Loki asked, flicking away the ice. "Why did you leave?"

"It's been in shambles," Farbauti admitted, eyes narrowed. "I've been ruling the remaining Jotuns alone since Laufey died."

Loki's eyes widened. Not including him and Farbauti, he had only seen six other Jotuns in the alley. "That's all that's left?"

"Oh no. The others are still on Jotunheim. I left one of my advisors in charge of the planet while I went with this group to scout for a planet outside of the nine realms for us to live." Loki didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified that there were more Jotuns alive.

"Are you stuck here?" Loki asked, trying to change the subject.

Farbauti nodded. "Our ship crash-landed. We hate it here. Nothing can replace our home planet, even if it's in shambles."

Loki let out a sigh. "I could get you and the others back to Jotunheim… I'm sure my friends wouldn't mind giving you a ride on our ship."

Farbauti's eyes lit up. "Really?" Loki nodded. "Thank you…" Farbauti and Loki began making their way through the town, back toward the alleyway. "Will you stay?"

Loki's eyes widened. "Stay? On-on Jotunheim?" Absolutely not.

"Yes." Farbauti let out a sigh. "Son, I'm getting old, too old to rule my people for much longer, and you're my only offspring. It's your birthright to become king." Loki cringed. Not this again.

"I am… not fit to be king."

"Well perhaps not yet, but with a little training-"

"I…" Loki raised his hand, and Farbauti fell silent. "I'll think about it." They stopped in front of the alleyway. "Tell everyone they have a ride off the planet. I'll let my friends know beforehand." Farbauti nodded. The two went their separate ways.

King?! Again?! What's with everyone wanting me to be their king all of a sudden?! I'm not fit for the role! Loki marched back to the Benatar, making his way up the ramp and into the ship. His friends were all sitting at the table, tending to their own devices again. Mantis looked up at him, her eyes bright.

"Loki! You're back!" She dashed toward Loki, throwing her arms around him. Loki's cheeks reddened as he returned the gesture. The others gazed at him.

"Hey! About time!" Rocket replied, jumping out of his seat. "You ready to ditch this place?"

Loki backed out of Mantis's hug. "About that…" He trailed off, looking away as he wondered how he should explain.

"What?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You remember those Jotuns I went with?" Loki began, glancing back up at his friends.

"You mean the frost giants?" Drax asked, tilting his head to the side.

Loki cringed. "Don't call them that. Just don't." It's a stupid nickname the Asgardians gave them. I shouldn't have even used it. He cleared his throat. "Anyways, they need a ride back to their home planet, Jotunheim."

"Well, I guess that's not a big deal," Quill replied with a shrug.

"Just as long as none of them touch us!" Gamora snapped, pointing at Loki.

"I won't let them," Loki replied with a nod. "If they even try I'll-" Loki stopped when he heard footsteps echoing up the ramp. He turned around. The seven Jotuns, with Farbauti in the lead, were making their way into the ship.

"Ah, right on time." Loki gestured them all inside, holding his arms out in front of the Guardians. The Jotuns stopped in front of him, glaring at the Guardians. They glared back at them.

"We have to share a ship with them?" Helga grunted, pointing at the Guardians.

"You'll only be here for a short while," Loki replied, his eyes narrowed. "And they happen to be my friends. You shall not raise a finger to harm them."

"Listen to him," Farbauti added, with a nod. The Jotuns stepped back, allowing the Guardians to walk toward the front of the ship. Loki kept a sharp eye on the Jotuns.

"Head below deck," he ordered, turning to follow the others.

"Thank you!" Randolf replied, raising his hand. Loki nodded to him as he made his way onto the deck.

"You sure this is a good idea, Lokes?" Rocket asked, pressing some buttons on his control panel. "I mean, can we really trust them?"

"Not really," Loki admitted with a shrug. He sat down in his own seat.

"Then why the hell are we doing this?" Rocket asked, slamming his hand against his seat.

"I just don't want any more guilt on my conscience," Loki sighed, looking away. The ship hovered above the ground, zipping into the atmosphere above.

"What do you mean 'more guilt?'" Quill asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I've done many things in the past that I'm not proud of, I just want to forget about them and move on."

"That doesn't seem like the best way to cope," Mantis commented, her antennae drooping. Loki shrugged. Probably not.

"Are you okay Loki?" Mantis asked, suddenly concerned. "You seem a bit down."

Loki looked away. How could she tell?! She wasn't even touching my hand!

"The Jotuns want me as their king," Loki blurted out. The ship screeched to a halt. The other guardians gazed at him with wide eyes.

"They want you to what?!" Quill demanded, snapping his seatbelt off.

"The queen of Jotunheim is my mother, by birth at least, and there's no other heir to the throne. So they want me." The group exchanged glances.

"Just give the throne to someone else like you did with Asgard," Rocket suggested with a shrug.

"That was different, I knew Valkyrie. We fought together and she acted as my advisor when I was king." Loki let out a sigh. "I don't know any of the Jotuns apart from Farbauti… the queen."

"Get to know them then," Nebula replied, turning back around. "You'll have to stay for at least a while."

"Yes, you can't just abandon your responsibility," Mantis added, nodding.

"Jotunheim is not my responsibility," Loki replied, his eyes narrowed. "Just because I was born there doesn't mean I have any obligation to its citizens."

"Yeah, but what about your mom?" Rocket asked.

Loki slammed his fist down. "Farbauti is not my mother! I hadn't even met her until earlier today! Frigga was my mother!" Loki looked away as his eyes watered. I will not replace Frigga. She was my mother. Farbauti was just the one that abandoned me.

"You can have two moms." Loki glared at Rocket. He looked away, shrugging. "Just saying." That's not the problem, Rocket!

"Look, we're not saying you should stay," Quill cut in, gesturing to Loki. "We want you to stay with us, but you should help them."

"You have the power to," Drax added.

"What, you mean the casket?" Loki glanced over his shoulder. The Jotuns were still downstairs below deck. Still, he concealed his and the guardians' presences, so they couldn't hear them talking.

"If I give them the casket, they'll use it to destroy Earth, and by extension, the rest of the Asgardians, and maybe even the other realms. They've used it poorly in the past. I won't allow the casket to fall into the wrong hands again." Loki paused, noticing that he was pacing around the ship.

"You sure you just don't want to give it up?" Gamora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The last time they had the casket, they nearly caused a second ice age on earth and killed thousands of people."

Gamora's eyes were wide. "Okay, that is pretty bad…"

"I am Groot," Groot added, nodding.

"But didn't you murder thousands of people on earth too?" Rocket asked, raising an eyebrow.

Loki cringed. "I was influenced by the Mind Stone! Give me a break! The Jotuns were in full control of their actions when they slaughtered all those people."

"When was this?" Nebula asked, tilting her head to the side.

"A thousand years ago."

"A thousand years-" Quill threw his arms up, his expression completely baffled. "Dude, that's a long time!"

"Not for us. Jotuns and Asgardians can live for five thousand years. I'm a little over a thousand and I'm still quite young."

"Well, maybe with you as their king, they won't try to destroy Earth again," Quill suggested, forcing a smile.

"True, but then I'd be too busy to see you," Loki sighed, gesturing to the others.

Mantis stood up. "I'll stay with you."

Loki's eyes widened. "R-really?" he asked, his voice breathless.

"Of course." Mantis smiled. "I'd follow you anywhere." She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. Loki returned the hug. He smiled even as his cheeks burned like a fire.

"I'll stay too," Quill added, raising his hand. "But you know, first we gotta get there."

Loki and Mantis sat back in their seats as Quill drove the ship forward. As they did, Loki couldn't take his eyes off Mantis. Did she really mean that? Does she really… care that much?

"Where is this place?" Quill asked, snapping Loki out of his thoughts.

"Not far from Asgard…" The others gazed at him, tilting their heads to the side. "W-where it once was," Loki corrected, looking away. He glanced back at Quill. "Perhaps I should drive. I know where it is." The ship screeched to a halt.

"Well… I guess …" Quill stood up, letting out a sigh as he stepped to the side. Loki sat down in the pilot's seat, immediately pulling up the map and taking hold of the clutch. The ship zipped forward at a high speed.

A few hours later, the blurry shape of Jotunheim appeared before them. Damn, this ship is fast.

"Here we are," Loki announced, gesturing to the blurry shape in front of them.

"This planet looks dead," Quill commented, gazing at his scanner.

"It is," Loki replied with a shrug. "In a way." The ship drifted through the atmosphere and toward the surface, landing with a clank.

"Are we there?" Farbauti asked, rushing up on deck. The other Jotuns trailed after her, their gazes curious. Loki nodded.

"That was quick," Helga commented, glancing at Loki. "You must be a really good pilot."

"Eh, we just have a quick ship," Quill replied, shrugging. "It has nothing to do with the pilot."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that Quill," Rocket replied, nudging him as he passed. Quill glared down at him.

"Well, we dropped them off, let's go," Gamora replied, gesturing at the controls.

"Actually…" Farbauti took a step forward, her gaze intent on Loki. "Leif, I mean, Loki, can you come with us?"

"Farbauti, I-"

"Just so you can see what's happened to Jotunheim," she insisted, her gaze desperate and pleading.

"It hasn't been good," Brynjolf added, nodding to his sister.

"Fine," Quill cut in, stepping to Loki's side. "But if he's going, we're all going."

Loki glanced at Quill. "All of us?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"Look, I don't want you to be alone with these guys on their home planet," Quill muttered in his ear. "I still don't trust them."

"Yes, we'll come as well," Nebula added, glaring at the other Jotuns. "Unless you have any objections?"

"Of course not," Farbauti replied, faking a smile even as her eyes were ablaze. "Friends of Loki's are welcome here."

The group made their way off the ship, the Jotuns going first as Loki and the guardians trailed after them into the snow.

"Good God!" Quill shivered, pulling his arms into his chest. His breath came out in a puff. The others shivered as well, apart from Nebula and Rocket, who walked on as if nothing was different.

"Um… sorry…" Loki conjured up coats for everyone. They let out sighs of relief, while Quill immediately shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I am Groot," Groot grunted, turning around.

"Yeah, good idea," Rocket replied, flicking his paw at him. "You wait in the ship and turn the heat up." Loki watched Groot walk away.

"I'm still cold," Mantis murmured, pressing against Loki's side. His eyes widened.

"Um…" Loki looked away, his heart beating out of his chest. She doesn't mean what you think she means. It really is cold here. Before Loki could come up with an answer, Quill stepped to his other side. He nudged him, giving him a familiar teasing smirk. Loki scowled. He looked back at Mantis, his gaze softening.

"Do you…" Loki bit his lip. "Want gloves… or earmuffs or… something?" He looked away. Mantis just snorted with laughter. Loki glanced at her, unable to stop himself from smiling. The others skidded to a halt in front of him. Loki looked up.

"Did you hear that?" Brynjolf asked, his eyes wide. The group fell silent. A slashing noise echoed in the distance, along with yowls and cries.

"Fire demons!" Farbauti exclaimed, dashing ahead. "They're attacking again!" Fire demons? From Muspelheim?!

"Again?" Loki echoed, dashing after the queen. "What do you mean again?"

"I'll explain later," Farbauti replied, conjuring up knives made of ice.

Loki conjured up his own daggers. The others dashed after them, also grabbing their respective weapons as they neared the battlefield. Loki skidded to a halt. Down the hill, hundreds of fire demons were brawling with the Jotuns, who were horribly outnumbered. Loki followed the others into battle. Quill put his mask on, jumping down the hill and soaring through the sky. He shot at the demons from above.

Loki lunged into battle, slashing one fire demon to pieces before turning to the one behind him and stabbing it and kicking it away. Another charged at him, grabbing his hands and holding them in place. Loki yelped as his hands blazed like a fire. Summoning a knife, Loki flung it at the demon's face with his mind. He whipped around. More demons were charging at him, roaring something. Loki summoned more knives, flinging them into their necks. They all fell over. He glanced at his hands, which were now red and cinched. Loki clenched his fists.

He slashed and stabbed at each of the demons, gazing around at the others. The Jotuns wrestled with the demons, some of them using weapons of ice to slash at them while others strangled them with their deadly touch. Gamora and Nebula stood back to back, slashing and shooting the fire demons into pieces with their weapons. Rocket stood at a distance, shooting down the demons. Drax repeatedly stabbed the demons with his swords, kicking them over before moving onto the next one. Mantis was surrounded by demons. She slashed at them with a knife, her eyes wide and one of her hands burned. Loki's eyes widened. No! I won't let her die too!

Loki pushed himself through the crowd, slashing at any fire demons that got in his way. He lunged to Mantis's side. Summoning every knife he had, Loki flung them at the demons. Turning around, he flicked his arms and shot a blast of ice at the demons, freezing them in place.

Everything seemed to stop. Loki looked around, confused to find that everyone's eyes were on him, and everything had gone silent. One of the fire demons broke the silence with a yowl. The others charged after them, disappearing in a flash of rainbow light. Loki's heart skipped a beat. He looked at his hands to see that he was holding the casket. Damn...

"Uh…" Loki forced a smile. "Found it."

"You had the casket the whole time?!" Sigrid demanded, his red eyes blazing. Loki flicked the casket away, unable to come up with an answer. Several other Jotuns yowled in outrage.

"Why did you do that?" Mantis muttered to him.

"I wasn't thinking," Loki sighed, looking away. "I saw that you were surrounded and I just… reacted."

"You said you didn't know where it was!" Farbauti snapped, stomping her foot into the snow.

"I lied," Loki replied, taking a step forward and glaring at the Jotuns. "I don't trust you with the casket."

"You're greedy!" Brynjolf exclaimed, his fists clenched. "We need the casket to survive, what have you been using it for?"

"What kind of king doesn't trust his own people?" Embla added, taking a step forward.

"I barely know any of you!" Loki snapped, his heart blazing. "Of course I don't trust you!" The Jotuns fell silent. Many of them were glaring at Loki while others murmured amongst themselves.

Brynjolf let out a sigh, turning to the queen. "Farbauti, I hate to question your judgment, but he shouldn't be our king."

"But he's my son!" Farbauti protested, turning to her brother. "He is heir to the throne!"

"He was raised by Asgardians!" Sigrid cut in, glaring at the queen.

"We don't have any other choice!" Randolf added, standing at Farbauti's side. The jotuns reduced to squabbling amongst themselves, some arguing in Loki's favour and others arguing against him. Loki dug his nails into his hair.

"ENOUGH!" Everyone fell silent, turning to Loki with wide eyes. He let out a sigh. "The queen is right," Loki began, gesturing to her. "I am the rightful heir to the throne. It may not be ideal. However, for the time being, it is necessary." He made his way toward the queen, dipping his head to her. "Farbauti, I accept your offer. I will be Jotunheim's king."

"What?!" Quill exclaimed, dropping his gun.

Farbauti blinked, seeming stunned for a moment. "Are… are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Of course. After all, I'm the only one who can do it."

Farbauti still looked unsure. "Alright… we'll hold your coronation later to make it official." She smiled and nodded to Loki. He turned to the other Jotuns, who still glared back at him angrily.

"I know many of you have your doubts, but believe me, I will do everything in my power to restore Jotunheim to its former glory." The Jotuns exchanged glances. The crowd began to disperse, leaving Loki alone with the guardians.

"Dude, you're not seriously gonna stay here permanently are you?" Rocket asked, raising an eyebrow.

Loki snorted with laughter. "Of course not, but Farbauti's right. I'm the only one who can lead Jotunheim, at least for now." He gazed out at the snowy wasteland. "Besides, I want to figure out what's going on. The fire demons usually stay in Muspelheim. If they attacked Jotunheim, they could have attacked the other realms too." He glanced back at his friends. "You don't have to stay. I know this has nothing to do with you."

"I'm staying," Mantis replied, taking a step forward.

"Me too," Quill added, smirking as his gaze shifted between Loki and Mantis. He looked back at the others. "But, uh… it's fine if you guys leave."

"We'll stay nearby," Rocket replied, tossing a tracker to Quill. "And you guys can find us again."

"We'll leave the other ship here," Drax added with a nod. The group turned to leave.

"Good luck, Loki," Nebula murmured, nodding to him. He smiled, nodding back.

Gamora stopped in front of Loki and pointed at Quill. "If he annoys you too much, just let me know." She raised a clenched fist.

"Oh I'm sure he will," Loki replied, smiling. Gamora smiled back before turning and following the others.

"Oh come on," Quill protested, stepping to Loki's side. "I'm not that annoying."

You are when you tease me about Mantis.

"Yes, you are," Loki teased, nudging Quill's shoulder. The three made their way through the snow, walking side by side.

Loki was sitting in front of the mirror, staring at his own reflection. Blood red eyes stared back. Mantis stood behind him, running a brush and her fingers through his hair. Quill leaned against the wall nearby.

"Are you really sure they'll accept you as king?" Quill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not that you wouldn't be a good king but… they don't seem to like you, you know?"

"Yes, Quill, I am aware," Loki answered, rolling his eyes. "But they don't have a choice. Besides, this is only until I can find someone else to take my place."

"Have anyone in mind yet?" Mantis asked, untangling a knot in Loki's hair.

"Not really," Loki replied, with a shrug. "The only one I really know is the queen."

"What's with you refusing to call her your mother?" Loki glared at Quill. His eyes widened, and he looked away.

"She's not my mother," Loki grunted, looking back at the mirror. Mantis was now separating his hair into three parts to braid.

"Family isn't always the people you're related to by blood," Mantis replied, glancing at Quill.

"Exactly." Loki smiled and nodded. She understands.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Loki called, glancing over his shoulder. Farbauti appeared at the door, ducking under the doorway as she stepped inside.

"What do you want?" Loki asked, forcing his voice to remain steady.

"The casket," Farbauti answered, dipping her head. "You'll get it back immediately, but it is tradition for the current ruler to pass on the casket to the new ruler."

Loki stared at her for a moment, unsure of how to reply. She hasn't given me any reason to distrust her -apart from abandoning me as an infant- and I do want the other Jotuns to trust me.

"I suppose I can do that," Loki sighed, conjuring up the casket. Mantis took a step back, removing her fingers from his hair. Loki handed the casket to Farbauti. He held one hand behind his back, conjuring and immediately concealing a sword.

"Thank you," Farbauti replied, dipping her head. "Will you be ready soon?" Loki nodded. "Good, I will see you at the coronation." And just like that, she turned and left. Loki sighed in relief, getting rid of the sword and sitting back down.

"Hey, how do we know she's not gonna use that thing against someone?!" Quill demanded, gesturing to the door.

"If she wanted to use the casket on anyone, it would've been you two," Loki replied, rolling his eyes.

"I doubt she will," Mantis commented, going back to braiding Loki's hair. "We're your friends. I think she knows you wouldn't be very happy if something happened to either of us."

"That's an understatement," Loki replied, cracking a smile.

"Yeah." Quill chuckled. "He'd probably murder every Jotun in sight." Loki's eyes widened. He forced a dry laugh as his thoughts wandered back to when he had attempted to kill every Jotun…

"Hair tie." Mantis's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She held her hand in front of him. Loki conjured up a hair tie, handing it to her so she could tie it into his hair. "Alright done," Mantis informed, taking a step back.

Loki glanced at the mirror. His once disheveled hair was in a neat braid, showing off the markings on his blue skin.

"Thank you Mantis," Loki replied, standing up.

"Loki!" There was another knock on the door. "Are you ready yet? Everyone is starting to arrive!" It was Helga's voice.

"Yes!" Loki called through the door. "I will be along in a moment."

He cast a glance at Quill and Mantis. They nodded to him. Loki pushed the door open, shambling right past Helga. Quill and Mantis followed. They made their way down the slope and toward the clearing, where many Jotuns were already gathering. The Jotuns murmured amongst themselves when they noticed Loki. He stopped. Farbauti stood up ahead, holding the casket and gazing right at Loki.

"Go on," Quill murmured, nudging him forward.

"We'll wait here," Mantis added, tapping his shoulder.

Loki took a deep breath. Then he made his way toward the queen, his head held high even as his mind was filled with doubt. He stopped in front of Farbauti and kneeled in front of her. Farbauti flicked her hand, and the crowd fell silent.

"I have only been Jotunheim's queen for a short time," she began, gazing out at the crowd. "But during that time, I have worked hard to defend this realm and attempt to return it to its former glory. Now, I pass this responsibility onto my son." Her gaze shifted to Loki. "Loki, son of the deceased Laufey." Loki cringed. I'll never get used to being addressed like that. "Do you swear to defend Jotunheim, and its residents, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Loki replied, dipping his head.

"And do you swear that your loyalties are only to this realm?"

Loki cast a glance back at Quill and Mantis, immediately feeling a wave of guilt. "I do." That's not true. Loki broadcast the thought to Quill and Mantis's minds, who immediately nodded. He looked back at Farbauti.

"Then I proclaim you, Loki Laufeyson, the King of Jotunheim and entrust you with the Casket of Ancient Winters."

Loki stood up. Farbauti held the casket in front of her, allowing him to take it. He turned to the others.

"Long live King Loki!" The Jotuns began chanting. Mantis and Quill were cheering as well, and though their voices were drowned out by the others, they were the ones that mattered the most.