The Fallen Prince - Loki fanfiction ✓

21. Keep your enemies close

Author's note:
This is a new chapter 21. The former chapter 21, 'The difference between men and women' is now chapter 22. The reason? I needed some things to happen in the story, but the storyline had already progressed too far. So I wrote a new chapter and put that in between existing chapters. I hope you don't get confused!
If you were up to date with reading (in other words: if you've read every chapter the moment I put it up), then you have to go back one chapter. If you started reading after I put up 22 chapters of this story, you probably don't even get why I wrote this author's note :-) Proceed as you are!

It had been four days since Loki had sent the Warriors Three and Lady Sif to Jotunheim, they should have been back already. Loki wanted them to return, every day they spent on that blasted rock Laufey used to call his kingdom brought them closer to discovering he was the one who orchestrated the Jotun attacks. Not that he expected the Jotuns to talk to the Asgardian warriors, but who knows what the Frost Giants were talking about amongst themselves. Luckily, the four warriors weren't that fluid in the Jotun language and most Frost Giants only spoke a crude version of the common language that was used to communicate between the nine realms. Still, communication problems aside, the longer the Asgardians stayed on Jotunheim, the bigger the chance they uncovered something they shouldn't. It had been risky to send them there, but also necessary. The Jotun were bound to spiral into chaos now their king was dead, and keeping an eye on that was imperative.

Loki teleported to the round, golden sphere where Heimdall kept watch of the universe.

"The Warriors Three and Lady Sif are safe, my King," the gatekeeper said as soon as Loki materialized behind him.

Loki suppressed an annoyed sigh at Heimdall's gift of foresight. Nevertheless, the safety of the warriors had not really been his concern. "You're avoiding my real question," Loki observed.

The big, dark man in his golden armour kept silent, his gaze at a point far, far away. Loki went to stand next to him and looked at the vast, star spangled canvas of the universe. "Now, tell me, where are they?"

A few heartbeats went by before Heimdall answered. "Midgard, my King."

"Visiting Thor, are they?" Loki tutted. "That was not their mission."

Again, the watchkeeper kept silent. Loki wondered if he had to seriously doubt Heimdall's loyalty to him. He decided to keep a close eye on him.
"Show me," he ordered.

The view of the stars was replaced by that of a settlement in the middle of a desert. There were some figures sitting on top of the roof of a low building. Heimdall zoomed in. Seeing Thor stirred up some feelings that Loki pushed down quickly. His brother was dressed in Midgardian attire, looking like a bum. There was nothing regal to him. Yet, he seemed to be enjoying himself, talking and laughing with his Asgardian friends. There was a woman there too, two in fact. One was sitting close to Thor: the female scientist called Jane. The other Loki didn't recognise, didn't need to either; he couldn't care less about some mere mortal that was hanging around with his brother.

Judging by the way the group acted around each other, Loki suspected with great certainty this wasn't the first time the Asgardian warriors visited their friend on Midgard. The two female Midgardians were too much at ease and Fandral wasn't even trying to chat one up, which he certainly would have if it was the first time he met them.

Loki thought about ordering Heimdall to pick up the four warriors immediately, but opening up the Bifrost right now would also mean Thor's return. And he did not want that, the God of Thunder should stay were he was. Loki knew his brother well, he was pretty sure the mortal already held a big place in his heart. Prolonging his stay would only deepen the feelings between Thor and that Midgardian, increasing the chance that his brother might not want to return to Asgard at all. Why else would he stay there anyway? Loki was sure the warriors had told Thor about Odin, by now he surely knew Loki had lied to him. But Thor had not returned to confront him with the lie. Well, Loki could always go to him.
"Send me to Midgard."