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Arthur waved his hand, thinking to himself that if he had wanted to expose Loki, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?
'Old Odin, I know exactly where you are.'
He then turned his gaze toward Loki, staying silent as he considered whether the God of Mischief might be of any use. From Gamora, he had obtained that star map, which clearly indicated that Red Skull was waiting for Thanos, just biding his time to offer some "psychological counseling" to that purple giant.
Arthur was already planning how to deal with Thanos. If he could find a way to take him down, it wouldn't be a missed opportunity.
Of course, this was still up for debate, especially since Ronan was making a beeline for Thanos with his Warship. The showdown was imminent, and after the explosion, who could predict what the aftermath would look like?
If Thanos died, then there wouldn't be any need to consider the next steps; he could simply take Lily and live in peace, maybe even travel the stars. The only lingering issue would be Hela.
But what if Thanos survived? Then he'd have to come up with a strategy. When it came to deception or avoiding detection by Thanos, Arthur knew that, apart from himself or Loki, there was no one else he could trust.
Even with Loki, Arthur worried that Thanos might see through him. After all, Loki had died at Thanos's hands in the movies... though it seemed like Loki died in every film, the last time was all too real. Arthur wasn't willing to take that risk.
Hesitating for a moment, Arthur continued to watch Loki closely.
Loki, on the other hand, felt increasingly uneasy under Arthur's intense gaze.
When they first met, Loki didn't know Arthur well. They had fought multiple times, but the more Loki learned about him, the more cautious he became. By the time of the New York battle, he and his allies couldn't even defeat Arthur. Loki's friend had been killed in cold blood by Arthur, an act of brutality that lingered in Loki's mind like a dark shadow.
After thinking for a long moment, Loki wondered, Is this guy looking at me like that because he wants to take a swing at me? The more he dwelled on it, the more dangerous it seemed. Before he could continue his thoughts, Loki suddenly jumped out of his seat, stammering, "Why don't you sit here for a while, as the God King?"
Arthur almost laughed out loud, waving his hand with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
Loki, flustered, watched as Arthur simply waved and took no immediate action. What did it mean? Was Arthur just messing with him again?
"Why don't you just say something?" Loki asked, his voice a little more desperate. "Just tell me how you plan to handle this."
Arthur frowned, still wondering what this whole conversation was even about. He sighed and finally spoke, "Do you remember our bet? I won, and you promised me three things. The first one... you didn't fulfill it, and that's why your mother ended up in that situation."
Loki's expression shifted instantly.
His emotions about Asgard were far more complex than most could understand.
Born the son of the Frost Giant king, he had been taken and raised by Odin.
Although he often felt slighted, especially when Odin favored Thor, learning the truth had made him feel inferior. He didn't truly belong to the Frost Giant race, but living in Asgard never allowed him to feel like he belonged there either.
Perhaps because of this, Loki always sought to prove he was not inferior to Thor, a mixture of love and hatred fueling his every move. He could deceive without hesitation, even plotting against his brother's life, yet he was also willing to sacrifice the Tesseract, the Space Stone, when Thor's life was on the line.
He did have feelings for Asgard, even if they weren't any less complicated than Thor's. He also felt a genuine affection for his adoptive parents, especially his mother, Queen Frigga.
So, when Frigga was mentioned, Loki's demeanor changed instantly.
The confusion and anxiety from before settled, replaced with a clear, focused gaze as he looked at Arthur. "What do you want?"
Previously, Loki had thought Arthur's words were just another joke. As the God of Mischief, honesty was a rare commodity. But now, after everything that had happened, especially the tragic events that led to Frigga's death in the Golden Palace, Loki realized that Arthur had set it all up. If Loki had known that, he wouldn't have been so tense now.
Arthur spoke up, "There's something I anticipate happening in about three years. Of course, it might not, but if it does, I'll need your help with something. This is critical, and if you can pull it off, our debt will be settled. But I have to warn you, if you fail, you might not make it out alive."
Loki was taken aback for a moment, before sneering. "Why should I do it?"
"For your mother, too..." Arthur replied, his tone calm but firm.
Loki's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Arthur waved his hand dismissively. "I can't explain all the details now, and it's not something you need to act on immediately. Just think it over. You can still play the 'God King' for a while longer, but that may not last long..."
The more Arthur withheld, the more uneasy Loki became. "What exactly are you saying?"
"I'm telling you this now to prepare you, so you won't be caught off guard when the time comes," Arthur continued. "But you don't need to worry too much, it might not even happen. Anyway, that's all for now. I have to go; your brother's waiting for me. He wants to grab a drink."
Arthur didn't wait for a response, turning to leave before Loki could say anything.
Loki stood frozen for a long moment, feeling conflicted. How could he stop him? His current form, Odin's appearance, didn't make it easy to act.
Frustrated, Loki stomped his foot. Arthur's words were just a hint of something bigger, and it gnawed at him, leaving him anxious and uncertain.
But now wasn't the time to figure it out.
Loki began pacing back and forth, until a thought struck him: Could it be that my mother... is still alive?
...
As for what was going on with Loki, Arthur didn't care much. Even if he had a hunch, he wasn't about to waste time over it.
Odin could likely hold on for a little while longer, and the old couple was enjoying a peaceful life on Earth, a sort of "elderly honeymoon" by their standards.
Loki would have a hard time finding them.
And besides, the Ancient One had his back.
Arthur stepped outside, heading to meet Thor for that drink. The Asgardian had shared his troubles with Arthur before, essentially confessing that his father had changed and now treated him differently.
Arthur mulled over what he could say to comfort him, then made his way back to Earth through Heimdall's portal.
(End of Chapter)