62Frigga watched as her son swept through the library, grabbing the book he needed without really looking at it, and swept through the castle, his face a mask of determination and fury. She stood on her balcony, her eyes open and seeing nothing, her mind seeing everything.
She watched over Thor, watched for any that may get in his way, or slow down his mission, and she used her magic to ensure that he slipped through. She stood overlooking her Kingdom and shielded Thor from the view of all, including his Father and Heimdal.
She had lost one child already, her beautiful daughter locked away where she could not see her, could not touch her, she could not reach her. She was what Odin created and he blamed none but Hela for who she had become, he did not see his fault in the creation of her darkness. He did not see that he had not taught her balance.
And then he had done the same with her sons. He blamed them for the things that he had not taught them, for the things that he had not told them. He favoured Thor though he claimed that Loki was no different to Thor, that they were equal and he loved them equally.
She had stood by and had not interfered, damned and wounded from the loss of her daughter and desperate to cling onto her two remaining children.
She raised her arms to the sky and summoned all her power and covered Thor from sight as Heimdal and Odin's all-seeing eyes searched for him, they saw all, but she knew how they searched, how they saw, and it was no difficulty to turn their eyes from Thor.
Odin had manipulated her and bound her the moment he placed the tiny, frail, hungry babe in her arms with dark hair like Hela's and had told her he had been left to die. He used her broken heart as a mother, and her immediate love for Loki to bind her hands.
No more.
She had let both her sons down for fear of losing them, and she had lost them anyway.
Enough.
She smirked to herself when Thor slipped from Asgard to Midgard, apparently, he had learned a few tricks from Loki, before turning to go to her youngest son's prison. She would ensure that he was guarded until Thor returned.
"Sir, Thor has just landed on the roof,"
Tony paused in his work and blinked to Bruce who was staring back at him.
"Thor Thor?" Tony asked.
"Thor Thor, yes sir, unless we know some other Asgardian lightning god," JARVIS said dryly.
"So cheeky," Tony sighed before hurrying out the lab with Bruce.
When they reached the common room Steve had found Thor and the two were standing talking, but Thor's blue eyes were intent upon Tony when he stepped out.
"Thor, welcome back, we didn't think that we would be seeing you so soon," Tony smiled as he made his way across to Thor.
"I did not expect to be back so soon myself, but I come for desperate help," Thor intoned.
"He wanted to speak to you," Steve shook his head, taking Tony's hand in his when Tony looked to him automatically in askance.
"What can I help you with Point Break?" Tony asked.
"You are the wisest person I know Brother Anthony, I have need of your sharp mind and clever thoughts, you were the one who was quick enough to launch the weapon through the wormhole to destroy the Chitauri fleet, and you gained knowledge in the space of a night that took my friend Erik years to amass,"
"Well, you have flattered me, what can I help with?" Tony smiled. Steve led them over to the sofas, all of them troubled by the pain and worry on Thor's face. They seated themselves and waited for Thor to gather his thoughts.
"Loki," Thor started to say and waited for their reaction, but they just sat waiting to hear him out. "He was not of his own mind during the attack. It did not make sense, the attack was sloppy and off, I was not supposed to speak with Loki before his sentencing, but it was bothering me so much. Loki is known for his mind, much the way that you are, that he made such poor tactical choices did not make sense to me. I…"
"His eyes!" Tony blurted out.
"What?" Steve asked confused.
"His eyes! That is what has been bothering me!" Tony huffed.
"Yes, he was as under the staff as Brother Clint was," Thor nodded.
"He has blue eyes, but they were the same blue as the tesseract, not the blue they were when we came back to the Tower," Tony sighed.
"So, he was as much a prisoner of his mind as Clint and the other Agents were?" Bruce took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.
"Yes," Thor nodded. "Except that did not seem to be a reasonable reason when I brought it before my father, Odin. I told him when Loki had told me...about how he was tortured until he had no choice but to allow the staff into his mind. He said that it did not matter, Loki could not be allowed to roam free in Asgard,"
"What?" The Avengers frowned at Thor.
"He was not allowed to speak in his trial, he was found guilty, Odin used old laws to ensure that Loki was not allowed to speak for himself, to ensure that mother and I were not allowed to speak for him. He has been sentenced to life, in prison, solitary confinement," Thor grit out.
"Isn't life...kind of a long time for you guys?" Tony frowned.
"Indeed, Odin intends for Loki to suffer," Thor clenched his fists. "I will not allow him to suffer like this, I will not allow Odin to punish him more for being who he is,"
"What can we do to help?" Steve asked gently.
"I need your help to find another way, a way over Odin. I need to use the old laws in a way that Odin can not undo," Thor looked up with determination.
"What have you got for me Point Break?" Tony smirked.
"The Old Laws of Asgard, these hold the magic that Asgard was built upon, Odin dare not disobey these laws" Thor withdrew the book from his travel pack and held it out to Tony. "And the transcripts of Loki's sham of a trial," he held out the sheaths of parchment.
"Well, then, let's get to work!" Tony nodded taking the book.
"I will scan these in," Bruce took the parchment.
"I will show you your room, do you want anything to eat?" Steve shrugged as Tony and Bruce set up camp at the table, the two of them already forgotten.
"That would be nice, thank you, I used a lot of energy to get here," Thor blinked at the two scientists before standing and following Steve to the kitchen.
"They will work to find a way," Steve comforted Thor digging some food out for him to be able to eat right away before starting to cook something.
"Brother Anthony, his mind reminds me of Loki, he sees the world differently he sees possibilities and differences that no one else does. I could think of no one else to come to with this, no offence Brother Steve," Thor grimaced.
"None taken, I know that I would not know where to start, while Tony will already be planning," Steve shook his head.
"You and brother Tony?" Thor asked.
"We started dating a couple of weeks ago," Steve smiled happily.
"I am pleased for you, you deserve happiness, and I believe Brother Tony does as well, and support that you will give him," Thor patted Steve's shoulder.
"I have never met anyone like Tony before," Steve admitted. "If anyone can find a way to help you and Loki, he can,"
"It feels good to be around those that I can trust," Thor sighed, relaxing for the first time in months since he realised what Odin was going to do.
He looked into the other room to see Bruce flicking through the transcripts and highlighting things and muttering to Tony, Tony was already ten pages into the Old Laws and had several notes around him on holographic screens.
