Two days ago, in the Fairy Palace.
With a bang, an angry Thor slammed the door of the bedroom, quickly passing through the corridor. The butler hurried to catch up and asked, "Your Majesty, did Loki upset you again?"
Thor opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he just took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "Take care of him, most importantly, don't let him escape again."
"Especially recently," Thor warned, "Midgard has invited many guests from other cosmos as visitors. If he causes trouble at this time, I might not be able to save him, you know, the human race doesn't like him."
"I'll do my best," the butler said. "Perhaps the prince just doesn't realize how troubled you are."
"How could he not know," Thor said coldly, "I almost fell out with the entire Avengers to bring him back, he witnessed it all, he just doesn't care."
After speaking, Thor flew away. The butler also sighed, he walked back into the bedroom, pushed the door open, and found the place in disarray, with tables and shelves knocked over. Loki stood barefoot amidst the shattered porcelain with his black hair down.
He looked up at the butler, who was stunned because he couldn't determine whether Loki's red eyes were due to sadness or anger. The butler could only say, "Calm down, prince, you really can't keep clashing with His Majesty."
"He trapped me here!" Loki roared, "And I can't find any way to get out, what on earth is going on?!"
"Prince," the butler swallowed and said, "Isn't it possible that previously you were able to escape because he tacitly allowed it?"
"Then why not this time?!!" Loki shouted, out of control, "Something must be wrong, this shouldn't be happening..."
"Calm down," the butler could only repeatedly comfort him, "Of course, things are different now, you're no longer a prince. His Majesty is the leader of Asgard, he must consider the bigger picture."
"If he thinks I'm a trouble and a burden, why bother bringing me back?!" Loki questioned him, "Is it just to lock me up again?"
The butler didn't know what to say. He gently comforted Loki for a long time, then used magic to tidy up the floor before excusing himself. Loki cast a spell on the wall, but it didn't move at all, not even a ripple.
But suddenly, Loki seemed to hear something. He turned his head towards the window, unexpectedly seeing a silhouette standing there.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really have a terrible temper," another Loki stood by the window, arms crossed. "You've smashed everything in the room, poor crystal sculpture..."
This stranger Loki picked up a fragment from the ground, showing a look of reminiscence: "It was brought back from Jotunheim. Ice crystals like this are rare nowadays, and you just smashed it without any regret?"
"You..." Loki was momentarily speechless, and after a long pause, asked, "Who are you?"
"A visitor from the multiverse," the other Loki looked at him and said, "Or if I say I'm a prince of Asgard, you should know who I am, right?"
"Prince? How can you be..."
"Oh, I forgot, you've been dead for a while, so you don't know. The past few decades have been quite eventful." Prince Loki smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Loki asked cautiously, "Did you come just to mourn your sculpture and watch me make a fool of myself?"
"Not really, judging by your reaction, you probably don't know what's happening outside."
"...What happened?"
"Your brother has merged with the World Tree, becoming the True God of the Nine Major Kingdoms, the rightful lord. That's why you can't leave here at all, he's not joking with you."
Loki seemed stunned, standing there for a long while before saying, "True God? You mean he can control everything here?"
"More or less," Prince Loki said, arms crossed. "But of course, he can't control me, so let's make a deal, shall we?"
Loki looked up at him, and Prince Loki smiled and said, "I'm interested in the state of him and the World Tree. You pretend to be me and visit my brother while I stay here and handle your brother."
Loki opened his mouth and then said, "Since everything here is under his control, how could he not notice..."
"If you don't cause trouble, why would he bother with you?" Prince Loki also paused before saying, "I mean I won't cause trouble, after all, I intend to stay and research things thoroughly."
"Aren't you afraid of me causing trouble after letting me out?"
"Thor is still out there," Prince Loki said, "Even if you do cause trouble, he can handle it. I trust my brother."
Loki was clearly tempted, and Prince Loki continued, "Actually, you don't have any specific plans for going out, you're just dissatisfied with being locked up. Considering your colorful history, you can't blame him for being suspicious. You know this too, don't you?"
Loki was about to say something when Prince Loki interrupted, "I'm not a psychiatrist, not here to listen to your troubles. If you disagree, I'll leave."
"I agree, I agree," Loki said, "But I have to remind you, if he finds out, you might not fare well, he... could be much more ruthless than your brother."
"I know my limits," Prince Loki said, and with that, he lightly waved his hand, and a teleportation portal appeared in the bedroom. Loki's eyes widened but quickly glanced outside the door, waved a magic wand, changed into the same outfit as Prince Loki, and left through the portal.
The teleportation portal closed, leaving only one Loki in the bedroom. Loki changed into his usual robe that he wore in the bedroom, restored the tables, shelves, and collections, then walked to the window and looked outside.
Thor was probably too angry to notice any changes here. Loki smiled, walked to the door, and shouted, "Butler! Butler!"
The butler cautiously pushed the door open, seeing that the room had been tidied up, he breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "What's up, prince?"
"I'm hungry, prepare some food for me, and inform me as soon as Your Majesty returns."
The butler was stunned, instinctively asking, "What did you just call His Majesty?"
"Nothing," Loki cleared his throat, he had gotten used to calling His Majesty that way. He supplemented, "Let me know when Thor returns."
After the butler left, Loki began to examine the books in the room. Both of them were Lokis, so the books they enjoyed were quite similar, mostly about magic and unusual stories. However, the room contained a lot more diverse collections, indicating that this universe's Loki had much richer experiences.
In two days, Loki did nothing but read and practice magic, occasionally chatting with the butler who came to deliver meals and learning about Thor's movements.
"How is he?" Thor stood in the hall and asked the butler.
"Much calmer," the butler said, "probably realizing that if he doesn't calm down and talk, he might never get out."
"It's probably just his disguise," Thor shook his head and said, "once I go in, he'll curse at me again, shouting to let him out and throwing things all over the place."
"So are you going over?"
"I'll go see him."
Thor walked to the chamber door, pushed it open, and went in, finding Loki sitting by the window. Loki turned his head and was stunned to see him.
"Don't you knock?"
Thor was also stunned: "When have I ever knocked?"
Loki was a bit helpless: "How can you have no sense of boundaries?"
Thor didn't know what he was freaking out about and defended himself: "You never knocked when you came into my room either."
"Then when you get married, I won't..."
Thor retreated, knocking three times on the door.
"Come in," Loki said.
Thor came in again, and Loki sized him up. He really wasn't used to seeing Thor with a beard. He hadn't noticed before, but after Thor grew a beard, he looked exactly like Odin, truly a father and son.
"What's wrong?" Thor touched his beard.
Loki was almost grateful to Sif. After ascending the throne, Thor had actually wanted to keep a beard, but under the protests of Sif and Helen, he gave up. However, Loki also knew that in most universes, Thor had a full beard.
"Nothing," Loki said, "What do you want with me?"
"Uh, the butler said you've calmed down a bit," Thor sighed, "Can you listen to my explanation now?"
"What do you want to explain?"
"I didn't mean to keep you locked up forever, it's just that what's happening in Midgard now is very important and also somewhat dangerous. I'm afraid if you get involved, some unnecessary trouble might arise."
Loki nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Once this is over, I'll let you out, though it's best if you don't release any monsters, or I'll put you in confinement again." Thor threatened with a finger outstretched.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Thor was so stunned that after a while, he incredulously asked: "What did you call me?"
"Your Majesty," Loki called again, "If there's nothing else, please leave, I want to read."
Thor walked away, looking dejected.
"Oh, damn it." Loki shook his hand.
Thor looked at him helplessly, holding a turkey: "I told you it was hot."
"So you're just going to watch me burn myself?"
"If you don't get burned, you'll still use your hands," Thor said as he opened the banana leaves wrapped around the turkey, "There are a dozen grills here, you'll burn yourself sooner or later."
Loki pursed his lips: "Do you think my brother will find out?"
"What?"
"That we've switched places," Loki looked around and whispered, "If you can find out, he definitely will too. I feel it won't be long before he comes."
"What do you want me to do?"
"You have to stop him," Loki said, following Thor, "He's been keeping me locked in the room, it's imprisonment. Don't you want to save me?"
"Why did he lock you in the room, you haven't mentioned a word about it." The moment Thor opened all the banana leaves, rich gravy coursed down the turkey's surface, filling the air with its aroma.
"But I clearly... he didn't do this before, it must be because he's become a true god. He thinks he can finally keep me locked up, so he wants to get back at me for before."
"Do you think before he really couldn't keep you locked up?"
"If not, why isn't he letting me go this time? The trouble I caused before was no less than this time." Loki continued to question.
Thor picked up a knife, cut open the turkey's belly, and juices spurted out. He cut a small piece, put it in his mouth, nodded, and cut another piece to pass to Loki behind him.
Loki took it, looked at it disdainfully, somewhat reluctant to put it in his mouth, but also a bit curious. He put it in his mouth, chewed it, and gradually relaxed his eyebrows: "Not bad... wait, I asked you a question, can you focus?"
"Maybe there are some changes," Thor turned to look at him and said, "but he hasn't realized that some of his changes are the source of your emotional shifts, I can't say clearly, I suggest you find a professional."
Loki followed Thor's gaze and saw Shiller standing in front of the barbecue skewer oven.