Centauri Galaxy, Black Quadrant, deep within its dungeon.
Loki stared incredulously at the man before him, a figure existing only in scattered Asgardian secret histories.
The ruthless executioner from over a thousand years ago, the sole designated heir of Thanos, Lord of the Black Quadrant; the cold and arrogant Son of Thanos, the mastermind who nearly plunged the Nine Realms into chaos, a rare god-slayer—Lothar, Lord of the Chitauri.
This was the Lothar Loki had encountered in various secret archives. The information was scarce and incomplete, yet every detail was true, and at the time, it had left Loki trembling with fear.
But wait, that wasn't right. According to his true biological father, Laufey, Lothar, the Son of Thanos who caused such havoc in Asgard over a thousand years ago, should have been killed by Odin. How could he still be alive? And he hadn't aged a day, looking even younger than Loki, the second prince of Asgard and sole heir of Jotunheim, who was currently in his prime.
"You know me?"
Lothar, having stepped into the dungeon behind The Other, gazed down at the stunned man cowering in the corner, then turned his attention to The Other, who was leading the way.
"Your Highness, his name is Loki, the second son of Odin, King of Asgard, and he is the gift I prepared for you." The Other bowed deeply, revealing Loki's identity.
What had he been doing as a 'Voldemort' for so long? It was all to avenge Lothar. Finding Loki was an unexpected delight, and The Other believed it was the universe's reward for his diligent, covert observation of Asgard over the years.
However, since Lothar wasn't dead and had returned, Loki was now merely a gift, the best possible gift, to present to Lothar.
"Odin's... son?"
Lothar's previously indifferent eyes suddenly sharpened, making Loki involuntarily shiver and press his back against the cold wall behind him. The invisible pressure was far greater than anything Loki had ever encountered.
How could this be...?
Just with a single glance...
A terrified Loki's eyes widened, and he unconsciously swallowed. Such a being had been "killed" by his father, Odin, over a thousand years ago. Just how powerful was Odin's true strength?
Loki suddenly felt that his defeat was not unjust. If Odin could repel such a being, how could he not have noticed Loki's petty schemes in private...?
Indeed, were you just using me as a whetstone for Thor?
At this thought, the light in Loki's eyes dimmed slightly.
Father...
This sacred and hallowed term, a term that was within reach for ordinary families, was such a luxury for Loki.
His biological father was Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants, whom he had always aspired to defeat and eradicate, and he had met him no more than five times from acquaintance to understanding; Odin, who raised him and whom Loki had once thought was his birth father, probably didn't truly care about him either, thinking back now...
In Odin's eyes, his existence was probably just to serve Thor's achievements, to help him ascend the throne of Asgard.
Loki opened his eyes, a melancholic sadness on his lips as he feigned nonchalance. It seemed now that his birth was probably a tragedy. A complete and utter tragedy.
"Odin's son?"
"I don't have that much nerve."
Sorrow overcame his fear, and Loki even dared to face Lothar's condescending gaze without flinching.
"Oh?"
Lothar grew interested.
"If you're trying to use me to strike at Odin, I can only say you're overthinking it."
"You won't be his opponent."
"You already lost once over a thousand years ago."
Due to whatever had been administered to him, leaving him with full-body muscle weakness and unable to wield his magic, Loki simply continued to break down. Anyway, since he willingly fell from the Rainbow Bridge, actively giving up his chance to live, he hadn't expected to survive.
"Lost?"
"This time, I won't lose again."
Lothar, whose power had advanced to Super Saiyan 4, exuded confidence in every gesture.
"What's more, your father was almost killed by me back then."
If it weren't for the Space Stone, Lothar, whose power was completely out of control and rampant, could have very well beaten Odin to death on Asgardian soil.
"Listen, I'll only say this once." Loki, still in a state of despair, overcame his fear and met Lothar's calm, yet profound eyes without hesitation.
"My father is not Odin."
"I am the heir of Jotunheim, the King of the Frost Giant race."
"My father's name is Laufey!"
As Loki's slightly agitated self-introduction concluded, his skin began to take on the blue hue of Jotunheim. That was the color of the Frost Giant race, and Loki's original skin tone.
"Is there a difference?"
The Other, with keen perception, somehow produced a chair and placed it behind Lothar.
"What?" Loki didn't understand.
"Laufey got beat by me too." Lothar leaned against the backrest, stating a fact that utterly astonished Loki with a grim expression.
"Whether your father is Laufey or Odin, it makes no difference to me."
"They both got beat by me."
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Woz very appropriately displayed the combat footage of Lothar repeatedly slamming Laufey in the Jotunheim royal courtyard, right in front of Loki.
Loki: "....????"
You beat both my dads???
Loki's eyes widened, speechless for a long time. He had never seen this scene, and Laufey hadn't told him either.
"Now, tell me, where is Odin's Space Stone?"
Seeing Loki's utterly unworldly expression, Lothar, having achieved his deterrent objective, finally cut to the chase.
The Space Stone, this was currently the thing Lothar most feared. With that artifact, Odin, who had already fought him once, would certainly not choose to clash head-on again.
To destroy Asgard and kill Odin, he first had to take the Space Stone. This was the first thought that popped into Lothar's mind after learning Loki was Odin's son.
What if Odin sent him away again if he didn't take the Space Stone from him? Last time, he was lucky to go to a world with Mother Boxes, allowing him to return using the energy from their explosion. Next time, it might not be the case.
"The Space Stone?"
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
"What is the Space Stone?"
Having lived in Asgard for so many years, Loki had never heard of a Space Stone. This time, he could swear on his mother Frigga's name that he truly wasn't lying. But Lothar clearly didn't believe him; that calm yet meaningful gaze made Loki's skin crawl.
"The Other, he's yours."
Lothar stood up and left the dark, damp dungeon. He didn't have time to argue with this junior.
"Yes, Your Highness Lothar."
"Your Highness, rest assured, The Other will complete the mission perfectly."
The Other, bowing and respectfully seeing Lothar off, was very excited. Finally, he had received another mission from His Highness Lothar!
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Loki instinctively shrunk into the corner as The Other approached him step by step.
"I am the second prince of Asgard!"
"A formality."
"I am Odin's son!"
"Adopted."
"..."
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