A year and a half had passed in a golden blur.
Loki had mastered the art of being a royal toddler. He ate his organic Asgardian mash, took his naps on schedule, and played the part of the "delicate" younger prince to perfection. Most importantly, he had learned to keep his adult-brained gaze from lingering too long on the palace guards' specialized armor or the handmaidens' legs. Discretion was the better part of not getting sent to a medieval therapist.
Asgardian biology was no joke. Even as a "weak" toddler, Loki could outrun a professional athlete from his old world. He and Thor turned the Golden Palace into their personal playground, and since Frigga couldn't be everywhere at once, Loki used the unsupervised time to farm Chaos Points like a professional.
Today's target: the Royal Gardens.
"Thor," Loki piped up, sitting by the edge of a massive crystalline fountain. "I bet you can't do that move again. The one the warriors do."
Thor, already sporting the broad shoulders of a future heavy-hitter, puffed out his chest. "I can do anything, Loki! Watch this!"
Thor took a clumsy but powerful running start and launched into a backflip. He landed with a heavy thud on the grass, looking immensely proud of himself. He turned to Loki, eyes shining, waiting for the applause.
Loki clapped his tiny hands with Oscar-worthy enthusiasm. "Wow! You're amazing, Thor! You're the best! I bet you can't do it a hundred times, though."
Thor's grin widened. "A hundred? Please. I could do a thousand! Count for me, Loki!"
"One... two... three..."
Thor began a rhythmic cycle of jumping and flipping.
Loki watched with a hidden smirk. At this age, Thor's brain was mostly muscle and sunshine. He was the perfect mark. As the numbers climbed, Loki's internal HUD started pinging.
"...Go, Brother! Just a few more! You're almost there!"
CRASH.
On the seventy-sixth flip, Thor's internal gyroscope gave up the ghost. He slammed into the lawn and scrambled to his feet, swaying like he'd just polished off a bottle of Asgardian moonshine.
[Chaos Event Triggered! Reward: The Mask of the Trickster (Genuine Mythic Grade).]
Loki pumped a tiny fist in his mind. Score!
"That was incredible!" Loki shouted, steadying his brother. "You did six more than last time! Are you okay? You look a little... wobbly."
"I'm... fine," Thor slurred, trying to walk toward a statue and nearly headbutting a marble Norn. "See? Perfectly steady."
Loki turned his head to hide a wicked grin. If he weren't worried about Frigga catching him inciting a riot, he'd have Thor trying to walk a tightrope over the fountain next.
While Thor tried to regain his balance, Loki checked his new loot. This wasn't the neon-green rubber mask from that 90s movie; this was a piece of pure Norse divinity. It allowed for Reality-Grade Shapeshifting. If Loki used this to turn into Frigga and slap Odin, the magical residue would be indistinguishable from the Queen's own signature. It was the ultimate "get out of jail free" card for a prankster.
Along with the mask, his "Space Affinity" had leveled up. He now had a ten-cubic-meter "Pocket Dimension" and a short-range "Blink" ability. No "Space Blades" yet, but he was getting there.
Praise the System, Loki thought. Keep the gifts coming.
He had already used his points to secretly burn out the last of the "Frost Giant" residue in his soul, replacing it with a hidden well of Fire Magic. He made sure to keep it suppressed, though. In Asgard, if you weren't the best at something, you were ignored—and for a transmigrator trying to build a power base in the shadows, being ignored was a superpower.
"Brother," Thor panted, covered in grass stains and sweat. "How many more?"
"You did twenty-nine in that last set! You're invincible!"
"I AM INVINCIBLE!" Thor roared, despite looking like he might vomit.
"My turn," Loki said, doing ten very mediocre flips before collapsing on the grass and rolling around until he looked just as messy as Thor. Consistency was key.
"Your will is weak, Loki," Thor teased, though he collapsed right next to him.
"I know," Loki sighed, putting on his best 'disappointed in himself' face. "That's why Mama says I have to stay behind you. You're the big hero who has to protect me."
Thor slammed a fist against his chest. "Count on it! Nothing gets past me!"
Good, Loki thought. Keep that mindset for the next few centuries.
Lunch was a study in favoritism.
Thor was sat with the wet nurses, tearing into a plate of roasted meats like a miniature Viking. Meanwhile, Frigga held Loki in her lap, hand-feeding him a specially prepared "Growth Elixir" soup.
Thor watched them from across the table, a confused pout forming on his face. He didn't understand why Mom always babied Loki. But then he looked at his father, the All-Father, who gave him an approving nod for his "warrior's appetite," and Thor's world was balanced again.
After lunch, the brothers moved to the Great Hall to play "Warrior."
Clang! Clang!
Thor was swinging a wooden training sword with terrifying force for a toddler. Loki used a small shield to deflect the blows, his arm going numb from the impact.
"Hah! Stand still, Loki!" Thor laughed, getting caught up in the heat of the "battle."
Loki dodged a jumping slash that would have definitely left a bruise. "Thor, maybe we should take a break? You're getting a bit wild."
"No! A warrior never stops!"
Thor charged again, swinging blindly. Loki saw his opening. He didn't use magic, just a simple weight shift, catching Thor's momentum with the shield and sending the blond boy sprawling.
Thor scrambled up, his face turning red. The "fun" was gone; now he was actually mad. He lunged again, his wooden sword whistling through the air.
Loki realized he'd pushed too hard. He needed to reset the narrative.
As Frigga's footsteps echoed in the hallway, Loki waited for Thor's next lunge. Just as the wooden sword swept toward him, Loki dropped his shield, sat down hard on the gold carpet, and let out a heart-wrenching, high-pitched sob.
"Loki! What happened?" Frigga hurried into the room.
She saw Loki "crying" and Thor standing over him with a raised wooden sword. Her eyes narrowed. "Thor! I have told you a thousand times! You do not bully your brother!"
"But he tripped me! He—"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Frigga didn't listen to the "warrior's" defense. She gave Thor three firm swats on his rear.
"WAAAAAH!" Thor's roar of indignation could be heard in the next realm. "It's not fair! You always take his side!"
Thor collapsed onto the carpet, wailing at the top of his lungs, a truly heartbroken little mess.
Loki, meanwhile, buried his face in Frigga's neck, letting out small, delicate sniffles.
[Chaos Points +10, +10, +10...]
[Space Ability Upgraded: Level 2!]
Thank you for the contribution, big brother, Loki thought, closing his eyes in feigned distress. Your sacrifice is noted. Your bottom will stop stinging in an hour, but this teleportation upgrade? That's forever.
If you like it, please give power stones.