Inside the Golden Palace, Loki sat on the throne—or rather, lounged sideways across it. Gungnir rested carelessly beside him. He could not even be bothered to glance at it, instead holding a plate of grapes as he happily watched the singing and dancing.
Thor paced furiously below the royal steps. "Father has just died. Hela entrusted you with the role of acting All-Father. It is both an honor and a responsibility, yet what are you doing?"
Loki glanced at his brother, his fingers brushing over the little green spheres one by one. He shook his head dismissively.
"What else would you have me do? Declare war on the Frost Giants? Or conquer Earth? Oh, right, perhaps help you snatch back a woman? You still can't let go of Doctor Jane Foster."
At Jane's name, Thor stammered. Though he had spent years on Sakaar, where all manner of beautiful alien women had been readily available to him, after sleeping with them, Thor felt only profound emptiness.
There was none of that fluttering feeling, only beastlike release. This was not the love he wanted, much less a healthy relationship between a man and a woman.
That only made him more certain that Jane was different. She might not have been strong, nor did she have any exploits worth boasting about, but he simply liked her.
"You are not allowed to harass her or play pranks on her. That is between her and me." Thor walked up the royal steps and came to the throne, looking down at his reclining brother. "What I mean is, we should do as others do: drink from great barrels and throw punches at each other, to honor Father."
The God of Deception shook his head repeatedly, his face full of disdain. He waved for his brother to