The gates of the hall creaked open, thudding against the walls. Before they even entered the room, Hades knew who they were to dare approach his throne. It was someone who did not belong in his realm of decay, a living soul.

A man sauntered though the hall, his presence filling the space. He boasted an attire of green and black, a regal emerald mantle flowing gracefully behind. A helmet of golf with horns curling back adorned his head, his long raven hair coming out from beneath it. Emerald eyes stared down the lord of the Underworld with a mischievous gleam.

Hades grinned as the man approached. "The infamous trickster has finally paid me a visit. To what do I owe the pleasure, Loki of Asgard?"

"Lord Hades, my humble apologies giving you notice of my coming," the son of Odin bowed.

"Ah, come on. You have never been one for humble," Hades snickered. "Tell me, what brings you to my realm?"

Loki faiked to hide his smirk as he stopped before the throne. "There is a rather disagreeable matter occuring in the living realm and I was hoping to find refuge her until a more favorable time comes."

Hades poofed himself beside his guest, laughing light-heartedly. "Well, I have never really been one to shelter people, although I do rather like you, frostbite. The way that you play around with him like a puppet on a string, ha, that is just a joy to watch! You guys have kept me quite entertained, doing what you do out there."

The immortal swooshed back to his throne, a midgardian fountain soda appearing in his gangly hands. He took one sop and spat it out, mumbling about stupid underworld rip-offs before slurping it again. Loki frowned, yet in a heartbeat, his smiling was pleasing again.

"My lord, I believe you shall find that I am much more entertaining in your house than afar off. Surely, you would rather I stay here than go back to where Thanos may kill me with his Infinity Gauntlet. Either way, I will end up here," he reasoned.

Hades's eyes drifted as he pondered the idea. "'My lord,' ah so formal. So unlike you..." he mused.

His gaze snapped back to the Jotunn, his flaming hair sparking playfully as he threw the soda over his shoulder. Standing from his throne, he strode to the armored prince.

"You're definitely scared of the Titan. He, for one, lives up to the name. But you, Loki, you are especially good at hiding your true intentions," he explained, wandering around the room. "Getting into my realm is no easy feat, and coming to my palace is a whole load of peril and troubles. And, oh Olympus, you couldn't possibly be stupid enough to not realize that a magician as good as you could just hide in Valhalla without anyone noticing them."

He stopped his dawdling, saying, "Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time, and I expect an answer before we have problems. What do you want from me?"

Loki removed his helmet and stared down at it, ignoring Hades's anger. Chuckling, he climbed the stairs to the throne, his eyes filled with desire.

"Well, it's rather simple really." His pale hand caressed the stone armrest. "I have come to take your place as ruler of the Underworld."

All Hades could do was laugh until he noticed that Loki was not laughing with him. In a swoop, he was standing between the trickster and the throne.

"Oh, you're not serious, are you?" he inquired. Loki's disdainful stare was the only reply he got. "Ah, shucks. Listen, kid, you're going places. This dump- this is not where you're headed. Yeah, I have power and command over death, but this throne is a leash. If you're trying to get your mother back, I'd rather give her to you after you do some quest."

"While the offer is tempting, I'm afraid that it is not my purpose."

Hades sighed, dropping his shoulders in defeat. "Alright, I'll let you stay until Thanos is out, but you return to the living realm after. Heck, I'll even help you conquer a couple planets. We can start with Jotunheim, unless you still wanna destroy it. That's cool too."

Loki chuckled at his ramble. "Oh, don't fret. I'll only be keeping your seat warm for a few decades while you roam free. You can visit Earth, take a vacation, and maybe even find Persephone."

Hades's face grew tight at the name. "Oh yes, I know all about your wife, how her mother has kept you apart all these years," he continued. "Take my offer, and you have plenty of time tot find her and bring her back by your side. You can have as long as you like, maybe even never return. The choice is yours."

A smile quickly grew on the lord of death's face as he shook his head. "But can you even break the curse of the throne? A herald must adoren it."

The trickster titled his head back in question.

"Would I have come here if I could not?

•     •     •

Loki slouched upon his throne as one by one, they appeared in front of him. They were confused, some thinking they were dead while others were confused by the company, a few in particular were crying.

There was only one that he immediately recognized: the Earth sorcerer who had sent him falling through nothingness. The man was the first to gain his bearings.

"Loki Laufeyson, where have you taken us and what do you want?" Doctor Strange demanded, drawing the attention of those around.

Smiling, Loki replied, "You're in the Underworld, the only place that the Infinity Stones hold no power over. The Furies brought you here before Thanos erased you from existence."

"Why?" Nick Fury bellowed. "Why would you go through the trouble of saving us ants."

Loki chukled at the word. "Why, who better to fight Thanos than the dead?"