The Origins of 'Get Help'

Three times 'Get Help' worked, and one time it did not.

Thor grabbed Loki's hand, whispering through the gaps in his teeth. "We can get past them, brother. We just have to trick them to let us out."

Loki squinted down the small hallway at the nannies gathered at the far end, with their crumpled dresses and pudgy, angry cheeks. It did sound good to get out, get some fresh air for once. Besides, how hard would it be to trick a few nannies into letting them out of their rooms?

"Alright," Loki agreed. "How do we want to do it?"

Thor placed a hand over his chin, stroking absolutely nothing, to think. "Maybe I'll take a few nannies and you take the others?"

Loki snorted. "Mother won't be pleased if we kill them. We need to distract them."

Thor nodded solemnly, his face scrunching up in concentration. Loki only sighed, figuring that they'd never get outside if Thor was left to thinking up the plan. Huffing lightly, Loki tried again. "Why don't we pretend one of us is hurt? We'll shout a bit and the nannies will scatter."

"Brilliant, brother! I'll carry you out and shout - all you have to do is pretend to die," Thor exclaimed, excitement flushing his face. "You are the better actor, of the two of us."

"That is true," Loki agreed. He looked down at his feet, contemplating, before he let go of Thor's hand and letting his brother scoop him into his arms with little difficulty.

"Droop your head a bit more," Thor instructed. "You don't look injured."

"Don't tell me what to do," Loki snarled. "I know how to look injured."

He drooped his head a little more.

Then Thor took off running, jostling ever bone in Loki's body until he wasn't exactly sure which way was up and down any longer. Still, he kept his eyes shut tight and his body limp. He wasn't going to be the one to blame if the plan failed.

"Get help! Get help!" Thor shouted at the nannies, whose heads perked up at the sound of the little boy's voice. "It's my brother, he's dying, we need help!" And as the nannies lined up, all three in a row, a mischievous, toothless smile crossed Thor's face. "Get help!"

He launched Loki's body at the blustering nannies, despite his brother's screaming at him to not let go. He ran after Loki, just as he had thrown him, watching in horror and amazement at the swirling of his brother's mop of black curls around and around as he hit the nannies with a smack, knocking the collective bunch down together. Then, picking up Loki's arm as he ran, Thor ducked around nannie's grappling hands and dragged his brother out of danger and into safety once again.

"Thor! Thor, stop dragging me!" Loki shouted, wriggling to get out of Thor's grip. "Thor, you're hurting me!"

Thor kept running.

The sound of small feet slapping at marble floors and a body being dragged behind them echoed around the hallways one hundred times over, harmonizing to Loki's cries to let go.

Finally, when columns disappeared to the grassy outdoors, Thor released his brother's arm and sat down, exhausted but content.

"We tricked those nannies, didn't we brother?" Thor said joyously. Loki only clutched his arm tighter to his chest. "Brother?"

"You hurt me," Loki complained, blinking back tears as he tugged away his arm from Thor's curious gaze. "Don't touch me."

"Let me see, Loki. I am sorry that I hurt you," Thor said, ducking past Loki's stiff arm to see his injury. "Let me help you!"

"Go away, Thor. You'll only make things worse," Loki reprimanded. Loki huffed as Thor's lip started to tremble. "Stop, Thor." Then, "Fine, look at it." He held out his arm so that his brother could see, flinching at Thor's trying-to-be-gentle touch.

"Did I break it?" Thor asked quietly. Loki shook his head.

"It doesn't feel broken...still, let me run on my own next time."

"I am sorry, brother," Thor apologized again. Then slyly, "Next time?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "It worked, didn't it?"

Thor stomped around in the soft grass, gleeful in their success of escaping and in Loki's small bit of praise. "It did work, Loki! Let's try it again tomorrow!"

Loki rolled his eyes again, clenching and unclenching his fist on his injured arm. "No, stupid. We can't do it again tomorrow. It's a trick, you see. And every good trick needs time in order to be good again. Patience."

Thor nodded, landing hard next to Loki once again. "We need a name for our trick. For when it is time to use it again."

The two little boys sat next to each other in the tall grass, each thinking of a name that would fit the genius of their plot.

"How about Thor-Throws-Loki-Who's-Not-Dead?" Thor said, looking at his brother for approval. Loki didn't bother rolling his eyes this time.

"Thor, that's a terrible name. I'll name it."

"Okay."

They sat in silence for a little while longer, before Loki snapped his fingers and pointed at his brother with a smirk. "We'll call it 'Get help.' Because that's what you yelled at the nannies: for them to 'get help.'"

Thor clapped his brother on the back. "You are smart, Loki! You are much better at naming than I am."

Loki shrugged, letting Thor's words sink into him and warm his heart.

Then: "There those little demons are!"

Thor met Loki's frightened glance.

"The nannies!" Thor shouted. "They found us!"

Loki pushed off of the ground to stand, helping Thor up as he went. "This plan is called 'run!'" he yelled as he sprinted across the lawn, Thor at his side.