Asgard
Odin felt the headache stab into his skull like daggers.
“A Midgardian at the end of time who became fate itself,” he muttered. He had never believed that fate existed, that all was written and they were merely actors playing a script. Even Asgard’s fated destruction was because of his inaction, not because it was written.
Until the TVA.
“We are truly fortunate you have a good head on your shoulders. Who knows what might have happened if you had ended up like your counterparts,” Frigga said, looking at her husband with narrowed eyes.
“Did you meet any versions of me?”
“One. He was transformed into a frog and left in a jar.”
“What? Who would do that?”
“No idea. I sent him back to his home as well.”
“And where have you been this last week?”
“In another universe. I thought I would let you calm down before we have this talk.”
“What do we do now?” Thor asked.
“You,” she turned to her husband, “are going to speak with your daughter until the end." "Whether it ends good or ill, you owe her that much.”
“She will not listen.”
Frigga doubled down, glaring at him. “Since when does the Allfather make excuses?”
“Very well. I can’t argue with the intuition of a woman.”
“Thor will handle the situation with the Midgardians. Since your rash exile of him exposed them to the cosmos, they must be kept informed to prevent any more accidents.”
“Yes, Mother."
“As for you Loki, do keep an eye on Hela.”
“I always do, Mother."
“Great. Since the treaty will be signed tonight, you both must look your best. Off to the baths with you.”
—
“What got you in such deep thoughts?”
“Jane.”
“I have a feeling it's not because she is an astrophysicist."
“Not all of it at least. She is brave and understanding.”
“Could it be because she struck you with her vehicle twice? You might have a thing for females that could lay you low.”
“Ha, ha. Are you going to take this seriously or not?”
“Fine, fine.”
“I think I like her, but her lifetime is but a blink of an eye for us.”
“I could extend her life to match yours if she agrees.”
“I know. It's just, do I have the right to ask her that?”
“An opportunity exists. The decision is hers, of course, but she should be made aware. If she doesn’t agree, that’s that.”
“You are right. At any rate, it's too early to have these kinds of talks,” Thor said, opening his room’s door.
—
Asgard always had a reason to celebrate. A recent accomplishment in the Tenth Realm, a victory earned, or a day to remember. This particular feast was more lavish than any he had seen.
The Jotnar had gone as far as to bring dishes from their home. They were delicious and not just to him. Thor had particularly liked the fish slices and the pure white ice-cold alcohol they had brought.
Helblindi only spoke to him when the conversation somehow reached a matter concerning him. The new King of Jotunheim seemed content to ignore him otherwise. Given how he had terrified them into peace, he returned the gesture.
The party stopped as the Allfather rose from his seat. Servers stopped moving, the music fell silent, and the guests that were chewing waited with puffed cheeks.
“Long has been my desire to see peace between Asgard and Jotunheim.”
“I will not speak of our past, for we all know what has happened. There is no need to open old wounds.”
“Instead, I will speak for the future. Where Jotunheim is no longer isolated and the Nine Realms will know true harmony. Today, we drink to peace,” he said, raising his cup for all to see. His family followed his lead, and the rest of the feast hall wasn’t far behind.
“To peace!” a chorus of cheers responded.
Loki emptied his cup, indicating he wanted another. Soon it would be time for the ceremony where the Jotnar would receive the Casket of Ancient Winters. He knew his father only agreed because Asgard was in a much stronger state. The Jotnar were also extremely easy to negotiate with.
And they had him too.
His father did have an idea that he had something to do with their zealous desire for peace. His pointed glances said as much, though he didn’t ask for details. Given his speech about not opening old wounds, he most likely wouldn’t ask in the future either.
The ceremony itself was solemn.
His father, dressed in his armor and carrying Gungnir, stood atop the pedestal with Helblindi. The three of them each stood on one step down in order of age. Sif and Warrior’s Three were behind them.
On the other side, Helblindi’s mother, two uncles and five cousins waited, all smiles and proud looks.
“The casket was taken in battle; let it be returned in peace,” the Allfather said, holding it out by one handle. Helblindi raised his arm, wrapping his fingers around the other handle one by one. His mouth was slightly parted, his red eyes shining as he took the artifact with reverence in his every move.
“Thank you, Allfather,” Helblindi said, pulling the artifact to himself. His father let go, his shoulders ever so slightly slouching.
Loki clapped along. Peace, even if it was at the threat of a blooming sun, was better than any more hostilities.
—
“Psst, Loki!” Thor whispered in his ear. He opened his eyes, glaring at his brother. Even if he did not have the flesh that would tire, he still required sleep. Whatever had Thor awake better be important.
“What?”
“I need your help to sneak to Midgard.”
Loki did a double take, his face scrunched. He flicked his hand, sending Thor right onto Jane Foster’s door. He turned around to sleep but found himself plagued by a thought. Thor’s playful smile at having the chance to see Jane Foster again was a new one.
He lay on his back again, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes.
He hadn’t concerned himself with romance before. He was young and had all the time in the world. Yet now, the idea of a romantic partner didn’t seem so unappealing. The problem was there weren’t that many females in his life.
Yao was a friend, even a sister in battle. Hela was his sister, adopted or not. Sif was a friend as well. Amora was a colleague, and while he found Angrboda the most beautiful among them, he didn’t feel anything towards her. The Aesir interested in him romantically usually did it because of his deeds and fame, not because they knew who he was.
“Perhaps I should ask Mother," he thought before shaking his head. If he told her anything about seeking a romantic partner, she would have an army of ladies from all over the Nine Realms waiting in line.
That was a nightmare waiting to happen.
He forced the energies that constituted his body to slow down to a crawl for a couple of seconds, plunging him into an instant sleep. He would reconsider this matter later.
—
Earth
New Mexico
He found Thor speaking to the SHIELD agent they had encountered, Phil Coulson. The man and his superiors wanted to know more about the Nine Realms. Thor, without mentioning any military secrets, was answering the questions, finally putting all his lessons to use.
“Brother, don’t tell me you were cooped up in this room all day,” he said, appearing behind the agent. Coulson jerked in his seat, reaching for his weapon. He ignored it, materializing a seat next to Thor.
“Just a couple of hours. Son of Coul just had some questions.”
“I am certain his last name does not refer to his father, but by all means, continue.”
“Your brother was telling me about the Frost Giants and how you are one too.”
“I was born as one, yes.” His eyes flashed red, a mist of cold air leaving his lips.
“Thor was just telling me that Asgard and the Frost Giants signed a treaty of peace. My superiors would like to know what it includes.”
“They agree to not start any more invasions, and in return, the rest of the Nine Realms will be open to them once more. With Laufey gone and Helblindi cleaning his court out of warmongers, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Right, I think that’s all for now. I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you for your assistance.”
—
“How is Jane doing?”
“Good. She is studying the charts I mentioned to her.”
“I should get Mother a gift for dragging me to those lessons by ear.”
“I should too. That was a particularly amusing memory.
—
Niflheim
Odin stepped out of the beam of the Bifrost. The remains of the Valkyrie, left to rot in this forsaken rock, were gone. The signs of battles and his daughter’s necroswords littered the field.
He was too much of a coward to even give them a proper burial.
He marched forward, refusing to delay the inevitable any longer. Hela’s prison was not far from the battlefield. Each step brought him closer to the familiar feeling of death. It was not evil by any means, for death was a fact of life.
Neither was his daughter. She was angry, had a thirst for battle, and was lost. Not because she was born that way but because he had raised her as such.
“Well, well, well,” Hela called, a wide smile on her face that actually radiated a twisted sense of joy. “Would you look at this? My father finally deigns to visit me.”
“If only I could leave this infernal cage, I would have a lot to say to you.”
“Hello daughter,” he said, standing in front of the barrier.
“Daughter?” she raised an eyebrow. “I thought you had forgotten about me. What's with that blonde bumbling oaf and Lackey."
Odin shook his head. “How could I forget my firstborn? I simply did not have the courage to face you.”
“Odin Allfather, admitting he has a weakness?" she barked out a laughter, "How the mighty have fallen.”
“I am glad at least my words can bring you amusement.”
“You wish to amuse me, old man? Why not come inside?” she asked, twirling a blade in her hand.
He huffed, taking a step inside the barrier. Hela’s face turned blank as his armor materialized. “I am old, not weak,” he said with a flat tone. She dismissed her swords, walking to the other end of the prison.
“What do you want?” she demanded, crossing her arms, glaring at him.
“To talk," he said, knowing he had no right.
“You will never convince me to follow your ideas of peace and harmony," she sneered.
“Perhaps. But you do realize that only death awaits you at the end of this? You cannot defeat Loki, not as he is now." His youngest had reached a form of existence beyond theirs. Hela, even with all her power, could not win.
“So he showed his true colors.”
“He did.”
“Even if I can’t kill him, I would rather go down fighting. After all, isn’t that what you taught me? To fight to the end," she said, shuddering at the memories that rose to surface.
He looked down. “I have, much to my shame.”
“Shame? That glorious conqueror, reduced to a sniveling coward,” she sneered, searching for an opening.
“Loki already told you why I abandoned that path.”
“The Soul Stone." She still had a difficult time believing Odin loved her, not as a weapon but as his child.
“What would you have me do, Hela?" he said, voice shaking the cage. "Sacrifice you? I was a horrible father; I still am in many ways. Yet to kill my own child for power? I never sacrificed a single Einherjar in pursuit of power. I was not about to do it to you.”
“But he did it without sacrificing anyone, didn’t he?” Which was the only reason she respected her brother.
“Loki’s mind," he stopped, searching for the right way to word it, "works differently. He wants to know more than I wanted power. I imagined it would take him to great places. Him becoming what he is now was beyond what I had considered.”
“He has four of the stones. Didn’t that at least bring back any old desires?” she asked, grinning, hoping that not everything that made Odin great was gone.
He huffed. “What would be the point?”
She got uncomfortably close to his face, seeing just how weary he was. “You would be the strongest in all of the universe. You could do whatever you want."
He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Then what?”
“Conquer the universe and make everyone else bow down to you as we envisioned," she said, gritting her teeth.
He raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“And? And?!” she let out an animalistic scream, slamming her fist on the shield. It rippled and he felt a dull thud resonate in his soul.
“What is the point of conquest? Wealth?" He pointed at the synthesizer. "We are a post-scarcity society now.”
“Power?” he asked, shaking his head. “I am old, I will die soon. What use do I have for power?”
“As for immortality, you should know, life only has meaning because it will end one day. If I were an immortal, how long before I ended up being like Zeus? Or any of the gods out there?” he said, feeling his stomach churn. For all their power and immortality, they invoked disgust rather than envy in him.
“Having people bow down to me? In the end, I only want my family safe, sound, and in good health. Why should other people kneeling before me matter so much?" he asked. H
“You and I," he raised a hand, as if to touch her before pulling it back, "we have never been family because of me. I don’t know if I can ever make up for all that I have done. I can only try until my last breath.”
“Ugh, you are going to make me puke,” she spat out, turning around.
“Fenrir, what happened to him? Those two didn’t know anything," she asked, still avoiding eye contact.
“He is beneath the palace. I will have him sent to you if you wish.” Perhaps having her companion would do her good.
“No. I’ll take him when I am free.”
“Your wife,” she began, rolling the word on her tongue, “how did you meet her?”
“I was cleaning up one of our battlefields in Vanaheim. I intruded upon the territory of the witches that raised her. We almost came to blows before she soothed the atmosphere." He chuckled, shaking his head at memory.
Hela gagged. “If I knew what it was like, I would say you loved her.”
Odin closed his eyes. “I do.”
“What of my mother? Did you love her too?” she asked. That was one topic they had never talked about. She didn’t even know enough about the woman who gave birth to her to feel anything towards her.
“We were friends, you could say. I needed a queen, and she needed the authority it would bring her. We were affectionate, certainly, but neither of us loved one another the way I love Frigga.”
She growled.
“Do not," his stern voice rose, "think that we didn’t love you. I never showed it, but I always loved you, and I still do. Your mother, she was glowing from the day she learned she was pregnant.”
She gestured to her prison. “Is that why you left me to rot here?”
“If I hated you, I would have struck you down when you attempted to take the throne. I never visited before because I was a coward,” he said. If only he had the courage to take action before, he might have been able to change her mind.
Perhaps it was too late now.
“What changed now?” she asked. Was it Lackey who convinced this pale shade of the Allfather to visit her.
“Frigga told me what I chose to ignore so far.”
“A true family seems to have given you a new perspective.”
“It did."
Hela's eyes shone with anticipation, a spark of delight flickering in her face. “A pity I don’t know what it feels like to have a family.”
He hung his head, lost for words. Her words were as sharp as her swords, perhaps even sharper.