Asgardian Twilight

Exposing the Impostor

Heimdall's spire greeted Thor upon his arrival, though Heimdall himself was not present. The dismembered head of the dragon hit the floor and slid along it, releasing a gush of gore in its wake. Thor heard disgusted screams and spun around to see that two scantily-clad women had been directly in the path of the mess. They were covered from head to toe in a viscous layer of green blood and chunks of tissue.

"Well, do my eyes deceive me? The Odinson has returned to Asgard!"

Thor looked for the source of the voice, finding a stocky, bald man dressed in dark blue and black armor. Black, angular tattoos adorned the crown of his head and he wore an expression of surprise.

"Where is Heimdall?" Thor demanded as the two women scurried away, leaving a trail of gory footprints in their wake. He gazed at Heimdall's sword, which the unknown man had used to activate the Bifrost. "Why are you using his sword?"

"Heimdall?" the man scoffed. "That traitor to the throne was relieved of his duties. I am Skurge, the new overseer of the Bifrost." He took in Thor's look of obliviousness to his name. "Do you not remember me? We fought together on Vanaheim."

"Yes, of course," Thor spoke halfheartedly, for he did not recall Skurge. He shifted the conversation quickly back to Heimdall. "You say Heimdall is a traitor?" Thor asked. Surely he hadn't been on his journey long enough for such things to pass in his absence?

"Yes. Heimdall was declared a traitor to the throne by the All-Father himself for negligence of his duties," Skurge explained. "But he eluded capture. A man who sees all is not an easy one to capture, I daresay."

Thor raised an eyebrow. Negligent was the very last word any could say about Heimdall. "Yes, I can see where that would present a problem," he spoke halfheartedly once again. Much was wrong, and he wasn't interested in speaking to this individual any further. Odin was his true quarry at this point. He was the only source of true answers. Shaking his head, he twirled Mjolnir and flew out of the spire and above the Bifrost. As he passed the fleeing women, he conjured a sudden, heavy rainstorm that drenched them and washed away the dragon entrails. A mischievous smile graced the prince's lips, and then he became stern again. Something was very wrong on Asgard.

Things only became more bizarre when Thor touched down in the midst of Asgard. Asgardians clamored about as they made their way toward the theater where Thor and his family had watched many performances of Asgard's finest stage performers. Intrigued, Thor followed the people at a distance. As he did so, he came upon a massive statue erected in Loki's honor. The statue depicted Loki standing in a proud pose with a plaque at his feet identifying him as the savior of Asgard.

Thor entered the amphitheater to find it so full that there was little seating left. He stood with arms folded over his breastplate and scowled at what was unfolding before him. On stage, two thespians were portraying Loki and himself. They were reenacting the final moments of Loki's life. It would have been touching for Thor had it not been so ridiculously inaccurate.

"Oh, brother," the false Loki lamented as he clutched his chest. "This is it. I take my leave of this world."

Thor's actor leaned over him and began to cry on cue. "You fool! You didn't listen to me!"

"I am sorry."

The false Thor began to scream for help in a high-pitched wail that had the true Thor quite irritated as he observed the patrons chuckling among themselves at the antics on stage. A third actor ran onto the stage and Thor instantly recognized that he was portraying Dean.

"Oh, no!" false Dean cried. "I don't know what to do! After all, I'm a weak Midgardian!" he screamed before running off.

"I am sorry for all I have done," false Loki gasped. "For trying to rule Midgard."