My Allegiance (3)

Chapter 9

(Norway, Loki's POV)

The portal closes behind us, and we're looking out over the top of a cliff.

"Is that.....?" I see a solitary figure sat on a rock.

"Father," is all Thor says.

We slowly approach the old, frail man, and sit down either side of him.

"Look at this place," he says, in love with the view. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Father, it's us," Thor gently touches his arms.

"My sons. I've been waiting for you."

I'm stunned that he's chosen to call me his son. Perhaps his age has finally caught up to him and he's slowly losing his mind.

"We've come to take you home Father."

I don't care about taking him home. It's probably best to let Thor take control of this situation. This man is not my flesh and blood and he never loved me as a son, so I will not behave like I am his.

"Home. Yes. Your mother calls to me, do you hear it?"

Thor looks accusingly at me, but I subtly shake my head. This is no magical doing of mine.

"Took me quite a while to break free from your spell, boy," he says as he turns to me. "Frigga would have been proud."

Sure, I put a small charm on him when I sent him to the care home, but everything now is sincere. I never expected him to believe that either he or Frigga could feel something towards me that resembled pride.

"I know that we failed you, Father. But we can make this right."

"Alas Thor, I have failed you. Ragnarok.... It is upon us."

"No I stopped Ragnarok. I killed Surtur."

"It has already begun my son. She is coming. My life was all that held her back, but my time has come. I cannot keep her away any longer."

"Who, Father? Who can't you keep away?"

"The Goddess of Death. Hela. My first born."

Thor's eyes lock with mine in confusion.

Odin has another child?

"Her violent appetites grew beyond my control," he continues. "I couldn't stop her, so I imprisoned her. Locked her away. She draws her strength from Asgard. Once she gets there, her powers will be limitless."

"Whatever she is, we can face her together."

"No my son. I am on a different path now. You must face her alone."

I can hear his breathing is getting shallow and raspy.

Time's up.

He turns to both of us, then fixes his gaze out over the cliff.

"I love you, my sons. Always remember that."

As the sun glows on his face, he starts to fade away into ethereal ashes. Like the dust of stars floating away into the sky.

The All-Father is dead.

Thor stands, shaking, with lightning crackling in his hands.

"Brother....."

"This was your doing," he says in a low voice.

There's a loud crack through the air, and we both turn at the same time to see a black portal opening not too far away.

At the sense of a threat, I change my black suit to Asgardian armour, and Thor follows my lead.

A figure steps gracefully through the portal, taking in her surroundings like it's her first time seeing the world.

Black hair, pasty white skin with darkened eyes, black sharp talons for nails.

She takes a deep breath in before fixing her gaze on us.

"So. He's dead is he?" Is the first thing she says. "Pity. I'd have liked to have seen that."

"You must be Hela. I'm Thor, son of Odin."

"Really? You don't look like him."

"Perhaps we could reach some sort of arrangement?" I step forwards and offer an olive branch.

"Ha. You at least sound like him," she cocks her head to one side. "Kneel."

"I beg your pardon?" I scoff. I kneel for no-one.it

"I said....." She brandishes a long black blade from behind her back. "Kneel. Before your Queen."

"I don't think so," Thor says quietly, then spins his hammer a few times and hurls it at her.

She holds out a hand.... And stops the hammer.

"What the-" he tries to call it back to him, but she holds it in place.

 The hammer trembles in the fight for possession, but it remains in Hela's grasp.

"It's not possible," he mutters.

"Oh darling, you have no idea what's possible," she raises the hammer above her head before pummelling it into the ground, shattering it into pieces and rendering it useless.

There is nothing Thor can do besides stand and watch.

She raises her hands up next to her head, and a black, serpentine battle headdress covers her hair and pinches her face, making her look even more demonic.

"Okay, that's enough for now I think," I say, then turn my head to the sky. "Bring us back!"

"Loki no!" Thor yells, but it's too late.

She charges at us, and the Bifrost swallows all three of us up.

"Shit!" I remove my two daggers from my belt and throw them at her. It distracts her for a moment, but then heads straight for me.

I don't even have a chance to call to my brother as the Goddess of Death tosses me out of the Bifrost Bridge.