The Purging of Asgard

Chapter 23

Loki slashes and hacks his way through the army, fighting as he never thought he would alongside the very Asgardians he was here to destroy. Sigyn's unexpected arrival had only temporarily distracted him from his ultimate goal. Though, first, his dear daughter must be dealt with.

"Váli!" He hears you yell. With that name, Loki is blindsided by the memory of being told he had fathered a child. Sigyn was so excited, assuring him it must be a boy. They had debated over names for a few days, but she finally won him over with Váli. 'It's kingly,' she said, 'but gentle and good.' Her eagerness was too much to refuse. Váli it was. But Váli was gone, murdered, laying dead inside Sigyn before he was even born.

The realization hits Loki at the same time as a Berserker's club. His last thought before everything went dark: Hela had kidnapped his son.

"Could we perhaps... hurry this along?" Enchantress calls from the edge of the common, blood dripping from her nose with her efforts. She knows she won't last much longer; they need more help. She kneels down and steels herself, bowing her head and whispering a prayer.

Odin cuts down the last Berserker, effectively saving Loki's life again. He crouches beside him, checking his head wound.

"Loki, wake up. Wake up, son, we need you. We need your help." He comes to with a start, relaxing only slightly when he sees Odin standing over him. He recovers himself quickly.

"She took him." Loki mutters. "She stole him. Hela took my son from Valhalla and kept him in Hel." His rage boils over and he jumps to his feet.

.

.

.

"Váli—Aren, stay behind me." You say, pulling him to you. The poor boy is still in a daze.

"You lied." He whispers as you pull him away from Hela, "You're a liar. I knew you didn't want me!" he yells, starting to cry again. Hela raises her hand to grab hold of him again, but you knock it away with the broadside of your sword.

"Leave him, Hela."

She glares at you, holding her arm. She looks almost indignant when she sees 'Aren' clinging to the back of your shirt.

"Always so self-sacrificing, except in Hel. Would you be so kind as to tell me how Váli was left behind when you escaped?" she snarls,

"What?" 'Aren' asks, getting confused. Hela turns her attention to the boy,

"She knew you were there. Surely you heard her calling your name." He had never told her about that particular dream, it scared him too much to talk about.

"Stop it." You snap, "Don't listen to her, Váli."

"I'm Aren!" he screeches at you, though he never lets go of your shirt.

"She escaped and left you there. I was the one who cared for you."

"You kidnapped him!" You yell, slashing at her.

"You could have pulled him out with you." She advances,

"No." You step back,

"You got yourself out. Balder, Enchantress, you could have..."

"No..."

"If you actually wanted him."

"Stop it!" You lunge once more, slash, slice, but you hit nothing but air.

"You left me?" Váli's small voice cuts right to your heart. "It was you?"

"I didn't know. I would have brought you out if I knew I could." You're crying. "I'm sorry, V—Aren. I'm sorry you were left. I'm sorry I forgot about you. I'm sorry!"

"Look out!" He yells seeing Hela thrust her Nightsword.