A new age of Divinity: Theomachy

The All-Father

As the group pushed the doors open, they found... a very quaint little room. Sure it was only the first of many in the fortress, but still, they had expected something more grand for the ruler of Asgard. They walked past two Asgardians getting blind drunk and out into the eating hall of the fortress. It looked a lot like a pub, but somehow it felt otherworldly. Strange people and creatures drinking together, it was odd. At the end of the mess hall there was a staircase that went up into the next floor. Of course they didn't have electricity on hand other than Thor and his children, and no one wanted to pull a rope on a dumbwaiter.
"That looks good, is that pork?" Kenneth asked someone who was eating a strange soup.
They walked up the stairs and into the living quarters of everyone who lived within the fortress. Obviously, Nate was the only one who could read the runic names above each door, so he translated them. They didn't walk past every room, but the ones they did were Foresti, Tyr, Magni, and Thor. Something Nate noticed what that there was no room for Odin, which was strange. They found another staircase that would bring the climber up to the top of the fortress. As they walked up the stairs, they found a large set of heavy double doors. Above the doors was a plaque that read All-Father. The five looked around at one another, silently asking the others if they were ready to face such a powerful God, the creator of so many of the realms. Nate let out a breath and pushed the doors open. When the massive hinged wooden walls began to part, the five heard a very familiar voice.
"Look, if Athena's coming here, then we should probably fortify all the realms even more," Odin told Marc.
"Yeah, but since she left, maybe she realized there's no bringing this place down," Marc replied "I mean we can't just-" They noticed the door open and Marc yelled "Nate!" He ran toward him and hugged his friend tightly, picking him up off the ground as he did so.
"Rgh... good to see you too, buddy," Nate groaned, his ribs feeling like they would splinter into pieces at any moment "Beth... please explain."
"Right..." She walked up to Odin and bowed "Greetings, great All-Father. We have not come for war or revenge. In fact, we come for aid, and to aid."
Odin was a very powerful looking man, but he also appeared very kind hearted. Like the rest of his blood family, he had icy blue eyes and pale skin. He had a well kept white beard and no hair on his head, plus an eye patch over one eye. In his old age, his muscular chest had given way to being slightly pudgy, but his arms were still powerful and muscular. He wasn't too much taller than Beth, but still looked down at her as she bowed. He was wearing a blue button down with brown pants and black leather boots. His famed spear Gungnir, made from the bones salvaged from the rotted body of Ymir, and gifted to him by Loki, but crafted by Brok and Sindri, the famed Sons of Ivaldi, laid on his desk which was also covered in books.
"Oh, while I appreciate the bow, it's not necessary," Odin told Beth as he took her hand and lifted her back up to her feet "Heimdallr taught me once that a true leader needs not to be worshiped, but respected. Forcing the people who I lead and protect to bow would make them simply resent and want to see my downfall." As he stared at her, he noticed how similar to Athena she looked "You're her daughter, aren't you. That damned Goddess."
"Yes," Beth sighed, already knowing exactly who he meant "What happened here? She has never been one to simply randomly attack."
"No, you're right. She's not... however..."
Odin explained what had happened, starting with the morning she arrived. According to Midgardian scouts, she had come across Baldr, who refused to let her near his family. The stories of the Olympians and the atrocities most had committed had reached many mythical worlds, as many if not more than Odin and his brothers creating the realms out of a giant's corpse. Baldr wasn't about to let some power mad Goddess anywhere close to his family as long as he would breathe. The scouts had recounted that the battle was lengthy and merciless, both parties landing good hits on the other. For a while, Baldr's invincibility and inability to feel pain was giving him the clear and overwhelming advantage. When he had Athena held down at one point, one of her warriors shot him in the back with a mistletoe tipped arrow. According to the scouts, he had yelped in pain and turned around before actually realizing what had happened. He had been hurt? How could he have been hurt? His mother had explained that there was only one way to break the protection spell she had put on him, but she had never told him what it was. It was so difficult to find in the realms that she had figured it would be of no concern. She knew he was prophesied to die and that would begin Ragnarök, so at birth, she gave him the spell of invincibility. He would never know pain and no damage, no matter how severe, would ever be able to take his life. Freya had been smart; however, she had gone to every sorcerer she knew to perfect the spell. The last thing either of them wanted was for there to be some kind of side effect like that he wouldn't feel anything at all. Luckily, the spell worked exactly as intended, and so, Baldr was one of the most beloved and friendly beings in all the realms.
"So, it was the arrow that did him in?" Eden asked.
"Not quite," Odin replied "He fought as hard as he could, but he was ganged up on when the fight was still even. My son fought as hard as possible, but in the end, he was overwhelmed, and killed... but that was only the beginning."
Once Athena and her soldiers had killed one of the most beloved of Gods, they marched to the Bifrost. As the five saw when they arrived, they had battled the guards, killing them all. Athena transported all of her warriors into the city and Odin had come out with his remaining sons, plus Loki. As he went out to face Athena and ask what she wanted with them. Heimdallr knew exactly what she wanted, but decided to stay quiet, just to make sure she wouldn't lie, or if she did, so that they wouldn't be deceived.
"Your people do not want war," Athena had begun "Do they, All-Father?" She turned her back to him and sighed "You all already have your hands filled with Ragnarök. The end of your world, all that blood on you and your family's hands?" She turned back and told them all earnestly "I want peace just as much as you want to prevent Ragnarök."
Odin leaned to Heimdallr, but surprisingly he whispered "She's... speaking truthfully."
The All-Father nodded and put Gungnir in its holster on his belt and whispered "Tell me when she lies." Heimdallr nodded to his father and Odin made direct eye contact with Athena once more to ask "And you think we can find it together?" Marc had been instructed to stay in the fortress, just in case Athena saw him and lost her cool instantly.
'Her intentions are false,' Heimdallr thought into his father's head.
'I know,' He replied, taking Gungnir back off of his belt 'But can you see her true intentions yet?' Heimdallr shook his head 'She's more skilled in the mind than we thought. This could be bad.'
"Those Demigods... they seek to destroy any gods they come into contact with, especially that one's son." She pointed her spear at Heimdall, who put his hand on Hofund. "You could be the key to their defeat, and if you help me with that, I will be the key to your salvation."
"Asgard is no one's key," Odin told her forcefully, his voice vibrating with the power of Thor's thunder.
"Oh, my- is one of the wisest Gods in history too foolish to understand their threat?" Athena groaned as she rolled her eyes "Or would you rather stay here until they come for you?" She realized how obvious she was making herself and decided to back track "No, you know what? No, that was unfair. I know they respect you Aesir more than us Olympians, but this is your chance to prove why they should. Why all Mortals should."
"If you don't stop talking, stop lying... then we'll show you why we're more respected than your Olympians," Odin told her, his voice lowered and menacing as he stepped up to her.
"Oh? And what kind of might are you going to show?" Athena asked "When was the last time, mortals thought of you as this all powerful, all knowing top level God?" She pointed her spear at Thor "How long has it been since people were too afraid to even think lewd thoughts about his wife." Finally, she pointed her spear to Heimdallr "And finally... who has ever prayed to him to keep watch over them. How many centuries has it been since you were all worshiped and prayed to? Now is it any wonder that your world is destined for destruction and the rest of mine are not."
"And... there's her plan."
"She wants to take over... what? Everything?" Beth asked.
"That's... what she seemed to want," Odin replied with a grunt as he sat back down in his chair "And that's when everything went to Hel in a handbasket."
After her persuasion and manipulation didn't work, she figured she'd skip subjugating the weakest of the Gods. There were so many allies that they couldn't just take any as a bargaining chip, much like she'd tried to do with Nate. So instead, she would destroy Asgard so any who dared stand against her would understand the full weight of her power. What she hadn;t expected, however, was that almost everyone in Asgard had some level of training in combat.
"So... what? An entire city filled with Gods, monsters, and randos couldn't take down one little group?" Mikayla asked as she leaned against the wall.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, little Demigoddess, we did win the fight," Odin assured her "That's the only reason this place is still standing... However, we faced heavy losses."
"My dad and dozens if not hundreds of innocent people," Nate said.
"Yes," Odin sighed "And don't think your dad and Loki didn't have an epic little scrap. No, it was a good fight, both landed some shots, but your father had always been the better warrior of the two. He managed to kill him before-"
"Dying after a quick little scrap with Athena," Nate interrupted his grandfather "Yeah... I know. So what's the plan now? Are any of you gonna help us fight?"
"No, we won't go with you to confront that maniac," Odin told them "However, my son Tyr would like to meet any of you... but Athena's daughter especially."