Time Lady of Asgard

Chapter 8

Frigga moved to Thor and hugged him, but Thor's eyes remained fixed on his brother.

Loki looked at Mjolnir in his brother's hand. "Found its way back to you, did it?"

"No thanks to you,"

Nightingale picked up on the tension between the two brothers and moved Frigga away.

"What?" Frigga asked in confusion.

"Why don't you tell her?" Thor demanded Loki, "How you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"

Nightingale looked at Loki, alarmed and confused.

"It must have been enforcing Father's last command," Loki claimed

"You're a talented liar, brother. Always have been." Thor said

Loki smiled. "It's good to have you back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to destroy Jotunheim," He suddenly raised Gungnir and fired it point-blank at Thor.

Thor flew backward, smashing through the chamber walls, into Odin's palace. He then flew from the blast through another wall on the opposite side of the corridor to the palace grounds. Thor plummeted from the palace and crashed into the reflecting pools below.

"Loki?!" Nightingale exclaimed

Loki ignored her and grabbed her hand. "Come with me,"

Nightingale looked back at the still-shocked Frigga but did as she was told and followed Loki.

Loki placed her on a horse and mounted behind her. They sped down the Rainbow Bridge, then quickly dismounted and entered the Observatory.

"Loki...please, you're scaring me," Nightingale pleaded

Loki ignored her pleas and operated the Observatory's controls. The massive turret spun, pointing towards Jotunheim.

"Jotunheim..." Nightingale whispered as she looked up at Loki in fear. Turning as Thor entered, she shielded her eyes from the brilliant light of the Bifrost energy blasting towards Jotunheim.

Thor looked at the controls, seeing them frozen in an enormous block of ice.

Loki stood atop it. "All these years, and no one's ever dared to use it as a weapon,"

Thor hurried to the ice, raising his hammer to smash through it to get to the frozen controls. Before he could, Loki fired Gungnir. The blast hit the ice in front of Thor, blasting him back across the floor.

Loki stepped down from the ice as Thor staggered to his feet. "You can't stop it. The Bifrost will build until it rips Jotunheim apart,"

Nightingale covered her ears as she could hear the screams of the terrified race on the world below.

"Why have you done this?" Thor demanded

"To do what Father never could. To destroy their kind forever. When he awakens, he'll see the wisdom of what I've done,"

"He won't!" Nightingale exclaimed, "You can't kill an entire race!"

"Stay out of this, Damia," Loki hissed

"No! I remained silent when my brother did the same to my home planet; I will not stand idly by as you do the same!" Nightingale gasped as she was tossed to the ground, her cheek throbbing from where Loki had hit her.

Loki swung Gungnir at Thor. "I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal. Now fight me!" with a gesture from Gungnir, Loki flung Thor to the ground.

Thor rose to his feet, turning to see Nightingale sitting on the ground, her eyes pleading with Thor. "I will not fight you, brother,"

"I am not your brother." Loki argued, "I never was,"

"Loki, this is madness..." Nightingale pleaded

Loki grinned. "Is it?" He fired Gungnir at Thor.

Thor dodged the blast, rolling to his feet.

"What happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Don't tell me it was a woman,"

Thor didn't answer.

Loki laughed, realizing he was right. "It was. Perhaps when we're finished here, I'll pay her a little visit myself,"

That did it. But it wasn't Thor that had clashed with Loki, it was Nightingale. Both men looked at the time lady in shock.

"I told you, Loki. I made the mistake of sitting idly by once...never again," Nightingale said, using her sword to push Loki away.

Loki fired Gungnir, sending Nightingale sliding across the floor and knocking her sword from her hand. He froze Nightingale from getting up and walked towards her. "I don't want to fight you, Damia. So I suggest you sit tight," Loki turned back towards Thor. "If you care so much for the Jotuns, then die them," He tried to fire off another blast at Thor, but Thor took to the air, speeding towards his brother.

Thor and Loki crashed through the Observatory dome and landed hard, rolling across the Rainbow Bridge. Thor saw Loki dangling off the Bridge's edge as he got to his feet.

"Thor! Help me!" Loki pleaded

Thor stepped over to the side of the Bridge, seeing Loki looking up at him desperately.

"Brother, please..." Loki's fingers started to slip.

Thor reached down to grab his brother's wrist, but his hand passed through Loki's. Just then, the real Loki materialized behind Thor. Thor whirled around as Loki stabbed him in the chest with Gungnir.

Loki lifted Thor, impaled on the spear, and hurled him across the bridge.

Thor, bleeding, rose to his knees.

Loki strode behind Thor to finish him off when Thor swung his hammer around. It passed through Loki. Instantly, another Loki appeared next to Thor. Thor swung his hammer, but that, too, was an illusion. Loki after Loki appeared, Thor futilely swung at each one, never making contact.

Thor fell back to his knees.

The Lokis grinned as they raised their spears, encircling Thor. "I was always more clever than you,"