The Soldier and the Spy.

Chapter 23

***Variel***

I walk out of my cell behind Steve, relieved to see him. I switch into my Frost Giant form, blending in better. It also concealed my fear inside me. Once I was been captured, my nightmares had resurfaced. I had hardly gotten any sleep. Steve and I walk towards the sound of voices, and then it hits me. "Steve, you said Loki and Thor 'captured you'. I thought Loki was in prison...?"

"Yes, well, he agreed to help us, and he promised to behave, so we let him out until we found you."

"Oh," I want to say more, but we are getting closer and closer to the voices, and I don't want to be heard. I switch back to human form, my footsteps falling softer.

"...and we will attack the humans in three days. Then you can use Variel for whatever marvelous plan you have. Would you be so kind as to inform us as to her full potential?" Loki says.

"Of course." Vanir says, and I shiver at his voice. "I am going to use her to rebuild this city. In order for her to reach her potential I have to find her trigger. This could be a word, phrase, or memory. So far my interrogators have not found it, but it is only a matter of time."

"Of course, I am not impatient. There is much at stake and we must take our time." Loki says, with a double meaning to his words. Steve and I are at the door behind the throne. We crack it open and see Vanir on a huge throne of ice, with Loki and Thor standing in front of it. Loki looks at us and catches my eye. He blinks, acknowledging our presence without making Vanir suspicious. We creep up behind the throne and have just hidden ourselves when two Frost Giants burst into the room.

"My Lord, the prisoners have escaped!!"

Vanir shoots up in his chair. "What!" he bellows, making the rafters rain down small shards of ice. Steve quickly yanks up his shield, and we huddle under it until the brief storm abates.

The guard cowers, and continues. "We went to Variel's cell to bring her to the interrogators. We then noticed that she was gone- she had released the other prisoner as well."

"I would not worry too much, My Lord. She is not able to transport, as she does not know how to call the Bifrost,"Loki buts in, his voice silky smooth and soothing.

"Yes, that is true," Vanir muses, stroking his chin. "However, we must find them before they get too far. This is a cold planet, and she could freeze to death before we reach her."

"She will be fine until we can locate her. You forget that she is a Frost Giant, Milord," Thor rumbles, and Steve and I scramble away.

We crouch behind a pillar just before the massive door that leads from Vanir's palace to the rest of Jotunheim. It is guarded by six massive Frost Giants wielding heavy clubs made of ice.

"How are we supposed to get past these guys?" I hiss to Steve. "I mean, they might not notice anything if I shift to Frost Giant form, but how're you going to get out?"

"We are not going to 'get past them'." Steve says. He leads me to a crevice that is too small for a Jotun to fit in. We crawl through it. After about twenty minutes we emerge from the crack to find ourselves several feet from the palace. I look around in awe. This was my first time seeing my home planet, considering the fact that I was unconscious when they brought me here. The snow swirled around in white clouds, and the ice gave a blue sheen to everything.

"Now we just have to wait....." Steve says.

"For wh-" I start to say, when I am interrupted by a huge boom. "What was that?" I exclaim, looking behind me just in time to watch Jotunheim's palace collapse. Thor lands next to us with a bang, Loki's arm clutched in one enormous fist.