The colossal golden doors that fronted the throne room opened without hesitation as Annabeth and Thor made their way up the shimmering staircase. Although she's been up and down the steps countless times, feeling she was important enough to have doors opened for her always came as a shock.
"Wasn't that the most glorious battle?!" Annabeth exclaimed as she turned to her side to face Thor, who answered with a jubilant laugh.
"They always are with Asgard's champion by my side." Thor shot Annabeth a smile that brightened up the already luminous hallway.
"Flattery gets you nowhere"she remarked with a light scoff. The two made their way down the spacious corridor to Odin who was sitting upon the throne. He stroked his unruly gray beard as he glanced from Thor to her. The two of them took a knee, bowing to their king.
"I assume all went well at the negotiation with Laufey, considering your heads weren't returned to me without the rest of you attached." Odin said with a light nod of approval.
"Father, what made you think some ice giants could get the best of the greatest soldiers this realm has ever seen" Thor questioned.
"Your arrogance will be your downfall my son-"
"Anna's a Valkyrie though" Thor smirked and glanced at Anna, who returned the sideways smile as she furrowed her white, feathery wings.
"I am well aware of her race, but that does not make her invincible. And you Thor are far from it." Odin let out a heavy sigh though Anna and Thor didn't seem to notice, they were wrapped up in each others eyes.
"Do you hear that my liege? I believe that is the sound of wedding bells!" came a man's voice from off to the side. It was none other then Fandral, the ladies man of the famous Warriors Three.
Anna's gaze quickly shifted from Thor's sparkling blue eyes to the misty eyes of Fandral.
"Isn't it cute when they kill things together?" Fandral asked mocking attraction as he grabbed his heart and flung himself against the wall.
"That's enough Fandral" Odin said sternly.
"Can't have any fun around this place I swear" Fandral tossed up his hands and tossed Anna a quick wink before leaving the throne room muttering to himself.
"Back to the matter at hand, I have a task for you Annabeth."
"Your will is my command, Allfather." She said as she locked eyes with the aging king.
"I'm taking you out of the field, you are to keep a special eye on Loki. I am completely confident in the cell's ability to hold him but I can trust your restraint better than any of the guards on duty right now."
"You've got to be-" Anna almost sprung to her feet but stopped herself and remembered her place. Though the knot in her stomach was already tightening.
"My liege, you can't expect me to leave the offensive just to keep an eye on Loki. My skill set is better suit in protecting the realm." Anna tried to persuade Odin to reconsider his abrupt decision.
"You can protect the realm by making sure Loki is kept locked away. And yes, it is my final decision. When I rule Loki is no longer a threat, you can return to the field and rejoin your friends." Odin knocked the bottom of his staff against the ground, signaling her dismissal. At that moment her high spirits crushed into a sudden bitter resentment towards Odin, taking her away from the things she loved; battle and her friends.
"But father, Anna can strike down 10x the number our own armies can on her own" Thor pleaded with the King but it was of little use. Anna slid off her helmet of gold and ivory, shaking out her blond silken curls. Rising to her feet, and with a final bow, she held her helmet under her arm as she left the throne room and headed for the prison cellar. As she walked down a spiral staircase, the sound of her heels clicking against the marbled floor resonated throughout the area, causing the guards already on duty to stand up taller and in a tighter formation opposed from their usual casual approach.
Annabeth's features were soft and delicate, despite all the battle she'd seen. Her eyes always held a glimmer of hope in their raging tides of blue no matter what the gang had gotten themselves into. All Valkyrie's looked pure and holy no matter how battle hardened her comrades grew which caught most people off guard, wondering as to how such an exquisite girl could be fighting with the vigor of a youth and the wisdom of a veteran.
Her armor was made up of a golden and white breastplate and greaves with long boots that had spiked heels. Gauntlets that added sharp points over her fingers, like nails. With tiny pauldrons that protected her shoulders. Open areas of her body; upper arms, midsection, thighs; were laced with red velvet ribbons.
Her weapons of choice were two great-swords, one in each hand that she kept in sheaths on both sides of her hips. The blades were thick and long, almost as big as her, but she waved them around effortlessly slashing through her enemies. The hilt of the swords had an embellished wings on them which gave them the Valkyrie's blessing, which kept the blade sharp and unbroken no matter what it slashed into.
The guardsmen saluted her as she was about to enter the prison.
"What brings you down her Lady Annabeth?" one of the guards asked.
"I've...I've been stationed down here to watch Loki until the Allfather deems him no longer a threat." she manages through clinched teeth. The two guards could feel her anger just by her tone of voice and opened the door for her without further conversation.
Nearly all the prisoners were there because of Annabeth, and didn't take kindly to seeing her face again. No matter how pretty it was.
The prisoners grew rowdy and shouted profanity and made disrespectful gestures at Anna. Who kept her composure for longing than she usually would've.
"The only reason any of you are alive now is because Thor insisted on punishing you. But Thor isn't here now to save you."
In an instant she had moved from the entrance, to the front of a cell 10 paces away. She was remarkably light on her feet.
"My punishment consists of flaying every single piece of skin from your worthless squalid bodies."
The prisoners grew silent once more and resumed their prior engagements among themselves.
"That was what I thought" Anna mumbled to herself as she made her way down the dark corridor to a cell that housed a single man. Who appeared to be reading a book in a secluded leisure, not seeming to notice her at all. Annabeth leaned up against the wall on the side crossing her arms and hiking a leg up against the wall.
"Why have you come here?" The man asked without looking up from his novel.
"I wouldn't be in this filth unless I had to" Anna remarked as she blew one of her lolling curls out of her face.
"Hah. Did father make you come babysit me?" he asked with an amused smile and looked up from his book to glance at Annabeth.
"Of course he did, why else would I bother with the likes of you?" Anna asked meeting the mans deep green eyes.
"I'm not sure, maybe because of my devilishly good looks?" he asked returning to his book.
"Oh look, he has jokes. I'm not in the mood right now Loki."
"You always used to enjoy my jokes, You've grown into such a bore." Loki said with a flick if his hand.
"That was then, this is now. You're lucky I don't kill you for all you've put me through."
"Remember when we used to lay out on mothers garden and watch the stars?" Loki asked sitting up.
"That was many moons ago, remember when you killed 80 people in two days?" Anna answered as she looked into the cell and remembered the sweet innocent boy she had grown up with. He had grown up to be very handsome like his brother, but in his own way.
"That was many moons-"
"It was a month ago" Anna reminded him.
"You're very pretty, did I ever tell you that?". Loki said in a soft tone.
"I'm not letting you out". Annabeth smirked at the fact he tried to persuade her, for she was unwavering in her convictions.
"Worth a shot I suppose." Loki shrugged and continued back to reading his book.
"But I guess when I do escape, and Odin knows I will, that's why you're here, is it not? I'll take it upon myself to pull out your feathers one-by-one until you beg me to stop; and then I will keep going." Loki's soft voice turned back into it's bitter, venomous tone.
"Quite the charmer" Annabeth said unfazed and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.
There was silence between her and Loki for a while, but anything but silence around the dungeon. Prisoner's set wagers on who'd get out first, even who'd die first. Guards did their share of gossip about who in town in behind in their taxes, about the most recent frost giant attacks, and about Anna and Thor's peace treaty negotiations with Laufey. But Anna was daydreaming in her own little world as per the usual. Her eyes fluttered shut as she remembered each moment that happened this morning. How Laufey agreed to their terms of live and let live; and he would stop his men from attacking Asgard, then to the two of them getting ambushed as they were about to leave. She remembered how cold and crisp the Jotunheim air felt on her skin and how desolate the realm looked, as if it lacked any amount of happiness. She almost drifted off into a sleepy haze if a guard did not rush over and shake her shoulder.
"Lady Annabeth! please come quick, there are frost giant's on the bridge! Would you like me to prepare Elyanna?"
Anna jolted up right, wishing that was shocking news, but in all honesty she expected it.
"No, there's no time, I'll be taking to the skies" She said glancing into the cell at Loki who seemed to pay her no mind once more.
Anna rushed back up the staircase and she felt her heart begin to race. This was the 10th raid on Asgard in the past month; Heimdal cannot see them enter and that in itself is incredibly suspicious, because someone had to be letting them in; oh it was old Loki all over again. As she reached the top of the stairs she opted for the open balcony over the door. With a running leap off the marble ledge her wings elongated and they caught a gust of wind. Annabeth threw her helmet back on and flew to the Bifrost. The sky was a hazy dark orange for it was almost nighttime and she could already hear the sound of metal clashing.
Dropping down onto the bridge, she landed with one leg bent and the other elongated and her wings were still spread out in a bestial fashion, one that made her appear larger for an intimidation factor as if she was a wild animal.
"You sure took your time!" called Fandral who was slashing away at two ice giants. Their bodies were a deep blue color and their eyes were as red as blood, it was never a look Annabeth could get over, they looked like monsters and she was pure. The cycle of life and death must continue, she will live and they will die. Whether it be by her own hand, or that of her comrades.
"Have you started the party without me? Fandral you know better" Annabeth called as she drew both her behemoth blades from her sides. She rolled them around her hands with grace and precision as she sliced the head off of one of the giants and both parts of him fell off the edge of the bridge and into the torrential waters below.
"How are so many getting through?" exclaimed a woman with thick jet black hair.
"Not having fun Sif?" questioned Fandral as he finished off those ice giants from before.
"Where's Thor?" asked a hearty looking man with a long brown beard.
"I'm sure they've gotten in somewhere else and he's handling them. Not to worry about Thor, Volstagg" Annabeth said as her eyes began to glow a vibrant gold.
"Fire in the hole" Fandral said mockingly.
"Shield your eyes." Annabeth murmured as her body levitated into the sky.
Her companions did as they were told while Annabeth put both her hands side by side and began charging a beam of light. She felt the raw power coursing through her and channeling it into her palms. In a matter of moments the large beam of blinding light rained down onto the Bifrost and left all the Jotun as piles of ashe. Anna's body levitated back down to the ground in the middle of all the dusty remains of her advisories.
"Ya'know you could've done that 10 minutes ago." Fandral said as he dusted himself off.
"And what fun would've that been?" Anna asked with a smile.
"The ladies got a point." Volstagg said with a bellowing laugh
"But where's Thor? he should've cleaned up ages ago." Annabeth asked as she looked from the charred remains to Fandral.
"Thor won't be coming anytime soon." came a serpentine voice.
"How did you get out Loki?" Sif asked as she drew her sword against him.
"That's my little secret." Loki said with his signature maddening smile.
"What did you do to him?" Annabeth asked as her grip on her blades grew tighter.
"Now now, you should worry as to what I'm going to do to you, harpy." Loki said through clinched teeth as the three looked onto him. Annabeth's eyes began t glow again but the silence was broken by the sound of a dagger cutting through flesh.
"We'll have none of that anymore." Loki said into Annabeth's ear as he grabbed her and pulled her close to him and shoved a blade into her side.
"And when will you guys stop falling for my double." Loki snapped his fingers and the version of himself they all were looking at disappeared.
"What..what was that?" Annabeth asked as she felt her own legs begin to buckle. The sensation was all but pleasant. It made her limbs weak and made her nauseous.
"That my dear was a ebonheart blade. I had it made specially for you. If any of you so much as make a step, ill make sure she dies on the next impale. Tread carefully." Loki began to take steps back, pulling Anna along with him into the console of the Bifrost.
"Heimdall, Midgard if you please or her blood will be on your hands."
Heimdall made slight eye contact with Annabeth before shoving the sword into its holder. The Bifrost began to spin rapidly and the spindle went from at the top of the dome, to the side. Once the portal was ready Loki threw Annabeth's body in and watched it limply be taken off at an extreme speed.
"Thank you for your cooperation, now you might want to go find Thor before it's too late..." Loki laughed hauntingly before jumping into the portal himself.
A/N: What Annabeth's Helmet looks like: thumbs/26/ed/fantasy,helm,reference-26ed1baa3a68b84ab56539777da38966_ ?ts=93246
This is a work in progress, I'd love to her feedback on things I did well and things I did not so well. Thanks for reading!