It hadn't been long since the racoon and god landed in Asgard. After deactivating their bracelets and their suits retracting the two carefully navigated their way through the castle.
Rocket didn't fail to notice the glee on Thor's face at being in Asgard. He couldn't help but remember when he and his family found the 'pirate angel' as Drax had put it. Thor was the only survivor they found among the wreckage of his ship. And a survivor of the handful of Asgardians that were left. Rocket felt guilty all of a sudden seeing Thor's face marvelling at the little details of the palace. He didn't reach out or talk to Thor as much as he should have. Thor had been in a dark place and he should have done something. Even if it was just a call to him.
As he stayed in the shadows on the golden walls, thor smiled as he made way to the room jane had been staying in when she was here. All the memories he had made here, him and Loki running around the halls. Their father scolding them for damaging priceless items. Their mother giving them cuddles and kisses. It was almost heartbreaking to be here again. But at the same time, he felt right at home.
As Thor and Rocket rounded the corner of the hallway. They stopped at a room with two huge golded decorated doors that had voices coming from the inside. Janes room. The blonde thought.
"This it? Okay, you distract her and ill get the stone out."
"I don't think I can do this"
"What?! What do you mean?
Thor's breath suddenly started to get shorter, in little gasps. He was panicking. Rocket realised it must have been too much for him to handle being back here. Jumping up onto the ledge close to thors height, rocket faced thor and tried to calm him down. But Thor was just getting more anxious, the god was turning into himself, hunching his back over as his legs fell out underneath him bringing his knees to the floor, rocket noticed Thor was trying to squeeze himself tighter to comfort himself. It wasn't until a voice coming from the end of the hallway spoke that thors breath caught in his throat.
Trying to remain as quiet as he could, rocket jumped higher up the walls finding somewhere to hide so he wouldn't be spotted by whoever was coming closer. He knew Thor would be okay if someone saw him. He was the future king to his people, they wouldn't bat an eyelid.
Rocket watched as Thor, rose from the floor and Adjusted his posture to his regular height, but as the two started to interact, Rocket couldn't help but feel he was intruding. Deciding to leave the two, Rocket made his way into the room with the golden doors and proceeded on their mission to take the stone.
After returning to standing thors eyes started to widen as the voice that had broken him out of trance got closer.
As she walked around the corner with her handmaidens, queen Frigga told them to go on without her as she needed to check on jane. They graciously did as the queen said, taking off down another corridor.
But as Thor's mother made her way to janes door, she stopped. Feeling the presence behind her. Turning around Frigga laid eyes on her son, but something was different. He looked different from the last time she had spoken to him, and that was only a short time ago. But it wasn't the difference in appearance that had confused her. It was the look of pure joy and emotion of her son's face.
"Mother?" thors voiced broke as he uttered a word he hadn't used in years.
"Thor, What are you doing? You're better off leaving the sneaking to your brother." her face was covered in a light heated fondness for her son.
Trying to act as casual as he could, Thor curled in on himself as if trying to make himself seem smaller.
"now see I was just going for a walk…"
"What are you wearing?" her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she looked at him. Something was wrong.
"Oh, this? i always wear this. it's one of my favourite sweat-"
"your eye. what have you done to it?"
the mother of the god knew something was wrong. She knew it instantly. She was his mother. She had birthed him and raised him. This was her son, but it wasn't her son that she had seen just a few hours earlier.
"You're not the thor I have just spoken to hours ago are you?" she questioned the man. But she had no malice or ill intent on her face. The man in front of her, her son was clearly distressed, and she didn't want to upset him.
" what? No no no, of course, I am, which other thor would I possibly be?" Recovering from his little panic attack, thor gaped at his mother as she questioned who he was. And failing miserably at trying to convince her he was still the same thor, shook his head vigorously and shuffled on his feet, avoiding her eyes.
Watching the strange actions her son was making the queen walked up closer to him and rested her hand on his cheek. Stopping him instantly from moving and talking. Instead, he sunk his cheek further into her hand, he hadn't felt the touch of his mother in years. Once he did, it confirmed her suspicions
"Thor you are my son, I would know instantly if something was wrong. You've seen loss and guilt. All this from your future. Well, I suppose it would be your past wouldn't it?"
Thor could only nod his head at her.
"You're from the future. But tell me. Why are you here?" the blonde man sighed at her statement, of course, she would know.
"Something happened, a few years ago. But before it did, I had the chance to stop it and I made the wrong decision. It cost us half the universe. But a few days ago we were given another chance to fix things. That's why Im here. I need the Reality stone. I'll bring it back of course."
Oh, my sweetheart. Frigga pulled thor into her arms, hugging him just like she used to when he was younger. And he gladly accepted.
"I can't imagine what you must have felt, the guilt you must still feel. But thor, you must remember that just because you made a different decision, does not make what happened your fault, my son"
"You really think that?"
"Of course I do. Your heart means nothing but kindness. But I'm afraid I won't be able to help you in retrieving the stone from Jane"
The mans face dropped. She wasn't going to help?
"Why not?"
"Because whilst we were talking, your little rabbit friend has already taken the liberty of collecting it." she smirked at him. Thor's eyebrows knitted together at her words. It wasn't until rocket ran over to them with the vile that held it, that thor realised what his mother had said.
Rocket decided that he had made a good decision leaving Thor and his mother alone. The dude had lost her years ago and was seeing her again for the first time in ages. He didn't want to intrude on that.
Climbing his way higher up the walls of the bedroom doors, he pushed with all his strength to open them slightly to give a little leeway to let him in. thankfully neither Thor or his mother or Jane noticed the door moving.
All he needed was jane to turn her back so he could leap down and stab her. Well, not stab, but inject her so he could get the stone.
Staying up high and crawling across the walls so Jane wouldn't notice him, he saw an opportunity.
"Rocket! Did you get the stone already? Thor was surprised that his little friend had already retrieved the stone. How long was he talking with his mother?
Shrugging it of fas no big deal in front of the extremely pretty lady and thor, rocket replied.
"Yeah, I didn't wanna get in the way of you two so I thought id make our trip easier."
"So your thor's friend? Its an always an honour to meet my son's friends." the regal woman, tilted her head downwards to greet Thor's friend.
"Woah hahaha! An honour? To meet me? Well if you say so your highness" rocket grinned. God wait till they got everybody back and he told quill about this.
Smiling at the animal's enthusiasm, Frigga turned back to her son and took his hands in hers.
I suppose this means this is the last time I shall see you, my son. The older you of course. I love you so much thor." queen Frigga leaned forward on her tiptoes and kissed her son on his forehead.
Thor couldn't help but let out a small sob as she did. She had no idea this would be the last time she saw the younger or older version of him. Soaking the feeling of his mother, thor lingered as she pulled away. Lifting her hand upwards to his face, she curled a finger under his chin, making him look up at her.
"You will always be a hero Thor, everybody fails at who they are supposed to be, but what matters is you are still the same person you always have been. Now you better hurry and get back."
Nodding at his mother, Thor pulled away and turned before he stopped.
"Hold on, let me just try."
Sticking his arm out, thor scrunched his face in anticipation whilst rocket stared at Thor in confusion. Noticing the curious look on rockets face, the queen explained.
"It can sometimes take a minute"
All of a sudden, an object travelling at the speed of a bullet flew its self in through the window and into Thor's hand.
Mjolnir.
Suddenly Thor's eyes lit up, his mouth making the biggest grin rocket had seen. The god let out a lough laugh as he stared at the hammer in his hand.
"I'm still worthy?!"
"Of course you are sweetheart, you always will be." leaving with his mother's words still in his head, he and rocket made their way back through the palace to find a safe spot to jump from. It wasn't until they approached a certain door, the god realised they would need to go through the dungeons.
Then he remembered. There was someone in the dungeons that he hadn't seen in a long time also. Loki.
"Hello brother"
Letting out a huff of annoyance, Loki rolled his eyes and turned his head to the sound of his brother's voice.
"And what gives me the pleasure of having you visit me 2 times today brother?" Loki's usual sarcasm poured out. Thor didn't think he could possibly miss Loki's snide remarks towards him, but hearing it come out of his mouth confirmed it.
"No reason, but I suppose its to say goodbye." his older brother called out
Furrowing his brow, Loki sat up from his bed in the white room and cocked his head at his brother's words. But as he focused properly on his sibling, he noticed there was something different about him. He looked smaller as if he had lost some of his muscle. And his hair wasn't as attentively combed as he normally had it. Something was up.
"You see I'm from the future, time travel and all that. I just wanted to tell you that I love you brother. No matter what. And also, no one is ever going to believe you when you tell them."
Taken aback Loki thought Thor was lying until a creature of some sort came into view.
"Thor we need to go now! The guards are coming." the little animal shouted to thor.
The raven-haired man observed as his brother and the animal pushed a device on the back of their hands. Suddenly they were covered with a suit that looked like scales as it travelled up their bodies.
"Goodbye brother" Thor gave Loki a cheeky smile and then they jumped.
Watching in disbelief as Thor and the animal disappeared right in front of him, Loki ran further up to the window only to see there was nothing there.
"What in Valhalla's name just happened?"