"Loki, loki, loki." Odin mused, leaning forward in his chains. He was held on a high pedestal, deep within a hidden cave amidst some of the darkest beings known to Asgard. The pedestal was so high that the bottom could not be seen, the shadows and distance were too great. He still wore his finery, now faded but still strong. Loki stood at the opening of the cave, and projected an image of his self to Odin so they wouldn't have to shout over the distance.

"Hello Odin."

"Is my empire yet in ruins?"

"As if I would share such knowledge."

"Then why do you come here?"

"Prisoners escaped, the day your wife died."

"And stole what was never theirs to take –"

"I'm not finished, save your strength old man."

Odin smiled up at Loki with hate. Loki continued,

"Including one named Zora-Solveig."

Odin's face dropped and the image of Loki crouched before him. Loki continued,

"What did you fail to include in your journals about her, old man?"

"What has happened to my Realm, Loki."

"Answer me."

"What has happed to my Asgard!?"

"You mean my Asgard, you pathetic old fool." Loki hissed. "Now tell me about the girl."

"Our enemies, before the Dark Elves, before the Frost Giants, were not as powerful as Asgard. They dared not challenge us before they had substantial forces with which to fight. They began to... create. They bred their own kind with... dragons, and basilisks, griffons and all kinds of frightful creature. It was an abomination-"

"Rather like me then."

"- it was uncontrollable. By the time we discovered those... souls, there was no battle to be fought; we had peace. But those things did not know that. Their creators locked them away for another day, when another battle would need fought."

"You moved to wipe them out."

"Of course I did. It was only a matter of time before their captivity was challenged and they sought their vengeance on all the Realms. You've seen what she can do; that amount of power is too great to be stored in one vessel: that's too much to ask of one person."

"One young girl you mean."

"Regardless of age or the package itself, she is truly dangerous."

"If you intended to wipe them all out, why save her? Why imprison her?"

"I could not kill her."

"Pathetic."

"Try it. Take a knife to her heart, her throat. Try to kill her."

"She will no doubt turn to ash around my weapon."

"Precisely. She understood her crimes and did not run. She chose to pay in time because she physically could not give her life."

"But I have witness blade cut her skin."

"As have I. There are creature who, in the pursuit of survival, will lose a part of their own bodies to leave behind so that they can escape: it's a mechanism of their bodies, not a choice."

"Why did she kill her enemies for you?"

Odin paused for a moment, "There were many strange gifts born into those people. They were just as impervious to our attacks as she is to death. I overheard someone command her to her sister. But this point I saw what she was. Friga was with me – we needed powers like yours – and she helped me do what I did next. The sisters came together, fire and earth combined into a weapon so graceful and powerful I feared we would lose," Odin chuckled, "to children." He grew sombre again.

"You manipulated her." Loki clarified.

"I killed her sister with Friga's help, and with Friga's power she made the girl into a bomb. She should have died. We hid well but I lost many of my men. The creatures left standing were eventually killed and I was sure the destruction she caused was self-destructive. Until a skeletal, burned figure found us. I tried to kill her, she dispersed and every time I tried and failed she sank lower to the ground in surrender."

"So you cuffed her and brought her to Asgard."

"She wiped out her own people and several Asgardians. I wouldn't risk the same destruction again."

"But you created it."

"And I took control of it."

"She let you imprison her; that's hardly control."

"It was control enough. What has she done to Asgard?"

Loki smirked and his image vanished. Odin cried out Loki's name in outrage and it echoed throughout the cave, waking the damned inside. Loki left as their moans vibrated along the walls.