Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! I temporarily discontinued this story but recently my inspiration spiked up a bit so I'm back! This is not the last chapter, there will probably be one more chapter, if not two. It depends really. I hope you're all still with me. And I'm sorry if this is a sucky chapter, let me know if it is haha :D
Chapter Ten: It is Over
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"It's over," whispered Thor in despair as Jane knelt down next to him. He knew that all of this had to be over. He won. His brother got what he wanted.
"No." Jane said, defiantly – she couldn't bear the terrifying thought of losing him. Tears sprang to her doe eyes as she gently caressed his beaten face, her soft fingers stroking him gently like a feather's touch. "It's not over." She quietly assured him, even though she knew it was useless.
"You're safe." He said, smiling gently in relief. And he truly meant it. All his intentions were since the beginning was to never harm her. Or her friends.
"We're safe," she corrected, cupping his rough face in her delicate, shaky hands.
"It's over," he repeated softly, so softly that she could barely hear him. He inhaled deeply, finding it much more difficult to breathe. Jane's entire body shook with sobs.
Rose observed the scene before a fair distance amount away as she clung to her father's arm. This could not be happening. Not when things were actually, for once, good in her life. It was being ripped away from her, all over again. Tears shed down her cheeks. She knew that Thor wasn't going to make it. And just when she thought that Jane and Thor might actually get together.
Then – something magnificent happened. Suddenly, from afar, Rose heard a booming sound in the distance. Like something being ripped apart from rock. Whatever it was – it shot up into the air like a newly-designed rocket, leaving sand and smoke in its path. Eyes widened and jaw dropped open, Rose watched as the strange object whooshed into the air – creating a hauntingly beautiful aura into the once beautiful blue sky.
It seemed that the shooting object into the air seemed to have a different destination – as it was heading towards the dying man's direction. Right where Jane was kneeling.
Selvig was the first to react as he took off running for Jane to get her to safety. Lady Sif clutched Rose's arm in an iron grip, seizing her from going after them, knowing it wasn't a good idea. As soon as Selvig approached Jane and the beaten Thor, he pried her away from his body despite her frantic protests and led her away to safety.
Apprehensively – Rose examined as from what it appeared to be closer, Mjolnir that Thor kept on mentioning. The soaring hammer flew down in their path until a hand rose up and caught it deftly – generating a blinding bolt of lightning. The explosion was massive, effectively knocking the Destroyer being hurled backwards, a cloud of dust enveloping the street. As the smoke cleared – Rose, Jane, Darcy, and Selvig all dropped their jaws in shock.
"No freakin' way," whispered Rose.
"Oh. My. God." Jane muttered.
Clad in his full battle armor, holding Mjolnir in his hand, the God of Thunder smiled proudly as he kneeled down, bringing his hammer to the ground. Magnificently, lightning strikes the Destroyer, making it convulse. Swinging the hammer around, Thor leapt off his feet and straight into the air, effectively summoning gale force winds, forming an immense cyclone. Ugly, dark storm clouds gathered around the God of Thunder. Debris from the battle began to rise up into the murky sky. The Destroyer stood there – kept grounded due to its massive weight.
The terrifying Destroyer lifted its head up at the Thunder God, opening its faceplate, locking it in place, unleashing its punitive blast. Courageously, Thor dived downwards straight at it, with Mjolnir before him. Mjolnir collided with the Destroyer's fiery energy blast, overpowering it, pushing it back, and forcing it downwards at the Destroyer.
Thor jammed his hammer deep into the Destroyer's faceplate. The scorching and blistering energy within the creature built up and suddenly exploded within him, firing out of all of his openings.
Thor smashed the Destroyer to the ground in a tremendous heap, the blazing vigor within it extinguished forever. The dangerous twister slowly diffused away until beautiful clear sky was shown once again. Thor pulled Mjolnir from its faceplate, walking away from its lifeless carcass. As he did, the other objects and debris pulled into the air by the gale winds drop down from the skies, around the Destroyer, burying it.
As if nothing happened, Thor sauntered casually over to Selvig, Jane, and Rose.
"So, is this how you normally look?" asked Jane, completely and obviously fascinated from him. Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes. After everything that's happened – that's all Jane has to say? C'mon woman! Quit thinking with your ovaries!
"More or less." Thor grinned, cockily which made Rose raise her eyebrows.
"Don't get too cocky," Rose warned playfully, crossing her arms, almost not believing that she actually cried for this dude.
"Apologies, Lady Rose." He laughed before they all turned, realizing that Agent Coulson was standing in the distance, apparently witnessing the entire scene before him. The God of Thunder approached Coulson and said, "Know this, son of Coul." Rose bit her tongue from laughing out-loud. "You and I – we fight for the same cause – the protection of this world. From this day forward – count me as your ally." Then, Thor stepped next to Jane and said, "If you return the items you have taken from Jane Foster."
"Stolen," Jane protested.
"Borrowed," Coulson corrected. Both Jane and Rose shot him equal death-glare looks. Coulson quickly continued, "You'll get your equipment back. You're going to need it to continue your research –"Rose smiled happily as she shrugged her arm around Jane's shoulder, knowing for a fact that her friend was pleased to hear this. "— Which after today's events, S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to fully sponsor. If that's all right with you."
"Yes," Jane smiled in acknowledgement.
"Okay, wait a second, here." Rose spoke up, looking strangely at Sif and the Warriors Three. "How the hell can you speak our language?"
"Your language? Ha!" Volstagg laughed heartily before patting the mortal girl's shoulder. "Silly girl, you're speaking ours!"
"Okay then. I'll accept that as an answer." Rose mumbled.
Angling his head up towards the beautiful blue sky, Thor shouted, "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" Rose and Jane share glances of confusion. When nothing happens, Thor looks to his friends with an expression of concern. He says, "He would open it if he could. I fear the worst."
"Then we're trapped here forever!" Volstagg exclaimed.
"Then I suppose we'd best start settling into our new lives." Fandral says as he turns to Darcy, a charm springing upon his handsome features. He flirts with her, "Are all Earth maidens as fair as you?" Darcy clearly enjoys the attention while Rose rolls her eyes and gags on the spot.
"No." Darcy replies, smiling.
"Heimdall!" Thor yelled again.
"After all of this is over, I'm going to need some serious therapy." Rose commented, crossing her arms as she observed the God of Thunder shouting things up at the sky.
"Get in line." Jane retorted as she too watched Thor very closely.
Miraculously, a bright aura appears up in the sky; the Bifrost. It explodes from the sky, creating a beautiful twister-like appearance. The mortals peer at the halo, completely amazed.
Fandral quickly turns to Darcy, "Sorry, my love. These things happen."
Darcy frowns as the handsome blonde Fandral goes to his other friends' side quickly. Out of mocking sympathy, Rose shrugs an arm around the younger girl's shoulder.
"Such a darn shame; he was really cute." Rose commented, Darcy's frown deepened.
As Lady Sif and Warriors Three go towards the Bifrost, Thor takes a brief moment with his beloved Jane; the one he fears he may never see again. Jane's heart thrums in a rapid pace as she realizes that this maybe their only last moment together.
Thor brings Jane closer to him and takes her hand, kissing it tenderly. Her breath hitches. "Whatever fate lies before me; you are part of it." Jane senses tears sprouting in her eyes and she can't hold it in anymore as she leans up and kisses the God of Thunder passionately as everyone politely looks away to give them a moment.
"My little Jane," Rose says, tears almost brimming in her eyes. "She grows up so fast."
As Jane and Thor part their little kiss, he politely inclines a nod to everyone before joining his friends into the Bifrost. Amazingly, they all disappear within a zoom and the Bifrost travels up towards the sky and back into their universe.
Rose can feel Jane's worriedness come across her in waves. She steps up next to Jane and slings a comforting arm around her.
She says, "This isn't goodbye, Jane. You'll see him again… someday." Rose winced at the last word as Jane shot her a look that clearly meant 'that didn't make me feel better at all, Rose!' "Don't look at me like that, Jane, or I'll slap you silly."
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"I swear to you, mother, they will pay for what they've done today. I will end the Jotun threat, now and forever!" Loki insists to his mother after successfully destroying Laufey from killing Odin. Loki looks to his father that is still in his sleep. "And I will make you proud."
Loki savors the moment, but it's short-lived, as Thor bursts in. He's thrown by the scene before him –Odin safe, Laufey and two Jotuns dead, Frigga regarding Loki with pride and respect. Stunned and delighted to see Thor, Frigga beams.
"Thor!" she cries from enjoyment. She moves to Thor and hugs him, but Thor's eyes remain fixed on his brother. Loki looks at Mjolnir in his brother's hand.
"Found its way back to you, did it?" asked Loki, not too very happy.
"No, thanks to you." Thor spits out, narrowing his eyes at his brother. Frigga picks up on the tension building between her sons. "Why don't you tell her? How you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"
Frigga looks to Loki, alarmed and confused, "What?"
"It must have been enforcing Father's last command." Loki says indifferently.
"You're a talented liar, brother. Always have been." The God of Thunder snarls.
"It's good to have you back." Loki smiles before saying dead-seriously, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to destroy Jotunheim."
The God of Mischief suddenly raises Gungnir, fires it point-blank at Thor. Thor goes flying backwards, smashing through the chamber walls. He plummets from the palace and plunges down into the reflecting waters below.
With Thor out of his sight, Loki speeds on horseback down the Rainbow Bridge, then quickly dismounts and enters the Observatory. Once inside, Loki operates the Observatory's controls. The massive turret spins, points.
Thor awakens to the sound of the Bifrost. He stands, sees the Observatory firing the Bifrost energy into space. He looks to where the Bifrost is aimed. Thor soars on the winds above the Rainbow Bridge, the Bifrost energy roaring through Bridge, feeding into the Observatory. He lands before the Observatory's huge doorway. Thor enters, shields his eyes from the brilliant light of the Bifrost energy blasting towards Jotunheim. He looks over to the controls, sees that they're frozen in an enormous block of ice. Loki stands atop it.
"All these years, and no one's ever dared to use it as a weapon." Loki says coldly.
Thor hurries to the ice, raises his hammer to smash through it to get to the controls frozen within. Before he can, Loki fires Gungnir. The blast hits the ice in front of Thor, attacking him back across the floor. Loki steps down from the ice as Thor staggers to his feet.
"You can't stop it. The Bifrost will build until it rips Jotunheim apart."
"Why have you done this?"
"To do what Father never could. To destroy that race of monsters. When he awakens, he'll see the wisdom of what I've done."
Thor looks at Loki, disbelief written all over his face.
"He won't! You can't kill an entire race!"
"Why not?" Loki laughs, almost too sinisterly. Thor frowns at his brother's new change of attitude. "What is this newfound love for the Frost Giants? You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands."
"I've changed." Thor says firmly.
"So have I." Loki claims before suddenly hitting Thor across the face with Gungnir. "Now, fight me." He swings Gungnir at Thor again. Thor catches it in his hand, rears back his hammer as if ready to return the blow, but instead takes to the air and flies past Loki, back towards the frozen controls. Loki spins around, aims Gungnir, and fires a blast which immobilizes Thor in the air. He hangs there, suspended.
"Is the throne really worth what you've done? What you would become?" asks Thor.
"I never wanted the throne. I only wanted to be your equal. Now fight me!" With a gesture of Gungnir, he flings Thor to the ground. Thor rises to his feet, turns to Loki.
"I will not fight you, brother!"
"I'm not your brother; I never was."
"Loki, this is madness."
"Is it madness, Thor… Is it?" Loki can feel unshed tears brimming in his eyes, all the pain he's been suffering throughout the years of living as his brother's shadow. "Tell me, brother," he sneers, "What happened on Earth that turned you so soft?" Thor frowns and looks at him. "Don't tell me it was those mortals; more specially that woman!"
Thor froze like the ice.
Loki grinned, realizing he got him.
"Oh, it was. Well, let me tell you something, did you know that I've already paid a little visit to one of your woman's friends, what was that pretty little mortal's name again… Rose, was it not?"
"Loki," Thor warned.
His brother's eyes glinted mischievously.
"I must say, brother. She was certainly interesting. Maybe when we're finished here, I should pay her another visit; perhaps instead I'll visit that Jane woman. Which would you prefer, brother?"
That did it. Loki and Thor rush at each other. They and their weapons collide. The two battle – Loki unleashing years of pent-up rage and jealousy, Thor having no choice but to defend himself. The two Gods battle savagely.
Loki fires Gungnir, sending Thor sliding across the floor and knocking Mjolnir from his hand. The hammer flies into the Bifrost towards Jotunheim. Thor raises his hand towards his hammer, tries to summon it back to him, to keep it in this Realm, but the Bifrost is too powerful. Mjolnir disappears into the maelstrom as Thor himself slides towards the Bifrost.
"If you care so much for the Jotuns, then die with them." Loki snarls.
The Bifrost stretches every cell of Thor's body, trying to drag him away. He's nearly swallowed by the vortex, when he concentrates, mustering his will. He reaches out his hand towards the Bifrost. Mjolnir flies back through the maelstrom, into Thor's hand. The hammer pulls him free. Loki tries to fire off another blast at him, but Thor takes to the air, speeds towards his brother.
Thor and Loki come crashing through the Observatory dome and land hard, rolling across the Rainbow Bridge. As Thor gets to his feet, he sees Loki dangling off the Bridge's edge. Loki desperately begs for his brother to help him. Loki's fingers start to slip.
Thor reaches down to grab his brother's wrist, but his hand passes through Loki's. Just then, the real Loki materializes behind him. Thor whirls around as Loki stabs him in the chest with Gungnir. Loki lifts Thor into the air, impaled on the spear, and hurls him across the bridge.
Thor, bleeding, rises to his knees. Loki strides up behind him to finish him off, when Thor swing his hammer around. It passes through him. Instantly, another Loki appears next to him, Thor swings his hammer, but that too is an illusion. Loki after Loki appears, Thor futilely swinging at each one, never making contact. Thor falls back to his knees. The Loki's grin as their raises their spears, encircling him.
"I was always more clever than you," Loki gloats.
"Yet still not clever enough," Thor retorts.
With that, Thor raises his hammer, rising into the air, summoning lightning. A massive bolt strikes Mjolnir, then channels outwards, splitting up, striking each one of the Loki's. All of them dissipate into nothingness, save one – the real Loki – who's sent flying back across the Bridge, Gungnir knocked from his grasp.
Thor steps over to his fallen brother, lying dazed on his back. Loki winces, prepares for the worst, when Thor steps away. Loki opens his eyes, tries to stand, but can't. He looks confused, then sees what the problem is – Mjolnir rests atop his chest. Struggle as he may, Loki can't lift it off. He's pinned to the ground.
Thor looks about him desperately – at the Bifrost firing towards Jotunheim, gaining in strength, at the surge of energy moving through the Bridge. He's at a loss of what to do. Loki watches him smugly.
"Look at you, the Mighty Thor. With all your strength, what good does it do you now?"
Thor knows Loki's right. He's powerless to stop what's happening. He looks down at the Bridge beneath his feet, vibrating from the force and speed of the Bifrost energy feeding into the Observatory. Then he gets an idea.
He realizes what he must do and what he must sacrifice.
Thor extends his hand towards Loki, summoning Mjolnir. The hammer goes flying to his grasp. Loki looks confused. Thor raises Mjolnir in the air. Clouds form above him, thunder rumbling. Lightning arcs off of his hammer, as he channels the power of the storm into it, then –
He strikes Mjolnir down upon the Rainbow Bridge.
The blow is massive, causing a rumbling along the whole bridge, shaking the Observatory itself like an earthquake. A crack appears where the blow struck. Loki rises to his feet, shock written all over his features.
"What are you doing?" he cries.
Thor lifts the hammer again, brings it down harder. The crack grows bigger. The Bifrost energy starts to stream out from it. Loki thinks fast.
"If you destroy the bridge, you'll never see them again!" Loki yells. He grabs Gungnir, runs towards him, ready to pierce Thor through the back.
"Forgive me, Jane." Thor whispers.
Summoning every bit of strength he has left, Thor raises Mjolnir one last time, drawing lightning to it from all sides, and brings it down with a final, terrible blow. The Bifrost shatters, rainbow energy exploding out of it.
Both Loki and Thor are hurled into the air by the force of the blast. A wave of destruction moves forward along the Bridge towards the Observatory, breaking it apart as it goes. The Observatory rips itself apart.
As Loki and Thor fall together, Thor grabs hold of one end of Gungnir, while Loki still clutches the other. They both fall towards the massive wave of Bifrost energy which spews out from the broken Bridge. They're an instant from being blasted by the destructive force of the energy, carried away by the current, pulverized by the debris, when –
A powerful hand catches Thor's leg. The God of Thunder dangles there, holding onto Gungnir as Loki hangs on the other end. Loki looks up, shocked to see Odin All-Father standing on the edge of the broken Bridge, awakened from the Odinsleep, restored to his full strength.
"I could've done it, Father." Loki yells out, hoping for some kind of redemption. Odin only stares at Loki, disappointedly. "For you! For all of us…"
"No, Loki…" Odin says.
Loki searches his father's face, looking for some kind of approval, some kind of redemption, but all he sees is disappointment and regret. The God of Mischief lets go.
"No!" Thor cries out.
But it's too late. Odin and Thor can only watch as Loki falls into the rushing torrent of Bifrost energy. It carries him away, along with the debris of the Bridge and the Observatory, disappearing out of sight. Odin pulls Thor up onto the Bridge. Drained, Thor falls back into his father's arms.
"It is over." Odin says.
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The Bifrost energy explodes in the sky like fireworks firing in all directions. Rose, Jane, Selvig, Darcy, and Coulson stand watching in amazement. Jane looks back up at the sky, distraught. She knows the significance of what's just happened. Rose only pulls Jane closer, knowing the truth.
"It's gone." Jane mumbles.
"I'm sorry, Janey." Rose apologizes softly, no other words forming on her mouth as she and Jane look up at the now cleared-up sky.
"Someday…" Rose promises.
Though, she's not sure if that promise will be broken…