The previous chapter was rather short so this one will hopefully make up for it. And I apologise for the long delay. I kept rewriting bits and bobs here and there... I wanted this chapter to flow and it proved difficult... but I promise no long delays again... I will try and get a chapter up within about 3-4 days... and this story is drawing to a close... maybe another 4 chapters...
Thor rode his mighty horse out along the Rainbow Bridge, his four friends beside and behind him. They urged their horses against each other to try and take the lead, their cloaks and hair whipping out behind them with laughter in their faces. Thor was the only one who did not join in his friends light banter, his face absently blank and his mind focused on the task ahead. Thor was cheered to see Heimdall only part way out along the bridge, walking slowly towards his destination.
"Hail Heimdall." Thor shouted upon catching up to the powerful God. "Why walk along this Bridge when you can appear at the end at will?"
"It would take too much time for you to reach me and time is short." Heimdall stopped and turned to face Thor.
Thor had jumped off his horse and was walking quickly towards Heimdall, followed by the others. "What do you mean by that?"
Heimdall placed his hands upon the young God's shoulders. "What did you wish to do after talking to me?"
Thor inwardly smiled - trust Heimdall to ask a question from a question.
"I wish to talk with my father."
"Then it must be done, Son of Odin, Brother of Loki and Lover of Jane." He walked Thor back to his horse. "And in haste. You will speak with your father but you may find your paths branch out and break before you get your chance. It all depends on the timing of your entrance." Thor raised his eyes in question but Heimdall stared ahead, seeing much but saying nothing more. Thor knew their meeting was over and he returned to his steed and mounted. Heimdall walked over and slapped the horse's rear which caused the horse to raise its forelegs off the ground. "Be swift. And keep your friends by your side." He yelled as Thor jumped forward and started back the way he had come, followed by his friends.
Sif rode abreast of him. "Why did he mention Jane and Loki to you?" She shouted above the rushing wind in their faces.
"I don't recall him doing so." Thor shouted back. "Probably just pointing it out to remind me what to speak to Odin about. Loki is lost to me but I don't intend to lose Jane, no matter what my father thinks of mortals."
"Heimdall never wastes words." Sif muttered under her breath.
# # # # # #
Erik pulled out a handful of Jane's Bubbles, in varying degrees of damage. Some were dented quite badly and these he discarded. Others were the wrong shape or size or colour from her newest model and these too where removed from the diminishing pile.
"What're you looking for?" Darcy piped up.
"Jane made quite a few Bubbles over the past months and she's used many extensively. She always threw them into this cupboard when she was finished with them. I'm hoping two of them will take us to Asgard."
"Are you sure you want to go there after what just happened?" Darcy said. She looked at the Bubbles and coughed into her hand, a little embarrassed at admitting a feeling of powerlessness. "Are you sure these rejects will get us there and not blow us up?"
"Darcy. We have a choice to make. Jane is alone in Asgard with that trickster Loki and he won't expect us to follow them. Which is exactly what I plan to do." Erik looked at Darcy with defiance. "You don't need to come Darcy. But I will be leaving shortly."
"No way. I am so going to the land of the Gods." Darcy said. "And Jane won't be alone over there, Thor will come to her rescue."
Erik rolled his eyes and smiled at this sweet friend of Jane who had stuck with her through thick and thin. "Let's hope so." He said. He was sorting through the heap of plastic and metal, looking for the two most likely modes of transport that would hopefully send them to their destination. He didn't intend to put on a bulky space-suit to get there! He picked up two Bubbles which were a little less ruined than the others and handed one to Darcy.
"Wear this." He said. She swallowed audibly and took the Bubble from him. He grabbed her hand as she took the Bubble and held it tightly in both of his. "We are there for Jane only. We will not try and involve ourselves in any of the Asgardians politics. We get her and leave. Do you understand?" She nodded, biting her lower lip. He released her hand and she placed the Bubble over her, the strap holding tightly. Erik did the same.
"Ready?" Darcy squeaked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Erik said, trying to smile but failing abysmally. "On a count of three. One. Two. Three." They pressed the Bubbles.
# # # # # #
Loki's mouth dropped open at his father's accusation. "What I have done?" Loki shouted the question back at Odin, angry and bewildered. "I have done nothing. It was your power that caused Jane to hit the wall. And you care nothing for her as you care nothing for me. You have shown that to both of us."
"Oh Loki." Odin shook his head sadly. "Your argument grows weary. You can't use my raising you as an excuse for your failings. Look at Thor. The father who raised you also raised him."
Loki who had felt like the lesser son all his life closed his eyes and breathed in sharply. Odin could not have said anything that could cause him more pain. He thought of brief instances in his past where his brother had been raised on a shining pedestal and he had been left on the sidelines. He remembered his father praising Thor in his accomplishments of strength but whenever Loki had showed his father some powerful bouts of Power and Magic his father would brush him off. Thus he had learnt the hard way how to get back at his father through his brother. He would bide his time and with words or hidden brief moments of Power his brother would get in trouble with Odin and stupid Thor never guessed it had been him all along. He had never been good enough for his father and never would be. The only way to show his father he was a worthy warrior was in battle against him and to use both of Odin's Powers: Strength and Words.
"Oh father. You are right. As always. I am only a product of my birth and you nurtured nothing in me but a deep loathing for you and Thor. So I was born a Frost Giant. And that is how I shall remain. You claim no responsibility for my actions and thus I lose all belief in you." He looked down at the Bubble resting on his chest and turned the blue dial a full rotation.
"So you are bringing along some more unwanted guests." Odin said grimly. "I don't wish to fight you my son. And contrary to your previous words I still think of you as my son."
Loki laughed hysterically. "Odin, King of Asgard. You have no further claim to anything I was, am or eventually will be. And I will become greater than you ever were. You have shown me that fear is a great tool and if used wisely can be for the good of all."
Loki looked at the surrounding rim of blue around the Bubble and the pulsating colours pleased him. The whining noise and pressure had started and Odin raised his Staff.
"I will not allow you to bring those creatures back here. The doors between our realms are broken and you will destroy everything if you persist in this madness."
"You have no idea how mad I actually am Odin. Mad at you and all you have done to me. And it was your power that struck the human Jane. I didn't do that. It will be interesting to see what happens when Thor comes across his broken woman."
Odin raised the staff higher. "I cannot allow you to proceed."
Loki nodded his head. "You can't stop me." A blast erupted from the invisible Destroyer behind him. Odin had expected it and had banged his staff to the ground at the exact moment the Destroyer unleashed its Power. The two forces met and unfortunately for Odin he had underestimated exactly what Loki would do to his beloved creation of Fire. The two forces met but both were Ice and the Power erupted around Odin and only his staff protected him from becoming a statue of Ice. The Staff had protected him but in so doing was encapsulated in Ice. The barrier of Ice surrounded Odin in the large shape of a thick bubble. He tried to take a step backwards but bumped into the ice behind him. He tried to move his staff but it was stuck fast in the ice, its power useless to him. His large beautiful golden throne was now his prison.
"Impressive Loki. I didn't realise you took the Casket of Ancient Winters into exile with you." Odin said.
"Fire is the power of the Gods. I am a Frost Giant and my heart has always been cold, you made sure of that. The Destroyer has been in my workings for the past year and I have the power of Jodenheim within my keeping and now the Casket is within the Destroyer."
The power of the Vortex was growing ever stronger. Loki turned towards where the invisible Destroyer was standing. He twisted his arms and reached out and the Destroyer became visible instantly. The Destroyer began walking towards Odin and stopped a few feet away from him. It stared at its old master and didn't move.
Loki looked towards Jane and realised that he had been mistaken to bring a human to this realm. Odin had rejected her, and for good reason. She was too fragile for the battle that was to come. It was Thor's fault he had brought her; he had just wanted revenge on his brother, but not in the death of an innocent maiden. He pushed the regret from his heart and rushed to her.
She hadn't moved in all the time they had been talking. He stood before for and dropped to his knees. He looked at her swollen cheek and bloodied lip and it seemed like a terrible time ago when he had struck her. Her body looked broken lying there before him, her legs at strange angles to the rest of her body.
"Oh Jane. I'm so sorry."
"It's too late for sorry Loki. Your part in this play is set and you had better be prepared for what is to come." Odin shouted.
Loki heard the words and knew Odin spoke true. "If you open your mouth again old man, you will become ice before you can use what little magic you hold within you. You may be immortal, but even you would not wish to remain a pillar of ice for all eternity."
He placed his hands gently under Jane's head and cradled her in his arms.
"Believe me when I say I didn't..."
"Mrrrrch." Her lips parted and a brief dull sound escaped them. He laughed out loud at this and kissed her forehead.
"Thank the Gods."
"Loki. Brother. You have returned."
Loki closed his eyes and grinned. Thor was finally here and Loki could not have wished for better timing. He gently cradled Jane to him and slowly stood up. Thor suddenly realised who Loki was holding in his arms and rushed towards her but was held back by Volstagg and Hogun.
"What is Jane doing here?" Thor said before noticing her bruised face and legs contorted in strange angles. "What has happened to her brother?"
"See the wider picture Thor." Sif whispered noticing all, staring towards the Destroyer, where Odin stood in ice beside it.
Thor could hardly take his eyes off Jane. He saw Jane's body, held in Loki's arms. Her face bruised and her legs contorted in strange angles.
Do you want her Thor? When she lies here broken and used? Would you take something already given freely to me?
A fragment of the dream entered his mind and he almost collapsed from the memory of it. Jane had been before him, clad in chains, bleeding and broken.
"Jane?" He whispered in anguish.
His eyes had started to water and not just from the noise of the ever-increasing whine and the build-up in pressure. It seemed that they would be joined shortly by others from another realm.
"Thor." Sif started to shout to try and be heard about the screeching noise. "Look towards your father, for Odin's sake."
He did so and the sight of the Destroyer and his father filled him with anger and bitterness.
Loki was looking down at Jane, his face a mirror of sadness and pain.
"Odin brought me back to Asgard." Loki said, raising his head and looked first at Odin, who returned his look with sadness. He then looked towards Thor with a slight smile upon his face. "He brought me back as his son. And I brought Jane to you Thor; I knew how much you loved her. But Odin saw her and reacted badly. He has kept the Destroyer by his side all this time, hidden from all. He used it to hurt her." He brushed a lock of hair back from her face. "Please take her from me Thor. When she awakens it will be your face she will wish to see."
Thor started forward, pushing his friends back from him. "Don't trust him Thor. For AllFather's sake." Sif yelled before drawing her hands over her ears in a grimace. Her friends did the same, all too gladly.
The centre of the Throne Room had reached the breaking pitch of sound and the pressure had risen to the highest notch. Thor hardly felt it with his hammer in his right hand pushed out before him. Loki stood with his back against the wall, his arms outstretched, holding the human woman towards Thor.
Thor stretched out his hands towards her and the scream of sound and pressure exploded around him, within a field of blue light. The pressure had broken instantly and no one was thrown off their feet this time due to the difference in the vortex format. The noise continued to climb to a screech and even Thor raised his hands to cover his ears. He noticed in the space of a few seconds that Loki had turned his back on Thor and was hunched over Jane. Thor rushed towards Jane, wanting to get her out of Loki's arms, even if Loki had turned at the last moment to protect her from the Power of the opening of the Realms. His brother was placing Jane gently on the ground and as Thor reached out to her Loki rushed forward and embraced Thor in his arms.
Thor was taken utterly by surprise at this display of brotherly affection and hugged Loki back.
Thor looked over Loki's shoulder at Jane, who lay on the floor. She was bruised and swollen and trying to move her head. Her eyes were opening and closing but he could not tell if she saw him.
Loki whispered directly into Thor's ear. "I kept her safe for you Thor. Odin wanted her dead and although I couldn't stop her getting hurt I prevented her death. He wanted to get rid of her so you could never return to her. And he almost succeeded if not for me."
Loki looked over Thor's shoulder as he said this. A smile played at the corner of his lips but his voice sounded full of anguish. He looked towards the deep prism of light that shone through the door-shape in the centre of the room and the grin widened. A Frost Giant had stepped forth through the door, followed immediately by another. His smile widened even more when he saw Erik and Darcy huddled together just a few metres from the entrance the Frost Giants were now stepping through. It seemed they had followed him back after all and had arrived at exactly the same time as the Frost Giants.
Loki looked towards his lost father and wanted to laugh out loud. His father was absolutely helpless; he couldn't talk or move without the horror of the Destroyer being unleashed. And one thing Odin could never know was that death by Destroyer was too easy, the Destroyer was just a prop to keep the mighty God silent. Loki had a different plan involving the death of Odin. And it involved the God he held in his arms. He released Thor and his face was a picture of misery.
"Help her Thor. She needs you."
He stepped back and swept his cloak from where Jane lay. Thor bent down towards her, totally oblivious to all that was going on around him. Loki walked towards the Frost Giants that had now swelled to a number of at least eight.
He looked towards the Warriors Three and Sif and smiled at them in bitterness. Their weapons were out and they looked towards the Frost Giants who looked back at them with loathing.
Erik saw Thor and Jane huddled against the wall of the large room, only a short distance away. He reached for Darcy's hand and pulled her after him as he dodged around the large blue creatures and ran towards his adopted daughter.
# # # #
Loki looked back towards Thor who was totally oblivious to all that was going on behind him. His focus lay only on Jane, as did Darcy and Eric. Loki grinned. He could now continue with the next part of his plan.
Loki walked towards the Frost Giants and stretched out his hands in greeting. "Welcome brothers."
"Don't take another step towards us Immortal." One of them said.
"But you have entered this Realm because of me." He raised his hand above his face and brought it slowly downwards, his palm open and his fingers together. As his face slowly disappeared behind his hand it came back again in the shape and colour of a Frost Giant.
"What trickery is this?" Said one. He heard gasps from his once-friends on the right of him.
"No trickery." Loki said. "I happen to be the son of Laufey that was. I am a Frost Giant, just as you are. And I have come to free you from your broken ice prison that Odin tried to destroy." He pointed at Odin and the Frost Giants turned to where Odin stood, trapped in his icy shell.
Sif screamed out towards Loki in anger. "But it was you."
One laughed. "It seems we do not need to worry about the King but only his lowly subjects."
Loki laughed bitterly. "Don't believe what these Immortals tell you. They killed your great king and wanted to kill you all. You have a chance at redemption. It's up to you to seize it."
# # # #
Thor's focus lay only in Jane. He had knelt down before her and was cradling her just as Loki had done earlier. She was trying to fight the edge of darkness that would return her to the quiet and peace. She could see Thor staring down at her and she tried to reach up to him to caress his face but her arms wouldn't listen to her.
"You are safe now Jane. I will return you to Midgard very soon. I am sorry for all this."
"Please Thor." She whimpered, realising that apart from her swollen cheek which hurt like the Dickens, the rest of her body was strangely free of pain. She couldn't feel it at all and she tried to move her hand again. She tried to move her toe inside her shoe. She tried to wiggle her bottom. Nothing responded and she felt a lack of anything and everything below her neck.
"Thor. I can't -."
"Jane. You're awake." Thor said happily. At that moment Erik and Darcy reached his side, Erik tentatively placing a hand on Thor's shoulder. But Thor was oblivious to them as he was to everything else except Jane.
"I can't move my body Thor." She whispered, through blood-encrusted lips.
Thor lifted her up and held her tightly. He kissed her brow in the same spot his brother had done so earlier, although neither would ever know this. He kissed her swollen cheek and she flinched slightly.
"I will kill my father for doing this to you." He said.
"It was an accident Thor." She said. "Please Thor. I can't feel my arms and legs." She whimpered as the full truth hit her. "I think I'm paralysed."
Yes yes yes, I know... it's another cliffhanger. But I truly promise you won't have to wait too many days until the next instalment (unless it's another whopping almost 4000 words!). Everything is slowly coming together... I mean I hope it's all coming together and I'll get it down on paper as it swirls around endlessly in my head.
Oh and go to YouTube and check out the website HISHE (How it should have ended) and watch the THOR clip. Really really funny. And do me a favour and read 'Thor The Parody' by Adrian Tullberg on fanfiction – I could NOT stop laughing!
And otherwise it's all MUSE baby, all MUSE!