Author's Note: Dear thephoenixandthedragon4ever while your question won't be answered this chapter, rest assured it will be answered in the future.

Superior

Loki sat at the table across from Thor, the urge to reach across and touch was hard to resist. So, finally he gave in and leaned over to run a hand over the tanned cheek, through the blond-beard that was so oddly rough against his finger-tips. No Jotun that he had ever met had a beard, that was what made it so fascinating.

'I may not be able to leave, but Skaoi said that Father is coming to visit sometime. No doubt he is getting impatient about my still being alive. I wonder if Thor will be so pleasant the next time he and Father meet ?'

To his annoyance there was a knock on the door, he got up and cautiously, because normally Sif would have opened it, opened the door. Father with his eight-foot tall guard Brugga and nine-foot tall Hjor stood there.

Father smiled coldly down at him, "Hello, Loki. I see you have not chosen anyone yet."

"Hello, Father, Brugga, Hjor. I am trying to make sure I pick the right person, Father. So, that I do not end up angry and bitter like you. Where are Sif and Skaoi ?"

A second later, he crashed into the table and Thor from Father's punch. His gaze caught Bergandlat's butt a few feet away. Dazed, he rolled over, but couldn't avoid Brugga's grab and then Thor was making an odd choking noise. His gaze darted to the Asgardian, Hjor had grabbed him, now ice was spreading up Thor's throat. 'No, no. Let him go, Hjor, you can't kill him !' Taken by surprise, Thor floundered against Hjor's immense height advantage and strength.

Brugga slammed him into the floor, before Father walked up to stand over him, "Asgard has long been in my way as has the Allfather. Too long the Asgardians have acted as if they were superior to us, when they are weaker and we existed long before them. King Surtr and I have planned to change that for a very long time, first it was seperate planning, but then we joined together. Isn't that right Surtr ?"

Surtr walked into the room, he was the exact opposite of Father. The king of Muspelheim was extraordinarily tall by now's standards - nine and a half-feet tall, his skin was a dusky orange/red, his eyes...his eyes were bright eitr-green.

Just by Surtr's entering he felt the room had become much hotter, almost unbearably so. Surtr's voice was a quiet roar like distant rocks falling, "Quite right, Laufey and it is time that they learned with Odin Burisson their place. Our races were made for war young Loki, you may have become sympathetic to them, but you have not abandoned us yet. Help us and perhaps I will let you keep Odinson."

'Was Father's 'mocking' of Surtr really a surprise to Surtr or were they friends all along ? How do they know that ? Did Mother illusion someone to report to her about me ?'

He managed to hiss, "Let him go...then I will consider it."

Hjor let go of Thor as Father nodded, Thor crashed to the floor his skin an unhealthy blue-shade. 'Come on, Thor, help me with this if you can.'

Seconds later, he backward kicked Brugga in the chest, all the strength he could muster was just enough to stun the much bigger frost-giant and throw him off. Threw himself at Bergandlat, just as he grabbed the spear blistering heat and agony spread through his back, he heard himself screaming.

Surtr laughed in obvious glee and then the fire stopped, "That was just a taste of what I could do to you Laufeyson."

'Shall we see how you like joteld, Surtr ?'

Forced himself to roll over, as he ran to help Thor up he was turning the air around the Eldjotnar king to frost-fire. Now, it was Surtr's turn to scream in agony as Father ran away. Thor took out Mjolnir and hit Brugga, who had just gotten up, in the chest causing him to crash into the far wall.

Surtr's fire overwhelmed his own joteld and it disappeared, then Huginn and Munnin's voices, "The Allfather comes ! Odin approaches thee O Surtr."

The king of Muspelheim snarled, as he left, setting the door on fire and trapping them with Brugga and Hjor, "We will be back, Laufeyson, Odinson ! Then you both will burn in Muspelheim's dungeons !"

Thor hissed and then as Mjolnir was swung white-lightning flew from its edges to engulf Hjor. Brugga it seemed was unconscious as he himself would likely be soon. Watched amazed as Thor twirled the hammer and a wind sprang up to put out the fire.

His vision was going black as Odin walked into the room, forced himself to stay conscious and ask, "Grandmother, Sif ?"

Odin crouched in front of him, "We think that they will live. If Huginn and Munnin had not noticed Surtr's movements and come back yesterday, and if Heimdall had not sensed Surtr's thoughts, he would have completely surprised us."

Thor helped him to the healing wing as Odin took Brugga to a, "Safe place."

As one of the healer's hands holding a knife crossed his back, trying to scrape off his burnt skin/ice-slivers, from trying to unconsciously protect himself, he moaned, clutching the table so hard that it hurt.

Thor, who sat in front of him, blue-eyes worriedly flitting about the room, muttered, "Why could Jotmir not have killed Surtr instead of Amattreitr ?"

To distract himself, he answered, "Perhaps that is my and Bergandlat's job to do.," Gasped and screamed as the knife finally broke through the burnt-skin to touch the new-skin underneath, "Aahgh-mnn, Ymir help me !"

Calloused fingers lifted his face, before the rough blond-beard brushed his chin and soft-lips touched his all too briefly. "All of Asgard and I will be happy to help with that."

'With Thor's help oh how I will relish the look on Surtr's face as he dies.'