Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Marvel Universe, The Amazing Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, or anyone else involved with the movies or comics. I am not making any profits from this writing, it is all for the purposes of fun and creative writing.
Chapter 10
" The mistake that must be rectified is that there is a soul within your keeping that does not belong among the dishonored dead, the soul is that of my youngest, Loki." Odin said as he gazed up at the towering goddess.
" I have many souls within my keeping All-father, what makes you say he is not meant among the dishonored?" Hela asked in challenge.
" Come forward then Mistress Death, and see the truth for yourself, our minds are open to you." Odin said and Frigga and Thor their hand over Odin's shoulders, Frigga of his left and Thor on his right. All three of them gazed up at Hela with faces made of stone as they prepared themselves as best they could, for they were going to have to relive the nightmare yet again.
Hela with her arms still crossed and a look of mild disinterest as she floated forward away from the roaring flame that had been used to summon her. The great hall watched as the queen of the dead shrank in size until she was about the same height as Hellblindi. She towered over the three royals of Asgard and gazed down at them with her pale eyes as she spoke.
" Are you adequately prepared to show me?" Hela asked as she uncrossed her arms, her silvery voice as calm and collected as ever.
" Yes Mistress Death, my family and I are prepared, behold the truth for yourself." Odin said firmly.
" Very well." Hela said with a nod.
Then everyone watched as the queen raised her hand, revealing long and elegant fingers gloved in delicate black, the tips of her index and middle fingers glowing as green magic swirled around them as she reached out and with surprising gentleness, pressed them to the center of Odin's forehead. Hela then closed her pale eyes and let out a deep breath. They all watched as Odin, Frigga, and Thor as one bowed their heads, Thor and Frigga's hands on Odin's shoulders glowing the same green as Hela's fingertips did against the All-Father's brow.
The expressions on each of the three royals' faces quickly grew pained, no doubt the three of them were reliving the events that revealed the truth, Loki's trial in which Menkos revealed himself and gleefully shouted for all to hear that he had murdered Loki, butchering the second Prince of Asgard of his brother's coronation day in a most horrendous fashion and then usurping his form to do much, from letting the three Jotuns into Asgard, and all the vents that followed, to the near destruction of Jotunheim and the near subjugation of Midgard. Hela saw everything from the moment Loki was tossed through the portal into her realm, his throat cut wide open and life still in him, to the devastation of Thor and his family upon learning the truth and the vengeance they exacted upon Menkos for the pain he had wrought. The Queen of the Dead also beheld the Jotuns and the Midgardians accepting the truth and lamenting the loss of Loki. She saw how Thor's friends, the rag tag group of extraordinary individuals who had come together to beat back the Chitauri, came together once more to comfort their friend and simply be their for him now.
Weeks worth of memories and feelings were experienced by Mistress Death in the span of a few moments through the magic link with Odin. After what seemed like hours, Hela's pale white eyes fluttered open and she drew her hand away from Odin, who opened his one eye to reveal that it was swimming with unshed salt, while Frigga opening wept behind him, and Thor had silent tears carving bitter trails down his ashen face as he still gripped his father's shoulder in a vice-like grip.
" So, that is how he ended up in my realm. Lamentable." Hela said quietly, a look of reminiscence on her face.
" You know him then." Frigga asked, stepping forward with hope written across her face.
" Yes Queen of Asgard, I know who you seek." Hela said neutrally.
" Will you give him back to us then, so that he may sent to the halls of Valhalla with all the honor and respect he is due?" Thor asked as he took stepped forward, though he had yet to release his hold on Odin, who looked as it he had aged decades.
Hela was silent as she gazed over the desperate mother, father, and brother standing before her. Then taking in a long breath Hela spoke, her words effectively ripping the floor out from under everyone.
" I would if I could, but what you desire I do for you is something that is beyond my capabilities."
" WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!" Frigga yelled, her tearful eyes growing wide in shock, which quickly turned to anger as she strode forward and pointed an unforgiving finger at Hela.
" GIVE ME BACK MY SON THIS INSTANT!"
Frigga's demand echoed through the entire hall as she glared at the goddess. Hela for her part looked completely unfazed as she stared back at the enraged mother and shook her head.
" As I have just said, I cannot give you the soul of Loki Odinson, it is impossible for me to do so."
" Hela please, do not play with our hearts so, you just said you knew Loki, you saw our memories, you know that he is not meant to be among the dishonored, so why do you refuse to grant him the peace and honor he deserves?" Thor said as he too stepped forward, his eyes wide and filled with pain and disbelief that Hela could be so cruel.
" What new trickery is this Mistress Death?" Hellblindi asked as he too strode forward and gazed angrily at the Queen of Niflheim.
" Are the dishonored souls of your realm no longer to your satisfaction, that you now turn to tormenting the living?"
The rest of the hall watched on in astonishment, all of them shocked by the outrage written over Hellblindi's face, on behalf of the Asgardian royal family no less as he glared daggers at Hela.
Before Hela could say anything, a loud roar filled the hall.
" GRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRR!"
All eyes turned in time to see Bruce Banner grow and shift in size as a green tinge spread rapidly across his normally olive complexion.
" Bruce no!" Steve yelled as he pulled Jane with him as he and the others all backed away from the enraged beast that was making his appearance at last.
They were all stunned when they saw that instead of ripping and tearing as his clothes normally did, Bruce's Asgardian attire expanded and grew with him, evolving to accommodate the Hulk's much large frame and musculature. From where she stood Frigga looked wide-eyed but not too surprised, thankful that she had enchanted her gifts to Bruce Banner just in case his other side decided to show itself.
" Oh geez, now she's in for it." Tony said under his breath as he watched the Hulk easily plow through the royal guards, who wisely chose not to engage the rage monster, and headed straight for Hela.
However it was to be noted that yet again the Hulk was not barreling towards the Queen of the Dead in a blind rampage, instead he was stomping towards the cowl-wearing goddess with anger and clear determination on his heavy-browed face.
" Wait, friend Hulk you can't just-" Thor began to say, but a warning look from the Hulk had him falling silent.
" What in the nine! Oh!" Hela exclaimed before she was seized around the waist by a single, meaty green hand. The grip around her was firm, not crushing, but it held no room for escape as Hela found herself lifted clear of her feet and face to utterly enraged face with the Hulk himself. With a low growl, the Hulk spoke.
" Listen here Antler lady, you give brother back to Thor or else Hulk will smash you into floor like he did to puny bad alien who killed Loki. Hulk will bash you as much as Hulk wants. You making pretty lady over there upset, Hulk not like that at all." Hulk growled as he gestured to Frigga, earning a stunned but grateful look from Thor's mother while the rest of the hall watched on absolutely flabbergasted by the sight of the Queen of Niflheim being held in a vice-like grip and getting a stern talking to by the green rage monster.
Hela stopped the light struggle she was putting up against the meaty hand that held her like she was some kind of Barbie doll and looked into the large, angry green eyes of her impromptu captor. Then everyone else watched on stunned as Hela gave a small huff of annoyance and relaxed into the Hulk's hold as she spoke.
" I understand what kind of damage you are capable of, I just saw the events that have transpired in Midgard since Loki was murdered and it was good of you to smash Menkos to pulp as you did. But listen to me Hulk of Midgard, I have a legitimate reason why I cannot do what Thor and his parents are asking of me." Hela said, sounding as calm and collected as ever as she met the Hulk's gaze head on. Hulk growled and tightened hiss hold around Hela a fraction to show her his displeasure but otherwise he was calm as could be expected and made no move to carry out his threats from before.
" What reason do you have for refusing to give me my son's soul?" Odin said as he stepped forward, sending the Hulk a look that was equal parts gratitude and also veiled wonder.
" Simple, I do not have, nor have I ever had dominion over the soul of Loki Odinson, even when he was within the cold walls of my kingdom." Hela answer as she turned to look down at Odin from where she dangled in the Hulk's grip.
She could just as easy deal with her captor, her magic was strong enough, all she'd have to do is make herself too large for him to hold on to. But in all honesty the Mistress of Nifleheim was feeling some begrudging respect for the green creature who had the nerve to grab her and threaten her as he did. It was all rather refreshing and unexpected, and Hela did love surprises.
" What do you mean you never possessed Loki's soul?" Thor asked as he and his mother stepped forward and stood on either side of Odin, looking up at Hela.
"He was murdered and tossed right into your realm." Thor added.
" While you are all correct that Loki Odinson did indeed fall to my kingdom a lifeless and mangled corpse, he did not stay as such for very long." Hela said cryptically.
Hela's words had an immediate effect as the entire hall erupted in chaotic shock. The chaos reigned until finally, Odin had enough.
" SILENCE!" He roared as he let the end of Gungnir crash down onto the floor with a resounding thud. The hall silenced immediately while the Avengers, Jane, Darcy, and Selvig, along with the Warriors 3, Lady Sif, and the Jotun delegation all gathered around the Hulk, Hela, and the Asgardian royal family as Odin spoke.
" You will cease your cryptic words this instant and tell us clearly, where is my son!" Odin growled with understandable menace.
" Perhaps it would be best if I showed you instead the events which transpired within my kingdom, hidden from both you and your all seeing gatekeeper?" Hela asked, now sounding mildly annoyed as she turned her pale eyed gaze from Odin back to the Hulk, who glared back at her.
" I would very much appreciate if you would kindly release me now, you're wrinkling my cape." Hela said, still as calm and collected as ever, perhaps even with a bit of amusement coloring her silvery voice.
" Let her go Hulk, its okay." Steve said, not taking his hardened eyes off of Hela.
With a final growl, Hulk uncurled his fingers from around Hela's ribcage, allowing the goddess to gently fly out of his grasp. Taking a moment to adjust her cape around her shoulders, Hela floated backwards through the air until she was floating above the roaring green and gold flames of the cauldron once more.
Everyone watched on in tense silence and Hela raised here arms and held them out wide, her gloved palms glowing with swirling gold magic. Beneath her a white smoke suddenly rose and began to billow about her.
" I'm sure you are familiar with this method by now." Hela said as she made a sweeping motion with her arms that caused the white smoke to rise above everyones heads stretch the entire length of the hall.
Indeed they all were, it was a magic projection, much like the one Odin had created with Heimdall to show everyone what had happened to Loki. All eyes now gazed up at the swirling white smoke, waiting with bated breath to see what would be revealed to them now. As the smoke began to darken into an image, Hela's voice sounded through the hall as her pure white eyes glowed with magic, uttering a single word.
" Observe."
All eyes were glued upward as the smoke finally darkened all way into a vast and imposing landscape blanketed by snow. Black mountains stood out against the mute, gray sky like the jagged teeth of a rabid beat hungering for its next meal. It was something straight out of a nightmare
As the memory progressed, the perspective shifted from the towering mountains to a plain, barren field of black dirt into which a large crater rested. As the inside of the crater was shown, Frigga let out an awful scream of horror at what her eyes beheld. Beside her Thor gasped and stared wide-eyed as he kept his mother from collapsing them and there, while Odin clenched his jaw to keep himself from mirroring his wife.
All around there were cries and cursed of horror at the image they all beheld.
There laying at the bottom of the crater was Loki, mangled and unrecognizable, reverted back to his Jotun form while still garbed in what was left of his Asgardian attire. He lay eagle spread, his burnt and bloodied cape fanned out around him. One of his arms lay with his wrist at an odd angle, while his other hand was a crushed and disfigured clump of bones and flesh. Crimson blood still oozed lazily from the four holes that marred Loki's torso, which was now a sickly pale grayish-blue color, exposed for all to see since Menkos had ripped off Loki's chest plate earlier. Loki's eyes, once so vibrant and green now stared unseeingly up at the gray skies, glazed over to a sickly grayish red hue and empty beneath nearly closed lids. Loki's distorted jaw hung open, Menkos having shattered it so brutally. And there beneath his jaw was Loki's utterly shredded throat, his sliced windpipe and vocal cords visible through the long, gapping hole Menkos' knife had left. He lay there with the stillness of death, the only movement was a few errant strands of ebony black hair fluttering in the cold wind.
" Jesus." Steve whispered brokenly as he beheld Loki's corpse as it lay bare and unprotected against the harsh winter of Niflheim.
Around him the other mortals all reacted in similar fashion. Tony looked like he was going to be sick, Clint ready to join him, clenching his jaw tightly, Natasha beside him with her eyes hard and her fists clenched. Hulk gritting his teeth and breathing harshly. Jane had her hand to mouth, while Darcy had buried her face into Selvig's shoulder, unable to look at the gruesome sight.
" Brother." Thor whispered as tears broke free from his eyes while he held his sobbing mother to his chest tightly.
A few feet away, Fandral looked ready to pass out, his face completely devoid of all color, while beside him, Volstaag was staring in wide eyed horror. Hogun had lost his grim mask, and with tears gathering in his dark eyes, he spoke rapidly under his breath, praying in his native tongue. And finally, Sif watched on with tears streaming from her eyes, her whole body shaking violently as she gazed up at the image of Loki's body.
" He was one of us?" Hellblindi whispered in confusion and disbelief, recognizing the skin and markings amidst all the horrible damage Loki had suffered, but his words were paid very little mind as all eyes were focused up at the projection of Hela's memories.
There were gasps all around as Hela herself appeared, floating over the dead prince who lay within the crater with her green cape and black robes billowing out about her.
She gazed down at the corpse with disinterest, her pale eyes taking in the sad state of things as she spoke.
" What a mess." She sighed as she flew forward, gliding down into the crater so that she was floating just a few feet from Loki's body, taking a better look.
" Someone sure did a number on you, but no matter, your soul will be mine while your body will go to the hounds." Hela said, talking to Loki as if he could possibly answer her back.
With her right hand glowing a dull red, Hela reached out towards the center of Loki's mangled, hole-ridden chest, no doubt to take the soul she had verbally laid claim to.
Frigga moaned in despair as she watched this, while Odin held on to Gungnir with his hands white-knuckled, literally looking like the great spear was the only thing keeping him upright at that moment. Thor stood a silent column paralyzed by what he was seeing, his arm like a vice around Frigga's shoulders.
Up above, everyone watched as Hela just about reached Loki's chest with her glowing hand, ready to pull something ou. But the moment the first fingertip of her hand made contact with Loki's unmoving chest, the entire hall watched stunned as a white light flashed out of nowhere, and Hela herself was thrown backward clear out of the crater with a loud, pained cry. There were gasp all around as they watched Hela, the Queen of the realm in which these events had taken place land hard on the black dirt with a dull thud, her right hand, once glowing now smoking, the glove over it burnt away in places to reveal lightly scorched skin beneath it.
Hela rose to her feet, hissing as she gingerly inspected her burnt hand.
" What?" Hela began to say as she whirled around to face the crater she had just been so violently ejected out of.
" What is this trickery?" Hela growled as she stepped forward, her breath coming in harsh puffs of vapor as her angry white eyes darted about.
" Reveal yourself to me this instant, for I am the supreme ruler of these lands!"
" You may be ruler of these lands Mistress Hela, but you do not rule us." Came the disembodied voice of a woman.
The great hall of Asgard watched as three perfect orbs of pure white light materialized out of nowhere and hovered over the crater.
" Who are you, and why have you interfered in my affairs?" Hela growled as she glared at the as of yet unknown beings before her, cradling her burnt hand to her chest.
Hela watched on as the three orbs began to grow larger and large, and glow brighter until finally, they morphed into distinct shapes.
Down below the rest of the hall all watched stunned into silence as the three orbs shifted into the forms of three maidens. They were otherworldly in feature and shape, shrouded in flowing dressed of pale gray materials that seemed to float around them. One maiden had flaming red hair, the one next to her with hair so blond it was nearly white, and the final maiden had the blackest ebony hair anyone had ever seen.
" We three are the sisters of fate, and we interfere because you cannot lay claim over the soul of the one who lies here." The Red-headed maid said, her voice low and deep with the wisdom of the ages, melodious and ethereal as she gazed down at Hela with pale, electric blue eyes.
" Y-You are the Norns then, the weavers of Destiny?" Hela asked, her anger from earlier replaced with disbelief.
Down below, everyone from Odin to the whole of Asgard watched on in silence, mirroring Hela's disbelief.
" Yes queen of Nifleheim, we are the Norns." The red head said with a nod before she continued.
" I am Skuld."
" I am Urd." The ebony haired maiden said.
" I am Verdandi." The blond maiden said, finishing out the trio.
" Forgive my earlier disrespect, but I must again ask, why have you come to my realm and left your place at the roots of Yggdrasil?" Hela asked as she bowed her head in respect to the three sisters, knowing she would be no match to them.
" You have our apologies Queen Hela, but our intervention was necessary for we have our own designs regarding the soul you were about to claim." Verdandi, the blond Norn said with all seriousness.
" What designs?" Hela asked, voicing what the entire hall of Asgard was thinking.
Instead of saying anything, the three Norns turned their gaze to Loki where he still laid cold and unmoving.
As one the three sister raised their right hands, palms glowing white. The hall watched in awe as Loki's body was lifted out of the crater by some unseen force. He still hung limb and lifeless in the air as he hovered past the large hole he had left when his body had first landed in this accursed realm and was then lowered back down onto the snow.
The Hela in the project watched on in silence, a frown evident on her brow even with the cowl she wore. She and the whole of Asgard watched on as the three sistered gracefully seemed to sink from the air and came to stand on the ground, surrounding Loki, the snow not bothering their bare feet in the least.
Skuld stood before Loki's head, gazing down at his broken face with what appeared to be a hint of sadness in her supernatural blue eyes. Urd stood by Loki's left shoulder, while Verdandi stood by his right.
" Who is he?" Hela asked softly as she took gazed down at the mangled corpse.
" He is Loki Odinson." Skuld replied, before her ebony haired sister took over.
" Second Prince of Asgard." Urd continued, and then Verdandi spoke.
" Innocent soul, mercilessly butchered at the hands of one who serves your so called suitor, Mistress Death." The blond Norn finished as all three sets of eyes looked to Hela.
Down below, the Asgardians, the Jotuns, and the Mortals all watched as a look of pure disgust spread across Hela's face as she spoke.
" Thanos." She hissed in utter detestation.
" So the stupid brute has sullied my realm by murdering an innocent and casting him here, believing in his twisted logic that it would somehow please me?" Hela asked knowingly, every line of her face showing her anger.
" Well if that is the case, then Loki of Asgard is meant to be in the halls of Valhalla, under his father's care, not here among the dishonored."
" You are correct Lady Hela, but Valhalla will have to wait." Skuld said as she and her sisters turned their attention back to Loki were he lay.
As one the three sisters raised both hands up high over their hands, palms held up and glowing. Within the triangle they formed, an orb the color of golden sunlight started to form, at first the size of maybe a baseball, but rapidly expanding until it reached the size of a beach ball, swirling about and even sparking here and there.
" What are they doing to my son?" Frigga asked desperately, tears streaming down her face as she watched the Norns standing over her child corpse.
They all watched as suddenly, the Norns brought their hands down sharply, in perfect synch. This motion made the ball of golden magic sharply come down as well, as if pulled by a sting. It careened straight into Loki's body, making those down below gasp as the ball of light seemed to explode the moment it touched Loki's cold, unmoving chest.
When the light faded, everyone watched on in silence as Loki's whole body glowed with the golden energy.
" Look, look what's happening." Thor said, his eyes wide as he slowly pulled off his black helmet and let it fall forgotten to the floor.
All eyes watched as the four terrible knife wounds to Loki's chest and abdomen glowed white, and then slowly sealed themselves. Next, Loki's shatter jaw and the lacerations to his face glowed white too, the lacerations closed up, while the jaggedly broken bone smoothed out beneath the skin. Then Loki's hands both glowed, one where his wrist had been snapped, the other over his whole hand that had been so brutally crushed. By the time the glow faded, the wrist was straight and the crushed bones and flesh looked like a pale, long fingered hand. Then finally, the horrendous wound over Loki's throat, the wound that had ended his life glowed pure white for several long moments before this grievous wound closed as well, leaving only pale and unbroken skin.
Odin gasped out loud as he watched the golden energy fade from Loki's body, and while his armor and clothing were still left in shambles, his chest, throat, and face were pale and smooth once more, not a single cut or bruise left over the now vibrant blue skin.
It dawned on him that Asgard was seeing Loki in his true form for the first time, but he cared not, that was still his son up there, the Norns had just healed his body and made him whole once more. But there was still no spark of life within Loki's crimson eyes, nor did his chest rise and fall with breath.
As they all watched on, Hela came forward to stand a few feet from the Norns as she spoke.
" You plan to bring him back?" She asked softly.
" Yes." Was all Skuld said before she gracefully sank to one knee and reached out, her pale and long fingers coming to rest lightly over Loki's pale blue forehead.
There was a moment of absolute silence, and then a collective gasp from the people down below as they watched Skuld's hand glow white, and then the energy seemed to jump straight into Loki's forehead. The moment the energy entered Loki's being, his whole body arched almost clean off the ground, his once dull and lifeless eyes suddenly flying all the way open as his mouth fell open and sucked in a giant breath.
" They brought him back?" Tony whispered in awe as he and everyone else watched Loki suddenly sit up, his whole body heaving as he threw his head back and let loose a terrible scream of pain and shock.
They all watched as Loki stumbled to his feet, only to fall down hard and then then claw his way aimlessly over the snow covered dirt.
The Norns watched this with an impassiveness that seemed almost cruel, while Hela looked simply looked at a complete loss as to what to do. When she stepped forward, the eyes of each Norn flashed dangerously as Skuld spoke in a voice that held no room for argument.
" One more step and it shall be your last."
Hela turned sharply to gaze at the Norns.
" Why, you just brought him back to life, he is in agony." Hela said neutrally as she gesture to Loki, who was keening lowly and thrashing about over the snow, as long dead muscles and sinews screamed back to life.
Frigga was stunned into total silence as she watched the son she thought dead now gasping for breath in his hands and knees amidst while snow and black dirt.
" The pain will pass, for he is made anew." Urd said as all eyes went to the dark-haired figure who was heaving his last breaths.
With that, Urd and her sisters stepped forward across the snow towards the newly resurrected Prince.
Loki, who had pushed himself up onto his knees and sat hunched over with his unkept hair obscuring his face. He seemed not to notice the three ladies approaching him as he took in deep, shaking gasps of breath.
The Norns stopped mere feet from Loki and Verdandi spoke.
" Loki of Asgard." She said, the three sisters watched as Loki froze at hearing his name called.
Very slowly, Loki looked up to gaze upon the once who had brought him back to life. There was a gasp through the whole hall as they beheld Loki, the prince they had thought lost to them, alive, with glittering red eyes alight with life and confusion.
" Who-" Loki croaked out, a hand immediately going to his newly healed throat, giving it a quick massage before Loki climbed onto his unsteady feet and stood to full height. His tattered armor and cape falling away from him in broken bits, leaving him only in the torn leather pants and boots he had been wearing when he had been killed.
" Who are you?" Loki croaked out as he gazed distrustfully and yes, a little fearfully at the three maidens with hard, rudy-red eyes.
" We and the ones who forced life back into you." Skuld answered.
" You just told me what you have done, not who you are, answer me!" Loki gritted out as he mustered a weak glare at the Norns.
Down bellow, Thor could not help the pride that sparked inside his heart that was pounding almost clear out of his chest. Even after it all, Loki could still make demands of the Norns themselves.
" You mind has stayed sharp even with all the trauma you suffered Prince of Asgard, it will serve you well. And to answer your question, I am Urd."
" I am Verdandi."
" And I am Skuld."
" We three are the Norns of Fate." They all said as one.
Loki's eyes grew wide, his whole face going slack with shock. He blinked owlishly at them before he spoke
" Where am I?" He asked softly, gasping when he caught sight of his blue hands.
" You are in my realm prince of Asgard." Hela said as she stepped forward, eying Loki with interest.
" Niflheim?" Loki whispered as he turned his red eyes to the Queen, who nodded in reply.
Loki then turned back to the Norns.
" What is going on here? Why did you bring me back to life? Why am I blue?" Loki asked desperately in rapid succession, nearly hyperventilating at this point as he let loose a fearsome scream.
" TELL ME!"
Below the crowds, Loki's family, the Jotuns, and the mortals were all surprised by the power behind Loki's demand. Odin hearing the echoes of his deceit by Menkos in the weapons vault, feeling like he was reliving that whole nightmare all over again, just a different version of his Loki finding out about his true heritage.
" What's going on here is a twist of fate." Urd said with a small smile.
" We brought you back to life because your life was wrongly stolen from you, and we three saw potential in you." Skuld said, answering Loki's second question.
" And finally, you are as you appear now because the glamor that was over you has been lifted. You are not an Aesir born, you are Jotun by blood, the last child of Laufey and his consort Farbauti." Verdandi finished.
While Loki's face grew horrified above, below Hellblindi gapped in shock as he spoke.
" The runt lived?" He whispered to himself.
A few feet away Thor and Frigga looked away a moment to glare at Hellblindi for daring to call their Loki a runt, but they each shook their heads and looked back up at the projection, watching along with Odin and everyone else as despair spread across Loki's face.
" NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" Loki cried as his hands went to his hair, pulling at the black locks as he shook his head in denial of the harsh truth that had been revealed.
" WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME STAY DEAD!" Loki screamed as tears began to fall from his red eyes.
Below, the mortals, from Steve to Darcy all felt their hearts break at the sight of Loki as he completely broke down. They also felt anger towards the Norns who stood impassive to the despair they had caused. Jane gritted her teeth and blinked back angry tears as she glared up at the Norns where they were projected and watched on as they spoke.
" You will not have time for tears here Loki of Asgard, especially considering the harshness this realm is capable of." Verdandi said.
Loki had sunk to his knees, staring tearfully at his blue arms and hands with naked despair on his face and tears gushing from his rudy-colored eyes. He looked up at the Norns and spoke.
" What do you mean by that, take me from here now!" Loki cried bitterly as he bit back the sobs that were clawing to get out of him.
The next words out of the Skuld's mouth had everyone down bellow feeling like the floor had been pulled out from under them.
" No, we will not." The red-head said in a voice devoid.
" What are they doing?!" Frigga screamed in outrage.
" Be calm my wife, surely the Norn would not be so cruel." Odin said, though he seemed not to believe his own words as they continued to watch.
" Wha... What do you mean?" Loki asked as terror spread over his entire face.
" Do not fall to the horrors of this realm, prove to us and to yourself that you are as strong as we believe you to be." Urd said as she and her sisters started to rise into the air and glow softly.
It was sign enough for Loki to know what they were doing. They were leaving... without him.
" No, wait! where are you going?!" Loki yelled as he scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could in an futile attempt to catch the departing sisters.
" WHY?" Loki screamed as he looked up at the sisters, trying desperately to summon his magic, anything to stop them for leaving, but it was no use.
Verdandi turned her cold blue gaze to Hela and spoke.
" Listen well, Queen of Niflheim, you are forthwith ordered to remain neutral. You will not give aid of any kind, and should you move to do so, you will find yourself and your realm in ruins within the blink of an eye."
Hela gritted her teeth, absolutely hating what was happening, this was her realm, her rules, and yet the three sisters of Fate had brushed off her authority with barely a batting of their pale eyes.
" Rest assured, I will heed your warning." Hela said flatly.
The Norns nodded to her, to which she gave a quick nod of resigned acceptance before all eye turned to Loki, who was at this point hyperventilating.
" From this point forward, you are on your own, Loki of Asgard. You have but one task." The three Norns said as they began to basically dissolve before Loki's very eyes.
" What task do you speak of?" Loki yelled as the Norns had nearly faded back into the three glowing orbs they had first materialized as.
" Find the fire within, for it will be the only way you will every leave this realm." Came the distant voice of the three Norns, then as one the three orbs flicked and faded into nothing, leaving cold silence and a dumbfounded Loki in their wake.
Loki tore his gaze away from the now empty sky, his lips parted, but no words coming forth as he gazed at Hela, and Hela gazed back at him.
" I do not no what games the Norns are playing, but for what it's worth, I am sorry." Hela said as she took the air.
Despair radiated from every inch of Loki as he silently watched Hela rise into the air, her cape billowing about her. There was a look of veiled regret on the Queen's face as she gazed down at the solitary, blue figure before her.
" I wish you luck, Loki of Asgard... You are going to need it." Hela said grimly, bowing her crowned head before her face hardened and she turned away and flew off towards her lonely throne among the the towering black mountains of her realm, forcing herself not to look back as she too left Loki to himself.
" How could they do this to my son?" Odin whispered brokenly.
There was despair and horror written across every single face in the great hall, even on Hellblindi's harsh features their was disbelief.
At the Bifrost, where he still stood watch, Heimdall did not even bother to hide the tears that were streaming down his face, he too having witnessed the horrifying events that Hela had just revealed.
Back in the hall, all eyes watched as Loki stood where he had been left all alone, looking completely lost in every sense of the word, gasping quietly, not able to catch his breath. His red eyes darted every which way, hyperaware of his surrounding as he took the nightmarish landscape in.
Then out of nowhere there was a low, gravelly growl that had Loki freezing. The sound had come from behind him. Letting out a shaky breath, Loki slowly turned around to face the source of the sound.
Everyone down bellow felt their hearts freeze in equal terror.
" Oh my God, no." Clint whispered, his eyes as wide as dinner plates with horror.
They mirrored the look that was on Loki's face as he beheld the a giant, monstrous looking creature that was staring back at him with dull, milky gray eyes where it stood just a few paces away.
A grotesque, mutated beast that looked to be part wolf and all demon, with matted gray fur, hulking paws with lethal looking claws, and a slobbering jaws full to the brim with stained, jagged teeth.
Before Loki could do or say anything, a second growl sounded as another creature materialized beside the first one.
Loki slowly started backing away, letting out a shaky breath as he realized what these creatures were.
The wolves of Nifleheim, the ones that Menkos had promised as he had tossed Loki into the portal. They had come for their feast at last.
The great hall of Asgard watched on in abject horror as a third and fourth wolf materialized, seemingly from the shadows, all of them eying Loki with hate and the promise of a painful death. Loki stopped backing away and just stood there, clenching his hands as they trembled in terror while his face went blank as it seemed to dawn on him that there was no where for him to run, he would have to face the hungry mouths that wanted him.
As Loki stood there facing off against the pack of fiendish wolves, there was a moment of absolute silence over the field upon which Loki stood. Then with a roar the first wolf sprang forward and started barreling towards Loki with his teeth bared, his fellows following after him. But as the wolves of Niflheim rushed towards him, an oddly calm look spread across Loki's face. Then in a move no one expected, Loki sprang forward himself, his hand glowing as he was able to conjure a woefully small knife, as he ran head long towards the beasts that were charging right at him.
The crowd below watched stunned as a look of sheer determination and unbridled fury spread across Loki's face, made all the more fearsome by his Jotun complexion. The last image of Loki they all beheld as the smoke began to shift and was of Loki running headlong into the first wolf to reach him, burying his knife to the hilt into one of the foul creature's milky gray eyes, his scream of utter rage and anguish reverberating through the main hall as the image faded way into whiteness once more.
" Have the Norns no mercy?" Frigga wailed while all around her there were groans and cries of horror at what they had beheld.
" Queen Frigga, you should not be so quick to grieve, for as you have just seen, that while the Norns left him dependent only upon himself against all the brutality my kingdom has to offer, your son did not simply lay down to die a second time." Hela said from where she still floated above the cauldron of fire Odin had used to summon here what seemed like hours ago, when in actuality it had only been half of one.
" Stave off on your despair, for I have much to show you still." Hela said as she waved her hands again and the white smoke began to darken once more into an image.
What was to be revealed next was anyone's guess.