Vinn was having a very bad day.

He'd gotten up that morning as the Allfather. He's dressed like the Allfather, mourned like the Allfather, refused to eat like the Allfather and acted like the Allfather.

In general, Vinn was pretty proud of his work as Odin. He'd observed and taken orders from the original Allfather enough to know how he acted. Vinn, being quite a decent actor himself, managed not to get anyone suspicious.

Until he bumped into Heimdall. Every single time he went to see Heimdall, he saw suspicion so deep in the Gatekeeper's eyes that he knew without a single doubt that Heimdall was certain he wasn't the Allfather.

But Heimdall had not said anything yet, and so Vinn woke up that morning, dressed, depressed and weary, just like the Allfather. He ate alone (he enjoyed the palace meals, as they were much better than soldier rations) and ordered around his guards. He surveyed Asgard and patrolled the palace.

The only thing that Vinn didn't enjoy about being the Allfather was Odin's looks. Vinn, who prided himself in being one of the most handsome guards, was used to being flocked by women. Fandral of the Warriors Three often gave him jealous looks if they ever met up.

Unfortunately, looking like the Allfather meant having as many women as the Allfather, so virtually none.

But that was an ant compared to his current problem.

That afternoon, Vinn had arrived at his chambers after a patrol of the Asgard palace corridors. Then he'd gone down to the vault to ensure that all of the object concealed there were fine. The tessaract was normal, the Jotun power source was placed on its pedestal, and all the object of danger were there. Then he'd checked the Svartalfheim stone that Loki had ordered him to bring back and present to Heimdall.

It looked fine at first glance.

Then it had begun to glow.

As far as Vinn knew, glowing was bad because it was unnatural. He'd picked up the stone carefully, and it began to emit a strange tolling-beeping noise, which had set him into a panic.

But the Allfather never panics. He reminded himself. A little voice in his head growled back, yes, but the Allfather was 5,000 years older than you. Or more.

"Shut it." Vinn murmured to the voice. He tucked the stone under his coat and called to the guards. "Get me Heimdall!"

Vinn crossed his fingers and hoped the Gatekeeper would know what to do.

Heimdall arrived in a hurry, followed by the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. Vinn immediately sent them away, but Sif stood and said, "My Lord, I believe you may require my help should need arise."

"Should need arise, I will call for you."

He tried not to flinch at Sif's glare. "Yes, my King." She said through clenched teeth and backed away."

He heard Heimdall chuckle. "Suspicious one, no?"

Vinn's head whipped towards the dark-skinned Gatekeeper. "What do you mean?"

Heimdall shook his head. "Where is Loki, guard?"

Well, I'm doomed. Vinn tried to keep a straight composure. "Name's Vinrien. Vinn for short."

"Son of Cadmus. I know." Heimdall turned his golden eyes to Vinn. "Tell me, where is our current embodiment of Odin?"

Vinn blinked. "Loki is on Midgard."

"I know. But why?"

"You asked me where, not why." Vinn answered flatly.

"I expect full answers from lowly guards like you."

That jibe stung, and Vinn's temper flared. "Well, this lowly guard could out wit you any day."

"I'd have to be frozen for you to even have a chance. You have the same amount of wit as cattle."

Before Vinn could think up a quipped reply, Heimdall continued, "I'm not here to exchange arguments. Why is Loki still on Midgard? And what did he do to Odin?"

Vinn held up his hands. "All I was given was threat to my life and instructions on how to be the Allfather."

"Hm." Heimdall paused, and Vinn could almost hear the calculation in his voice as he spoke again. "Do you have any idea why?"

"He said he needed to retrieve something." Vinn said.

"What?"

"Do I look like I know? You should know. You're the Gatekeeper, not me! You're supposed to 'seeth all and knoweth all'." Vinn said in an exaggerated gesture.

Heimdall snorted. "I can see into other worlds, not other minds." He sighed. "Loki is clever. He knows how to conceal himself."

"Well, yeah. Speaking of which, considering that you've already discovered my identity, why don't you turn me back into me? I hate this body. It creaks like a broken door."

Heimdall's eyes widened. "Do not dare speak of the Allfather that way! Let me never hear it again."

"Well, apparently you've never spent four days as Odin." Vinn grumbled.

"I'm older than you think." Heimdall said gravely.

Vinn sighed, "Can you change me back into myself?"

Heimdall shook his head. "That can only be done by a master of magic."

"Great. Where are the palace magicians?"

"Vinn, you can't change back."

Vinn blinked rapidly. "What? Why?!" He cried.

Heimdall put a hand on his shoulder and stared at him for a moment with those piercing golden eyes. Suddenly, he asked, "Vinn, what do you think would happen if Odin suddenly disappeared?"

Vinn nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. "You mean if I should change back, the palace would fall into chaos?"

"The Realms would."

"Oh." Vinn glanced around the palace vault, avoiding Heimdall's gaze. Suddenly, a ringing noise sounded out from under his cloak, where he had placed the Svartalfheim stone.

Heimdall's gaze followed the sound to Vinn's hand, which was now holding the stone out. "I forgot. This is why I called you." Vinn said.

Heimdall was gazing intently at the glowing stone. "That is the stone you brought back from Midgard. That's what clouded my sight."

Vinn nodded slowly. "It started glowing this morning. That's why I called for you."

Heimdall held out his hand. "Give it to me."

Vinn obeyed, placing the round orb in the Gatekeeper's palm. "So?"

Heimdall lifted the orb to eye level. "It's a communicating device." He said.

"Then why was it blocking your view of Midgard?"

"I do not know." Heimdall tapped the orb with his pointer finger. "It must block signals….but…." He turned his back to Vinn and set off, out of the doors to the palace vault and into the grand Asgardian halls. "Come!" He called.

Vinn followed.

"So?" Vinn peered over Heimdall's arm.

The Gatekeeper was seated on one of the steps that led up to the pedestal that was used to open the Bifrost. He held the stone at arms length, tapping it with his long fingers. Vinn sat beside him, observing his movements. "What is it?"

"I've told you, it's a communicating device."

"Why is it letting off those strange noises?"

"That is what puzzles me. Has it ever done this before?"

"No."

Heimdall continued to tap the orb, which lit up and glowed under his fingertips. "Curious." He said.

The beeping emitted by the orb intensified, growing steadily faster, as did Vinn's heartbeat.

With a sudden cry, Heimdall yelled and tossed the orb away from him, sending it crashing against the wall of the Bifrost. It sizzled and cracked along the edges, fractures dancing in glowing lines across the stone's surface. It suddenly ceased to beep and went still.

Then it detonated.