Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Marvel; all rights belong to their respective owners.
Miss me? Sorry I haven't updated this in a while but with school and my other stories I was swamped.
Chapter 11
It All Falls Down
Washington DC
Lightning erupted from the sky, illuminating the now soaked battlefield. Rain plummeted from the sky, drenching everything in ice-cold water. Thunder boomed at the call of its master, the wielder of Mjolnir.
"Amora!" Thor screamed, raising his hammer high.
The Enchantress actually looked concerned before she turned to her personal bodyguard. "Skurge! Kill them all!"
"Hrn!" the brute grunted a she raised his axe.
"Stand down Skurge and I'll make this easy for you!" Thor shouted as he walked forward, hammer at the ready.
"GRAH!" The Executioner swung his blood axe with full force at the thunder god who blocked it with a swing from his own axe.
KAKLANG!
Axe met hammer as the magical energy ripped across the area, shattering the ground around them. Skurge pressed down with all his might, pushing Thor down to a knee.
Amora smirked before she turned to her army. "DO YOU SEE?! THEY ARE POWERLESS!"
The army screamed in anticipation as they drew their weapons. Giants roared and goblins screamed in anticipation at the chance of a slaughter. Massive ice-behemoths stomped forward with scores of soldiers riding it.
"Tony…" Captain America muttered, tightening his grip on his shield.
"Cap…plan?" The armored Avenger replied.
"Hit the skies. Falcon, Carol, back him up."
"They got some giants." Hawkeye said, gripping his pistols.
"We do too." Cap replied before turning to the Pyms. "Hank, Jan, show them what real giants can do." Hank and Wasp grinned before they ran forward. Their bodies grew to amazing heights as they stomped towards the army. The confident smirks of the frost giants fell as they saw the 60-foot tall Avengers storm their ranks.
Iron Man rocketed into the air, raining beams of blue death down upon the army. Explosions rippled across the ground as the repulsors incinerated the goblins. Carol shot upwards before turning around in midair with her hands burning with photonic energy. Falcon hovered in the air next to her, machine pistols at the ready. "Divebomb?" he shouted at Carol.
The blonde grinned before nodding her head. Her body burned yellow with a bright energy before she rocketed forward, leaving a trail of yellow energy behind her. The second her fist touched the ground, it exploded with raw energy.
KETHWWWOOM!
Soldiers were sent flying everywhere as the impact shattered the ground, demolishing the surrounding area with debris and pure force. The goblins and giants stared into the crater as Carol rose from the ground, her hands burning yellow with photonic energy.
"Who want's some?!"
"Steve!" Widow shout as she powered on the Colonel's beam saber. "We getting in this fight or not?!"
Captain America turned to Hulk who was snarling in rage at the amassing army.
"Hulk!" The monster turned to the Captain with a look of sheer rage. Captain America smirked as the words left his mouth. "Smash!"
Hulk grinned. She-Hulk turned to her cousin with an equally ecstatic grin. The two goliaths leapt from the ground, soaring into the air before plummeting back down with the force of crashed into the ground, uprooting the area and sending a mass of soldiers flying back. They crashed into the ground with the Hulk grabbing and hurling more soldiers into the air.
The green monsters tore through the army with the frost-giants trying in vain to stop them. Before the Jotuns could retaliate, a massive yellow and black fist smashed into their faces as the Wasp slammed another giant into the ground before Hank smashed his foot into the monster's jaw, shattering it.
She-Hulk barreled through one of the many frost giants that dotted the landscape and punched a hole through his stomach. The giant's blood felt like freezing water on Jennifer's skin, but she looked up to se the horrified face of the giant, and she grinned. She wrenched her fist free of the monster before grabbing it and lifting its limp body over her head. She hurled the dead body at the army, allowing it to sail across the battlefield and into an ice-behemoth, knocking it to the ground.
"Avengers!" Cap screamed. Black Panther, Widow, Hawkeye Pietro and Wanda turned to him. "Kick them off our planet!" he shouted.
Pietro rocketed off the ground and streaked into the fray, leaping over monsters before slamming his feet into one, knocking it back and grabbing its weapon. He used the blade to slice apart another creature before hurling his weapon into a goblins skull, cracking it open like a watermelon.
Panther dashed towards the army with his claws unsheathed. He leapt over an Orc, before slicing the monster's back wide open. A solid kick to chest sent another creature tumbling back. A goblin tried to get a swipe in with an axe, but was met with a kick to the jaw before T'Challa stole the weapon and sliced another creature in half.
Wanda hovered in the air, streams of arcane energy pouring off her body as she concentrated, focusing her power into several destructive bolts that fired off like rockets.
Widow spun around and slashed another creature across the neck with her newly acquired beam-saber, spilling more of its blood onto the demolished streets.
A blast of crimson energy tore through the ranks of the goblins as Wanda channeled her arcane powers through her hands. She lifted a massive truck before hurling it into the crowd of monsters. Hawkeye leveled his bow-gun and fired an arrow into the gas tank of the truck. The projectile hit its mark before igniting, The truck exploded in a massive flash of fire and shrapnel.
The explosion rocked the area, distracting Skurge enough as to look away from Thor. The god of thunder took this chance to crack his opponent across the jaw and send him flying back. The dark Asgardian smashed into a truck that was vaporized by a beam of yellow energy. Captain marvel floated over the wreckage and grinned, until she saw Skurge crawl out of the burning husk of a vehicle.
The larger man snarled, gripping his blood axe tightly in his grasp. Thor hovered in the air next to Carol. "Well…" she muttered. "So much for an easy fight."
Cap cracked his shield against the side of another goblin's head while Widow tore through another creature's stomach. She brought the laser-blade up, cleaving the monster in two. She twirled the weapon around before stabbing a monster behind her as she drew out her pistol.
"Steve!" she shouted as she aimed her weapon. Cap dropped to a knee, allowing the redhead to pop off a few rounds into the bodies of several Orcs. Cap hurled his shield in Widow's direction. The weapon curved in the air before slamming a large troll-like monster in the snout.
The monster stumbled back before Steve leapt into the air, catching his shield before slamming it into the creature's jaw, shattering it and knocking it down where it crushed another troop of creatures.
Giant-Man grappled with another frost giant, kneeing it in the gut. The giant stumbled back where it was met by a bio-sting-powered blow from Wasp. The blast blew the creature's head off its body. The other giants roared in rage before a green goliath leapt into their ranks.
Hulk smashed into a giant's chest before slamming his hand in the monster's throat, breaking its trachea and ripping his hand free, spilling a stream of freezing liquid into the air.
Panther watched as the green brute tore his way through the army of giants, each one toppled like a domino as one by one they fell under the Hulk's insane strength. A goblin saw the distracted Avengers and lunged at him with a mace at the ready. He swung the weapon down but was foiled by a blast of blue energy. T'Challa spun around to see a smoking corpse of a goblin. He looked up to see Iron Man giving him a thumbs up.
"Jarvis, bring the ship around." Tony said confidently.
Across the battlefield, the massive shuttle that was Iron Man Six prepared to move into the battle. Its engines roared to life with blue fire erupting from its thrusters. The red and gold ship slowly rose into the air, guns spinning on their swivels and aiming themselves at the Washington streets.
"Target's confirmed. Allies located. Engaging in suppressing fire."
BABABABABABABAAAMM!
A rain of blue fire descended from the skies as blast after blast of repulsor beams demolished the mythical army in streaks of blue light.
Amora snarled as she looked up at the massive warship. She hadn't anticipated that the humans would have weapons powerful enough to crush her army.
She smirked as a new plan formed in her head. "You humans think you rule the skies…but I'll show you…" Amora weaved her hands in the air, trails of green energy dancing off her fingers before concentrating into a dense sphere.
With a wave of her hand, she hurled the sphere high into the air. The green light rocketed over the top of Iron Man Six before erupting in a massive explosion.
"What the?" Iron Man muttered as a massive green vortex spun to life in the sky.
A massive horde of winged monsters erupted from the portal to assault the floating fortress. The repulsor turrets rapidly began to fire upon the approaching creatures, tearing them apart while others managed to slam into the hull before sinking their fangs into its metal surface.
"Jarvis! Focus fire on that horde!" Tony shouted before he felt himself being slammed by a blast of pure force. He crashed into the ground, uprooting everything in his path.
"Ugh…what the fuck?" he groaned before looking up. Hovering over him was Amora the Enchantress, arcane energy swirling in her hand. "Anyone tell you tha—GAH!" a bolt of emerald energy slammed him into the ground again.
"Shields at 33% sir!"
"Thanks J…that's what I need to hear now…" Tony groaned as he tried to stand. A flurry of green tendrils wrapped around his armor like and octopus before hurling him across the street.
"GARH!"
"Just lay down and die metal man." She muttered. "It's obvious that fortress is controlled by you. So if you die, I doubt it will stay functional." She said with an evil grin. She raised her hand as it pulsed green with dark magic.
THWANG!
"GAH!" Amora screamed as an arrow found its way into her shoulder. She whirled around to see Hawkeye in the middle of a CQC gun fight with a pack of Orcs, but during the scuffle he had seen the Enchantress and popped off an arrow in her direction. He popped off a few more rounds into an Orc before catching a goblin's arm and snapping it. Before the beast could scream, it felt the cold steel barrel of a gun press to its head.
BANG!
The creature crumpled to the ground with its skull blown open. Hawkeye glared at the witch, who by all means was probably responsible for the death of his family. "Time to die bitch." He growled as he loaded two arrows into his guns.
"So the archer want's to play?" Amora sneered as arcane energy poured from her hands. She took a step forward before Iron Man fired off a beam of blue repulsor energy into her back. "GAH!" she screamed as a defensive shield rose to protect her. "Skurge!" she roared.
The Executioner slammed his fist into Thor's face, sending the god into the ground before a sidekick by Captain Marvel cracked him in the skull. He swung at her with his axe, but she leapt over it and returned fire with a flurry of photonic energy.
The Asgardian flew back, crashing into the street with a resounding crash. Dirt and rubble flew through the air as he skidded to a halt, making a giant trench in the street. The dark warrior snarled as he gripped his axe even tighter. And then he heard the call. The spell that bound him to his mistress connected them. And she needed his aid.
Skurge dashed across the battlefield at an incredible speed. He was like an enraged bull, ripping through any obstacle, be it friend or foe, to aid the Enchantress. He leapt into the air before bringing his axe down between Iron Man and the Enchantress. The weapons shattered the streets, releasing a wave of fire that engulfed all in its path.
"GRAH!" Tony roared as his shields began to fail.
"AARRGH!" Hawkeye screamed as the flames seared his arms. A gust of wind zipped past him, flinging him into a busted fountain where the flames were doused by the cold water. He could still feel the burns on his skin, but at least they weren't getting worse.
"I should really start counting how many times I've saved your ass." Quicksilver smirked. Hawkeye glared at him before swinging his gun up, firing a bullet.
"SKREE!" Quicksilver spun around to see a goblin archer taking a bullet to the head.
"Were tied jack ass! Now take those fucks down!" he screamed before leaping back towards the fight, he grabbed a grenade from his belt and chucked it at the executioner. The weapon sailed towards him before a bullet struck the explosive, creating an inferno in midair.
Skurge shrugged off the attack with a guttural growl before he turned his gaze to Hawkeye. The archer unloaded another clip's worth of bullets into the giant, hoping to at least draw blood. Skurge roared in defiance before igniting his axe and taking another swing at the Avenger. Hawkeye ducked under the wave of fire before launching another exploding arrow as Skurge's face.
KABOOM!
Dust and fire billowed through the air as Skurge growled in rage. Smoke and embers danced off his body while fire billowed from his axe. "Dammit." Clint muttered. The enraged asgardian slammed his weapon into the ground, creating an inferno of flames that ripped towards the Avenger.
Again a gust of wind whipped past the carnage and tackled Hawkeye before the inferno engulfed a set of cars. Quicksilver pulled Hawkeye to his feet as they watched Skurge pass through the flames with a look of rage carved onto his face.
"Kill them all Skurge!" Amora screamed. Her commands were silenced when a blast of crimson energy struck her head on. She tumbled forward and glared up at her aggressor.
The Scarlet Witch loomed over the Enchantress. Spheres of red hex energy circled her like hawks as she took aim at Amora. "Little twit!" the Enchantress spat. "You think your powers can stand against my magic?!"
"You're not the only one with magic." Wanda said.
"Ha! That power in you is untrained, whatever half-wit trained you never taught you to harness that power!"
"Don't you dare talk about Agatha Harkness that way! She taught be better than to harness it!" Wanda Screamed as more arcane energy looped around her body like a snake. "She taught me to control it!"
A massive blast of crimson energy slammed Amora with the force of a hurricane, destroying the ground she stood on. Her protective spell was the only thing that had shielded her from the blast.
The beam of energy dissipated and Wanda fell to a knee. She had talked big but it was true, her powers weren't as skilled as the enchantress's. Said woman rose from the scorched ground with a smirk on her face. A green aura of energy enveloped Amora as she charged a blast of energy.
"See? Your power is beneath me. But I might find joy in tearing that power from your dead corpse!" Amora hurled the sphere of energy at Wanda who barely deflected it with a field of her own energy.
The red bubble she had made cracked under the blast. Another blast slammed the shield, cracking it again. Amora smirked as more energy flowed from her hands and into the air where it condensed into a massive orb.
"GRAAHH!" Skurge swung his weapon, narrowly missing Hawkeye's head. The archer rolled to his feet and popped off a full clip of armor piercing ammunition into Skurge's body. The asgardian roared as the bullets bounced off his skin, breaking it enough to spill blood.
"Pietro!" Hawkeye shouted as Skurge brought his axe down again. Quicksilver zipped under the blade and grabbed his teammate. He dodged the blade and took Hawkeye with him as another fiery shockwave erupted from the ground.
"Damn! Why won't he die!?" Pietro screamed as he stopped running after they were out of the blast range.
"He's more stubborn than Thor!" Hawkeye muttered, raising his pistols.
"GAAH!"
Pietro spun around to see Wanda on her knees, trying to desperately keep the Enchantress at bay.
"Wanda!" Quicksilver screamed.
Hawkeye looked up at his struggling teammate and then back to Pietro. "Go." He muttered. Said speedster turned to the archer and then back to his sister. "Go save her before I change my mind!"
Quicksilver dashed from his spot, zipping towards the magical fight in front of him. He grabbed his sister, pulling her out of the line of fire. The twins took cover behind a demolished truck.
"You okay?" the speedster asked his sister. Wanda was panting now and looked like she had run a marathon.
"N-not really…she's too powerful…"
"We need Tony to bring the ship around and vaporize that bitch!"
Wanda tapped her com-piece. "T-Tony! We need air support!"
"A-a little busy here!" Iron Man shouted as he struggled in the grip of the Executioner. Skurge raised his axe as he gripped the armored avenger by his throat. Iron Man powered on his hand cannon as Skurge prepared his weapon, waves of fire rippled on its surface. Tony fired off his weapon in the aAsgardian's face.
"GRAH!" he roared, releasing Tony.
Seeing his chance, the hero rocketed off the ground with his thrusters to deliver a powerful upper cut to the giant's face. The blow staggered Skurge before Iron Man grabbed his hands, unleashing a burst of repulsor energy into the man's face.
"AARGH!" a knee to the chest followed before a rocket powered fist struck him again in the face. Skurge whirled around with his axe, nearly clipping Iron Man who barely had enough time to dodge. The blade nicked his armor, leaving a burning scratch on his chest.
Skurge created a massive fireball that he swung towards Iron Man who blocked it with his force field. The blast pushed him back a few feet and his shields were failing fast.
"Grrr!" he grunted, falling to a knee. He looked up to see Skurge was stomping towards him, his axe acting as a flamethrower.
KRAKOOM!
A massive bolt of lightning burst forth from the sky and struck the Executioner with full force. The blast sent the giant flying as Thor descended from the sky. Lightning arced around him and his hammer before directing it at the crowds. Blue lightning fired from the sky and into the army, tearing it apart. The energy tore through the army, shredding a frost giant apart while numerous creatures caught the brunt of the lightning.
KAABOOM!
Iron Man eyes were drawn to an explosion in the sky. Fire erupted from one of the numerous engines inside Iron Man Six. "Shit! Jarvis, status report!"
"Massive damage to the outer hull and the engines, Arc reactor is struggling to stay active! At this point the ship will fail!"
"Wanda, air support is going down but I can do what I can to take out as many of them as possible!"
"Tony this is Cap! What ever you're gonna do, do it fast! We're up to our necks in g—AGH!"
"Cap?! Steve! Dammit!" Tony looked up at Thor. The God of Thunder nodded. Iron Man looked up at his flying fortress and sighed. "Jarvis…blow Iron Man Six up."
"Affirmative, sir."
Iron Man looked up at the ship he had built slowly began to glow. The engines began to burn blue before erupting in an explosion of blue energy. Metal and fire exploded everywhere.
Another engine exploded, incinerating a flock of monsters in an inferno of blue fire. Burnt husks rained from the sky with explosions echoing in the skies. Smoke blotted out the sky, covering the battlefield in a thick smog of burning metal and demonic corpses.
Inside the ship, computers and terminals were exploding with the force of TNT. Fire and smoke flooded the hallways as fuel burned and electricity surged.
The massive arc reactor began to pulsed blue before its colored darkened considerably. The machine began to surge with energy as more and more power cycled through it. Electricity sparked and popped off every wire and coil before finally giving out. The generator flashed bright blue, enveloping the ship in a massive explosion.
WHAAABBBOOOOOOMMMM!
Bright light flooded the sky as the sound akin to a nuclear blast erupted in the air. The sky shook and so did the battlefield below it. Debris and fire rained from the sky as metal and charred corpses alike plummeted from the sky.
The battlefield was sent into complete disarray as everyone ran from cover. Skurge barreled through Iron Man and Thor as he leapt towards the Enchantress he shielded her with his body as shrapnel rained from above like meteors.
Iron Man and Thor dashed for cover as more debris crashed into the ground. "Thor, Clint! Keep your heads down!" Tony shouted as he threw up his force field, which nearly buckled under the assault of the flaming wreckage.
Cap, Widow and Panther ran through the battle, shooting, slashing and punching anything that got in their way as they tried to seek cover. Quicksilver dashed through the battlefield with Wanda in his arms as Hank and Wasp shrank down to their human forms so they could avoid the metal rain.
Falcon and Carol zipped through the air, aiming straight for the Lincoln memorial where hey crash-landed to avoid the incoming rain of fire. Corpses and burnt wreckages smashed into the structure, sending chunks of marble and concrete flying.
She-Hulk looked up at the debris that was plummeting towards the ground at ridiculous speeds. She leapt to the ground to avoid a massive metal plate that impaled a giant through the chest, spilling its icy blood onto the streets.
Hulk roared in rage, swiping at any creature bold enough or stupid enough to stand in his way. Not even the hail of shrapnel and fire was enough to deter him from his mission, to slaughter all of the soldiers in his path
"HULK SMASH!" he screamed before slamming his hands together.
WHAABOOM!
The thunder clap released a massive shockwave that knocked a massive portion of the army back, sending them flying through the air before they crashed landed into the ground, shattering their armor and their bones.
"HULK CRUSH ALL OF YOU!"
Amora peered out from beneath Skurge to see the Hulk slaughtering her army. He tore through another giant before hurling its corpse into that of a frost beast, crushing it.
"Skurge! Kill the beast!" she commanded. The Executioner growled as he stood up, gripping his blood-axe. He marched forward slowly before he picked up speed. Soon, he was sprinting towards the gamma-spawned brute with unimaginable speed.
Hulk tore the head off a Yotun beast before using it as a giant club, swinging it around like a madman. The makeshift weapon tore apart the scores of orcs and goblins that were now trying to flee in terror.
"GRRAAAH!"
Hulk turned, and was barley able to block the swing of the axe with the corpse of the Yotun beast. The blade carved through its flesh like a hot knife through butter. The beast was split in two. Hulk leapt back before hurling both halves of the monster at his new aggressor. The Executioner dodged the first one, but had to slice the other one in half. Hulk took this chance to deliver a massive blow to Skurge's face.
The Blow shattered the Asagardian's face, breaking his nose and bloodying his lip. The dark warrior stumbled back as the Hulk lunged in for another strike. Skurge blocked it with his axe and delivered an elbow to the hero's face. Hulk reeled back in pain as green blood oozed from his nose. He quickly regained his footing before delivering another strike to the Executioner's gut. Skurge ignored the pain and took another swipe at the Hulk, slicing his shoulder with the infernal blade.
The Enchantress smirked as she saw her champion standing against the fabled Hulk. She slowly rose from the air as the shower of metal finally ceased. Emerald energy danced across her skin as her power began to circulate around her until another portal emerged over her.
"Look upon this 'heroes'!" Amora sneered.
A massive wolf-like monster burst through the portal and crashed into the battlefield. The monster was easily four stories tall and covered in white fur.
Thor snarled as he saw the lupine like monster snarling at him. "Fenrir…" The God of Thunder gripped his hammer tighter. Electricity coursed over the weapon as his eyes glowed a bright blue.
Amora grinned. "This beast will be the devourer of you all! Feast Fenrir! Feast!"
The savage wolf roared, releasing massive shockwave across the entire city. Buildings trembled and glass shattered. Car alarms blared and the ground shook as the monster's roar silenced the battlefield in a second.
"Holy shit!" Hawkeye muttered.
"That's a big dog…" Tony muttered, taking a step back.
"It will fall just as it did during Ragnarok! I will to see to that!" Thor screamed.
Widow helped Cap to his feet as he gripped his bleeding left side. Panther picked up a broken spear and turned a corner to see the massive wolf Fenrir. "I believe we have another problem…" T'Challa growled as he saw the new monster.
"I'll say!" Quicksilver screamed as he skidded to a halt with Wanda in his arms. He set his sister down before looking back at the monstrous wolf. Two small objects slowly buzzed forward. One of them was glowing a faint yellow. Wasp regrew to her full size as did Hank who leapt off the ant he was riding. The two size-changers gathered with the group as Fenrir stomped towards Thor.
"What the Hell is that?!" Pietro screamed pointing at the monstrous creature that was now trying to devour Thor.
Thor flew into the air, reeling his hammer back before flinging it at Fenrir's skull. The lightning infused weapon, crushed the creature's skull beneath the ground. Mjolnir flew back to its owner's hands.
The massive wolf snarled and raised its head to glare at the God of Thunder. It lunged forward, and before Thor could act, the monster caught him in its jaws before hurling him down into the ground. The monster gave the god no time to rally before slamming its massive paw into the ground, burying him deeper into the earth.
"I think he needs help." Hank said as he prepared to grow. Quicksilver and Wanda readied themselves as Cap raised his shield. Panther stepped forward but stopped when the Enchantress turned to them with a malevolent grin.
She waved her hand at them and dozens of monstrous creatures scurried over the rubble as they prepared to slaughter the assembled heroes. Before the creatures could attack, a hail of yellow and blue lasers bombarded the horde, followed closely by bullets and explosives.
Falcon, Carol and Iron Man flew in close, the latter carrying Hawkeye, and landed in the center of the group. She-Hulk crash landed right after them, creating a massive cloud of dust that blanketed them.
"Cap we need a new plan right fucking now!" Clint barked.
"Cap, My armor is low on power and I don't know about the rest of you but I can't imagine you guys have much ammunition left." Iron Man muttered as he saw the army around them start to close in.
Hawkeye loaded his gun with both arrows and bullets as Widow powered on her Beam-saber. More creatures scurried over the rubble and towards them.
"Did you realty think a band of mortals could stop me?!" Amora screamed as she flew over the Avengers. "Did you believe you could best a goddess and her army?!"
KRAAAKOOOOM!
A massive bolt of blue lightning descended upon Fenrir, blasting the monster with a full barrage of lightning. The beast howled in pain as more and more energy crashed into the monster, bringing it to its knees. The wolf snarled as Thor rose from his crater, hammer bursting with godly power.
"You think me a fool Amora?! You think I'd gamble the world I love, the people I cherish on my own power?!"
"You came alone Odin Son! YOU HAVE LOST!"
"WE WILL TRIUMPH!" Thor bellowed before looking to the sky and raising his hammer. "HEIMDALL!"
BRAAAKKOOOOMMM!
The sky erupted as a massive beam of rainbow energy burst from the sky. The beam smashed into the ground with the force of thunder. Dust and debris wrapped around the beam as it dragged itself along the center of the battlefield like a massive laser.
The Avengers stared in awe as the dust cleared. The rainbow beam died out to reveal a small army. An army composed of scores of soldiers decked in green and gold armor with horned helmets and gold spears. The soldiers drew theirs swords and raised their shields.
At the helm of this Viking army stood five figures. One was a beautiful women clad in red and white armor with flowing black hair and a double bladed sword. The lady Sif glared at the army of monster before her eyes fell on Amora. They narrowed in complete rage.
Next to her stood a man clad in blue armor with a long sword. A long white cape spilled down his back as he raised his shield. His eyes fell on Fenrir and Thor. Balder the brave grinned at the new challenge.
The remaining three warriors were vastly different. One was a large portly man with a thick orange beard and a joyous face. He wore light red armor and wielded a massive axe. He was Volstagg the Voluminous. The second one was a handsome man with golden blonde hair and a beard. Fandral the dashing raised his rapier into the air. The last of the three held no grin, or joy on his war-worn face, it was scarred and angry looking and his tunic was purple in color with battle scratched armor. His mace was gripped tightly in his hands. Hogun the grimm snarled at the dark army and stepped forward.
"For all thee desperate and filthy creatures of the shadows that dare crawl in the light of Midgard…prepare to run back into those shadows screaming and bleeding! So swears Hogun the Grimm! Warrior of Asgard!"
The army echoed in cheers as they banged their shields with their weapons. "HOOORRAAH! HOOOORAAH!"
"Holy shit." Wasp muttered as she and her team watched the massive army cheer in a chorus of pride and anticipation. Iron Man scanned the entire army and his eyes widen.
"They…they're Asgardians…"
"You're joking, right?" Widow asked. "You think they're gods? That can't be true!"
"In Wakanda, we walk the line between science and mysticism. I believe this is what we see now." T'Challa said, popping his claws. "But I believe those questions and debates can be saved for later."
"I just gotta say…" Iron Man muttered. "We should never doubt Thor again…"
"We can debate that when we've won." Cap said as he stood on his own. Thor touched down next to his team and readied his hammer. He turned to his allies who simply nodded at him.
"We gonna do this, or not?" Quicksilver asked as his body began to vibrate in anticipation.
"RRAAAHHH!"
The group turned to see a massive brute go flying through the air before crashing into the ground below the Enchantress. Skurge growled in pain as he felt his body ache from his wounds.
The Avengers turned their heads to see the Incredible Hulk leaping through the air before crash-landing in front of the Avengers. His body sported numerous cuts and bruises, many of which bled green blood.
"Bruce!" She-Hulk shouted. The Hulk snarled at the monstrous army that now took a tentative step back as the Agardian army lowered their spears for a charge.
"H-how…?" Amora stuttered, taking a small step back. The army was too busy to notice their leader's fear as Skurge stood in front of her protectively. "The All-Father forbid travel between our worlds…Midgard was forbidden to all…"
"Oh…dear old dad did take some convincing…" a cocky voice spoke from behind her. She whirled around to see a man wearing a green and gold tunic with a small plate of black armor lined his chest beneath his coat. A small helmet with two short horns adorned his head while a gold face-plate masked his identity.
In his hands he bore a short spear with a long end split right down the middle of the blade. Amora paled at the sight of the weapon and took another step back. "No…" she muttered in horror.
Skurge hefted his blood-axe and swung it down, only for a blast of blue thunder to erupt from the tip of the man's spear, smashing Skurge in the chest, sending him hurtling back.
KRAAAKOOOOM!
The blast of light illuminated the battlefield, drawing all eyes on the brief skirmish on top of the small hill. Skurge flew through the air for a brief moment before gravity brought him plummeting down to the earth.
CRAASSSHH!
The armies paused in mid stride as the smoke slowly cleared in the crater. Before a massive pillar of fire erupted from the pit like a volcano. The flames raged while Skurge climbed out of the crater with a massive burn on his chest. His armor was nearly non-existent as it smoked and cracked from the heat.
"GRAAAAHH!" he roared, brandishing his axe.
"ASGARDIANS!" Sif screamed. "You places in Valhalla are granted! For Odin! For Midgard!"
The army erupted in a chorus of cheers and screamed of approval as the Viking gods readied their weapons and held formation. The Warriors Three and Balder stepped forward to join Sif at the helm of the army, weapons drawn and ready for battle.
"Whoa…" Wasp muttered as she stood up with her husband. Hank watched the armies ready their weapons and turned to their leader.
Cap pulled up his shield, slipping it back on his arm while he looked over the ensuing battle. He glanced at his team of Avengers to see that they were all on their feat, readying either their powers or their weapons.
"Avengers?" he questioned, turning to Iron Man.
"Assembled." He replied, powering up his repulsor cannon. Cap looked over the rest of his team before smirking.
"Thor?" the God of Thunder turned to his team's leader. "Care to lead the charge?" he asked with a grin. Thor smirked at the Captain before raising his hammer.
"AVENGERS! ATTACK!"
Skurge snarled in rage, gripping his axe that now burned with mystical fire. He marched forward with his army of monster in tow, ready to face the Asgardian army.
"CHAAARRRGGEEE!" Sif screamed as the armies of Asgard stormed forward like a raging flood of metal and muscle.
Skurge roared in defiance before leaping forward with his own army of giants, trolls, goblins and orcs. The dark army clashed with the gold one in a shower of sparks and metal. Arrows flew, as did spears while blades clashed against blades.
Hogun ducked under a goblin before clubbing it with his mace. Fandral leapt over his ally and brought his rapier down into the throat of another monster, ending its life with a quick jab. Another troll tried to charge a squad of soldiers, only for an axe to cleave its skull in two. Volstagg whirled his weapon like a wheel, bringing it down on an orc's skull, spilling crimson blood into the air.
Sif slashed her way through the hordes of monstrous beasts, cleaving their armor and weapons in half. Balder was not far behind as he rammed his sword through a frost giant's skull, killing him instantly.
Amora watched the battle, her fear only grew as she saw the Avengers enter the fray with Thor leading the charge.
"Some one's in trouble~!" the man sing-sang from behind her. Amora stared at the figure in shock, more so at the weapon he rested on his shoulder.
"Gungnir…the Spear of Odin…why? Why do you wield that weapon? Answer me! Loki?!"
The masked figure shrugged his shoulder before removing the golden face place that obscured his identity. Her pulled off the mask to reveal a young main with black hair and emerald green eyes. Loki, the God of Mischief, smirked at her.
"Well…dear old dad thought it'd be a good idea to give me and edge over you. Who better than set you straight than you're old teacher, my dear?"
"You are not the Loki I knew! You are but a shade of what he was!" Amora snapped, charging her hand with arcane magic. "How can a shade hope to best a goddess?!"
"We're not Gods, Love." Loki said, his grin never dropping as he leaned against Gugnir. "We live, we die, we live again…give or take a few thousand years."
"We are superior to these mortals! In every way! You believed so too!" Amora screamed, lobbing a sphere of green energy at the would-be god.
Loki batted it aside with Gugnir like it was a wayward dodge ball. "Believed being the key word. Past tense meaning that I don't believe that anymore. I've spent sixteen-going on seventeen years on this planet, and those years have been some of the best I've ever had. So I'd rather you not ruin my fun."
"How? How'd you convince Odin to let you lead his army? Let alone allow you to leave Asgard at all?!"
Loki pointed to his mouth. "Silver tongue, remember?" He pushed off the spear and swung it so its tipped was aimed at Amora. "How about you send that army back to wherever they came from, and start groveling at my feet."
Amora sneered at him. "You may have his spear, but you don' have Odin's power! And you're no where near the level you were when Asgard fell!" The Enchantress folded her hands together, creating a vortex of green energy that she hurled at the trickster.
Loki slashed the vortex with Gugnir, splitting the whirlwind before a blast of green energy slammed into his chest, knocking him off his feet. Loki tumbled to the ground, Gugnir falling from his grasp.
Amora leapt from the hill landing near the fabled spear before grabbing it off the ground. Loki groaned in pain as he got to his feet, only to see the legendary weapon being wielded by the Enchantress.
"Oh shit…" he muttered.
Amora pointed the spear at Loki with a sinister grin. "Die trickster!" she screamed, willing the spear to fire. Instead, the weapon shifted from golden metal to a slimy green. Amora dropped the weapon in shock as the spear became a long python. The lengthy serpent lunged at Amora who incinerated it in a blaze of green fire. She looked at the downed Loki only to see the air around his hand shimmer before the form of Gungnir was made visible.
"Tsk, tsk." The teen chided like a teacher mocking his student. "Sometimes the simple tricks are the best."
"Damn you!" Amora screamed, her eyes alight with green fire.
KRAAAKKOOOM!
Lighting tore across the battlefield, smashing into Fenrir and slamming him into the ground. Thor hovered over the massive wolf before bringing his hammer down upon the beast's skull. Fenrir took the blow instride before slamming the Thunder God with his snout.
"GAH!" Thor screamed, slamming the axe-end of Mjolnir into the ground to halt his movements. The monstrous wolf charged towards the asgardian until a barrage of blue and yellow lasers bombarded its face. Fenrir snarled in pain as Iron Man and Carol zipped over him, bombarding him with everything they had. Iron Man's armor opened to reveal to shoulder mounted rockets that shot towards the monstrous hound, hitting him square in the jaw.
KAABOOM!
The monster was barely staggered and locked its eyes on Iron Man. "Oh shit."
"GRAAAAWWWLLL!"
"Move Stark!" Carol shouted flying into the hero and knocking them both clear of the monster's snapping jaws. Carol aimed her fist at the creature and fired off a blast of photonic energy that smashed the monster in the jaw.
"Stand back fair maiden!" a new voice echoed. Carol turned to see Balder leaping into the air, thrusting his sword into Fenrir's back. The monster grunted in pain as the God of Light dug his blade deeper into the monster's hide.
"Balder!" Thor shouted, taking off towards the sky. "Get clear!"
Balder leapt from the wolf's back while Thor raised his hammer. The weapon now crackled with electricity before Thor swung it down at the massive beast. Lighting burst from the sky, slamming into the makeshift lightning rod that was stuck in the beast's back.
KRAAKOOM!
Electricity surged over the wolf's body before Iron man and Carol opened fire with a barrage of repulsor and photon blasts. Fenrir was pushed back by this barrage while Thor flew in close with Mjolnir in his hand, cracking him under the jaw. The monster staggered back before unleashing a massive roar that threw the heroes back like rag dolls.
RAAAAWWRRR!
Captain America blocked a blow from an axe before elbowing a goblin in the face, knocking its weapon out of its hand and breaking its jaw with another blow from his shield. He grabbed the monster's axe and slashed another creature across the face.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Cap turned to see Hawkeye pinning a monster down before unloading his gun into the monster's face. Widow slashed a creature behind him while Panther fired off a volley of claw rockets, killing a frost giant and making it tumble over its kin.
The Pyms had grown to gigantic sizes and slammed the frost giants into the ground, causing miniature earthquakes to ripple across the battlefield.
"Mortal!" Hogun shouted. Cap turned to him in time to see an arrow flying towards his skull, only for it to be caught by the Captain's fist. He snapped the weapon in two before he hurled his shield into the face of the goblin archer, knocking it to the ground.
Hogun bashed another creature on the head before joining the star-spangled avenger in battle. "You fight well mortal!" he shouted over the roar of the battlefield.
"I've had my fair share of tussles!" Cap said, bashing another monster across the jaw, breaking it.
"Steve!" Widow shouted, decapitating a troll with a swing of her beam-saber. "No one says tussle anymore!"
"What's the currently acceptable term then?" he shouted back, blocking a club before kicking the creature in the groin and letting Hogun crush it's skull.
"Skirmish would fit the bill pretty well!" Natasha replied, slicing off another monster's arm. "I really like this thing!" she shouted to her lover as she wielded her stolen weapon.
"That scarlet maiden has spirit!" Fandral exclaimed, dodging a sword swipe and retaliating with one of his own, spearing its throat. Volstagg beheaded another soldier before following his ally's gaze.
"Aye! She is quite fetching that one!" the bigger warrior said. A hail of bullets slammed into a troll behind the two, blowing its flesh apart.
The brute fell to the ground with bullet holes smoking from his chest. Hawkeye slammed his foot on dead monster with his guns smoking. "Sorry boys…but Nat's taken…"
"Mortal!" Sif shouted as a monster leapt towards Hawkeye. The purple archer barely adknowledged the monster before a blur of speed slammed a volley of spears into its head.
Quicksilver hit the ground running and sprinted off again into the crowd of fighters. Hawkeye glanced back at the stunned Asgardians. "Yeah…he's fast."
Quicksilver slammed his fist into a raider's face, breaking his skull from the heer force. Before the body could hit the ground, Quicksilver was gone, flashing across the battlefield like a silver streak, punching kicking and stabbing any enemy he saw.
He jumped over a trolls head, grabbing a sword and skidding to a halt before the monster. He kicked a spear up into his hand and raised them at the monster. The deformed creature let loose a roar, only to receive a spear through the mouth. Using the distraction to its fullest, Pietro dashed at the monster, vibrating the sword before slicing it through the creature's head.
The body hit the ground hard and Quicksilver leapt over it to avoid a volley of arrows from a group of archers. Before they could fire again however, one's eyes began to glow red before he wheeled around and fired an arrow into the skull of another raider.
The group opened fire on the traitor killing him. Then another's eyes glowed red, shooting a troll in the back. The monster whirled around in rage before crushing the whole battalion with a swing of his club.
Pietro smirked as he saw Wanda, her eyes aglow with a red hue, possessing and turning the army against itself. The Scarlet witch conjured a sphere of red energy and hurled it at a frost giant. The bomb exploded in the creature's face, staggering it enough for the giant-sized Wasp to slam her fist into its face.
Giant-Man followed suit, slamming his elbow into a frost giant's back before kneeing him. He gripped the glacier-like titan before hurling him into another one of its kin. The giants staggered back, tumbling upon their allies while the Asgardians leapt for cover.
Loki smirked as he watched the entire battle crumble in their favor. He grinned at Amora who snarled at him. He waved Gugnir at her, unleashing a torrent of electricity that strafed through the air and vaporized a boulder behind her. The Enchantress had just enough time to leap to the side to avoid the lightning.
She scrambled to her feet to fire off a volley of green fire that Loki leapt to avoid. The flames set the ground ablaze as the Trickster rose from the ground with spear in hand.
"This is impossible!" Amora screamed. "Odin would never allow this! He would have killed you on sight!"
"Oh he tried." Loki muttered, twirling his spear. "First thing he did was blast me with lightning. But I had a little protection."
"What?!" Amora screamed, hurling another sphere of energy at her 'teacher'. The God of Mischief slashed the orb with Gugnir and hurled a green sphere of his own. The sphere exploded in a shower of green energy, sending the Enchantress back.
"Yeah…see I may have stopped by Hel to get some protection, which didn't come cheap by the way, before stopping by to see dear old dad. So here I am, alive and well even after Odin tried to kill me in the great halls."
Hours Ago, Asgard
The bustling city of gold stood like a massive beacon of power. The massive castle of the High-Father sat in the center of the floating continent. The rainbow bridge know to all Asgardians, the Birfrost, stretched from the city to the source of the bridge itself, Heimdall's citadel, where the guardian stood with his massive sword, key to the Bifrost, ready to face any intruder.
The dark-skinned warrior stood his post, sword in his hands, eyes seeing all of creation itself. He watched as the Enchantress raised her forces, her Liberators to crush the people the Odinson had once called friends. Heimdall's grip on his sword only tightened.
He wished he could aid Thor, his friend, his prince, rightful heir to Asagrd, but he could not. He was sworn by his king to stand guard over the Bifrost, to protect Asgard, not Midgard. The world of men had been forbidden to all Asgardians per Odin's orders.
"Gaea…" the warrior whispered. "Please aid your son…please do not abandon him as his father has."
FWOOOOSSSHH!
Heimdall's eyes saw the intrusion and he whirled around, lifting his broadsword. A small blaze had erupted over the center of the rainbow bridge. Heimdall charged at the fire while it slowly died out.
A single figure stumbled out of the dying blaze, smoke billowing of his clothes. Loki fell to his knees, bracing himself with his hands while he coughed up smoke. It felt like had been thrown in an oven and then hurled into space. He looked around as his senses returned to normal.
"Holy Hell…Asgard…I'm back!" he exclaimed with a grin. His grin fell however as he realized where he was. "Odin's blood…I'm back." He grimaced. "Oh this was so stupid!" he shouted.
"LOKI?!" Said trickster turned around to see Heimdall standing behind him, his broadsword poised to strike. "How did you get here?!"
"Oh…hey Heimdall…uh…good to see you again?" the teen asked with a half-hearted grin. Heimdall roared as he brought the blade down. Loki barely had enough time to dodge. He rolled to his feet and sprinted towards the city.
Heimdall quickly gave chase, slowly gaining on the former god as he pushed through the streets of the city. People scattered as the guardian of the Bifrost chased the rogue Asgardian.
"Call the guard!" Heimdall screamed. "LOKI IS HERE!" the entire crowd flew into a panic as nearby soldiers leapt from their posts with swords and shields drawn. Loki went intangible, phasing through a guard, swiping his shield.
He sprinted across the courtyard that lead to the palace of Odin. He spun around and gripped the shield by the edge. "Please let be as easy as Captain America makes it look…" he hurled the shield like a Frisbee, slamming a guard in the chest and knocking him back into another troop of soldiers.
Loki charged for the massive doors as they opened, allowing a raven haired beauty to step through the gates with her dual-bladed sword. "Loki…" Sif growled.
"Oh fuck me…" Loki muttered. He went intangible again, allowing Sif's sword to pass through him as he stumbled into Odin's hall. Sif spun around and chased after the trickster, hurling her shield at his leg.
The weapon struck home, make his knee buckle and sending him tumbling in front of the guards that stood at the foot of Odin's throne. Spears found their way towards his neck, locking him on the floor.
Loki looked up at the man who sat atop the throne of Asgard. He looked like an older Thor, with long gray hair and a bushy beard. A black eye-patch covered his right eye. His build was that of a warrior, full of muscle and adorned with heavy armor. In his hand was a long spear with a split blade.
"Loki…" Odin growled, standing up from his throne. His spear began to crackle with energy as his rage grew.
"H-Hey dad." Loki said with a terrified smile. Odin didn't return his grin, instead he pointed his spear at his adopted son and unleashed the power of the Odin-Force upon him.
FRAAAABBOOOM!
Loki didn't have time to scream before he felt himself being bombarded by the full power of the All-Father's power. The lightning began to weaken before dying out, leaving a smoldering skeleton, completely charred.
The room erupted into cheers as the Warriors three rushed into the room to see the remains of the trickster. Before they could say a word, Baldur pushed past them dashing towards the burning pile of bones. Freya, Queen of Asgard entered the room soon after and paled at the sight. She fell to her knees with Fandral quickly catching her
"No…" Balder whispered in horror. "NO! Father! What have you done?!" he screamed as he knelt down next to the pile of bones. Smoke billowed off them, stinging the God of Light's eyes. "Why?" he asked as he looked up at his father.
Odin looked away. "He started Ragnarok. He had to pay for his crimes."
"With no trial?! With no justice?!" Balder screamed.
"Justice?" Sif questioned, stepping forward. "What justice is to be had? He murdered our brothers in arms…set fire to Asgard…he murdered you!"
"He was my brother!" Balder shouted back. "He was Thor's brother! He was once our friend! Do you remember none of that?!"
"SILENCE!" Odin bellowed, hushing the room. "What's done is done. Have the body removed from my sight and buried."
KRAK!
All eyes fell on the charred remains as they slowly began to burn again. Small runes began to etch their way onto the burnt bones, forming a pattern that they all knew, the Mark of Hela.
FWOOSSH!
The bones erupted into flames like a bonfire, illuminating the room in an orange light. The skeleton in the flames slowly stood as flesh began to grow back. It was like watch a reverse burning. As the fire licked the bones, flesh healed instead of cooked.
First it was muscles, then tendons, and soon skin. The flames began to wither and die, leaving a plume of smoke where the inferno once stood. And in its center stood a single male, naked as the day he was born.
Baldur and Freya smiled in joy as they saw the former corpse spring back to life. But to all others, only looks of terror, fear, and rage could be seen.
"GUAAH!" Loki gasped as air filled his once burned lungs. "GAK! KAUG!" he coughed, clearing the smoke and ash from his throat. He looked back around him to see he was still in the throne room and sighed in relief. "Well…thank you Hela…you kept your end of the deal…" his words died as he realized he was stark nude in the center of a massive crowd.
"How fitting." A snide female voice chided. Loki glanced to his left to see Leah leaning against a column, her eyes roaming over his body. "The clown makes a fool of himself." Loki glared at her before turning back to face his father.
"Well…it's uh…good to see you again…dad." He said, brushing aside the fact that he was naked and alive after just being dead mere moments ago. "SOOO…now that you got that out of your system…can we chat?"
"Guards!" Sif shouted, the Warriors three rushing to her side with weapons drawn. "Seize him!" the gaurds readied their spears before Heimdall stepped forward with his hand raised.
"WAIT!" he shouted, halting the guard's advance. Sif and the other warriors turned to him with stunned faces. "Stand down." Heimdall ordered. No one moved. The guardian of the Bifrost turned to his king.
Odin sighed before raising his hand, signaling the warriors to stand down. They reluctantly did so, but none sheathed their weapons.
Loki looked around him and saw Freya and Balder, both with relieved looks on their faces. They smiled at him, but he looked down at his own feet in shame. He remembered what he'd done to them. The betrayal, the murder.
"Oh, does the trickster feel remorse?" Leah chided as she circled him. "I'm shocked." She said with sarcasm and a cheeky grin. Loki said nothing but returned his gaze to the All-Father, not aware of Heimdall's gaze on the young Hel-Maiden that none could see.
"Why have you returned?" Odin asked, gripping Gugnir so tight that Loki could see the white of his knuckles. "Why have you defiled our city with your presence?"
"I uh…" Loki started, scratching the back of his head. "I need your help." The room fell utterly silent in shock. "Geez, tough crowd." Loki muttered.
"HA!" Odin sneered. "You stand before me, your king, in my throne room, on Asgard, the realm you burned in hatred and rage, and now you ask me for help?"
"Is that a no?" Loki asked. Leah sighed, rubbing her brow with her hand.
"How dare you!" Sif shouted, raising her sword.
"NO!" Freya shouted, grabbing the woman's wrist. Balder stepped in as well, blocking his ally from moving any closer to his brother.
Again, Odin raised his hand to silence and calm the room. "You dare?" he asked. "You stand here, in the home of all those you killed during Ragnarok…and you ask us for help. How dare you…"
"How dare I?" Loki repeated. "How dare I?" he saild louder stepping forward, the gaurds aimed their wepaons at him, but the teen didn't back or slow as he approached his father's throne. "How dare I?!" Leah slowly stepped back from the throne until Heimdall purposely stepped to block her, surprising her. He gave her a hard glare, making sure she knew that he could see her.
"HOW DARE I?!" Loki finally screamed. "I dare because I'm apparently one of the last two Asgardians to give a shit about Midgard! The other one happens to be locked up in a prison on Earth because you can't run a kingdom!"
"Loki!" Freya shouted. The young god glanced at his adopted mother to see her pleading look. "Please don't make this any worse!" she begged.
"Sorry mom…I'm not lying this time." Loki said, returning his stare to his father. "You know I'm right, old man. Amora the Enchantress…and her lap-dog, the Executioner, are running lose of Midgard, upsetting the balance."
"Midgard is no longer our concern. It is forbidden, by my decree, that any Asgardian venture there. Thor's time on Midgard has expired, he refused to return of his own will, and therefore he as been exiled, just as you've been."
"And yet the Enchantress and Skurge get a pass because you're to lazy to get off your ass and drag them back?" Loki snapped. Odin's face narrowed in rage, electricity coursing over his spear. "You question me? When I risk my life, and a deal with Hela to boot, to come to here, and ask for help, while you stand there cowering behind your throne!"
"SILENCE!" Odin screamed, lightning bursting from his spear. "YOU ARE-!" Odin bellowed as he aimed his spear at Loki again. The teen closed his eyes and braced himself for the searing pain of lightning burning flesh, but none came.
He slowly opened his eyes to see Odin lowering his spear. The crackle of electricity slowly dying as he did so. "Right…" he muttered softly.
"Uh…" Loki muttered as he saw his father slump in his throne. "Come again?" he asked. He glanced at Leah who also bore a surprised expression.
"You are right." The king of Asgard said again. "My lady Freya, my son Balder, Sif, The Warriors Three, and Heimdall, stay. The rest of you go." The occupants of the room looked at each other in stunned amazement. Odin turned his gaze to the crowd. "Did I stutter?" he growled.
Within seconds of those words, the throne room was empty of all but who were mentioned. Odin sighed, letting his spear rest against his throne. He ran his hand through his grey hair. It now occurred to Loki, just how tired the All-Father was. How old he was.
"How long have you been putting off the Odin-Sleep?" Loki asked.
"You have no right to know that!" Hogun growled, brandishing his mace. Loki ignored him while Balder held the man back.
Loki looked at his father and sighed. "Fine. Don't tell me. At least now I know why YOU haven't lifted a finger to stop this." Loki sneered. "But…" he turned back to look at the Asgardians he once called friends. "None of you have that fucking excuse!"
Sif gripped her sword while the Warrior's Three drew their own weapons of choice. Balder stepped forward, standing in front of his younger kin. "Loki…we were under orders."
"So were the Nazi's. But they still paid the price in the end. So I'm gonna throw out a little suggestion. You round up your army, we rescue Thor and you march down to Midgard to kick Amora and her bitch off that planet!"
Odin said nothing as he simply rested his head in his hand. Loki turned around and stormed past Balder. Freya tried to stop her son, but he just pushed past her as well.
"Fine…if the Gods wont do it, then the Devil will!"
Leah moved past Heimdall and trailed after Loki, following him until they reached the massive hall doors. The sound of a spear hitting stone was all the warning they got before the doors slammed shut in their faces. Leah sighed and Loki slowly turned to face his family, eyes a glow with emerald rage.
"Open these damn doors…before I blow them off their fucking hinges." Loki growled. Odin stood up from his throne and slowly walked down the steps to his first son.
"Balder, rally a platoon of troops. Sif, take a squad to the armory, prepare for war. Heimdall, ready the Bifrost." He turned to the warriors Three. "You go with him. Retrieve Thor and bring him to me."
The three Asgardians perked up at the news and quickly followed Heimdall out of the room alongside Sif and Balder. Leah watched the group leaved but flinched when Heimdall glanced at her again.
Odin took his wife's hand before speaking to her. "Freya…if you'd assemble my war council." The Queen of Asgard nodded and started to leave the room. She stopped as she passed Loki and before he could react, she hugged him. Loki was taken aback by the action but returned the hug on instinct. "I'm glad you came home." Freya said before exiting the room.
Loki watched her leave before whispering. "It's not my home." Leah said nothing as she watched Loki turn back towards his father.
"Follow me." He ordered. His tone left no room for argument, and so Loki followed his adopted parent deep into the halls of the palace.
"You never returned." Odin muttered as he led the young teen towards the vault of Asgard.
"I didn't even know who I was until a year ago. When I saw Thor on TV. Everyone thought he was nuts but I knew he was telling the truth…or so I thought…"
"You doubted it, didn't you?" Odin asked, stopping in front of the vault doors. "You started having nightmares, so you tried to think of that truth as a fantasy." Loki looked away. "I'm sorry." Odin said.
"What?" Loki muttered.
"I think he said he was sorry." Leah said, as surprised as Loki was to hear the All-Father apologize.
"I didn't bring you back. I did it to punish you. To make you suffer for what you did to us." Odin said, placing his hand on the door. The stone wall that separated them from the relic room slowly glowed before seemingly breaking apart.
"Can't really blame you for that." Loki muttered, following the king into the vault. "After all, I really didn't want to come back."
"You've changed." Odin said.
"Yeah…that's…"Loki scratched his neck, "It's complicated. Hela let me erase my soul from the Book of the Dead, so…"
"You erased the Loki we knew from existence." Odin muttered. "That would explain why you didn't resurrect until a year ago. You usurped the resurrection by creating a new identity for the God of Mischief. But that is not what I meant. Something else had changed…what did you find on Midgard?"
Loki was silent. "I…" he started. His thoughts drifted back to London, back to the Academy of Tomorrow. The people he had met. The normal. The mutants. His friends. "I think…I think I found a home."
Odin stared at him with his eye, an unreadable air about him. He slowly turned and walked into the vault, motioning his child to follow. "Then you'll have to reclaim it. And you'll need this." Odin cracked his spear against the side of a massive coffin, breaking the chains that bound.
The Uru metal doors that sealed the coffin creaked open, allowing the trickster to see the weapon inside. "What the…" he muttered.
"Hela have mercy on all…" Leah whispered as she saw the weapon inside.
"All spearmen move to the front line. Sword bearers be prepared to act as the reinforcement for the spearmen." Sif barked out as she paced back and forth in the armory. All around her, Asgardian soldiers armed themselves with spears, shields, and swords.
The Warriors Three polished their own weapons while awaiting their marching order. Sif walked past them, making sure her armor was secured around her body. She looked to her left to see Balder doing the same.
"How could you stand for him?" she asked the God of Light. Balder sheathed removed his sword and looked over the blade, inspecting it for any signs of damage or rust. When he saw none, he sheathed it.
"How could I stand for my little brother?" Balder asked, turning to his longtime friend. "He's my little brother. Was I supposed to stand aside and let you kill him?"
"He murdered you!" Sif barked. The warriors in the room glanced at the two, but a glare from Hogun the Grimm sent them back to their work. "He murdered all of Asgard! How could you want him to live?!"
"Because he is my brother! But there is more to him. I've seen it. Thor's seen it! And this Loki…the Loki we saw in that hall is not the Loki who left us to burn in Ragnarok. This is a new Loki. And for that, I'm willing to give him a chance."
"I'm not." Sif muttered, storming away from her friend. Balder looked away and went back to work preparing the rest of his armor.
"GAH!" Thor gasped as he awoke from his sleep. He looked around the room and saw he was being watched over by Freya, his foster mother. "Mother?" he asked. Freya smiled at her son.
"Hello, my son." She said with a warm smile. Thor sat up from his bed and saw his armor resting near his bed, his hammer however was missing.
"How? I saw a light and…the Warriors Three…they saved me! Theydefied fathers orders! Are they alright?! Did father—"
"They're fine my son." Freya said, easing her son. "They were obeying your father's orders. We are preparing to aid your friends in Midgard."
"What?" Thor asked in shock. "Father has reconsidered? He's willing to fight for the mortals again?"
"Yes…your brother convinced him not to abandon the mortals he once fought so hard to defend."
"Balder did?" Thor asked, getting up from the bed.
"No. Loki did." Thor spun around, his eyes wide in shock. Freya smiled at him.
"Loki?!"
"This thing…" Loki muttered as he strapped on his armor. The black armored vest was more of a pain to put on then a nice suit. He finally finished strapping it onto his shoulder and grabbed the green coat that rested on the rack behind him. He slipped his arm through the sleeves and looked himself over in the armor.
"You look good." Loki turned his head to see Leah sitting on a bench near a rack of armor. She gave him a faint smile, one devoid of teasing or childish indications.
"No snarky comment? I might start to get the wrong impression." Loki said. "Then again, it would just add to my narcissism, wouldn't it? Flirting with my own guilt." Leah frowned and stood up from the bench.
Loki turned around to see Leah handing him his helmet. Two short horns emerged from the item, curving near their tips. He took the helmet and placed it on his head. Leah then placed a small face plate over the front of his helmet, locking it in place.
"I'm not sure if I should be insulted, or flattered that you haven't realized what I am." Leah said. She could tell he had a puzzled look beneath the now masked helmet. "I'm not hallucination. I'm no manifestation of guilt or self-loathing. I'm your Hel-Maiden. The watcher of those who've struck deals with my lady Hela."
"I…" Loik started. "I struck a deal with her when I erased my name from the Book of the Dead."
"I'm here to make sure you do not break that deal." Leah said. "The little angel on your shoulder."
"More like tempting devil." Loki remarked back. Leah smiled before the clamoring of footsteps could be heard behind them. The two round to see Thor, in full armor, storming down the steps.
"Loki?!" he shouted. The trickster removed his helmet to see his older brother. Before he could speak, the older god embraced him in a massive bear hug.
"GRRK!" Loki muttered while Leah stifled a laugh with her hand. Loki glared at her, and she simply shrugged. Thor set the teen down and looked at him.
"I thought you said you'd never come back to Asgard."
Loki shrugged his shoulders and slipped his helmet back on. "I may have stretched the truth on that…it's what I do."
The Bifrost
Heimdall stood at the helm of the citadel that functioned as the controls to the Bifrost. The guardian of the bridge slammed his sword into the center podium and twisted it. Immediately, a beam of energy ripped across space, heading straight towards the blue marble that was Earth.
Loki watched as the beam connected the two worlds together. He turned to Thor who stood the near the edge of the citadel. "Thor." He called out. The blonde-haired god turned to him. "You said you'd lead first. Rally your friends right?"
"Aye." The Thunderer said. "I will stall Amora while you prepare your forces."
Loki gave him a puzzled look as his brother didn't move from his spot. Loki looked out over the vast space that divided Asgard from the rest of the nine realms. "What are you waiting for?"
Thor smiled at his brother and raised his right hand. Loki looked down at Earth to see a small glimmering object leaving the blue world. He squinted as the object rocketed towards Asgard.
"What is that?' he muttered. and then he heard it.
VVVVMMMM!
The hum of metal was the only warning that alerted him to the Uru-metal weapon flying towards Thor. Loki stepped back as Mjolnir slammed into Thor's hand, handle first. Thor grinned as he saw his weapon return to him.
"Oh. You were waiting for that." Loki muttered.
Thor placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave him a slight nod. "I'll see you on the other side, Loki."
The trickster nodded as the God of Thunder marched towards the Bifrost, passing Heimdall with a nod and entering the rainbow beam. He disappeared into the light like a ghost.
Loki walked away, leaving the Bifrost citadel and stepping onto the crystal-like bridge that connected the Birfrost to the city of Asgard. On the bridge, was a small army of heavily armed Asgardian warriors, lead by Sif, Balder and the Warriors Three.
Odin waked past it's leaders and headed towards Loki. The trickster waited while his father slowly made his way into the citadel, but he stopped at Loki's side.
"Is this where you give me some grand speech on how I can redeem myself?" Loki asked, turning away. Odin said nothing. Instead he held out his spear. Loki glanced at the weapon and then back at his father. "What?" the god asked.
"Take it." The All-Father commanded. Loki glanced down at Gungnir and then back at his father.
"You want me to use it?" he asked in disbelief. "Your spear? Why?"
"Think of it as incentive. The army can't question you if you are wielding it with my permission. And if you try to betray us…I'll know."
"And the spear can fry me to a crisp, right?" Odin said nothing. "Okay then. Let's get them in line."
Loki and Odin stood in front of the army. Sif, Balder, Hogun, Volstagg, and Fandral looked up at the army to see Loki standing with the all father, Gungnir in hand. The army fell silent as the king spoke.
"Warriors of Asgard…hear my words. For centuries...I've forbidden travel to the realm of man…I did so to allow man to think for themselves…to grow. They have a potential that few have. Even now, against a force from the other realms, their heroes rally. They stand. They fight. But now is the time where we must aid them." Odin raised his fist and motioned to Loki who raised Gungnir high. "FOR MIDGARD!" Odin screamed.
The army erupted into a chorus of cheers before marching forward into the Bifrost, ready to aid Thor and his allies.
Earth, Present
"And low and behold, here we are. Here I am." Loki finished. He leveled his new spear at Amora who glared daggers at him, rage evident in her eyes.
GROOOWRRRR!
The battlefield shook as Fenrir released a mighty howl, sending the army back and encouraging Amora's forces. The Enchantress smirked as she turned to her former teacher. "You won't be here for long. Fenrir will tear through your heroes…and soon this world will be mine!"
Loki glanced over at his 'son' and sighed. "Yeah…not gonna lie. That ones always been a troublemaker. But oh well, I had a plan for that too."
Amora gave him a puzzled look before the God of Mischief raised Gungnir. "HEIMDALL!" he screamed.
FRAAABOOOM!
A massive beam of rainbow colored light slammed into the ground in front of Fenrir. The monstrous wolf snarled at the beam as the Avengers and the Asgardians battling the monster readied themselves for reinforcements.
Asgard, Bifrost
Heimdall stood at his post, his sword locked into the Bifrost's key. He watched as the massive titan lumbered forward. It's metal soles clanked against the marble floor with each step, shaking the citadel.
The spiked giant stood in front of the Bifrost portal ad waited. "Go." Odin said, stepping forward. "Fight. Earn your namesake." The metal juggernaut marched forward, vanishing into the light.
Earth, Washington DC
Thor narrowed his eyes as he saw a colossal figure step out of the Bifrost. It's massive metal frame reflected the flames of the battlefield while invoking both terror and awe. It's body was made of pure metal and sported several spikes across its body.
It's head was a metal masked split down the middle with two vent like structures obscuring its face. Thor gripped his hammer tighter as he realized what lay in front of him.
"No!" Amora screamed as he realized how dire her situation had just become. Loki merely smirked from behind her.
The Destroyer looked up at Fenrir, the wolfs savage face was reflected in the emotionless weapon of chaos. The Destroyer's face-mask retracted as a small inferno billowed in its body. It then erupted in a flash of light.
BAAAWWWOOOOOMMMM!
And another chapter done! This story is so close to be finished so I can bring you into the next run of Avengers! All-New ultimate Avengers! A continuous long running story with new characters and old!
Next Time:
Chapter 12: Avenger's World
Until then, Peace!