The Truth About Lies Chapter 14

One wrong move on either side would cause chaos to erupt. Thor knew that as he looked at his friends and saw their facial expressions, as well as their taut bodies. Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun were ready for a fight, and as he looked around at the men and women who surrounded them, he knew Gaea's people were, too.

He wouldn't contemplate who they were right now or where they had come from. He had an inkling in the back of his mind since they had a resemblance and were just as big as the Titan beside him. All that mattered right now was stopping the forthcoming battle, and the problem was he didn't know how! He had to be honest with himself: usually he was the one who started them and he couldn't let that happen this time.

He turned pleading eyes to Sif and stated firmly, "Tell Father that I am well and there is no need to chase Loki and me. I will return to Asgard when I am ready and not before."

Sif actually looked sympathetic and replied, "Thor, your father says you're in danger and that it is imperative for you to return to Asgard with us." She looked at the woman beside him and continued, "You don't know her. Yes, she is your birth mother, but that doesn't mean she is worthy of your trust. She could betray you as quickly as Loki can."

Loki sneered when his name fell from her lips, but before he could retort with a scathing reply, Gaea beat him.

"Is that what Odin said? That Thor was in danger because of his own mother? Did he say that I would hurt him?" She frowned as she shook her head slowly a couple of times. "That man that you call All-Father is not the one who should be trusted right now. He is merely concerned with getting Thor back to Asgard and saying whatever he can to make it happen. You can tell Odin for me that his lies and schemes have caught up with him for once and this time he is not going to win!"

Volstagg walked next to Sif and said, "I'm afraid we can't give that message, because he is going to win. Thor, let's go!"

Before Thor even knew what was happening, Volstagg had reached out to touch him. It looked like he was going to grasp him by the shoulder to perhaps speak with him softly, but his friend never made it that far. Instantly, Oceanus stepped between them and grabbed Volstagg's hand in midair. He applied a little pressure and Volstagg hissed in pain. Thor could see his friend reaching for his ax with his other hand.

"No!" he shouted and ran forward to grab his friend's arm. Between the both of them, Oceanus and Thor had him immobilized. Thor knew the situation was now dire. He knew what this could possibly look like to the others; it looked like he had chosen sides, so he shouted loudly, "Do not pull out any weapons! I do not want to fight with any of you!"

He looked over at Sif, Hogan, and Fandral. They looked just as concerned and confused as he felt, so he had an inkling of hope that maybe he could get through to them. Unfortunately, Volstagg rushed forward suddenly to jab his shoulder into Oceanus' stomach.

"NO!" Thor yelled as he tried to hold him back as best as he could, but it was too late. Oceanus was already responding to the attack. He dropped his hold on the man and swiped his massive hand across Volstagg's torso, which sent him flying backwards toward Sif and the others. Thor had almost flown over with him since he hadn't let his friend go, but Gaea and Loki grabbed him at the last second.

When Volstagg hit the ground, the others pulled out their weapons and crouched low. They were prepared to fight and were just waiting for the opportunity.

"I do not want to us to fight!" Thor yelled one more time.

As lightning from the emotional storm above them popped, he saw that his friends had no intention of backing down. He gritted his teeth for a moment in frustration and then lifted Mjölnir into the air. Lightning surged into the weapon and throughout Thor's body. When he looked back down, he immediately released the energy into the ground before him.

Dirt, rocks, and other debris spewed into the air, which caused everyone to hide their eyes until everything had settled. When they could open their eyes again, there was a ditch, which was at least five feet wide, between them. Thor knew it wouldn't stop his friends from reaching them if they really wanted to, but he knew it made a statement. He tried again to reason with them.

"My friends, I need for you to listen to me. I need to remain here in Midgard with Gaea and Loki. I will return to Asgard; you can tell my father that. I have every intention of coming home eventually, so there is no need for a battle here today."

Sif looked back at Hogan, Fandral, and Volstagg. Each nodded at each other simultaneously, and Thor felt instant relief. "Praise Od…"

But before he could finish his statement, Loki yelled, "It's a trick!" He pulled on Thor to move him back while Sif, Hogun, and Fandral jumped across the ditch to fight with Oceanus and Gaea. Before the trio could get their feet planted firmly on the ground, Oceanus rushed at them. While Thor ran and turned his attention to them to possibly help somehow, he lost track of where Volstagg was and what he was doing. It didn't take him long to figure it out when he heard his brother shout his name.

Volstagg had Loki on the ground and was placing immobilizers on his wrists. Obviously, there were plans to take him back to Asgard as their prisoner.

Groaning, because he knew he had no other choice now, Thor ran towards his friend and brother! He came up beside Volstagg and pushed him to the ground roughly with Mjölnir before the other could secure the locks on Loki's wrists. Quickly, Thor removed the instrument and handed it to his brother. Without words, he gestured to Volstagg, and Loki grinned. "Oh, this should be fun!" he exclaimed as he watched Thor pull on his friends' wrists to hold them together.

"THOR! What are you doing?" Volstagg exclaimed with unmistakable surprise when Loki placed the device on his wrists and locked them securely.

Thor frowned, feeling absolutely guilty. He met his gaze and said, "I am sorry, but you left me with no choice." He, then, hauled Volstagg to his feet and turned around to see Oceanus and the others circled around Sif, Hogan, and Fandral. They were all but defeated. He knew this was the moment when he usually came in to save the day, and he would this time, as well.

"STOP!" he bellowed. "OCEANUS! GAEA! STOP!"

It was almost like it had been an order from a general, because the mob of Titans stopped as Gaea turned to look at him.

Thor rushed to the group, pulling Volstagg with him. "There has been enough fighting!" he exclaimed. He pushed his friend to the others and they caught him quickly as he tripped over some of the debris lying on the ground. Thor looked at Gaea and asked hopefully, "Can you send them back to Asgard without Heimdall's help?"

She grinned and with a confident smile, nodded.

As Loki stood beside Thor, they watched as the Midgardian goddess raised her hands. A bright light suddenly descended from the sky and surrounded his friends. Within moments, they were gone.

No one knew what to say immediately after. The silence was almost deafening before Loki remarked, "The battle didn't last nearly as long as I had wished, but I think it's still one of my favorites."

Oceanus and the other people around them started to laugh loudly, and they instantly ran towards one another hugging and congratulating themselves on a battle well won. Thor noticed that the sounds of merriment and cheers that had settled over the company were very reminiscent of the many celebrations in which his friends and he had attended after they had won in battle against others. It was surreal that he was present at one which celebrated his friends' defeat, if you could call it that.

Thor walked over to Gaea and remarked, "This is not a time to celebrate. They were my friends and I did not wish for you to fight them." Before she could reply, he looked around at the others present and shook his head. Even though he had already had suspicions, he asked, "Where did all these people come from anyway? I know they were not in your home earlier. Who are they?"

She smiled as Loki stood beside him. She answered simply, "They're your brothers and sisters."

=)=)=)

Sorry that it is a short chapter, but I wanted to get something posted tonight. Hope you enjoyed it!