ASGÅRD

Volstagg ate what little remained off the meat on the piece of bone, sitting with his back up against the damp, moss-covered wall of the dungeon. Fandral was leaning up against the bars of the door, looking down the corridor, shaking his head with a sigh. Hogun was asleep, both hands behind his head, fur-lined helmet tilted to cover his eyes. Siv was pacing, enraged, enfuriated, hands on her hips and her mouth practically foaming.

"Will you stop that, please" Fandral said, looking back over his shoulder. "This place is gloomy as it is without you adding your charm to the delightful air we are breathing."

"This is an outrage!" Siv growled. "I am the daughter of Ull! Heir to Ydalir and the future Lady of House Aurvandil! I do not belong in a dungeon like some petty thief!"

"There she is" Volstagg chuckled. "I missed the little princess. Don't get me wrong, I prefer the warrior, but Siv the spoiled brat always had her charm."

"Shut! Your! Mouth!"

"Alright" Fandral said and moved over to get in between Volstagg and Siv, "that's enough, the both of you. Bickering will accomplish nothing."

Hogun took a peek from under his helmet. "It's all we've got left, isn't it?"

"We still have our honor" Fandral said. "Our pride. Relinquish that and we are nothing more than draugr."

Siv frowned. "Even without our honor we would still be more than lowly draugr."

"I agree" Volstagg said. "Us Aesir are born to be of noble character. Of course, when it comes to the Vanir…"

"Not now!" Siv growled.

Fandral sighed and shook his head. They all turned around, surprised to see the door open after a key had forced the lock to comply to its wishes. A woman, hidden in hood and cloak made herself known to them as she took a step inside.

"Come" she said, "we have not much time."

"Idunn?" Siv said. "What are you doing?"

"You must leave" the woman said, her golden hair falling from under her hood. "You must go to Midgård and bring Thor back."

"Why?" Fandral asked. "Thor has been banished. There's nothing we can do."

"Can we discuss this later?" Volstagg interrupted and pushed his way past his friends and took a step outside the dungeon, spying for guards.

Leaving the palace of Valhall behind, Idunn took the escaped prisoners with her down some slippery cliffs to where a small boat hovered in wait where the ocean struck the rock in force. Hogun paused when he noted the details of the vessel.

"That is Vanir-built" Hogun said.

"Yes" Idunn nodded, stopping next to the boarding-ramp that extended from the small vessels open airlock to the wet cliffs. "A gift" she then said, "from Freya."

"Why would she aid us?" Fandral wondered, as did the rest of them. "She is our sworn enemy now."

"Freya will fight her fathers war" Idunn said. "Just like Siv will. But Freya knows that we are only doing the enemy a great service if Vanaheim and Asgård are enemies. We need Thor back to fight Malekith. And only you can bring him home."

"Thor is headstrong" Hogun said. "If he is banished, he will not return for fear of bringing dishonor to his name, and the name of his father and mother."

"He will listen to you" Idunn said. "His best friends. His comrades in arms. He trusts you and if you so council him, he will come back with you."

Volstagg scratched his neck. "Going back to Midgård… Odin would have us killed, wouldn't he?"

"Most likely" Hogun said with a frown.

Siv took a step up onto the boarding-ramp, eyed the vessel for a moment and then turned to her companions. "So what are we waiting for?"

Fandral turned to Volstagg and Hogun. Hogun did not seem all too impressed by the plan. But Volstagg split his face in a great smile, placed his arm around Hogun's neck and laughed.

"Come on! Let's have bloody adventures!" Volstagg roared and headed for the ship.

Siv smiled and walked onboard, closely followed by Volstagg and Hogun.

"Alright" Hogun said in midstep, "but this time I'm the pilot."

As the others stepped inside, Fandral took a moment to stop next to Idunn, standing as she was on the cliffs. "What do you think Thor can accomplish here?"

"I don't know" Idunn said truthfully. At that point, the alarm sounded across the great palace of Valhall; guards rushing to find missing prisoners. "But I trust Freya."

Fandral eyed the great palace towering above them on top of the cliffs and the noise of guards scrambling, then turned his attention back at Idunn. "So do I."

The small vessel left faster than any Aesir counterpart of the same size, two large thrusters sending it shooting out over the ocean as a triangular sun-sail unfolded and six anti-gravity struts extended from its sides; its figurehead the shape of a screaming eagle. From the walls of Valhall, Ull watched the agile craft go at full throttle towards the edge of Asgård. He was leaning with his tattooed arms against the ramparts, his beard thick and gray, a heavy cloak hanging from his shoulders. He knew his daughter well enough; the fire in her heart could not be put out by him or any king, be it Odin or anyone else. On her birth, the Norns had told Ull that his daughters path would be barred by nor man, woman or beast. He nodded with a smile as the small ship vanished out of sight. He had a war to prepare for; it was well to know that his daughter would do her part, instead of rotting away in a dungeon. That fire that burned so fierce, it had always been her guide, had always plotted her course and chosen her path. And that fire would take her to Thor, for better or for worse; for what could give you more purpose in life than the pursuit of love.

EARTH

Jane Nelson was escorted by Agent Colson and Hawkeye out onto a helipad where a helicopter stood waiting.

"Wait!"

They all turned around as Thor came running after them. Thor walked the last few steps and made his way to Jane.

"I would like to thank you, Jane" Thor said and took her hand in his. "You courage has brought great honor to your family. You have in me a lifelong friend. I would very much like to visit you again, if you so allow, fair lady."

Jane smiled, a bit embarrassed, nervous even. "Off course" she said. "You can come and visit whenever you like. Thor."

"My lady" Thor said and offered her a kiss on her hand. "Safe travels."

"Bye" Jane said and followed Agent Colson to the helicopter and climbed inside with a little help from the SHIELD agent.

"That was cute" Hawkeye said, arms folded over his chest, watching as Colson closed the door to the helicopter. Within seconds, the rotor-blades began to spin faster and faster until they gave the craft momentum to lift.

The helicopter flew away, leaving the secret facility behind. Hawkeye was hoisted into the air, Thor's fingers around his throat, and was slammed into the concrete of the helipad. Thor knelt next to Hawkeye with rage burning in his eyes.

"Dishonor that woman again, through action or a single word, nay, a simple thought, and I will end you."

Thor got back on his feet and headed back inside. Agent Colson walked casually up to Hawkeye as the expert sniper slowly sat himself up, stroking his aching throat.

"You know" Colson said, sticking his hands in his pockets, "I'm not sure pissing off the actual god of thunder was the smartest idea you've ever had."

"He likes me" Hawkeye said and slowly climbed back on his feet. "We're best buddies. You'll see."

Colson smiled and nodded. "Off course you are."

XXX XXX

Nick Fury found Thor up on a catwalk, overlooking a massive hangar. In the cavernous room, in silence, hovered the Scimitar that Tony Stark had managed to commandeer during the skirmish over Bowie Creek City. Engineers and technicians were crawling all over the vessel like insects, not to mention Tony Stark himself, as well as Bruce Banner, Erik Selvig and Jane Foster. Director Fury joined Thor and leaned against the railing and studied the Alfheim vessel, a ship designed with a single purpose; to destroy its enemies.

"Malekith" Fury said. "I take it he is evil?"

Thor nodded. "A cruel and cold-blooded creature" he said. "The Svart Alfir care little for others. Malekith even less so. All he cares about is power and how to wield it so that he may never lose any of it. Most will have a reason to kill. Malekith needs none."

"Do you think your father can stop him?"

Thor laughed out loud and then nodded confidently. "My father, for all his faults, and he has plenty, knows one thing better than any other being alive or dead." Thor turned to look at Fury and found himself studying the patch and one good eye of the director. "How to wage war."

"I just spoke with the United Nations council" Fury then said. "Humanity has no intention of submitting to your father. We do not recognize him as our king." Fury eyed Thor, the blonde giant of a man nodded as he listened. "I have been asked by our leaders to ask you if you are willing to support us in this? If you are willing to speak on our behalf?"

"I am" Thor said, but then looked at Fury with grim eyes. "But without my fathers protection, your world will burn and your people will be reduced to slaves or worse. You see, before Yggdrasil was united by my father, all realms waged war upon one another. At times, even Midgård was visited by the armies of Kronan, Frost Giants and Alfir. The wars only came to an end when my father managed to conquer the Nine Realms and unite them under one king. Through iron will and a bloodied sword and a spear smeared with blood and gore, did my father create peace across the stars. A fragile peace." Thor turned his attention back at the Alfir fighter-craft. "And it all began with the war against Malekith. Should my fathers rule come to an end, peace will be no more. Yggdrasil will come apart in a great torrent of carnage and bloodshed." Thor turned to Nick Fury. "And you would all die."

"Are you saying we have no choice? That we must submit to your dad? Acknowledge him as our king or the entire galaxy gets shot to shit?"

"Midgård has always been the weakest link" Thor said with a heavy sigh. "Mimer always said that Midgård would be the doom of us all. In a foolish attempt to give Midgård some purpose, father decided to hide the Blue Stone here, made the Nine Realms sign a treaty that would ensure peace and stability. He made sure that Midgård became a cornerstone in Yggdrasil, used Midgård as the foundation for his dream of lasting peace." Thor looked at Fury with a faint smile. "I am sorry, but you have no choice but to accept my father as your rightful king."

"How thoughtful of him" Fury said with a frown.

To be continued…