On the waterfront, Odin, Thor, Jane, the citizens of Asgard gather for the funeral rites. Frigga is floated out on a boat before Odin signals an archer, who sends a flaming arrow onto the boat. As her flaming boat it carried on across the water, hundreds of burning arrows soar through the air, alighting the boats of all the soldiers and citizens killed by the Dark Elves today.
Frigga's vessel begins reaching the edge of Asgard's sea, where the waters flow over the edge and out into space. Odin strikes his staff upon the ground and, instead of dropping over the edge, Frigga's vessel continues to drift beyond the water, until her spirit itself rises from the boat and lifts into the cosmos like thousands of scattering stars. The citizens of Asgard all cradle orbs of light, which they now lift towards the sky and release. The orbs float up, each a tribute to a lost loved one.
In his cell, Loki is reading when he's interrupted by the arrival of a guard. The guard stands outside of the cell and passes on the news of Frigga's death to him. The only response he gets though is an incline of Loki's head to dismiss him. As the guard leaves Loki, calmly stands and places his book on a nearby table, then walks to the center of his cell and sends out a burst of magic sending the furniture in his cell flying.
Once Malekith's ship landed on The Dark World, Aphrodite is thrown from within it landing harshly on the hard rocky ground. She's followed out by Kurse, who had tossed her, then Malekith himself.
Angrily Aphrodite jumped to her feet and rushed to Kurse and began striking him, not coherent enough to attempt to use magic on him.
"You killed her! You bastard! You killed her!" Aphrodite shouted at the monster until he wrapped his hand around her throat lifting her off her feet the same way her had done to her mother.
No doubt Kurse was going to kill her as well until Malekith snapped something at him in another language and he tossed her back to the ground.
"Stupid girl!" Malekith spat as he approached.
Jane sits alone in her room. She walks out onto the balcony where the Aether's blood red vision descends upon her, turning everything she sees into crimson darkness. Everything she was seeing was quickly interrupted by the arrival of guards though.
"Jane Foster, you need to come with us," Tyr announces entering her room with two other guards.
In the throne room, the Allfather stands with his council of men before the ruins of his throne. Between them is a holographic model of the Palace. "We are still unable to restore the palace shields. Our artillery cannot detect them, even Heimdall cannot see them. My King, we are all but defenceless," Fandral reports.
"She's your prisoner now?" Thor questions as he approaches the group.
Odin looks at his son before turning away as Thor looks at the people in the room with them. "Leave us," Odin descends the stairs after the men depart, "I do not wish to fight with you."
"Nor I with you. But I intend to pursue Malekith," Thor informs him.
"We possess the Aether. Malekith will come to us." Odin shoots down his idea.
"Yes. And he will destroy us, and kill Aphrodite." Thor states.
"You over‐estimate the power of these creatures," Odin mumbles tiredly.
"No, I value our people's lives. I'll take Jane to the Dark World, retrieve Aphrodite and draw the enemy away from Asgard. When Malekith pulls the Aether from Jane, it will be exposed and vulnerable, and I will destroy it and him," Thor devises the plan.
"And if you fail? You risk this weapon falling into the hands of our enemies, and the sure death of your sister." Odin snaps back quickly finding the flaws in the plan.
"The risk is far greater if we do nothing. His ship could be over our heads right now, we would never know it,"
"If and when he comes, his men will fall on ten thousand Asgardian blades,"
"And how many of our men shall fall on theirs?"
"As many as are needed!" Odin shouted before leaning on his staff, as if over‐exerted, he growls and quickly regains himself as Thor steps forward, "We will fight! Till the last Asgardian breath. Till the last drop of Asgardian blood."
"Then how are you different from Malekith?" Thor questions in a softer tone.
"The difference, my son, is that I will win," Odin answers easily. He then turns and walks away, leaving Thor to stare after him troubled.
"What did you bring me here?" Aphrodite questions Malekith.
"I intended to kill you." He responds casually.
"So why didn't you."
"I believe I have found better use for you."
Thor sits alone in an empty corner of a tavern. Heimdall approaches and takes a seat at his table, removing his helmet in the process. "You're not in Odin's war council?" Thor questions him.
"The Bifrost is closed by your father's orders. No one is to come or to go. We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. What use is a guardian such as that?" Heimdall shares the information with Thor.
"Malekith will return, you know this. But I need your help," Thor whispers towards the end.
"I cannot over‐rule my King's wishes. Not even for you," Heimdall denies.
"I'm not asking you to. The realms need their Allfather strong and unchallenged, whether he is or not. But he is blinded, Heimdall. By hatred and by grief," Thor continues on.
"As are we all," Heimdall agrees.
"Well I see clearly enough," Thor retorts.
"The risks are too great," Heimdall whispers.
"Everything that we do from here on is a risk, there is no other way," Thor shoots back.
Heimdall considers this before asking, "What do you require of me?"
"What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the biggest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power. If we do nothing he will come for it again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard," Thor informs carefully.
"You can't control the Aether's its power, is too great."
"You think I don't know that?!" Malekith snapped. "That's why you will be the one to draw it out of the mortal."
"Why did you think I'd do that for you?"
"Because if you don't, I'll kill her anyway. And Asgard will soon follow."
Thor has called his closest friends to a secret meaning, Lady Sif, Fandral and Volstagg. The three have now joined Heimdall in order to hear Thor's plan.
"We must move Jane off‐world," Thor tells them of the plan.
"The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in the vault," Sif informs him.
"There are other paths off Asgard. Ways known only to a few," Heimdall tell them of the new information.
"One, actually," Thor admits. His comrades realize who Thor is talking about almost immediately and don't seem to be too pleased.
"No," Volstagg breathes out.
"What makes you believe I have that kind of power?"
"I think you and I both know that you are more powerful than you know. That's why you were able to sense the aether the moment it entered into Asgard."
"Thor. After all this time, and now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?" Loki growled.
"Loki enough. No more illusions," Thor said shortly.
Loki closes his eyes and bows his heads, disappearing with a ripple of magic.
"Now you see me brother," Loki greets barely glancing up at him from the corner of the destroyed room he sits pitifully. Thor approaches from the other side of the barrier to be closer.
"Did she suffer?" Loki questions quietly.
"I did not come here to share our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament," Thor offers with a serious look on his face.
"Go on," Loki tilts his head curiously.
"I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you; vengeance. And afterward, this cell," Thor bargains with him. It's silent for a moment as Loki looks around his cell and considers what Thor has offered him.
"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?" Loki chuckles with a smile.
"I don't. Mother did and Aphrodite does." At that statement Loki realizes that his sister has not accompanied Thor. "Loki, Malekith has taken her." Loki sits a bit straighter his heart pounding in the slightest. "I don't know what he intends to do with her but, her power is far greater than anything he's ever encountered. I fear he may use it to his advantage. Should you come with me to get her back, you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with the glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me and I will kill you," Thor promises.
"When do we start?" Loki smiles leaning closer.
Thor's discussion continues with his comrades. "He will betray you," Fandral states. "He will try," Thor counters.
"This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?" Loki grins teasingly at Thor.
"If you keep speaking I just might," Thor grumbles in annoyance.
"Fine. As you wish. I'm not even here," Loki responds. He shifts into a guard "Is this better?" Loki questions.
"It's better company at least," Thor responds offhandedly.
"Still, we could be less conspicuous," Loki changes back to normal while Thor changes into Sif. "Mmm brother, you look ravishing."
Thor, having not noticed the change up until now, looks down at his feminine body before replying, "It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form."
"Very well. Perhaps you'll both prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much," Loki responds then changes into Captain America. "Oh, this is much better. Whoa! Costume's a bit much, it's so tight! But the confidence! I can feel the righteousness surging! Hey, wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honour, patriotism? God bless America…" Loki rants jokingly.
Thor suddenly grabs Loki and slams him into a pillar putting his hand over his mouth.
"What?" Loki grunts. Thor silently turn in the direction of the two soldiers walking along the plaza in response. "You can at least furnish me with a weapon. My dagger, something!" Loki tries reasoning with his brother.
At the sound of metal sliding Loki smiles. "At last, a little common sense," Loki grins happily then looks down only to see Thor has snapped a pair of handcuffs on him.
"I thought you liked tricks," Thor laughs and continues forward.
"But what then? Your lovely mortal is being guarded by a legion of Einherjar guards who will see you coming from miles away," Fandral pointed out a flaw in the plan. "I won't be the one who comes for her," Thor answers looking to Sif.
"You're mad." Aphrodite snaps at Malekith.
"Entirely." Malekith smirked.
An Einherjar guards opens the door to Jane's room for another guard who is carrying a meal for her. She looks up, clearly unhappy with her situation. "I'm not hungry," Jane grumbles in annoyance.
Sif then enters behind the guards and knocks them both out with ease. "Good. Let's go," Sif orders nodding for her to follow. She escorts Jane through the palace to where Thor and Eve wait with Loki. As soon as Jane sees Loki she quickly moves ahead of Sif.
"You're—" Jane points at him as she approaches.
"I'm Loki. You may have heard of me," Loki greets nonchalantly.
This earns him a slap across the face from Jane. "That was for New York," Jane growls out.
Loki laughs and smiles as well, obviously not bothered by the slap, and looks towards Thor, "I like her."
"And what of the Allfather?" Sif asks the most important question.
"It is my sworn duty to notify him of crimes against authority," Heimdall answers calmly.
Heimdall is at his post in the observatory when Odin enters, accompanied by four of his Einherjar guards. "You called me here on an urgent matter. What is it," Odin demands.
"Treason, my lord," Heimdall answers pacing slightly.
"Whose?" Odin questions.
"Mine," Heimdall pulls his great sword out of the control panel of the observatory, the movement causing the guards to step towards him. Instead of attacking though he lays the sword across his palm in surrender as the captain of the guard, Tyr, enters.
"My king, the mortal has been taken," Tyr reports. He looks to Heimdall, who follows his gaze and realizes what is going on.
Heimdall simply stands his ground, silent. "Stop Thor. By any means necessary," Odin speaks to Tyr holds Heimdall's gaze. Tyr leaves at the order with two guards following behind him.
"There they are! Take them!" a guard yell.
"On my command," another yells Thor steps towards them, prepared to fight, but is stopped by Sif.
"I'll hold them off. Take her," Sif orders him.
"Thank you," Thor whispers to her.
Loki turns to follow after the other three but is stopped by Sif's blade at his throat. "Betray him and I'll kill you," Sif threatens.
"It's good to see you too, Sif," Loki laughs sarcastically. As Sif withdraws her blade Loki saunters off and she turns to face the guards.
"Assuming you can get Loki's help and you can free this mortal, what good would it do? We'd all be dead the minute we step one foot outside the palace," Volstagg stressfully points out. "That, my friend, is why we won't be leaving by foot," Thor counters.
Volstagg stands waiting. "I will give you as much time as I can," Volstagg promises.
"Thank you my friend," Thor shakes his hand.
As Loki begins to follow the other three he is yet again stopped, this time by Volstagg. "If you even think about betraying him," Volstagg begins to threaten before Loki cuts him off,
"You'll kill me? Evidently, there will be a line."
In the Dark Elf ship Thor begins to push random buttons in an attempt to start it up, obviously not knowing what to do. "I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing," Loki comments.
"I said, 'how hard could it be?'" Thor corrects. Einherjar soldiers are now jogging in pursuit. As they reach the plaza where Volstagg stands before the Harrow Ship he holds a double‐headed axe in hand.
"They're on the ship! Get to the ship!" A guard yells out the order. None of them are able to get too far though when Volstagg begins to fight them.
"Well, whatever you're doing brother, I suggest you do it faster."
"Shut up, Loki," Thor grumbles.
"You must have missed something," Loki suggests.
"No, I didn't. I'm pressing every button on this thing," Thor snaps hitting more buttons.
"No don't hit it. Just press it gently," Loki advises.
"I am pressing it gently!" Thor begins thumping the buttons in irritation, "It's just not working!"
After Thor finally figured out the rest of the controls for the ship it begins to slowly rotate, taking out palace columns along the way. "I think you missed a column," comments.
"Shut up!" Thor snaps almost immediately.
The ship then lifts off and bursts through a palace wall, twisting and swooping through Asgard. "Look, why don't you let me take over? I'm clearly the better pilot," Loki tries reasoning with him.
"Is that right? Well, out of the two of us, which one can actually fly," Thor denies.
As Thor continues to manoeuvre the ship through the city they catch sight of Jane fainting, but Loki doesn't stop on his rolls of sarcastic quips. "Oh dear. Is she dead?" He mumbles.
"Jane!" Thor asked anxiously.
"I'm okay," Jane mumbles waving off the concern.
Thor then swoops a little too close to a building and takes off the top of it. At seeing this Loki begins to make a comment.
"Not a word," Thor grumbles out the order.
"Now their following us." Loki told said, then shots blast the ship. "Now their firing at us." He shouts.
"Yeah, thank you for the commentary, Loki, it's not at all distracting!" Thor finally snaps.
As they swoop towards a tunnel, the wing of the ship slices through the neck of the statue of King Bor. "Well done. You just decapitated your grandfather," Loki continues with the commentary anyways.
Not long after they make it out of the city and begin flying over water, parallel to a bridge stretching towards distant mountains.
"You know, this is wonderful. This is a tremendous idea. Let's steal the biggest, most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that. Flying around the city, smashing into everything in sight so everyone can see us. It's brilliant, Thor! It's truly brilliant!" Loki rants, yelling slightly towards the end. Then out of nowhere Thor reaches out and shoves Loki out of the open door.
Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi: 'Oh crap' indeed.
SeverusSnape'sLove: This story is far from being abandoned. And sorry to disappoint but Aphrodite's love interest will be Steve. Thanks for the support.
CharRed: Been there. Been locked out of this site one too many times, I know how frustrating it can be. And it's nice to finally have a name to put to the 'guest'. Also happy to hear that you were not the 'Negative Nancy' guest that seems to have a problem with the way I write, and has also hopefully not returned to the story. No love lost there. Thanks for the supportive reviews on both chapters I really appreciate it. Hope you get your account sorted out.
Arianna Le Fay: You have to read on and see. Technically speaking Aphrodite is a claimant or heir to the throne, but she is also third in line, any way you look at it counting Hela as her sister or Loki as her brother. She's last. But pay close attention to her conversation with Odin, it's not that she wants the throne per say, it's that she wants to be considered as one of the rightful heirs. Which she is. In a society like Asgard which I imagine to be quite old-fashioned, while they'll trust women enough to be warriors – Aphrodite, Frigga and Sif- and lead armies – Valkyrie- the idea of a woman sitting on the throne is unheard of. And even with Hela being Odin's right hand woman before any of the others were born there was no conversation (at least in Ragnarok if I recall correctly) of her taking the throne, though she wanted it.
As always let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the future. As you can see I'll be replying to the ones I can so feel free to ask me anything