Chapter 23: A Casket For A Princess

Yueqiu-Bing and Nikoletta were the first two to get out of the conference room and up to the main level where the Avengers were currently at.

"Do any of you morons have a room void of anything valuable, world-saving, or dear to your hearts?" Yueqiu-Bing quickly asked.

"Uh, we do have an empty room on this floor in case the Hulk makes a scene." Tony pointed on the left.

"Xièxiè." Yueqiu-Bing grabbed Nikoletta and the two ran to the direction Tony had pointed them to. When they heard the sounds of shuffling and ceramics, Steve and Aaricia followed after the chiefs. Loki and Thor glanced at each other before deciding to follow along as well. They stopped at the open door leading inside a large, empty room. No furniture, no weapons, no whatever. Just walls and a floor made of whatever metals Tony Stark could come up with to contain the Hulk. Yueqiu-Bing and Nikoletta were frantically running around the room, placing Yuan dynasty ceramics of various types on the ground.

"Wait!" Nikoletta suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked suspiciously at the tea kettle she was holding. "Yu-yu, these aren't the kinds of ancient ceramics that hold ancient forces that will probably wreak havoc to mortals, right?"

"Nikko, I would carry no such things!" Yueqiu-Bing gasped. "Besides, the only haunted relics I possess are guarded by the terracotta warriors who guard my family's tomb!"

"OK, just checking…" Nikoletta put down the tea kettle.

"What happened?" Steve asked.

"Is my sister OK?" Aaricia looked worried.

"Helvete nej!" Nikoletta exclaimed. (Fucking hell no!) This earned her a punch on the arm from Yueqiu-Bing. The Chinese Frost Giantess took a deep breath, adjusted her golden monkey head shoulder pads, and turned to Aaricia.

"Aaricia Ikolson, Koryanna's little sister, right?" She asked calmly.

"Yes. I apologize for the inconvenience. When it comes to chiefs, I'm more familiar with Noah and Ingrid," Aaricia politely nodded.

"You're definitely more familiar with Tomoe." The Frost Giantess winked teasingly. Aaricia blushed and gave a dismissive hand gesture.

"Yeah, I'd prefer to keep the nature of my… long-distance relationship with Tomoe under wraps!" Aaricia awkwardly smiled. "Kory would murder me if she found out. Metaphorically, that is. We don't have whatever these two have." Aaricia pointed a finger at Thor and Loki.

"I agree." Yueqiu-Bing put her hands together. "So, about your sister. The chiefs came up with a plan that your sister isn't enthusiastic about."

"That's an under…" Loki didn't get to finish saying 'understatement' when Aaricia quickly slapped him on the face, the static in her skin giving his cheek an accidental burn and Kory to yell in pain one level down.

"I'M SORRY!" Aaricia shouted to the floor. "LOKI WAS BEING AN ASSHOLE TO ME!"

"Jeg elsker deg, men overlate håndteringen av den jerkens karma til meg! Og neste gang, ikke bruk kreftene dine på ham!" Kory's voice shouted from downstairs. (I love you, but leave the handling of that jerk's karma to me! And next time, don't use your powers on him!)

"She thinks I'm a jerk?" Loki winced as he touched his cheek.

"I'm going to pretend you're a mime." Aaricia rolled her eyes. "So… Chief Hua, are you and Chief Isfästning putting around fancy ceramics so my sister can lash out on them and destroy the room rather than the tower?"

Nikoletta leaned over Yueqiu-Bing, annoying the latter when the half-succubus Jotun rested her arms over her shoulder pads. "You sound used to it, Guldlock." (Goldilocks)

"She keeps a room in her manor's underground just for smashing ice statues of this guy when she's pissed." Aaricia pointed at Loki. "You know, the usual daddy issues, immortal bigots, prejudiced mortals, carolers, conservative rioters, and the idiots out there who still don't accept the fact that Kory doesn't sell cancer cures."

"Wait, Kory knows how to cure cancer?" Steve was surprised.

"I just know she doesn't sell because it would be 'disrespectful to actual practitioners'. I didn't bother to ask if she actually knows how." Aaricia went back to the two chiefs. "Must have been one HECK of a plan for her to need a room full of valuable ceramics from an ancient dynasty?" She quickly eyed the ceramics. "Uh, none of them are cursed, right? Because one time, Kory blew a tantrum and accidentally destroyed a locust jar."

"Was her garden destroyed?" Thor asked.

"They were flesh-eating locusts. And Kory's the deadliest exterminator; she's violently protective of her manor's greenhouse."

"She does have a green thumb," Steve smirked a bit. Unbeknownst to the Avengers, Loki, and Aaricia, Nikoletta and Yueqiu-Bing exchanged some glances with one another. Contrary to what the mortals believed; the Frost Giant chiefs were aware of the nanotechnology surveillance system in the tower. They were highly aware that the Avengers would have attempted anything to gain information on their plans. After all, the chiefdom proverb was the same in all the clans.

NEVER fully trust a human.

Naturally, along with keeping alliances to get rid of Jotunheim and the Chitauri from their turfs on Midgard, the chiefs also found entertainment in mocking humans for their sins in their self-proclamations of incorruptible righteousness. And tempting them was just too easy. Not to mention that before coming to the tower for their meeting, Noah and the other chiefs of the circle closest to Kory had agreed on the… matchmaking scheme.

Yueqiu-Bing and Nikoletta couldn't resist such opportunities.

"You're quite right, Captain Rogers," Yueqiu-Bing politely nodded her head. The two chiefs were the first to make their way out of the room. The other four joined them in the hallway after Thor helped Loki get up. "Did Kory show you her powers? She surpasses me as the most powerful Frost Giantess on Earth, her ice powers and magic are beyond anything. Granted, her plant magic is third compared to her direct heritage, but it's still highly regarded. My own parents envied her collection."

Nikoletta blinked in fake confusion. "Weren't you a kid when your parents first met her? She was still in the mid-phases of her magical development while you still had a hard time summoning an Aquarius."

Yueqiu-Bing gave a dry look at Nikoletta. "Thanks for the reminder of my annoying childhood, Nikko. Yeah, I really needed the reminder."

Nikoletta chuckled, the smoke coming out of her horns' flasks creating snickering hisses.

"You know, when Kory first took me in, I was hiding in her greenhouse from some mercenaries," Aaricia casually brought up. Thor and Steve gave her shocked looks.

"We know," Yueqiu-Bing nodded.

"I'm still amazed that she didn't stuff your head. Didn't you touch her most prized plant in her entire greenhouse?" Nikoletta crossed her arms. "Last time somebody sent a negotiator to purchase it, she shipped his disembodied skeleton."

"Hey, I had to get the mercenaries off my back. Obviously breaching her 'DEATH AWAITS THOSE WHO TOUCH THIS' sign saved my life!" Aaricia protested. "And, you know, the mercenaries either ended up as Kory's garden statues or Carmine's midnight snack."

"All that vengeance… for some flowers?" Thor said in disbelief.

"Obviously you barbarians have no sense of gardening whatsoever…" Nikoletta began.

"He doesn't understand that talented sorcerers tend to nature. A basic practicality in alchemy and potions," Loki quickly said.

"And Kory does work as an apothecary," Steve added. Thor gave both a small, grateful eyes.

"True." The Swedish Frost Giantess shrugged. "But on her level as the most powerful Jotun sorceress, Kory has plants that no mortals could even fathom. Lotus flowers from the island of Lotus-Eaters. Golden apples from so many cultures I lost track of. Mandrakes."

"Holy brambles," the Chinese Frost Giantess joined in. Weeping willows. Somehow she even got a pomegranate tree from Persephone's grove."

"Her garlic and herbs collection," Aaricia said flatly.

"Yes, she… Wait, did you say garlic?" Nikoletta blinked in confusion at Aaricia. The smoke coming out of her flasks even formed into question marks.

"To ward off evil pagan spirits." Aaricia shrugged before clasping her hands together and licking her lips. "And to cook the MOST fabulous food ever. You guys know she makes the BEST goulash, right?"

"Gee, I wouldn't know," Nikoletta sassed drily.

"Ha!" Yueqiu-Bing poked her in the neck to mock her. "She's still not over you being half-succubus, she doesn't trust you to NOT sneak in some drug! Or, at worst, add in some spice. You and Tomoe are the only ones most tolerable to heat!"

A loud crash echoed across the hall.

"KORYANNA'S COMING!" Nikoletta pushed Thor and Loki towards the doorway.

"Don't touch me!" Loki snapped.

"Thank us later! Your kid has a horrible tantrum habit!"

The two Frost Giantesses finally got them out of the hallway.

"Maybe you should check on Tomoe," Steve told Aaricia.

"Not to underestimate you, Baseball Cap, but I don't think you want to see Kory's nasty side when she has a tantrum," Aaricia hesitated.

"I promised I'd be there for her." Steve crossed his arms. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm worried that your girlfriend might have a concussion."

Aaricia blushed furiously. "Tomoe is NOT my girlfriend!"

"And Kory isn't mine either, yet here we are," Steve said, almost smugly.

Aaricia frowned at him. "Fine. But we are NOT creating a mortal-blondes-dating-Jotun club. Also, keep your shield on."

Aaricia dashed out the hallway. As soon as she got out of sight, Steve was greeted by the sight of an angry Kory marching in. He could have sworn she saw a vein popping in her Jotun appearance. Her tuxedo somehow loosened, the sleeves rolled up to reveal her biceps as she tightened her fists. Her coat reached the knee level and Steve could have sworn he saw its glittery patterns moving as the fur trimmings moved like the fur of a menaced wolf. Kory gritted her teeth and huffed angrily as she moved into the room and slammed the door behind her, ignoring Steve.

He watched as Kory started throwing around the Chinese ceramics, frequently kicking in them or smashing them with ice clubs. She howls or shouted what he guessed were Hebrew words of rage. She used her magic to assemble the shards into multiple vases before destroying them as well. She even created a statue of Loki out of broken ceramics, a perfectly detailed one that would have boosted the god's ego… until Kory began to headbutt, punch, kick, and stomp on it viciously. She stomped and jumped on the mess she was making, she was shouting, and Steve could picture the words Fury had brought up.

An ant has no qualm with a boot.

That's what Loki apparently told Fury when he stole the Tesseract. That's how Fury taunted Loki when SHIELD had him in that glass cage. And right now, Steve could imagine that Kory REALLY wanted her father to be the ant to her boot.

When repeatedly destroying the ceramics wasn't enough, Kory moved to ripping apart the metal floor. Steve decided it was time to intervene when Kory began punching the walls, piercing holes, and causing the level to shake. He held his shield in front of him and cautiously moved in just in time for Kory to punch his shield right at the star. The hit vibrated the shield, but Steve kept his ground. He held it up with both hands and anchored his feet to the ground, allowing Kory to mercilessly punch his shield like a punching bag.

Steve got the hang of it… until Kory grabbed his shield, yanked it out of his hands, and slapped him on the face with it. Steve fell to the ground and got back up. He hadn't expected such reaction from a high tantrum, but he wasn't going to give up.

She struck again, this time hitting him on the nose. He managed to hold his ground, but the pain was unpleasant. To his surprise, Kory stopped her violence to start sniffing in the air. Her eyes looked at him, her nose sniffed, and she stepped back in shock.

"What have I done?" She gasped.

"I'm fine, Kory…" He said.

"You're BLEEDING, Steve." Kory put her hands together, compressing the air to create a small icy fabric. She cautiously tapped Steve's nose with it, causing him to realize that he hadn't notice the blood leaking out of his nose. He was also surprised by the softness of Kory's icy fabrication as she tapped the blood away with it. Cold, but soft… like when his mother or Bucky used damp cloths to tap his bruises when he had been bullied in his youth.

He sighed peacefully as Kory finished tending to him. Her element was far more positive to him than the ice that had imprisoned him.

"There. Like it never happened." Kory took a step back and viciously broke her icy fabric in half. "NEVER use yourself as a punching back for my tantrums, Steve Grant Rogers! NEVER!" She threw the remains against the wall. "Even Aaricia doesn't do it!"

"I've dealt with worse, Kory. Besides, you were tearing apart the room that Tony specifically designed for the Hulk to tear down."

"I don't care, Steve!" Kory raised her hands. "You're human! A regular Frost Giant could damage you, but me, a Frost Giant demigoddess? You're lucky I had enough restraints to bleed your nose rather than disintegrate your bones by accident."

"And you didn't," Steve said. "Are you done?"
Kory took a deep breath and exhaled back into her human form. "I'm fine."

"How did the meeting go?"

Kory looked coldly at him and crossed her arms. "The Avengers were spying on us. Why do you think we spoke in Gigantic?"

Steve rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "It was Tony's idea…"

"And you probably tried to have Aaricia translate for you and she did a lousy translation. I know, Steve. Just because I'm a hermit raising a human I adopted doesn't mean I didn't enroll her in a human school, a weekend immortal social studies camp, AND weekly Hebrew classes. You think I haven't seen the report cards? She speaks Trollish better than she speaks Gigantic." Kory sighed. "How much did she translate for you?"

"Mostly the bad language." Kory nodded as Steve listed. "Either you insulted Yueqiu-Bing or you compared her toothpaste to rabbit poop."

Kory tilted her head in thought. "Uh. Kinda grey zone there, I have NO idea what's in her toothpaste, but she does have bad breath."

"And finally, something about tricking the Chitauri and putting Loki in your place." Steve finished. "You want your father to replace you for Jotunheim's throne."

"Tomoe's idea, not mine." Kory dropped herself on the ground. Steve joined in and sat down net to her. "Her suggestion was that if we trick the Chitauri into thinking that I killed Loki in a public combat, they'll leave us alone, which would give us room to mold…" Kory gulped down her disgust, "my bigoted biological paternal into a better candidate. She said that technically speaking, Loki is the rightful ruler of Jotunheim before me. If we… mold him into a proper Frost Giant chief, he'll be king before Passover, Earth doesn't turn into an ice cube, he can return the Casket to Asgard, and most importantly, ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH HIM leaves me alone!"

She let out a frustrated puff.

"Tomoe does know that this plan does have flaws, right?" Steve asked. "Your father's not exactly the most trustworthy person in the building. Tony purposely put him in a room that blocks his magic."

Kory gave him a glare that practically screamed 'You think?'

"I mean, what if he doesn't participate? Or worse, he DOES become king but he decides to send an army of Frost Giants against everyone for revenge?" Steve pointed out.

"That's what I said, Steve!" Kory exclaimed. "But then Team Tomoe pointed out that if doesn't cooperate or if he abuses this 'alliance', then we just kill him… at best. At worst, Nikoletta shoots an arrow of bloodlust all over New York and Loki has to deal with a million mortal zombies who want to rip him apart like a pinata at a birthday party."

Steve gasped in horror at her words.

"What? Her horn flasks each carry a different form of lust to impact a crowd!" Kory tapped her head. "Single-target bloodlusts are among her worst weapons! If she wanted to, she could have zombified SHIELD to eat apart the Hulk. Her instigated bloodlusts are far scarier than her instigated orgies…"

"I don't think I want to know the rest!" Steve shook his head and got up.

"Now you see where I am!" Kory puffed. "And the worst part? I have to be near him for weeks."

"I think you might be able to catch a break." Kory and Steve looked at the doorway when they heard a voice speak up. They hadn't noticed Cyril, the Belgian Frost Giant chief, arriving in his human form. "Utgard-Loki and Gerd of Jotunheim are at the tower's gates."

"Why?" Kory hissed.

"Your friends tried to delay them with coronation preparations, remember?" Steve helped Kory get up from the ground.

"And Yueqiu-Bing tried to intimidate them with your 'high expectations'," Cyril air-quoted. "We'll have to consider them non-intimidated. At worst, aroused. Mr. Hogan claims that Utgard-Loki came with a bouquet for Yueqiu-Bing."

Kory facepalmed herself. "Can't we just tell them to get lost? I don't want to deal with their blueprints to my never-gonna-happen coronation, or at worst, pulverize them for trying to freeze Steve again."

"You should leave the tower again," Steve suggested, "but the last time you left, Brooklyn got attacked by man-eating giants."

"Good thing that America also has its shares of diversity in the immortal community." Cyril put his hands on his hips. "I interact with the Belgian-American Jotun community as their cultural chief. I managed to locate and convince some to keep an eye on you in Jersey City. Still close to New York but far enough from the two visiting weirdos. And if things get weird, they'll notify me or Joseph."

"You expect us to just hang around in Jersey City? Why not Hoboken?" Kory asked sarcastically.

"Because one my hotels is in Jersey City," Cyril answered back. "You know, that looks like a Steigenberger Wiltcher on the inside but looks like a Marriott on the outside?"

"Oh."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea…" Steve hesitated. "What if the Chitauri or the Frost Giants find Kory there? Or worse, Anubis?" His tone took a sour turn, which made Kory cringe.

"He never steps foot in our turfs when we have them sealed away from him," Cyril said reassuringly. "Protective seals from other gods create force fields that keep him from entering. I personally made sure that any territory of any Belgian Jotun bore a Toutatis seal." Cyril waved his hands and an ice sculpture of some god's head appeared in his hands. "And the uniqueness of the Rockies Clan reinforces the force field. Besides, Kory is a distant direct descendant of Toutatis. I doubt the god would want her harmed within his protection."

"I don't know, Cyril… Last time I was near a Toutatis-protected turf, I accidentally caused a brawl that almost caused some earth giants to eat cyclists of the Tour De France…" Kory shook her head.

"We're having spring specials in the hotel's all-chocolate restaurants." Cyril's flat response caused Kory to wave her hands, creating a blue-lighted portal right into Jersey City.

"Did you just get…" Steve started, only to be dragged into the portal by Kory.

Cyril sighed and chuckled as the portal closed. "Women. They just love chocolate."

Minutes later

"Did you warn Koryanna?" Noah asked as soon as Cyril go to the main floor. The Avengers were loaded up just in case, Banner stayed close to the nearest exit, Nick Fury and Maria had arrived on helicopter, Aaricia sat on Carmine's back, and the Frost Giant chiefs held on to their weapons.

"She and Captain Rogers are in a secure location."

"Good." Noah sat down on the couch, the other chiefs forming a semi-circle at his sides.

"What is the plan here?" Thor asked. Most of the Frost Giants hissed at him.

Tomoe turned to look at him. "It's basic nybergynnere Jotun warfare. Allied chiefs form a defensive arch of diplomacy. If the 'guests' try to attack the leading chief, it's an official battle declaration. But since it's Noah, it's gonna be a TOTAL FROST GIANT WAR!"

"So comes the responsibility of being the eldest Jotun chief in all of Earth…" Noah's grip tightened on his staff.

"It's a bummer you don't have kids," Emma said sourly.

"I'm the second chief of the Safed tribe. I've lived to protect my tribe, to guide other worshipping immortals, to mentor all the Jotun chiefs, and to advise the legacy who is our only closest link to our roots' divinity. From the ancestors you sprouted from to the descendants you will grow, I've viewed all of Earth's Frost Giants as my own children."

The other chefs nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Some sniffing was heard, and everyone looked at Iron Man, who had removed his face's helmet to wipe away some tears.

"Tony, are you crying?" Black Widow asked in surprise.

"I got armor dust in my eyes," Tony claimed.

The elevator doors opened. A beyond frustrated Happy Hogan stepped out, followed by Utgard-Loki and Gerd. While Gerd was holding icy tablets thicker than her arms and a frozen wooden chest on top of that, Utgard-Loki was holding what seemed to be a bouquet of frozen ferns, ice blue daisies, and baby's breath so puffy, it could be mistaken for cushy snow. Yueqiu-Bing let out an uneasy grimace at the sight of the bouquet.

"Utgard-Loki and Gerd, I believe?" Noah asked firmly. "I am Noah Vinter-Likht. Chief of the Safed Clan…" To the surprise of most in the room, Utgard-Loki and Gerd kneeled before him. "…And I will admit, I did not anticipate that."

"Forgive us, my Lord," Utgard-Loki spoke apologetically. "It may come as a surprise, but the rumors and stories of a powerful Jotun such as yourself have existed longer than the Princess herself. They say that your miraculous magic surpasses my own."

"Rumors don't prove anything," Noah said, straightening himself while the others kept on their toes.

"And we don't want to encourage them," Utgard-Loki nodded. He then looked meekly at Yueqiu-Bing, who kept her hand on the sword strapped to her belt. The Jotun sorcerer presented the bouquet to her. "For the chieftess with a blizzard's fury… milady."

Yueqiu-Bing looked at Noah and waited until he gave her a nod of approval. She groaned and took the bouquet from Utgard-Loki. "Thank you, I will consider this as a token of peace than a token," she said.

"Xièxiè nǐ jiēshòu wǒ de lǐwù." Utgard-Loki suddenly speaking Chinese startled Yueqiu-Bing, who walked away to put the flowers in a nearby water jug. (Thank you for accepting my gift.) Apparently, he'd gone as far as to learn a human language to impress the Frost Giant chieftess he was crushing on since yesterday.

"I am assuming that you are here with coronation blueprints and a bribery to convince Princess Koryanna to become queen, but I am afraid that she has no pursuit to the throne. Coercion will only bring forth a civil war among all Jotun, or worse, her wrath. We should know, despite her skills in magic, her strength and ice have murdered armies."

"We understand. But about that…" Utgard-Loki gave a head motion to Gerd. She put aside the frozen wooden chest and laid down the big icy tablets. Everyone bent down to look at the small, but well carved runes and surprisingly well carved linear art.

"Is that a story of the bucks in the star?" Thor was confused.

"It's Starbucks, moron!" Joseph snapped. "It's a fucking list of all the Starbucks in New York!"

"And… Wow, you guys really did a neat job copying the MOMA goods," Aaricia nodded.

"Everyone step back!" Everyone followed Noah's example.

"Is this what you came for?" Loki demanded. "To bribe my child with a coronation consisting of coffee shop marathons and art plagiarism?"

"Not to mention that Kory hates art museums," Aaricia agreed with Loki.

"I asked for everyone to step back." Noah's warning indicated the patience beginning to thin out. He took a deep breath, straightened his scarf and going back to the visitors. "You must understand that we are confused."

"We know, but we had to make an excuse to Angerboda. She wanted us to prepare the coronation, so we had to trick her into thinking we were… And I might have been obsessed by coffee on Midgard, so I carved those addresses claiming that we were going to scavenge the finest beverages for her Majesty since we were told she loves coffee," Gerd explained.

"Kory doesn't really do coffee. Occasionally she does, but she's more into tea or hot chocolate," Aaricia interjected.

"Noted. But it deviated Angerboda's attention away from us."

"OK, I apologize for interrupting, but what is going on here?" Banner cut in. "Or, more importantly, why are you really here?"

"Last time I recalled, you were desperate to prepare the big party, but now you want to delay it?" Nick Fury pondered out loud. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you two don't really want the coronation to happen."

"Well, it's half-right…" Utgard-Loki admitted. "On the half-wrong side of the truth, we do want the Princess as our queen. The right line must be on the throne to restabilize Jotunheim, and we were made very clear that only the royal member who has no craving for power would be the ruler."

"On whose demand?" Noah questioned. "Angerboda's? A council's?"

"Ymir," both Utgard-Loki and Gerd spoke at the same time. The chiefs looked in startlement at one another.

Noah tried his best to stay calm. "Have you addressed the problem with him through prayers?" He pointed his staff at Gerd, scaring her a bit. "I know of you, Gerd, widow of Frey Njordson, the god who traded away his own weapon for your affection." His suddenly harsh words caused Gerd to look mournful. "Did you or did you not know that as the widow of Frey, and thus sister-in-law of Freya, you are the distant aunt of the Princess herself?"

Gerd's eyes widened in surprise. "She's a descendant of Freya?"

"I swear on the River Styx that none of us knew!" Utgard-Loki kneeled and pleaded before Noah. Tomoe quickly looked out the window.

"No signs of the Heavens retaliating," Tomoe blinked. "He's not lying. They didn't know."

"If you're Kory's aunt, why don't you become Queen?" Aaricia asked Gerd.

"She's not wrong." Loki spoke up, suspicion in his eyes as well. "Funny enough, the colossal Frost Giants that my daughter fought just yesterday said that they would never accept a hybrid as their ruler. They also wanted a skull, a heart, blood, and their real ruler. Yet for some reason, they said that they must have the blood of Laufey rule Jotunheim since they refuse to work with 'traitors from the House of Laufey'."

"It sounds like what Laufey said when he spoke of the House of Odin…" Thor frowned at Utgard-Loki and Gerd before pointing Mjolnir at them. "Either you are betraying your kin just to come to us… or you are here because you think there's a traitor among your kin."

"You don't trust Angerboda, do you?" Loki asked sharply.

Gerd hesitated before sighing. "We trusted her for so long, but with the way Jotunheim was wasting away, she has made her work so distant, it seemed like the only value in consuming her life was to serve King Laufey. Closer to him than the rest of the court. So when we lost our king and a majority of our court to the power of the Bifrost, she sank deeper into her work and encouraged the others to find the rightful heir across the Nine Realms."

"Such encouragement… that we almost confused her search for the rightful ruler as a hunt for a rare animal." Utgard-Loki gulped. He seemed scared, contrasting his usual demeanor. "We tried praying to Ymir, asking him if he'd accept any other candidates, but he denied. We even volunteered ourselves, but he refused."

"He wouldn't accept Gerd, the distant aunt of the princess?" Noah asked firmly.

"I suppose that if she had been a paternal aunt, she might have. Unfortunately, Gerd and the princess are only connected because of the Vanir gods. It doesn't count."

"Then there were the thefts on Asgard, the file downloads, the battles with the Chitauri, and Angerboda's stubbornness," Gerd added. "She stole vital family history and the casket, both heirlooms to the princess. We didn't understand why she would steal when our newfound treaties could have requested an alliance, but she claimed that Odin would want nothing to do with our kingdom after Loki's actions. We didn't understand why she kept the pages of the mother and daughter from the Tome of Ikolson, but she claimed she had her reasons. We didn't understand why she wanted to force the Princess back in Jotunheim when she could have convinced through groveling, but she said it was for the good of Jotunheim."

"Last night, Gerd and I saw that how the princess challenged those uncharacteristically giant Jotun cannibals on her own and her treatment at the hands of the Rapharion…" Utgard-Loki said.

"Raphael's Eon?" Tony frowned. "What is that, a band?"

"Rapharion," Noah corrected. "As the term 'Aesir' is used by some to refer to Asgardians or 'Vanir' to those of Vanaheim, 'Rapharion' is the term we immortals use for the Ancient Egyptian gods. A combination of Ra, their creator, and pharaoh, the kings said to be their reincarnation. When Utgard-Loki refers to 'the Rapharion', he means Anubis."

Sounds of distaste came from everyone in the room.

"So, you guys were also wondering why Angerboda didn't send anyone to protect Kory," Black Widow concluded.

"She claimed that to send defenses for a legendary warrior like the princess would be humiliating to her Majesty. That if we were to interfere, we would be a mere distraction," Gerd shook her head. She then pointed at Loki. "King Laufey would have probably succeeded in murdering Odin if he had come with defenses rather than being left along with you."

"I guess we'll never know." Loki shrugged.

"And now you know why we came." Utgard-Loki nodded to Gerd. Both went for the frozen wooden chest and pulled it up, carrying it before Noah's feet. "At the risk of our own lives, we dared to bring the princess's rightful heirloom to her."

The Frost Giant chiefs gasped in horror.

"You… pea-brained… IDIOTS!" Noah slammed his staff against the floor. Every single one of Stark's expensive tiles broke, rendering the floor into a painful, frozen mosaic. Noah stood on his feet and pointed his staff at Utgard-Loki and Gerd.

"Noah, nei!" Ingrid held him back. (No!)

"Do not tell me no, Ingrid Aybeer!" Noah got angry. Frost started spreading beneath him.

"What did we do wrong?" Gerd pleaded. Utgard-Loki put himself in front of her, shielding Gerd. Curious themselves, Nick Fury and Loki dared to walk up and approach the frozen wooden chest. However, after getting close by five feet, Loki held Nick Fury back.

"Why are you touching me?" Fury demanded.

"The Casket…" Loki gasped.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters?" Thor was shocked as well. "How in the Nine Realms did you succeeded in stealing it from Angerboda?"

"It isn't really that hard for me to alternate the appearance of a rock and have it pretend to be our most powerful relic," Utgard-Loki confessed.

"But ARE YOU MAD? Do you understand how dangerous it is that you brought it here?" Noah demanded.

Aaricia dismounted Carmine. Tomoe followed her and approached the frozen wooden chest, using her naginata to pick and break apart the lock.

"Tomoe, be careful!" Yueqiu-Bing warned, pulling Aaricia closer to her and as far away from the wooden chest as possible. Tomoe lifted the lid and looked inside. For safety precautions, Nick Fury looked above her shoulder for a better look at the Casket.

"It looks like a dumb old box," Tomoe said, disinterested.

"That 'dumb old box' is a royal relic and the most powerful item of the House of Laufey, girl!" Utgard-Loki snapped, slightly offended.

"Mōichido `on'nanoko' to yonde kudasai. Anata no ha o tsuyoku nagurimasu. Anata no senzo wa anata o ninshiki shimasen!" Tomoe showed her fist at Utgard-Loki. (Call me 'girl' again, and I'll punch your teeth so hard, your ancestors won't recognize you!)

"I do not understand a single thing you say."

"Well, try to understand her. Samurai Princess broke my floor by throwing Reindeer Games and the other two semi-god divas." Iron Man pointed at the crater Tomoe left earlier. DO NOT TRESPASS yellow tape had to be placed around it to keep people from falling. Utgard-Loki looked uneasily between the crater and a threatening Tomoe. "Noted…" He gulped.

Tomoe growled and looked back at the Casket. "It still looks like a dumb box to me."

"You never paid attention in history class, have you?" Johanna sighed.

"I was more invested in robotics," Tomoe shrugged.

"Well pay attention. THAT THING is deadlier than Pandora's Box," Nikoletta said, closing the lid by force. "The Casket of Eternal Winters doesn't hold the evils of the universe. Just the heart of Ymir…"

"Yeah, I'm going to pretend that I believe in this supernatural non… OH MY GOD, THERE'S A DEAD GUY'S ORGAN IN THERE!" Tomoe's skeptical mood turned into typical teenage disgust. "Dudes! You are SO GROSS!"

"Well, it isn't like we ASKED for our creator to carve his heart out!" Gerd protested.

"We have no need for disgust! Emma! Joseph! Ged rid of that chest!" Noah ordered.

"What are you doing?" Fury asked Noah while the Swiss and American chiefs used their ice powers to triple-up the icy coating over the wooden chest. They definitely looked like they didn't want the Casket to get out or anything.

"We are disposing of it! The Casket, and Ymir's heart within, must not go anywhere near Koryanna!"

"Should we freeze it within a glacier?" Otto suggested while Gawain helped Emma and Joseph lift the chest. "Or perhaps hide it within the Titanic?"

"Otto, any of those sites you have suggested are always packed with capitalist, Western tourists," Noah groaned. "We can never hide valuable items in any of those locations?"

"What about the Bermuda Triangle?" Cyril suggested. "We got far-ranging catapults."

"Mysterious appearances in that triangle are lies. The chest could easily be vacuumed into Alaska for all we know."

"What about Atlantis?" Ingrid suggested. "The humans don't believe in it."

"Do any of you even trust the people who live in Atlantis?" Noah asked. His question was received by a repeated 'no' from the other chiefs.

"Why don't we just put it in a volcano?" Nikoletta offered. "I resist heat more than all of you, I could drop it.

"Two words, Nikoletta. 'Volcanologists' and 'tourists'."

"Can't we just destroy the heart?" Tomoe asked.

Noah shook his head. "The heart is indestructible. The casket can be destroyed, but not the heart."

"Why don't we open a portal and throw the Casket into Muspelheim?" Kunal came up with his idea. "The mere heat of the realm can incinerate a Jotun alive. No Frost Giant in their right mind would risk their lives to get the relic there. Not to mention that the Fire Giants there would rather murder their mothers than use ice magic."

"You are talking about destroying a weapon of unfathomable power!" Nick Fury exclaimed. "Do you realize the resources you'd be wasting?"

Out of instinct, Emma, Joseph, and Gawain put down the chest and pointed their weapons at him. This caused Hawkeye and Black Widow to side by him and point their weapons at the chiefs.

"Drop your weapons, please," Black Widow asked firmly.

"You think we're gullible?" Emma pointed her ice axe at Black Widow. "We don't trust the likes of Avengers or SHIELD with anything!"

"You'd just experiment on the Casket and weaponize it, just as you did with the Tesseract." Joseph tightened his grip on his cavalry lance.

"That's a bit jumping on conclusions, you don't know that," Iron Man said.

"Says the bitch who industrialized weapons without giving a damn of the lives you damaged."

"I'm sorry, but is the American chief honestly going to call me out on my past mistake?" Stark took out his helmet and stomped up to Joseph, pushing Fury aside. "You want to tell that to me, witch doctor?"

"Spoken like the colonizers you mortals are. You constantly speak of seeking peace and protection of others, but you're none other than exploiters. Murderers. You all hate things that aren't mortal or nowhere near your level of normalcy. You claim for diplomacy, but in reality, you just crave to test the guns on those that aren't 'human' enough for you."

"I think that's kind of pushing it…" Aaricia began.

"Why do you pretend to care what they think, Aaricia?" Joseph looked at her incredulously. "Did you forget how Kory found you in her property? You were being chased! By humans who blew up the train you were in! All because your biological parents decided to find a bigger bidder! Because your father preferred experimenting on his kid than being a real parent!" Joseph's words made Aaricia tremble. Carmine growled and pounced on Joseph, bearing her massive fangs at them.

"That's enough, Joseph!" Noah reached for Aaricia, causing her to run into his arms. "We're discussing the matters of the casket, not your hatred for mortals outside the Rockies Clan because of what happened to Aiyana!"

"That's it, I'm beating your teeth off!" Tomoe ran to punch Joseph, only for Johanna to hold her back.

"Why not just ask my daughter what she wants to do with it?" Loki finally spoke up. "You don't need to bring it to her if it's too dangerous, but after all, it's her heirloom. She should decide how to dispose of it if she wants nothing to do with it."

"That's the most sensible thing anyone has suggested in the past half-hour," Banner sighed in acceptance.

The Frost Giant chiefs shot many sour glares at Loki. Utgard-Loki and Gerd looked like they wanted to spit on him. Cyril finally broke the tension.

"Loki is right. Even though it's too dangerous, the Casket is still Kory's heirloom. If she doesn't want it, then she can decide the relic's fate. Besides, it holds the heart of her ancestor. To dispose of the casket, Kory would have to deal with Ymir himself."

"Dude, in case you forgot, Koryanna dealing with Ymir DID NOT work out the last time it happened!" Johanna pointed out.

"Well… if her desire to not be our rightful ruler is that strong… I suppose she can be strong enough to deal with our creator," Gerd thought out loud. "Besides, we can return the Casket to Odin. It can stay in Asgard until the Princess decides what to do with it."

"My father would greatly appreciate that," Thor said. "I could escort you personally. There are some questions that he needs to answer for."

"Agreed. We…"

And just like that, explosions and screams could be heard coming from various parts of the city.