- Chapter 52 -

"That concludes this file," McCorrmick said as he closed it. He frowned slightly when the vexed Queen turned around to speak to her brother. More interruptions weren't what they needed in his opinion. Patience would take them to the answers in the files.

The most unsettling things in this recording for Frigga was Stark's saying that Loki used many types of seidr, and her brother saying that Loki used at least two types. Not that there weren't several disturbing things, but this point stood out. Frigga turned to Frey, "Many types of seidr used by one person? Brother, this cannot be. You know it cannot be."

"Why not ask your husband how this happened," Frey said sweetly.

A frown touched Frigga's face, aimed at her brother. When he wouldn't answer, she turned to Odin. "Husband, do you know what he means?"

Turning as well, Odin frowned at Frey. "He speaks of legends and myths, of tales told in the wilds. Nothing more." It being a wild tale would be much more preferable to what he suspected he'd done. If it wasn't just a tale, then he truly had done something unforgiveable to his son. That he hadn't known it as he'd done it didn't matter.

Irritation raised Frey's eyebrows. "Nothing more?" He gestured to the screen and then to the young corporal, who still didn't look like he wanted to be a part of their argument. "Would you have said this morning that Loki would sacrificed a heartstring for you? An injury, I might add, which I have seen to myself! Yet this is impossible?" Visions of taking back the gilded sword pin he'd given Odin and stabbing him with it flashed through Frey's mind.

"One is rooted in reality, the other is nothing but an old tale," Odin stressed. It felt like petty stalling, even to him, but he truly didn't want to concede that this happened as well. What he'd already learned was hideously painful. It only hurt more to have the injury to Loki's heartstring confirmed by one of the most powerful Heal Meisters in the Nine Realms, who happened his be his irritating brother-by-law.

"What tale?" Frigga asked quietly. She tried not to think about what else her brother said. If he said that what Loki confessed to happened, then she had to believe it no matter how much she didn't want to. It took a moment to push back the urge to start weeping again. Focusing on her husband and brother squabbling again was an oddly welcome reprieve from thinking of her son's injuries.

"Well, why not tell her?" Frey prodded him. "Tell her what Loki is."

Gnashing his teeth together, Odin almost growled in frustration. If he didn't owe his brother-by-law for his constant care of Loki he wouldn't have put up with Frey's pushing at the matter. "Loki is my child, that is all that matters!" Frey's accusations were grating on is already agitated emotions. It was growing difficult to simply keep his stoic mask in place. He was having to check constantly to make certain it was still there as more and more of his attention turned to reigning in the emotions that the mask was meant to hide. He hadn't been this exasperated since he had to banish Thor. He hadn't bothered to hide his exasperation then, but he was rarely ever this upset over anything. Odin wasn't quite willing to admit to what he suspected Loki to be. However, he was more than willing to say that if that was the truth then he hadn't known about it. He would never have raised Loki as he did if he'd known. What changes there might have been wasn't something he could immediately bring to mind. This had the potential to touch on many different things. All he knew was there he would've done things differently. There were many things he already wished he'd done differently.

"You don't honestly believe that!" Frey shot back. He gave Odin a hard look and received one in return. He saw something then, there was enough of a crack in Odin's mask for Frey to catch a fleeting glace of it. Honesty. It rocked Frey to his core. He'd always believed Odin knew what Loki was, and that's why he took Loki from the temple on Jotunheim. Anyone who could harness Loki would have a powerful weapon at their disposal. That was what he believed Odin was after. The raiding of other realms for their ancient treasures and powerful relics was a well-known part of Odin's youth. Everything pointed to Odin taking Loki for that purpose as well. If Odin hadn't known, had simply stumbled into that temple, battle weary and curious about the sounds of a crying babe, then, then ... Did you never guess?

Sitting back in his chair, Frey stopped frowning at Odin, and just looked. He sighed then, as he realized the truth of it. Odin stumbled onto Loki. To Odin, Loki was his son. It was far too much of a coincidence for Frey's liking. It all worked out too perfectly, not for Loki, but for the Nine Realms. He wondered if this was what Loki meant when she said that the act would always happen, it was only the people who would change. Whenever the Nine Realms were threatened, defenders rose to take up arms in defense of them. The Defenders of Yggdrasil. If this was what she meant, then Loki's life truly did belong to the Nine Realms. Frey saw it then and was forced to admire the cruel efficiency of it. Yggdrasil only took the best of the best. To do what they did the Defenders had to be the most extraordinary people, but the defense they undertook left those few who survived irrevocably changed. He closed his eyes, tipped his head back and let out a short huff.

Then Frey looked back at Odin, "I won't apologize for my assessment of you. Your raiding, warmongering and bloodlust have earned you my low opinion. But I will admit, you at least played your part," he looked at Frigga, "As did you, sister." Frey shook his head at his own foolish assessment. I let my anger cloud my judgment, that was a mistake. "As did I," he said quietly. All of them had prepared Loki to do this terrible thing, to undertake this grand defense. They played their parts, so that Loki could play hers.

Frey's admission didn't please Odin. It was as agitating as everything else. Frey still knew far too much that he didn't. "Tell me, Frey. What do you know?" he asked quietly.

Any information that either of the Kings were willing to divulge was of interest to Director Fury. He discreetly started recording their conversation on his phone.

"Loki is a braettpar. I thought it the reason why you took her from the temple. I've been watching for signs of it since she was some two hundred years old," Frey sighed. "You just stumbled onto her, didn't you?"

"I thought he'd been abandoned as a runt. Laufey was always proud," Odin said. A braettpar, truly. I should have seen it. All the tales he'd heard of them made it seem like something that couldn't be overlooked. The wild power and shifting faces alone should've been unmistakable. Loki had none of it.

"Pride wasn't what started that war, was it?" Frey sneered. "That isn't important. Not now anyway." Frey turned to Corporal McCorrmick, "Have the Norns had a hand in this as well?" He wondered how Yggdrasil selected the Defenders, if perhaps the Norns were acting as her agents or if she had no need of that. Not enough was known of the eternal World Tree.

"I don't know, sir. The supplemental information I was given only relates to the files being presented today," McCorrmick answered. Skuld's snickering laughter came from the markings under his skin again. The two blurry men he could occasionally see standing behind Skuld were the only small piece of information that he was given that had no explanation or context. Once again he dismissed saying anything. His voice wasn't needed for this test. Even if I could tell the emmika, it wouldn't matter. I'm just a Marine here and no one wants a Marine's opinion.

"Then we'll never know how Loki came to be in that temple," Frey said, a little disappointed.

"You don't believe Laufey abandoned him for being a runt?" Odin asked. That didn't seem likely to him anymore either.

"Loki killed the Frozen Lord to end the war before it began, the Lady Farbauti died years before that, and they had no other children. I think we can both agree that the likelihood of the Norns sharing that particular truth is low," Frey said.

"Very low," Odin agreed. He looked away from Frey. I can't be angry with Frey, I should have known, should have seen. This was what he didn't want. The mishandling of the raising of a child was a very serious affair. There were so many serious consequences. "If Loki is a," Odin found it difficult to even say the word, "braettpar, then I have ..." He wondered if this had driven his son to despair. It seemed likely.

"This, at least, wasn't your fault. It doesn't excuse your neglect of Loki, but I cannot honestly say it was intentional abuse. You didn't know," Frey said bitterly. He looked down at the table. He'd hated Borr's boy for so long that it felt intensely and personally wrong to not blame him for this as well.

"Husband, what does this mean? Is Loki ill?" Frigga laid a hand on Odin's arm. The thought that Loki might have more problems with his health was a frightful one indeed. She'd never heard of the illness either. There weren't very many illnesses that affected the Jotens and none of them were studied extensively. Fewer still were treated. The Jotens prized strength so the ill were often abandoned. It didn't leave much knowledge either on what diseases did affect them or how to treat those illnesses.

Odin turned to his wife, "It will be discussed when we return home. I promise you that." He looked to Thor, "You will return home with us."

"Yes, sir," Thor nodded. He'd never head of a braettpar but was intensely curious. In all the many years he spent in the healing rooms with Loki, it wasn't something he'd ever heard the healers mention. It seemed that his uncle knew more. "Uncle, what is a braettpar?"

"Thor!" Odin barked at his son, who flinched at the tone. "I said we would discuss this when we've returned home." His tone was stern, his expression disapproving.

"You have my apologies, father," Thor said quickly, the anxiety spiking again. It'd been several years since he heard that tone. The last time was on the Bifrost just before he was banished. He wasn't eager to hear it again.

Supplemental information? I'll have to get that after this is done. Director Fury watched the exchange with interest. It prompted the same question to drift through his thoughts as had several times. Is Loki an enemy? If he's not, is Agent Barton right? Can Loki be an ally? If Loki is as capable as it seems, he could be one hell of an ally. What were those Chitauri schematics for? What was Stark doing? I still don't have an answer for those. Maybe that's in the supplemental information. He glanced at Agent Barton, then Agent Romanov. Each of them looked to be thinking along similar lines. He allowed himself a small smile. It pleased him that they were already adjusting to the evolving situation. General Rogers and Dr. Banner seemed to be taking things in stride as well. The Director felt sorry for Ms. Potts then. This had been a terrible day for her. She was still sitting straight, chin up. There was a dignity that she managed to keep despite everything that was thrown at her. It was quite admirable.

"This next file is from May 11, 2023." McCorrmick clicked on the next file to begin playing it when he called out the date. There's so much more here than any of you know, he thought. Please pay attention.