Silence fell for a moment, and all Freya could hear was the sound of their breathing as Loki held her against the wall. She was doing her best not to wince at the pain in her shoulder where he gripped it, and she was trying to hide her fear, for his dagger was just a few millimetres from her flesh. She was entirely at his mercy, and she wondered if he would actually kill her, despite their history. She searched his eyes for some sort of clue as to what he was thinking, but he gave nothing away. There was no sign of their friendship here, for the Trickster was glaring at her with such intense hatred, and Freya wondered how badly she had hurt him. Just how much pain had she caused by running away at the feast? She knew she would never get the answers, and it was evident that he wanted nothing to do with her now. She had threatened his freedom, or what little he had left of it, and that was unforgivable. She had really questioned if bringing the whetstone with her tonight had been a good idea, but she had felt like she had no other option, for he would not acknowledge her otherwise.

"Loki, I…" She began, wanting to try and make him understand exactly what she had been thinking, but he did not react. Instead, he stood up straight and returned the dagger to its sheath before releasing her. She regarded him curiously, but he had already taken a few steps towards the door.

"You are hereby relieved of duty." He stated coldly, but she must have looked confused. "You are dismissed Freya. I suggest you leave at your earliest opportunity." With that, he headed inside, while she tried to make sense everything.


Loki sighed as the door closed behind him, for he had not wanted things to go this way. He had known that Freya would find a way to talk to him eventually, but he wished that she had not chosen tonight. He had just wanted to enjoy the feast and spend some time with old friends, but that had not been the case. He had recognised her intentions from the moment she had arrived at the Great Hall, and he had known that there was no escaping her. Truth be told, he was growing tired of constantly avoiding her and deflecting her questions, but he had also known that things would get ugly. Loki knew that Freya had purposely broken as many of the rules as possible in order to get his attention, and yet as angry as he was with her, he had been unable to stop himself from admiring her courage. She had done everything with an unfamiliar air of confidence, and she had not flinched even as he had held her at his mercy. She had not even pleaded for her freedom, and he had no idea if this made Freya very brave, or very foolish.

Either way, Loki was furious with her for threatening him with the sceptre, and he wondered just where she had gotten it, for as far as he was aware, it had been destroyed a long time ago. He had never thought that Freya could be so capable of threatening him, and he was angry that she had even believed that she could do so. After all, he was a God, Prince of Asgard and the rightful heir to Jotunheim, while she was nothing more than a lowly mortal girl. She was nothing compared to him.

Yet even as he had dismissed her, Loki knew that he did not want her to go. Not that he would tell her that. Freya had done so much for him and his people, and he had no doubt that he would face an uprising when they learned what he had done. Another loud noise disturbed him from his thoughts, and he was only a little surprised to find himself in the middle of the Great Hall. The residents of New Asgard were scrambling together to get ready for battle. Those who were unable to fight had already congregated at one end of the room, while Thor was in a hurried conference with his Council, trying to work out the best course of action.

"Sire, have you seen Freya?" Ragnar asked as he hurried to the Prince. Loki sighed as he saw the weaver holding a sword in his hand, and he knew then what had to be done. As angry as he was with the consultant, he knew that she would still want to join the fight.

"She is on the balcony." He explained, and the weaver bowed his head in thanks before walking towards it. Loki, however, reached out and stopped him.

"Sire?" Ragnar asked, a little confused.

"Keep her safe Ragnar. If anything happens to her, then I am holding you personally responsible." He stated, before finding his brother.


Freya waited a moment before going inside, for she heard shouts and gunfire, and she had no wish to be caught out. Loki's words were ringing in her ears, and she had no idea how serious he was about firing her. She was not entirely sure that he had the authority or power to do so, and she made a note to petition Thor once the fight was over. Tucking the sceptre in her pocket, she was not surprised to find the hall in chaos. None of them had been expecting invaders, and this was the first battle that any of them would face since Thanos. Freya knew that the freshly healed wounds of Ragnarok would be torn open today, and her heart panged as she saw the silent looks of fear passed between families. She had no idea quite what to do either, for though she had been training with a sword and she had used a gun before, she was no fighter. She did not have the stomach for it.

"Freya! You are to come with me!" Ragnar stated as he handed her a sword. She stared at it, then at him. "Just in case you need to use it."

"Where are we going?" She asked, having noticed Hilda with the children.

"That is the question. You know the history of this place far better than any of us. Where is the safest and most defensible spot?"

"The crypt." Freya said without hesitation. It had survived for hundreds of years, and had even gone through World War Two without even a scratch on it. If anywhere would keep them safe, then it would be there.

"Then that's where we go." Hilda agreed as she joined them. "You take the lead, we'll make sure we have everyone." She told Ragnar.

"Alright. I will see you there. Good luck ladies." He wished before heading out of the hall, the children and most vulnerable following. Freya could feel her heart racing, especially as there were more loud noises outside, and she was fighting off a panic attack. Being pinned to a wall by a trained killer had been bad enough, but this… This was bringing back memories that she wished would stay buried.

"I think that's everyone." Hilda said after a moment, and Freya glanced around the hall to see the rest of the Asgardians heading out to battle. Her eyes lingered on Loki for just a second too long, for she dearly hoped that she would have another opportunity to make things right. He caught her gaze momentarily, and there was something in the way he looked at her… Was it concern? But before she could do anything, he had already gone.

"I take it things did not go as planned?" Hilda asked as they headed through the gardens and towards the temple.

"Not exactly…" Freya sighed. "But I am not giving up just yet, even if he has just dismissed me."

"What?!" Hilda was incredulous, her hand tightening on her sword as she turned to go in search of the Trickster. Freya merely reached out to stop her, though she could not help but smile at her friend.

"There's plenty of time for that later Hilda. We have more important things to be dealing with right now."

"You can't leave us Freya." Hilda stated.

"Then it's just as well that I have no intention of doing so." Freya assured her.

It was a nerve-wracking walk to the crypt, but it seemed that the invaders had not yet made it to the town, and Freya was somewhat relieved to see no sign of any enemies overhead or in the water. She had no idea who would want to attack New Asgard, for they had been predominantly peaceful since settling in their small patch of Norway, and there had been few campaigns against them. Freya knew that there would always be some resentment towards them, for there was always a minority who hated helping others out, but she had been under the belief that no attacks would get this far. After all, SHIELD was supposed to have set up a defensive barrier around New Asgard, but it would appear that this had failed. She did her best not to flinch as she heard the rumble of thunder outside, and instead focused on the task at hand. Closing the door behind her, she offered a warm smile to the people who were huddled together in the small space, and listened as Ragnar and Hilda assured them that everything would be alright. Freya could only hope that they were right.

Sitting on the steps that led up to the temple, she watched as mothers hugged their frightened children to them, and she saw many fearful faces as she looked around the room. Her eyes then fell on one of the boys, for he was staring at one of the carvings in the wall, and Freya allowed herself a sad smile as she remembered sneaking down here with Loki on her second day. She had rather enjoyed those few stolen moments in the darkness, and she would give anything to have her friend back. She knew that it would never happen of course, not after what had just occurred between them, but one could dream….

"Who is this meant to be?" Ragnar asked after a few moments, for he had noticed Freya growing more concerned as the noises from outside got closer.

"I believe that is supposed to be Odin riding Sleipnir." Freya told him as she looked at where he was pointing. "These are the Einherjar and I think they are fighting giants of some form…"

"They look like Frost Giants." One of the young boys stated excitedly.

"Then I believe there are stories in these walls." Freya said conspiratorially, and the children were instantly trying to pick out those that they knew from the carvings. The Midgardian smiled slightly, for this would serve as a suitable distraction while they waited for the fight to end outside. The waiting was the worst bit, for none of them knew what they would face once the battle was over. Undoubtedly there would be some devastation, but Freya prayed that there would be as few lives lost as possible.

"Why did they carve these here?" One of the older girls asked, disrupting her from her thoughts.

"Because not everyone could read at the time these were made, and pictures were a good way of communicating stories." Freya paused. "They carved where they could, and then they used certain symbols as a means of protection. There were many who wore tiny hammers like Mjolnir to commemorate Thor, while others had symbols of the Allfather, or Loki's children…" This seemed to satisfy them, for they turned to look at another panel, while Freya reached for the sceptre to make sure that it had travelled safely.

However, she found her pockets empty, and she began to panic, for she knew the devastation it could cause if it fell into the wrong hands. She glanced back up the stairs but there was no sign of it, and she knew what she had to do, though every inch of her wanted to stay here where it was warm and dry. She had no wish to leave the relative safety of the crypt, but Freya would never be able to forgive herself if someone else retrieved the artefact before she did.

"What's the matter?" Hilda asked, having noticed the worried expression on Freya's face.

"I've dropped something… Something very important."

"And it cannot wait?" Freya shook her head. "What is it?"

"Something that could ruin us all…" Freya sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have brought it with me to the feast…" She sighed, cursing her stupidity at risking such a priceless item for something as simple as answers.

"Well, it cannot be too far away." Hilda paused. "But you should not go alone."

"It'll be easier if it is just me." The consultant pointed out, already working out the route in her head. "And I will not allow you to risk your life for this."

"Freya…" Hilda went to object, but the look of determination in Freya's eyes silenced her. "What do you need?"

"Give me ten minutes. If I haven't returned by then, you can start to worry."

"Good luck." Hilda wished as Freya slipped back through the door.

The sound of thunder and gunfire echoed in the temple, and Freya questioned her sanity as she crossed the nave. Thankfully there was no sign of anyone, and so she peered out of the door before taking a deep breath and stepping outside. She held her sword tightly, for she had no wish to use it, and she had no doubt that it would be useless against guns, but it was comforting knowing that she had some means of defending herself. The smell of rain and burning filled the air, while she could hear the shouts and cries of the fight from not too far away. The sun had almost set in the sky, and a chill wind blew from the sea, but Freya would not be deterred from the task at hand. After all, this was her mistake to rectify, and she would never forgive herself if someone else got to the sceptre first. It was not only Loki's freedom that was in the balance, but also the fate of New Asgard and the rest of the world too, for Freya had no doubt that the enemy would wish to exact vengeance on those who had wronged them somehow.

Keeping her eyes peeled, Freya retraced her footsteps and did her best to keep the memories at bay. It was getting harder with every step, but she knew that she could not let them overwhelm her or distract her from the task at hand. After all, she had something far more important to focus on, and she could deal with the memories later… If there was a later, she thought grimly.

No. She could not go down that path. She would not give up now. After all, she was Freya Wilkes, summoner of gods, one of three mortals to have set foot on Asgard, and survivor of Thanos. She had disobeyed Odin, and even faced the Avengers, and survived. She had given up everything to move to another country, and she had even had the courage to face the God of Lies alone. She was not one to give up hope, and she certainly could not do so now. Taking a deep breath, she hurried back towards the gardens, having a feeling that it may have slipped out of her pocket here, for there had been no sign of it in the temple or on the seafront.

The rain was heavier now, and electricity fizzed in the air as the God of Thunder used his powers against the invaders. The front line the of battle was much closer now, and Freya gripped her sword tightly as she prayed that she would not have to use it. After all, she barely knew the basics of swordplay, and she had no wish to inflict pain on anyone, even if they were the enemy. Doing her best not to flinch with every noise, she felt the familiar gnaw at the back of her spine that was her anxiety, and she knew she would have to find somewhere safe to break down relatively soon. But right now she needed to find the one thing that could cause even more destruction than the invaders, and so she concentrated on the path. Following it back towards the fountain, her heart leapt at the sight of the sceptre lying in the gravel, seemingly unharmed by the whole ordeal. Running towards it, she put it back into her pocket, making sure that it was more secured this time, before she turned to go back to the temple.

Her heart sank then, for she realised that she had been followed. Invaders blocked every path, and she knew that she would be no match for them. She was also some distance from the frontline, and only half of the ten minutes had passed, meaning that it would be too late for her by the time anyone came looking for her. Freya weighed up her options carefully, for she knew that she could either try and fight her way out, or she could surrender and hope for the best. The one thing she knew for certain was that her sword was of no use against their weapons, and with every escape route blocked, there was only one thing for it. Raising her hands, she looked towards the main leader and bowed her head in defeat, hoping to buy herself some time.

"I surrender." One of the agents stepped forwards and immediately relieved her of her sword, while another saw the whetstone sticking out of her pocket, and the leader grinned maliciously.

"Two birds in one stone." He said, and Freya felt her world slow as she recognised the voice. Though she had not heard it in years, she could never forget it. It had belonged to one of her dearest friends once, before he had mercilessly slaughtered her colleagues and then tried to do the same to her. It was only by some miracle that she had survived, but she had felt guilty ever since and had sworn revenge on the one responsible.

"I have been looking for this for quite some time, and I am not too surprised to see that you have it. I mean, it did go missing after you got my uncle arrested…" He stated as he was handed the artefact. He turned it around in his hands, then stood right in front of her. It took every ounce of strength not to shudder in his presence, for she knew that her life was in his hands, but she could not hide the hatred from her eyes. "Aren't you going to say hello? I mean, it has been a while, but surely you haven't forgotten me…"

"Derek…" She spat, wanting nothing more than to get away from him, and yet she knew that she was trapped here.

"Hello Freya." He grinned.