Ragnar stood with sword in hand, ready to fight off anyone who dared to try and harm Asgard's most vulnerable. He had been given the order to protect them by Thor, and Ragnar had not hesitated to do so, even though he would prefer to be on the front lines. After all, that was where most of the action lay, and he was a trained warrior. Still, this was as honourable a role as any, but for all their sakes he prayed that the invaders would not reach this far. Though the Asgardians were predominantly a warrior race, there were still those who could not fight and so needed to be protected. He allowed himself a small smile as he heard the children excitedly point out figures on the walls, and he was grateful that they had a distraction from the fight nearby. It was less than six months since they had witnessed Asgard's destruction thanks to Hela and Surtur, and there was still much healing to be done. Everyone had lost someone that day, and Ragnar hoped that there would not be too many losses today.

He had to admit that he had been a little surprised by Loki's instructions, for Ragnar was well aware of the Trickster's recent treatment of their consultant. He had noticed how Freya had withdrawn inside herself and thrown herself into her work as a result. He had also seen the hurt and longing in her eyes at every feast and meeting, and Ragnar had to admit that he felt rather sorry for the Midgardian woman. It was well known that something had happened between the Prince and Freya, for everyone had noticed the changes in them, but no one knew exactly what had caused it. Even Ragnar was not entirely sure, but he hoped that Freya would be happy again soon. After all, she had done much for them since they had moved to Midgard, and they were still in need of her knowledge. Despite his original misgivings, Ragnar would also class her as a friend, and that alone meant that he wished to ensure her safety, regardless of what Loki wanted.

He glanced around the room then, for he had not heard Freya speak for quite a while, and he wondered if she was alright. She had been rather shaken before they had reached the temple, but her fear had turned to enthusiasm once she had spoken about the carvings. Yet as he looked, he frowned, for there was no sign of her. That was when he spotted Hilda, and he silently cursed as he recognised the look in the seamstress' eyes. He knew exactly what it meant, but he had no idea why Freya would leave the crypt, nor why Hilda would have let her do so.

"Where is she Hilda?" He asked as he joined her. Hilda looked a little reluctant, then gave a heavy sigh.

"She should be back by now…" She told him, her concern evident.

"Back from where?" He asked, wondering just what would be so important to cause Freya to risk her life.

"She was retracing her steps."

"Why?"

"She dropped something." Ragnar swore, for he had believed that Freya was far more intelligent than to do something like this.

"It could not have waited?" Hilda shook her head while Ragnar gave an exasperated sigh. "I suppose someone ought to go after her…" Hilda looked at him hopefully, while he cursed the consultant for her stupidity.

"It was rather important." She explained. "Ragnar…" Hilda pleaded softly, and he ran a hand through his hair with exasperation. He truly wished that Freya had not gone alone, or that Hilda had said something sooner, for she could be anywhere in the settlement by now. Yet he had a promise to keep, and he had already resigned himself to finding her, for he wanted her safe.

"Stay here and look after everyone. I will be back soon." He instructed as he hurried up the stairs.

"Stay safe Ragnar." Hilda wished, and he gave her a reassuring smile before heading outside.


Freya was seething with anger and rage as she stood just inches away from the man who had cost her a career and many friends. He had caused her no end of grief that day, and she had spent so much time trying to get past the memories that were now flooding back to her. She had prayed that she would never see him again, or if she did then it was to exact vengeance on him for all the pain he had caused. Not once had she ever thought that they would meet in these circumstances, and she dearly wished to make him suffer like he had made her suffer.

But she was at his mercy, for his companions had trained their weapons on her, and she had no doubt that she would be dead before she even made a move, so she remained still and tried to come up with a plan. She at least knew that someone was bound to come looking for her, and so she hoped to bide her time until that point. However, she had no idea how long it would be before someone found them, nor did she know what the outcome of the battle would be. All she could do was focus on the task at hand, and she took a deep breath to try and calm herself, which was not easy considering her company. She could not help but glare at Derek with intense hatred, for he was the only person she would class as a mortal enemy, but he was not bothered by this. He was too busy inspecting the sceptre, and he smiled victoriously as he traced the runes with his finger. Freya had no idea how he knew that it even existed, let alone its purpose or that she would have it, but she knew that it could not remain in his possession. She had witnessed first-hand the devastation that Derek had wreaked as a HYDRA agent, and that had been without the aid of any magical artefacts.

Freya also knew that she could not let him gain control over Loki, for she was very much aware of what the God of Mischief was capable of, and as much as she hated the Trickster at that moment, she would still do everything in her power to ensure he kept his freedom. Therefore, she had to retrieve the artefact before Derek could use it, while simultaneously trying not to die, which was easier said than done. Of course, she knew that it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for her, and so she just hoped that she could keep the men distracted for long enough.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Derek asked conversationally, his steely blue eyes meeting her grey green ones. He had changed very little since that fateful day, for his blond hair was still short and he still had his charm.

"Four years." She replied curtly.

"It would be about that." He agreed. "But surely this is no way to greet an old friend."

"You lost that privilege when you slaughtered my colleagues and left me for dead." She told him, trying not to lose her temper. They had been close friends once, and she had believed that he was incapable of such horrifying acts until the day that HYDRA agents had taken over SHIELD. This man had killed their team without even the slightest hint of remorse, and then he had turned on her. She still had the scars from that day, and she did her best to repress the memories of her time with him.

"Ah yes… Such fond memories." He smirked, seemingly enjoying Freya's disgust. "But as much as I would love to reminisce about the old days, there are more pressing matters at hand." He paused as he stepped closer, and it took every ounce of strength to stop herself from shuddering. "I am glad to have found you here."

"What do you want with me?" She asked, a little surprised. "I mean, I am no one important, and you have what you wanted. That artefact is the one that Professor Caygill was after."

"And I have the only person known to have used it successfully." Derek pointed out, while Freya sighed. She had no wish to give him the information he wanted, but she knew she would die otherwise. That begged the question then- would she be willing to sacrifice Loki's freedom for her life? Then again, she was aware that Derek would probably kill her once he had the information he wanted. He would also probably kill her if she didn't tell him as well, so she was in somewhat of a tricky position. Summoning all her courage, she did her best to remain calm and so she gave him a wry smile.

"What makes you think I will do so now? I mean, it has been ten years or so since I defeated your uncle, and a lot has happened since then…" She trailed off, praying that help was not far away. Derek gave a cruel smile.

"It is not just your life that depends on it." He stated, as he gestured towards the town, and she instinctively knew what he meant. Freya could not let him near the temple, for she had no doubt that he would kill the children without mercy.

"Why does it not surprise me that you would be willing to slaughter innocents?" She asked, while he gave a knowing smile.

"We both know you won't let that happen Freya." He pointed out. "Your compassion was always going to be your undoing." She could not argue with that.

"Then can I ask a question?" He nodded. "Why do you want the sceptre?"

"It is my birth right." He said proudly. "It was created for my ancestors in the tenth century, but it was stolen and lost before they received it. The ones responsible were punished of course, but for centuries my family have searched and it could not be found, until a few years ago."

"Then why did your uncle not use it when he had the chance? I mean, it was in the university stores for a few months, and he had easy access to it." She asked, feeling very confused. She had been able to access it without issue, and she had not known what it was. Heck, she was even the one to have pulled it out of a trench. Surely if it had been that important to the family then it should not have reached the university stores.

"He was an idiot." Derek shrugged. "I believe he was unaware of its power until it went missing, and then there were strange lights in the sky." He paused, while Freya was certain that someone would be looking for her by now. It also sounded like the battle was nearly at an end, for the lightning was no longer so frequent, nor was the gunfire. "But he told me of his discovery, and what had happened, so I sought you out."

"You befriended me at work so you could get to it." She realised, for it suddenly made sense as to why she had caught him snooping through her desk numerous times. "But I did not have it then."

"It was on Asgard." He stated. "And try as I might, I could not get there, but then they moved here. I accessed the transcripts from the trial of Loki, noticed that you had joined them, and then realised that it must be here."

"And by luck, I happened to have it with me." She sighed, still cursing herself for bringing it with her that evening. If she had only left it in her room then she would not be in this position right now, but she knew that there was nothing she could do to change that fact.

"You saved me from having to turn the palace upside down." He smiled. "So I should say thank you for making this easier."

"What will you do with it?" She asked, hoping to keep him talking for a little while longer.

"You will see." He grinned. "Now, let us not waste any more time. The translation please."

"I will need a better look." She pointed out, hoping that there was some way of snatching it and escaping before anyone could react. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, for he held it just out of her reach. "Well, I am a bit rusty, but if I remember correctly, you need to hold it aloft with both hands on it." She instructed, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Yet when it came to a choice between Loki's freedom and the life of the children, she knew which one to choose. "Then you need to say 'Hear me Loki, I'" A loud clap of thunder interrupted them, and Freya hesitated just as the lights went out. She knew that this was her back up, and she did not hesitate to run. Confused gunfire came from the agents, while Derek yelled at them to use their torches.

"The translation Freya!" Derek demanded, his patience all but gone.

"Hear me Loki, I…" She tried again, but she turned as she heard a soft thunk of something hitting the gravel. There were two more similar noises, and as the lights came back on, she saw that three of the four agents were down. Derek was unperturbed though, and he gestured for the fourth man to step closer. The agent had barely taken a few steps before he fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his back, and Freya was somewhat heartened to see Ragnar holding a bow. Derek growled with frustration, determined not to give the Asgardian an easy target, while the mortal woman seized the chance and lunged for the sceptre.

Though it had been many years since Freya had made use of her combat training, it seemed she had not forgotten it as it came flooding back to her now. She dodged, ducked and weaved, avoiding most of the blows while trying to tire her opponent. As she ducked one of Derek's punches, she reached for the gun on his belt and gave a satisfied smile as she dropped it in the fountain, making it useless. This only seemed to anger him more, and she knew that she was outmatched. It was without a doubt that she would be defeated by him, but Freya just needed to give Ragnar a clear shot.

However, she was also beginning to get tired. It had been a long day, and the lack of sleep and food was starting to get to her. She was not too surprised then when one of his blows got past her defences, and she staggered backwards from the force. Her ears were ringing from it, and she winced at the pain in her jaw, but she was determined to keep going. Derek grinned as he went to hit her again, but Ragnar pulled him away. The Asgardian had not been able to stand by and do nothing, and so Freya let the men fight, while also taking the opportunity to relieve Derek of the sceptre. The man did not seem to notice, and so Freya hurried to one of the paths, for she knew that she had to get as far away from there as possible.

She had barely gotten a few metres when she heard a body hit the ground, and she turned just in time to see Ragnar fall. Her heart sank and her eyes widened in horror as she realised what had happened to her friend, while a bloodied Derek wiped the blood from his face and advanced on her. Not knowing what else she could do, she prayed for a miracle and kept the sceptre behind her back, knowing that she would have to find a way out of this without Derek getting hold of it.

"I am done playing games Freya." Derek growled. "Now, give me the translation and I won't have to kill your friend here."

"Just the translation?" She clarified, and he nodded. She knew then what she had to do, and she hoped that the Trickster would forgive her. "Very well. It is 'Hear me Loki, I summon you to me.'" She stated loudly and clearly. Derek grinned, for he stood just a metre away from her, but then he frowned as he reached behind his back to find the artefact missing. Freya just smiled, but then Derek's expression became murderous. He cocked his gun and pointed it squarely at Ragnar.

"Hand. It. Over." He demanded through gritted teeth, and she knew she could not let Ragnar die because of her. She was also a little surprised that Loki had not yet appeared, and for one brief second she wondered if she had remembered the words correctly. Still, there was no other way, and so she held the artefact out for him. Derek snatched it from her, then spoke as if to a child. "There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" She remained silent while he held up the sceptre and repeated the words. Again, nothing happened, and he frowned before turning on her.

"What have you done?" He asked, somewhat accusingly, but she shook her head.

"Nothing." She told him honestly. "It should have worked." Derek tried again, but there was still no sign of the raven-haired Trickster. The man looked thoughtful, before he placed the sceptre down and retrieved his weapon.

"Perhaps it won't work while you live…" Derek mused. Freya barely registered his words before he pulled the trigger, and she winced at the noise. For one fraction of a moment, she thought that he had missed, but then came the pain. She looked down at her abdomen to see a tear in her dress, and a rapidly spreading stain was forming around it. Her legs gave way then, and she crumpled to the ground, tears already falling as she knew what this meant.

"No…" She whispered, but it was too late. She had failed. Derek had won. The last thing she saw was him looking victorious as Loki appeared in front of him, before the darkness claimed her.