Thor jerked at their sudden change in scenery. He stared around, drawing in deep, rapid breaths. They were surrounded by guards with spears pointed at them, obviously prepared for an enemy. Once they saw there were none though, they all lowered their weapons in unison.

They were in a large hall, much like Asgard's throne room, but the walls that enclosed the sides did not have columns lined up and down them. There were slats halfway up that opened to the outside, allowing light in.

Where the throne was on Asgard, on Anaheim there was nothing but a beautiful gold marbling up and down the wall. On either side of it, there were narrower corridors that extended to form a "T" shape with the main hall. Svleiva stood there, eyes extremely anxious as the group slowly pulled apart.

Hena immediately broke down at the sight of her mother. She ran over, sobbing something unintelligible.

Thor looked at his own father, still not able to grasp what had occurred only moments before.

"Is anyone hurt?" Valder asked quickly, walking over to his wife.

A few spoke allowed, but most of them just shook their heads, exhausted by everything that had happened within the space of a few hours.

Svleiva stroked her daughter's hair as she held her, trying to console her without knowing why she had to do so.

Valder turned to them, suspecting the reason. His eyes begged it not to be true.

"What happened? Where is Loki?" he asked "You vanished from Midgard more than a week ago."

"Thanos was behind this." Odin said, taking steps over to the king and queen. He put his gaze on the others, gaze urgent "You need to tell them everything. In detail. We need to act now."

"We need to get to Jotunheim." Hena said, pulling from her mother as she struggled to contain her despair.

"Jotunheim?" Valder echoed in confusion before Odin could say anything "That is where Thanos intends to go? Hena, I need to know what happened. From the beginning. Please."

"Thanos came to Earth." Thor said, hoping it would make her take up the story. She could recall it better than anyone with her powers. And luck was on his side.

"He came with telekinetic disciples. The dark ones that do not think for themselves." Hena said, knowing her parents would fully understand that. They'd all learned about them at some point or another.

"Under his command?" Valder asked.

She nodded in distress, eyes closing briefly "He connected with the power of the scepter and opened a portal strong enough to transport himself to Midgard. The force of it left me and several others unconscious. He-" Hena had to catch her breath, mouth trembling "He said he came to get Loki back and...Loki...Loki went with him."

Svleiva's face immediately fell to horror, but the princess didn't slow.

"We thought he betrayed us, but he went with Thanos to make himself look trustworthy. He did it to try and learn what he could to help us escape. He was going to meet us at the war so he could help us defeat these damned beings." Hena shook her head as the sobs returned with more force than ever "He got us from our prison, but Thanos found us and found out Loki. He took him. Dad...dad they tortured him. They tortured him for days."

"That was when he made contact with Heimdall." Odin took up the explanation from her as she faltered. Although his first statement almost seemed to be to himself "I transported myself to the realm to bring them here."

"We found Loki, but Thanos got him back." Hena said, voice rising unintentionally as she nearly cut off the king "He had a servant send him to Jotunheim. And that's where he is now."

Valder stared at her with an expression that suggested he could hardly comprehend the explanation. Then he looked at Odin worriedly. The two kings met gazes, both aware of something few others were. Svleiva looked on before reaching one hand after her daughter. She placed it on her shoulder softly.

"You traveled to Midgard." Hena said intently, staring at her father desperately "Surely you can travel to Jotunheim too!"

Thor blinked in sudden realization. Could they not get to Jotunheim? No, that couldn't be possible. They had to be able to get to Loki.

Odin inclined his head subtly, but urgently to Valder, indicating they should speak in private. Anaheim's king shifted slightly to follow him.

"Hena, what magic do you hold over Thor?" he asked suddenly, surveying the God of Thunder. He could see that she had forged some sort of connection between them.

His daughter took in a deep breath as Thor instinctively looked down at his hand. The mark was still there, dark and potent as ever.

"You have not created a life bond." Valder said, voice incredulous as he gazed at his daughter and slowly shook his head. Odin's brow furrowed.

"It was necessary." Hena replied. She was certain of that, yet her voice still shook.

"For what purpose? Why did you do this?" Valder demanded "You cannot put your life into another's hands."

"I put it between Loki, Thor, and myself. Odin and Loki fought and I was worried Loki would do something drastic! But, with this on them, he was forced to look out for Thor and Thor after him. I did it as a precaution." Hena said.

Valder stared at her, eyes livid.

"And then you were sent right to Thanos' hands? Do you have any idea what position you put yourself in?"

"Having it on us while we were there kept Thanos from killing Thor! And perhaps Loki as well!" Hena replied indignantly.

"Remove it." Valder said firmly "Now."

"I need to leave it!" Hena replied adamantly "Thanos has tried to gain my loyalty. He wants me on his side and that means he wants me alive! That protects Thor! If we tell Thanos that my power is over Loki, he may go to Jotunheim himself!"

"I will not risk your life like that. Take it off." Valder ordered.

"Father!" Hena glared at him angrily.

"Hena!" Valder nearly shouted, making the woman shrink back a bit. He so rarely rose his voice at her. His eyes narrowed.

"Remove the bind. Now." he snapped.

Hena turned from him and walked over to Thor. With her lips pressed together, she took the God's hand. With a very brief glow, the mark between his thumb and pointer finger vanished. He looked up at her, mouth open a bit, but she whirled around from all of them and began walking down the hall, not bothering to hold back tears.

"Hena." Valder said tightly, hoping to stop her, but she continued on.

Svleiva shot a brief glance at her husband.

"I'll go after her. You two speak." she said quietly, before taking some steps after her daughter. Valder nodded tensely. He and Odin turned away from the others.

Thor still looked down at his hand, confused and anxious about what they were doing. Why weren't they leaving to get Loki? They had to leave as soon as possible. If Red Skull truly revealed what he'd done to them, his brother would not be in the Jotun's good graces.

"Is she alright?" that was Adden who stepped up. It took them a moment to realize he was speaking to Laura and Hawkeye. He was gazing at Lila.

"No." Laura shook her head as she set Nathaniel on the ground "Thanos hurt her somehow."

"I'll escort you to the healers." Adden said, beckoning her "They can help her."

Hawkeye glanced at the others briefly. Then, he nodded at the man.

Hena held her arms close to her chest as she stared down at the common homes. She leaned on the wall that came just to her stomach, eyes red. She was just outside the palace and down the steps, not far from where they had originally arrived.

Her mother had just left, having comforted her to the best of her ability. Both the king and queen had been desperately worried, but there was little time to convey that. Valder was usually very gentle with them and his sharpness made Hena more anxious than ever. She just needed them to find Loki. After that, she didn't care if they were going to attack or hold back. She just wanted to find Loki.

While Odin and Valder spoke, Thor and the Warriors came outside. The other mortals were not far behind.

Hena waited nervously as they approached. But, she turned as they got closer.

"Have they said anything?" she asked worriedly.

Thor shook his head "They haven't come back yet."

Hena let out a deep breath, the knot in her stomach twisting further.

"What are they discussing?" Thor was obviously lost. But he knew Hena knew something, so he asked very hesitantly.

Hena swallowed, eyes closing briefly "Do you know the history between our realms?"

Thor nodded "They fought once. Our leaders disagreed with each other."

"Thor." Hena said quietly, making him pause "They fought, but made a resolution to end it there." she turned away, voice fading a bit "Anaheim would not go to the nine realms and Asgard would not come here." she sighed, looking down "Asgard forbade us from traveling to any of their realms. Our travel is restricted. We cannot get to Asgard or Jotunheim from here."

Thor stared at her, the realization flooding his gaze.

"But you came to Earth." he said.

"Midgard doesn't have strong protections because it is run by mortals. And the weakening of the borders made it so we could sense Loki there. That is why our fathers met there and not on Anaheim or Asgard. Your watchman cannot see here as required by Anaheimien law. And my father cannot go to Asgard."

"So, we are stuck here?" Fandral asked, hands rising to his hips "But we do not know where Thanos is heading! He could be attacking any realm and we wouldn't know it!"

"And Jotunheim will kill Loki." Hogun said gruffly. Hena exhaled shakily.

"But what about Midgard?" Sif asked "Your father can take us to Midgard and then Heimdall can take us home."

Instantly, they almost all brightened, but Hena remained sober.

"They will have already explored that. I suspect my father cannot get to Midgard any longer." she said softly "Thanos would have made sure of that."

"Can Odin lift the restrictions?" Captain America spoke from behind them. Thor stepped back slightly to allow them space. Hena hesitated and then looked to the God of Thunder for answers. He sighed.

"I don't know. But I believe to change a law in Asgard, you must be within the borders of Asgard."

Captain America folded him arms thoughtfully.

"He's not strong enough to do anything." Hena said numbly "They tried to destroy him in the space of a few days. I've never seen him so weak. His magic so inert. The Jotuns will sense that."

"But maybe they won't want him dead?" Fandral asked quietly "At least not right off."

Hena winced. It hurt that being optimistic right now meant they had to hope for prolonged torture. Just like when they took Loki the first time. She honestly had no idea what Jotunheim would do, but she could hardly imagine their method of punishment was anything like Asgard or Anaheim's. The hell Loki would be going through now was almost too painful to try and think about.

"Is it possible for Anaheim to lift the restrictions on Heimdall's sight?" Fandral asked, trying to change the subject from that particular matter.

"In time. I just don't know how quickly that could be done. It may even require permission from Asgard's council along with the king." Hena suddenly turned towards the palace as movement caught her eye. She brought in a quick breath as she saw Mazi there.

The little girl waved excitedly before hurrying down the steps. She hopped down the last two dramatically and then raced over.

"You're back!" she exclaimed "Finally! I have been waiting forever and so have mother and father! You guys brought King Odin here too. And everyone else! We have never had so many visitors before."

Which was untrue. They'd just never had so many visitors that she knew personally. Hena forcibly smiled at her sister.

"What happened to Lila? Is she sick?" Mazi asked, sounding sad.

"I am not sure. That is why they took her to the healers. They'll know." Hena replied.

"Well, I want to play with her when she is better." Mazi informed her. Her eyes brightened "Where is Loki?"

It fell silent as Hena hesitated and the others shared a brief glance.

"He's not here yet." her older sister said gently, keeping her response vague. Mazi frowned unhappily.

"Why not? He didn't come back to Anaheim when he said he would last time. Does he only want to see us on Midgard and Asgard?"

"No, he would love to see you anywhere, Mazi." Hena replied earnestly "He wants to come to Anaheim, I promise. He just isn't here yet."

"Then he needs to hurry up because I want to play!" Mazi said dramatically.

"I'm sure he does too!" Hena said in amusement. Valder and Svleiva had been even more strict in their monitoring of Mazi's powers since the incident with the scepter. As such, the little girl reading everyone's minds wasn't a worry.

"Are you coming back?" Mazi asked, tipping her head to the side and beckoning her sister.

"Um. Yes." Hena said slowly, her uneasiness beginning to show "Just in a moment."

"Mother and Father were worried about you while you were gone." Mazi said seriously nodding her head. She squinted mischievously "They aren't letting me use all my powers right now, but I can still use some."

"Well, I'm glad you're practicing. Just listen to Mother and Father. They know what's best." Hena replied.

"But reading minds is fun!" Mazi protested.

"I know. I felt the same way at first, but it's better to learn when to temper it." Hena replied gently.

A quiet whistle came from the palace, although they couldn't see the person doing it. Mazi immediately glanced over, instinctually responding to the sound.

"Go. I'll be there in a moment." Hena assured her, urging her sister on.

So, with a frustrated sigh, Mazi turned around and quickly bolted back up the steps.

"There has to be a way to get through to Asgard." Hena muttered as she watched the little girl leave "Open a portal. Something."

"Unfortunately, we don't have the expert in that area here with us." Tony replied.

Hena heaved in a quick breath and then let it out soberly "He would know. He would be able to find a way." she glanced at the palace.

Svleiva called her children back, knowing that action would bring everyone with them. Odin and Valder were still contemplating a few things, but she could tell from their expressions and energy that they didn't have hopeful news. Sensing their emotions, both of them were quite agitated.

Mazi arrived first, speeding into the room as if her life depended on how fast she got there.

"Hello!" she said and then gave a very serious bow.

Valder inclined his head in a playful response and Svleiva shook her head with a small smile.

"What do you need?" the little girl asked pointedly.

"We're going to speak to the others. I need you to go to your room for a little while." Valder said "Likely we won't be long."

"Why can't I listen?" Mazi asked, sounding disconcerted.

"I may be able to tell you later, but for now, we need to speak alone." Valder replied steadily.
Adden, having returned from taking the Bartons to the healing room, walked over to Mazi. She sighed and began to follow him down the hall.

Odin watched her leave, expression thoughtful and solemn, as if recalling memories. It faded, though, when Hena and Thor showed up together, followed by the others.

"Is Hawkeye still with the...healers?" Captain America asked, obviously trying to speak their language.

Svleiva nodded "They are tending to the girl. Do you know what happened to her?"

"Not really. Thanos just touched her with his hand and it seemed to hurt her somehow." Captain America responded solemnly.

"We'll do our best to help, but mortals are not in our expertise." Svleiva replied with a dip of her head. She turned to her husband and Odin, allowing them to take over. However, Hena did instead.

"Can we get to Jotunheim?" she asked intently.

Valder paused and then exhaled slowly.

"No. There is no way for either of us to get there. If we can find a way to get to Asgard, that will be different. But, right now, we cannot."

His tone was controlled as he said it, but Hena could sense his worry underneath.

"Then what can we do?" she asked, remaining as calm and dignified as she could. Valder shook his head, mouth open as he tried to come up with something.

"We cannot sit here and wait. Loki is suffering because he tried to help us. I cannot remain here like this while he is in Jotunheim alone and in pain." Hena said firmly, her voice cracking.

"Hena," Odin spoke, both moderate and steady "I am going to explore every possible way to get to Jotunheim. But while that happens, the best action is to search for Thanos. He has manipulated our ability to travel between the realms. If we can find him, we will be able to get to Loki."

"But, time is not with us." now it was Thor who spoke. Odin shifted his gaze to him, the vehement words slightly unexpected.

"The Jotuns are going to want revenge. If Red Skull has told them that it was Loki who tricked them and tried to destroy their realm, he won't survive the day let alone the time it will take us to find Thanos." Thor knew there was nothing they could do, but he couldn't help but express his frustration and fear.

"Would they risk killing him?" Valder asked, eyes flicking between them "They would not want to kill a Prince of Asgard. They know your forces would retaliate. That it would start a war."

"We are not on any terms with Jotunheim." Odin replied quietly, sounding weary "If Laufey were alive, leniency and diplomacy would be more probable. He would refrain from taking action until he knew more. But, without that, they will seek blood for Loki's offenses against them. I doubt they will have any regard for our revenge. They want war."

"Then they'll keep him alive just like Thanos did." Thor said tensely. Odin kept his gaze on him until Valder spoke.

"Hena, what can you sense from him?" Anaheim's king asked.

Thor's eyebrows went up as he turned to her. Hena shook her head anxiously "Very little. He was not able to communicate with me while he was in Thanos' hands. It is the same now. He does not have the strength." she let out a deep breath "At one point, I felt his pain. I'm terrified to feel that again. But, I will try and sense what I can."

"You do not need to." Svleiva told her, reaching out a hand to touch her daughter on the shoulder "I have a bond with Loki's mind as well. Not as strong as yours, but it will suffice for now. I will monitor, not you."

Hena took a moment to reply because the emotion almost overtook her. She managed a nod.

"Do we have any idea where Thanos is now?" Captain America asked slowly, not wanting to take away from their concern.

"We're reaching out to our surrounding realms to try and locate him. I pray it is sufficient." Valder replied.

"Loki said he was coming here." Hena said quickly, as if suddenly remembering. She inhaled "When we tried to escape the first time, he revealed that Thanos wanted to come here. He wants to use me, mother and Mazi to increase his power. Then he will attempt to take the eight realms and finally Asgard. The rest will be at his leisure."

That immediately gained both king's attention.

"Do you know when this will take place? Did Loki?" Odin asked pointedly.

"No, but it sounded as though it would happen soon after we left. Loki intended to come here with Thanos and assist us then. They were under the assumption that he was going to take control of you." she nodded at her father "And then have you convince us to help them as well."

"If they thought that would work, they are easily fooled." Svleiva stated.

"We need to prepare for battle." Valder said, jaw tight "Firo!" he turned to one of the men standing guard down the corridor "Get Adden and tell him we need to get ready for an invasion. I want every commonfolk warned and our defenses assembled."

Captain America stood in silence, but the fact that Valder was going to announce the threat to the entire realm was quite shocking. They'd done the absolute opposite on Earth.

"Mother." Hena said shakily. The queen glanced at her, eyebrows raised in concern.

"Have you...ever seen the book Gateways Amid Realms?"

After a moment's thought, Svleiva shook her head.

"No, but it is possible we may have it here. Why do you want it?"

"Loki was reading it and I think he's read it multiple times. It may help us to find alternate methods of getting to Jotunheim or Asgard." Hena said.

"Those can be very dangerous." Svleiva replied grimly.

"Portals, yes, but pathways are generally safe. If we could find one, we wouldn't need to use any magic to travel." Hena maintained.

"Have you learned how to sense these breaks in the borders?" Odin asked.

"No, but Loki had to have developed the skill at some point. And that book would likely be a good place to start. If there is a connection between Jotunheim and Asgard, there has to be a connection between Anaheim and Asgard, and by extension, Jotunheim and Anaheim. Perhaps even Midgard." Hena replied "I did my best to learn from him what I could while there. I saw some of his thoughts, however blocked they were. He never has been able to explain how he can feel portals opening, but if I could learn, it will be all the more to our advantage."

"It will be harder than you believe." Odin cautioned "I would only be able to do what Loki does as far as portals are concerned on a small scale. I am not saying you should not try, but you cannot place the entire burden of retrieving Loki on your own shoulders. Your father and I take that responsibility."

"I can see that Loki warned you about learning the things that he did." Valder spoke, looking at his daughter solemnly "And I have to do the same. Thanos will have you over my dead body, but the more you know, the higher the risk climbs."

"But, I can't let that prevent me from helping our own side." Hena protested.

"No, but you are putting too much pressure on yourself." Svleiva replied peaceably.

"You didn't see him!" Hena nearly wailed at her mother. She lowered her trembling hands, which had extended in frustration.

"You don't understand. Loki wouldn't let them hurt me and he wouldn't let Thanos kill Hawkeye's daughter. That's why he got captured. Red Skull came and mocked us because of what they were doing to him. He's poisoned and likely already dying! And he deserves none of this!"

"The poison should not take ahold of him yet. He is not fully Aesir, but he possesses the resilience." Odin said in reply as both of the Anaheimien leaders took in the new information "That will not take his life right now. If we can find a way to communicate to Asgard before we can travel to Jotunheim, I will have a message and a warning sent to them. Until then, try and keep your fears at bay."

Please review you guys! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it made my heart sing!