Chapter Fifty Eight
The world suddenly felt as if it came to a standstill over the last few minutes.
Ada wasn't aware at the time that Frigga had been with Jane during Malekith's attack. Frigga managed to fend them off, but not without sacrificing herself. Her death had left everyone numb with shock on Asgard.
People mourned in the streets and in the palace. Odin had all but disappeared after she was killed. Viking ships were waiting in the river outside the palace as large crowds gathered for the funeral. Ada found herself standing alone, too numb with her own shock to speak as she watched.
There was a time when she thought these people were invincible. After all, they were deemed as gods on Earth. Yet, Frigga's death left her mind reeling with the cold realization that those theories simply weren't true. The people of Asgard were as vulnerable as the people of Earth, if not more because of the weapons that the people of Earth could wield.
The only consolation that Ada had was that she hadn't been placed in some prison during the funeral. She hated being holed up in one place, especially when there was something she could have been doing. Though, attending a funeral was something that Ada didn't have in mind. The last funeral she attended was for Coulson's, and that hadn't even been a real funeral.
Director Fury just made it up to get the team together, she reminded herself.
She couldn't help but watch on silently as the archers standing ready fired their arrows after they were lit. One by one the flaming arrows were fired at the ships launched down the river. It was a spectacle she never thought she would see. The ships went ablaze within seconds, casting an eerie shadow over the palace as they sailed down the river and beyond.
With a heavy sigh, she finally tore her gaze from the scene and wandered down the stairs.
She wasn't sure what would happen now that Frigga was dead. Malekith's attack left everyone shaken to the point where they wouldn't be in any hurry to offer help. Not that she couldn't blame them. She hadn't seen Thor or the others since the funeral was set up. She suspected they had enough to discuss without worrying about some silly visitor who only added to the tension. Her presence on Asgard left everyone feeling uneasy. Though they never said it out loud, she could feel the accusing looks they gave her when she walked past. They blamed her for Malekith's attack, and for Frigga's death, along with Jane's sudden arrival.
That thought sent a shiver of unease through Ada. She was thankful that they didn't throw her into prison for what had happened, but she knew if she kept mouthing them off, they wouldn't hesitate to. Jane was right about one thing; she did need to think before she spoke.
"Thor wishes for you to join us at the tavern."
Ada rose an eyebrow at the sound of Lady Sif's voice. The shield maiden looked equally unhappy with the idea of leaving the funeral so quickly. But, judging from the look on her face, Thor's request was urgent.
With a nod of resignation, Ada followed Lady Sif to the tavern in question.
She wasn't surprised to find it was the same place where the Warrior's Three met before the battle. Instead of the normally cheery atmosphere she began to appreciate, everyone sat around in solemn silence with drinks in hand. Ada frowned at the sight, especially when she caught sight of Thor sitting with Heimdal.
"I am grateful you were able to make it, Lady Stark," Thor greeted her with a look that spoke a thousand words. He was trying to hide his own grief, but she could see that Frigga's death and the battle had taken a toll on him. She heard from Lady Sif that he and Frigga had been close. Though they only knew each other for a short time, she could tell that Frigga had been a good person, someone willing to see the goodness in everyone, and help those who needed it. "My father has imprisoned Jane Foster, and I feared he would do the same with you."
"Because this day hasn't sucked enough without your wonderful king trying to interfere," she grumbled under her breath.
"Odin is not above imprisoning people from Earth," Heimdal warned her. His expression was impossible to read. Ada glanced at him self-consciously when she felt his gaze bore through her. "It would be wise to hold your tongue, especially under such circumstances."
Ada finally let out a sigh of frustration, "What's the point of having an army if he isn't willing to put up a fight? Locking Jane up is only going to give the Dark Elves an incentive to attack."
"I agree," Thor replied before she could complain some more. "Malekith will return, and I will need your help along with the others."
"I cannot overrule my king's orders, not even to you," Heimdal reminded Thor with a pointed look.
Though, it looked as if he really did want to do just that. Ada could tell that he wanted to provide whatever help he could, despite whatever crap Odin pulled. Odin wasn't above placing the people he ruled in prison if they committed treason. She chewed the bottom of her lip as she wondered at the thought that a select few were willing to do just that. Even Heimdal seemed to understand that Odin was wrong to keep Jane locked up. Malekith might have appeared because of the Aether, but Jane didn't understand the consequences of that. Not to mention Odin had been keeping the truth about the Aether and the Dark Elves a secret for so long.
"I'm not asking you to. The Realms need their All-Father strong and unchallenged, whether he is or not. But he is blinded Heimdal, by hatred and by grief," Thor pointed out.
Her brows furrowed together when she thought of how grief could change a person. She'd seen firsthand what it did to Tony during the battle of New York. When he thought that she had been killed by Loki, he'd changed after seeing that she was alive.
"As are we all."
Heimdal may not have looked at Thor, but Ada sensed his jab was directed to the god of thunder.
"Well, I see clearly enough."
"Besides, something needs to be done before Malekith decides to launch another attack," she finally spoke up. Heimdal looked at her thoughtfully as she furrowed her brows together. She knew they had to work together in order to find a way to stop Malekith, and rescue Jane. "If we don't, he could destroy this world just like he did his own. And something tells me he won't hesitate to attack any other after he's done with Asgard."
"Your own people experienced a similar fate, though through a different mean of destruction," Heimdal suddenly pointed out. That was enough for Ada to stiffen in surprise. Even Thor looked slightly confused with where Heimdal was getting at with his sudden revelation. Her mother never mentioned what was responsible for the destruction of their planet. She had only assumed that it would remain a mystery until Nadia told her. "The risks are too great."
"Everything that we do from here on is a risk," Thor informed him, "There is no other way."
Silence followed when Heimdal seemed to give Thor's response some thought. Ada was more than willing to take those risks if it meant putting an end to Malekith's reign, once and for all. His attack on Asgard was just the beginning, of that she was certain.
"What do you require of me?" he finally asked.
"What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the highest order," Thor warned him, "Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power. If we do nothing he will come for it again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard."
"But other than that, everything is going to be just peachy," Ada muttered under her breath.
"What you ask from all of us is foolish," Hogan put in. Unlike the others who were ready to jump in, even Lady Sif, he seemed to contemplate what risks they were taking by going behind Odin's back. "Have you considered what will happen if you fail this plan?"
"I hope it does not come to that," Thor admitted. "I understand why you are reluctant to join me, and I understand if you wish to leave now. Moving Jane off world is what will spare us from another attack by Malekith."
"The Bifrost is closed," Heimdal pointed out. "You would need someone with knowledge of how to escape worlds at your side."
Ada rose an eyebrow when she immediately thought of someone who would provide that kind of help. While it wasn't the best idea – they were already on thin ice as it was – it happened to be the only idea she had in mind.
"What if we asked Loki for help?" she suggested helpfully. Everyone looked at her as if she'd gone insane. Not that Ada couldn't blame them. Loki's last attempts at destroying Earth hadn't ended well on his part, and she doubted he was the most popular being at the moment. "Look, I get that he's done some shitty things in the past, but he also has a reason to hate Malekith and want his own revenge. I'm guessing he also knows multiple ways out of Asgard."
For once, few of them argued with her. They had already begun discussing ways of breaking Jane out of her room. Ada suspected that if Loki was anything like he had acted while on Earth, he'd be more than willing to offer what little help he could. At least, in the name of Frigga.
"It will take time for me to convince my brother to join us, if he is willing at all," Thor admitted once they finished discussing their plan. He looked at Ada apprehensively when she gave him an encouraging nod. "I know it will not be easy, especially after what he has done."
"If he knows what is good for him, he will help you," Lady Sif gave a slight nod of her own, still uneasy with the idea of letting Loki free. "But, I understand that it is necessary for our survival."
Ada let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding. She had to hope that Lady Sif was right. Loki was a trickster. She had a feeling that he would use any opportunity he could to escape once they broke him out of the prison.
…
"Remind me again why this is a good idea?"
"Because you were the one who made the suggestion. Loki is more likely to answer to you than he would to me."
"Right… because that's worked so well before."
Ada nearly rolled her eyes when Thor tried pointing out that Loki would listen to her. She had experienced firsthand what Loki was capable of, and had given him a taste of his own medicine. What annoyed her more than anything was that Thor had dragged her along to break the god of mischief out.
"I hate to remind you, but I'm already on thin ice as it is with Odin," she pointed out under her breath. "How much do you wanna bet he'd throw me in prison if he caught me breaking Loki out of it?"
"My father will not put you in prison, Lady Stark," Thor reassured her with a charming smile. "I am certain you would find a way to break out if he did."
Well, he isn't wrong about that, she thought with a sigh of frustration.
Everyone else set up their positions once she and Thor left the pub. They'd discussed the plan for what felt like hours. In that time, Ada began to understand just how loyal Thor's friends were to him. They were willing to risk everything for him. She often wondered if the same could be said for herself if she ever found herself in the same position.
They crept along the narrow halls carefully. She wasn't surprised to find that stealth wasn't Thor's area of expertise. He'd nearly gotten them caught twice while trying to avoid the guards that wandered the same halls.
She couldn't blame Thor for fumbling along. He had a harder time trying to keep up with her because of his cape and larger size. She would use either the columns or her powers to keep the guards from spotting them. Thor looked at her with a newfound respect after noticing just how much her powers had developed over the last few months.
"You have to be quiet when you're going into stealth mode," she whispered after they'd nearly been caught a third time.
The rocky wall that had covered them crumbled to the floor as she kept moving, letting Thor take the lead every now and then.
"My apologies… it has been many years since I've done this, and the last time was with Loki," he admitted sheepishly. "When we were younger, we would always find a way to sneak out of the palace grounds."
"And I'm guessing Loki was the one who came up with your schemes?" she asked curiously.
Thor rarely talked about his past. She knew he was reminiscing because of Frigga's death, and hated using that to her advantage. Thor was at least willing to try and talk about it. To her surprise, he gave a nod and offered a small, sad smile.
"Loki was not always a monster as people see him," he explained in a halfhearted defense against his brother.
For the first time since the battle of Manhattan, Ada began to notice how much Thor really cared about Loki. She couldn't help but admire that of Thor. Despite the fact that he was a seasoned warrior, he still had the kindness that few people could boast about.
"I wish I could have known him as a kid," she murmured thoughtfully.
"He would have admired you for your courage and your abilities."
Heat rose to Ada's cheeks the moment he brought that up. She highly doubted Loki would hold her in such regards. Even if they were just kids, he didn't seem like the type of person who would hold anyone in high regards.
While she felt no pity towards Loki for everything that had happened to him – most of his punishments were well-deserved and self-earned – she did feel a little sorry for how he was brought up. From the stories she gathered, Loki had been raised to believe he was Asgardian. Odin had planned on using him to form a peace treaty with the Frost Giants.
The worst part was, Frigga's death had to have taken a heavy toll on him. Thor had explained to her that Frigga spent a lot of time with Loki, teaching him what she knew about magic. The rest of what Loki knew was self-taught through books.
Shaking her head at the thought, Ada glanced at Thor self-consciously when she noticed that there were guards posted at Loki's cell, "Okay, I'm going to knock the guards out, unless you have any other plans in mind?"
Thor simply gestured with his hands for her to move on, and she did just that. Carefully, she used her powers to knock out the guards without causing further damage. Killing anyone was out of the question – even if that was a last resort, she preferred not having to kill anyone.
"I can see that Lady Romanoff's training has passed down to you," he quipped after noticing how quickly she was able to knock them out.
"We're not finished yet," she reminded him. Though, that didn't stop the small smile that followed. She was thankful that Natasha had trained her until she was ready to drop over from exhaustion. Once she blasted the door open and knocked out two other guards, she gestured for Thor to follow, "After you."
"I believe it would be better if you went in first," Thor shook his head worriedly, "I am unsure of how my brother will react upon seeing me first."
Ada held back a sigh of frustration as she noticed where this was headed. Thor certainly wasn't a coward. But that didn't mean he wasn't afraid to face his brother. She had a feeling he'd been planning this from the start.
"You owe me for this," she hissed under her breath.
Thor didn't respond at first, but his smirk of amusement told her that was what he expected from her. Rolling her eyes at his expense, Ada walked forward carefully until she stepped inside Loki's prison.
Her heart began racing for a whole different reason as she noticed how finely decorated his cell was. It looked neat and orderly compared to what a prison cell would look like. To one side was a desk with a lamp and comfortable looking chair to read from. To the other was a bookcase lined with dozens of books. For someone who was supposed to be imprisoned, Loki didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave.
"I was not expecting a visitor," he started without looking up from the book he was reading. Ada rose an eyebrow and crossed her arms to make herself look a little more intimidating. She didn't want to admit that this was the last place she wanted to be in. After the way Loki had stabbed her and nearly killed everyone she cared about, she was hardly in any mood to see him again. "I can sense you are not happy with me."
There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he finally acknowledged her presence with a sideways glance.
"And I can see you're as much of an asshole now as you were when we met," she retorted without missing a beat. Loki's mouth morphed from a smirk to a scowl when he noticed that she hadn't dropped her guard. "I'm not here to make friends."
"You've made that perfectly obvious by leaving your guard-dog outside," the god of mischief scoffed. "I do have to wonder what brought my dear brother to believe I would offer help?"
"Because, for whatever reason, Thor believes there's still an ounce of kindness in your soul," she muttered crossly. The smirk returned almost immediately. "He trusts that you'll do the right thing."
"And you do not?" he pressed.
"Well, you're still alive, aren't you?"
It was Loki's turn to raise an eyebrow in utter bewilderment. Her eyes narrowed when his eyes locked with hers.
"Loki, no more illusions," Thor suddenly snapped when he finally decided to intervene.
His voice cut through the icy tension that surrounded them. Ada blinked in surprise after she realized the walls had begun trembling around them. With a sigh of frustration, she took a few deep breaths to try and calm her already frayed nerves. The last thing she wanted was to lose control in a place like this.
A few seconds passed when the room began changing around them. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the room changed from neat and orderly to one of complete disarray. Loki was a mess as he slouched against the wall. His hair was tangled and wild, and his feet looked as if they'd suffered a few cuts and bruises.
"Now you see me, brother," he sneered once the illusion dropped. Thor approached him cautiously while Ada studied him carefully. His injuries could have just been an illusion, but she had no doubt that he'd suffered in the prison. "Did she suffer?"
"I did not come here to share in our grief," Thor brushed off his jab at their mother's death. "Instead, I offer you the chance for a far richer sacrament."
"Go on."
"I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard, and I will grant it to you, your vengeance. And after words, this cell," Thor explained.
He had been hoping to use a tactic that would appease to Loki's thirst for power. Ada quirked a brow curiously, aware that this plan of his might not work. Loki might see right through his ruse and simply refuse to accept whatever offers they had, even if it meant his temporary freedom.
"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help," Loki sneered. He leaned forward, face full of contentment as he looked between Thor and Ada. "What makes you think you can trust me?"
"I don't," Ada snapped, crossing her arms once more while giving him a cold look.
"I don't. Mother did. You should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with the glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere," Thor replied. He threw Ada a warning look. He knew she wasn't afraid to speak the truth, especially around someone like Loki. "That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me and I will kill you."
Loki seemed to contemplate over what Thor had offered him. His brows furrowed together thoughtfully when he looked at Ada this time, "And what of you? I'm sure you will have some form of punishment to offer."
"I think I'll let my powers speak for themselves," she retorted. "Unless you'd like another demonstration of what I can do."
Amusement swept across Loki's eyes, "I have no doubt you are capable of doing just that." There was a pause as Loki gave it some more thought before finally looking at Thor, "When do I start?"
AN: Here's another Saturday update :) I'm really satisfied with the way these chapters have been going, even if they're not entirely like the movie. When I first wrote this, I hardly gave Ada a voice in the story. Now I'm getting better at it, and hopefully I'm getting better at doing the characters from the movies justice as well.
I'm also wondering if I should label the chapters for each movie that takes place, at least in the beginning to ease confusion. I know it can be confusing with how many chapters there are, and how many more are to come. At any rate, I just thought I'd throw that in. Thanks to ZabuzasGirl and sakuraddiction for reviewing! I always appreciate seeing reviews, especially since they help motivate me to keep writing :)