Chapter 48: The Fall of Asgard
Hawkeye felt someone shaking him and he groaned, rolling over in an attempt to ignore them.
"Clint..." a distant voice insisted, continuing to shake him. "Clint!"
Finally, a violent slap to his face pulled Hawkeye from sleep. He bolted up, instinctively reaching for his quiver before he saw it was Widow trying to wake him.
"About time. We've got a situation."
"What else is new," Clint groaned, picking himself up.
He began looking around, seeing that they were in a massive forest, one that was most definitely NOT the Amazon. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, then looked again.
"Alright, what's going on? Where are we?"
"Well, some elves that came riding through a minute ago declared that 'Alfheim has fallen', so I can only assume we're in Alfheim."
"Think that's in the neighborhood of Asgard?"
"For our sake, I hope so. We need to find a way to get back to Earth."
Hawkeye nodded as the two went off, making their way to a nearby clearing . As they finally pierced through the dense foliage, an elf on horseback ran up to them, just barely stopping before trampling them.
"Archer! Maiden Warrior! Tarry not! Loki's forces are closing in as we speak!"
"Hey, we can-" Hawkeye began to respond before the elf's words clicked for him. "Wait, did you say Loki?"
Before the elf could answer, there was an unnatural growl. The elf's horse whinnied in fright, taking off as both Hawkeye and Widow readied their weapons. From the trees, large, snarling wolves emerged. Long fangs snapped as they barked and growled at the pair.
"Chyort..." Widow cursed.
"So much for finding a way home," Clint lamented, firing an arrow.
…
In Asgard, Loki stood over the massive bed that completely took up most of Odin's rest chambers. A golden halo of energy surrounded the once proud Allfather, who remained asleep and unaware of his adopted son's actions. Loki paced around the bed, twirling Odin's staff in his hand
"And so it came to pass that the Allfather fell into the Odinsleep," he narrated. "So Asgard's king could rest and restore his power. But this time, Odin's favorite son would not be there to protect him. The son had abandoned the Golden Realm to protect the mortals he loved so dearly."
Leaning against the doorframe, watching Loki's little speech, was a bald woman with blue skin. Most of her body seemed to be made up of machines and prosthetics, and her eyes were cold and emotionless. She was twirling a blade in between her fingers, just watching him as he continued talking.
"While Asgard's warriors kept vigil over the Allfather while he slumbered, they just weren't prepared for the day...when he didn't wake up."
"Are you quite finished?" the woman spoke up, a mechanical lilt to her voice. "I didn't come here to listen to you chatter like a Krylorian street walker."
"Oh come now, Nebula," Loki remarked, walking over to her. "I'm merely setting the stage for my grand victory. I've waited years for this moment. You can't blame me for having a little fun with it."
"Your fun can wait. My father's patience for your antics has reached an end. He wants what you promised," she caught her knife, holding it threateningly, "and he wants it now."
"Right."
Loki then raised his hand, causing the Tesseract to materialize in it.
"The Tesseract. As promised."
Nebula stepped forward, taking the cube in hand. She then picked up a small case that was sitting next to her, placing the cube inside before snapping it shut. Once that was done, she stowed her knife.
"We're done here. Enjoy your kingdom."
She then walked off, allowing Loki to smirk in response.
"Believe me, I will."
…
Later, Loki entered the Throne Room and was greeted by a beaten Thor. The God of Thunder was bound in a thick, stone pillory chained to the floor. Jane was chained to the throne, forced to kneel as golden manacles surrounded her neck, wrists, and ankles. Her street clothes had also been replaced with a green Asgardian dress that was surprisingly flattering.
"I hope I didn't keep you two waiting," he spoke.
Thor looked up at his brother, growling and attempting to lunge at him. The weight of his restraints made the action quite tiring, and the chains brought him up short. Jane just glared at Loki, not even dignifying him with her words. After a moment or two, Thor ceased his attempts, dropping to his knees before lifting his head to meet Loki's eyes
"What have you done, Loki? Where is our father?"
"Resting. It seems his Odinsleep has taken a greater toll than we realized. His power seems almost… gone. As if it has gone… to someone else."
"You lie. The Odin-Force belongs to Odin, and Odin alone!"
"Is that right?" Loki replied before summoning light blue energy and striking Thor with it.
Thor fell back, screaming in pain. Jane looked on in horror, jumping to her feet and grabbing Loki as best as her bonds would allow.
"Stop it!" she cried. "Leave him alone!"
"Relax," Loki replied, stopping his assault. "I have no intention of killing either of you."
He then shoved Jane off him, where she fell hard on her butt at the base of the throne. Thor coughed and panted, looking up at his beloved mortal.
"It is Odin who has earned my ire. Stealing me as a child. Treating me as a lesser being so that he could build you up to an impossible standard. Honestly, you should hate him as much as I do."
"Father made many mistakes, brother," Thor admitted, "but this is not the way. No matter your origins, you will always be my brother."
"Oh, I've become so much more than that. I am the King I was always meant to be, with nearly all the realms bowing before me."
He then summoned a massive map of the nine realms.
"Asgard, Alfheim, Vannahiem, Nidavilier, have all fallen to me. Jotunheim and Niflheim are mine to command, while Helheim and Muspelheim pay me no mind. All that remains is Midgard."
"Yeah, last time I checked, you got your ass handed to you the last time you tried to conquer Midgard," Jane reminded him.
"As you mortals say, 'that was then, this is now'. And now… there is no one left to save it."
…
In the cold wasteland of Jotunheim, Giant-Man ran through a growing blizzard, hands cupped around a still unconscious Wasp in her tiny form.
"Jan," he pleaded. "Come on, Jan. I need you. I need you here… Wherever here is." He looked around the cold, shuddering a bit. "By my guess, we're in Jotunheim… and if we ended up here… who knows where the others ended up."
Suddenly, a giant axe came in out of nowhere, forcing Giant-Man to duck out of the way. He looked up and saw three Frost Giants closing in. One wearing an eyepatch over his eye glared down at Giant-Man.
"You should not have trespassed in our realm, mortal..." he growled.
Giant-Man's gaze hardened. He gently deposited Wasp safely under an outcropping of ice before turning to the giants.
"I get the feeling I'd be wasting my breath trying to explain this," he said as he grew to the size of the giants, grabbing the massive axe. "And frankly, I'm in no mood to talk!"
He charged at the giants, letting out a battle cry as he did.
…
Meanwhile, in a strange, red landscape filled with an eerie mist, Captain America looked around. He was still standing over Bucky, who was passed out on the ground and not moving. Once he was certain the spectres from before were gone, Cap divested his former friend of his weapons, then pulled out his ID card.
"Sam," Cap called. "Sam, can you hear me?"
There was some static, then Sam's voice came through, albeit weakly.
"I'm here… wherever here is. Keep this comm open. I'll find you."
"Right."
As he lowered his card, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, looking around in confusion.
"Who's there?"
He looked around for any sign of life. As he did, someone flickered into existence, followed by the sound of a WWII bomb dropping. He quickly spun around, readying his shield. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what, or rather, who it was.
"Morrita?" he let out, seeing the face of his old friend. "Jim Morrita? From the Howling Commandos. Where are we?"
Morrita said nothing, merely disappearing into the fog. Cap wanted to go after him, but a groan from Bucky reminded him of his obligations. Thankfully, a figure seemed to be emerging from the fog.
"Morrita, where did you go?" he called.
The figure came into view, revealed to be Falcon.
"Who's Morrita?" he asked.
"One of my… it doesn't matter. We need to find a way out of here."
Before they could make a move, more WWII bombs began dropping, showing the silhouettes of other fallen Commandos. Among the faces was one Cap didn't recognize, but Falcon did.
"R-Riley?" he gasped…
"Your partner?"
"Yeah… I… I never thought I'd see him again."
"I think I know where we are..." Cap realized. "This is Helheim… the Norse equivalent of the netherworld."
…
Elsewhere, Hulk violently came to, realizing he was underwater. He quickly pulled himself up, roaring in the process before looking around for any sign of Rick. That's when his companion broke the surface, coughing and gasping for oxygen. Hulk grabbed him and lifted him up, gently squeezing his chest to help get the water out of his lungs.
"Thanks..." Rick gasped, sagging in Hulk's grip. "You okay?"
"Fine," he replied, looking around the area. "Don't think we're on Earth anymore though."
Rick looked around, then nodded.
"Yeah, looks like. Think this is Asgard? If it is, it's a lot less… golden then I imagined."
"Saw a bit of Asgard once. This ain't it."
He then looked over and saw the Executioner's axe poking out of the ground. He walked over and picked it up out of the ground.
"Glad to see that came along," Rick remarked as he sort of hung on Hulk's shoulder. "It's pretty cool, and if you have it, that Executioner guy doesn't."
About that time, the sound of violent whipping could be heard. Both of the displaced travelers froze, turning to the sound. Just beyond the edge of the massive lake they were in, they could see large cage carts being dragged across the landscape. Without another word needing to be said, Rick adjusted his grip on Hulk as the behemoth launched into the air. Hulk touched down in front of the carts, his axe in hand as Rick slipped off his back.
"Whoa, check it out. Actual trolls."
"And what is that?" the troll spoke up. "I did not realize they had ogres in Vanaheim."
"Whatever it is," another troll spoke up. "Bring me its head."
"You got the cages?" Hulk asked.
"Yep," Rick replied, flexing his fingers. "The trolls are all yours."
Rick darted to the side as Hulk clashed with the trolls, axes raised.
…
Panther ran his claws through the dirt of the dinghy, dark realm he and Spidey had ended up in. His companion was on his knees, clutching his head as his spider senses continued bombarding him with never-ending warnings of danger.
"Are you alright?" Panther asked.
"No…" Spider-Man replied. "There's so much wrong here, my spider sense is stuck in permanent tingle mode."
Panther nodded, looking around.
"I believe we are in Niflheim, the realm of darkness and mist. From what my research has told me, the shades of the fallen dark elves haunt this realm, slaying any outsiders who dare to trespass on their domain."
"Would it help if we said it was by accident?"
"Somehow, I doubt it."
"Please tell me your research spoke of a way out..."
"There is one way," Panther answered. "Hvergelmir, an ancient well that is said to have given birth to the worlds. With luck, it will allow us to travel to a less hostile realm."
"Here's hoping. 'Cause I can't tell whether a threat is coming from thirty yards or thirty feet right now."
"Can you still fight?"
"Sure… why?"
Panther just pointed towards a swirling mass of darkness, one that split off into several visibly angry shades. Both heroes went wide-eyed and they took off running.
…
Elsewhere, Tony slowly started waking up, finding himself being carried by a large man that was easily twice his size. The man was stout, had thick muscles, and his hands were calloused and rough, showing he worked with them alot. He also had a massive beard that hung down to his stomach, and he carried a massive warhammer over his free shoulder.
"Hey!" Tony called out, trying to free himself.
The man holding him stopped moving, lifting Tony until they were face to face. Two more men of similar build and facial hair content came into view, observing Tony. He immediately tried to activate his weapons, but found that most of his armor was gone, all save for a single gauntlet on his right arm.
"What the..." he let out, looking at his hand in confusion.
"The mortal is waving at us," one of the men noted. "Why is he doing that?"
"Where am I?!" Tony demanded. "Who are you?! Where's my armor?! And put me down!"
The man holding him looked around for something, then spotted an outcropping of rocks at about face level. He gently placed Tony there, making sure he was stable before removing his hand.
"You are in the Kingdom of Nidavellir," he explained. "I am Eitri, the king of the Dwarves."
"Nidavellier… that's one of the realms of Asgard, right?"
"One of the nine, yes. Ours is a realm of maze-like caverns of forges and fine minerals. Which is why when we found a strange, armored mortal amidst our tunnels, we were curious. Your earlier armor was nearly destroyed, forcing us to remove it, but Loki's forces prevented us from removing all of it before we had to flee."
"Wait a minute, Loki? As in Thor's psycho brother?"
Etri perked up at the mention of Thor's name.
"You know the Son of Odin?"
"Yeah, we're… coworkers. Friends, I guess."
"Mayhaps he be of Thor's mortal allies," one dwarf suggested. "The… Revengers?"
"Avengers," Tony corrected. "And yeah, I am."
"I welcome any aid of a friend to the true Son of Asgard," Eitri declared. "We go now to the Forge. The last free stronghold."
"Hold on there, Jumbo Lanyster. I have to find Thor and the rest of my team."
"There will be time for that once we have gotten to safety," Eitri insisted, grabbing Tony around the waist.
"I can walk just fine," Tony insisted. "And safety from what?"
All of a sudden, something smashed right through the walls of the tunnel up ahead. A vile laugh was heard as a massive orange ogre with fangs and a thick beard came in. He was about head to head with Eitri, who carefully deposited Tony back on his stone ledge.
"Ah," Tony let out. "I see."
One of the dwarves pulled out a hammer and mace before charging at the creature. He swung the mace at it before the creature caught it in his mouth. The dwarf barely had a chance to let out a grunt before the beast punched him through three walls and spat out the mace. A second dwarf came charging in next, wielding an axe and shield in his hands. He swung the axe at the creature, who brought up his fist to block it, causing the axe to shatter upon impact. The dwarf then held up the shield to defend himself, only for the creature to punch it so hard he cratered in the cave wall. The creature chuckled menacingly before turning to Etri.
"Foolish Dwarf King. Have you no more warriors to test against the might of Ulik?"
That's when a rock bounced off the side of his head. Ulik turned to see Tony standing there, looking smug.
"How about me?" he jeered.
Ulik laughed maniacally as he walked over to Tony.
"And who are you?"
Tony just held out his repulsor gauntlet, blasting it at Ulik and causing him to collide with the ceiling before coming crashing down.
"I'm Iron Man."
…
Back in Alfheim, Widow and Hawkeye were running and shooting at the wolves hot on their tails. Unfortunately, Widow was running out of bullets fast, and one wolf got lucky and pounced on Hawkeye, snapping his bow. He took a broken piece and socked the wolf in the face, forcing him off. He and Widow ended up back to back, looking at the approaching wolves.
"I'm out," Widow declared, throwing her now empty gun at one of the wolves.
"And my arrows aren't doing much against these things. We… we had a good run, right?"
"Fellow warriors!" a voice called out before Widow could respond.
The two turned to see the elf from before approaching on his horse. He held an arm out for them, grabbing Hawkeye, who in turn grabbed Widow. Once all three were on the horse, the elf flicked the reins and they took off.
"Thanks for the save," Hawkeye commended.
"We are not safe yet," the elf replied.
"Is there any way out of this realm?" Widow asked. "We need to get to Asgard."
"Asgard? Why would you wish to go there?"
"Let's just say we've got a score to settle with Loki," Hawkeye answered.
"Not to mention that's the most likely spot where we'll find the rest of our friends," Widow added.
"There is a place where we can seek passage, but we need to clear ourselves of these beasts. Archer, take my bow."
Hawkeye did so, grabbing one of the elf's arrows as well.
"Those are special arrows," the elf told him. "Is your aim true?"
"I do alright."
He fired the arrow, which had a golden glow as it sailed through the air. When it hit one of the wolves, the resulting light ate through it like acid, as well as the two wolves on either side of it.
…
In Vanaheim, Hulk continued fighting the trolls, sending them flying across the landscape. Rick tried picking the lock on the cages, but his tools snapped in the massive locks.
"Damn… I need something thicker."
Hulk uppercut one of the trolls, sending him flying into the air. He fell hard right next to Rick, who glanced over and saw a large buckle on the troll's sash. With a grin, he ripped the buckle off, took the needle of it in hand, and resumed his work.
"Thanks Hulk!"
Hulk nodded before slamming the axe on the ground, sending a trail of ice at the oncoming trolls and freezing them instantly. After a moment of stunned surprise, he looked at the axe and smirked. That's when three trolls decided to dog pile him.
…
In Helheim, Falcon was still in awe of the sight of Riley standing before him.
"Sam," Cap spoke up. "You know he's not real."
"This is Norse netherworld, right… then it is him… it's Riley."
"Why did you leave me behind?" Riley questioned, his eyes sunken in and his voice breathy and distant. "Why did you fly on as I fell?"
"I… I wanted to go back, but-"
"You let me die," Riley told him, starting to fade away.
"Wait!" Sam called out, flying out into the darkness. "Riley, wait!"
"Sam!" Cap shouted.
Before he could pursue, the sounds of Winter Soldier's screams called his attention. Cap turned, seeing that the soldier was on his knees, curled up tightly as the phantoms closed in on him. They were all howling and crying out, and the soldier just took off in utter terror.
"Bucky!"
Just as he was about to give chase, a hand came down on his shoulder.
"Where are you going?" a familiar british accented voice called out.
Cap slowly turned around, his eyes going wide as he saw Peggy Carter standing behind him, her warm smile giving him a surprising amount of comfort in the uncertain world he found himself in.
"You still owe me a dance."
As Cap turned to truly face his former flame, he was unaware of the shadowy figure watching him from a distance.
…
Back in Asgard, Loki was continuing to taunt his captive brother. He sat on his stolen throne, revelling in how Thor was forced to kneel before him. The trapped God of Thunder was glaring at his adoptive brother, still straining to keep his head up with the massive weight of his bonds.
"The Norn Stones..." he said. "The Enchantress stole them for you, didn't she? All of this was your doing."
"Indeed it is," Loki confirmed. "The Norn Stones, however, were just the latest part in my grand plan."
"And what plan was that?" Jane questioned, sitting as far from the throne as her chains would allow. "Just how deep does this little conspiracy go?"
"As far as our last little encounter on Midgard."
"But you were defeated on Midgard. Rather soundly too. How could that have possibly been part of your plan?"
"Indeed," Thor agreed. "Your pride would never allow you to endure such humiliation and imprisonment willingly."
"Unless it was a necessary part of a larger plan."
Thor looked confused, but something clicked for Jane.
"You wanted to fail… That's why there was such an obvious failsafe in the portal device, and why you didn't bother trying to escape after… You knew Thor would bring you back here to Asgard..."
"Which made my plans for conquest all the easier. After that it was a simple matter of making sure Thor stayed away from Asgard long enough for me to do my work."
"When Amora took Jane," Thor realized. "It was at your behest."
"Indeed. I knew if your precious mortal was in jeopardy, your arrogance wouldn't let anything happen to her." Loki then used a bit of magic to pull Jane closer, shortening her chains until she was right next to him. He cupped her face in one hand, turning her face left, then right. "Though seeing her up close, I can see the attraction."
Jane turned her head and bit his hand hard. He recoiled, shaking his hand as Jane smirked.
"Nevertheless," he continued, electing to ignore what just happened. "One outcome I didn't count on is you finding mortal allies to stand beside. But I was quick to adapt to that as well. I manipulated the vengeful thoughts of the one called Zemo, causing him to seek out Amora and gather foes for your friends."
"You were the one who barred me from Asgard," Thor deduced.
"Indeed. Keeping you out and distracted long enough to complete my conquest of the remaining realms."
"Except that your invasion of Midgard failed. Again."
"Indeed," Loki lamented. "The Enchantress did fail me. I suppose her blind affection for you weakened her resolve. But, it matters not. With you as my prisoner, I can conquer Midgard at my leisure."
Jane started laughing, covering her mouth slightly.
"You're a fool if you think you can win. The Avengers will defeat you, and this time, you won't get a cushy cell here. I know a few myths about Odin's punishments for you that I can't wait to see come to reality."
Loki couldn't help but laugh in response.
"Your mortal friends may have shown great prowess on Earth, but they now face the full might of Asgard. My forces will hunt them down to the very edge of the known realms, and destroy them. There is no rescue. There is no hope. There is only… Loki."
…
In Jotunheim, Giant-Man had managed to defeat the trio of giants that had come to meet him. He stood over their fallen bodies, panting hard as his lungs burned from the cold. He turned towards another trio of Frost Giants coming out of the mist. Leading them was none other than Ymir himself, holding the Casket of Winters in his hands.
"Never thought I'd actually find myself doing Laufey's runt bastard any favors," the Giant King remarked. "Still, a small price to pay for the rightful return of the Casket."
The Casket then opened, unleashing a mighty blizzard at Giant-Man that knocked him back, and encased him in a thick sheet of ice. He struggled to free himself, glancing at the outcropping where he'd left Wasp. She was still out cold, unaware of everything around her.
"I'm sorry Jan," he told her. "I'm sorry that I let you down. That I let everyone down… I love you."
Ymir and the other Frost Giants began to close in on the trapped hero, who activated his suit and grew even bigger. Now, he was a bit taller than Ymir, and more determined than ever to win.
"Alright Frosty," he declared, glaring right at Ymir. "You're first! Let's go!"
Just then, a rainbow colored beam of energy shot down near them, forcing the two combatants to back off. From the energy beam, emerged Sif and several armored women on winged horses, charging at the Frost Giants.
"Attack!" Sif cried out.
The other women, the Valkyries, all rushed forward and launched an attack on the two Giants as Sif took aim at Ymir.
"Move, mortal!" she warned.
Giant-Man quickly shrunk down, narrowly avoiding what would have been a deadly blow. He quickly ran over to Wasp and picked her up, getting away from the battle as the Valkyries drove the Frost Giants back. Ymir opened up the Casket again, unleashing another blizzard that knocked Giant-Man off a cliff. He held Wasp close as he plummeted towards the ground, only for Sif to swoop down and grab him. She scooped him onto her horse before riding off.
"Valkyrie's!" she called out. "Fall back!"
They all began flying away from Ymir, retreating into the icy wastes. Ymir watched them go, closing the casket as his eyes narrowed. Once the flying horses were far enough away, Sif turned to Giant-Man.
"You are Thor's mortal friend, yes? The man who is a giant, as well as an insect."
"Uh, yeah."
"I am Sif, a captain among the Valkyries. Thor spoke highly of you."
"Thanks. Listen, if I was sent to one of the nine realms, the rest of my team might have been sent to others. We need to find them."
"Then we must speak with Heimdall, the leader of our resistance force against Loki. He can help you locate your allies, and with luck, we can reclaim the Nine Realms from Loki's grasp."
"Thank you," Giant-Man replied, holding Wasp close.
…
Back in Niflheim, Spider-Man and Panther were running as fast as they could, trying to keep as much distance between them and the oncoming shades.
"Man I hate not having anything to swing from," Spidey lamented.
Panther meanwhile created a staff from his vibranium daggers, spinning it fast enough to create a barrier between the heroes and the shades. Spider-Man turned around, looking for any sign of the well. Suddenly, his spider sense stopped working for a second. He turned back, his senses seeming more relaxed than he'd felt since being there.
"Panther, this way!" he called out. "I think I found the well!"
"How can you tell?" Panther asked.
"It's the only place that isn't causing my spider sense to flare up."
Nodding, Panther followed after Spidey, running in the direction of the lesser tingle sensations. As they kept moving, Spidey's spider sense started flaring up again.
"Aw man, not this again."
He quickly grabbed Panther and leapt upwards, avoiding a huge snapping jaw seconds before it would have bit down on them. As the two heroes landed, they looked up and saw a huge grey dragon looming over them.
"A dragon…" Spidey lamented. "You know, if I made a list of things I'd do before turning 18, fighting a dragon in a magical realm of darkness wouldn't exactly crack the top ten."
"That is Nidhogg, the guardian of Hvergelmir. He protects the well from any who seek to use it."
"Oh NOW you mention him!"
"It did not seem relevant at the moment."
The dragon shot down at them again, forcing them to move out of the way. Spider-Man shot a web onto the dragon's neck, swinging up and over it before landing on the ground. He pulled down hard on it, lowering the dragon's head towards them.
"Do something quick, Panther!" Spidey shouted. "I don't know how long I can hold this!"
Panther pulled out numerous vibranium daggers and chucked them at the dragon's face. The dragon cried out in pain, jeering its head back as Spidey let go. This caused the dragon to fall back as Spidey and Panther made a break for it. In almost perfect synchronization, they dove into the well, disappearing in a flash of light.
…
In Vannaheim, Hulk was becoming overpowered by the barrage of trolls piling on top of him. Rick was still struggling with the lock when one of the trolls grabbed him and yanked him into the air.
"Looks like the ogre has a little pet mortal," the troll sneered. "How pathetic."
"I'd put me down if I were you," Rick warned, not even remotely worried about his precarious situation.
"Oh?" the troll questioned, bringing Rick up to face him. "And why not?"
"Because hurting me makes the big guy angry. And you won't like him when he's angry."
"As if I should fear him. He may be strong, but not strong enough to save you."
Hulk's eyes went wide, letting out a massive roar.
"Hulk… is strongest there is!"
Hulk managed to tear through the trolls pinning him, headbutting and punching them aside. He then grabbed one and threw it into the troll holding Rick, knocking him aside and causing him to drop Rick. This also ended up making him plow into the caged wagons they were transporting, freeing everyone inside. Rick looked back at the carnage, sighing.
"Darn it, and I almost had that lock open." He then shrugged and turned to Hulk. "Whatever. That way was much faster anyhow."
Hulk just shrugged before turning towards the trolls, cracking his neck. He then clapped his hands together, unleashing a massive shockwave that sent the trolls flying back. They all fell hard and stayed down, Hulk snorting before reclaiming his axe.
"Nice work, big guy," Rick told him, holding out his fist.
Hulk gently fist bumped Rick in response. Just then, the sound of joyous laughing rang out, causing them to turn and see the Warriors Three standing amongst the three prisoners.
"Well done, creature," Volstagg commended. "You truly possess the gift of battle."
"Thanks. Who are you guys?"
"Oh, of course," Fandral spoke up, stepping forward. "I am Fandral the Dashing. This is Hogun the Grim, and Volstagg the Voluminous. Together, we are-"
"The Warriors Three?" Rick finished. "You're Thor's friends."
"You know of Thor?" Hogun questioned.
"Yeah, we do," Rick replied. "Maybe he told you about us? Hulk and Rick? The uh…. Troll and the Beast Tamer?"
"Ah, yes," Volstagg spoke up. "Thor spoke highly of you both. I am pleased to say his tales did you more than justice. With your strength and prowess, we shall take back Asgard this day."
Hulk and Rick looked at each other in surprise, before smiling and turning back, ready for battle.
…
Cap could hardly believe what he was seeing, his hands shaking as he reached up to caress Peggy's cheek. She smiled, leaning into him.
"I've missed you, Steve. You have no idea how long I've dreamed about being with you."
Cap wanted to say something. He had so many things he wanted to tell her. The words, however, just couldn't come out.
"Your fight's over, Steve. You can have your rest. You've earned it."
She held out a hand to him, which Steve looked down at in genuine contemplation. However, just before he took her hand, a distant cry from Bucky reached his ears.
"Bucky…" he let out, turning away from her.
"Steve…?"
Steve shut his eyes, knowing what he had to do. He pulled his hand away, then turned his back to her.
"You're not Peggy… The real Peggy Carter would want me to keep fighting, to not stop until all my friends were back home. And after over 70 years… I'm bringing Bucky home. Maybe I do deserve a rest, and when that day comes, I will take it… but I'm still alive. I can feel it. So until the day I can't hold my shield a second longer… I'm gonna fight until I can't fight anymore."
Peggy faded from view, taking with her the illusions of Helheim. As the mist cleared, Steve could see both Bucky and Sam right next to him, both still under their own delusions.
"Sam," Cap let out, running up to him. "Sam, you have to snap out of it."
"I failed him, Steve…" Sam lamented. "I couldn't save him…"
"Riley knew what he was doing when he went out there with you. I might not know him like you did, but I know he wouldn't want you to live with that guilt. He made his choice out there, and if he knew you survived as a result, he must've thought it was worth it. If you respected him, and I know that you do, you'll honor his sacrifice. You'll keep fighting. Keep living."
"Keep living..." Sam repeated, clenching his fists and rising to his feet. "Right. One foot in front of the other. You lived. You survived. Now do something with that life..."
"Good to have you back, Partner."
"What about him?" Falcon asked, gesturing to Bucky.
"The damage done to his soul, mere words cannot erase..." a new, feminine voice spoke up.
The two heroes turned around, seeing a giant staircase that led up to a massive throne. Sitting on the throne was a tall, gaunt looking woman with sunken eyes, a long, dark green dress and cape, and a black headpiece adorned with numerous black spikes that pointed upwards. She gave of an aura that screamed that she was dangerous.
"Ma'am," Cap spoke. "I don't know who you are, but you'd better show us the way out of here."
The woman laughed slightly, shaking her head.
"Mortals. Always so amusing. Let me show you just who you're speaking to."
She waved her hand and the mist returned for a moment, swirling around Bucky. He screamed in agony, red light pouring out of his eyes and mouth.
"Buck!"
"Do not interfere, Steven Rogers," the woman warned. "Whether you believe me or not, I am doing him a favor."
"What are you talking about?"
"See for yourself."
The red light faded and Bucky dropped, panting hard. When he lifted his head, Cap was shocked to see that his eyes were completely clear. More than that, upon seeing Cap, they sparked with recognition.
"...Steve?" he whispered.
"You… you remember me?"
"I- I remember..." his face turned pale. "I remember everything… Oh God… what did they do to me..."
"It's alright," Cap reassured. "It's gonna be ok." he then turned towards the woman. "What did you do?"
"I removed the impurities in his soul, the artificial programming and commands that caged his true self. After all, a broken soul is useless to me."
"Lady, just who the hell are you?" Sam demanded.
"I… am Hela. Goddess of Death."
…
In Alfheim, Widow borrowed a sword from the elf and used it to feld off the wolves while he and Hawkeye fired their arrows. She swung the sword in an upward arc, slaying a wolf as it approached. Unfortunately, the two archers both reached the end of their quivers, and Widow's sword could only work for so long.
"I'm out," Hawkeye dreaded.
"As am I," the elf replied.
The elf drew a second sword as Hawkeye readied his bow for battle.
"You two fought well," the elf commended. "I am proud to have battled alongside you. I am Faradei."
"Natasha."
"Clint. And if it's all the same to you, Faradei, I'm not exactly ready to call it just yet."
The wolves then lunged at them, but before they could strike, several webs shot out from the trees, snagging them midair.
"Okay, if that isn't an entrance line, I don't know what is," Spider-Man remarked, leaping down with Black Panther.
Panther tackled one wolf to the ground before tossing it into two others. The wolves picked themselves up, leering and snarling at the group of heroes. Panther just grabbed three daggers, throwing them with marksman precision and slaying the wolves. Spidey just shuddered in response before turning to the others.
"Nice to see some friendly faces," he greeted. "I was getting a migraine from all the spider sense going off."
"Really?" Hawkeye replied. "Cause Nat and I have spent the last few hours running for our lives from killer wolves."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was too busy fight A DRAGON. That's right, a dragon. Taken down by the Amazing Spider-Man. I.E., me."
"If you two are done swapping vacation stories," Nat interjected, "we shouldn't stick around for too long."
"The lady Natasha speaks true," Faradei agreed. "This is but a respite. Loki's forces are not far behind, and they will be in greater numbers.
"Loki?" Spidey repeated. "Wait, actually that tracks."
"Come. I have a ship that will take us to safety."
"Screw safety," Hawkeye interjected. "We need to get to Asgard."
"Hawkeye speaks true," Panther agreed. "The rest of the Avengers will no doubt make their way there, and we must be there to meet them. If half of what I've read about Loki is true-"
"It is," Spidey, Hawkeye, and Widow all said in unison.
"-then we will need all the power we can muster to best him."
…
Back in Nidavellir, Tony continued his efforts to fight off Ulik. the monster managed to sock Tony, knocking him into the cave wall as Etri drew his war hammer. He charged at Ulik, taking a swing at him. Ulik tore out a neary column, proceeding to swing it at Etri. The Dwarf King smashed through the column before using what was left of it to strike him in the head. The Dwarf King fell back as Tony picked himself up. He aimed his repulsor gauntlet at Ulik, but the monster smashed both his fists on it, shattering it as a result. Tony cried out in pain before looking up at the monster.
"I am going to enjoy tearing you apart," Ulik praised. "Then I will finish the Dwarf King."
Ulik tried stomping his foot onto Tony, but he quickly rolled out of the way before he could. He aimed his repulsor gauntlet at him, but it was in so much disrepair that it wouldn't work. Thinking fast, Tony looked around for anything that would be of use. Finally, he saw Eitri's discarded sword, giving him an idea. Smirking, he dove between Ulik's legs and made a break for the sword. He grabbed hold of it just as Ulik picked him up by the shoulder.
"Do you really believe that tiny knife can hurt me?"
"No… I think this can!"
Tony then jabbed the sword down on top of his arc reactor, prying it open and unleashing a massive stream of repulsor energy. It collided with Ulik, sending him flying backwards and cratering deeply into the cave wall. Tony dropped to the ground, singed and in pain.
"Yeah..." he grunted. "That did it."
Eitri bent down, picking up the arc reactor part carefully with his massive fingers. He then scooped Tony up in his other hand, gently reattaching the reactor part. Once it clicked into place, Tony gasped for air.
"This chest device… you require it to live. Yet you were willing to sacrifice it to save us."
"Well… if you're complaining…"
"Nay. Thank you. Come, we must go to the Forge. Unless you object to me carrying you."
"I'm good," Tony groaned, taking the opportunity to catch his breath as Eitri moved deeper into Nidavellir. "But… I have a question… this Forge… what do you build there?"
"Only the finest weapons in all the nine realms. The forge's core is a perpetual dying star, allowing us to tap into immense power to craft nye indestructible swords, axes, and the like. Why, it was in that very forge where I personally crafted Thor Odinson's prized hammer, Mjiolnir."
Tony smirked a little in response.
"Ever built a suit of armor?"
…
Back in Asgard, Loki led Thor and Jane, still chained up, outside to show them something.
"And so ends, the rule of Odin," Loki remarked. "And the glorious reign of King Loki the First begins."
"If the only reason you're keeping me alive is to boast brother," Thor spoke up. "You are making a mistake."
"You're not far from the truth," Loki admitted. "I'm keeping you alive so you can watch as I take everything you hold dear. Asgard, the throne," he pulls on Jane's chain, bringing her close. "Your precious Jane Foster."
"I belong to no one," Jane snarled, pulling back on the chains.
"Not yet, at least," Loki mused before turning back to Thor. "But more to the point, I will take from you your most precious treasure, Midgard itself."
Thor and Jane looked out, seeing a massive army of Asgardian soldiers, trolls, and Frost Giants. All standing at the ready to lay siege to Earth.
"When I am through, nothing will be left standing, and all shall bow before their rightful King!"
