CHAPTER 4
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own.
CHAPTER 4 Odin Allfather
Once they had landed and made their way out of the empty and messy bunker, father and daughter walked right into the palace. Fortunately, there were enough people running around to rebuild or at least conserve cracked structures so the duo blended in quite nicely. However, since Loki wanted to avoid being seen by any of the palace guards, they found themselves directly in one of the dark alcoves in the palace while guards passed by them. Hel forced her hands between her head and her father's chest in the cramped space.
"This would be really awkward if you were anyone but my own father," she declared. Loki didn't respond, preoccupied with watching out for guards in the halls around them. Once they turned the corner, he shoved Hel right out of their niche. The young woman caught herself on her feet out of reflex and turned herself invisible as soon as her companion stepped out into the golden light of Asgard. "Not a single word," Loki told her sternly, then marched towards the throne room. Not a sound? Huh, well no one would hear me over the click clack of his own damn boots. I could strut around in high heels on the marble and the only thing anyone would wonder, would be how this guard found better heels for his boots.
But she remained quiet. Alternating between creeping along the walls and walking right behind her father so he could feel her breathe down his neck, Hel followed Loki towards their destination. He told me not to say anything, but he never told me not to annoy him.
The throne room had seen better days than this, rubble lying around all over it, scattered pieces of metal and statues. Only the throne looked disturbingly undisturbed. Hel's vision zeroed in on the figure standing before it. His back turned towards them, staring at the golden seat and his shoulders slumped – stood Odin.
Hel knew enough about her grandfather to register, that this was not the king usually occupying the throne of Asgard. This was a man robbed of his beloved wife in a terrible attack. A man, who had to find both his sons gone in the aftermath and now battling on unknown grounds. This was a father, who feared for the life of his sons. And Loki obviously wanted to play on that. As silent as before Hel crept closer towards the throne to watch her grandfather's reaction to her father's show closely.
"Forgive me, my liege," Loki, in the disguise of the guard, began. His voice sounded tired, laced with a sigh of defeat. "I have returned from the Dark World with news." Another almost sigh escaped his lips. Loki played the messenger of unpleasant news splendidly; she had to admit that much. Within a heartbeat, her green eyes shot to the wrinkled face of Odin before her. His one good eye looked dull, his face even more crinkled than before. Then he pulled himself together and turned his head towards the guard. Hel took her place a few steps down between father and son. "Thor?"
"There is no sign of Thor." Of course he would ask for his successor first, Hel curled her lips back into a snarl. Dad doesn't seem too thrilled either.
"Or the weapon," Loki quickly added. "But," he made another pause as if bracing himself for what came next. It had the wished effect: Odin turned around to face him completely, watching wearily, as the guard took a few steps closer to his person. The Allfather noticed the pained and apologetic look the guard gave him. "What?" he asked curtly. Loki stepped even closer, seemingly wrinkling his forehead in worry, although Hel couldn't be too sure with the helmet obscuring half of it from view. He's such a little drama queen. It's a wonder Odin hasn't caught on yet. Dad's putting it on a little too thickly…
Unaware of her thoughts and presence, the scene kept unfolding in front of the goddess of death. "We found a body," the guard went on, watching Odin closely albeit without Loki's usual intensity. Hel's eyes snapped up to her grandfather. The only reaction he showed was a glance towards the floor. A look of grief fell over his face, making him seem even older. Loki lowered his head in mourning – or at least it seemed like that, until Hel noticed his eyes quickly shooting to her hiding place. Hm, so I'll get myself ready for whatever is about to happen next. Thanks for the warning Dad.
Odin meanwhile had overcome his initial shock and raised his eyes to stare down at the guard once more. As if he had thought of something, as if pieces of a puzzle had clicked in his head, Odin turned his one-eyed gaze back upon the guard. Loki kept his face carefully blank of anything that might betray him. "Loki," Odin said with conviction. Just that one word, that name and Hel knew their game was over. The guard's lips twitched into an evil smirk, as Loki lifted his eyes to look back at his father. "Yes, my Lord," Loki purred. "I am most sorry to tell you that the young prince has passed on. May he feast in Valhalla for the rest of eternity." I'm so glad Heimdal is preoccupied with watching over Thor or else we would have been in serious trouble the moment we set foot in Asgard, Hel thought. And then: I think this was my cue.
Using the grief about the death of his wife along with the insecurities about his son's wellbeing, Hel began bending Odin's emotions to her liking. Don't you miss your wife? Frigga, sweet and lovely Frigga. Come, come I know where she is. You just need to let go.
"Never. My sons need me."
Your sons may already be with her. Loki for sure is. Just think about it. Loki was always her favourite. Come, come, you held on so long. No one would blame you. In fact, you are the greatest king Asgard will ever see. I won't hold you long.
"Thor is out there. He needs me."
Hel felt sweat gather on her forehead. This was one stubborn ghost, which only intrigued her more.
Your wife never wanted this to happen. She wanted the both of you to go together. Didn't you promise her as much? Think, think about it my King. Your wife will keep you warm in winter and cool in the summer. It's time to sleep, close your eyes and sleep, mighty king.
She felt Odin yearning for nothing more than the proximity of his wife, which would not happen in this life. Hel noticed indescribable pain shooting through his ghost upon the realisation. Now the goddess of death just had one thing left to do. Taking a deep breath, Hel wiped the sweat from her forehead and dived back into Odin's ghost. Outwardly the Allfather faced Loki, still disguised as the guard, as if nothing was wrong. Her father watched calmly.
King, mighty king! Come, come away with me. I won't hold you long, just stay with me. The pain will fade, your wife will rejoice, she's waiting for you, don't you hear her cry? Come, come with me, I beg you, my King. Your battle is over, now come and rest your weary bones. Lay down, your wife is awaiting you. Close your eyes and breathe deep, can't you smell her sweet fragrance? Can't you hear her voice calling out to you? It's time to go to sleep, forget the pain and the grief, go to sleep my King.
With great effort Hel managed to shift Odin's emotions around until she had convinced him that forgetting all this pain would be a much better fate. Loki watched his father closely, his green eyes shining intensely. "I'm sorry," Odin breathed. "It's too late for that," Loki replied coldly. "You should have thought about that a little sooner." Odin's eye widened, then turned back into his head and the King of Asgard collapsed on the steps of his throne.
With a groan, Hel returned to the world of the visible. "He's one stubborn old man." She turned her gaze on her father. "At least now I know where you got it from."
"He is not my father."
"Yes, yes. Of course not. That would be ridiculous. He just kind of raised you." The young woman looked back down at her grandfather. "I assume you want to take his place on the throne? Thor saw you die with his own eyes. So even without a body to prove it – it could have gotten lost within this whole portal salad – what better opportunity could there possibly be. Just one question: What do we do with him? I cannot kill him and I cannot imprison him. Still too strong." Loki raked his eyes over the figure of the King. "We could always jinx him. He sent Thor to Midgard without his powers," he said more to himself than anyone else. "If you put the part of his ghost, that is Odin, to sleep for an unknown amount of time and leave him with Midgardian powers." Hel snorted very unladylike: "Sure, it's not as if it's hard or anything. No, let's just jinx the mightiest Asgardian there is. Sure, no problem, when do we start?"
"Can you do it or not?" Loki asked sharply. His daughter watched him for a moment longer, taking in his set jaw, his hands balled to fists at his sides. "It's not a question of 'can', it's a question of 'will'. His against mine to be precise. The old man is surprisingly sturdy." The young woman scratched her cheek, then kneeled down beside her grandfather. Closing her eyes, Loki felt her dig deep into her powers. Her skin turned Jotun-blue, a green aura flared around her and Odin, swaying in the still air as if ruffled by an unearthly wind.
A voice echoed through the throne room, too soft to be understood, too high to be pleasant. Hel's sunset eyes snapped open the second Odin's clothes turned from Asgardian armour to Midgardian ones. A loose vest wrapped itself around the King's shoulders, over a red jacket, gray pullover and a yellow shirt. Dark jeans ended just above his white trainers. His eye patch loosened, until all that was left of it was a bandage around Odin's head. The young woman slumped down next to her grandfather. "I think it's about autumn in Midgard," Hel murmured and made some thin gloves appear on his hands. She turned her emerald gaze towards Loki. "Here you are. One Odin in Odinsleep without him knowing anything about it. Now, where are those ravens?" As if on commando Hugin and Munin fluttered in through one of the windows. "Turn," the young woman told her father groggily. Loki complied and shifted to Odin's form. The ravens circled around him for a while, but, apparently, Hel was messing with their emotions as well because after a short inspection they both flew up towards the ceiling of the throne room and out of sight without any sign of alarm.
"Stay," Hel instructed her father as she grabbed onto her grandfather's body and prepared to teleport them both to Midgard. Loki grinned at his daughter wickedly: "Oh believe me, hellspawn, I plan on it." A weak smile was the last thing he saw of his daughter before she disappeared, taking the human Odin with her.
Hel had honestly never felt this tired before in her life. She needed all her concentration to keep her and Odin on track to Midgard. Even so, she only narrowly avoided being hit by a bus, once they landed in the outskirts of New York. New York? Oh great… Of all the places… On the other hand, Uncle Thor is currently fighting in London, on the other side of Midgard and this here is a grand city. It'll take some time until they find Odin. If they find him. I only did them a favour. My father will be a better king anyway. He's younger, he knows what they need and he isn't afraid to take it.
She looked down at her grandfather. Odin seemed even older in the harsh light of Midgard. He was going to be all by himself – but he was a warrior, he would pull through this. Thor had done it as well. At least Hel tried to tell herself that, because she couldn't help but acknowledge that Thor had had the benefit of friends during his exile. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm doing this," Hel growled at herself. With nimble fingers, she pulled a necklace out of one of her pockets. The dirty golden pendant represented a stylised version of Odin's spear. The young woman leaned over Odin's ear, whispering: "For as long as Odin holds this pendant, he shall never fear for enemies not near not far. Death will watch over him until his time comes." With the last word she made herself invisible, the pendant now safely hidden away in Odin's clothes, who startled awake. "What? Where… Where am I?" He looked around himself in the street. No one noticed the older man getting up, all minding their own business. Neither did the confused man take notice of a young woman in expensive business clothing, lounging on a close-by bench or how she looked him over with interest. Her green eyes sparkled with hidden mischief, finding mirth where no one else could.