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Now, let's see who the stronger brother is. This is a short chapter, but it is the beginning of the battle. Your music comes from Tron: Legacy (yet again) "Arrival" and "Flynn lives."

Chapter Twenty-one - Immortal Combat

The morning came to light over the realm eternal, but a wave of emotional darkness was all that could beheld. Asgardians from all walks of life within the realm joined with others who traveled to the high kingdom of the seven worlds.

Midgard would only have its royal court and master in presence.

Everyone filed into the large coliseum and took their seats. Where they sat did not matter as it was going to be a battle for the ages.

No one ever believed that in the lifetime of the immortals would they see a challenge; a battle where only one of the combatants would survive. What made this challenge so much more was that it was a fight between two members of royal houses. The winner would gain more kingdom and power, while the loser would lose everything including their life.

But Loki sat very still in meditation as Darcy slowly wrapped his wrists in adhesive before she would slip on his wrist bracers.

Once his wrist was done, she moved along to the other.

On the other side of the arena, Thor was working hard to loosen up his body. He lifted a large rock in his arms, sweat beads covering his body. He would use the adrenaline that raced through him to fuel his strength.

Sif was there, adorned in a black gown with their baby in her arms. She appeared to be in mourning at what was happening.

He put down the boulder and came to her. His thumb moved along her cheekbone while he bent down to kiss Torunn's head.

Volstagg was there with his armored vest for him to put on.

It was nearly time.

Loki opened his eyes and stood up slowly from the bench. It was time to place on his body a warrior's armored vest.

He had chosen a leather tunic that appeared to be black when in fact it was a deep jade green.

Slipping his arms through the holes, he waited for it to be brought around in front of him by Steve Rogers.

"Looks to be a good fit," he told him.

The good captain was going to start pulling the clasps closed on him, but Loki wanted his vest to fit snuggly to his frame.

He pulled the straps tighter and inserted the clips into their matching clasps. The golden metal clicked with each seal.

Rolling his shoulders and flexing his arms, Loki knew he was tightly secured, well protected, and have an ease of movement.

Darcy held the chain that held Jane's wedding ring in her hands. He took it, gazing upon the stone for a moment before bringing it securely over his neck.

He turned to his right and saw Coulson held something in his hands. It was his scepter, shined and the tip sharpened to a pristine point.

From high above the arena in the royal box, Lord Odin entered slowly in his royal finery.

Bravery upon his mouth did not match the agony within his heart. He did not want to witness the death of one or both of his sons if it came to that point.

It was why his wife Frigga would not be attending. Since Loki's return, she had shut herself up in her private chamber's study; refusing to come out for even meals or to speak with anyone.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of their son, Thor.

"Father," he called softly to him.

Odin turned and faced him. "My son," he said.

"Where be mother?" Thor asked. "I came to speak with you both, before anything happens."

"She has locked herself away," the lord replied. "Her heart breaks with what has come about from this."

His son dropped his head and then looked up, tears welling in his eyes. "All of this is my doing father, I see that now. However, there is no going back."

"No, there is not."

Odin now stood before his son, resting his hands on his upper arms. "As my son, I will be in support of you, but your brother, Frost Giant he may be, was my son as well. No winner can come from such tragedy. However, I am proud of you for owning up to your mistakes."

"And I will fight till my last breath, for the good of Asgard," Thor replied.

The father took his son into his embrace. "May the gods be with you my son," he whispered. "I assure you however that if you should fall, Torunn and Sif will be perfectly safe."

"I know they will," the youth answered and slowly turned to leave the box.

It was nearly time for the battle to commence.

Loki took his staff into his left and Steve Rogers loaned his shield to him, placing it delicately onto his right forearm.

The shield image transformed into a green and silver shield with a large sapphire stone (representing Midgard) in the middle.

One last item was needed, the singular gold band that would circumnavigate his head.

Darcy placed it onto his head...just as the crowds began to shout and roar.

It was time.

Once to the tunnel that lead to the arena, it was time to separate from his court.

"Be safe, all of you," Loki told them. "Should anything happen to me, return to Midgard and defend it with your lives. Defend the kingdom to the end."

Each member put a hand across their chest and bowed gently to him.

He acknowledged their loyalty with a light nod and began to walk out to the glorious fanfare.

However, once he made his appearance, the crowd's ridicule and negative feelings toward him were enough. It gave him the energy to fight to the end.

He would silence them all very soon.

Loki stood in between two large pillars and staked his staff into the ground.

It was a matter of waiting for Thor to arrive.

Thor put on his winged helmet. Normally, he would not wear this helmet outside of royal functions or ceremonies, but he needed it for protection.

Fandral gave him a staff to fight as it was the weapon that was decided upon for the start of their battle. It was enough to start with as he was sure that they would be switching weapons periodically.

Mjolnir was awaiting his call contained within Sif's loving grasp.

No doubt Loki would be using his magical staff as well so he would need every weapon available in his arsenal.

The people responded in a negative fashion to the King of Midgard's entrance into the coliseum.

It was time to change the mood of the people of the nine realms.

Thor heard the people beginning to cheer for him and he began his slow walk up the tunnel toward the light.

His name and title were proclaimed and he took his position in between two pillars, covered in cascading amounts of sunlight.

But no light could overshadow the darkness that came across the arena.

Green eyes emanated and pierced into the very core of his soul.

Both brothers turned and faced the royal box where their father was sitting.

Thor could see Sif there with Torunn and Mjolnir in her lap. She had brought the black veil from her head to cover her face.

He hoped to bring that veil back with his victorious hand.

Odin stood tall from his throne chair and tapped his spear upon the surface. The echoing deafened and silenced everyone present.

"Prince Thor, King Loki," Odin declared in his loudest voice. "Both sons of the House of Odin Allfather." He was clearly going to have trouble declaring what this event was for. "This challenge, called forth by this house, brings together you Prince Thor in defense of your life against the King of Midgard, Loki. This battle will be...to...the death. The winner will claim control of the other's realm. May you be wise in your actions and may the gods have mercy upon your souls."

The crowds cheered, but that is when the both of them began to draw closer to the center.

Thor was ready to face, yet he was also not ready to face, his brother. He was the superior one when it came to physical strength, but it was clear that Loki was also stronger as well.

Loki walked towards the center of the arena to meet his brother. It was a touching message that his father had delivered, but it was all meant to help the people understand why their crowned princes were about to engage in a challenge.

They were nearly together, but their eyes did not leave one another.

"Thor," he said his name.

"Loki," his brother repeated the motion. "Finally, it has come down to who is the superior brother."

"Yes. I hope that you are ready for me as I will not be the one falling today."

"I trust that you will not. Either way, one of us will be in Valhalla or Nefilheim by the day's end."

"I am already dead on the inside without my Jane," he told him. "What is a small travel to the other side going to do for me?"

Thor began to move into a fighter's stance and Loki knew he had best do the same.

"I will defend the lives of our family and the people of Asgard," Thor told him.

"Then prove it," Loki stated before swiping at him with his scepter.

His elder brother barely had a chance to avoid the attack, but do so he had drop his shield.

He did the same. They could both use their staffs to fight and defend.

But his was greater due to the fact it was his magical one as well. Two weapons in one.

Thor swooped in back and forth, trying to strike at him with the bladed end of his weapon, but he proved to be too wily to strike.

Loki lunged inward, staking his spear into the ground, and using it as a springboard for his feet. His right heel nailed Thor in the jaw.

His brother roared at him and came at him with ferocity and careless attacks.

It was part of his strategy. Weaken Thor's concentration, get him to fight slopingly, and the he could take him with a last finale attack.

His fellow god charged toward him, a bull seeing red, swinging his spear around his entire body, but before he could counter what he thought would be a high attack, the golden prod at the end swooped upward and clocked him in the jaw.

Loki hit the ground and the crowd erupted.

Thor backed away and started to revel in the celebration.

"Big mistake," he whispered, his hand clinching the ground by his brother.

"Do you want more?" Thor acknowledged and bantered with the audience who was watching him. They wanted him to go for another strike on Loki.

He turned and faced his brother who was struggling to get back to his feet.

"Try this bro..."

Loki suddenly whipped out his hand and something struck him in the face. It burned and scratched at his eyes.

"You cheat!" he roared.

"Not really," his brother's voice echoed, but he was unable to find him. "I am doing that which I do best - survive."

The shouters from the crowd were trying to tell him where Loki was, but he could not isolate it down.

He was stumbling about completely at Loki's mercy.

Thor focused and took in a deep breath. He had to beat Loki at his game or it would he may as well forfeit his life.

The wind moved around before, indicating movement off to his right center.

He grasped hold of the staff and at the opportune moment, swung the sharpened end before him, and felt contact.

Loki attempted to get away, but howled when the blade of Thor's staff sliced and with luck, drew blood through his tunic and abdomen.

He withdrew and watched as someone poured water into Thor's eyes from the audience.

His brother was now able to see.

He himself looked down to his wound. It was a small opening that stretched from the right side of his midsection almost to his hip. Blood oozed and snaked in a river down his flesh.

"Excellent move brother," he acknowledged, using a brief healing incantation to seal the wound. "However, it will take much more than that to defeat me."

"I sure hope so," Thor challenged and charged at him.

Loki raged in a scream toward his brother where they resumed their combat.

Lord Odin was watching painfully as his sons were in battle against one another. The battling and strategy that they were using was knowledge that was being used against one another.

All those years of training his boys to be able to protect themselves was now being distorted into destroying each other.

As a father, he wanted to interject and stop them. However as a king, he had to allow it to continue until only one remained standing.

How he was pleased his wife was not here to witness this.

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