Chapter 3

"Lifa, I am the son of Laufey." I froze, shocked at Loki's news. He studied my face for a moment and said, "You hate me now as well." It was a statement, not a question. He took my wrists to pull my hands from his face, but I snapped out of my stupor, much as I had all those years ago when he called me his friend, and smiled at him.

"Loki. I don't care that you are a frost giant by blood. In your heart, you are Asgardian. You are still the same Loki I grew to love." Taking my hands in his, Loki sighed.

"You are the only one to see it that way. To everyone else, whether they know of my heritage or not, I am an outcast. They give me respect because they see me as Loki Odinson, but in reality, they hate me. I am the monster they tell their children to fear."

"Loki, my love, I'm sure no one but your mother and father know about your heritage, and the others don't hate you-"

"Yes they do!" he interrupted me angrily, releasing my hands. "They may not know I'm a frost giant, but they do know that I am different. They see that I don't belong there, and they avoid me for it. They value their brute strength too much, and that is something I will never have."

"But you have something so much better," I assured him, putting my hands to his face, making sure he couldn't look away. "Who needs their strength? I don't have it, nor do I need it, and neither do you. You have intelligence, and sorcery, which are far more practical than muscle. Anyone can fight a war or kill an enemy, but they can only destroy, while you can manipulate." I could tell my words weren't getting through to him. Any other time, I would have been able to help, but not this time. The discovery of his heritage was too fresh, and he was blinded by confusion, jealousy, and anger.

"I will make my father proud. I will show him that I am equal to Thor. When he wakes from the Odinsleep, he will realize that Thor is no better than I am, and that I am willing to use my power to do what's best for Asgards." He was so determined. He looked back at me, saying he would return to retrieve me as soon as he finished his preparations. Without even a kiss, Loki rushed away to return to Asgard, leaving me speechless behind the diner.

I returned late at night to find Jane and another figure asleep by the fire. Smiling to myself, I went inside to rest. to Asgard, leaving me speechless behind the diner.

\, leaving me behindieve me as soon as he finished his preparations. With I guessed that Erik was inside the trailer and Darcy was asleep. Unable to sleep, I just sat at the dining table, thinking about what Loki had said. He was obviously planning something, and it must have been significant because any other time, he would've told me, no matter how sinful it was. I was worried, both for our realm as a whole, and for Loki himself. Even as a child, he only wanted to be recognized as equal to Thor. We were both outcasts, but the difference between us was I accepted my differences, while Loki felt the need to prove himself.

While I was lost in my thoughts, the sun apparently rose, and everyone woke up.

"Morning, Freya," Darcy greeted as she walked in, fully dressed. I jumped and looked at her.

"Oh, hey Darcy," I waved, and a few moments later, "Can I use your shower?" She only nodded as she looked through the cupboard for something to eat. I hurried to get my clothes and take a shower. I was hoping a cold shower could help me wake up after my trance-like state. Once I finished my morning routine, I walked back to the main room, where I knew everyone would be, as it contained the kitchen, dining "room," and "living room" all in one place. I was putting on a bracelet, so I wasn't paying attention when I crashed into a large, hard figure.

"Oh, sor-" I stopped mid-sentence, looking up at who I had crashed into.

"Good morning, Freya. Looks like you met Thor. He's the guy I was telling you about," Jane said, walking into the room. After a few moments, during which she was probably looking confused at the pair of us, I snapped out of my shocked state (I seemed to be snapping out of many different states lately) and dropped down to one knee.

"I apologize, my prince. If I had realized you were in Midgar, I would have come to find you myself. I-"

"Lifa! How wonderful it is to see a familiar face!" Thor interrupted me, lifting me to my feet to embrace me. I stiffen at first instinctually, but then relax and return the hug.

"Yes, my prince, it is truly wonderful," I say, but before I can continue. Darcy interrupts.

"Wait a minute. What's going on here?" Thor releases me from him embrace and we turn to the group.

"Freya, how do you know Thor?" Jane asks. I can see the cogs in her mind turning. I saw Erik giving Thor a questioning look, probably trying to protect Jane from heartbreak. From what I've heard, Jane was deeply in love (or as deeply as she could be) with Thor, even though they had only known each other for less than 48 hours.

"I am the prince of Asgard! Why would she not know my identity?" Thor's booming voice replied.

"My prince, they are unaware of my true heritage," I told him, bowing my head in respect.

"Lifa, you should not bow to me. I'm sure my brother would not approve," Thor teased. Despite my expecting it, my face turned a light shade of pink. I wasn't afraid to admit my love for Loki, but I was always embarrassed when others called attention to me, whether it was about Loki or not. I only nodded in response before turning back to my Midgardian friends.

"I am from Asgard, not Earth. The Allfather sent me to Midgard to fulfill a special task, although I cannot reveal what it was. If there is time, I will explain more later, but for now, I feel that we should focus our efforts on sending Thor back to Asgard," I said quickly, suddenly feeling rushed. I could feel that something was going to happen. Whether it would be good or bad, I didn't know, but I felt we should be prepared for anything.

It was as if Fate did not want me to get anything done that day. I was oftentimes interrupted and hadn't been able to finish voicing most of my thoughts. Because of these interruptions, I should have expected it when we heard someone knocking on the door, and looked over to see four figures waving at us.

"I don't believe it," Erik said, noticing their attire.

"Who are they?" Darcy asked. Jane stayed silent, but I could see a mixture of shock and excitement in her eyes. Thor opened the door and Volstagg announced them:

"Lady Sif and the Warriors Three!"