Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Marvel Universe, The Amazing Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, or anyone else involved with the movies or comics. I am not making any profits from this writing, it is all for the purposes of fun and creative writing.

Chapter 11

As the smoke darkened into a new image, Hela addressed the crowds, calm and regal like the Queen she was.

"People of Asgard, Jotunheim, and Midgard, you should know that in my realm of nightmares and pain, your second Prince did not just face the wolves his murderer promised, but legions of the dishonored dead."

Hela's words send a cold chill through every single person in the hall, as all eyes turned upward toward the white smoke that floated above them and the new image that was being projected upon it.

" Holy shit." Tony whispered as he and everyone else watched the disembodied head of one of those nasty wolves of Nifleheim flew through the air, its milky eyes glazed and mouth open in grotesque surprise, as it it had been caught by surprise and did not know that it was yet dead.

But as the decapitated head fell to the snow covered ground with a light thud, a tall black haired and blue skinned figure ran past it at breakneck speed, long legs carrying him swiftly across the snow covered plains of black dirt and rock.

Loki ran hard, a look of sheer rage and determination over his blue-hued face. The terror from before was completely gone. He ran as if the very flames of hell were at his heels, sporting dozens of cuts and bruises over his bare blue torso and arms. Some cuts were clotted over and healing, while others dripped fresh crimson blood, having just been received. One of Loki's eyes was bloodied and almost swollen completely shut and there was a jagged cut over the underlying cheek. The tendrils of what looked suspiciously like a half bite mark graced on of his shoulders, while there were three long, thankfully shallow claw marks down nearly the entire length of his back. Gone was the delicate looking Prince, now there was only a warrior who looked like he had gone through Hell, only to find himself facing more misery.

Loki's feet were bare as he ran across the open field the legs of the leather pants he wore shredded and receded to just past his calves. There was a small rock formation up in the distance that appeared to be his destination.

A loud roar behind him had Loki looking over his shoulder and glaring as he eyed the single monstrous wolf that was chasing him, its fellows having been slaughtered by the man it was now in hot pursuit of. The animal barreled after looking, snapping its powerful jaws as if promising to rip Loki's flesh from him piece by jagged piece. Loki's undamaged red eye glared back at the beast before he turned and kept running.

The people down bellow watched with dread as the filthy wolf started to close the distance between itself and its quarry. Just as the wolf leapt into the air, its jaws wide and ready to deliver the killing bit, Loki abruptly stopped in his tracks, then whirled around with inhuman speed and sent a glowing ball of blue energy from the palm of his hand straight at the beast. They all watched stunned as the wolf had enough time to yelp in surprise before it completely froze over solid the moment Loki's magic made contact. The block of ice that had once been a raging demon wolf still careened towards Loki, who's hands glowed once more, summoning more ice that shaped itself into a long, wicked-looking club, which he swung at the frozen solid wolf with a vicious yell.

Thor watched stunned as his brother literally shattered his would-be murderer into a thousand pieces, the force of Loki's blow was that hard. The crown Prince of Asgard felt a profound pride spike through him as he gazed upon he brother, who was battered but showed no sign of breaking. A soft hand coming to tightly clasp his hand had Thor momentarily looking away from the projection to see Jane, a look of awe on her own face as she gazed at Thor. Without saying anything, Thor squeezed Jane's hand tightly as the two looked back up in time to see Loki spare the frozen bits of the wolf a vicious smirk before he turned and started running again as fast as his legs could carrying him.

" He has embraced his abilities as a Jotun." Odin said softly, awed by his son's defeat of the wolves.

But then the memories began to shift, the skies over Niflheim turning blood red as Loki's rage filled voice sounded through the air.

" COME ON!" Loki screamed, a rusty blackened broad-sword clenched tightly in his fists, his breath coming out in harsh bursts. The wounds that had been gracing Loki's body while he had faced off against the wolf were gone, though there scars they left over his skin was plainly visible for all to see, and his eye was no longer swollen almost all the way shut. There was a savage glint in Loki's red eyes, that seemed to almost glow with unbridled fury.

There were cries of shock all around when everyone saw who Loki was facing off against.

" Zombies." The Hulk growled out as he gazed up at the projection with angry eyes, still not calm enough for Bruce Banner to take back control.

Indeed, the Hulk's description was accurate, for Loki was now facing scores of undead warriors, all of them rotted and grotesque, many nothing more than skeletons with bits of gray, long-dead flesh and skin hanging from their bones as they snarled and raised their own weapons, surrounding Loki like a swarm of hornets. They were all stunned to see that their were already piles of corpses already littering the snow covered ground, indicating that Loki had already faced scored of these undead and sullied warriors and was still standing.

" Come on then, see if you can fell a son of Odin!" Loki yelled, his voice an angry roar.

As he said these words, the broad sword in Loki's hand began to buzz lightly with magical energy, and then with a spark it ignited with electricity swirling up and down the entire length of the blade. Through his magic Loki increased the deadliness of the sword he had wrested from one of the sullied reanimated corpses he had felled and faced the small army that surrounded him with no fear.

As one the undead fiends roared and converged upon Loki with their rusted and bloodied weapons, spears, swords, axes and everything else in between, moving to devour the one living soul in their midsts.

With a scream of rage all his own, Loki bound forward with his electrified sword, slashing and swinging, not with wild abandoned, but calm and calculated strikes, cutting down undead warrior after undead warrior. They seemed an endless wave, but Loki never once falters as he lopped heads off from the necks they were attached to, severed legs and arms, and even cleaved whole bodies in half clean down the middle through battered and rusted helmets and tattered chain-mail and metal plates that had once been sturdy armor. They watched as Loki transferred his sword to one hand, while he conjured an wicked looking whip of ice in his other. Cold vapor rose up from the jagged barbs of the ice-whip as Loki whirled it around above his head and let the weapon fly toward and incoming undead. The dishonored dead let out a started cry that was abruptly cut off, for the moment the whip slashed into him, the undead warrior stopped dead in his tracks, frozen solid. Then with a loud yell Loki swung his sword straight through the frozen being, shattering him as he had shattered the wolf in the earlier vision.

The great hall watched as Loki fought onward, decimating wave after wave of undead being hell-bend on ending him, leaving their charred ruins in his wake. Hours passed, watching Loki fight twice as hard for every wound her received in a melee that seemed to know no end.

" Do you see all of Asgard, how he still does not beg for mercy, how he does not scream for aid from the Norns, or from me, how he fights against the legions descending upon him without fear?" Hela's voice echoed through the hall, silvery still, but with an edge of hardness.

The Warriors three and the Lady Sif all averted their gazes to the floor in fresh shame as the image of Loki basically at war with the entire realm of Niflheim shifted yet again, growing dark as it showed Hela's realm with deep night having fallen over it.

They watched as a lonely, exhausted Loki grunted as he climbed with bare hands and feet up a large pile of jagged rocked that formed rock outcrop high up off the ground. At his waist, tied with a frayed cords of leather was the broad sword, completely blackened at this point, and clanking lightly as it tapped against the rock as the one who wielded in dragged himself upwards, his grip slipping lightly every now and then, but thankfully Loki would recover each time and keep climbing.

" He's exhausted." Darcy whispered softly as she and the others all watched Loki pull himself over onto the ledge with a low groan, strain written into every line of his face as he rolled over onto his back and just lay their on the flat surface of the ledge within the outcrop.

Loki closed his eyes and gasped harshly for breath, his whole body seeming to heave in exhaustion as he lay their nearly eagle spread. After several moments, Loki's blood-red eyes fluttered open again, revealed to be swimming with fresh tears as with a low, pained grown Loki rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

His black hair, once neatly kept and cut to just at his neck, was now a matted, curly mess of waves that cascaded almost past his shoulders, a clear indication that a significant amount of time had passed and was still passing. From where he stood, Thor felt his heart lurch and his own eyes fill as a cold chill spread through him. In his mind he knew that it had been weeks if not months since the Norns had left his brother to this torment, and the very thought of it sent fresh waves of agony through Thor's very soul as he watched his brother on the projection.

Loki bowed his head low, letting his long hair fall over his face like a curtain as he let out a small, hitched breath. And yet, he did not sob and wail as others would, no Loki instead shifted himself backwards until he was propped up against the rock wall from which the ledge was jutting. They watched as Loki drew his knees up against his chest and wrapped his arms around them like a small child would. His dark red eyes, still glistening with unshed tears, gazed out into the darkened yet no less imposing landscape of Niflheim.

This was a moment of quiet amidst the terrible chaos, in which everyone from Odin to Heimdall could see the quiet desolation that followed so much fighting. Enervation was written into every line of Loki's, against the blue hue and the dark bruised and barely healed nicks and scratches, no doubt from even more fighting.

Taking in a shaky breath, Loki spoke.

" What fire did the Norns speak of when they left me here, what fire within? There is no fire, no food, no rest. All there is, is the fact that I do not want to die here." Loki said softly to himself.

Down below, a single tear escaped from Natasha's eye as Loki's words registered to her. Beside her the others were faring no better, even Hulk was blinking his green eyes rapidly.

Frigga sobbed quietly as she stared up at the image of her son sitting along on a ledge. He needed her, but she had not been able to hear his need, deceived into thinking he was causing all kinds of havoc in other realms.

Odin clenched his jaw tightly, his own eye over bright as he stared up at the image of his youngest son.

They all watched as Loki uncurled himself somewhat and brought his hand up, holding it out with the palm up. Wondering what Loki was doing, everyone watched as light green and white wisps of magic materialized and swirled about above his outstretched palm. The wispy plumed soon began to morph and solidify into something, and when they did, Thor, Odin, and Frigga all gasped together in fresh pain.

In Loki's hand floated a projection, so very much like a hologram on Earth. The image projected was of three figures. A smiling Frigga, with an equally smiling Thor, and stoic looking Odin flanking her on either side. Loki was looking forlornly at the image of his family that he had conjured.

With a barely suppressed sob, Loki spoke as his tears finally began to fall.

" Are any of you even alive, or has my murderer done to you what he did to me?" He asked softly to the image in his hand.

Down below there were pained cries all around as Frigga brought a shaking hand to her mouth, her tearful eyes watching on as Loki continued to speak.

" I know that none of you are coming, that brother, you will not coming bursting into this realm in a hail of lightening and thunder, swinging you hammer ready to cause destruction." Loki said, his voice flat with exhaustion, while a sorrowful smile turned up the corners of Loki's lips for a fleeting moment.

Down below Thor screwed his eyes shut as regret burned through him.

They all watched as Loki's eyes shifted to the image of Odin as he spoke next.

" You lied to me, you and mother lied to me about my true heritage, about who I am really am." Loki whispered, his eyes hardening for a moment in dull anger. But the anger quickly faded as he continued to speak.

" Father, I do not know for how long I have been in this place, the days have blurred into mere daylight and night, nor do I know if I will look upon any of you ever again. So I speak now mostly for myself." Loki said softly before he reached up with his free hand and scrubbed at the ear tracks that glistened over his face, lightly frozen against his Jotun skin as he continued.

" I must admit, in those first days since the Norns left me here, I felt anger, so much anger towards you both. I think it helped me tear my way through the many wolves and undead who sought to end me. I raged within at the very thought of either you or Mother, or even Thor. For a time I think I did resent you all so bitterly." Loki said with brutal honestly.

Down below, Odin closed his eyes while Frigga wept fresh tears, and Thor stood numbed by what he had just heard, tightening his hold around Jane, and the horned helmet he still clutched in his other arm. But neither Odin, nor his wife, nor his eldest son made any word of denial, accepting Loki's truth without protest for it was the least they deserved. They watched on in pained silence as Loki took in a deep, shuddering breath and spoke as fresh tears gathered in his eyes.

" But... I want you to know, that in these last few days I have felt the anger leave my heart, slowly but surely it has faded. In this silence, this small respite from those who would see me torn to pieces, I realize now that it does not matter to me that I am a Jotun, and that I share no blood with the three of you. My Jotun form is what has kept me alive thus far, and you three are the only family I have ever known."

Tony had to swallow down the huge lump that had formed in his throat, his eyes turned to Thor and his parent to see just how absolutely wrecked they were at Loki's confession to their image. Letting out a shaky breath of his own, Tony turned his gaze back up at the smoke to keep watching what happened with Loki in Niflheim.

As a few tears carved new trails down his cheek, Loki spoke to the conjured images of his family.

" As the days have passed, my hopes that I will get out of here somehow are starting to fade. I suppose this is about as close as I will ever get to telling you what is in my heart." Loki said, his voice cracking as he let a single sob escape him before he forced himself back into some semblance of composure and spoke what he needed to say.

" I care not anymore where I come from or what I am, such things are trivial here, for the wolves and the undead who would see me dead care not whether I am a Jotun runt or an Aesir prince. There is a sense of foreboding in me now, for I feel that my time is coming to an end. If that is what shall come to pass, I wish for you, my father, my mother, and my brother to know one thing." Loki said softly before he took a deep, steadying breath and finished what he wanted to say.

" I love you, I have always loved you, and I always will."

After he said these words, Loki finally let his tears and anguish consume him as he let his hand fall, dissolving the image of his family and wept bitterly into forearms without shame.

With that the image faded into black and began to shift once more into what was most likely the final seen of the saga that had unfolded in Niflheim.

There was a collective groan through the entire hall of Asgard. Sif sank to her knees and sobbed brokenly, while Volstaag wept fat tears and looked up at the now blackened and shifting smoke in despair and awe, Hogun stood pale and silent as tears feel unchecked from his own dark eyes, and Fandral, Fandral bowed his head low as tears gathered and fell from his eyes, while silent sobs wracked his whole frame.

From where they stood, Steve was gasping for breath while tears fell from his eyes, beside him Tony shaking his head, tears streaming from his own eyes. Clint was crying too, his jaw trembling violently as he stared up at Loki, the real Loki, feeling his heart tear itself in two for ever even daring to feel any kind of hatred towards the second prince of Asgard. Beside him Natasha actually brought a hand up to her mouth to keep her own sobs silent, while a single tear fell down her cheek. From where he stood, the Hulk had tears running down his face too, the rage monster who would have been thrashing about destroying things left and right, instead stood there and wept in complete silence. As the minutes passed though, the green started to fade away, and the body began to shrink and soon, there was Bruce Banner standing there silently weeping instead. Both halves of the same coin despaired as one.

" Oh my God." Darcy whispered, clutching at Selvig's sleeves in a desperate attempt to stay grounded while tears streamed unchecked from her eyes. Selvig himself had Darcy in a bear hug, all but crushing her against his chest like a father would his daughter, his eyes blown wide and haunted, tears streaming from them as he whispered rapidly under his breath, volleying between his native tongue and english as he kept saying "God have mercy" over and over again.

From where they stood, Hellblindi and his entire delegation bowed their heads, all of them humbled by the strength they had just witness. They were Jotun after all, so they did not openly weep as some many around them were doing, but there were dark trails of clear liquid carving their way down several dark blue cheeks, including the King's as they stood in total silence.

Thor sobbed without shame now, crushing Loki's helmet to his chest so hard that the metal actually bent out of shape, such was the force of the Thunderer's anguish. Beside him Jane clung to his arm, squeezing Thor's hand in hers as hard as she could while she cried silently, feeling as if the world were crumbling all around her. Frigga stood a few feet from Thor, her entire being having gone numb at hearing her youngest son's declaration of pure love. A dull thud had her and everyone else turning in time to see Odin sink to his knees, his hands slack around Gungnir which still stood upright against the floor. The look on the All-father's face was that of total devastation.

" My son." Odin whispered, his face the color of a sheet as he stared at the currently blank smoke up above. Gone was the reserved and stoic ruler of Asgard, now there was just the old man, the devastated father who had just witnessed the hellish trials of his youngest son. With a sob, Frigga rushed to her husband's side, throwing her arms around him and clinging to the white-haired man, pressing the crown of her head to his cheek. Unconsciously, Odin raised a trembling hand from Gungnir and wrapped his arm tightly around his wife, clinging to her just as hard.

While many of Asgard's people wept without shame, still others stood they in silent awe, all of them humbled to their very core, and feeling like the lowest slugs in the dirt for having ever thought ill of Loki Odinson. What they had witnessed just now was a true Prince, regardless of what realm he belonged to. It left them all feeling the hot fire of shame and regret spread through them, and there was no balm to such a feeling, there would never be a balm for such a feeling.

From where she still floated over the green fires, with her cape billowing about her, Hela looked on with her face impassive, but a hint of cold satisfaction in her pale eyes as she beheld the whole of Asgard in despair. Wordlessly, Hela willed the final images to reveal themselves over the smoke. It was time they all came to know what became of Loki Odinson.

" Look." Jane said as she pointed up at the smoke swirling above them.

All eyes turned upward once more as a new image spread over the white expanse of the smoke.

When the image cleared, there were gasps all around, they had though they had seen Hell before, what they beheld now was its very beating heart.

Loki's battle cry echoed through the entire hall as he swung his burnt sword, slashing away at an undead soldier. The prince was backed up against a wall of solid rock, grievous wounds weeping crimson blood littering his whole body, whole chunks of flesh missing in several places. A thin line of red blood streamed from the corner of Loki's mouth. while there was a long slash mark across his blue chest. Around him there were legions of undead souls with their weapons bared, their numbers rivaling the whole of Asgard's armies. It was all of them against Loki. It didn't take long for everyone to realize what they were witnessing.

This was the final battle. Hundreds, if not thousands of the dishonored lay smashed, slashed, shattered, and all other kinds of mangled, already having been felled by Loki. But the wave seemed endless, and Loki was cornered, with no chance of escape.

Loki cried out as an arrow buried itself into his left shoulder, a demonic undead archer having taken the shot from within the writhing mass of animated corpses. With a snarl Loki reached up and viciously yanked the arrow out of his own flesh, throwing in away and letting loose a barrage of fireballs with a sweep of his hand. The battling lasted for hour and hour, Loki cutting down undead warrior after undead warrior, yet receiving more wounds in the process until there was a sheen of bright red over nearly all of Loki's body, covering up the dark blue of his true skin.

And then everything went still as Loki's knees finally buckled beneath him, the broadsword falling from his numb fingers to land in the snow beside him.

" Loki." Frigga whispered brokenly as she watched her son collapse onto his hands and knees in the snow.

There were winces all around and Loki let out a low, gurgling sound from deep within his throat, and then there was deep crimson liquid splashing over the snow beneath Loki. Loki coughed harshly and spat out what blood remained in his mouth before he looked back up, pain radiating in his eyes. Loki gasped harshly after he had chocked up all that blood, but his red eyes remained defiant as he glared back the the ring of undead warriors who were leering hungrily at him.

" So, are you ready to meet your end little Jotun?" One of the animated corpses hissed, eying Loki with glee in his milky white eyes as a grin across his rotted face.

Around this corpse there were snickers and jeers all around. Down below the hall of Asgard watched as Loki hang his head wordlessly, as if in defeat. But just as the corpse that had spoken took a step forward with his rusted ax raised to strike, Loki let out a low, almost animal like growl as he slowly reached over and wrapped his bloodied fingers around the hilt of the broadsword.

The crowd, and the sullied dead were one in their shock as they watched Loki slowly rise to his feet, using the sword almost like a cane to push himself up the rest of the way, so that he was standing to full height. The look on Loki's face had many of the sullied dead taking an involuntary step back. The prince's red eyes seemed to be almost glowing while his jaw quivered with rage with each raged breath he took in. With strength none thought he still possessed, Loki raised the broadsword, pointing it at the rotted warrior who had moments ago taunted him with words. Taking in a deep, ragged breath, Loki spoke.

" Rest assured, I will not meet my end today". Loki growled.

" Who the fuck are you?" Another corpse growled as it glared daggers at Loki.

This seemed to spark something inside Loki, as the raged within his glittering red eyes seemed to increase ten-fold. With a snarl, Loki screamed out his answer.

" I AM LOKI OF ASGARD, AND I WILL TEAR DOWN EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS IF I HAVE TO, BUT I WILL NOT FALL, I WILL NEVER FALL TO ANY OF YOU!"

Down below, everyone stood in awed silence, all of them speechless at the sight of Loki as he was now, looking just a few breaths away from death, yet standing tall and defiant in the face of an entire legion of undead warriors.

" Loki, my brother." Thor whispered in reverence, his blue eyes wide with shock that was mirrored by everyone else in the room.

Above them they all watched as the undead warrior from earlier let out a grotesque yell and sprang forward with his axe raised, his own rage shining brightly as he barreled towards the defiant prince.

Loki took one step forward, ready to engage his attacker when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and dropped his swords. The dishonored dead who was charging at the prince stopped cold too, his milky grayish blue eyes going to Loki's bloodied chest. Down below there were gasps and cries as everyone beheld Loki, with the center of his chest glowing pure white where his heart would be.

" What is happening to my son?" Odin cried as he stared with his one eye up at the image of his son.

Above them, everyone watched as Loki's eyes grew wide and he gasped as he looked down at his heaving, glowing chest. But before he could say anything, the veins over Loki's arms started to glow too, as if what was happened to his chest was slowing spread through his whole body. The unknown white energy continued to spread and soon, both of Loki's hands were glowing just a brightly as his chest.

Around him the sullied warriors were all backing away, some falling over themselves for while they did not know what was going on, instinct was enough to tell them that something big was about to happen.

" It burns." Loki gasped softly, staring wide-eyed at his arms and hands, his long tangled ebony hair flying about in the sudden wind that had picked up around him.

Then with a gasp, Loki threw his head back and stared up at the gray skied of Niflheim as the white energy that radiated from his chest like a beacon spread across the veins of his taught neck, and over the plains of his face till they reached his eyes. The hall watched as Loki's eyes, once the color of blood-red rubies bleached to pure white and glowed.

" Run!" One of the undead yelled, causing many to scrambled in a vain attempt to save themselves.

The Loki's mouth flew wide open as he screamed.

" GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As Loki screamed there was a deafening boom through the air so powerful, it actually knocked many people in the great hall of Asgard off their feet.

Above them, they all watched as the energy that had been building up within Loki finally exploded out of him with a final scream.

" Jesus, he turned into a nuclear bomb!" Tony yelled as he and the others watched the awe-inspiring explosion that engulfed Loki in a white light, and obliterated all that was unfortunate enough to be in its path.

While the explosion expanded, burning everything within its radius, a second explosion sounded, this one sending a massive, swirling beam of energy straight up into the skies of Niflheim. It was here that the perspective shifted to show Hela, standing on the dais upon which her obsidian throne stood, watching with her pale eyes wide as a large chunk of her realm was being incinerated by white fire.

" The fire within... he's done it." Hela whispered as a look of sheer wonder spread across her normally composed face.

She watched on as the towering beam of light torpedoed the skies of her realm, parting the clouds and seeming to stretch forever until there was a loud shattering sound. The beam had reached the barrier of the realm, where the fabrics of the universe held Niflheim apart from the open space between the branches of the world tree.

Down below the great hall watched as an actual crack appeared over the skies Hela's realm. The explosion continued, shockwave after shockwave rattling the realm to its very foundations as thousands if not millions of dishonored dead and wolves were all burnt to dust for mile after mile, to where even a small mountain crumbled away against the awesome while light. As they watched, the entire projection of smoke whited out, allowing nothing to be seen.

" Now now, no need to panic. Here comes the best part." Hela's amused, silvery voice sounded, startling everyone before they focused once more on the projection up above.

The white faded away to reveal charred and smoking land, scorched black and devoid of all live. At the very center of the truly gargantuan blast radius, and single soot covered figure lay face down on the seared dirt.

At first this figure lay unmoving, but them with a small gasp, the sooth covered figured jerked and thrashed about, sending still smoking dirt flying. With a loud groan, the figure forced itself to its knees and gasped for air.

" Loki." Thor whispered in awe as he watched his brother sit in the eerie stillness that followed in the wake of the awesome display of power he had just demonstrated.

They watched as Loki, covered from head to toe in black dirt gazed up at the torn skies of Niflheim with his lips parted to gasp in ragged breath after ragged breath. With a shudder that wracked through his whole body, Loki turned his gaze downward and let his stunned red eyed take in the destruction he had caused.

" By the Nine." Loki choked out, his voice barely above a whisper as he took in the black and scorched earth around him that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Then the loud and jarring sound like glass shattering filled the quiet air and Loki turned his gaze upward once more, finally seeing the other result of the power that had burst for from him. There above him, the barrier that encompassed Niflheim lay cracked, with dark, black space peaking through.

Loki's red eyes widened as realization struck him. With a grunt, Loki scrambled to his bare feet and continued to gaze up at the crack between the realms.

" Come on man, come on." Clint whispered under his breath as he realized what was about to happen but dared not voice it for fear he would somehow jinx it.

Everyone watched as a look of absolute relief spread across Loki's face as he spoke.

" The fire within." He whispered as a small smile curved up the corners of his lips, but the smile quickly faded as a look of sheer determination spread in its place.

" You taught me well father." Loki whispered, before he closed his eyes and summoned forth the last reserves of his magic.

The crowd below, from Thor to Heimdall at his post at the Bifrost watched as Loki began to glow softly, a blueish white energy gently spreading over him. Then Loki made a sweeping motion with his arms over his head and before their very eyes, he was engulfed in the blue magic, his form shifting and morphing amidst the swirls.

There was a collective gasp from the great hall as they watched the magic fade, revealing Loki in the form of a great, dark blue feathered eagle with glittering read eyes.

The people of Asgard saw what it was, a son utilizing the lesson taught by his father in the days of childhood.

" He remembered." Odin whispered as he gazed upon his son in the form that he himself was known to transform into.

" I can't believe this." Steve whispered, completely stupefied as they all watched Loki spread his colossal wings and threw his head back, bugling to the heavens in triumph.

A sheer thrill reverberated through each and every soul in the great hall, even Hela allowed herself a small smile as she too watched along with the others as Loki leapt into the air and took flight.

Within the image, Loki's shrill eagle's shriek filled the air as he flapped his wings hard and flew up into the distorted clouds of Niflheim, barreling with all speed towards the crack in the barrier.

From her throne, Hela watched on with a smile on her face as she watched the great bird prey make his daring escape from her realm. She lifted no finger, instead gracefully taking a seat on her throne. Everyone watched as the smile on Hela's face turned into a full on grin as she leaned back into her obsidian throat and let out a small, silvery chuckle of amusement.

Up in the air, Loki let out one final, triumphant cry as the great eagle he had transformed into like his father before him. As he was just about at the crack in the barrier, Loki folded his great wings against his body and dove head long into it like a living torpedo. There was another loud sound like glass shattering, and then Loki was gone in another explosion of rainbow colored sparks, having disappeared to what ever was on the other side of the crack he had blasted into the very fabric of the realm that had served and his hellish cage.

The image then faded to white, and the smoke evaporated in its entirety. The great hall of Asgard stood silent, enervated by all that they had just witnessed with their own eyes.

As one, all eyes turned to gap at Hela in stunned silence where she still floated, looking as nonchalant as could be. Then an amused smirk spread across the Queen of Niflheim's face as she addressed the crowd.

" So now you see what I meant when I said that I never had dominion over the soul of Loki Odinson. The only one who has ever had dominion over Loki Odinson's soul, is Loki Odinson himself." The Goddess said before she looked straight at Odin, Thor, and Frigga before she continued.

" You should have pride in your second son, Odin All-father, for he has done the impossible, he passed the test of the Norns and through fire and legion upon legion of wolf and dishonored alike, he clawed his way out of my realm all on his own."

Author's note: I hope you don't find the way I had Loki escape from Niflheim too corny, I just thought it would be cool if Loki got out this way, remembering a magic spell that Odin taught him, and combing that with the legends of Odin himself being able to transform into a great eagle. I really hope you all like this part of the chapter, but it's cool if you don't.