Alfheim
The wind blew the loose dust across the fields outside of Ljosalfgard as Mangog and Odin stared each other down. "So, the King finally shows up. Letting so many die for nothing, all just to avoid facing his own mistakes" stated Mangog and it sized up its prize.
Odin shook his head "The mistakes I've made are mine and only mine taking these people from this world was not necessary" proclaimed Odin as Mangog slowly approached him. Gungnir was steady in Odin's hand as he saw what his misdeeds had created. Odin realized too late what Mangog was and now was forced to face the consequences of his actions from so long ago.
Asgard
Volla entered the observatory to find Thor and the others pacing around the observatory as Heimdall relayed the events as they occurred on Alfheim. Jane and Darcy had found her after Frigga had journeyed to the Observatory hoping to get to Odin before he left but now she was looking over Loki as he tried to regain his strength.
"I see the All-father has already left" Volla stated as she approached the middle of the room where Thor looked at her. He moved towards her to speak but she raised her hand to keep him quiet. "Your father is fighting a battle that has been coming for a long time. Mangog is a monster of his own creation, and now it has come calling."
"How?" asked Jane and she stood next to Thor as Darcy stood by the Warriors Three that were getting looked at by several healers.
Volla looked at the human and then scanned the room stopping on Frigga, "As all of you know there are Nine Realms that are connected by Yggdrasil, the life tree. However, there is a much less known side to this story." Frigga looked back as Volla spoke with sorrow in her eyes. "There was originally Ten Realms. Asgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Muspelheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, Niffleheim, Nidavellir, Midgard or Earth as the two humans know it by, and Heven."
Everyone looked at each other confused and then back to Volla who nodded "The Tenth Realm was considered an equal to Asgard and therefore the two realms often squabbled but peace was often kept since neither side wished to see its own destruction." Volla looked at Thor "Have you been told of the Infinity Stones?" she asked getting a stern nod from Thor prompting Volla to continue. "After Odin and his fellow gods defeated Kronos, they set about separating them and spreading them across the galaxy hoping beyond hope that they would never be used again."
Frigga stepped in "You have to understand that it was a different time then, Odin was younger and more ambitious" prompting worried looks from Thor and the others.
Volla cleared her throat "Odin was tasked with hiding two of the Infinity Stones, one stone he encased in a cube meant to hide the stone in plain sight, the other stone however was not hidden. A few months after the defeat of Kronos there was a kidnapping, Angels from Heven had come to Asgard and stolen Odin's infant daughter Aldrif."
Thor looked back to Frigga who with tears in her eyes nodded "I have a sister?" he said out loud as Loki sat quietly intent to hear the rest of Volla's story.
"Enraged by the kidnapping, Odin sent the entire Asgardian army to Heven and his son Baldur led the charge" Thor's eyes grew large again as he and Loki exchanged glances. The ever-growing family was causing the brothers to wonder what else had been hidden from them over the years. "Baldur and Odin's sister Hela led Asgard's army to Heven in search of Aldrif and the war raged for almost two years before Odin tracked what he had hoped to be his daughter, instead he found nothing and finally the All-Father lost control. He ordered Asgard's army out of Heven and unleashed the Soul Stone on Heven." Loki rubbed his forehead. "Odin believed he was in control of his rage and the stone but he underestimated what it was capable of, when the carnage ended, everyone on Heven, both Angel and Asgardian was gone. When Odin returned to Asgard he learned that Aldrif had never been found and that Baldur had stayed behind to cover the retreat of the Asgardian army."
Frigga was crying now as Volla came to the end of her story "The stone had taken his family from him and it broke him, billions of live snuffed out in moments."
Frigga stood "Your father changed after that, he locked Hela away in Niffleheim to try and preserve the peace. He chose to be the benevolent protector of the Nine Realms as opposed to its ruthless conqueror. We raised two beautiful boys and hid the existence of Baldur and Aldrif the best we could hoping to foster a long peaceful existence for the Nine Realms and everyone in it" she explained as the tears were wiped away and Thor hugged her.
"Odin assumed the souls of the Angels and others lost on Heven were sent to Valhalla but the Soul Stone extracts a price from the user, Odin assumed his children was the price but instead the souls of the billions lost on Heven were trapped in a suit of armor that ended up on Alfheim where it was sealed away by someone and awoken by someone else. Mangog is the revenge of Heven and Odin is ready to pay up" explained Volla.
Alfheim
Mangog looked Odin over from a distance, the souls swirling within it were aching for Odin. Anger, hatred, and all other kinds of feelings were boiling inside Mangog. "Billions of people all wiped out by you and here we all stand ready to claim our vengeance" Mangog said as Odin tried to figure out a strategy to bring down the monster.
"I never intended for that much destruction, I've changed" replied Odin as he approached Mangog slowly. "I failed everyone on Heven, I have lived with the guilt of the day ever since and I am willing to pay for my actions." Odin threw Gungnir in the air as the Bifrost jumped to life and pulled the weapon back to Asgard.
Mangog laughed as Gungnir disappeared "So many voices are calling out to you Odin, but the loudest may just be Baldur. He wonders why you betrayed him? Why you murdered him?" Mangog chuckled as Odin took a deep breath "The answer isn't important because you will feel all the pain of the everyone you murdered and I will fulfill my destiny" shouted Mangog as Odin came within arm's reach.
Asgard
Volla had used her magic to bond everyone to Heimdall's sight so they could follow the events as they unfolded. Thor was sweating bullets as Jane held his hand tightly, Sif and the Warriors Three had begun to pray for Odin's victory. Loki had his eyes wide open as he stared at his mother Frigga, the tears were welling and Loki could sense her building sorrow. Loki knew what was going to happen next and he knew that none of them were prepared for it.
Alfheim
Mangog looked into Odin's eye as the souls within it were almost tearing their way to the King of Asgard, the thirst for vengeance was starting to rip its way through Mangog's chest. Odin looked at the monster sensing the rage emanating from it, "If vengeance is what you seek, then I am willing to give it to you." Odin put his arms down to his sides with no defense and he stared into the eyes of the victims of his foolish use of the Soul Stone.
The rage in Mangog seemed to explode within him, this was to be its purpose? It had massacred its way across Alfheim to grow its power and Odin wasn't even going to put up a fight. Mangog grabbed Odin by the shoulders and tried to scream at him but no words came only the primal yell of the monster that had pulled itself out of the pit and into a world of light that it had spent weeks making dark. The souls within began to swirl as they all pushed for freedom from Mangog's form.
Odin watched as Mangog yelled at him, there was no fear or anger on Odin's face, only quiet peace, a look that a man who felt he was making up for his greatest mistakes was finally making amends. He thought of his two sons who would now face the burden of leading Asgard into its future. His final thoughts came to his wife that he had gone through so much with over their marriage, he was going to miss her the most.
Mangog felt the souls burst through its armor like a bomb as the dark energy exploded out enveloping Odin and laying waste to the surrounding area.
Asgard
Heimdall cried out in agony as Mangog exploded, Thor dropped to his knees with Jane trying to console him. Frigga simply stared straight forward as Loki simply turned his back to the group not wanting to watch the scene unfold. The King of Asgard was dead.