"So you're telling me you've been here all this time? How did no one tell me my son brought not one, but two mortal women into the realm eternal? At least he had the sense to keep an eye on one of them. But no, you he allows to go gallivanting all over the city! You've been a part of this great mess every step of the way. Somehow for a mortal, you're nearly as bad as-"

Odin's tirade is cut short as he realizes what he had nearly said - nearly as bad as Loki. Loki. His adopted son who is dead now, thanks to all this madness. The Allfather may not have yet decided Loki's fate for the long term, but he knew this wasn't an end he would have wished for him.

Odin sighs, exhausted. "What am I supposed to do with you now? I can hardly just send you home now, and I certainly can't keep you here. I-"

"Actually, I'm totally fine with the whole just sending me home idea. Like, if I could just click my heels together a few times and be on my way, that'd be great." As if demonstrating, Darcy clicks her heels together, and for a moment she dares to hope her boots have the same power as some ruby slippers. But of course, nothing happened. Loki's dad just stared at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted a second head... with pink hair... from her her armpit! "Or not..."

"Or not, indeed." Odin frowns at her disapprovingly, like someone who just discovered a fly in their soup. "Guard, take this mortal to the dungeon. I require time to think on the matter." Odin wearily turns to leave the room.

"No."

Odin freezes in his tracks. That voice...

"I won't let you toss her aside like that - like you did me. I sent her in here thinking you would help her. Send her home where she belongs or at least provide her with a new home here. She has done nothing wrong; she doesn't deserve whatever you have in store for her in the dungeons." Loki pauses a moment to regain his composure. His glamour has long since slipped away, revealing his normal form in all its hurt and anger. "You know, you actually had me convinced that I was the monster here, but now I'm not so sure."

When he turns back to them, Odin's face is tense with barely restrained rage. "So, you're alive after all, again. Tell me, Loki, do you enjoy having others believe you dead?"

"Well, it would make my life much simpler, if I could just get away from here that is."

Odin barks a laugh. "You're nothing but a cruel child playing games."

"Then at least I'm winning."

A blinding flash of green light erupts from Loki, met by an equally golden light from Odin.

Darcy runs for cover behind a pillar and crouches low to the floor. She covers her head like that's somehow going to help if a stray spell comes her way.

There is a flurry of whispered incantations, more flashing lights, the clash of weapons, a cry of pain - but whose? With all of the other disorienting noises, Darcy can't be sure. It all continues for several more minutes before everything falls silent.

Darcy reluctantly peaks her head out from behind the column.

Standing alone in the center of the room is Odin.

Darcy gasps then claps her hand over her mouth, hoping he didn't hear her. Maybe Loki's little surprise will have made him forget all about her. Maybe. She scrambles to her feet and makes a break for the nearest door.

"Stop."

Or maybe not.

"Come here."

Darcy doesn't move.

"I said come here. I could use your help."

Darcy looks over her shoulder. Odin is still standing in the middle of the room, just staring down at the body on the floor in front of him. Following his gaze to the body, Darcy finally realizes, the body is also Odin! She slowly turns and takes a couple of cautious steps closer to the two Odins. She looks warily from one to the other and back again. They look exactly the same in every way. "So... who won?"

The look he gives her is answer enough. "Me, of course."

Darcy snorts a laugh at just how not an answer that answer was. But then looks back to the real Odin lying on the floor at their feet. She suddenly feels sick. "Is he... Is he dead?"

"Of course not." His piercing eyes glare into her for a moment, before finally softening again. "I did say I wasn't the true monster here, did I not?"

"Well, yeah... but... Anyway, so now what?"

"I-"

Footsteps echo in from the hall, giving only a few seconds warning before a trio of guards round the corner into the room. They immediately snap to attention at the sight of the Allfather.

Loki-Odin looks from the guards back to the body on the floor, except - there is no body on the floor. In fact, there's no mortal standing beside him either. Darcy and Odin are gone. He looks back at the guards. Their gazes clearly begin to wander about the trashed room. Loki-Odin's words are pointed and biting when he says, "Something I can do for you, gentlemen?"

The guards' eyes all quickly snap back to Odin. The one slightly in front stammers, "Uhh no, Sir. Is everything alright?"

"I've just lost my son. Of course, everything isn't alright." His eyes flash dangerously, a clear mix of grief and rage.

The guard's faces turn to that of staggering disbelief. "Sir? What tragedy has befallen Thor?"

"Absolutely nothing, you fools! I do have more than one sone!" Loki-Odin erupts in anger. As the guards begin to look even more fearful upon realizing their mistake, Loki-Odin slowly pulls himself together. "Had." His voice is much softer now. "I had more than one son." The guards stand as speechless statues, unsure of what to do or say. "Perhaps it would be best if you boys continue on your way now."

"Yes, Sir." The guards jump at the chance to leave and hasten back out the same door they entered through.

Once the sound of hurried footsteps had completely gone, Loki turns back to look at the empty floor - only now the floor isn't empty. Now he stares down at the body of the real Odin with a pasty mortal woman gripping tightly to his arm.

"I panicked!"

Loki lets out a relieved laugh and actually smiles. "Never did I think teaching a mortal a simple magic trick would come in handy so." He held out his hand to assist Darcy back to her feet. "Now, we just have to figure out what to do with him."

"I guess wake him up and let's get out of here isn't an option?"

"No, I should say not. You heard him before, and there's certainly no way he'd let us go now." Loki sighs. 'No, we have to find a way to keep him quiet and out of the way, at least for the time being."

"So you wanna like lock him in the dungeon? Isn't that exactly what he just wanted to do to us?"

"Well, it isn't my first choice. Far too much chance of someone helping him escape. But I've yet to see any better alternatives?"

"I dunno. Don't you have some kind of Asgardian old folks' home you could let him stay in or something?

"A what?"

"Guess not. Then what about an Earth one?"

Loki shakes his head in frustration. "An Earth what?"

"Oh, right. Old folks' home, or I guess I should say retirement home maybe."

"Retirement. You want me to "retire" the Allfather? I thought we already established I wasn't killing him." Loki frowns at her, disapproving and a little hurt.

"No, I didn't mean that kind of retire!" Darcy looks even more shocked and hurt than Loki. "I meant... On Earth, we have these big houses where some people go to live when they get older. And there are people who work there who help look out for them and stuff. I don't know how they would feel about having to deal with a god and magic stuff though."

"That is so ridiculous... I think it just might work."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. I could contain his magic and block his memories. He won't know he isn't like any of the other people in there, and no one else has to know either."

"Great. So, we figured it out. We can pick out a nice retirement home for your dad, you'll take care of things up here until you come up with a real plan, and I'll find Jane and make sure she hasn't gotten herself into too much trouble without me. What could go wrong? We got this!"