Loki was flanked by the entirety of Odin's royal guard. He was shackled in runed chains. The muzzle had been removed and he was dressed for a proper audience with the king. Thor held up his hand.
"Hold here. There is evidence to present to my father. I will summon you when it is time for judgment."
Thor pushed the doors to the throne room open and walked confidently up to his mother who stood at the foot of the throne of Asgard. He stood under the beautiful ceiling painting of Thor, Loki and Odin bringing peace to the nine realms. Frigga looked upset. Thor bowed his head and held up the cell phone provided by Gwen.
"One of the Defenders of Midgard requested I present evidence on her behalf. She provided this if I gave my oath that it would be kept in confidence by you."
Odin looked down at Thor.
"The testimony of a human. Why should we heed it? Is she a person of note? Defender of Midgard? Speak of this witness before I determine if I should even watch this testimony."
Thor folded his hands behind his back after handing the phone to his mother.
"She fought Loki by my side. She was able to wield Mjolnir."
Odin leaned forward. His interest was piqued now.
"A human woman was found worthy of your hammer. I must meet her and take my measure of her with my own eye. If she truly wishes to provide testimony, then summon her."
Thor looked at the marble floor.
"I do not know where to find her, All-father. She keeps her identity hidden by a mask."
Odin stood.
"Then who delivered this evidence to you, my son."
"A friend of hers, a human child."
Odin pointed to the throne room doors.
"You will seek out this human child and you will return with her to Asgard. I will seek the truth of this."
Thor was about to disagree, but Frigga beat him too it.
"Husband, perhaps let me view this… evidence and determine if it is necessary to pull a human child away from their parents."
Odin sat down and nodded. Frigga wandered off. She returned several minutes later she had a new hope in her eyes.
"You should bring Gwen Stacy here. She can verify much of the information we need. She offered as such in her message."
Thor bowed his head and walked off. Odin tapped his fingers on the armrests of his throne and looked down at Frigga.
"I sense the testimony bodes well for our lost son."
"Yes Husband, I implore you to listen to her, and consider her testimony. She has made a very good case on this device."
Gwen was leaning on her mother's gravestone telling her all about the Avengers and how she'd help save the world. When she saw a flash of light in the parking lot. She was quite surprised to see Thor striding towards her.
"Gwen, Odin requests your presence."
She patted her mother's gravestone.
"I'll finish later, mother."
Thor looked at the stone.
"Your mother has passed."
Gwen nodded.
"Last year, but you're not here to talk about that. Let's go."
Thor smiled at her.
"You have an adventurous heart! I ask you to travel to another world and you don't ask questions, you just say let's go."
She took his hand, and they stood on the rune formed by the bifrost. Thor looked up and called out.
"Heimdall!"
Gwen winced as a beam of light engulfed her and suddenly, she was standing before a very tall man with golden eyes and a massive sword which he just pulled out of a strange device she had no description for. She looked down at herself then up at Thor.
"Uh, is an Iron Maiden T-shirt and a pair of black leggings really… uh what I should be wearing?"
Thor laughed.
"Come. I am sure we can find you something appropriate."
The man with golden eyes nodded at Gwen. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like he could see right through her. Thor escorted her to Odin's castle and to a room that looked very much like it may be a woman's. They met a beautiful older woman with auburn hair, blue eyes and flawless skin. She looked Gwen up and down. She looked at Thor.
"You may leave us son."
Frigga smiled and motioned to a servant. They spoke in hushed tones. She returned several minutes later. Gwen blinked a few times when she realized the servant was carrying armor that seemed to be made of platinum. Frigga motioned towards Gwen.
"Sirin will help you into your armor."
Gwen stammered.
"Majesty? Not a dress?"
Frigga shook her head.
"No, you are a legendary warrior, a Defender of Midgard, and you will dress as such when you have your audience with Odin."
Gwen shrugged and thought when in Rome. She pulled off her Chucks, leggings and T-shirt. Sirin helped her into the gleaming armor. A rich bloodred cape was hooked under the shoulder plates. Finally, Frigga slid a silvery sword into a sheath and offered it to Gwen. When Gwen failed to hook it to her belt properly. Frigga smiled warmly and assisted her. The Queen of Asgard looked Gwen over. Sirin was fussing with Gwen's hair styling it into an Asgardian war braid. Frigga motioned for Gwen to turn around.
"Perfect."
Frigga motioned for Gwen to follow her, and the pair entered the throne room from a side antechamber. Oden's one good eye fixated on Gwen. He looked at her appraisingly while stroking the bottom of his very full grey beard. Thor was waiting patiently and did a double take when he saw the choice his mother had made for Gwen. Odin motioned to Thor.
"Place your hammer at the foot of the stairs here."
Thor looked hesitant but he put Mjolnir down as requested. Oden motioned to his guard and Thor.
"Leave us, seal the doors, no one is to hear what is spoken here."
His guard rushed to do as they were ordered. Thor gave a last longing look at his hammer. After the doors were sealed, Odin walked down from his throne and looked Gwen over.
"You are young. Yet my son says you are a Defender of Midgard."
Gwen blushed under the scrutiny.
"Your son does not know I am Spider-Woman. Just that I am her friend."
Odin nodded.
"You do not seek glory, what is it you seek, Gwen Stacy, Defender of Midgard?"
Gwen bit her lower lip, how the hell was she supposed to answer that? Damned if she knew what she wanted half the time.
"My friend said it best. I wear the mask and help people because it brings hope. I defend the defenseless because I have the power to do so. With great power, comes a duty to use that power responsibly?"
Odin looked down at her.
"Are you asking me, or are you telling me?"
Gwen blinked a few times and motioned to where she'd seen Loki waiting outside.
"I just came to talk about Loki."
Odin slammed the end of his spear into the ground.
"And I wish to ask about you, who thinks she can speak to Asgardian justice. You are but a child, even by human standards."
Gwen narrowed her eyes.
"I fight because I can, and others cannot. I could lord my power over others like you do, but I don't because I believe I shouldn't abuse the gifts I was given!"
Frigga's lips parted in a smile. Odin pointed to Mjolnir.
"Lift it and call on the power of Thor. If you are worthy as everyone claims you are, I will hear your testimony, Defender of Midgard."
Gwen leaned down and wrapped her fingers around Mjolnir's handle. She had no doubt she could lift it and wield it. She held it over her head. Lightning crashed into it and her armor shifted to look similar to Thor's, her blonde/pink hair extended and became fully blonde falling to her waist a few parts of her she wanted to fill in filled in. She put it back down and the changes faded. Odin looked at Frigga and gave her a small nod. Odin walked up his dais and sat back down on his throne.
"You have proven your worthiness to stand before the court of Asgard. Speak your truth, I will listen."
Gwen stepped forward.
"When I first met Loki, I punched him in the face. Then the second time I met him, I hit him with Mjolnir twice. I swore the next time I saw him I would put an end to him."
Odin leaned forward.
"Yet you come here to speak on his behalf. You are doing a poor job of it, Gwen Stacy."
Gwen nodded.
"I hated him. I wanted him dead. He was trying to take over my world. He was arrogant, talked too much and frankly he was an asshole."
Odin gave a small chuckle.
"You have described my son very well, now, what do you have to say in his defense?"
Gwen tapped her wrist and brought up the holo-display. She brought up the video of the Avengers near the mind stone, which was still trapped in the staff. She showed as they descended into bickering and it almost led to violence.
"Loki has informed me that the staff holds an infinity stone called the mind stone. An hour with it, my teammates were ready to kill each other. Loki had it for days on Earth… I'm sorry Midgard and who knows how long before he arrived. He was not himself. On Midgard we would call that temporary insanity and it would mean some lenience in the punishment due to the extenuating circumstances."
Odin remained leaning forward.
"You risk much by telling us your secret identity. We could inform Thor, who could inform Midgard's authorities. Why would you do this for a man you proport to hate so much? Has he somehow enchanted you?"
Gwen shook her head.
"No, Majesty, All-Father? Odin?"
Odin motioned with his hand.
"Odin is fine, now, continue."
"Last night, I was finishing my band rehearsal, I was pulled off to talk to Loki again, I wanted food, I wanted sleep, I definitely did not want to deal with his smug arrogant ass again, but I did. I did it because it was the right thing to do. My government wanted answers and I was the only one he would speak too. Because he wants me to be his Queen?"
She held up her hands.
"Don't worry, never going to happen. I threw insults at him; He kept his annoying cool, calm and collected exterior. Then we started talking about infinity stones, then our parents umm, I'll just leave the details out. Then we watched a few episodes of TV together. It wasn't Loki, and it wasn't Spider-Woman, it was just two people who have challenging relationships with their parents talking. I saw the real him, as much as he tried to hide it. So, I decided that if I did not speak up about the mind stone and the evidence I'd seen, I would be punishing him for something that wasn't entirely under his control. Now I'm not saying he is innocent, hell no. Hundreds of people died, and he chose to take that staff from Thanos. There were bad choices made of his own volition but if you punish him severely, you're just going to make him more the person you don't want him to be. I'm pretty sure he still wants to usurp your throne. I'm just saying, maybe being less I am the all-father and you shall heed me, you should be more, I'm your father and I love you. I wish things were different between us. If my father could bring himself to say that our relationship would be so much better off."
Odin leaned back wrapping his fingers over the edge of his throne.
"You would deem to tell me how to behave?"
Gwen nodded.
"I'm sorry, if someone's acting like an idiot, I'm going to call them on it. Especially when it is destroying their relationship with a son who desperately wants their approval."
Odin looked at Frigga.
"I see much of your younger self in this one wife. Brash, unfiltered, and wise beyond her years. Perhaps that is why Loki has taken a liking to her."
He looked at Gwen.
"I have heard your words. Now go, tell them to bring my son in."
Loki stood before Odin once again still in chains. Odin sighed heavily as he looked over the boy, he'd taken in so many centuries ago. Odin had sent everyone else away.
"My son, everywhere you go you spread discord and destruction. By all rights I should have…"
Loki stepped forward.
"Left me to what Father? Die?"
Odin sighed.
"You have furthered the cause of Chaos and started a chain of events you cannot comprehend. I was going to cast you into the dungeon and forbid your mother from visiting you for the rest of your natural life, but the Defender of Midgard you convinced to aid you spoke of mercy."
Loki shook his head.
"Human? What are you talking about? The child? She knows nothing, leave her out of this."
Odin laughed.
"So, you would suffer out of sight of all you love and care about to protect a human from me? How misguided you are. And for the first time in many centuries how proud I am of you."
Odin shook his head.
"You are too late with your protests. Thor has already retrieved her, and she has already spoken on your behalf. So, you did not manipulate her into speaking on your behalf?"
Loki frowned.
"No father. I hoped to keep her out of your sight. Foolish girl. Why would she? Why would she endure your interrogation?"
Odin walked down the stairs from his throne.
"Because she has a noble spirit. I hope you take her actions to heart, son. She spoke her truth, she was not wrong, there needs to be a reckoning for your actions. She is also quite correct that the punishment should be tempered with mercy. You will be sent to the dungeons. Your mother will be permitted to visit you as she wishes. You may request your human friend to visit you from time to time as she offered. This is not for life, but it will be until I deem you fit to travel the nine realms, or your brother does in my stead."
Loki frowned.
"And what of the throne? You're going to give it to the oaf?"
Odin waved his hand dismissively.
"Why are you so obsessed with sitting on the throne of Asgard? Do you not see? You are no king. No ruler, yet a human who admitted to wanting you dead spoke passionately on your behalf. You do not need a throne. That is how you earn loyalty. The throne is a gilded cage. Do you really want to be responsible for the fate of the nine realms? You who would rather study magic with your mother then make war."
Odin turned and put his hand on Loki's cheek.
"I am sorry things are the way they are son."
He motioned for the guards. Loki was led to Gwen who waited by the stairs down to the dungeon. She looked him up and down.
"Sorry, I tried."
Loki nodded to her and lifted his hands. He took her hand in his.
"Thank you, but you should not have come here. Odin is not to be trifled with and lifting Mjolnir may bring you attention you do not want."
Gwen shrugged.
"I do a lot of stuff I shouldn't. I guess you and I have a lot in common. I'll come if you ask. But I'm sure you have better people to talk to though."
Loki smirked.
"If I do, I have not met them yet."
He was led down the stairs into the dungeons below. Gwen looked around not sure what to do with herself. Frigga appeared from a side chamber. She put her arm around Gwen's lower back.
"Child, I want to thank you for speaking on Loki's behalf. Odin can be unforgiving. I know it is because of you, I will be able to see my son. I am eternally thankful."
Gwen smiled.
"Please take care of him. I don't really know him super well, but he just seems so… I don't know, sad. Like he needs someone to show him how to love himself."
"If only it were that easy to learn to love oneself, child. Come, let's get you some food, and a place to sleep. You look far too tired to be travelling through the bifrost. Thor tells me you have lost your mother to violence. Tell me of her? I would know of the woman who raised such a strong young woman."
Gwen sighed. She was going to miss yet another band practice. How would she chalk this one up? Sorry girls, a Goddess asked me to dinner, what was I supposed to do, say no?