A/N: I am so so sorry for the wait! Life has been super busy.
Thor took off as soon as Bœth collapsed, nearly running into Sif who was waiting for him outside the throne room . He stopped, and in a rush, said,
"Sif! Get the Warriors Three and Jane and meet me at the training grounds." He raced off, calling Mjölnir, though it did not come. He still wasn't worthy. He slipped into Loki's room, beelining for the trunk that had their childhood things. It was shoved in the corner and had a concealer spell over it, but Thor had spent many long hours in Loki's room after his attempted suicide. He dug around until he found what he was looking for; his invisibility cloak. While he could easily cast the spell himself, Loki had always treasured the cloak, especially after Amora was banished.
He threw the cloak over himself, hunching over to cover himself. Any seidr master worth their salt would see through it, but the Einherjar were hardly trained in basic seidr. He took off towards where Asgard kept their back-up ships and skiffs, quietly slipping past the guards. He powered the skiff up, hoping the engines were quiet enough for the guards not to notice.
The skiff dropped into the tunnel that ended up near the training yard and the torches lit up as soon as the floor closed again. He picked up speed, not wanting to go too fast, but also in a hurry. The torches died as he went past, the ones ahead lighting up to replace them. It wasn't long before he came out of the hidden cave mouth about 200ft from the training grounds. As soon as Sif saw him, she, Fandral and Volstagg, who was carrying a nearly passed out Jane, ran towards him. He now remembered that Hogunn was on Vanaheim.
As soon as they were in, Thor sped off to the hidden pathway Loki had taken them through last time, praying it was the right one.
"I never thought you would actually try to challenge my weight, old friend." Guilt and shame washed over him at Volstagg's comment, though he knew he meant well. He wouldn't lose again. He didn't know what he would do if he did.
The sound of warning shots drew him from his thoughts. He glanced back, a pair of Asgardian skiffs fitted with blasters chasing them. Just like last time. They careened around the corner, dodging fire as they raced towards the cliff.
"Thor, that's a cliff! Has age made you mad?!" "Are you mad?" "Perhaps."
"You've followed me to Jotunheim, I was more mad then than I am now." This didn't seem to calm his comrades, nor his own racing heart. Still, he accelerated, wishing he had Loki instead. He squeezed his eyes shut, opening them when the desert air of Svartalfheim hit him. He heard sighs of relief behind him and he forced his own racing heartbeat to slow.
They climbed up the hill, crouching low when they saw Malekith and the other Dark Elves. Kurse was holding both Loki and his other self in a kneeling position Malekith and about ten other Dark Elves were standing nearby. Their ship was a good 500ft away.
"Sif, Fandral and Volstagg; you three need to go around and dismantle the shuttle. I will take Jane and deal with Malekith and the Kursed."
"With all due respect, but can you handle the Kursed?" Fandral asked.
"Out of everyone here, I'm the only one who has fought the Kursed and Malekith." He replied evenly.
"That's not quite what I meant, but I trust you, no matter what timeline you're from." With that, they went separate ways, Thor supporting most of Janes weight. He made it down the hill much smoother this time.
"Malekith! I have what you want." Jane, Loki and his other self looked at him incredulously.
"Release the Asgardians and you will have the Aether!" Malekith and the Kursed conversed in their native language before Malekith shook his head.
"You are a foolish boy. It will not matter if I release them, for your universe will be made anew and you will all perish."
"Release them Now." He quelled the lightning fighting to be let loose. Not yet. Malekith nodded, and Kurse released his (it's?) hold on his brother and other self. His other self rushed towards Jane, but a blast of energy from Loki hit him aside. Loki nodded minutely in his direction and Thor inwardly thanked the Allfathers that his brother gauged the situation correctly.
By the time the other Thor recovered, Jane was already suspended in the air, the Aether leaving her body. Praying his plan would work, Thor waited for the Aether to go into Malekith's body before calling on the lightning. He blasted it at the Dark Elf, all the pain and anger from the past decade powering it. The Kurse slapped him aside, his heavy steps coming towards where his body had landed.
He got up, using his lightning to launch into the air, he focused it on the Kurse during his descent. He saw that Loki and the other Thor were making quick work of the Svartalf soldiers while Malekith made his way to the ship. He saw Loki push Jane out of the way of the Dark Matter grenade. However, unlike last time, Thor did not have Mjölnir to push Loki out of the way.
Without much thought, he redirected the lightning towards his brother, blasting him out of the way and praying it didn't kill him. Loki had been through worse, a dark voice in his head said. He thudded to the ground and Kurse started pummeling him. It was the third worst physical pain he had experienced in his life. The Power stone against his temple and taking the full brunt of Nidavellir being the two worse.
Much like last time, he wasn't sure how long he had been pummeled before a blade pierced the Kursed's chest. It turned to reveal his brother had stabbed it. Refusing to let history repeat itself, Thor launched himself at Loki, tackling him to the ground before he got impaled. A moment later, the Kursed was killed by the Dark Matter grenade. One problem down, one more to go.
The others were still fighting Malekith, though it wasn't going well. Swords and axes didn't hold much of a chance against an Infinity Stone. He and Loki rushed over to join the fray, Thor using his lightning and Loki using his seidr. Nothing worked. Thor cursed inwardly. Malekith needed to be dead before the Convergence started.
Energy crackled behind him and he turned to see the Bifrost bringing about a dozen einherjar and his mother. A wall of gold erupted, passing them, but knocking Malekith several feet back. She and the einherjar surged forward. They all attacked with renewed energy, still not able to land a blow against the Aether.
Frigga and Loki both attacked with their seidr, gold and green entwining as they blasted against the Aether. Above them, the worlds started to align. Frigga summoned an enchanted blade, which glowed gold with power. She swung it in a wide arc, feinting at the last minute. It phased as it hit the Aether, striking true. Malekith's head rolled off before the Aether tore the body apart. It collapsed into itself, much like the Dark Matter grenades. The only thing left was a red stone.
Thor looked over at his comrades and his family, not surprised to see most everyone panting. Though the battle hadn't been particularly long, fighting against an Infinity Stone always felt like an eternity. Jane crept from where she had been crouching several yards away. Then she broke into a run and practically leapt into the other Thor's arms.
Everyone was congratulating and thanking the Queen, but Loki crept away. Thor followed, glad that the attention was on his other self and mother. His brother continued walking until they could not hear the others, then he stopped and turned to face him.
"Why did you push me aside after I impaled the beast?" Thor looked down.
"When you did that last time, the Kurse turned and impaled you with the very blade that pierced it's chest. It's why I thought you were dead for a second time."
"Oh." They stood in silence for a while, before Sif came over.
"We need to return to Asgard. The Allfather and Allmother never finished their meeting with you two, and now we need to figure out what to do with the Aether stone, as well as the other Dark Elves."
"Reality stone." Thor corrected automatically.
Loki shot him a slightly surprised glance. Sif didn't appear phased. She didn't know all of the problems the stones would cause.
"Alright." The three of them walked back towards the group, where the Bifrost transported them back to Asgard.
After the long walk to Valaskjalf, Thor found himself at the same table that he had been at mere hours earlier.
"Tidsreisende, please tell us what you agreed to explain."
"As everyone knows, I am from the future. A future in which every single person here is dead, or in my case; gone. Asgard is gone. I am here to stop all of that from happening. However, to do that, we must understand what we will be facing." He held his gaze on Odin evenly, silently implying for him to take over.
"This Thor is correct." Odin turned to his sons.
"I have a daughter, named Hela. I raised her on war and conquest and her bloodlust exceeded even Thor at his worst. When you were born,-" he gestured towards the other Thor, "- I was reminded of the innocence of a child. I pleaded with her to stop, but she did not want to. She tried to kill you-" again, he gestured at the other Thor, "- and then hid in Jötunheim. She, like Loki, knew the pathways between worlds and could hide herself from Heimdall. When I finally found her, she was with child. Never had I though that she could love, especially a Jötun. I felt betrayed, so I let some Jötnar into Midgard and killed them all. Hela and Laufey responded how I expected; they declared war. It was, as you both know, a long and bloody war. We only managed to push the Jötnar back to Jötunheim when Hela pulled out due to the child she carried. After I secured the Casket of Ancient Winters, I froze the pathway between Jötunheim and Midgard. Hela followed me. She had left her son with his father. It was her, not Laufey who took my eye. That is why it was impossible to heal; she was a necromancer. Finally, I banished her to Helheim, with the help of the Valkyrie. While she slaughtered them, I closed the portal. I then returned to Jötunheim and stole the boy from his father." Odin paused momentarily and Thor heard his brother murmur,
"Laufey's son."
"Yes. I gave Loki to Frigga before heading off to Muspelheim. Surtur was still quite angry that I had taken majority of his power, so he took my offer to fulfill Ragnarok after I died almost immediately. He was the only being I could think of who could destroy Hela. When I returned, I cast a spell to ensure nobody remembered Hela had ever existed."
"That is why you called me your blood." Loki spoke, causing everyone to look in his direction.
"Yes. You are, biologically, Thor's nephew."
"Hela is not the only coming threat." This time he sent a pointed look in Loki's direction, and his brother shook his head minutely, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Thanos, the Mad Titan, lives. He seeks all six Infinity Stones in order to wipe out half of all life. He succeeded in my timeline; that's why I'm here. The Avengers and I came back in time in order to undo what had been done. To use the Infinity Stones to bring back the lives that had been lost. We must prepare. We should move the Mind stone to somewhere such as Vanaheim, it only causes problems on Earth. We should also consider giving the Reality stone to Jötunheim-"
"I beg your pardon?"
"We should WHAT?!" and
"Have you lost your bloody mind boy?!" Came from Loki, other Thor and Odin, respectively.
"Nobody would suspect to find a stone there, and they could use it to rebuild their planet. We did kill their king and destroy a large portion with the Bifrost, not to mention the ruins it's been in since the war and the soldiers I killed on the day of my failed coronation. We can have them blood-swear not to tell others of the stone and not use it for malicious intents." The other Thor nodded in agreement.
"The tidsreisende makes a fair point." Odin also seemed to consider it.
"I have made many mistakes. Treating the Jötnar as I have is one of them. However, I cannot trust the bitterness and anger of the enemy. Still, a blood-swear would give us some security. We can have Heimdall keep a close eye on them." Loki, on the other hand, was not giving it a second thought.
"NO!" He slammed his fist into the table. A slightly crazed look had come over his brother.
"We cannot trust those monsters with an Infinity Stone!" His brother stood, bursts of energy sparking at his fingertips. Frigga also stood.
"Loki, calm yourself." There was a hint of seidr in her voice, but it didn't work. If anything, Loki grew more agitated.
"How could you even consider trusting an Infinity stone to to those monsters?! Do you know what kind of damage that beasts like them could do with that kind of power?!" His brother was nearly hyperventilating, and he was shaking, muttering to himself. Bursts of green shot out, ricocheting of the table.
"Loki, calm down." The seidr in his mothers voice was stronger now, but it still didn't work.
"No. Can't you all see?! They're monsters. They cannot have power! It's too dangerous!" Now he backed up and started pacing.
"Loki, Sleep." This time it wasn't laced with seidr, it was an outright command. His brother fell ungracefully and Thor barely caught him before he hit the ground.
"Thor, Tidsreisende go ahead and take your brother to the healing chambers. Eir should keep an eye on him. We all know from experience what Loki does to himself in this frame of mind." Both Thors got up and carried Loki down to the healing chambers.
"What happens to us?" Other Thor nodded at Loki's body, which was slung over his shoulder. Thor knew what he meant, that year had been a very unsure one. The first time Loki had committed suicide, the following year went by in a blur. He wasn't hungry, he didn't want to fight or go to feasts. He physically hurt. There were several instances where he had thought of copying his brother. He was guilty and confused. It was his fault that Loki had found out he was Jötun. It was his fault that he didn't protect his brother better.
He was confused as to how Loki could do such a thing, but eventually he realized that Loki had only wanted to prove his own worth. The outburst today mirrored that. He still thought the Jötnar monsters, including himself. Then Loki had attacked Earth and Thor didn't understand. He thought the brother he knew was gone forever, so he distanced himself for the following year. Then Loki died again, or so he thought.
When he found out he was alive, he was furious. Not because his brother was alive, not even because he took the throne and banished Odin. He was furious because Loki had put him through that, again. When Thanos came, he gave up, because he had lost everything. If someone loses a spouse, they are called a widow. If someone loses their parents, they are called an orphan. Losing a sibling was one of the worst pains out there. Going through it three times was just too much. When Thanos snapped, he put countless people through that pain. So he gave up. He gave up caring. He gave up on himself.
"There is much pain in the future. Pain that you will not have to face. I will make sure of that." Even if I'm too late to protect my brother from the pain of meeting the titan for the first time and learning of his origins.
They reached the Healing chambers and left Loki with Eir.
"He looks so peaceful in sleep. I don't even know the last time I saw him so relaxed." Thor nodded in agreement. His brother was always guarded, thus seeing him like this was rare. Especially at this point in time. After Ragnarok, right before Thanos, Loki had told him most everything.
"Come, we need to go back and discuss what to do with the Dark Elves, as well Loki." They both cast one last glance at their brother before making their way back to the throne room in silence.
When they sat down, the other Thor started talking.
"I think we should give the remaining Dark Elves a chance to live out their lives on Svartalfheim. Malekith would have been a fool if he did not leave some behind to fulfill his goal if he failed. With Malekith and the Kursed gone, the rest could stay on Svartalfheim. Afterall, Loki was condemned for trying to wipe out Jötunheim , it would be hypocritical to wipe out the Svartalf race." Thor's blood boiled, but he realized his other self was right. Offering the remaining Svartalf people refuge was no more insane than leaving the Reality stone on Jötunheim. Still, the memories of Kurse running his mother and brother through replayed in his mind. But the Kursed is dead.
Odin simply bowed his head in shame.
"You will make a much better king than I. You have matured much, and, I do believe you are ready." The other Thor was already shaking his head.
"No, father. I would rather be a great man than a good king. Besides, the throne is much better suited for Loki, if only he would get better in the mind. I know not if that will ever happen, but I would like to wait and see." Odin and Frigga turned towards Thor.
"Well? Was Loki fit to be king in the future where you are from?"
"He was. He ruled for four years before he gave his life to save mine." His voice cracked slightly at the end, but he remained calm.
"Then we will wait and see. For now, this meeting is adjourned. Tidsreisende, we will prepare a room for you." With that, they got up to leave, when Eir burst through the doors, breathless.
"Your majesty's, I request that you come see Loki right away."
"Is he hurt?" Thor asked.
"Right now, no. However, we did a check up and the Soul Forge showed that his seidr was fractured. It requires high physical and mental distress at the same time to fracture one's seidr. Given that there is an entire year of time unaccounted for, I suspected that that it became fractured at that time. A skin scan pointed out that the prince is covered in scars. I am quite certain that the prince was tortured. I request you be there when he wakes and also to review the scars. There is a message on his back, though it is in a language that is foreign to me."
"Child of Thanos." Everyone's head snapped in his direction, making him realize that he had spoken aloud. He shifted uncomfortably.
"That's who sent Loki to Earth. I didn't mention it earlier because I didn't want to betray Loki's trust. It is for him to tell, not I." Everyone looked as if they had been slapped. Finally, Odin spoke softly,
"But why? Why would he willingly go to prison instead of telling us the truth?"
"Why didn't you tell him about his origins? We was trying to protect us. Besides, would you have believed him?" The other Thor hung his head in shame.
"Perhaps he would open up to you, mother. He couldn't last time."
"Yes, I will stay with him until he wakes." The women left, and Odin asked,
"Did you omit anything else?"
"A Valkyrie lives. On a planet called Sakaar."
"Very well. You shall go find this Valkyrie, Thor shall track down the rest of the Dark Elves, and I will go to Jötunheim." With that, Thor was left alone. He had no idea how Val would respond to seeing him. He could guess, but none were preferable. Still, it would be good to see her.
A/N: I know this chapter is longer than usual, consider it a gift for waiting eight months. Who caught the references? There were a few. This chapter didn't quite turn out the way I had originally planned, but that's my fault for letting it go un updated for so long.
Translations: Tidsreisende is time traveler in Norwegian.
I hope you enjoyed it, I'll update Live and in Person next. Have a great day/night. Thanks for reading!