Just to note, this will mostly be from Thor and Loki's POV. We'll return to our scheduled MC next chapter
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With a sense of urgency driving him, Thor stormed into his father's grand throne room. The sound of his heavy boots echoed off the walls and marble floors as he called out to Odin.
"Father!" Thor gasped, coming to a stop before the imposing figure of his father seated upon his golden throne. The King of Asgard's face was stern and solemn, his one eye piercing through the crown prince with a penetrating gaze.
"Thor, I see that you've finally come to your senses regarding what you are responsible for, about what your choice should be." Odin spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
Thor shook his head, determination etched on his face. "No, Father," he spoke firmly, "I still stand by my decision to aid Midgard, by my choosing of it. Especially now more than ever, when it has become even more of my responsibility. Moreso considering that the affairs of Asgard have been the cause of its latest strife."
Odin raised a single eyebrow, curious at his son's words. "Explain yourself, Thor. As far as I am aware, the only interference from Asgard has been by your hand."
"Loki has escaped the Isles of Silence and has spread his mischief to cause chaos amongst the mortals of Midgard." Thor's voice held a hint of frustration.
Odin was silent for a moment, his face impassive. Then, his face twisted into a furious scowl, "How is this possible, when I myself enchanted the prison with magic beyond that of Loki's abilities?"
"Apparently, the Enchantress had freed Loki from his prison and is aiding him with his scheme," Thor explained. "They have unleashed dangerous villains upon Midgard as a distraction while they plot against the rest of the Nine Realms."
"Is that so, Thor?" Odin asked inquisitively, "And how did you come about this knowledge?"
"From the words of a mortal who was wrongly imprisoned among the villains," Thor replied grimly. "He happened to overhear the plots of those working for Loki and Amora and shared them with me."
While looking greatly concerned, Odin remained skeptical. "While this news is of great concern should it prove true, you must understand that I cannot simply trust the words of a mere mortal. But I cannot ignore this either." Odin said, before gazing afar, "Heimdall, use your all-seeing gaze upon the Isles of Silence and report back."
"I see that Loki is still sulking within the Isles. He has yet to escape from your magic, All-Father." Heimdall's voice boomed through the room. "However, it may be an illusion of his. If any could deceive my sight, it would be Loki."
"Then we must confirm for ourselves," Odin stated firmly as he stood from his throne. Raising his powerful spear, Gungnir, he channeled the power of the Odinforce to bring forth Loki from his exile.
Nothing had happened.
"He still remains despite your summons, All-Father. And shows no active signs of resisting either, or any kind of strain. This is undoubtedly an illusion." Heimdall declared with unwavering certainty.
A furrow deepened on Odin's brow as he realized his magic failed in retrieving Loki. The trickster had truly eluded him. Suspicion flashed in Odin's narrowed eyes, and a revelation dawned upon him.
"Since I wouldn't have expected anyone to dare defy me in freeing him, that illusion may have been enough to convince us that he had remained stranded should I have had Heimdall gaze upon him. But knowing that the Enchantress is involved, she must have freed him from the Isles of Silence, and far too quickly for my liking. This must've been planned." Odin mused to himself before turning to address Thor, "Yes. The attack on Asgard with the Frost Giants was meant to fail, and he intended to be banished. With him thought to be trapped in exile, Loki would've been free to act beneath our notice. And with you needlessly occupied with Midgard, they would've been free to go about and conquer the Nine Realms without you there to stop them while I would be under the Odinsleep."
"That he would not only just attack Asgard, but to do so only as a means of distraction! And to further spread chaos to Midgard as well!" Thor seethed, his fist clenched tight as he fought the urge to smash the walls.
"It pleases me to hear that you are still concerned for your home despite your neglect of it in favor of Midgard." Odin said pointedly.
Suddenly, a second revelation struck Odin. Ignoring Thor's impending protest his claim, Odin urgently instructed, "Heimdall, where is Balder now!? Send him to me at once!"
"Why summon Balder, Father? For what need do you have of him?" Thor inquired, his confusion evident.
"He is the sole Asgardian besides yourself to have ventured to Midgard as of late." Odin replied sternly.
"Yes, to report to you about my every action." Thor retorted, still displeased with his father's constant overlooking of him.
"Balder has been painting a worrisome picture of you lately. And though I can see some truth in it, it has only driven you further from Asgard and myself." Odin continued, unfazed by his son's protests.
"That makes no sense," Thor argued, "The last time I spoke with Balder, he was encouraging me to return to Asgard. And though he may not have agreed with my actions, he accepted my decision. He would not speak to you like this unless...!"
Suddenly, the gates to the throne room swung open, and in stepped Balder. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of an angry All-Father and Odinson, his sight lingering on the former for a moment longer before shifting back to the latter.
"All-Father, Heimdall said you had urgent need of me?" he asked cautiously, for clearly the sight of such powerful beings in such a state would leave most wary.
Odin's gaze burned with parental anger as he stared at Balder. "Yes, we have quite the need for you. It seems that I may have been far too lenient with my son." he said calmly, though it could be felt by the two other occupants that it was merely a calm before the storm.
Upon seeing the look of anger on Thor's face, Balder only gave a hapless smile, "Forgive me Thor, I was only reporting to Odin as I should. After all, I still have a duty to Asgard."
That smile only served to further sour Thor's mood further, while Odin remained as stoic as ever.
"As do I, my son." Odin nodded at the words in agreement, "For your time away from Asgard could have brought great ruin to it. I see now that I was far too lenient in allowing you to go where you pleased." His disappointment was evident in his tone as he seemed to be chastising his son.
"The Isles of Silence was clearly too lenient for you, my son."
With those scathing words, Loki's face fell into utter disbelief as he had realized just who the All-Father had been truly speaking to.
-XXX-
How?!
How could it have gone so wrong so quickly?!
The plan was foolproof!
His invasion of Asgard failed just as he had expected it to. As if he would actually try to invade Asgard while Odin was still awake, near his Odinsleep he may be, the All-Father was still far too powerful to take lightly. But of course, Asgard, the land of foolish warriors, merely accepted this at face value and put no further thought into it once he was captured.
And once banished to the Isles of Silence, that should've been it. Odin, in his arrogance, would've thought the matter resolved and looked no further, while Thor would be far too distracted with Midgard and that wrench Jane Foster to pay him any notice. And with him driving a wedge between the two, through his disguise as the half blooded brother and son that Asgard accepted, Balder, that should've kept Thor far away from Asgard.
And for a while, it had gone that way. Odin was nearing the Odinsleep closer and closer as the days went on and with the massive release of mortal villains on Midgard, Thor would be dedicating his every effort into protecting those pathetic and miserable mortals.
So why the Hel was Thor back on Asgard!?
There was no conceivable way that Thor of all people would have figured out his scheme. He was far too much of a muscle headed, nobly naive, fool to ever do such a thing. The most complex thought that Thor should be having is fumbling over how to woo that Midgardian woman.
And Odin was far too blind to realize the aims of his schemes until it was too late. For despite the wisdom that the All-Father had gained throughout his lifetime, he was far too arrogant and self-assured in his own power. Believing that if he himself banished Loki away, then it would be inconceivable for him to escape, or for others to go against him and free him from his punishment.
No, it couldn't possibly be that Thor or Odin came to this on their own. Not unless…
The Enchantress.
It could only be because of her that his plan had failed so spectacularly. After all, she and that brute, more mindless than Thor, were the only ones to even know of his plan. And while he had interacted with some mortals on Midgard, he was disguised and none of the 'Wrecking Crew' had an iota of magical potential to ever hope to see past the most infantile of magics, let alone one casted by the God of Mischief!
But how could she fail so utterly!? While she wasn't as clever as he in the art of Mischief, she was one of the most powerful sorceresses in all of the Realms, her magic should've been more than enough to see her role in his plan through to completion! There couldn't possibly be room for error with her! But, she was hopelessly infatuated with... Thor.
No, there could be no conceivable way that she would simply blabber off to Thor about their plan! A plan that would dethrone Odin, have him ruling over all of the Nine Realms and with her by his side as his ally. Love can make utter fools out of anyone, but surely she of all people with the countless she seduced to gain her power would have a basic understanding…
Or perhaps she simply sought to execute the plan on her own. That was much more logical. Except for the fact that now she would have to manage the conquest of all Nine Realms on her own in addition to keeping Thor occupied! He sneered at the mere thought, as if she could just conquer all Nine Realms when she only became as powerful as she did from her body rather than her mind. And the Enchantress would never be able to rule Asgard with the same finesse and cunning that he would've.
So, either she had betrayed him, or she had more than proved herself a perfect match for that fool of brother of his. He wasn't sure which infuriated him more.
Unless...there was something he didn't know. Something that had gone awry in her plans, for it most certainly couldn't have been his, other than in trusting that harlot at all.
Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared before him, emanating with an eerie green glow. Loki's eyes widened in surprise as the Enchantress' face appeared.
"Loki," she purred, a wicked smile curving her lips. "It seems our plans have hit a minor setback."
"Minor setback!? You dare to show your face!?" Loki snarled, his anger boiling over. "Explain yourself! What went wrong!? How did they discover our plan!?"
The Enchantress scowled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "My part of the plan, Loki, is still proceeding as intended. I have not betrayed you, nor have I failed in my mission. And while I would be inclined to believe that the fault is solely your own considering your sorry state, I do not blame you for I do not know just yet how Thor came to find out. But I will get to the bottom of it and make sure that our ambitions are not thwarted. We have come too far to let a setback like this destroy our grand plans."
Loki gritted his teeth, his anger momentarily subdued by the Enchantress's words. He knew better than to cross her; her powers were formidable, and her loyalty was as fickle as the wind. If she believed their plan could still succeed, then he would have to trust her for now. Besides, he needed her on his side if they were to salvage their scheme and reclaim the power they desired. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
"Very well," Loki replied through clenched teeth. "Find out how Thor discovered our plan, and ensure that he cannot interfere like this again. We cannot afford any more mistakes if we are to hope to succeed."
A wicked smile curled on the Enchantress's lips. "Oh, I'll be doing everything in my power to rectify the situation, but I'll have to act swiftly if I'm to salvage the situation. In the meantime, you will have to act more convincingly as a prisoner, as I doubt that Heimdall nor Odin will let you out of their notice anytime soon. Well, them and the Midgardian Serpant. Farewell~"
Loki watched as the Enchantress's face disappeared from the portal. He was left alone in his solitude once again, for he refused to consider the creature dropping acid in his eyes any sort of consideration as a being, his mind racing with thoughts and questions. How had Thor managed to unravel their carefully crafted plan? What had he discovered? Loki pondered these mysteries, his mind working tirelessly to find the answers.
And though he was rather incensed at the Enchantress for leaving him here, he was at the least grateful for her blocking the ability for his mind to feel pain even if he still had to wring his body and roar in agony as if he had. And if there was any benefit to be had from this disaster, he now knew what he would subject Odin, Thor, Balder, and Heimdall to once he finally ruled over Asgard and the Nine Realms.
-XXX-
"I suppose that you are right after all, Thor." Odin muses gruffly.
"Thank you, father," Thor replied with a respectful bow as he knelt before his father.
"But know that I send you not merely as a defender of Midgard, but as an enforcer of Asgardian justice as well," Odin continued sternly. "For you are to find the Enchantress and bring her before me for daring to free Loki and aiding him in his schemes."
Thor's grip on his trusty hammer, Mjolnir, tightened at the mention of his mischievous brother. He stood tall and resolute, ready to carry out his father's orders, though he was more inclined to carrying them out for the sake of Midgard.
"Yes, father," Thor declared with determination. "I shall bring the Enchantress to justice and put an end to her and Loki's treachery once and for all."
Odin nodded, a mixture of pride and concern evident in his gaze. "Go, my son. Assist them; aid Midgard, for the humans do not need you to protect them from all the perils that they face. And do try not to let Jane Foster distract you for too long while you're at it."
"I understand. I won't disappoint you, father," Thor replied, giving a firm nod before turning on his heel and marching out of the throne room, his resolve steeled and his mind set on the task at hand. He also pointedly ignored the cheeky look his father gave him at that last comment.
With Mjolnir in hand, he leapt high into the air, using the power of his enchanted hammer to propel himself across the expanse of Asgard and towards the Bifrost Bridge.
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Not chapter 4, I know and am sorry for, but that's still a work in progress unfortunately.
Though I did manage to get to finishing a bit of a look on the consequences of Graviton's actions. This was planned to be a bit for the last chapter, but ended up growing way too big to include, so I had it be its own chapter/canon omake. still teetering between going with interlude or chapter 3.1, but for now it'll be interlude.
And here we get to watch an All-father and Odinson have a bit of a chat to clear some things up and witness as Loki's plan takes quite the downward spiral for him, though he still's in a play for as long as the Enchantress doesn't betray him.
And considering how adept she is at reading minds via sorcery, Amora is going to rather quickly find out that she has our boy Hall to blame for fucking up their plans. Imagine her surprise that some Midgardian who wasn't even a part of the plan somehow managed to spill the beans, and I don't doubt that Loki is very much going to have a bone to pick with the mere mortal that dared to ruin his plan as he did should he find. So Hall's already got himself a bit of an enemy in Fury and may be firmly on Loki's shit list lol.
Now, with everything posted, we're back to our irregularly scheduled program.
anywho, I hope that you guys enjoyed this mini chapter and leave me your thoughts.