Random art
Loki entered the throne room right after Thor, Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, and Asgardian warriors, had marched out to hunt Death's Apostle. An expedition fated to return empty-handed as the man in question had been prowling around in their palace, right under their noses.
His footsteps echoed in the spacious throne room as he approached the aging King of Asgard sitting regally on the throne. The golden lance, Gungnir, stood upright in his left hand, looking as majestic as the day Loki had first laid his eyes on it. The spear was not only powerful but also served as a symbol of Asgard's kingship.
And one day the golden lance would be held in HIS hands.
Loki stopped at a respectful distance and bowed courteously. "Dear Father."
The word felt wrong on his tongue. Neither Odin was his father nor Frigga his mother. They still believed him to be their child. And he, too, believed them to be his parents and Asgard as the realm to protect. Even when all three of them favored Thor more.
Odin leaned forward, studying him with that all-seeing gaze. "Loki, my son, what brings you here at this late hour?"
"I'm wondering where you sent Thor and the Warriors Three." Loki smiled. "Fendral had promised to drink with me till we both saw stars."
Odin slightly raised his gray eyebrow. "They went on a small adventure."
"An adventure." Loki put his hand on his chin. "Father.. they wouldn't happen to be searching for Hela, would they?"
The name made Odin stiff as ice. "Where did you hear that name?"
"Father," Loki whispered, letting some hesitation creep on his face. "This name 'Hela' has been cropping up in my dreams for months. It's as if someone far away is reaching out to me. And do forgive me for not revealing it sooner."
Odin went quiet, as though he hadn't heard anything or was pretending not to.
Loki softened his voice as he spoke, "Father… Do you know Hela?"
"Never ever speak of that name again." Odin waved his hand dismissively. "Leave. I must return to my chambers for rest."
"Why, Father?" Loki spread his hands then clasped them before his chest. "What has Hela done to deserve such a fate? Why must we… forsake her to such a degree?"
"Enough!" Odin lifted Gungnir and gently tapped it on the ground, yet the impact echoed throughout the throne room. "I WILL not repeat myself, child."
The red in Odin's eyes was born of fury or perhaps guilt. That made Loki want to dig deeper. However, he knew not to anger the raging bull further. Odin could be wise and patient, but he could also be the most cruel and bloodthirsty creature across the Nine Realms. The number of men who fell at his hands was too many to count.
"Yes, Father."
Loki bowed again and began to retreat under Odin's burning gaze. He kept his face calm and his posture relaxed, but the hard look in his eyes was that of a rebel.
'That lover of Death wanted this.'
He wanted Loki to feel curious yet helpless to know what might bring destruction to their world. Well, besides that fire giant, Surtur, who was prophesied to bring about Rangarok.
The trick had worked.
Now Loki had little choice but to wait and bargain—and accept whatever price that Midgardian monster would demand for the truth.
"King of Asgard," a deep voice spoke behind him. "Aren't you too hard on your children?"
Loki's footsteps froze at the familiar deep voice. He spun around and saw Death's Companion casually standing in the throne room.
'Is he… courting death?'
Loki revealed a bitter smile. The man technically was courting Death. He chose the wrong expression for the situation.
'Why is the prey walking into the hunter's arms?'
Death's Companion plan should've been to visit Loki in his room and state his conditions. Yet, he showed up in the throne room, with the intention to confront Odin.
Something had changed.
He was physically different as he wore not living armor but a black outfit, which was a mix of Asgard and Midgard fashion. On his chest was a pulsing triangle—a source of golden energy. A familiar yet unfamiliar energy.
Odin rose from the throne. "Who are you?"
"The man you're hunting down." Death's Companion chuckled. "I came here on my own… and yet you don't look happy."
Odin tapped Gungnir again. A glimmer tore through the air, then a giant figure stepped out of it. A towering automaton of enchanted armor, built for one purpose—to obey Asgard's ruler and reduce threats to ash.
The protector of Odin's vault, the Destroyer, stood there quietly.
Death's Companion's feet rose up the floor, and he slowly glided over to face the Destroyer. "You think this tin can is enough?"
"Probably," Loki murmured under his breath. Odinforce powered the Destroy Automaton, making it the single-most destructive weapon in Asgard.
'Why must he throw his life away?'
Odin leaned back on his throne as if he was bored. "We will have to see."
The Destroyer swung its heavy arm. Loki had expected the Midgardian to be splattered across the throne room. Surprisingly, Death's Companion caught the Destroyer's arm with one hand like it was nothing.
Loki's eyes widened.
'Dreadful strength.'
The man twisted his wrist. The metal screeches that followed made Loki tremble. The Destroyer's arm was twisted then ripped out of its shoulder. That strength was sufficient to assassinate Loki ten times over. He might be more durable than most Asgardians, but cutting off his head would end him all the same.
Death's Companion kicked the Destroyer in the chest. The automaton crashed backward and slammed into the floor, carving a huge crater in the palace floor.
"I guess not."
Odin laughed softly, which revealed a layer of pain. "How can her Apostle be weak?" His gaze sharpened. "But that's not enough, son. Survive this and I might put you in the same class as her."
The Destroyer rose again and its helm split open. A fiery orange energy filled the seams in its armor and gathered in its head like a miniature sun. A thick beam of blazing force—Odinforce—engulfed the Midgardian completely.
Even Odin in his prime would hesitate to take that blast head-on. Yet, Death's Companion had no desire to move. It engulfed him in a fiery blast.
When the glow settled, he hovered in the same spot. He brushed his chest and gave Odin an unimpressed stare. "You almost scratched my skin."
"Impossible…" Loki whispered. Breaking the Destroyer was far less impressive than surviving a direct blast of the Destroyer's Odinforce.
Heimdall might've been correct about Death's Companion bringing Ragnarok. This man certainly had the capability to bring a crisis to Asgard on his own.
He slowly flew over and hovered on the same level as Odin's high throne. It was an utter disrespect to the Protector of Nine Realms.
"Odin, listen to me. I could've freed every prisoner in the dungeon, stolen Gungnir, killed Heimdall, or..." Death's Companion's continued in a serious voice. "Killed anyone in the palace. You can't say I lack the ability."
Odin's face remained stoic in the face of crimes that could've shaken Asgard. "You most certainly do."
"Do you know why I didn't?"
He clenched his fist and threw a punch in the Destroyer's direction. Just the shockwave knocked the Automaton several feet away.
"Because I mean no harm to Asgard," he said in a deep voice. "I don't even want to be here. My home is on Earth, not here."
Odin stared at him for a few moments then nodded thoughtfully. No matter how shaken he was by the terrifying strength, he didn't let it show on his face. "Then you will not mind departing from Asgard?"
Loki had to applaud his father's wisdom to go the diplomat route. Antagonizing a being like this was a good way to turn the palace into a graveyard. Perhaps only Odin in his prime stood a chance against him. Odin, right now, was not even half as strong and required periodic Odinsleep to replenish his strength.
Which meant nobody could stop Death's Companion from burning down Asgard.
Death's Companion tilted his head. "I came here to talk about that."
He waved his hand and a figure materialized on his left side. A red-headed woman who seemed like a mortal. "Me and my wife ended up here when we fought… for what to name our future child. I was injured, so I avoided you. Nat… show him."
The redhead glared at her "husband" then her face burst into flames. The seemingly mortal became surrounded in malevolent flames.
"Is that enough proof?"
"A Spirit of Vengeance," Odin whispered, just as astonished as Loki. "Why is a Ghost Rider wedded to Death's Apostle?"
"I fell in love with the exquisite shape of her skull," Death's Companion confessed in a low yet passionate voice. "It's… so beautiful."
"He is Death's Companion," the redhead corrected with a snarl. "He isn't anybody's Apostle. This guy got Death heads-over-heels for him."
Death's Companion nodded like it was perfectly normal for Death to love him. "If you think I'm evil, have Heimdall look at Skullfire's deeds in New York. He'll see what we've done."
A rainbow pillar of light descended into the room, from which Heimdall emerged. He immediately took a knee before Odin and bowed his head. "Everything he said is true, my liege. Skullfire and his bride have saved countless lives from monsters. Adults and children adore them more than they criticize them."
"I cannot… believe this," Odin whispered in disbelief. "Why has that entity suddenly turned over a new leaf? A cosmic force is meant to be emotionless and driven by purpose. Then why?"
Skullfire crossed his arms. "Would you stop insulting my lady in my face?"
To Loki's surprise, Odin smiled apologetically. "Forgive me. I was merely stating my observations from the past."
"I won't tolerate it next time."
Loki listened to everything with keen interest. Skullfire. Death's Companion was actually a good guy, not the bringer of Ragnarok. It still didn't explain the mystery behind Hela—the person Skullfire stated would bring the end of Asgard.
'I must have a talk with him.'
He must protect Asgard. Or rather, his heart couldn't endure the sight of Asgard going up in flames for the second time.
Loki noticed the redhead pinching Skullfire's waist, clearly displeased about something.
'There is some deception here.'
Skullfire slipped an arm around his wife's shoulder. "Can you send us back through Bifrost? The city still needs us."
"Indeed, husband. Our family must be worried sick about us."
Odin thought deeply for a few moments and then looked at Loki. "Guide them to the Bifrost with Heimdall."
Despite seeing Skullfire in a better light, Odin's caution remained. The least risky move was to get them out of Asgard's walls as soon as possible. Loki would do the same in Odin's shoes.
The Prince gazed at the couple with burning skulls. The skulls had no expression, but he had a feeling both of them were smirking.
"Father, this duty… I'll gladly perform it."
It would be his last chance.
***
[Character Hyperion data resonation has reached 58.1%]
This prompt showed up as soon as Dante disengaged Hyperion's Resonance Link. After making Biokinesis permanent through the Nexus feature, he had modified his body to be as close to Hyperion as possible. First was altering his cells to absorb as much solar radiation as possible and making everything just more durable.
When added with Helio Reactor's having its own reserve to store solar radiation, he was finally capable of using Hyperion's powers.
The result was physical power surpassing Death's Resonance Link. He felt like he could flatten the whole Asgard palace if he felt like it.
He took his hand off Natasha's shoulder. In the name of "acting", he had taken quite the advantage of her. "Sorry for making you use the Spirit."
"A small price to pay for an early exit," Natasha whispered and nudged him with her elbow. "Children's names? The Red Room ripped out my uterus and ovaries. I'm sterile."
"I can fix that," he whispered. "I can fix you."
Heimdall heard everything. Honestly, Dante didn't care when the dust had been settled. The Bifrost would lead him to Earth and then he would forget about them until Thor or some other incident occurred. They weren't his concerns.
Natasha wanted to say something but held back. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Loki, who walked a few steps ahead. "Loki, I haven't heard anything from you."
It was strange seeing Natasha be friendly towards Loki. The Avengers in their first gathering despised Loki. All of them.
Loki slowed down in his pace to walk by Dante's side. The smile on his face was the perfection of warm, friendliness. "Death's Companion, or should I say Skullfire, the Hero of New York?"
"Skullfire."
He would probably be stuck with this name unless he went and created another superhero identity.
Loki nodded gently. "If you're departing right away, where would that leave our… trade?"
He put a hand around Loki's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "What's the price you're willing to pay for Asgard and your dear mother's life? I'll give you three years to think about it."
At this point, he gave no fucks about the MCU timeline. It didn't matter if Loki got his hands on Tesseract or Mind Stone in the shape of Scepter. Saving Asgard and getting something sweet as reward from Loki sounded like a great deal to him. It was also because Loki seemed to care about Frigga more than he did in the original timeline.
Loki fell in thoughts and remained silent even as they arrived in the golden spherical room.
"Stand right there." Heimdall gestured for them to get in front of the opening showing the cosmos while he stepped up on the platform and inserted his sword into it. White lightning surged from the sword as the spherical room began to spin. "It will start in moments."
Dante marveled at the sheer amount of energy converging from the sword and entering the small sphere carved on the walls. "This is dimensional energy, right?"
"It indeed is," Heimdall spoke, his eyes glowing. "I am still curious as to how you entered Asgard. Across the Nine Realms, no sorcerer is capable of casting a spell that eludes my senses."
"It just means you don't know everything." Dante grinned at Loki. "Frogs at the bottom of a well, remember?"
"You Midgardian buffoon."
"You Asgardian pest."
Loki stepped closer and surprised him with a hug. "Even the monstrous species of Frost Giants protect their parents from harm," he whispered and squeezed his biceps. "I will see you in Midgard some time soon, Skullfire."
Loki backed away and left the Bifrost in a hurry.
Natasha chuckled from the side. "Even men can't resist your charm."
He let out a groan. "Fuck that."
Heimdall slid the sword down with a sharp sound and the opening sucked them inside. They traveled through the rainbow pillar.
"What…"
The world before him wasn't anyplace on Earth. The dark, ominous sky over the lightless world—Odin had cast him down to Hel.
Natasha wasn't by his side either.
The old king had repaid his trust with betrayal.
"Dammit."
***
You can read more chapters on my Patreon!
Patreon.com/Lordheaven