Thor
Should be read after "Know your place brother"
Thor was conflicted. On one hand he was happy to be heading back home to Asgard, but on the other he would greatly miss the friends he had made here. He had only been on Midgard for a week but that made it no less meaningful, nay this past week had been one of the most meaningful times in his life. From meeting Jane, Darcy, and Erik to learning about how amazing Midgard truly was, even meeting the son of Coul and S.H.I.E.D. was meaningful in teaching him just how far Midgard had come. In fact if it hadn't been for S.H.I.E.D.'s weapons Thor doubted that the frost giants, who had followed him to Midgard after word of his banishment reached them, would have been defeated as quickly with just him and the warrior three with Sif. Not that he had been able to fight until after he had proven himself worthy. Truly he was still surprised that after handing himself over to them having hoped they would leave Midgard be in exchange for his life, that mere seconds after being struck down his hammer and powers would be returned to him.
Now here he was saying good bye to the woman he had come to love and all the friends he had made. "Jane, I will visit as soon as I able" Thor vowed, maintaining eye contact hoping to convey all that he felt for her. Smiling shyly Jane replied "I'll hold you to that, take care Thor". Taking a step back towards the Bifrost landing site Thor let go of her hands, "Aye I will Jane". Once he was fully in the circle he shouted for Heimdall to open the Bifrost and as the rainbow colors covered his vision he couldn't help but wish that he could have taken Jane with him, but from what Sif and the warrior three had said his father, who had only awoken a day ago from the Odinsleep, was reportedly in a foul mood and Thor didn't think it would be best to bring Jane with him and risk making his father more angry. Despite what Loki thought Thor wasn't a complete idiot, reckless sure but facing his father after leaving banishment and bring a mortal to Asgard, no matter how amazing she was would only end in disaster.
As the Bifrost left his vision Thor was greeted to the sight of Heimdall bowing before him, "Welcome home my prince". Smiling Thor said "Aye, its good to be home my friend". The next thing Thor knew he was surrounded by the citizens of Asgard, it seemed Heimdall had informed the Palace of his banishment being lifted and the council had spread the news to the rest of Asgard. Truly the only ones Thor didn't see on his way to the palace was his family, but several councilmen informed him that was due to an issue that had arisen in his absence and that both his parents were waiting for him in the AllFather's study to speak to him in private before the feast tonight to celebrate his return. Heading towards the study Thor wondered if this issue had anything to do with his father being in a foul mood. Suddenly nervous about seeing his parents for the first time since his banishment Thor hesitated on knocking on the door to the study, something he had not done since his childhood. Swallowing his nerves he knocked.
"Come in Thor" his father's voice came through the door. Opening it Thor looked in to see his parents gathered around his father's desk. They both looked like they haven't slept in a long time, even his father despite him coming out of the Odinsleep only the day before. As he entered his mother stood from her chair to the side of father's desk and rushed towards him, wrapping him up into a warm hug "My son, thank the Norns you are back!", "Mother it is so good to see you again, I missed you greatly" Thor replied as he returned her hug just as warmly. "Son...It is good to see you back, I take it you learned what you were meant to?" father asked, standing up from behind his desk. "I have father, in fact I feel I have learned much from my time on Midgard, there is much to tell you of my time there" Thor looked towards his father to see him nodding his head. "That is good...Thor take a sit and let us talk" as father gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. After they had all taken their seats Thor noticed that Loki wasn't anywhere in the room, "Where is my brother, surly he to would want to hear of my time on Midgard". Thor watched as his parents exchanged a series of looks before finally looking towards him.
"Thor" his mother spoke, leaning forward and taking his hands, "there is something that we should have told you and your brother a long time ago, I ask that you don't say anything until your father is done". Worried now Thor glanced from his mother to his father again noticing the dark circles under their eyes. Nodding his head Thor waited for his father to speak.
"Thor, my son. I have failed both you and your brother in many ways" Thor opened his mouth about to deny such a thing when his father and mother shot him a look that remined him to not interpret. "but this latest of my failures has costed our family more then any other." His father looked every bit his age in that moment, it shocked Thor who was so used to seeing his father take charge and acting as though he was still in his prime a fact which caused his mother much worry. "Thor... I'm sure you still remember my story about the end of the Asgard-Jotunheim war" Without even looking at Thor's nod he continued. "The casket of ancient winter wasn't the only treasure I found that day" Thor glanced at his mother in confusion, what did father mean? Thor wasn't aware of anything else in the vault from Jotunheim. "You see I had entered a temple once the battle was won, there had been so much death on both sides and I just wanted a moment of peace before I retuned home to you and your mother. However upon entering the temple I heard cries, following the sound I found a Jotun babe on the altar. It was small for a Jotun, a runt is what the Jotun calls those born to small. This small babe not more then a day or two old looked up at me and stopped crying when by all rights the sight of my bloody face and missing eye should have terrified the poor thing, but nay this babe just looked at me and smiled." His father paused here seemingly to gather himself before he continued. "This babe had the Jotuns' markings of course so even as I picked him up I recognized him as a son of Laufey" LAUFEY HAS A SON?! "But as I held him those markings faded away just as the blue of his skin and the red of his eyes, until what I held appeared to be an Asgardian babe. He had strong seidr even then" his father explained with a look of fondness that was quickly replaced with grief. "I knew in that moment..." Odin looked Thor in the eye here and spoke the words that changed Thor's world forever. "That this small Jotun babe was my son in everything but blood and declared him as such in that temple calling upon the Norns, and thus naming him Loki Odinson".