Chapter 6
There was an eerie silence as Thor approached the pedestal that Mjölnir lay upon. Loki had actually not led them astray and had been right about the whereabouts of the hammer. He did not want to think of what he would have done had they failed to find it.
He wasted no time and took hold of the hammer. It felt good to have Mjölnir back in his possession. He did not know what his father had wanted to do by keeping him here, but he would learn soon that he had departed from Asgard.
It was time to take his leave.
However, as Thor turned to look to his allies, something in the vault seemed to have stirred to life. A loud metallic groan echoed from the shadowed corner, causing them all to freeze.
“The Destroyer,” Hogun hisses with warning.
Thor had been certain that they would remain undetected, considering that he knew the vault like the back of his hand. Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten how his father took extra precautions when it came to his collection. There was no doubt taking Mjölnir had triggered some kind of alarm.
The god of thunder narrowed his eyes as he heard the heavy footfalls of the armor creep closer. He turned his head just in time to see a bolt of energy shatter the pedestal next to him. He quickly held his arm up to shield his eyes from the flying debris, just as the iron giant finally came into view. It stood in the corridor, it’s attention fully focused on the thieving group.
“This isn’t good,” Fandral muttered as he took a step back. It was a bit too late to run, especially when the beast had the advantage. Their exit lay behind it. “What do we do?”
There was no way they would go down without a fight. Thor rocked his shoulders, before winding back his arm, hammer spinning. The room slowly began to darken as the air shifted and electricity rippled from the weapon. He knew their chances of running unscathed from this was low—but he was also not one to run away from an impending battle. It was against his code. With a cry, he whipped Mjölnir straight into the Destroyer’s chest, just as the others drew their own weapons out.
A loud crack resonated loudly as the hammer collided with the Destroyer, but the direct hit seemed to have done nothing more than push it back a few feet. The iron sentry straightened itself upright once more, showing no signs of wear or damage. Thor furrowed his brows.
This was going to be a problem.
Loki did not need to strain his ears to hear the loud commotion happening. There was no doubt the Destroyer had found the warriors. It had been inevitable with their tact. And as per usual, he knew his adoptive brother refused to flee from a fight.
The vault seemed to shake as thunder rumbled loudly. Volstagg threw a weary glance down the flight of stairs. It was sufficing to say that the hammer was back in Thor’s possession and reclaiming it had triggered an even bigger problem.
Trouble may have found the warriors, but this was a golden opportunity for the trickster to escape. He shifted, green eyes flashing before turning his full attention to Volstagg.
“Are you not going to help them?” Loki questioned, shackles rattling as he directed his arms toward the commotion. “Can’t you hear they’re under attack?”
His words were perfectly chosen to plant seeds of uncertainty and concern. He knew the red-bearded Aesir could never turn a blind eye to his comrades, especially in times of danger. Thor may have had him stay behind, but the lot of them had a hero complex itching to aid any person in need. They were incapable of standing idly by.
And that kind of conviction, while admirable, provided him with just the right amount of leverage to manipulate. Volstagg suddenly stilled, his bushy eyebrows furrowing as he looked between Loki and the flight of steps. He seemed to cave into his instincts the moment he heard the sound of lightning crackling in the distance once again. He cursed, grabbing Loki by his chains and dragging him along. It did not matter if they would make a ruckus now, they had already been compromised.
Loki may have convinced Volstagg to venture into the trophy room, but he had no plans to stay by his side for much longer. His gaze briefly shifted elsewhere, before he is violently yanked toward the chaos. Loki did not like his odds, as they rounded the corner and came to face the back of the Destroyer.
It was clear that the others were cornered, but that did not stop the armor from turning its focus onto the two of them. Volstagg took a precautious step back, letting go of Loki as he reached for his axe. The warrior drew his arm up, but before he even has a chance to do anything with it, the Destroyer shoots at them. The two of them dive opposite directions to dodge the hit.
It was time to make a move.
Loki stumbled briefly, before gleefully adjusting his footing and sprinting back the path they had come from. The trickster vaguely heard Volstagg’s cries to cease but dared not stop. He disappeared into the labyrinth before the older fighter could collect himself.
“Fools,” the trickster muttered. Thor may have faced and won against such a suit of armor before, but circumstances had been different then. They were in its domain now. It would take a lot more than the mighty Mjölnir to take down something forged by Odin.
He glanced back over his shoulder. He figured Volstagg had given chase, but he was a lot quicker than the burly warrior. The mischief-maker would not be so quickly caught. Besides, he had an idea. It was certainly not foolproof, but it was harmless to try.
Loki turned at the next corner and stilled in front of a casket. It lay harmlessly on the pedestal before him, looking like an opportune object to pluck for a thief—but the Casket of Ancient Winters was a dangerous relic stolen from Jötunheim. It was a dangerous tool that could plunge an entire realm into an ice age and it was his golden ticket to freedom.
His mood took a somber turn as memories flooded his mind. He had learned not too long ago what he was, but never came to truly accept it. It was easier to deny it, rather than accept the fact that he was the very monster that he had been raised to loathe and fear. What a cruel thing for Odin to have reared him to despise the very thing he was.
Loki’s eyes glazed over as he reached down for the casket. He may have not accepted what he was, but that did not mean he could not use it to his advantage. He gripped the handles firmly and watched his skin turn blue as frost crawled up his arms and bit at his chains. He clenched his jaw with detest and swallowed back his self-loathing.
The only way to beat magic was with magic itself and the intense cold that spilled from the artifact was anything but normal. He let out a shaky breath, placing the relic carefully back and took a step back, bracing himself as he snapped the frozen chains. Not a second wasted, he tore and pried the broken bindings off his wrist.
This was much better.
Loki happily watched the blue fade away, as he rubbed his tender wrists. He could feel his senses buzz as his magic slowly began flowing freely through his veins. The trickster flexed his fingers, green energy crackling from his fingertips. As tempting as it was to just leave, it seemed that it would be best to assist Thor and his friends.
But first, he needed to pick up a little something for all his troubles.
Volstagg yelped, nearly lobbing Loki's head off when the trickster phased through the wall adjacent to him. Loki threw a bemused expression at the wedged axe. The warrior narrowed his eyes when he realized the wayward prince was no longer cuffed.
“How—”
“I told you I would be more useful with my magic,” he claimed, his body glowing green as a clone stepped forth from him. He sent the doppelganger ahead, before cloaking himself and following closely by. He was not shocked to see Thor still fighting the Destroyer, but it seemed there had been a causality. Loki spotted Hogun clutching a hand to his bleeding shoulder.
“Over here!” the clone cried, running at the Destroyer. The god of thunder stilled, pure shock rushing onto his face upon seeing Loki sans chains. However, he dared not say anything as he watched the trickster shoot a blast of magic at the sentient. It jerked in reaction, but like Mjölnir, did no actual damage.
The copy flashed a grin at the metal beast, spreading his arms out in flashy mockery. “Give me your best shot.”
The Destroyer seemed to have taken the bait, its full attention now on the clone. It stepped closer, glowing a bright red as it prepared to execute him. Thor gaped, ready to pounce to the illusion’s rescue, but Loki quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. The blonde prince was momentarily confused, throwing a look over his shoulder at the copy.
“You should have run,” Loki quipped, no longer invisible. He guided Thor toward their exit and watched the others follow suit from the corner of his eye. Sif seemed far from amused, but she was preoccupied with aiding an injured Hogun to say anything.
There was no time to waste and no room for complaints. The group quickly scurried away from the Destroyer right in time to hear the expected blast go off behind them. The air around them turned warm very suddenly, but no one dared stop to pay mind to that. They hurried on, with Loki guiding them away. It would not take very long for the Destroyer to come after them, so putting distance between them was crucial.
“Quickly,” Loki hissed, hurrying them toward the direction of the hidden passageway. It was the very same one that Frost Giants had crawled out of. He knew Odin had his suspicions about how they had gotten in, but no one had located the path. But, how could they? The passage was hidden by an illusion.
The group halted at they reached a dead end. The trophy room lay deep under the palace, built within a cavern full of pitfalls that would certainly end in death. It made it difficult for trespassers to escape the Destroyer—so, it was no surprise that they suddenly felt doomed as they glanced down at the depths below. There was nowhere to run.
“This is a dead end,” Fandral pointed out, his voice strained. They all turned their attention onto the dark-haired prince, waiting to hear why they were led here. Loki simply smiled and raised a hand up. His attention turned to the stone tiles nearby, as his hands guided the them to detach from the wall. They dangled in the air momentarily, before shifting and crafting a makeshift bridge across the deep chasm.
The trickster begun crossing the bridge without another word, as the others looked at one and other warily. Thor did not share their hesitation, choosing to follow behind Loki before the other warriors could decide if it was safe. They were, after all, allowing a known criminal to guide them. However, they knew their odds lay best with him at the moment.
They carefully crossed to the other side of the chasm, where they were forced to scale across a steep, cold ledge toward an opening that had not been there moments ago. They hurried through, just in time to witness the Destroyer emerge from the labyrinth. It paused, looking around, but the makeshift bridge was no more. They all held their breaths, hugging the far wall and waiting for the guardian to wander away.
Loki grimaced, reminded of his suffering as he placed a hand on his stomach. He had exerted a little too much magic too quickly, but it had been thrilling to have it back. It was just as important to him as Mjölnir was to Thor, but the others would never understand that.
He glanced over his shoulder as he began wandering further through the passage. The others were now quicker to follow, no doubt bothered by how close the Destroyer had been to finding them.
However, it was clear that they were now safe.
It had only been a few minutes before Hogun slumped against the wall with a heavy groan. Everyone stopped, turning their attention onto their comrade. Hogun’s hand clutched weakly at the wound on his shoulder as he barred his teeth in agony. His injury had looked deceptively minor at first, but it seemed the burn was far worse than they had thought. The bleeding had yet to cease.
Loki looked away, his gaze turned to the path ahead. Jötunheim was still some distance away, but the atmosphere around them was beginning to grow colder and colder the further they traveled. These were not conditions an injured warrior would fare well in.
“That looks bad,” Volstagg claimed, eyes trained on the injury. The skin was charred, and blood continued to seep regardless of the pressure being applied to it. He needed a healer. His light armor may not have done much to protect him from the hot blast, but it had been enough to save him from losing the appendage. However, he may just end up losing his arm if he did not get treated soon.
Hogun ground his teeth and leaned his head back against the cool stone. “Leave me.”
“That is not an option,” Sif stated. She turned her attention to the trickster. “How much farther until we are out of here?”
“I doubt any Frost Giant will help us,” Loki stated, finally informing the others just where they were heading to.
Thor was the first to react, his anger evident. He took a menacing step toward Loki. “What?”
The trickster held his arms up in truce. “You want to get to Midgard, don’t you? The closest route is through Jötunheim.”
Thor clenched his fist, but let it drop almost immediately. “Then you help him.”
But, he could not. Loki may have a strong affinity for magic, but he had always been mediocre when it came to healing. If he had been any better, he would have solved his own trauma sooner. He peered momentarily down at his abdomen before looking back up at Thor.
“No,” the Vanir warrior claimed. His hand shifted to the mace at his hip as he looked up at them. He peeled himself away from the wall. “I do not want his help.”
Loki said nothing. He knew he was not trusted, but he was not about to beg him to allow him to help either. He did not care. He turned and began to walk away. “If that’s the case, let us keep moving.”
However, the others did not move causing Loki to stop once more. From the corner of his eye, he watched Thor unclasp his cape and toss it to Sif, who had yet to leave Hogun’s side.
“That should at least help with the bleeding,” Thor grimly stated. He turned to Loki. “Surely, you must know another way to Midgard.”
“There is an option to turn back. The Destroyer should be quiet now, especially if they head straight for the exit,” the god of mischief offered, his expression neutral. Inwardly, however, he was resisting the urge to grind his teeth in annoyance. They were wasting time.
Thor seemed just as troubled. Loki heard him make a disgruntled noise at the back of his throat and threw a glance his way.
“Loki’s right,” the thunder god begrudgingly admitted. “You should turn back now. You may be charged with contempt, but it is better than losing a friend.”
Thor was correct. There was no doubt Odin would punish them, but the situation would only become worse if they continued to follow them. It was best if they left—they were all a thorn at his side.
“There is no way we are leaving you with him,” Sif stated her eyes drifting briefly to Loki before turning her attention back to Hogun.
“I will be fine,” Thor responded, placing a hand on her shoulder and tilting his head toward Loki. “He did save us back there. There is no reason why he would choose to kill me now.”
Loki blinked, surprised that for once, Thor was using his head. It was true. If he had really wanted Thor dead, he would never have bothered turning back to help them escape the Destroyer. He could have very easily left Asgard by himself, leaving the others to deal with the consequences.
They stared at him with weary eyes, silently assessing him. He was waiting for Sif to protest again, but she surprisingly remained quiet. The others nodded their heads slowly in agreement, as Volstagg wrapped an arm around Hogun for support.
The trickster silently watched exchange kind words between each other. No one dared to say anything to him—instead, they threw one final glance in his direction before slowly heading back the path they had come from.
Something bitter tickled the back of his throat. It stopped him from saying anything to them, but it was not like they deserved to hear anything from him anyway. He was not about to remind them of everything he had done to help them get here in the first place, nor way he going to tell them how to get back across the chasm. They would have to figure out for themselves that they would need to scale the ledge around the vault.
He bit his tongue and stood completely still, watching the warriors retreat. When they were finally out of view, Thor finally turned his gaze to him.
The god of thunder clapped a hand onto his younger brother’s shoulder. “Let us be off then,” he urged, causing Loki to shrug the appendage off with annoyance. He did not know how else to feel right now. He refused to acknowledge the fact that their dismissal had bothered him. But really, was he not even worth a thank you?
Loki felt self-loathing scratch at his gut. He was clearly reminded just whom he was to them. He swallowed back the bitter taste and stepped past Thor, wanting nothing more than to put some distance between them.
It was unfortunate that there was still so much walking to do—but it was a good thing he was the god of lies and had long convinced himself that he’d be fine.