Yeah, I know... I'm going to burn in Hell... you don't have to tell me... *smashes head against nearest wall*

You know those times when life gets in the middle of important things like... writing and updating? Well, this was one of those...
I'm so sorry... blubliblu... please, forgive me... PLEASE!

Here we go:
LunaTheLoneWolf, Limavaa, sassymagpie, Peace and Blessings, morbidly-funny, Guest #1, AccioVoldemortsNose, chuckythecat, Oomara13, Terra3434, tribute14, Guest #2 (AKA Rena), Vex Matthewson, HoratiosGirl101, jadacass, Guest #3, Zozeebos and xxlokixxGJ, thank you all so much for your constant support and reviews and all the favorites and follows I've been getting and also all the happy birthday wishes I got; thank you all so so so so very much! I LOVE YOU! And you are always on my mind, I swear!

God, I feel so bad for being away so long... I just don't want to disappoint you guys and I hope this chapter doesn't either for it is very eventful and very long so... yeah... hopefully that will make up a little for the time I was away.

Anywhooooo... the song, or songs of the day (more than one because of the length of the chapter): Constantine by Audiomachine (Hela's leitmotif), False King by Two Steps From Hell (Tyr's leitmotif) and Crisis of Faith by Audiomachine as well.

ENJOY!

CHAPTER TEN –I WANNA PEE!

Thousands of people gathered outside their homes, with some of their belongings in hand as they waited for the officers and agents to instruct them where they would be staying while the 'top secret contingency' ensued and was resolved.
They all looked as confused and upset as it was to be expected, especially since no one took the bother of giving any sort of explanation.

"They keep asking questions…" Natasha informed Tony and Bruce after approaching the van the two scientists were at "What was the excuse, again?"

"An uncontrollable gas leak." Bruce recited from memory.

Himself and Tony had discussed several possible reasons to convince the people to leave their homes and evacuate the area and as dangerous as it sounded, the team was amazed on how incredibly stubborn and distrusted the people of New York could be.
Some of them had said that it didn't smell like it was a leak; some others claimed that they had had no problems with the gas whatsoever; a few clever ones had tried to sneak into their basements to check for themselves, but of course, the NYPD-disguised S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had prevented them from doing so while the rest and majority only complained.

One of the not-so-smart (and also not-so-well-informed) agents had suggested that they actually caused a small gas leak and of course, he received a head slap from Tony for just suggesting it. Clearly, he hadn't heard about the fire involved in the plan.

"How uncontrollable?" Natasha pressed.

"Uncontrollable enough to scare them." Clint added joining them and looking towards the people "But these people are so difficult to scare."

"New Yorkers." Tony pointed out and the other three agreed with a nod.

"What happens after they are gone? What do we do?" Clint questioned.

"Well…" Bruce started and looked at Tony for a moment "Basically… we dig in."

"Dig in? In what? Into the Earth?" Natasha asked and they nodded "Isn't that… you know… dangerous?"

"Why, I didn't think there was room in your heart for fear very special and very ruthless agent Romanoff." Tony joked making Bruce smile and Clint chuckle.

"Very funny, Stark but that is not what I meant…" She snapped.

"What you meant was that… why are digging in, knowing there is something beneath… something that might attack us as soon as we… go in there, right?" Bruce said and Natasha nodded "Because if whatever is down there is actively doing something to change our atmosphere, like the ensuing heat wave, it means it's an impending threat."

"You mean to say it's powerful enough to mess with our world." Clint said.

"Not only that but why now? What changed that… awoke it?" Tony wondered but the rest of the Avengers had as much as an idea as him "Talking about awakening… where is Capsicle?"

"Rogers? I don't know… I saw him leave last night and haven't seen him since." Clint told them.

"He left last night and no one saw him coming back? Why, that's a first!" Tony exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"I mean… he might have, for once, hooked up with someone…"

"Or maybe he got into trouble…" Natasha suggested.

"Oh, I hope he did… he's such a saint-ass!" Tony complained.

"Who is?" Steve asked appearing out of nowhere and walking to them.

"I was going to say Fury but, who am I kidding? I was talking about you…" Tony replied receiving an eye-roll from the captain "Where were you all night, Capitty-Cap?"

"First of all, I wasn't out all night; and second, I fail to see how that's any of your business, Mr. Stark." Steve answered sternly.

"You hooked up, didn't you?" The man of iron, who was ironless at the moment said with a huge grin on his face, pointing dramatically at the coy Captain "You did, you cheeky bastard!" He exclaimed with a very fake British accent.

And the others, noticing his lack of words, stared at Steve completely gob-smacked.

"You did?" Natasha questioned.

"I…"

"You dog!" Clint agreed with Tony, giving the poor and embarrassed captain a very heavy pat on the back.

"Why don't you let Steve give us a proper explanation?" Bruce said a little more sagely but giving Steve a mischievous look to which the miserable captain only responded by clenching his jaw with tension.

"Thank you, Dr. Banner…" Steve replied with a very fake smile "I wasn't out all night, ok? I came back at around one."

"And what were you doing out so late?" Tony inquired with curiosity; malicious curiosity.

"I was… with a lady friend."

"A lady friend, huh?" Clint repeated with a laugh and nudging Steve on the ribs.

"Sometimes I forget you're not from this time, Cap." Natasha said with half a smile.

"And? Who is she? How did you meet her?" Tony insisted.

"Her name is Isabel and I met her by accident…"

"By accident how?" Bruce pondered

Steve hadn't really told any of them about his impromptu visit to Emma's house a few days prior and he hadn't really meant to tell anybody but apparently, he had no other choice.

"She lives a few houses away from Emma's house. I met her the other day when I went out to try the new bikes."

"And how did you manage to stumble across her? Coincidence?" Clint asked and Steve grimaced.

"No… I went to Emma's house…" The entire team was ready to start objecting but he immediately cut them off "I know! I know I should not have been there, and I know I'm just torturing myself but…"

"But you would have never met this Isabel girl if you hadn't" Natasha pointed out to which the others agreed with nods "Give the cap a break, guys." She said and started to walk back to where the other agents were organizing the people but not without turning around for a moment and saying "Congrats, cap."

"Erm… thanks, agent." Steve replied blushing.

"Yes, congrats, Captain… Luuuuuurve." Tony added faking a cheesy voice and while Clint rolled his eyes and went after Natasha, Bruce and Steve couldn't help to chuckle.

All night did Emma sleep while Thor watched over her.
Over the course of the hours, the fever which had tormented her, started to subside, allowing her sleep to be more peaceful however, Thor continued to vigil her clearly troubled and haunted dreams.

But Emma was not the only tormented soul that stormy night for her confidant, her best friend and brother by bond couldn't stop thinking about the many important events that had come to pass earlier that day; from Emma's disappearance, to Tyr's shady behavior; Emma's apparent remembrance and of course, Odin's revelation of Tyr's origins.

Why and how had his father made so many mistakes along the way, it was difficult for him to understand but what pained him the most was that, over the years those around him had been the ones to pay for them.

The two things that hurt him the most was all the damage Odin had managed to inflict upon Loki; that poor little brother of his who had turned irreparably bitter and twisted and the second was how Odin had destroyed every chance for him to be with Jane Foster.

After he had returned from Midgard with Emma, Thor had besieged his father to grant Jane with immortality, the immortality she needed to reside in Asgard, with him; but Odin had refused and no matter how many times or how ardently Thor begged, the All-Father's answer was and would always be a resounding 'no'.

"Hypocrite…" Thor muttered under his breath feeling completely betrayed by his own father "How dare he? Thinking to have the right to mandate over everyone else's life nonchalantly and so self-righteously… how dare he?"

He managed to suppress the growl that had formed on his throat as he felt Emma shift next to him and heard her moan as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Emma…" He said softly, squeezing her hand ever-so-tenderly.

"Thor… what happened?" Emma asked confused and looked around, recognizing her whereabouts "How did I get here?"

"How do you feel?"

"Sore… but other than that…" She managed a shrug as Thor placed his hand on her forehead.

"You still have a fever but it is not as bad as it was some hours ago…"

"Thor, how did I get here?" Emma repeated the question much more insistently.

"I found you inside of one of the caverns that lead to Hel. You were soaked and barely conscious… what is the last thing you remember?" He questioned and watched her ponder "Do you remember how you got there?"

"No… not really… I was out, with Tyr… we had gone riding… then… something happened and… I just couldn't stay… I left… I ran and when I stopped…" She suddenly stopped and widened her eyes almost as if in fear "Loki…"

"Loki?"

"Yes… I saw him… he was so close to me… he… I don't know what happened after that… I…"

"Emma, in your rave you said you had remembered… when you had first met Loki…"

Emma narrowed her dark green eyes in thought and suddenly her tense expression relaxed considerably.

"I did… I do… I remember… how is that possible?" She asked just as surprised as Thor.

"I do not know. Father did once mention it could happen but he was not even sure himself."

Emma sat up and leaned against the headboard, letting out a very heavy sigh and running a hand through her messy hair.

"Why did I see him, Thor? I thought he was dead…"

"He is dead, Emma."

"No… no, he's not and not only is he not dead but he is here, ready to torment me…"

"Even if he was alive, little one; Loki loved you too much to make you go through such agony…" As he said this, Thor saw Emma giving a small smile "What?"

"You are the only one who sees the good side I see in Loki."

"And that almost cost me my life twice, Emma… I do not wish for that to happen to you too."

"It is already happening, Thor… and I know I have not been very good at hiding it but… I am so close to dying…"

"Do not say that, Emma…"

"It is the truth, Thor and… and if dying means that I will be able to see Loki again then so be it." She stated with conviction.

"I thought you said Loki was alive…" Thor retorted as his last mean to make her change her mind.

"He is."

"Then…"

"I fear that, by the time I am reunited with him, I will be wishing for death."

The silence in Abrahamovitch's office was overwhelming, even to him.
Cindy, his secretary had left over an hour ago and he had been working on the last details which would lead him to Thanos' secret prison; well, not so secret anymore.

He had waited with patience for the moment to take his revenge upon those who had wronged him; those who had doubted him and now, the time had come.
Yes, it had come at a high price for Emmanuel Abrahamovitch had lost everything he had ever held dear and all because of those bureaucratic bastards but the time was nigh when the poor doctor would receive the recognition he so rightfully deserved and when his daughter would return to him, begging forgiveness and praising him and his success.

His mental delusions were suddenly cut off by an unknown voice behind him; a female voice; a female, almost death-like voice.

"So you are Tyr's little silly minion." Of course, it was an affirmation, not a question.

The jittery physicist jumped up from his chair and spun around, coming face to face with one of the strangest creatures he had ever encountered (not that he had encountered many strange creatures, but still).
It was a woman, or at least half of her was as she was part flesh and part… corpse.
It was Hela.

"Wh-who are you?" The doctor stammered, feeling his heart threatening to take a leap out of his chest.

"My name is Hela, foolish mortal, mistress of death and queen of the underworld." She announced magnanimously "And I come on Tyr's behalf."

"You are his partner?"

"So to speak, yes." Hela started circling him in a very menacing way as she examined him "Tyr said you had found the Mad Titan…" Emmanuel stared up at her with nothing but confusion painted on his face "The Eternal?" Nothing and Hela couldn't hold a frustrated sigh "Thanos, Midgardian. I am talking about Thanos."

"Ah, yes, yes… Thanos… uhmm…"

"Well… have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Found him, you miserable vermin!"

"Yes! Yes… I'm sorry, yes… I have found him and I have the codes to open his prison."

"Good." Then a very awkward silence fell upon them, making Hela feel even more irritated than she already was "Well, lead the way, Midgardian!"

"Yes, of course!"

Abrahamovitch then rushed to the door, grabbing his keys with jittery hands and opening door, let the goddess out first to them follow.
Once downstairs and after a rather peculiar and amusing elevator ride with the mistress of death, calling the mechanical device a 'box of the devil' and inquiring what sort of dark magic operated it.

Then, of course, the car ride was no less entertaining for Hela continued to be convinced that some sort of obscure sorcery was behind the functioning of every Midgardian artifact but Emmanuel Abrahamovitch knew better than to laugh at a god's expenses.

They drove in silence for what seemed like days, which were, to be more precise, hours until they entered the state of Illinois. There, at the outskirts of the state, somewhere beyond county Lawrence, in the middle of nowhere, where the corn crops grew prosperously, Abrahamovitch parked the car and motioned Hela to get out, just like him.
Once outside, the goddess looked around her with some sort of awe and amazement. In reality, she had never visited Midgard for any other reason than war and that had been a very long time ago; millennia.
With nothing but honesty in her mind, Hela thought that Midgard was a beautiful realm, one worth preserving and perhaps even saving but those Midgardians who had dared to slay her dear brother Fenrir deserved to be severely punished.
Perhaps when this was all over she would return to the mortal planet and rule there, in all its beauty.

"This way." Emmanuel instructed, walking into the corn field.

As Hela followed suit, she couldn't help to notice the beautiful and bright satellite which orbited the Earth: the moon.
Not in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined such a beautiful thing and even though Asgard was a beautiful realm, her life in Nilfheim, the realm of the dead, had no beauty at all only darkness, loneliness and despair.

She remembered the day Odin had placed her there, with the eternally doomed souls. She was young and naïve and she had thought, in her innocence that she was doing a service for the realm of the gods and for the All-Father himself but she had been, in fact unworldly as her fate in that realm had been nothing but lonesome and sad.
At first the other gods would regard her as inexperienced and benign by taking the job no one else would but then, as the endless time of the gods went by she became jaded, bitter and even feared.
Even after the treason which came from her brother's part to the realm she remained a figure of respect and abhorrence yet that was not who she truly was.

Deep in her cold, almost dead heart, Hela was a sweet and tender woman who craved nothing but acceptance and love, not too different from Loki, in fact.
But just like him, the others left her aside and took her for granted, enrapturing her joie de vivre and any hope of ever being loved again.

"All this nonsense because of a silly moon…" She mumbled, looking forward and leaving the sight of the shining moon behind "How far are we, Midgardian?"

"Not far now," Abrahamovitch said and looked down to the ground where the crops had started to die "Not far at all…" He repeated, more to himself than to the commanding presence which continued to follow his ever step.

After a few more minutes they reached the center of that particular section of the field in which nothing grew. A cold, wild wind blew around them and, suppressing the chill that threatened to run through his body, Abrahamovitch kneeled down.

"What are you doing?" Hela inquired with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

"It's got to be here… somewhere…" He mumbled as he brushed some of the dry weed off the ground and as a metallic shimmer flashed in front of his eyes, he smiled with pride "It is here!" He announced.

"Well then, open it."

With a nod, Emmanuel proceeded to do so. He finished removing the yellow plants from over the metallic surface beneath his feet until something that resembled a trapdoor was revealed.
A small alpha-numeric keyboard suddenly lit up, requesting a safety code which, of course, Abrahamovitch had in his power.
After typing it, the lock of the trap door made a clicking sound letting them know that it had been unlatched. The doctor then pulled it open and signaled Hela to enter.

"No. You go first." She replied.

"What? But… if there are guards, which, according to my investigations, are, I'll be dead in a matter of seconds!" He exclaimed.

"Do not think yourself so necessary, Midgardian. Tyr gave permission to dispose of you at will."

"Wha-?" He could barely utter the question.

"But you have been of some use… so I will let you live… for now." She threatened and walked past him. Taking a leap into the entrance, Hela took a hold of one of the steel bars which served as ladder and then looked up at Abrahamovitch "Follow in fifteen seconds." She instructed and before he could speak up, the goddess was out of his sight.

For the next thirteen seconds all Abrahamovitch could hear was the ruffling of fabric (Hela's intricate cape, most likely), a few grunts and finally, five different thudding sounds which, after going down the ladder himself, Abrahamovitch would discover to have been the bodies of five S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lying on the floor, completely and inexcusably unconscious, perhaps even dead.

"Are they dead?" He asked Hela who seemed as unphased as before.

"Does it matter?" She asked in return.

"I… I guess not…" With a nod, Hela started walking down the slim corridor while Abrahamovitch followed her "How do you know it's that way?" He asked her.

"I can feel him… I can feel Thanos' presence." She vaguely explained as she continued her stride.

They stumbled across some other agents along the way but just like she had done before, Hela terminated them without even letting them utter a sound.
After minutes of what seemed to be an endless scavenger, Hela finally stopped walking in front of a large, steel, vault-like door.

"He is here." She said almost in a whisper as a smile crept onto her mouth, while she pressed her hand against the steel "Open it." She commanded and Abrahamovitch rushed to the security post beside the door.

Once he had dialed the proper codes and entered some other numbers and names, the door made a deaf cracking noise finally opening.

With the same smile still on her face, Hela stepped into the cell and stared at the creature of dark purple skin and bright red eyes who stared back at her.

"It had been a long time, Thanos." She softly said and saw the Titan reveal his big white teeth in an evil smile.

"Too long, my dear Hela."

The day had gone by terribly slow for Steve and the rest of the Avengers as they supervised and investigated the heat source beneath the streets of New York.
They felt much more at ease now that the people who lived there had been taken away into safety but that didn't mean that they felt any less worried about this possible new threat.

"It might be nothing, you know?" Clint suddenly pointed out, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand "I mean… we've been here for hours and we've found nothing!"

"Legolas has a point…" Tony agreed, opening the mask of his suit "JARVIS hasn't registered any temperature anomalies since yesterday… maybe it was just a gas leak or something…"

"So now you're buying S.H.I.E.L.D.'s lies, Stark?" Natasha commented mockingly.

"Not exactly but if there truly was something down there… either JARVIS or Banner's fancy machines would have detected it already, whatever it is… or might be…" Iron Man snapped "Besides… I'm hungry… and I wanna pee!"

"Haven't you added a built-in toilet to your suit, Stark? I would have expected you to have done it like a million years ago, knowing how… hyperactive your bladder is." Clint joked making Natasha laugh and Tony stick his tongue out at him.

"You're just jealous because I could actually take a leak without having to go to the bathroom!"

"I could too…" Clint responded and then pointed at the nearby park "You see that tree? I could definitely-"

"Ok, I think we get the idea, thank you very much." Bruce interrupted them with a disgusted face as he continued to scan the surface of the asphalt covered street "I think Tony is right… perhaps we should just go back to the tower and call it a day."

On his part, Steve was walking a few yards away from the others trying to find anything out of the ordinary but just like the others, he couldn't find anything. Until…

"Uhmm… guys?" He called but not with much volume. Kneeling down, he recognized a crack on the pavement and the smallest amount of a strange smelling smoke coming out of it. "Guys…" Steve repeated, this time louder. Leaning forward, the captain tried to get a glimpse at whatever it was causing the smoke and the stench but the orifice wasn't big enough. Looking over his shoulder, he gave a loud, high-pitched whistle, gaining his teammates' attention "Hey! You might want to see this…"

After exchanging puzzled looks, the other four members of the Avengers made their way over to their leader and gathered around the crack on the pavement.

"Might want to examine it, doc." Steve told Bruce who nodded in response and got to work.

Only a couple of minutes later, both Bruce and JARVIS had gotten high levels of sulfur readings along with some other components, a few known, a few not so much and of course, they were able to prove that there was something heating up deep inside the earth.

But it would not end there.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking, as if a violent quake threatened to destroy everything within a five mile radius.

"What's going on?" Natasha shouted at the other who tried to grab onto the nearest firm object to steady themselves.

"I have no idea!" Tony replied.

"An earthquake in New York? That's very rare!" Bruce told them.

"How rare?" Steve questioned.

"Supernaturally rare." Bruce said.

"JARVIS, where's the epicenter?" Tony interrogated his intelligent device.

"40°45′42.39″N 73°57′37.4″W , sir" JARVIS answered.

"And where's that?" Clint asked and saw the terrified look on Tony's face "It's right here, isn't it?"

All of them looked at each other in shock but their shock would only increase seconds later as the quake abruptly halted.

"Is it over?" Natasha wondered as they looked around.

But then, a large explosion threw them all into different directions but they all had achieved to see that the explosion had come from the very same crack they had spotted earlier only that now it wasn't only a crack but a deep crater in the middle of the street.

"I believe it's only starting…" Bruce said.

Forthwith, a colossal column of fire erupted from the hole and up, towards the sky.

"Look! Stark! Get a reading of that!" Steve shouted as he covered Natasha with his shield "Can you see it?"

Tony fixed his eyes on the fire and then realized what Steve was talking about.
It wasn't just a mass of fire but hundreds of thousands of humanoid-shaped creatures made of fire flying into the sky.

"It's like an army!" Tony yelled back and Steve nodded.

As fast as it had started, the column of fire was suddenly cut off and the fire spread in all directions above them, staining the sky with a bright red color scheme.

"What are those things?" Bruce asked.

"I have no idea… but I'm sure they are no good." Clint replied.

"Captain, I think we're gonna need some help… and I think you know what I mean." Tony said and Steve gave him a single nod in understanding. They needed all of the Avengers together and that meant, summoning Thor back to Earth.

Odin sat on his throne wallowing on his own mental torture.
Where on the way had he managed to hurt so many people? So many beloved people.
First had come Tyr's mother, then Tyr himself. Then Loki, Freyja, Frigga, Thor and now even Emma; he had been unfairly cruel and selfish and he knew his time to pay would come and, whilst he didn't fear for himself, he feared for those whom he loved; the same ones he had harmed along the way.

His train of thought was interrupted as the marching steps of his illegitimate son echoed across the hall.

"Have you come to torture me some more, Tyr?" A tiresome All-Father asked without even bothering to look up.

"You know me oh-so-well, father…" Tyr snarled "But this time I have not come alone…"

Unexpectedly, a horde of corpse-like creatures levitated into the hall, swarming it and imprisoning Odin.
The All-Father tried to fight them of but it was futile; they were so many of them.
He saw, with terrified eyes how Tyr made his way through the dead soldiers and approached him, until he was only a foot away.

"Do you like them? I borrowed them from Hela." Tyr said proudly with a grin.

"Hela? Hela is in on this with you?" Odin questioned in shock.

"Aha… you see… she is not very happy on how your… sons treated her brother… and well, let us face it, she has always been a tad easily influenced, you know… and I made her think she deserved more than what she has… which is a complete lie, you know? But… well, she bought it and now she is ready to wreak havoc in Midgard…" Tyr giddily explained.

"Thor will stop you…"

"Thor will die before the day is over, old king… and I will rule Asgard… as it should have been from the beginning!" Tyr's voice morphed into one of rage.

"You were never fit to be king, Tyr." Odin sentenced.

"Just like Loki?" Tyr noticed Odin's brow furrowing and then smiled again "Yes, Loki… you remember him, do you not?"

"Of course I remember him. He was my son. He was more my son than you will ever be, Tyr…"

"Uuu… harsh words to give a son, do you not think?" Odin then saw Tyr turning his head to the side and address to somebody else "What do you think, Loki?"

"Loki?" Odin repeated, feeling the air leave his lungs "Loki?"

"Yes Odin, Loki. Come on out so that your… father can see you!"

It was then when Odin felt his heart clawing its way up to his throat as he saw the son he had thought dead, for a second time, walking into the hall, alive.

"Loki…" Odin softly repeated, staring at his youngest son with both joy and sadness in his eyes.

"Hello, father…" Loki said coldly.

"Father? You call this man 'father' after all he has done?" Tyr questioned but Loki remained silent "No matter… tell me, brother," This last word Tyr spat it dripping with venom "Where is he?"

"He? Who?" Odin asked.

"Silence, old fool!" Tyr shouted, backhanding Odin forcefully "Where is he, Loki?"

All of a sudden, the ground and the walls began shaking and the three of them looked around.

"He is here." Loki announced.

Emma had bathed and had changed into a clean white night gown. Just because she felt better didn't mean she was in perfect conditions; she still had a bit of a fever and she had started to cough quite violently and it had all been because of the rain and the cold at the cavern.

She was brushing her long, dark auburn hair when, without a reason, the ground and the walls started shaking destructively.

"Emma!" She heard Thor calling from the hallway.

"Thor! Thor, what's happening?" She yelled back as he rushed into her chambers, taking a firm hold of her hand.

"I do not know. We must go to the throne hall. Father must be there!"

And with that, they ran out of the room and towards the hall where they were shocked by what they encountered there.

The hall was filled with a strange group of creatures while Odin remained pinned to his throne by some of them as Tyr swaggered in front of the All-Father; but what shocked them the most was that Loki was also there, staring at them with stone cold eyes.

"Loki…" Emma whispered covering her mouth with her hands.

"Brother…" Thor's voice sounded strained, as if used after a long time of being silent "How…? You… How?"

"That is a long story, Thor… one we do not have time to tell." Tyr interrupted the moment with his irritating voice.

"Tyr! What do you think you are doing? This is treason!" Thor yelled.

"No, Thor. This is retribution and revenge." The enraged god of war corrected.

"Retribution? Revenge? Over what?" Emma asked.

"Oh, I forgot… the poor, little, pathetic half Vanir does not know… but you do, do you not, brother?" Tyr referred to Thor.

"Brother?" Emma repeated and looked over at Thor "What does he mean, Thor?"

"Tyr is my father's son. He was born before me and sent away when my father married my mother." Thor explained simply without taking his eyes off Tyr.

"What? How is that possible?" She inquired and then looked over at Odin with tears in her eyes, seeing the torture he was going through "Please, Tyr, I don't know what has happened between you and your father but… please… you have to let him go… just… let him go…"

She tried to step forward but one of the corpse-soldiers slapped her across the face, making her fall to the floor.

"Emma!" Both Thor and Loki shouted in unison.

"So sweet… so tender… so caring and so kind is the Vanir… but you have not heard the whole story, girl…" Tyr continued "But I shall let Odin tell you the story himself… I am sure he will enjoy it. Go on, Odin… tell your dear Emma why they call you the 'All-Father'." Emma's eyes locked with Odin as she saw his own grayish-blue ones well up with tears "Tell her!"

"Emma… you have wondered at times who your father was… and why he left…" Odin started while Thor and Loki listened with both worry and attention "The reason he left was because he was trying to protect you… you and your mother… from all the enemies he had…"

"Don't say it… please, don't…" Emma begged from her kneeling position on the floor.

"Emma… I am you father…" Odin finally said with weary voice as the tears rolled down Emma's face freely "I am so sorry, my child… please, forgive me…"

Emma gulped and shook her head "There's nothing to forgive…" She replied softly, with a small smile to which Odin responded in the same way.

"Aww! How touching!" Tyr exclaimed with fake emotion and then slapped Odin once more.

"No! Stop it!" Emma shouted getting up and trying to run to Odin's aid but was stopped by Thor "Tyr, I beg of you, don't do this…"

"Why not, Emma? It is my right after all… and you should be as mad as I am… as mad as Loki has always been… the three of us suffered the same because of Odin and his favorite son, Thor! Do you not see?"

"All I see is a man filled with hatred and despair." Emma condemned, wiping the tears with the sleeve of her gown and then turning to Loki "Is this how you feel? Is this what you have come for? Revenge? Retribution?"

Loki just stood there, unable to utter a single word as he saw the love of his life challenging him to do the right thing.

But before any of them could say anything else, a loud roar came through the windows, breaking every crystal in the room.

"Ah, just in time…" Tyr said with a smile.

Just then, a gigantic figure with legs and head like a bull, torso like a man and his flesh covered with flames, holding the biggest sword Emma had ever seen, burst into the throne hall of Asgard.
Thor pulled Emma downwards and protected her with his body while Loki also ducked the destruction around them.

As the three of them looked up, Loki realized what he had done as fear covered Thor's and Emma's faces while Tyr greeted the creature.

"Welcome, Surtur!"

Dun Dun Duuuuuuuunnnnnnnn!

So... thoughts, anybody? Good? Bad? :)

Ok, so, I have a little something to tell you guys:
My family and I are moving to our new house in about 2 weeks so, when that happens I might be internetless for a few days but hopefully it won't interfere with the updating as I also hope for it to regain its natural pace so, yeah, if that happens, please, be patient... you know... real life, blah blah blah...

So, anyways, thank you all so much for your support, reviews, comments, PMs, faves, follows and most of all for your patience! You are the best!

Lots of love!

ASSEMBLE!

Angie.
xoxoxo