"I knew you would come for me.", Tyr looked tired, his face dirty with dust and his hair matted with moisture. "I could always count on you. You've always been my secret weapon against Odin."

Your eyes narrowed. Taking a deep breath, you bowed your head, grabbed the boy by the shoulders and took a step back.

"Tyr...", you whispered through clenched lips.

The god of war smiled. He showed his teeth as he did so. Tyr had never shown his teeth while smiling.

"It has been so long...", he reached out.

Heavy chains made it hard for him to move. He looked ill. Older than he would actually have been.

"We must free him!", Atreus said.

But your grip on him tightened before he could make a mistake.

"Loki...", you said calmly, frowning. "Go to Thor."

The boy pulled a face.

"But-!"

"Go to Thor. Now."

Without waiting for him to respond, you pushed him back into the light with gentle pressure. Tyr frowned. He sat on the floor, one hand resting on his knee. It was not like him to carry himself like this.

"Thor?", he asked with a smile that felt somehow like a threat.

You eyed him from top to bottom for a moment.

"Why are you wearing his clothes?", you asked.

He frowned. A huff escaped him. It seemed nervous.

"These are my clothes.", he said as if it were the only reasonable answer. "Did you get mad while I was gone?"

You shook your head, a little angered.

Carefully, you took a step back.

His eyes flinched. A hint of anger appeared on his face.

"You're... changed.", Tyr, you said while unnoticeably gesturing for Thor to help you.

The smile on his face froze.

Slowly, he rose from the ground. Chains rustled with his every movement.

The giant in Tyr was unmistakable. His shadow fell over you entirely, made it seem like he was a mountain of bones and flesh.

The gold of his eyes shimmered.

You retreated from the room only to hit with your back against something hard.

Thor grabbed you by the shoulders.

A gasp of surprise escaped you.

"I'm here.", he said in a calm voice while his eyes examined the long lost brother. "I'll do whatever it takes."

You swallowed hard.

"You don't have to.", you said while your fingers drew runes of protection into the air.

"But I want to. This is my choice."

At his sight, Tyr faltered. His eyes narrowed, his head tilted to the side.

"What are you doing here?", he asked, his voice so cold all of a sudden. "You're... betraying me?"

This was the final straw.

You raised your hands in alarm, flames dancing around your fingers.

"Who are you?", you asked with a grim face.

Confused, the boy stepped between you and the one wearing your master's face.

"That is Tyr.", he protested.

A smirk appeared on his bearded face.

"Hm.", he showed his teeth. "And I thought this time I could outwit you. Whatever."

All at once ravens rose from his feet.

Cawing made your ears ring. Dark feathers swirled through the air like a cloak come to life.

Tyr disappeared.

And all at once a hand jumped up from the veil of ravens to seize the boy.

"Odin.", you growled as the familiar face of the All-Father peered out from between the feathers.

"You have always been a thorn in my side!", the All-Father hissed, his spear in one hand and the boy firmly in the other. "You will not be my downfall!"

He raised his spear.

The roof of the ceiling trembled. Cracks chased through the stone. Within the breath of a second the mine was about to collapse over your head.

You drew a rune to protect you and Thor.

Wrapped in his cloak of ravens Odin rose towards the sunlight that fell through the hole that started to widen at the top.

"(Y/N)!", Atreus yelled as he struggled in his grip, helpless as to what was about to happen with him. "Help!"

You raised your arms.

"Kenaz!", you shouted.

An orb of fire chased towards Odin's feet. But he simply shook it off with a twist of his weapon.

"Look how weak you are.", he chuckled mockingly. "Still nothing without your master."

"Allfather!", Thor's face was red with anger.

"Keep your mouth shut you traitor! I'll deal with you later."

With these words he rose into the blue sky.

"Pumpkin!", your gaze leapt desperately to him.

"You don't have to tell me.", his hand wrapped around your waist. "Hold on tight."

Before you could react, he lifted Mjölnir into the air and shot after Odin while lightning crackled under his soles. Warm wind tugged at your hair.

Ravens tried to stop him by digging their beaks into skin and obscuring the view with black feathers.

Gritting your teeth, you conjured up another ring of fire.

In an instand, the birds fled.

"Thor!", Atreus reached out his hand to you. "I'm slipping!"

Straining, the All-Father gritted his teeth.

"If you resist I will really let you fall!", he threatened.

Furious, Atreus pulled a knife from his belt and stabbed Odin in the arm with it.

Surprised by the pain, he let go.

Struggling with all his limbs, the boy plunged over the mountains into the depths.

"I catch him.", you freed yourself from Thor's grasp. "Kill Odin."

With a nod, Thor let you go.

Wind chased around your ears and tugged at your clothes. With outstretched arms you caught Atreus in midair.

"We won't hit the ground.", you said while magic made (E/C) your eyes glow.

"I can hit him.", he gasped, drawing his bow.

Green magic danced between his fingers. Again he whispered a curse.

The arrow chased towards the Allfather with immense force.

At that very moment, Thor managed to distract him with a blow from Mjölnir.

Flashes of lightning and glaring light clashed and made the boy's shot go unnoticed.

The tip of the arrow suddenly pierced through the Allfather's arm. Surprised, he lost his focus and tumbled towards the ground.

"Ansuz.", you wrote a rune in the air.

All at once the boy and you were caught in a gust of wind. Light as a feather you sailed to the ground while

Odin, overwhelmed by pain and Thro's strength, smashed into a rock that was shattered by the shockwave.

"Waste no time!", you shouted. "Svefnthorn!"

Dark light wrapped around Odin.

"Do you think that will be enough?!", he asked angrily, cutting the curtain of the spell with his spear.

"No.", Atreus raised his bow, three arrows cocked. "Sigil!"

Shrouded in light, the spire fled towards the Allfather. A haughty laugh escaped him as he raised his weapon for protection.

But Thor threw Mjölnir at the same instant.

Clouds darkened the sky.

"Isaz...", you whispered.

The ground beneath Odin's feet began to tremble slightly. First it became hard. Then, all at once, splinters of ice shot out of the earth. They pierced his legs like blades.

He cried out in pain. As he stumbled his spear missed one of Atreu's arrows. Like a knife through butter, the arrow struck his neck and missed the windpipe by the width of a finger.

Mjölnir was sent skyward by the force of his blow. Green light made Odin's eye glow.

It need never have come to this! he yelled as the magic of his body transferred to the spear.

"Loki...", you grabbed the boy by the collar to draw a rune on his cheek. "Do you trust us?"

The entire mountain began to split beneath your feet. Cracks ripped through stone and wood.

The boy frowned in despair. He didn't dare say a word. But he managed to nod.

Quickly exchanging a glance with Thor. A silent agreement was made.

"Give me your hand.", Thor held out his to him.

Hesitantly Atreus accepted.

Without a single word of warning, Thor hurled him skyward.

"Trust your instincts!", you called after him.

Screaming and kicking, the boy spun in the dark sky, hands outstretched in all directions, hoping to find something to hold on to.

"Then I will deal with him last!", Odin slammed his spear into the ground. "Now accept your betrayal."

A mighty blast engulfed you and Thor.

Torn from your feet, you threatened to fall from the edge of the mountain, to such depths that you could not know whether sharp stones would kill you or all your bones would be broken.

The force was so immense that the skin on your face cracked. Blood dripped down your nose.

With the last of his strength, Thor seized you to place himself protectively in front of you. The sky raged.

Thunder and lightning made the sky tremble.

"If this is the end, then I want you to know that you will be mine forever.", Thor gasped with effort and pain.

With narrowed eyes you tried desperately to summon magic.

But Odin was too powerful. Even Thor's lightning had no chance.

"Done...", tears gathered in your eyes. "But I have no regrets!"

His lips were already open, the words were on the tip of his tongue, when suddenly a bright flash tore through the dark cloud cover.

Like an omen of death, ravens flocked towards the crack in the sky as if they could stop what was announcing the end of the world.

Gripping Mjölnir tightly with both hands, Atreus chased into the depths. Lightning embraced his entire body as if he were a thunderstorm itself.

Odin noticed too late. He was too filled with the desire to finally annihilate you.

Atreus smashed into the mountain with full force, taking the Allfather with him.

Bright light brought heat and electricity that penetrated to your core and vibrated your bones. Stone splintered, the earth trembled while dust enveloped you and Thor.

Coughing, you managed to crawl back to safety.

"Loki!", you cried.

All at once it was so quiet.

Your heart was in your throat.

"Kid!", Thor stumbled to the edge of the crater left by the blow of Mjölnir.

Silence. Nothing but silence.

With trembling breath you crawled to his side to risk a look.

A cloud of dirt blocked your view.

There were two shadows. Only one was moving.

"Loki...", you whispered, throat tied.

All at once the curtain of dust was torn open. What emerged was the shattered body of the All-Father amidst shattered stones and sand. Blood covered the floor of the crater.

"I'm fine!", the boy's voice suddenly replied.

He was covered in blood, endured by small sparks. But he seemed fine.

At that moment it felt like a stone being lifted from your heart.

"It's over...", you gasped, relieved, and let your head hit the ground. "Finally... Tyr. It's all over."

With both paternal pride and pain in his eyes, Thor stared at his father's mangled corpse.

"That's it...", he murmured. "The end."

You couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes! Finally..."

His gaze wandered to you.

"How?", he only asked.

Tiredly you let your head fall against his shoulder.

"I helped a little...", small sparks of magic danced between your fingers. "A rune for the coming king. Thurisaz. Thor."