"Cut it out."
Malrick didn't answer Tony's jab directly. Instead, he glanced at him.
"You're getting sentimental all of a sudden. What are you really trying to say?"
Malrick understood Tony well enough. Tony could be sentimental, but his softness never showed on the surface. He carried his worries alone, burying them under sarcasm and wit. Even with Pepper at his side, he would never admit it out loud.
Even if he was plotting to save the entire world, he'd still shrug and joke, 'Save the world? Funniest thing I've heard all day.'
And true to form, as soon as Malrick used the word "sentimental," Tony immediately straightened up.
"Sentimental? Please. If you're fishing for advice on how to win over women, Malrick, you can just say it. Like Wanda, I think—"
"Stop. Hold on," Malrick cut him off, raising a hand.
"I know what you're trying to do. You're worried about Thanos. You want me to talk to Odin, share future knowledge, maybe have us deal with Thanos together, cut the problem off before it even begins."
"You said that, not me," Tony replied, lifting both hands in mock surrender.
Malrick gave him a look that said, I'm impressed.
"I thought you weren't worried about this anymore. Relax, I can handle Thanos. I already have two Infinity Stones. Last time, the Time Variance Authority even dumped a bunch of discarded ones on me. Tell me, how exactly is Thanos supposed to succeed?"
He pointed toward the starry sky above. "Remember those Super Skrulls? After arriving in this universe, I set them searching for the rest of the Stones. Honestly, they alone might be enough to deal with Thanos."
"And besides, if Odin makes a move now, he risks falling into the Odinsleep, maybe even accelerating his death. Partnering with him would be useless."
Hearing Malrick's calm reasoning, Tony felt some of the pressure lift. His chest loosened, the weight on his mind easing for the first time in days.
He already knew most of what Malrick was saying, but it was different hearing it from him. Malrick's certainty was like an anchor in the storm. The last time they had discussed the future, Malrick's reassurance had quieted his anxiety — though only for a while. The fear always crept back eventually. That was who Tony was: always overthinking, always anxious. Only Malrick had the power to calm him down.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Our very own Superman will take care of it," Tony said with a wry grin, clapping Malrick hard on the shoulder.
"Then for now, we don't tell Asgard anything. When Ragnarok arrives, we'll decide whether to step in."
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't entirely comfortable trusting Asgard. For all their grandeur, they were still outsiders — aliens who once claimed dominion over Earth.
"So that's what you were worried about?" Malrick arched an eyebrow, then pointed to the treetops nearby.
"Too late for that. Odin's already been listening in."
"What? Listening? Where?" Tony turned his head sharply.
Perched in the shadows of the branches was a raven, feathers as black as night. It tilted its head, meeting Tony's eyes before letting out a low caw. Then it took flight, vanishing into the sky.
Tony's jaw tightened. His memory flicked to the Norse mythology he'd brushed up on before coming here. Odin had two ravens: Huginn and Muninn. His eyes, his ears, patrolling the Nine Realms.
"…You've got to be kidding me. We're having a private conversation and you let Odin spy on it?"
"I thought you knew," Malrick said casually, standing and heading back toward the great hall. "This is Odin's palace. He sees everything that happens here."
"Of course I knew," Tony muttered, chasing after him. "But a warning would've been nice."
As the two men returned to the hall, a figure brushed past them, leaving quietly with his head bowed.
Malrick slowed his steps and looked back. Loki's slender form disappeared into the shadows, unnoticed by the rest. Alone, isolated, like a forgotten second son.
"What is it?" Tony asked, catching Malrick's pause. "Eyeing another Asgardian beauty?"
"Nothing," Malrick murmured, his gaze lifting toward the throne. Odin was watching him, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"It seems this banquet has a second act," Malrick said softly. He hadn't expected Odin to move so quickly based on a few overheard words.
---
Far from the golden palace, hidden in the outer reaches of Asgard, were secret passages leading to distant worlds. Few knew of them. Tonight, Loki used one.
The portal opened onto the icy cliffs of Jotunheim. His boots crunched on ancient ice as he descended. Below him, slumbering Frost Giants sprawled across the glacier.
He stared down with a cold gleam in his eyes.
"No one mocks the honor of Asgard," he whispered.
His plan was simple. Ruin Thor's succession. Force him into a mistake, one Odin couldn't ignore. Then Loki, the overlooked son, would finally prove his worth.
But Kamar-Taj had ruined everything.
Those mages. That beast master. The Hulk's shadow haunted him every time he closed his eyes. He still heard the laughter, the jeers, the unspoken judgment of a prince unloved by his father and unwanted by his people.
He clenched his fists. Tonight, he would change it.
The Frost Giants would march. The banquet would be thrown into chaos. The Midgardians would pay. And Thor would fall.
---
Back at the palace, Odin and Malrick stood side by side, overlooking the revelry below. Music, laughter, and the sound of mugs crashing together filled the hall, but both men stared into the distance.
Through the mountains, they saw him. Loki, guiding a group of Frost Giants toward the golden city. And in their path, an Asgardian escort carried three sealed chests — the spoils gifted to Kamar-Taj. Inside one of them was the Casket of Ancient Winters.
"What do you want me to say, Malrick?" Odin asked quietly, his voice grave. "Ragnarok is inevitable. No words can change it."
"You're still letting Loki walk into foolishness? Don't tell me you expect me to intervene," Malrick said sharply. He wouldn't put it past the old king.
"Be at ease. I will act when the time comes." Odin smiled faintly.
"You?" Malrick shot him a doubtful look. "You'll collapse into Odinsleep the second you lift a hand. How exactly are you planning to act?"
Odin only gave him a serene nod, as though to say, Trust me.
Malrick's jaw tightened. His eyes flicked back to the horizon.
Loki and his Frost Giants had already landed. And now, face to face with the escort, they had come upon the very chests carrying Kamar-Taj's treasures.
The casket was right there.
Malrick cursed under his breath. "You sly old fox. You said you'd act, and now you're just watching?"
His fists clenched. His patience thinned.
It looked like he would have to roll up his sleeves after all.
____
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