Heavenly Palace, at the steps beneath the divine throne.
Malrick watched as the Frost Giants departed in the ship they had come in. With a faint smirk, he nudged Odin.
"So much for Loki knowing his limits. Weren't you going to act, All-Father? Shouldn't you stop them now?"
He pointed toward the distant vessel. "If you don't move quickly, Laufey will be back in Jotunheim with the Casket of Ancient Winters. And then… he might even come knocking to take your other eye."
Odin's cheek twitched at the jab. The Sorcerer Supreme's bluntness had not grown gentler with age.
"Tell me, Malrick," Odin deflected, "what do you think of Thor and Loki?"
Malrick folded his arms. "Both are remarkable. Either could rule Asgard and restore its strength, if guided well."
"..." Odin fell silent, his thoughts weighing heavy.
At length he sighed. "Thor is brave and strong, but reckless. He still carries the heart of a child beneath the appearance of a man. Loki… Loki is clever, but his cunning grows from insecurity. He has much yet to learn."
Malrick raised a brow. "So what you're saying is, Thor is still a boy and Loki doesn't truly belong. Neither one is fit, correct?"
Odin nearly choked. "No. Loki needs time to grow."
Malrick dismissed the words with a wave. "Then shouldn't you be chasing after those Giants instead of stalling?"
Odin's expression firmed. "This is their chance. A test. For Thor and for Loki both. If they are to be kings one day, they must first stumble, bleed, and grow."
"You… want my help?" Malrick asked, skeptical.
"Exactly," Odin replied. "I will intervene if needed, but should I falter against Laufey, I would ask you to stand beside me."
Malrick's lips curled. "The great Odin, renowned across the realms, asking for help against Laufey?"
"I ask only as precaution," Odin said gravely. "We are allies, are we not? And Asgard shares its fate with Kamar-Taj. Our strength, our treasures, even our secrets—these things can be shared."
That made Malrick pause. For Odin to speak so openly, so generously, was unlike him. Yet considering Asgard's looming fate, perhaps it was not so strange.
If nine years from now Asgard falls, what is left to guard?
"How do you want to play this?" Malrick finally asked. Both men knew the truth: the alliance meant all of Asgard was at stake. Beyond that, only power decided who would rule the outcome.
Odin's smile returned briefly. "Come with me, Malrick."
He guided him up the throne steps. Then, with Gungnir in hand, Odin turned to the hall. His smile vanished, replaced with the solemn majesty only the All-Father could summon.
Thud. Thud.
The spear tapped against the floor, and the crowd below fell silent, the haze of their feast lifting.
"People of Asgard," Odin began, his voice deep and commanding. "We face war."
He wasted no words. "The Giants of Jotunheim have infiltrated Asgard. They have stolen the Casket of Ancient Winters—an artifact we meant to gift to our allies. In their theft, they slew our warriors and left Prince Loki gravely wounded. They now flee back to Jotunheim with what was once ours."
Gasps and anger rippled through the hall.
"Father!" Thor's voice thundered, his cup shattering against the table as he stood. "How is Loki?"
"His life is not in danger," Odin replied.
Thor exhaled with relief, but his relief turned to fury in the next breath. "Where are the Frost Giants? I will hunt them down myself! They will pay for this insult!"
His already flushed face burned redder with rage. "They want war? Then let them have war! Let us march on Jotunheim as you once did, Father. Let them remember why Asgard is feared!"
The Asgardians, roused by drink and Thor's fire, slammed fists against tables and roared together.
"War! War! War!"
At the edge of the hall, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner exchanged uneasy looks. Their intoxication evaporated instantly.
Asgard's cries for war struck them like a warning. Today it was Jotunheim. Tomorrow… could it be Earth?
Tony bit back a sharp remark, only holding his tongue when he caught Malrick's calm glance from the throne.
Odin's voice thundered over the chants. "Thor! We hold a truce with Jotunheim! You speak like a warrior, not a prince, nor a king to come. Have you thought of the cost of war?"
"I am not wrong, Father!" Thor shot back. "They killed our people, they hurt my brother. If I do not answer, I am unworthy to rule Asgard!"
Disappointment flickered across Odin's eye. Had this been any other day, he might have struck Thor down with harsher words. But this, too, was part of his plan.
He exhaled slowly. "Is this truly your will? To bear the consequences of such a choice?"
Thor raised Mjolnir high, standing atop his chair. "Yes! I will bring victory back to Asgard!"
Odin's hand fell weakly to his side. His face was unreadable. "So be it. Take whom you wish. Pursue the Frost Giants, reclaim the Casket, and do as you will."
Thor's face lit with childlike joy. "Truly? Father, this is glorious! I swear, I will make you proud!"
He swung Mjolnir above his head, rallying the warriors. "Come, my brothers! To Jotunheim! Victory awaits!"
The hall erupted, soldiers surging after Thor. Even Stark and Banner were dragged into the excitement, invited as if to a festival rather than a war.
Soon, only Odin, Malrick, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, and a few women remained in the emptied hall.
Malrick glanced at Odin, both still staring into the distance. "They are eager. You're certain they'll fail?"
"Win or lose, Thor must pay a price," Odin murmured. "This is the only way he will grow."
Malrick said nothing. Sacrificing warriors to forge a king… ruthless, even for Odin.
Tony finally approached, brow furrowed. "You two are up to something. Care to explain the secret plan?"
"His Majesty Odin is perfecting his parenting," Malrick replied dryly. "Nothing to do with me."
Odin inclined his head toward Stark. "Thank you for sharing what you know of the future, young man. Perhaps my past mistakes are the reason Thor and Loki meet such fates."
Tony understood then. The knowledge of tomorrow had changed Odin's hand today. No wonder old Rogers never mentioned this Asgardian war.
He noticed both Odin and Malrick were still gazing beyond the hall. "What are you even looking at?"
Malrick gave a thin smile. "Watching Thor swing Mjolnir. You'd like to see, too?"
He tapped his temple and conjured a spell, sharing the vision with the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
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