A Mother's Love

Chapter 28

It isn't until the next day that Loki walks up to me in the tavern and slams a dagger into the table "Those motherfuckers are going to pay for what they did to Frigga!"

I look up from my beer with a blinding headache "What do you have planned?"

He gives a devilish sneer, before declaring "We're taking the fight to them."

~

As Odin and Loki sit at the table in front of me, Loki speaks, emotionlessly "Thor, Jormungandr, and I, will leave Asgard via boat."

"Why not use the bifrost?" Odin asks as Heimdall passes behind us.

"It'll raise suspicion." Heimdall states, before looking to Loki "And this is to be one hel of a trick."

Loki gives a proud smirk, before I ask "How are we to get to the dark elves?"

Heimdall furrows his brow and declares "He's got portals all over Asgard."

Loki gives a malicious chuckle, before stating "That I do."

I furrow my brow and remind "The Cursed saw us fighting in the dungeons. How do you expect him to believe we're on his side."

He moistens his lips, before declaring "I am but your prisoner, Thor." He leans forward and declares "We'll find the most outstanding prisoner from the dungeons, and I'll cast an illusion."

He looks to Odin as Odin asks "How are they to trust Thor?"

Loki shrugs, before declaring "They don't need to trust a man that's going to be double crossed."

I furrow my brow and ask "How do you plan to double cross me?"

Loki scoffs, before pulling out a dagger and holding out his hand. Effortlessly, he chops it off, before holding the stump up. As the dead hand disappears, his hand grows back and he remarks "Smoke and mirrors, Thor. It'll all be sorcery."

I give a confused look "Why would we take Jory to them?"

He stabs the dagger into the table, before declaring "I don't like the fact that The Æther is in my child, and I don't know how to get it out." He leans back and states "I do, however, know know to shatter it into a million, molecular, pieces, leaving it obsolete."

I take in a deep breath, before asking "Do you really think you could pull off a illusion so big that it could fool Malakith?"

Loki gives a signature sneer, before Heimdall reminds "He did fool an entire realm for many days while you were on Midgard."

I nod in remembrance, before Odin asks "Well, should you three practice this, before you leave?"

Loki looks to me with a soft chuckle, before smirking "When do we start?"

~

As I unroll my hand bindings, I hear Loki speaking to Jory, softly "Tomorrow, I'm going to have to say some things that I truly don't mean, my love."

Jory gives a confused look and asks "Like what?"

Loki takes in a deep breath, before declaring "It doesn't matter. Just remember that I would never let anyone harm you."

Jory nods in confusion and Loki holds Jory's hands in front of him "If something bad happens to me tomorrow, you wait until it's safe, and you run to Thor."

Jory gives a concerned look "Hurt how?"

Loki gives a sad smile, before insisting "Thor will keep you safe."

Jory pouts and cries "Daddy, I'm scared!"

Loki shakes his head and I can see a part of him die as he insists "Don't be scared, my love. It's time to be a warrior, like your father."

Jory nods, downcastedly, before Loki pulls him forward to hug him.

He looks to me and gives a weak smile. When I give one back, he pulls away from Jory and asks "Now, why don't we have a bit of fun, first?"

~

When it comes time to leave, Loki lowers Jory into the boat. When I grab him, Loki jumps down and takes hold of the movement mechanism.

He looks up at Heimdall and insists "Ready the bifrost. We might need to get out of there, quickly."

Heimdall nods, before starting down the bifrost.

As Loki and I sail off, Jory lays down in the makeshift cradle, causing Loki to ask "Are you alright, darling?"

Jory nods, before declaring tiredly "Daddy, I sleepy."

Loki gives a soft smile, before declaring "It'll be alright, love." Jory hums, before Loki bangs towards the mountains "Lay your head down, love. Close your eyes."

When I look to him, i find a look of absolute insanity. That's when I realize.

I quickly look back to the mountains to find a narrow cave. When I look back to him, I ask "Are you mad?"

"Possibly!" He calls out, before declaring "I've done it dozens of times, before! Only crash half of the time!"

I narrow my gaze and scream, sarcastically "Only half? How reassuring!"

He smirks, before speeding up. As we near the cave, I step away from the side and brace myself.

Plummeting into the cavern, we smack into the rocks, causing us all to jerk from side to side.

Loki simply chuckles madly, before speeding up and plunging into darkness. The only light comes from the sparks caused by the sides of the ship scrapping the sides of the chasm.

When the sparks finally disappear, Loki speeds and I feel the boat smacking sand "Tah-dah!"

"Are you mad?" I roar, turning to him "You could've killed us!"

Loki gives a smug smirk "Like we're innocent enough that that would be grievous."

I motion towards Jory "What about him! You could have killed him!"

He furrows his brow and reminds "The Æther is protecting him, Thor. He wouldn't have been injured."

I step towards him and hiss "And watch his father die?"

Loki looks to me flatly, before declaring "Mortality is a bitch, Thor. The sooner he learns that, the sooner he understands he'll never be happy."

When I look to Jory, I find he stands at the head of the ship. Loki takes in a deep breath, before declaring "He can't hear us. He's under the Æther's command. He's not even aware what he's doing."