After hearing Loki's proposal, Laufey replied coldly,
"Then we have an agreement. I'll kill Odin for you."
His icy gaze narrowed.
"Provided you keep your word."
Loki snorted.
"And I'm supposed to trust you?"
He continued walking without slowing.
"Allowing Frost Giants into Asgard is treason of the highest order. If the people ever learned what I've done, they'd tear me from the throne before I ever sat on it."
As he passed Heimdall's frozen prison, he glanced at the ice-bound guardian.
The enchantment remained intact.
Satisfied, he continued forward.
Behind him, Laufey and his Frost Giant escort filed past the frozen sentry and headed deeper into Asgard.
The sight was reflected in Heimdall's eyes through layers of ice.
Rage burned within him.
So did helplessness.
He could do nothing.
Even if he somehow broke free, the Destroyer still stood watch nearby.
Severely weakened by the Casket's freezing power, he wouldn't stand a chance against Asgard's ultimate weapon.
Only one hope remained.
Thor.
With immense effort, Heimdall diverted a portion of his divine power away from resisting the cold and focused it into his eyes.
A faint golden light emerged from them.
His body remained trapped.
His spirit did not.
Across unimaginable distances, he projected what he saw directly into Thor's sleeping mind.
A procession of Frost Giants marched across the Rainbow Bridge.
Ice-covered warriors advanced toward the heart of Asgard.
The Destroyer stood nearby.
Watching.
Doing nothing.
The terrifying image slammed into Thor's consciousness.
He jolted awake.
Sweat drenched his body despite the winter chill.
His breathing was ragged.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
Thor sat upright on the narrow prison cot.
Now stripped of his power, the Prince of Asgard was little more than an unusually strong human.
After illegally entering the military installation, he'd been locked up in the facility's detention block.
The dream lingered vividly in his mind.
"I saw Asgard."
His voice was low.
"I saw Frost Giants crossing the Rainbow Bridge."
His fists clenched.
The muscles in his arms tightened.
"No."
Thor shook his head.
"That wasn't a dream."
His expression darkened.
"Something has happened."
"Asgard is in danger."
He surged to his feet and grabbed the bars of his cell.
"Let me out!"
"I have to return to Asgard!"
The guards outside immediately reacted.
"Quiet!"
One of them slammed a baton against the bars.
The metallic crack echoed through the cellblock.
Thor opened his mouth to continue.
Several rifles immediately swung toward him.
He froze.
Thor had already learned exactly how dangerous Midgard's "bows" could be.
He had died once.
He had no interest in repeating the experience.
After a long pause, he reluctantly sat back down.
Frustration gnawed at him.
The feeling of helplessness was almost unbearable.
Then an idea struck him.
"If I can lift Mjolnir..."
His eyes brightened.
"I'll regain my power."
"I'll become Thor again."
"Then I can summon the Bifrost."
For a moment, hope returned.
Then reality crushed it.
Thor looked around.
Beyond the bars stood heavily armed guards.
The cell itself might as well have been indestructible.
The last time he'd infiltrated the facility, it had been little more than a temporary camp.
Now?
He imagined reinforced walls, electrified fences, guard towers, and enough firepower to flatten an army.
At his current strength, he'd probably be shot before he even reached the outer perimeter.
The hope vanished.
Thor lowered his head.
Silence returned to the cell.
Again and again, the dream replayed in his mind.
Frost Giants marching across the Rainbow Bridge.
The terrible cold.
The overwhelming sense of dread.
It hadn't felt like a dream.
It had felt real.
Very real.
Then another thought occurred to him.
Over the past several months, Midgard had suffered multiple Frost Giant incursions.
The last attack had even involved large numbers of Chitauri soldiers.
Yet Asgard had done nothing.
No warriors.
No reinforcements.
No response.
Why?
Could it be that the Frost Giants had launched a major offensive after his exile?
Had Asgard become so consumed by war that it could no longer spare troops for Midgard?
Maybe the Frost Giants had already broken through Asgard's defenses.
Maybe that was why he had seen them crossing the Rainbow Bridge.
The more Thor thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Then his expression darkened again.
Even if he somehow reached Mjolnir...
What then?
He'd already touched the hammer once.
It hadn't moved.
Not even slightly.
Elsewhere, Drex Valen found himself suppressing a long list of sarcastic observations.
The Destroyer still hadn't arrived after more than two weeks.
Thor was already planning another attempt to lift Mjolnir.
At this point, the movie's original storyline seemed increasingly irrelevant.
Was Thor seriously convinced that because Asgard was in danger, Mjolnir would suddenly decide he was worthy?
Drex wasn't entirely sure whether to be amused or impressed.
Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Laufey and his escort remained on high alert.
As they advanced through the royal palace, Frost Giant warriors constantly scanned their surroundings.
This was the heart of Asgard.
If they were discovered, the sheer number of soldiers stationed here would bury them.
Twenty-two Frost Giants would never survive a direct confrontation.
Most of Laufey's advisors had opposed this mission from the beginning.
The King of Jotunheim personally infiltrating Asgard with only a few dozen warriors sounded insane.
Yet Laufey had insisted.
Whether it was confidence in Loki's plan or centuries of hatred clouding his judgment, no one knew.
Loki smiled as he noticed their caution.
"Relax."
His voice was calm.
"I've already redeployed the palace guard."
"They're busy searching for the Frost Giants who supposedly infiltrated the city."
He pointed ahead.
"You have time."
"Walk fifty steps."
"Turn right."
"That's where Odin sleeps."
Then he gestured toward another corridor.
"I'll retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters."
"The moment Odin dies, it's yours."
Laufey studied him carefully.
"Make sure it is."
Without another word, he led his men onward.
The Frost Giants spread out as they advanced.
Some moved ahead.
Others guarded intersections.
Every warrior positioned himself to ensure a retreat route remained open if things went wrong.
Loki continued toward Odin's Vault.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The massive doors closed behind him.
The moment they sealed shut, his body shattered like a broken reflection.
The figure vanished.
An illusion.
The real Loki appeared in a chamber adjacent to Odin's sleeping quarters.
Waiting.
Watching.
Preparing for the final act.
The doors to Odin's chamber suddenly swung open.
Laufey entered.
One Frost Giant accompanied him.
The others remained outside.
The Frost Giant King smiled.
"Meet again, All-Father."
His bare feet crossed the luxurious carpet.
Frost spread with every step.
A trail of ice followed behind him.
At the center of the room, Odin rested within a golden protective field.
The barrier was designed to protect him during the Odin-Sleep.
It wasn't designed to stop Laufey.
The Frost Giant reached through the shimmering shield effortlessly.
His hand touched Odin's face.
Laufey lifted the sleeping king's eyelid.
The old eye beneath looked clouded and distant.
He leaned closer.
Very close.
Close enough to speak directly into Odin's ear.
"I've heard that even while you sleep, you can still hear and see."
A cruel smile crossed his face.
"Then listen carefully."
"And remember this."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"The one who kills you..."
"...is Laufey, King of the Frost Giants."
For once, the villain chose brevity.
Unfortunately for him, even a few seconds was too long.
A side door suddenly opened.
Queen Frigga stepped into the chamber.
The moment she entered, she saw Laufey standing beside Odin's bed.
Close enough to kill him.
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar