Heroes Assemble!

The Battle For Asgard

Ever since the blue beam that they'd witnessed descended from Thanos' ship, the Sanctuary II, and promptly returned to the ship, it had been as though the entire planet, Asgard, was holding its breath. Not a single animal made a sound, every person was deathly still and quiet, even the very breeze had died off.

Loki and Heimdall stood, watching and waiting on the great stone ledge just in front of the doors of the hidden, all-but-forgotten, fortress in the wilds of the planet. By their estimate, the ancient fortress now housed between five and six thousand Asgardian men, women and children from all walks of life but mostly commoners with a few warriors scattered in for good measure.

"It's beginning," Loki said quietly, although in the silence, his voice almost boomed down the canyon between the two mountains that hid the fortress.

He was undoubtedly correct. Two, four, eight great dropships disengaged from the Sanctuary II and plummeted towards the planet. Their enormous size and matte black colouring was enough to ensure that anyone seeing them would cower in fear.

But that was not all that Thanos' forces had planned. As soon as the dropships were clear, the ship fired. A rapid series of half a dozen bright orange pulses blanketed one particular location, a location that Heimdall knew all too well.

"You best be right about knowing a way to get the people of Asgard off this planet," Heimdall stated.

"I will play my part; have no doubt of that," Loki replied. "I trust that you will do yours?"

In answer, Heimdall simply drew his sword which had been strapped across his back. He then held it, point down, both hands on the hilt. His eyes closed and a fierce, determined expression appeared on his face.

"All Father, let the Dark Magic flow through me once more," he implored.

Loki watched as Heimdall's body went completely rigid, his face betraying a look of intense pain. The Gratekeeper grimaced, his teeth bared in an eerie parallel of a living corpse.

And then Loki felt it. Magic. Dark magic. It gathered, twisted, swirled, condensed until, all at once, the bright beam of rainbow light burst from the heavens. It slammed into the ground like a pillar of fire for a second, two and then dissipated.

But what it left behind ...

"Brother!" Loki exclaimed.

"Loki?" Thor asked, clearly shocked. "But I saw you killed."

"A ruse," Loki replied, holding his hands out wide. "You know me. God of Mischief?"

And then Thor was striding across the distance and grabbing him, hugging him and, if Loki didn't know better, he would have sworn that his brother was crying!

"I thought you dead. We all thought you dead. I mourned. Again!" Thor was saying into his shoulder.

"Yes, well, I was greatly touched," Loki replied.

And then Thor stepped back and punched him hard in the face. Loki, having not expected it, was slammed to the ground. His jaw now aching, he rubbed it and looked up.

"Feel better now, do we?" he asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes, I do," Thor replied and reached a hand down towards him.

Loki had half a mind to ignore it but the ache in his chest disabused him of that notion and thus, he allowed his brother to haul him to his feet.

"No wonder I'm feeling so drained," Heimdall said, now down on his haunches, his forehead against the blade of his sword even as his hands still rested on the hilt now above his head. "I had not intended to transport so many."