Chapter 516 - Ragnarok... But Different (1)

Thor kicked open the chamber he was forced to sleep in and walked out as his golden hair flew behind him. Vale had seen this sight countless times as just like everyone else, Thor never liked having short hair. 

However, this time the aura shrouding him wasn't the usual hopeful and cheery one. In contrast to his usual self, he looked as if everything had been taken away from him. He was still a god, but he looked nothing like the god of thunder. 

The skies over Asgard were immediately covered with black and ominous-looking dark clouds, accompanied by the loudest thundering sounds anyone had ever heard. The lightning bolts were so bright they would even put Zeus to shame.  The clouds themselves were the sign of the calamity that was to come in the form of Thor. 

By this time, Loki could not help but smile like an idiot. The major part of his plan was successful. Now he just needed to manipulate Thor to kick Odin's ass and then he could have the throne without any problems. 

As Thor stood there, he looked around himself. Carefully analyse his surroundings. It was at that moment he saw Vale lying on his back, previously injured, but alive. Thor slowly started taking step after step towards Vale and stood over him like the grim reaper. 

'Yes! Kill that bastard!' Loki couldn't help but get excited thinking about what was going to happen next, 'Kill him first and then we will kill Odin as well! After that, you would be the king, but only in name while I destroyed shiva and that pathetic vassal of his.

Thor raised his hands over his head and the next second, his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, came rushing to his hands from deep within the halls of the armoury. As that happened, the skies cackled and so did Loki, eagerly waiting for one brother to kill the other. 

However, the next second Mjolnir slammed into Loki's chest once again throwing him out of the chamber, but this time, the impact was much stronger than before. Afterwards, Thor turned towards the soldier who was shocked and confused at the same time. 

"Tend to his wounds," Thor said in his hoarse and pain-stricken voice before heading outside to take care of Loki. 

"Brother..."

"I would advise you to keep your mouth close." Thor sternly replied before disappearing out of the room. 

***

Outside, Loki was confused as to what was going on. One moment everything was going according to his plan and the next everything got completely screwed over. And it wasn't even the first time that had happened on the same day.

First, it was Vale and now Thor, however, the latter was much worse than the former and with Fenrir gone the hopes of Loki's survival were dwindling down rapidly. 

"Damn it! Why did I look at my face when I got up this morning."

Loki cursed himself while trying to move Mjolnir off his chest, but it was all in vain. A sinner as big as him would never be able to lift the righteous Mjolnir. He knew that fact as well but could not help trying otherwise. 

"Why are you doing this to the one who saved you from the eternal sleep, damn it!?" Loki yelled at Thor as he came into his vision, "You should be thanking-"

"Tell that to someone who does not know about that scheming brain of yours." Thor rebuked Loki, "I have spent aeons with you, Loki, and that time is enough for me to know that someone with as much filth as in your head will never help anyone until and unless you have something to gain from it as well."

'When the hell did this brute get so intelligent?' Loki thought to himself as Thor read him like an open book, 'I have to choose my words carefully, or this brutish bastard would have me turn into a fine paste of blood and uncooked meat.'

"Tell me, what did you think would happen? You will help me out and in my blind rage I will kill the All-father?" Thor kept exposing Loki's plan after plan without even thinking about it twice, "Or maybe I will destroy Asgard altogether? That's what you thought, didn't you?"

Loki had a look of rage and defiance in his eyes. He had underestimated Thor based on his reaction after hearing the news of Sif's death. Loki had wanted to enrage Thor right then and there but ultimately decided to play it safe. 

However, in hindsight, it was the wrong move. He should have simply struck the iron while it was hot. As it appeared that by keeping him asleep, the All-father did not only manage to stop Thor from causing a catastrophe, but he also gave Thor the time he much needed to think. 

Thanks to that, even though he was still enraged for the loss of his beloved, Thor was still calm enough to think things through. He wasn't as irrational nor as frantic as Loki had expected and that was going to be the reason for his downfall. 

By this time, the Asgardian forces and the gods finally arrived there, ready to fight Fenrir and Loki simultaneously. But instead what they saw was a defeated Loki lying on the floor while there was no sign of Fenrir anywhere. The king of wolves had already made his escape. 

More importantly, as they saw Thor, all of them went down on their knees. Thor looked around over them and saw Odin was not there. When asked about his whereabouts, Magni, the son of Thor, replied that he was away trying to seek help from the Immortal one. 

Thor nodded and then told them about Vale who was lying inside and ordered them to take Loki and bind him in the chains used to bind the giantess Grea before her death. In Odin's absence, Thor's orders were supreme. Thus all of them rushed to fulfil his commands while Thor himself headed towards Bifrost. 

Seeing this Magni inquired Thor about it and his only response was, "Vengeance."