The Hope Of The Marvel Universe!

57: Earfs

Back on Earth, Darcy paces around her apartment as Ian is sat watching the news on TV.

Darcy Lewis: Jane isn't called me back. Erik isn't calling me back. Stupid SHIELD isn't calling me back!

Ian Boothby: What's SHIELD?

Darcy Lewis: It's a secret. [Darcy leaves a voice message for Erik] Uh...hey, Erik. It's Darcy again. Uh...Thor came back, he took Jane to Asgard and um...I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.

As Ian is watching the news they start reporting about Erik being arrested at Stonehenge.

News Reporter: Something else went missing this week when Astrophysicist, Dr. Erik Selvig, notable for his involvement in the Alien invasion in New York streaked nude across Stonehenge.

Ian Boothby: Darcy, you really need to look at this. Your friend Erik, what was his last name again?

Darcy looks at the news report on TV.

News Reporter: ...disrobed and began shouting at visitors at the historic site. He was later taken into police custody for psychiatric evaluation. The police are still refusing to confirm...

Ian presses the pause button on Erik's face from footage taken at Stonehenge, Darcy sits in dismay as she looks at Erik's face on the TV.

In Asgard, Thor is sat alone when Heimdall walks up to him.

Thor: You're not in Odin's war council?

Heimdall: The Bifrost is closed by your father's
orders. No one is to come or to go. [Heimdall takes off his helmet and places it on the table] We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. Of what use is a guardian such as that?

He sits down looking defeated.

Thor: Malekith will return, you know this. I'll need your help.

Heimdall: I cannot overrule my King's wishes, not even for you.

Thor: I'm not asking you to. The Realms need their All-Father strong and unchallenged, whether he is or not. But he is blinded, Heimdall, by hatred and by grief.

Heimdall: As are we all.

Thor: Well I see clearly enough.

Heimdall: The risks are too great.

Thor: Everything that we do from here on is a risk, there is no other way.

Heimdall hesitates before replying.

Heimdall: What do you require of me?

Thor: What I'm about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. Success will bring us exile and failure shall mean our death. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power. If we do nothing he will come for it again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard. [we see Thor holding a meeting with Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Heimdall] We must move Jane off world.

Sif: The Bifrost has been shut down and the Tesseract locked away in a vault.

Heimdall: There are other paths off Asgard, ways known only to a few.

Thor: One, actually.

The others suddenly realize he means Loki.

Volstagg: No.

Thor: Yes...where is Masaru?

Masaru is revealed to be in the asgardian training room, he keeps on thinking about how Kurse one tapped his ass.

And that motivates him to work out harder, Thor walks in.

Thor: Masaru we have a mission.

Masaru drops the weights shaking the entire gym.

Masaru: As long as I get Kurse I'm with you.

Masaru and Thor walks up to Loki's cell where he is standing looking well kept and clean.

Loki: Thor, after all this time and now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock?

Thor: Loki, enough. No more illusions.

Suddenly Loki's cell is transformed, the illusion is lifted and we see that Loki's cell is a mess, everything has been thrown around and he's sat on the floor, looking unkempt and messy, in the other corner of the cell.

Loki: Now you see me, brother. [Thor walks up to the other side of the cell to be closer to Loki] Did she suffer?

Thor: I did not come here to share our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament.

Loki: Go on.

Thor: I know you seek vengeance as much as I do. You help me escape Asgard and I will grant it to you, vengeance. And afterward, this cell.

Loki chuckles.

Loki: You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?

Thor: I don't. Mother did. You should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with a glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me and I will kill you.

Loki smiles.

Loki: Hmm. When do we start?

Back to the meeting with Thor and his comrades.

Fandral: He will betray you.

Thor: He will try.

Masaru, Loki, and Thor walk out of the Asgardian prison.

Loki: This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?

Thor: If you keep speaking I just might.

Loki: Fine. As you wish. I'm not even here. [using his diversion tactics Loki turns himself into an Asgardian guard] Is this better?

Thor It's better company at least.

Loki: Still, we could be less conspicuous. [Loki turns back into himself but turns Thor into Sif] Hm, brother. You look ravishing.

Thor looks down at his body then replies in his own voice.

Thor: It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form.

Loki: Very well. Perhaps you prefer one of your new companions, given that you seem to like them so much. [Loki then turns himself into Captain America in his full Captain America costume] Oh, this is much better. Woh. The costume's a bit much, so tight. But the confidence, I can feel the righteousness surging. Hey, you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth, honor, patriotism? God bless Amer- [suddenly Thor grabs hold of Loki puts his hand over his mouth and pushes him against the wall making Loki turn back into himself] What? [Thor looks to the side and they see two Asgardian guards walking away] You could at least furnish me with a weapon. My dagger, something! [Thor looks at him and we hear a noise like a sword being drawn] At last, a little common sense.

Loki then looks down then holds up his hands which now have iron handcuffs on them.

Thor: And I thought you liked tricks.

Masaru and Thor laugh and turn to walk off.