Odin began to talk over the battle plans to us. Suggesting strategies that we could use. Weapons, formations that the armies should be in...but the longer I listened, the more I could see faults in them. I needed to say something, but I wasn't sure how to go about it.
I sighed, removing myself from the chair beside him. Slowly I paced around the room, lost in my own thoughts. We needed more than this...something to catch them off guard. But what?
Odin stopped talking straightening his back before he cleared his throat to grab my attention. My pacing was starting to annoy him, "Is something the matter Y/N?" He sounded displeased.
Nothing new there.
I looked up, suddenly aware of the fact I had indeed been circling the table and everyone was now looking at me in anticipation of what I was going to say. I had to approach this with caution.
"I...I'm sorry, I know you might not want to hear this and it's not really my place, but I need to get this off my chest. While all these ideas seem great and all. The dark elves have fought the Asgardian Army before. Many years ago, when your Father destroyed the Aether." I waved my hands about as I spoke. Tony was really rubbing off on me. "So they will expect, over the generations that your soldiers will be trained the same way. That they will have been passed down the same training by the soldiers that survived that battle. Leaving their moves to be predictable. They will be able to anticipate it. We need to have an element of surprise. We need to throw them off our trail." I rubbed my temples. "We need to lure them somewhere that we have the advantage? You guys should know of places here?" I looked around at them all, hoping for some reassurance. "If we can do that then we can surround them. Hide the soldiers, make them believe we are weaker than they thought? We just need something they wouldn't expect."
I subconsciously let my hands wander to rest upon the back of Loki's chair for support, everyone was nodding as they let this sink in.
"Loki told me about a book I should read that he has back on Earth. Tony and Bruce are already making weapons that can help us, give us an advantage. They have a weakness to iron. That and the fact that if the masks they wear are removed the atmosphere itself weakens them. My mothe....." I paused, closing my eyes briefly, before taking a deep breath and correcting myself, "the woman who birthed me, is a celestial elemental. Her powers reign supreme over what I can do. Not to mention if she has dabbled in dark magic, we do not know what to expect when it comes to her exactly. We seen what the Völva was capable of. What's to say her magic isn't as dangerous? So we need to play her at her own game. We need to take her by surprise. We will need magic of our own, Frigga I know you won't be battling with us but you can still use magic from afar? Am I correct?"
She nodded, "I can, yes."
"Mmm," I began pacing the room again, "she knows Loki has magic, but he will be on the battlefield. So he will be a target of hers to weaken first. After that Odin, no doubt she will want a stab at me too." I ran my hands to my hair, tugging it free of the braid that was beginning to hurt my scalp. "We need to shock her with someone or something she wont expect, but what...?"
Thor and Loki glanced at each other, clearly having the same thought as one another.
"The tesseract." Loki mumbled to his Brother who nodded in agreement.
Odin looked at them, "Excuse me?"
"The tesseract Father," Thor stood from his seat looking at Odin, "We could give it to Y/N. To use on the battlefield, to distract her mother. She knows Y/N possess the power of the elements, but to be able to teleport. Now that would be something she wouldn't expect. It may be enough to throw her off her game, just enough for one of us..."
Odin stood from his chair, banging the table, "ENOUGH!"
I jumped, staring at him wide eyed.
"I can understand him wanting it," he pointed to Loki. "But my own flesh and blood wanting to expose it to them? What's to say those two won't just use it to take off and leave us? We have seen what it done to him before!"
My head whipped up at that remark. "Oh! So you did know that he wasn't himself when he attacked New York then?" I growled, taking a few steps towards him, my temper flared.
"You knew?!" I pointed my finger at him, as Volstagg stood off his seat, blocking me from getting any closer. "You son of a fucking bitch. You knew BUT YOU STILL TORTURED HIM!"
"NO!" Odin bellowed at me, "I DIDN'T KNOW! Frigga has shown me the errors in my way and what really happened, and I believe her. I now know I was wrong! I know what I did was despicable and I can only hope he will forgive me over time."
Thor took a few steps towards his Father, "Please Father, think this through. It would give us an advantage. This is our home too."
"ENOUGH! Everyone out NOW!" Odin cut Thor off, "Everyone out, except for you Loki, please."
I stood my ground, refusing to leave, until Tyr strode over throwing me over his shoulder again, "Let's go before you get yourself in real trouble. He can handle himself." He grumbled, removing me against my will from the room, I thrashed against him with all my might. To no avail.
I noticed Frigga disappear in front of my eyes, casting an invisibility spell as she slipped back in the doors before they closed unnoticed. I felt a small bit of reassurance, someone was there for him.
"Why do you want me here? What am I really, to you Odin?" Loki kept his back to Odin as he spoke.
"You are my Son, Loki."
"What more than that? The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?" Loki turned to glare at him. To challenge him. He wanted the truth.
Odin sighed. "No. Loki. In the aftermath of the battle I went into the Temple and found a baby. Small for a giants offspring. Abandoned, suffering and left to die." He trailed off thinking back to the day.
"Why? Your were knee deep in blood, why would you take me? Why not leave me to die?"
"You were an innocent child Loki!"
"No! No. I do not believe you, you took me, for a purpose. What was it?"
Odin watched Loki with a saddened expression on his face.
"TELL ME!" Loki shouted at the top of his lungs, his emotions wavering.
"I thought we could unite our Kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring peace, through you my Son. But those plans no longer matter to me. You have grown to be so much more than that."
Tears stung in Loki's eyes. He had known the truth for many years, but hearing it now. Hurt. "So I..I...I am no more than...than a stolen relic, living here until you had use for me?"
"Why do you twist my words?" Odin's face twisted in pain as he felt a tug on his heart. Had he really caused him this much pain and suffering over the years?
"You could have told me from the beginning. Why didn't you?" Loki spat back at him.
"BECAUSE YOU ARE MY SON LOKI! I WANTED TO PROTECT YOU! Protect you from the truth. I pushed you harder all those years, because I saw something in you. Greater than any relic, but you needed to find yourself first. Prove yourself. I see the way you look at her, I see the way she watches over you. Her love for you and the lengths she is willing to go to protect you. Loki, you have found yourself, through her. It's a love I've seen before, a love I have experienced, from your Mother." Odin paused, before a heavy sigh left his lips and he slumped into his chair. "I have one Son who doesn't want the throne, and another who wants it too much."
Loki's voice broke momentarily, "I never wanted the throne, really. All I ever really wanted was to be Thor's equal, but you could never give me that. Instead, punishment, torture..." He turned to leave the room, wishing to cut this conversation short.
"I have always loved you my Son, I always will. I now see my wrong doings by you. But I promise, I never stopped loving you." Odin's voice was filed with sadness.
Loki stopped in his tracks. Face contorting in pain, as he heard the words slip from Odin's lips that he had longed to hear for years. Before the pain was replaced by anger. His hand slid down for his remaining dagger and he turned to face Odin.
Frigga dropped her illusion, taking a step towards her son, feeling his hurt, seeing the pain, the conflict in his head. "Loki..."
He looked at her, sighing. "The old Loki, would have fought you on that. However I am no longer that version of myself. She has shown me my worth. There is more to life than constantly wanting to defy you and cause you displeasure. I have something to live for now." He nodded to them both, "Perhaps you should really think through the tesseract. This is my home too after all, I do not wish to see it fall into the hands of the Dark Elves no matter how low you think of me. Now if you will excuse me. I bid you Goodnight Mother." With that he was gone.
"Now you have to believe me Odin. He gets his stubbornness from you, but he has changed, for the better." Frigga moved to stand beside Odin, who rested his hand upon the one she placed on his shoulder.
"I do. I believe you. I also see a King blossoming." He stated to her. Staring at the doors that Loki had just exited. "Even after how wrong I treated him. I can't believe I was so blind."