[Thor Odinson POV]
He had been beaten in fair combat, and by a human no less. It was something he had ever thought was possible.
He had asked Loki why he had focused on Midgard and Loki had told him that it had been on a noble mission to retrieve a lost Asgardian weapon.
He didn't know if he could believe what Loki said but that in no way took away from the fact that he had lost.
He had scored no more than three hits throughout the entire fight. What a shame to his name, the prideful prince of Asgard.
He had been depressed due to the knowledge that the enemy knew who he was and it was for that sole reason that he was spared, the same grace was extended to his friends. It was a crushing defeat.
A defeat that only the glory of his father had saved his life. When had Thor Odinson been spared?
He was infuriated with such thoughts that he pushed himself in training and his friends, seeing his resolve in enacting his revenge, joined him in training and battle.
For Thor, this would be his greatest enemy yet. The Jotuns could wait, they couldn't go anywhere apart from roaming their barren world. He could still go to war with them and end them once and for all, but not yet. He had a foe to crush under the mighty weight of his hammer.
Thor was frustrated.
Never before had he faced a foe that he was completely powerless against.
His lightning did nothing but empower his enemy.
His hammer couldn't strike his enemy down.
And his strength paled in comparison.
He refused to believe all Midgardians were like that, because if they were then Asgard couldn't have conquered the Nine Realms.
He had been to Midgard centuries ago and the people there could only worship his divine strength and bow before him.
But this Son of Saint Cross.
This man was different.
Was he the champion of Earth? He had to be for there was no way he would have lost otherwise.
A champion to a champion and he had lost only to be spared in the name of Odin.
The rightful king of Asgard was sent running back to his mother's embrace. How disdainful.
Then he would battle.
A battle that would shake the foundations of the realms. A battle worthy of his name.
He had found a worthy opponent, one which none of his powers could affect in any way. He was that surpassed.
But who was he if he couldn't crawl back and have his opponent acknowledge his prowess? He wouldn't be Thor, Son of Odin Allfather, if he couldn't do it.
So he trained, trained like never before against every worthy warrior of Asgard and against his friends. Helping them grow as this revenge was as much as theirs as it was his.
He had asked his father for advice on how to grow far stronger than he currently was but all his father would tell him, or rather ask him was why he needed more strength than what he currently possessed.
He had told his father there and then.
"I need power to strike down my foe. One far stronger than I am."
His father had released a stressed sigh and told him that all the power he would ever need was already with him and it would be his determination that would draw them out.
Dejected he had returned. Heeding his father's words, he threw himself into training to draw out more of his power which he would say have been a successful venture but not a monumental one.
He knew this was still not enough to triumph over that and so he pushed himself harder.
"You think he will stop anytime soon?" Fandral asked the trio that sat with him resting while Thor decimated the poor Einherjars.
"I don't think so. Don't forget that he wishes to fight us next, so probably not anytime soon." Hogun said which made the others groan.
"Now you shouldn't be lazy." Sif said which earned her hard stares.
"Easy for you to say. You get to enjoy the view of Thor's sweaty body… we don't. We won't." Fandral shot back to which Sif just scoffed.
"One warrior from Midgard was able to beat two of Asgard's best with relative ease. One used a metal arm while the other used a shield of all weapons, and they forced us to retreat while the man named Draul defeated Thor with unbelievable ease. That alone should be more than enough motivation for you to work your behinds out. So stop your whining, it's distasteful at this point."
At Sif's reminder, all their faces turned ashen. It was a defeat that they would rather not recollect.
"To me, Thor!" Volstagg shouted at the top of his voice and rushed at Thor who just decimated his nth Einherjar.
Thor smiled at that and rushed at Volstagg, sword in hand, as he returned Volstagg's enthusiasm with fervor.
"Don't go slow on me now. Fight me till your legs become weak, my friend!" Thor slashed at Volstagg, the latter blocking the straight slash and parrying it with his axe.
Thor used the momentum from the parry and spun round, bringing his sword back to Volstagg who hastily brought the axe to his chest and stumbled back from the force of Thor's blade.
"And of course the battle-drunken idiot would be the first to jump in, nicely played Sif." Fandral spoke as he watched the battle that was going on between Thor and Volstagg.
"Whatever do you mean? I simply pointed out the fact and unlike you, he seems properly motivated. Hogun." She said and got up from the bench she sat on before calling to the other person besides Fandral.
The man in question nodded and took his weapon and made his way to one for the free sections of the large training field they were in, leaving Fandral alone to spectate the two battles going on.
….
[Odin Borson, The Allfather POV]
"Are you sure this is the way?" my wife, Frigga, asked.
"One of. They need the push and what better whetstone than being near the fulcrum of change." It was going how I predicted it would go. Thor and Loki were still far from being that mortal's match, but this disparity would be what would push them to strive for greater heights and maybe teach them a valuable lesson.
"I'm just worried that they would get too caught up in the spinning web and it could spell their doom." She sure worried a lot.
"They are no longer children, Frigga. Cuddle them too much and they would no longer know how to walk." I told her.
"I know that. But they are still my boys, and it's my job as their mother to worry." Allfathers help me.
I groaned at that and peered through the distance and walls to find Thor and his friends still battling each other, trying to grow stronger, but they were doing it wrong.
"They are doing it wrong." I heard a soft mutter by my side making me aware that Frigga too was watching them.
Loki had been distraught as none of his usual trickery proved anything of worth as he too was dragged to a shameful state the same as Thor and had focused once more in his mother's books.
"They are." I concurred.
You don't just grow stronger after one defeat, not to a plateau of strength that mattered.
What they needed was to be broken down to the point that they understood that they had no chance whatsoever to win. The reason holding them back is because they were assured that whatever should happen to them, they had Asgard backing them. Hence their pride and arrogance.
"It will change soon though. We can't always help them." I said.
"You could always help them, you know. Show them how. It would be ten times easier that way, wouldn't it?" Frigga asked and my answer was a displeased grunt.
"And then what? Have them embarrass my name and Asgard? Have them showcase their strength that they by no means earned? I would rather die than do that." By the end of my rant, my voice had risen to a point due to my frustrations. "I can't. I won't. You of all people should know better why."
She remained silent at my words knowing how true they were. They weren't ready to wield the power that was their birthright. Not Thor. Not Loki.
"So you'll just sit back and watch? You really intend to leave it all to them?" She asked with a soft voice this time which made me feel even guilty about the path I had set them on.
"I'm too old, Frigga. I can't be Odin Allfather forever." The times were rapidly changing and if they couldn't adapt to it quickly enough, then they would get washed away with the waves.
"You say that but you still meddle without their knowing." This time there was a pleased smile on her face as she said that.
"Every good king should provide a suitable heir." I said.
"But you still won't tell him. If he finds out on his own, it would crush him, you know? He fights in his own way for your approval only to find out that he's been lied to his entire life. He will loathe you, even his brother will not be spared."
If there was any topic in which I could be found totally stomped then it would be this.
Loki was obsessed with the throne far more than Thor was, it was just that he hid it very well.
His heritage would never allow him to sit on Asgard's throne and his ambitions would be his downfall if he ever was king.
It was for these very reasons I remained undecided on whether I should tell him but I knew that one day down the line he would find out.
"You know, for all your wisdom you can be quite foolish sometimes." I didn't deign to reply to that statement and she seeing that left me alone to ponder.
…
[Loki Odinson POV]
Now then, what would be a proper recompense for such a treacherous act?
This needed a lot of planning.
This was the king piece. A single piece that would enable me to take Asgard by the roots.
I could use him to kill Thor and his friends or maybe just render them handicapped, which would then in the same vein weaken father.
But I needed another option.
The first one was botched by that madman before I could even enact the brilliance of my plan. Even now I could feel his phantom hands wrapped around my neck.
It was sickening.
Not even Thor could provoke such a reaction from me with all his power.
Father continues to be the senile fool that he was but I would not stand to be disrespected, not by a mortal no less.
I would not stop until he pays for the treacherous acts he performed. And Thor would be key.
A little magic combined with his strength would be the perfect trump card.
I had to go back to my books. He was a master of magic and also outclassed Thor in strength which was surprisingly believable.
Unlike what Thor might want to believe, what it would take to contest against the man with the name of Draul was more than just strength. I had never seen Thor so powerless against a foe before.
All his strength and he couldn't even bring discomfort to his opponent. While I would never admit it to any loving soul, he had scared me.
A primal fear I never thought one such as I could feel.
A man who could contend with a God.
I wonder what if he was a pawn of mine, how much easier would my ascension be?
Maybe that might work, after all it's not every day that a deity graces the humans with his presence.
But that would be the second option.
After all, he must learn to fear his betters.
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