STONES! STONES!! STONES!!!
___________________
[Draul St. Cross POV]
Odin was crazy.
That attack, although was struck to stop me in my path, carried enough force in it that I actually needed the Power Stone to increase the power gap.
If I had used my normal strength to parry that then I would have been flung halfway across the planet just on the fact that my physical strength was nowhere near Odin's.
Without the Power Stone, my physical strength would be very low. Although impressive in its own right, it was nowhere near the point that I could slice Olympus Mons into two with a slash.
I didn't know what Odin was planning that factored me beating his sons but I honestly want nothing that involved dealing with the man.
There was no way I could one-up the God of Wisdom.
"Do you understand what it is you wish to do?" He asked.
"Yes I do. If that is all then I would be leaving… And before I forget, I hate it when someone disturbs me for no reason. So keep your sons in line or else you won't need to make a choice for your heir as I would do it for you." The soldiers behind him tightened their hands on their weapons but Odin looked unfazed.
"Do you threaten this king, Midgardian?" He asked with a soft tone that had an edge to it.
I shook my head. "No, I'm just telling you what will happen if they cross me for the third time. First two strikes are out, and that's a record. No one's ever survived the third strike."
Was I being foolhardy by talking back to Odin? No.
Was it arrogance? No.
It was just the truth and most times than not, the truth was always sour to hear.
"And one more thing. I conducted the lessons twice so that means two instances of repayment." I could have swore I saw the traces of a smile on his lips as I said that.
"You are brave to ask that of this king when you have brought my sons and my people to the verge of death. Should I not be the one asking you for compensation?" Odin's voice was grave as if he would forsake our unspoken treaty of peace and attack.
I sighed as I knew exactly the type of cunning that was going through Odin's head.
God's were no benevolent beings. Sure they were some that were overflowing with goodness but those types were of the major minority.
Odin was a Skyfather, ruler of gods. His cruelty was as numerous as the number of happy endings in a fairy tale. I don't judge since it comes with the territory since even I have no idea what it means to be a god so there was no way I could judge them for their actions and vices.
The problem was that one of those Gods, arguably the strongest of the older generation, wanted to pick a dog fight with me.
Normally I would have just warped to Earth and left the old man to tend to his people but I wanted to see how strong the real gods were.
From that strike alone, I could tell that they were leaning more on the version I knew when growing up than what was portrayed on screen.
"Seriously pops, I did you a favor here and you can't play the ignorant card. Though I don't know the full reason you let them play around in Midgard, having them pick me as their training dummy is seriously pissing me off." I said.
"And what do you need the stones for?" Odin asked.
"You should already have an idea. It's not as if I'm trying to reduce the universe to a singularity but, you know… complications arise. If that is all, then I would be taking my leave. It wasn't nice meeting you, Allfather." Before anyone could say anything, I teleported away from Mars back to Earth.
I let out a sigh of relief after I confirmed that Odin was cool enough to let me leave, not that he could actually stop me per se but that wasn't something I was interested in finding out.
My senses haven't screamed as much as they did when I met Odin. Meeting the Phoenix didn't cause my senses to scream because I felt that whatever was my biological makeup couldn't comprehend the vastness of the Phoenix. But Odin was different.
The amount of magic that was practically reeking out of the man was the most I had ever sensed, even completely dwarfing the Ancient One combined with Doom. It wasn't even a comparison.
Others might not be able to sense what the old man was made of but I was someone who fused with an aspect of the universe – my senses were very hard to fool.
I could even pick up Loki's illusion which had the highest mastery of illusion magic I have ever seen but what I felt was that he wasn't actively showcasing his magical reserves. Rather, what I felt was something akin to heat signatures that every human had.
I was not strong enough to defeat Odin even if I knew that he was severely weakened due to old age and imprisoning Hela. That was without the Power Stone put in the equation. I could escape with ease but I don't think he would let me go that easily when it was an assured fact that he knew spells that could separate space, but whether such spells would work on me was something that remains to be found out.
For better or worse, my reach was as far as the universe extended. Trying to separate me from space would prove a harder task than actually teleporting me without my knowledge.
"I guess that's a warning as good as any that my resting time is up. What a drag."
…
[Odin Borson, The Allfather POV]
I met him.
A child… no, a man, one more determined than my sons and also with a good head on his shoulders.
He would have made a great ally of Asgard had my sons not poked at that particular hornets' nest.
Even if that was an unfortunate loss, it still didn't change what I had in store for him. At least, it shouldn't have.
Somehow he had been able to see through my plans for him and Thor but that was the extent of what he could deduce. A frightening intellect showing in one so young.
But even if I knew he had seen through some of my intentions, there was no way I could hand over the Aether to him.
He already possesses two stones – Space and Power Stone, I was not comfortable with him having more of those relics.
But even if I said that, I knew that what he said was just out of politeness. That man cared less if I agreed or not, all it would take was time and when he decided he was ready to go for another stone and he would go for it without even seeking my opinion.
'By Bors' beard, this new generation will be the death of me.'
I looked at my hands with which I had finally swung my partner after a millennia.
The brat was strong.
Sure it was the Power Stone which elevated his strength to such heights but I dread to think of what he would become if he were to fuse with the stones.
Fusing with Reality itself… that was a disaster that anyone would want to avoid.
While the man might have an impressive understanding of the Infinity Stones, me thinks he blatantly forgets that he couldn't use the stones in any other universe.
And if my title as a God of Wisdom is anything remotely true, then no one was supposed to be able to warp reality to their whims.
As he was, he was already stretching the preconceptions of what I had of the stones, using them in a way that no sane being in the universe would have thought of.
Looks like the time to make a choice is already upon me.
"Odin, what happened?!"
Bollocks! It looks like someone had alerted Frigga of the boys' condition.
"They went down to Midgard to have a rematch with him and he replied in kind." It be best I divert the attention away from myself. She is free to rain down her wrath on the man for all I care.
"Oh, in that case while I will say he went too far, I also think they deserve a knocking down every once in a while."
By my father's father's beard.
"You spoil them too much, Frigga. At least admonish them every now and then. I grow weary every day I have to deal with their issues." I stressed at my wife and rubbed my temples.
"I believe it is not just the boys who are the trouble this time around, what is it?" She asked... She asked, and for the life of me, I waved her off.
It's best I worry about this alone.
"Whatever it is you are doing, be careful Odin. The times are changing." With that act of worry, she left the room, leaving me alone to ponder on my next actions.
'Should, or should I not? I believe the answer to that question will unravel itself in time.'
…
[Loki Odinson, The God of Mischief POV]
Things just got interesting.
How long has it been since the universe had seen a wielder of an Infinity Stone?
Millennia has passed since someone once wielded an object of the universe and I once thought it was but a fairy tale.
But he could do it.
His hand held an Infinity Stone as he struck at the Allfather.
I had to rush to mother's library while telling her of Thor's plight to get her out of there so that I could peruse it to my heart's content.
Based on the image depictions, that unmistakably purple hue was the Power Stone.
Wielding it would make one become a fierce warrior throughout the known universe.
He wielded that stone and matched his strength with father, almost destroying the planet we were in.
Oh father, oh father.
Where was this valiant strength when you made a truce with the lowly and stupid giants of Jotunheim?
Thanks to your mediocrity once more, I have found the ultimate price.
Now the question is how do I get that stone for myself?
He is already crazy strong, even I have to admit that but it also stands that I don't know that too many powerful people who could contend with him.
But even if I did, men of such powers would be arrogant and I would have to have my way with them if I want to possess the Power Stone because there is no warrior worth his salt if he were to give up such power because of a deal.
This endeavor would prove much harder than anything I have ever done.
And it didn't help matters that if news of an Infinity Stone was to spread into the wider universe, it would cause a wide scramble for power. I couldn't have that now, could I?
But how will I get close enough to take the Power Stone as my prize for all the slight that he had caused me?
He wouldn't trust me with a toothpick due to our past interactions and I have to admit that there was no way I would have known he had something like that in his possession, if not there was no way I would have revealed myself.
How will I get close enough to him without triggering a fight or flight response from the human beast?
The power he held in his hands, both his personal might and that which he got from the Infinity Stone was more than enough for me to take the crown of Asgard. And I don't think he would be one to ally with me.
Hmm?
He did offer me the proposition of a clean slate over drinks.
While it would be beneath me to have a drink with a lowly uncouth human, the things we do for power, right?
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