"Loki!" Frigga exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace him tightly.
"Mother, don't worry—I won't let anyone harm you." Loki's words were sincere. Though he'd harbored resentment toward Odin, Frigga had always treated him with kindness. Despite his frustrations with his father, he held no ill will toward her.
In truth, the same could be said of Hela. It was clear that Odin's approach to raising them had indeed failed.
Then, in a low, determined voice, Loki declared, "The Giants of Jotunheim dared to invade Asgard, attempting to assassinate our the Allfather. Don't worry, Mother; I'll make them pay for this."
"They certainly should pay," said a strong voice that interrupted the warm moment. "But perhaps we should start by addressing your own actions, Loki."
Frigga looked up, startled. "Thor? You're back!"
"Yes, I'm back. If I hadn't returned, Asgard would be in ruins by now." Thor turned to Loki, his expression serious. "Why don't you tell Mother about how you sent the Destroyer to attack me and my friends?"
"What?" Frigga's face went pale with shock. She knew Loki had long felt jealous of Thor, but she hadn't expected him to go so far.
Loki's face remained impassive. "It was just a test, following Father's orders," he replied smoothly. "Now, I have more pressing matters—the destruction of Jotunheim can't wait, and I don't have time to argue with you."
Raising Gungnir, he fired a beam at Thor, who dodged it just in time. And in an instant, Loki vanished.
"Thor," Frigga said, her voice trembling. "Please, tell me the truth. What has happened?"
"In short, Loki wanted to do something big to gain you and Dad recognition," Thor replied, "so he let Laufey in—what Midgardians would call a 'sting operation.'"
Frigga stared at him, stunned by the revelation. She was so taken aback that she barely noticed as Thor rushed off in pursuit of his brother.
Meanwhile, Odin's eyes slowly opened.
At the edge of the Bifrost, Loki held Gungnir high and inserted it into the switch, triggering waves of energy that surged outward, filling the sky with a dazzling display of color and light.
Turning back, Loki's face was full of pride. "It's no use, Thor—you can't stop me! The power of the Bifrost will keep building until Jotunheim is completely destroyed."
He smirked, adding, "Unless, of course, you destroy the Bifrost yourself. But if you do that, you'll be cut off from everyone back on Midgard forever."
Thor looked at him with an odd expression. "Who said I was going to stop it? Have you forgotten? If Father hadn't intervened ten years ago, I would have destroyed Jotunheim myself."
Loki's face faltered, momentarily caught off guard. Then he sneered. "It's different this time! I'm the one fulfilling this destiny now! I'll prove to Father that I'm the greatest!"
"Then you go ahead and prove it," Thor replied calmly. "But first, we need to discuss why you sent the Destroyer after me and brought the Frost Giants into Asgard."
As Thor loosened his fist, Loki's mind flashed back to all the beatings he'd endured over the years. Seething with fury, he raised Gungnir. "Then let's settle this once and for all!" With a flick of his wrist, he summoned dozens of mirror images of himself, each one advancing on Thor with the intensity of a trained assassin—almost reminiscent of Doctor Strange's magic.
But despite Loki's skills, he was no match for Thor. Thor called down a fierce storm of lightning, dispelling every illusion with a wide-range strike. And with a single, powerful punch, he sent Loki flying over the edge of the bridge, where he barely managed to grab hold.
Thor seized the other end of Gungnir, looking down with a grin. "How about it, Loki? Ready to admit your mistakes? If you do, I'll pull you up."
Loki hesitated, almost ready to give in—he'd done it plenty of times before. But Thor's smug tone ignited every last bit of anger inside him. Old grievances and fresh wounds surged within, and he shouted, "I am NOT wrong! I'm doing this for Father! For us!"
"No, Loki." Another voice cut through the air. "You're doing it for yourself."
It was Odin. His quiet words seemed to strike Loki harder than any blow. Loki's face fell, his defiance crumbling. With a broken expression, he loosened his grip and let himself fall into the abyss below.
In his final moments, he heard Thor's voice calling down to him.
"Say hello to Thanos for me."
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