Page 52 of Thor

Thor threw Mjölnir at Surtr. Surtr grabbed a chair and hurled it at Mjölnir. The chair burst into pieces and Surtr ducked as Mjölnir bounced off the wall and flew back to Thor.

Surtr leapt over the table and ripped the sword from Thadren’s side.

“Come, Odin son. Let me show you once more how easy you are to beat.”

“No,” said Thor. “You only one last time because I was alone. Last time, I didn’t have them.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

In a flash of light, the entrance to the great hall filled with a crowd of people. Odin, Frigg, Heimdall, Thor’s brothers and sister, as well as Fenrir stood in full battle armor. Beside them a portal opened and Loki and Val stepped through, also ready to fight.

Surtr laughed. “You think that you are enough to beat me and my armies? It will be my pleasure to send you, a ragtag group of Asgardians, into oblivion. Even with all your strength you cannot beat us.”

“Your ego hasn’t diminished over time,” said Odin.

“His undeserved ego,” Loki corrected.

“My ego is nothing compared to yours, Loki, son of aJötunn.You should be siding with your own kind. Are you here to stab Asgardians in the back again and help me instead?”

Loki’s eyes flashed and his skin paled to a grayish blue. Two blades appeared in his hands as his clothing turned to native frost giant armor. He took a step forward but Val stuck out her arm to stop him.

“Not your fight,” she said.

“Come on, Asgardians,” Surtr taunted. “I will take you all on at once. And then I’ll go to what is left of Asgard and obliterate the rest of your rainbow bridge. And there is nothing any of you can do about it.”

Odin flung his spear at Surtr but Surtr caught it and flung it right back. Odin grabbed Frigg around the waist and hoisted her sideways before she was impaled. Thor’s brothers swore and pushed forward. Loki disappeared and reappeared behind Surtr. He drove both blades into Surtr’s back, but they melted and the hilts clattered to the ground at Loki’s feet.

“Was that meant to hurt?” Surtr swung around and struck Loki, knocking him across the room.

Val took to the air and grabbed Loki before he crashed into the fireplace. Together they tumbled across a table of her dad’s men sending them scattering.

Fenrir roared and raced forward. Hermod went to grab Fenrir but missed and Fenrir got several yards closer.

“Brother!”

Fenrir stopped moving. “I can take him.”

“Sorry, little brother, I’m afraid not. But I can,” came a call from the back of the group.

Elle strained to see a woman she didn’t recognize step out of the group. The woman wore a skin tight black dress that shimmered with some type of armor Elle had never seen. Her ebony hair had been slicked back into intricate braids, and she held a shiny blackened trident with smoke swirling off it.

A shiver raced through Elle at the sight of such an ominous, formidable woman.

“You... you can’t be here,” said Surtr. “You aren’t allowed.”

The woman shrugged. “I talked to my boss and got special permission to leave my realm. I’ve never seen him actually excited over the prospect of having someone come into his realm. You’ve eluded me for too long Surtr. Your reign is over.”

For the first time fear crossed her father’s features.

“Go with her,” said Thor. “Or we will make you go.”

Surtr licked his lips. “Thadren, ready your men.”

Thadren looked at Elle and then Thor’s family.

If Thadren decided to fight, Thor and his family may be injured, someone might be killed permanently.

“I’ll make you a better deal,” Elle blurted. “As heir to the throne of Muspelheim I will give you the throne if you do nothing.”

“You have no right to offer that,” said Surtr.

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