15. Missing Artefact: Alex

CHAPTER 15

MISSING ARTEFACT

ALEX

T hor was all business, his face set in that broody expression that made him look constipated.

They came to a stop in front of a door that looked like it belonged in a medieval fortress, not a divine palace. All thick wood and iron bands, with runes carved into every available surface. Alex could feel the magic radiating off it, making his skin prickle uncomfortably.

"Well?" Alex growled, his patience wearing thin. "Are we just going to stand here admiring your taste in doors, or are you going to open it?"

Thor shot him a look that was part annoyance, part... was that amusement? Hard to tell with Mr. Personality these days. "Patience, Hades. This door requires more than a mere key."

"It's Alex," he muttered for what felt like the millionth time. "And in case you haven't noticed, patience isn't exactly my strong suit."

Thor ignored him, which, fair enough. The big guy raised his hands, lightning crackling between his fingers. As he began to mutter in what Alex assumed was Old Norse, the runes on the door started to glow .

"Only those of Odin's bloodline may enter this chamber," Thor explained, his voice strained with concentration.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "And that's relevant because...?"

"You'll see," Thor grunted, and damn if there wasn't a hefty dose of resentment in his voice.

Great. More cryptic bullshit. Just what they needed.

With a final burst of lightning that made Zac yelp and Eryx instinctively step in front of the kid, the door swung open.

The room beyond was not what Alex had expected. It looked like the world's most eclectic museum had exploded inside.

The walls were lined with shelves and display cases, each holding artifacts and weapons that made Alex's divine senses tingle. He recognized some of them from stories and legends—Freya's necklace, Tyr's sword, even what looked suspiciously like one of Loki's infamous shapeshifting cloaks.

"Huh," Alex muttered, unable to keep the awe from his voice. "Never been in here before. Didn't realize you Asgardians were such hoarders."

Thor's lips twitched in what might have been a smile on a less stressed demigod. "These are the treasures of Asgard, collected over millennia. Each with its own power, its own story."

Alex nodded, his eyes roaming over the collection. It was impressive, he had to admit. But something was nagging at him, a sense of wrongness that he couldn't quite place.

And then he saw it. Or rather, didn't see it.

In the center of the room stood a pedestal, ornate and clearly meant to hold something of great importance. But it was empty. Just a bare slab of stone, mocking them with its emptiness.

Alex felt a chill run down his spine, the kind of bone-deep cold he hadn't felt since his days ruling the Underworld. "No," he breathed, hoping against hope that he was wrong. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

Thor's silence was answer enough .

"Fuck," Alex spat, running a hand through his hair. "Fucking fuckity fuck."

Eryx stepped forward, concern etched on his face. "Alex? What is it?"

But it was Zac who answered, his voice small and filled with a kind of awe that made Alex's protective instincts surge. "It's Gungnir, isn't it? Odin's spear. It's supposed to be here, but it's not."

Thor nodded, and Alex had to give the kid credit. He knew his mythology.

"Loki," Thor said, and there was so much pain, so much betrayal in that one word that even Alex felt a twinge of sympathy. "He took it. Used it to capture our father."

The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush diamonds. Alex's mind was racing, piecing together the implications. Gungnir wasn't just a fancy stick. It was a symbol of Odin's power, his authority. In the wrong hands...

"How?" Alex demanded, rounding on Thor. "How the fuck did Loki get his hands on it? I thought this place was supposed to be Fort Knox for divine weapons."

Thor's face darkened, a storm brewing in his eyes. "You think I do not ask myself that same question every day? Loki he has always been clever. Too clever, perhaps. He found a way past our defenses, past the blood wards. And now..."

"And now Daddy Dearest is MIA, and your bratty little brother is running around with the divine equivalent of a nuclear launch code," Alex finished, his voice dripping with sarcasm to hide the growing knot of dread in his gut.

Eryx, ever the voice of reason, stepped in before Alex could really get going. "Okay, let's take a step back. Thor, can you tell us exactly what happened? From the beginning?"

Thor nodded, gesturing for them to gather around a large table that Alex could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago. As they settled in, Alex couldn't help but notice how tired Thor looked. Not just physically, but soul-deep exhausted. It was... unsettling.

"It began," Thor said, his voice low and heavy with memory, "on what should have been a day of celebration. The anniversary of our victory over Surtur and his fire demons."

"Loki was there," Thor continued, his eyes distant. "He seemed different. Calmer, perhaps. I thought... I hoped it meant he had finally found peace with his place in Asgard."

"Let me guess," Alex interjected, unable to help himself. "It was all an act."

Thor's smile was bitter. "Indeed. While we feasted and made merry, Loki was enacting a plan millennia in the making. He had allies. Beings from beyond the Nine Realms, creatures of such darkness that even I cannot fathom their true nature."

Zac leaned forward, his eyes wide. "The Order?"

Thor nodded, and Alex felt a surge of pride at the kid's quick thinking. "Yes, though I fear they are but a small part of a much larger threat. With their aid, Loki was able to breach the defenses of this very room. He took Gungnir, and with it..."

"He took Odin," Eryx finished softly.

The silence that followed was deafening. Alex's mind was whirling, trying to process the implications. Loki with Gungnir was bad enough.

"Okay," Alex said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "So Loki's got Daddy's magical poking stick and a bunch of new friends. That explains the chaos outside, but not everything else. What about the rest of Asgard? Where are the other gods? And what the fuck is that weird smoke monster building we saw earlier?"

Thor's expression darkened further, if that was even possible. "When Loki struck, he did not do so alone. His allies... they brought armies. Creatures of shadow and flame, beings that defied description. We fought, of course. But without the Allfather, without Gungnir to focus our power... "

"You got your divine asses handed to you," Alex finished, earning a glare from Thor and an elbow to the ribs from Eryx.

"We were overwhelmed," Thor admitted, and the defeat in his voice made Alex's skin crawl. "Many fell. Others fled to the far corners of the Nine Realms. Those who remain... we do what we can to hold back the darkness, but it is a losing battle."

"And the smoke monster clubhouse?" he pressed, not really wanting to know the answer but knowing they needed all the information they could get.

Thor's face twisted in disgust. "A foothold," he spat. "A piece of whatever realm Loki's allies hail from, transplanted here. It grows with each passing day, corrupting everything it touches. We've managed to contain it thus far, but I fear it is only a matter of time before it consumes all of Asgard."

"How do we get rid of it? There has to be a way to burn this thing out of existence, right?" Alex asked.

Thor's face fell, and Alex felt his heart sink even further. He'd seen that look before—it was the same expression Thanatos wore when he had to tell someone their loved one couldn't be brought back from the dead.

"We have tried everything," Thor said, his voice heavy with defeat. "Our most powerful spells, our mightiest weapons and nothing seems to affect it. It's as if it exists outside the laws of our reality."

Eryx stepped forward, his brow furrowed in thought. "Thor," he said, his voice calm despite the tension Alex could see in the set of his shoulders, "how long has Odin actually been missing? When Brad told us about it, he said it had been weeks."

Thor's expression shifted, a hint of his old arrogance creeping back in. "Ah, yes. When Brad informed me that he was working with Apollo's vessel, I must admit I was skeptical. But here you are, living proof of the impossible."

Alex felt a surge of protectiveness. He didn't like the way Thor was looking at Eryx, like he was some sort of fascinating science experiment. "The question, Sparky," he growled. "Answer it."

Thor had the grace to look abashed. "My apologies. Time moves differently here in Asgard, even more so now that the barriers between realms have been weakened. What feels like mere weeks to us could be much longer in the mortal realm."

Alex felt his stomach drop. "How much longer?"

Thor's hesitation was answer enough. "If I had to estimate in mortal time, it's likely been a couple of months since my father's disappearance."

"Months?" Zac exclaimed, his eyes wide. "But that's... that's way worse than we thought, right?"

Alex nodded grimly. "Way worse, kid. The longer Odin's been gone, the more time Loki's had to enact whatever batshit crazy plan he's cooked up."

And with Gungnir in his possession, Alex didn't even want to think about the kind of damage Loki could do with that kind of power. It was a clusterfuck of cosmic proportions.

Thor must have sensed the growing tension in the room because he suddenly straightened, his demeanor shifting from defeated to determined. "Come," he said, gesturing for them to follow. "There is more you need to see."

As they left the artifact room, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into something even bigger than they'd anticipated.

Thor led them through winding corridors, each turn revealing more of Bilskirnir's impossible architecture. Alex tried to keep track of their route, but it was like the castle itself was shifting around them, rearranging its layout on a whim.

Finally, they came to a stop in front of a set of massive doors. Unlike the ornate entryway to the artifact room, these were sleek and modern, looking more like they belonged in a high-tech office building than a divine stronghold.

"Our war room," Thor explained, pushing the doors open with a gesture .

Alex stepped inside and felt his jaw clench. The room was a hive of activity, with screens displaying real-time data from across the Nine Realms, holograms of battle plans floating in mid-air.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Alex snarled.

There, standing at the center of it all, was a face he'd hoped never to see again. The Valkyrie from Carnegie Hall, the one who'd led the attack that had started this whole mess. She turned at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening in recognition.

Before anyone could react, Alex was across the room, his finger jabbing accusingly at the Valkyrie's chest. "You," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you pulled."

The Valkyrie—Brynhildr, if Alex remembered correctly—held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Please," she said, her voice steady despite the tension in her posture. "I know how this must look, but you must understand?—"

"Understand?" Alex's laugh was bitter and sharp. "Oh, I understand plenty. I understand that you and your winged friends nearly got a bunch of innocent people killed. I understand that you attacked us without provocation, based on what? Some half-assed rumors?"

"Alex," Eryx's voice cut through his anger, a gentle hand on his arm pulling him back. "Maybe we should hear her out."

Alex wanted to argue, wanted to let loose with all the pent-up frustration and fear that had been building since they'd arrived in this fucked-up version of Asgard. But he forced himself to take a deep breath, to step back and really look at Brynhildr.

What he saw surprised him. The Valkyrie looked tired. Worn down in a way that went beyond physical exhaustion. There was a haunted look in her eyes that Alex recognized all too well. It was the look of someone who'd made a terrible mistake and was living with the consequences .

"Fine," he bit out, crossing his arms over his chest. "Talk. And make it good."

Brynhildr nodded, her relief palpable. "First, I want to apologize for the attack at Carnegie Hall. It was misguided. We were acting on information that we believed came from Freya herself."

"About that," Eryx interjected, his voice gentle but firm. "Brad, he told us there were rumors that Loki had been impersonating Freya. Feeding you false information."

The reaction was immediate. Brynhildr's face drained of color, her eyes widening in horror. "No," she breathed. "It can't be. We verified the orders. We followed all the proper protocols."

"Loki's always been a crafty bastard," Alex said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. "If anyone could find a way around your protocols, it'd be him."

Thor, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, let out a string of curses that would have made even the most hardened sailor blush. The air around him crackled with electricity, his anger manifesting in little arcs of lightning that danced across his skin.

"That serpent," Thor growled, his voice like distant thunder. "He has gone too far this time. To use Freya's name, to manipulate the Valkyries."

Alex watched as Thor's rage built, the air in the room growing thick and heavy with ozone. Part of him—the part that was still pissed about the attack at Carnegie Hall—wanted to let the Thunder God loose, to watch him tear through Asgard in search of his wayward brother.

But the rest of him, the part that had spent centuries ruling the Underworld and dealing with cosmic-level bullshit, knew that wouldn't solve anything.

"Hey, Sparky," Alex said, his voice cutting through Thor's building storm. "Cool it with the light show, would you? We've got bigger problems to deal with than your family drama."

Thor turned to him, his eyes literally glowing with power. For a moment, Alex thought he might have pushed too far. But then, slowly, the electricity faded, and Thor's shoulders slumped.

"You are right, of course," Thor said, sounding weary beyond his years. "Forgive me. It's just... the thought of Loki using Freya in such a way..."

Alex felt his patience, already stretched thin, finally snap. "How the fuck did you let this happen?" he demanded, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension in the room. "You're telling me none of you could tell it wasn't really Freya? The goddess who's supposed to be all about love and beauty suddenly decides to launch an attack on the mortal realm, risking exposure and all-out war, and none of you thought that was a little out of character?"

Brynhildr bristled, her warrior's pride clearly stung. "You weren't here, Hades. You didn't see?—"

"It's Alex," he cut her off, his tone brooking no argument. "And I didn't need to be here to know that something stinks worse than the deepest pits of Tartarus. Freya wouldn't risk the safety of Asgard or the mortal realm like that. It's not just out of character, it's fucking insane."

Thor stepped forward, electricity crackling around his clenched fists. "Watch your tone, Hades. You may be a guest here, but?—"

"But what?" Alex shot back, not backing down an inch. "But I should just shut up and accept that you all got played like a bunch of divine fiddles? That Loki managed to waltz in, steal the most powerful weapon in Asgard, and turn you all against each other without any of you noticing? Sorry, Sparky, but that's not how this works."

The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to choke on. Alex could feel the others watching, could sense Zac's nervous energy and Eryx's steady presence at his back. But he couldn't back down, not now. The stakes were too high, the consequences of failure too dire.

Just as it seemed the argument might come to blows, Eryx stepped between them, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of divine authority that made even Thor pause.

"Enough," Eryx said, his gaze moving from Alex to Thor to Brynhildr. "This isn't helping anyone. Our egos need to take a back seat right now. The more we argue, the more time we lose. And time, in case you've all forgotten, is something we're critically short on."

Alex felt the fight drain out of him, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. Damn it, but Eryx was right. As usual. He ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to take a deep breath.

"You're right," he admitted, the words tasting bitter but necessary. "We can't afford to be at each other's throats. Not with everything that's at stake."

Thor nodded, the electricity around him dissipating. "The vessel of Apollo speaks wisely. We must focus on the task at hand."

Alex bit back a retort about Eryx being more than just Apollo's "vessel," but now wasn't the time. Instead, he turned to Thor and Brynhildr, his expression grave. "Alright, let's start from the beginning. What do you know? And I mean everything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant."

Brynhildr and Thor exchanged a look, some unspoken communication passing between them. Finally, Brynhildr spoke, her voice steady but tinged with frustration.

"We believe Odin is being held somewhere in the mortal realm," she said. "We can sense him, in a way. It's faint, but it's there. The problem is, the mortal world is vast, and our ability to search it is limited, especially with Asgard in its current state."

Alex nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Okay, that's something at least. Any idea on a more specific location? Country? Continent?"

Thor shook his head, his expression grim. "Nothing so precise. But we may have a way to narrow it down. It's risky, but at this point, I fear we have little choice."

Alex felt a chill run down his spine. He'd known Thor long enough to recognize that tone. It was the voice of someone about to suggest something monumentally stupid and dangerous. "What are you thinking, Sparky?"

"We need Loki's blood," Thor said, his voice heavy with the weight of what he was proposing.

Alex blinked, sure he'd misheard. "I'm sorry, what? You want to, what, go up to Loki and ask him nicely for a blood sample? 'Hey, bro, I know you've gone full supervillain and kidnapped our dad, but could you spare a vial for old times' sake?'"

He felt Zac tense behind him, could practically feel the kid's anxiety ratcheting up. Alex wanted to turn, to offer some reassurance, but he kept his eyes fixed on Thor. Whatever the Thunder God was about to say, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

Thor's expression was grim, a far cry from his usual boisterous demeanor. "Not Loki directly, no. But there is another way. A way that might work, if we're very lucky and very careful."

Brynhildr's eyes widened as realization dawned. "No," she breathed, her voice a mixture of horror and disbelief. "Thor, you can't be serious. The risks?—"

"We don't have a choice," Thor cut her off, his tone brooking no argument. "Fenrir is our only option. The wolf hates Loki more than anyone. If there's even a chance he might help us..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Alex interjected, holding up a hand. "Back up a second. Fenrir? As in the giant wolf that's prophesied to kill Odin during Ragnarok? That Fenrir?"

Thor nodded, and Alex felt his headache intensify. Great. Just great. As if dealing with Loki and his cosmic clusterfuck wasn't bad enough, now they were bringing his homicidal canine offspring into the mix.

"Okay," Alex said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Let's say, for the sake of argument, that approaching the giant murder-wolf isn't completely insane. How exactly is Fenrir supposed to help us find Loki? "

"Fenrir's blood," Thor explained, his voice low and intense. "It contains traces of Loki's essence. If we can obtain a sample, we may be able to use it to track Loki's movements, and by extension, find my father."

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the beginnings of a migraine coming on. "And how, exactly, do you propose we get this sample? I'm pretty sure Fenrir isn't going to roll over for a belly rub and let us stick him with a needle."

"It won't be easy," Thor admitted. "Fenrir is volatile. Dangerous. But he hates Loki with a passion that rivals even the deepest pits of Helheim. If we can convince him that helping us will hurt Loki, he might agree and help us."

"You're out of your fucking mind," Alex said, but there was no heat in it. Just a bone-deep weariness. Because as insane as Thor's plan was, he couldn't deny that it might be their best shot. Their only shot, really.

Alex's eyes met Eryx's, a silent conversation passing between them in the span of a heartbeat. They'd been through enough shit together that words weren't always necessary. A slight nod from Eryx was all Alex needed to know they were on the same page.

Then, as one, they turned to look at Zac.

The kid stood there, trying his damnedest to look tough and unafraid. But Alex could see the slight tremor in his hands, the way his jaw clenched just a little too tight. It made something in Alex's chest ache, a fierce protectiveness surging up like a tidal wave.

Eryx, ever the voice of reason, spoke up first. "Zac," he said gently, "you don't have to come with us. The castle is protected. You'd be safe here while we?—"

"No," Zac cut him off, his voice stronger than Alex had expected. "I'm not staying behind. I can help."

Alex wanted to argue, wanted to tell the kid to stay put, to not risk his neck on this cosmic suicide mission. But he bit his tongue. Zac had been through enough, had proven himself time and time again. Treating him like a child now would do more harm than good.

Thor, apparently oblivious to the tension, barreled on with his usual lack of tact. "And how exactly do you propose to help, young one? Fenrir is not to be trifled with. Even the mightiest warriors of Asgard fear to approach him."

Alex watched as Zac's expression shuttered, becoming carefully blank. The kid was learning, alright. Learning to keep his cards close to his chest, to not reveal everything at once. It was a survival skill in their world, but seeing it on Zac's young face made Alex's heart hurt.

"I have my ways," Zac said, his tone carefully neutral. "But I'd rather not go into details. Just in case."

Smart kid. Alex felt a surge of pride, quickly followed by a wave of guilt. Zac shouldn't have to be this cautious, this guarded. He should be worrying about homework and first dates, not how to keep divine secrets from a thunder god.

Thor looked like he wanted to press the issue, but Alex stepped in before he could. "The kid's with us," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "And that's final. You want our help with this clusterfuck? Then you take all of us, or none of us."

For a moment, the air crackled with tension. Alex half-expected Thor to argue, to pull rank or some divine bullshit. But then the Thunder God's shoulders slumped, just a fraction, and he nodded.

"Very well," Thor said, his voice heavy with the weight of worlds. "We leave at dawn. I suggest you all prepare yourselves. The road to Fenrir's prison is not an easy one."

As Thor and Brynhildr moved away to discuss details, Alex found himself sandwiched between Eryx and Zac. His family. His team. About to embark on the most insane mission of their already pretty fucking insane lives.

"We're really doing this, huh?" Zac murmured, a hint of his usual snark creeping back into his voice .

Alex snorted, ruffling the kid's hair. "Looks like it, squirt. You sure you're up for this?"

Zac's answering grin was all teeth and barely contained fear. "Nope. But when has that ever stopped us?"