"...And that is why it is imperative that the ministry of defense receive the adequate funds needed for defending against this threat. It cannot happen within our own city!"
The man, Thor, said, his voice reverberating across the large room. The other figures present were seated, each desk of theirs seemingly stretching far into the ceiling. Despite all being older, weaker men, they lingered far above their associate, which stood at the bottom.
Yet despite the clear difference in stature, his face betrayed what sense of inferiority that would be felt.
"Your concerns are heard in this room, Son of Odin." A voice, emanating from the left began. An older man, with a gray beard that seemed to trail off his desk was the culprit.
"Tension from the attempted invaders is certainly at an all-time high. That is true. We have invested millions into our defense force, the Forctyr…"
"----There is only so much we can invest, brother."
A sudden voice, clear as nails erupts from the center of the room. It belongs to none but Ullr, third Hero of Asgard. A son of a Celestial that utilized his incredible foresight ability in an ingenious way. He observed the market, and knew exactly when to invest, and when not to.
His jaded face betrayed the youngness of his brother.
However, now that the celestial who had bestowed him his Gift was dying, Odin, it was clear he had become more hesitant in his financial decisions.
Yet…
"Please, brother! We spoke about this earlier! Just–"
Thor's pleas are shut down.
"Seven hundred thousand people. That is the amount that live within these walls. Food, entertainment, living wages, housing, education, transportation. Do you think all these things come from thin air?"
"Asgard is considered a city-state. Despite our vehement disapproval of outsiders, most of our income is stems from trade with them. The mountain our city hangs on is considered one of a kind, capable of holding an incredibly large city for thousands of years without even the slightest bit of tension within its structure. Some say it's value supersedes even the shiniest of diamonds."
"Yet right now, we cannot harvest such a thing. The issue lies in the fact that these… miscreants… have effectively locked us within our own country. They have created camps, waiting for any unassuming Asgardian to leave the confines of the city. Surely you are aware of this? The incident with the Forctyr that were stationed at Midgard that attempted to enter the city? You should know that trade is impossible as well."
"..."
"While we still have an incredibly large pool of funds ready, it is unwise to spend any further amount. We must save it for the inevitable cost that will arrive with conflict. It will continue to go towards the Forctyr Commercial branches and War branches. Besides, aren't father's crows already adequate defense against the invaders already? Their genetic barrier is practically impossible to shatter, even with a Gift."
"... My issue is within the city itself! The disappearances of young women! Does it not occur to you that something must have broken within and is taking advantage of that sole fact?! My investigators are lacking the funds to give any further chase to these monsters!"
Ullr shakes his head. "Civil unrest is at an all-time high, and this issue has always been there. Mothers, getting in disagreements with their husbands and stealing their daughters. These children are fine, it is merely the dire situation that is conflating your mind with these coincidences."
"'How can you…?"
"How can I dismiss such an important matter? Well, when I see my brother, who wishes only to fulfill his role as a 'hero' in the eyes of his people, it gets me thinking…"
His voice tightens.
"That the so called 'mighty' Thor is only concerned about his social standing. Had you truly cared about such disappearances, you yourself would lead the investigations, resources be damned."
"--Ulrr!"
"Be gone brother. Stay within your own sector of the city, and we will run our own. This is merely a trial given to us by the world. Asgard has prospered for thousands of years, so this issue was due to come. We will rise past this and ascend to greater heights."
Thor spins on his heel, snatching the piles of paper on his desk.
He storms out, his footsteps reverberating across the room, much to the chagrin of the men sitting within. It was clear he was infuriated with the resolution of his proposal to increase funds.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Heya, bro."
The blue haired man, Thor, stops in his anger-filled stomping.
"Loki?"
"Yep, the one and the only!"
A man, his body submerged in shadow, stood in the far corner of the hallway. His head consisted of an almost demonic shape, a betrayal to his demeanor.
"... Got rejected, huh? Trust me, I know that feeling more than anyone." The deer-headed man leans against the wall behind him. "You've probably got so many things running through your head now, too."
"It was merely miscommunication from both parties. Had I properly enunciated my–"
"They're never gonna understand, Bro." Loki interrupts.
The Hero of Lightning's head angles towards the Hero of Mischief.
"There is no convincing old men that have gone in a single direction for most of their lives. Especially Ullr, the oldest of father's children. Though, I have an inclination to believe he knows what he's doing." The deer-headed man says as he rolls his hands.
"Loki. Do not assume the worst immediately. We are family, and we must see each other from the proper lens."
"And which lens is the proper?"
"..."
"He's just freaking out and doesn't know what to do now that dad's sick. You've probably noticed it too. Our Gifts are fading. That's the curse of being a Votary, no less a hero. You brand yourself together with the celestial that provided you the power, forever merging your identity to theirs. Ullr is someone who forgot who he was without that moniker. He's utterly incapable of functioning on his own."
Loki nods, as if agreeing with his statements.
"Yes, that's just it. He's not denying you because 'you're overthinking it', it's because he's losing his precognition ability and thinks that if he makes a potentially hefty financial decision that fails, everyone around him will doubt him and their perception will change. The same thing he was accusing you of."
Loki lifts himself off the wall.
"But you knew that, didn't you? Why didn't you call it out in front of everyone? Just as easily as he crapped on you, you coulda done the same back. Why didn't you?"
"Because there is always a better way."
"?"
Thor turned, gazing at the landscape outside. The sun was rising, casting a brilliant glow on the city, which was often obscured by the large mountain that held it within its ceiling. This was one of the two Golden Hours of the day. The hour when the sun would seemingly focus on Asgard itself.
"I will not humiliate any sibling of mine. Perhaps you are right, he is afraid of the potential pushback. But I will not be the one to set the flames. To be a Hero, responsibility must be at the forefront of your goals. Sacrifice is one of the key facets of responsibility. If the path to retribution is full of disgrace, then so be it."
"Life isn't some grand story, Thor. Humans are messy, disgusting creatures. You could be a great warrior, and die choking on a grape like an infant. Go and tell your grand ideology to anyone with a knife and a resolve to kill you. You'd have your throat carved out before you could even say the second word. What you believe doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that you continue living. It doesn't matter what you do or how you do it. In the end, we're all just piles of flesh with 'divine' adjustment."
"Then what would separate us from animals? If that is your viewpoint, go to a forest, strip yourself naked, and live like that."
"Tch. Whatever. I'm here for a reason."
"I figured as much."
"Let me tamper with Ullr's perception of you. I can make him see you as father. Then, he'll listen to everything you say. You'll get all the funding you need. Just say the word."
"Loki. You heard what I said previously, correct?"
"Yeah, but–"
"It will not change."
Thor begin walking once again, leaving his dumbfounded brother behind.
"I appreciate your return to Asgard, but I would heavily advise you to stop your trickery, Loki."
Loki's Function: Mirage, allowed him to warp the perceptions of those around him. However, he could not add any 'lies' to himself. He could only manipulate that which was not part of himself, or that he had not touched.
However, if he wished to alter the perception of a creature, permission from the opposite army was crucial.
"Kh! I thought the situation was boiling over! Where's that fiery passion from just a few moments ago?!"
"..."
"Isn't Asgard collapsing from the inside?! The monsters inside the city?!"
"If you truly cared about Asgard…"
Thor stops, his back facing his brother.
"You would know I never mentioned monsters, only disappearances."
"!?"
The door shuts.
___________________________________________________________________________
"Nord… Hey, Nord, you in here?"
The Forctyr officer called out, his voice echoing in the empty building. His flashlight, which was in his right hand, illuminated the areas he pointed at. However, it was only that specific are that would be lit, not the rest of the room.
"Nord!"
He turns his flashlight to the left.
His footsteps continue as he descends deeper into the darkness. He reaches into his pocket, brandishing a standard issue revolver.
"Excuse me, sir!"
"Hyahhh!"
The man screams at the sudden voice, carelessly firing at the shadow. The light from the barrel illuminates the figure for a moment, revealing a colorful shade of pink hair.
"Ouch!"
The officer steps back, utterly confused. What was happening? Why was she still alive? Why is she even down here? Did he just kill an innocent person? Why was his trigger discipline so terrible? Where did Nord go? Was he going to die? Was he going to follow the same fate as the other disappearances?
"Shine, Shine, shine!"
A speck of dust emerged from the ground and instantaneously flickered on, as if light switch. It casts a brilliant yellow glow to the world, illuminating the shadows.
A young girl, no older than sixteen stood at the source of the light.
Her hair was a bright shade of pink, curling around her neck. Her clothes were quite the colorful ensemble, which was a direct opposite to the surrounding surroundings. A star shaped clip hung on the right side of her hair, further contributing to the strange aesthetic she covered herself in.
However…
The right side of her face was utterly blown to shreds. Blood trickled down the point of impact, staining the ground. Her right eye was shattered to bits, pieces of the white eyeball mixing together with the brain matter that was also present.
"That really hurt, Mister! Aren't you an officer of the law?"
She said, exaggerating her movements as she pointed at her wound.
"Hahh… Hyahhh… What…?"
The officer was utterly confused.
"An officer isn't supposed to hurt civilians, got that?"
She waves her finger.
The officer is still submerging within the canals of confusion of fear.
"Haa…"
"You look really sad, officer! Let's turn that frown upside down."
The girl brandishes a strange stick of sorts. It's thin, yet long all the same. It's quite simple in coloration, boasting a bright pinkish hue to it. Strangely, bright yellow sparks follow behind it.
"Pure Pure Love Shot!"
Suddenly, the man loses his footing.
"Huh?! Huh?!"
"This'll make you feel just great, sit tight!"
"Wait! Wait!"
In just a few moments, his right arm extends, shifting into a color of green.
"----Hyaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"
His jaw dislocates as a strange rainbow-colored liquid begins pouring out. His body twists and turns, the sounds of bones cracking against each other ringing out. An impossible form is being forced upon the human body.
"Khagggha!!!!!!!!!!! Haaaaaghhhh!!!!!!!!"
The man can no longer scream.
However.
This was not because the lack of lungs.
Rather…
"Buhahaahaha!!! Buahahaahaha!!!!!!"
He was laughing.
Laughing as if the happiest man in the world. Nothing mattered to him at this moment, only pure glee. Everything was so colorful, shiny, and tasty.
Yes, tasty. The air was tasty, tasty.
And then—
"Splat!"
Viscera explodes in all directions, blood encompassing it like honey.
"Heehee! That was awesome, right, officer?!"
"...Officer?"
The girl glances around, searching for the man that was present in front of her moments before. Little did she know, the man before her was no more than bits and pieces of various organs and fat.
"Crazy bastard…"
A voice calls out, surprisingly in cadence despite the gruesome events that had just played out.
Next to the girl, walks out a man no older than twenty. A large brown duster is thrown around his body, giving it a mysterious feel. His purple hair is long and tied in a brain, a sense of dignity somehow present. His face is obscured.
"Huh. really Seon-woo? You thought that was crazy?"
"Gh!" The man jerks his head in the opposite direction from the girl.
"We're lucky Asgard's got 'missing people' disorder, 'cuz we'd be investigated."
The man said as he sheathed the dagger in his hand.
"Seon-woo, please avoid potentially aggravating Liliana. It'd be terrible for all of us if she lost her demeanor."
Another man says, stepping into the light cast from the moon above. His hair was tied in a dreadlock style, seemingly dropping to his waist. A similar mask was outfitted on his face as well. At his side, a large odachi seemingly half his size cemented its presence.
"Well it ain't my fault she's an Aspector, Biri." Seon-woo retorted.
Biri sighs as the girl slaps the blood on the ground with her hand, staining her skin as well as scattering the liquids everywhere.
"Well, no matter. Right now, assassinating Odin is our top priority at the moment."
"Hm. Let's get to it, SEVER."