Song: Center of Gravity (by The Brazen Youth)

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"What do you say for your other crimes!?" Odin repeated angrily.

I hesitated, I didn't know what to say. Was I guilty or not? I knew what I thought, but I also knew what Frigga thought, but would what she said trying to convince me that I was innocent change now? If it were not for me she would still be here, even after I escaped the mind control I was still unable to save her, I was at fault.

I was a monster, it was still my hands that committed those atrocities, they were still stained with blood. Yet Friggas words lingered in my mind, just like how her blood lingered on my hands, the way she insisted that it was not my doing but instead the strings that simply dragged me along with them as they carried out their goal.

She also claimed how I had so much light left to give, she sounded so sure of herself, and I couldn't help but let that hope bleed into me as well. Additionally, even though most of my mind fought against and refused the idea, a part of me knew that this truly was at least partly Thanos' doing, and I was normally never one for vengeance, but with this, I would not stop until he paid for what he did. He also was extremely dangerous and only growing more so by the second, especially if he managed to get the other infinity stones, this was bigger than me and my vengeance, the fate of the universe was at stake and I owed it to do everything that I could to help save it (also because I was one of the idiots that lived in that universe so I kind of wanted to make sure it wasn't destroyed.)

Most importantly though, I made a promise to Frigga, I promised that I would not give up on Thor and Loki, and right now it seemed that also involved me not giving up on myself to do so. I owed it to them to at least try, I owed it to the kingdom that I was sworn to, I owed it to Frigga.

"I am not guilty."

"There are several witnesses, including the Princes, who verify these crimes, and you dare claim otherwise?!" Odin practically screamed.

I gathered in a deep breath, trying to pull in all my emotions inside my lungs as well. "It is true that physically, my body committed these crimes, but it was not myself that dared go against my kingdom and against all of you."

I paused as I tried to work up the courage to fight for something that I myself was not even fully sure I believed. "That day of the fight on the rainbow bridge when the Chitauri attacked I was captured and brought to the cells on the Chitauri's home planet. I now realize that everyone thought I died that day and hence why no one tried to search for me." I glanced up for a second as I tried to gather my words and I swore I saw a flash of guilt cross Loki's face until it was quickly replaced with his normal neutral expression, although Thor's face never flinched from the scowl that he wore.

"For the first 187 days, I was tortured every day as they tried to convince me to willingly commit these same crimes. I obviously refused every time. Eventually, they realized that I would not give in, but then 317 days after I was captured, The Mad Titan Thanos, who orchestrated the whole attack in the first place, used some magical golden scepter on me. It took over my mind and body and left me completely vulnerable to his will. It forced and used my body and mind to commit these atrocities as the very small part of myself that was still there was able to do nothing but watch. I fought against it with everything that I had, but I was unable to escape from its hold without the help of Queen Mother Frigga. I am now fully broken out of its control thanks to her, but I feel immense guilt for not being able to break through it sooner."

I take in another deep shaking breath "I am sworn as a protector of Asgard and the throne, I would never go against that oath. Additionally, I had a duty to fight for this kingdom to death, and for that, I must warn you of the threat that The Mad Titan poses. He is seeking out the six infinity stones in order to achieve his goal of destroying half of all life. He already processes two of them, one of which is what I believe he used to hold control over me, and currently, he is after the Tesseract that contains the space stone, which is obviously held here. He is already extremely powerful processing even just two of the stones, he must not get any others, he would become unstoppable. We must not let him get the Tesseract under any circumstances, however, this obviously poses a direct threat to Asgard in addition to the entire universe, one which I will fight against with everything that I have to give."

There was a suffocating silence where all three of them only stared at me so I continued on. "I know that-" I started to say until I was interrupted.

"SILENCE!" Odin yelled as he banged his staff, seeming to throw a tantrum like a toddler. "You really think I would believe an outlandish story like that?! Do you think me a fool?! You dare insult me and yourself by forming such insane excuses like a coward?!"

I snapped my head up but my heart dropped.

I tried. I really tried, I am so sorry Frigga.

I looked over to Thor but his scowl had only deepened and he looked down at me with only disgust. I then slowly glanced over to Loki praying that I would meet the same lively and mischievous eyes that I grew so fond of, that he would listen. However, he held onto such a conflicted look, my eyes pleaded with him to hear my truth, to just see me, but he turned his head away and downwards forcefully avoiding my gaze.

"Not only is your excuse cowardly, but it is also impossible! The Mad Titan has not been heard from in hundreds of years, ever since his entire planet and civilization were destroyed! No matter how you are aware of that name, it is disgraceful that you not only commit these crimes but also hide behind excuses and put others at fault in hope of saving yourself! For this and for your crimes you are to pay for them tomorrow by execution."

I decided that it was no use to fight this, he would not change his mind, and no matter what I said he would never believe me. I could do nothing but accept my fate. My shoulders dropped along with my head, I sighed and I finally allowed a few of the many tears that fought to escape out. I was going to die tomorrow and there was nothing that I could do about it, I tried to clutch onto the hope Frigga seemed to hold onto so dearly, but I should have known it was idiotic to be so hopeful, especially when the destructive wake that follows me only grows larger every day.

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Loki's Pov:

I wanted to believe Ellery so badly, but, no matter how much I hated to admit it, father was right, it was extremely outlandish and seemed to be a very convenient story. Although there was still that small faint whisper reassuring me how Ellery would never do this, I had known them for years, I had trusted them more than I thought I would ever be able to trust anyone, and they trusted me, it whispered how I needed to put my trust in them now once again.

They looked up at me and met my eyes. I could see how their eyes practically begged to me, it seemed that they begged for nothing in particular, just pleading in general, pleading to simply just see them.

I could not bare to look at them, I didn't know what to believe and I was scared to find out. As I pried my head away its as if I saw all the hope physically drain out of their eyes. The eyes that were always full of so much hidden emotion that I had been able to read so well now held nothing behind them, completely famished of the lively movement that had previously always seemed to swirl behind them.

The whisper pleaded louder with me to trust them, but I couldn't. Even if I did trust them, there was nothing that I could do, once father had his mind set on something, there was no way that anyone would be able to change his decision, especially without mother here. However, I couldn't forgive them, I couldn't trust them, they killed my mother. Even if it was not directly, they led the chitauri here, they are the reason my mother was down there, they are the reason my mother is dead.

At that moment, the whisper suddenly transformed into something louder. I then felt it practically drag a memory from somewhere deep to the front of my mind. It was from several years ago and was one of the many late nights that I had snuck into father's private library. That night I remember stumbling upon and getting lost in a book about the Norns. I remember becoming engrossed in it, not only because it was interesting, but also because I could possibly learn more about Ellery and the title and mark which was given to them by the Norns that they so desperately hated. A specific part of the memory stood out to me, especially when the whisper nearly screamed at me shoving it in my face. It was a section of rules set by the Norns mostly pertaining to the children of Fate, the ones designated to do Fate's bidding. Some stated things like the rules on how any visions or instructions must not give away the true clear path that the person must take, how the person would not be allowed to know what they were destined for until the moment it was already carried out, and also, the rules on how a child of Fate must not be interfered with in any way that may be detrimental to their ability to carry out their destiny until it is completed. One of these specific rules included how a child of Fate could not be sentenced to life behind bars, executed, or stopped from pursuing their destiny in any way.

I stumbled out of my thoughts as I felt the foreign whisper stumble away as well. It left a warm comforting feeling in its place as it left, surprisingly feeling very similar to the perfected reassuring smiles that mother would delicately give which always confirmed that everything would be alright.

I did not know why or how this memory decided to resurface at this exact moment, but I could not ignore it. These were rules that even Odin could not ignore.

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Ellery's Pov:

"Father, may I have a word with you?" Loki suddenly spoke.

He sighed. "If you must. Guards! Take them back to the dungeons, they will be executed tomorrow at dusk." Odin roared.

The guards roughly tugged at my chains again, once again dragging me down the halls back to the cold dark cell in which I would spend my last night alive.

I did not sleep at all that night, I mean how could I? I knew that I was going to die tomorrow, and even though I knew that I deserved it, it most definitely still did not settle my mind.

All my life I always thought that I would die a heroic death on the battlefield or a valiant and worthy death and go to Valhalla. Now, not only was I not going to Valhalla, but instead most likely the worst section of Hel.

I thought about how everyone had such high expectations of me, and now I was putting them all to shame. My mother's undoubtful belief in greatness for me was laid to waste. My only goal was to become a person that would make my mother proud, I was always afraid that I would fail at that, but I never thought that I would fail this horrifically.

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Throughout the whole night and the next day, I sat in the cell trying to avoid the reality that I found myself in, simply hoping to ignore it as long as possible. Eventually, I wasn't able to avoid my reality any longer once several guards arrived to escort me away from the cell for the last time.

They dragged me through the palace and then the town, the few people out at this time of day stopping to glare at me with first confusion and then disgust. I tried to make myself as small as possible, tucking my wings in even closer to my body, deflating my shoulders, sinking my head, and tucking my hands in front of as much as the chains would allow me to. I adored all these people and all of Asgard, so it broke me when they couldn't even bare to look at me, and if they did it only bleed abhorrence.

I saw as we approached the rarely used execution area where only the worst of the worst were taken. I tried to block out all fear and basically just all emotion, I didn't want to seem even weaker than I already appeared. I would accept the punishment for my actions in order to keep even just the slightest remaining bit of my dignity.

I kept reminding myself that I deserved this. This was the consequence of my actions, no matter what I did to get here, I was, and there was nothing that I could change now. This was my fault, the result of my actions. I had to take responsibility for the wake that dragged on behind me. Finally, the waters may be able to settle now with the wake that I caused pacified.

I was dragged out of my thoughts as I realized that we did not stop at the execution area and instead continued walking past it. I dared a glance up to the guard on my left but he didn't spare me even an acknowledging glance and continued to only look straight ahead.

After walking for several more minutes I realized that we were walking in the clear direction of the rainbow bridge. Were they just going to shove me off the bridge? Ending it where it started, where it all went wrong? As some last poetic middle finger?

It felt like only yesterday that I was last on the bridge, where I lost everything. It was ironic that I would die in the same place where I once was prepared to die nearly a year ago, but I wasn't anymore.

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As we made our way across the bridge and to the Bifrost Odin, Prince Thor, Prince Loki, and of course, Heimdall came into view. I didn't know what was happening or why plans changed but I most certainly did not dare to ask. I kept my head down avoiding eye contact knowing that it would only shatter me more.

Eventually, Odin spoke up. "Due to the Norns' laws, you are not able to be executed as you are a child of Fate." He spoke with a bitter edge.

I almost wished that they would forget or look over that fact. I would rather die for my actions than be saved from them by something that I was ashamed of and tried to hide from for my entire life.

"Therefore, instead, for your crimes, you are to be banished from Asgard and its people." He paused and I could feel his eyes burning into me but I kept my head down. "This is your last chance to speak the truth or otherwise not only be banished but be banished as a dastard."

I took a deep breath. "I don't ask for you to believe me, I know that I am responsible for these actions and I accept the consequences. The only thing that I ask of you, Allfather, is that you heed my warning. What I speak of The Mad Titan is all true. He will come after Asgard and will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. I wrote down everything that I know of his plan and left it in the cell for you to read. Please, just promise you will do all that you can to stop him. This is the only thing I ask." I pleaded.

Odin heavily sighed, one that radiated anger, and the two guards pulled me up from my knees once again and roughly directed me toward the Bifrost, and turned me around to face the three members of the royal family when I was directly in front of the swirling abyss.

"Valkyrie Ellery Göndulsen, previously of Asgard, for your crimes of treason, theft, murder, and conspiracy in the murder of the Queen, I hereby strip you of your title, position, and citizenship of Asgard." his voice boomed and I brought my head up slightly, knowing that I would regret it if I didn't even attempt to look at the princes, my best friends, for the last time.

"As a symbol of your treason and dishonorably, I taint your wings black to showcase your crimes and the shame you bring to all those around you." As he said that he waved his hand slightly out in front of him and I felt as if my wings were practically withering. A deep black color bled through them and stained the previously light and slightly gold-tinted feathers that once shimmered and glowed in the sun. Now they only absorbed the sunlight, acting as a permanent reminder of all the light I continued to take away and taint with a suffocating darkness that always followed close behind me.

I kept repeating to myself I deserve this, this is my fault, I deserve this like a mantra that I now lived by. Several tears fought to spill out as Odin went to continue on.

"And for the lies, excuses, and cowardly slander that you continue to spread, for the actions you continue to refuse to take accountability for and instead speak to only pass the blame onto others, I take your voice so that you may never be able to feed off of your excuses any longer and that you learn the importance of the use of your words and how you have forever tainted and polluted them."

I instantly felt my throat close up and my hand automatically shot up grasping at it when it felt like something was missing. When I pressed on my throat I could physically feel that it felt empty where my voice box should have been. In a panic, I tried to talk, make a sound, anything, but nothing would come. It felt like it got stuck in my throat before it could even be formed. A pure look of panic filled my eyes as I gasped trying to force out any sound. I frantically glanced through the room looking between everyone suddenly feeling extremely vulnerable.

Odin looked pleased, Thor looked angry, still wearing the same scowl— he had always been so joyful and optimistic, I never thought that he was capable of holding this much hatred, and it was aimed towards me— and Loki looked extremely torn and conflicted, but he was doing a good job at hiding that, so well that I almost wasn't able to see the look of fear and sympathy hidden deep beneath.

I stared at Loki for a long while. It was like I was trying to tell him everything that I ever wanted to tell him all without a voice to do so.

I tried to tell him how he was my best friend, I tried to tell him how thankful I was for how he was always with me at my lowest, I tried to tell him how thankful I was for how he always knew just what to say and how to help, I tried to tell him how much fun I truly had with him, I tried to tell him to never let others and their words get to him, I tried to tell him how much he meant to me, I tried to tell him how he always meant more than a friend to me, I tried to tell him that I really was telling the truth, I tried to tell him that I would die before I hurt them again, I tried to tell him that I was truly sorry for everything, I tried to tell him that I would fix all of this, I tried to tell him how grateful I was for him, I tried to tell him how I would never forget him, I tried to tell him how much I loved him.

But I couldn't.

All I wanted to do was tell him everything, but I couldn't get the words out. I tried to tell him with my eyes, hoping that they would be able to retell every word of it, but I would never be sure if they were able to.

I kept eye contact with him, begging him to read everything I was trying to tell him. Others may try to beg for mercy, but that didn't even cross my mind, all I wanted was to beg that he would see how much he truly meant to me.

"So, I, Allfather and King of Asgard, herby sentence you to banishment, never to return to Asgard, and to be scorned by its people until the end of time."

As I was shoved into the Bifrost I never lost eye contact with Loki. I gave him a teary-eyed and pained smile as I was pulled into the stream of blinding rainbow lights.

The last thing I saw was the same teary-eyed and pained smile reflected back at me.

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