Thor, who has been following Loki, is taken aback by your bloodied appearance as he charges in from behind.

"I knew you would come to her rescue Loki, so glad you brought Thor too," Munnin chuckled amused, "It saves me from finding him myself. Both he and her will go back to Odin with a clean memory. Such a shame she will not remember all the terribly things I've just done to her, though." Munnin pouted, trailing a single finger along your skin.

Loki snarls seeing him touch you, "You forget, my mind can't be erased like all others"

"Yes, but who is going to believe you? Odin?" He snorted smugly, "No, he will not believe your exaggerated story, not from the disappointing second son—the one who is prophesied to bring Asgard to ruin."

Munnin shoots a wicked grin towards Loki, while enjoying the feeling of your gentle squirms under the delicate trace of his finger.

"He didn't believe you all those years ago when I first started tormenting you and deep down you must know why?" He paused to watch Loki sink into himself, "It's because he doesn't care. You have been nothing but a burden to him."

"You think your words can hurt my feelings" Loki scoffed, "I've grown accustomed to the shunning. Which means I have only one option—I will just have to kill you."

"I find it amusing how you think you could," Munnin sneered, "you can't hurt me, Loki. Odin will kill you if you tried. I'm his protected raven, and I am more to him than you will ever be." he smirks with a smug sense of untouchability.

Loki glared at Munnin, and a fierce grin enveloped his face, "You forget, I welcome death. I am not afraid to die, so make no mistake, I won't just hurt you, I will cause you an agonising end before accepting my own fate."

"No Loki, you can't. I won't let you be hurt by Odin" you yell out in protest.

At at that moment, Huggin flew in and took position across from everyone else in the cave. His beady eyes scanned the area where you lie, your body a testament to the abuse you suffered at Munnin's hands. There was a split second when you thought you detected alarm in his demeanour, but your eyes were blurry and you couldn't trust what you saw.

"Odin is growing impatient, Munnin" he talks through gritted teeth, clearly angry that Munnin's torturous pit stop was taking too long.

"I don't care! The old fool can wait some more!" Munnin explodes in a fit of piqued rage.

Both Loki and Thor exchanged confused looks with one another, in disbelief that a raven of Odin could insult his master, and king.

"Hold your tongue, Munnin, do not forget who you speak of and where your loyalty lies" Huggin remarks, his anger rising.

The perplexed expressions on Loki and Thor's faces were enough to elicit a chuckle from Munnin. He deliberately chose to ignore his raven companions comments, and instead began to address both princes.

"Odin was once great, a king respected, feared. No one dare be on his bad side for fear of the harsh backlash. Go against Odin's beliefs and you'd risk losing your realm and title. He was powerful, yet, justly, truly a master worthy of a raven. But now, now he has gone too soft. Worried more about the political affairs and how his image is perceived by others—Where is the wars to correct the wrongs, the pillaging, the sickening screams as we cause carnage to the people who deserve it!" Munnin growls in frustration, "He has changed, preferring to fill the dungeons than simply putting an end to the worthless lives that don't deserve to breathe," he huffed, sickened by his own words, and began pacing back and forth in agitation.

"Times have changed, Munnin, there is peace amongst the realms, kings have evolved to using better tactics than to simply kill!" Thor yelled in protest of his father.

"Evolved?...Peace?" Munnin scoffed, "You are truly an Odinson, and a bigger fool than I thought."

Munnin stopped his pacing and walk back towards you laying on the table, and looked down into your teary eyes. "She is really beautiful isn't she" he raised his head to stare at Loki, and smiled seeing his nervousness.

"In Odin's vision he clearly saw you, Loki. In love with a women, then standing within the rubble of Asgard. He wanted to lock you away a long time ago, convinced that Asgards ruin was because you and love shouldn't exist together, the unnatural phenomenon was going to be the demise of his empire."

"That's not true, father didn't lock Loki away!" Thor exclaimed.

Munnin rolled his eyes, "Yes well, that is clearly obvious isn't it. And that was due to the love of a mother who put a stop to that idea. Instead, Queen Frigga suggested Loki be allowed free reign in Midgard. Because who would believe a mortal could be the one to capture your heart, Loki." Munnin laughed ironically. "All was going well until Odin's vision became stronger, revealing a name of the person responsible for the destruction of Asgard. It was then that Thor was ordered to track you down. Yet with your mastery in hiding, that proved an arduous task for him. You had become very skilled in fleeing to different parts of Midgard by then. Until you slipped up and became comfortable in a town for too long. But I found you long before Thor did. It was rather fun to watch you enact punishments—some being very familiar. It seems I taught you well." Munnin laughed aloud. But Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing.

A conceited smirk spread across his face at observing Loki's shocked expression, "Now I do believe it's time to go, Huggin, shall we"

Huggin came striding over to where you were lying on the table, and with a feathery touch, you were transformed into a woman dressed in a long gown, liberated from your iron head piece and chains.

He lifts you up and steadies you to your feet. He has removed all traces of your physical suffering, making it appear as if nothing had ever happened to you.

"I will take her to Odin." Huggin said in a more dominant and commanding voice, his wings spreading at the ready.

"Wait!" Munnin snaps with urgency, quickly placing his hand onto your forehead. "I can't allow this one to remember all the good things we did together"

He made sure to offer Loki a sly grin at the mention of his words, "She was delicious Loki, I can understand why you feel as you do towards a simple mortal now. Perhaps I will get one myself, or maybe I will just pay her a visit every night when Odin sends her away from you" with a smugness on his face his hand moves to your face, and cups your cheek.

Loki's envious fury boils over as he casts a piercing glance at Munnin. Thor holds him back as he inched forward to launch an attack.

"Ah-ah-ah, no rash decision's, Loki. Can you not see my very sharp claws also at her throat. One small nick and she is dead"

Loki immediately remembered Heimdall's warning from earlier. He mentioned the exact same words, 'no rash decisions'. Loki pulls back angrily, loathing his feelings of helplessness.

Munnin is in awe of the power he has over Loki, and he enjoys doing whatever he can to enrage him.

"I don't play around that often, but when I do, I like it rough—isn't that right mortal"

As he examines your immaculate, and renewed physique, his mouth begins to drool again. At his vile remarks, and lusty gaze, you feel the vomit rising in your throat.

"Oh look at you, you are a blank canvas again, ready for me to mark your body with my art. Well done, Huggin, she looks a perfect picture"

"I need to leave with her now, Munnin" Huggin snaps, no longer asking but demanding.

"Of course you do, you can't possibly leave your master waiting. Run along like the good slave raven that you are. Follow the coward blindly like a loyal pet." Munnin seethes, as though disgusted with his loyalty.

The tension between the two Ravens, which had been present before but now seemed more obvious, increased as Huggin glared at Munnin for his disparaging words against him.

Loki picked up on the hostility between them and decided to intervene.

"Huggin, your continued devotion to my father is evident, but Munnin's treachery proves he no longer has any. I will take her to Odin, but do not let him erase her memory"

"Silence filth!" Munnin yelled.

A far cry from Munnin's hard hold, Huggin's arms enveloped you gently. When his gaze shifted from Loki to you, you caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a flicker of compassion.

"It is better that she not remember her torment, Prince Loki," Huggin spoke with dejection, "I promise to deliver her directly to Odin, no harm will come to her along the way— my word is my honour"

Loki sighed, but nodded, he sensed truth in Huggin's words, and deep down, he was glad you would not remember the horrifying ordeal Munnin put you through.

Munnin's hand suddenly began to puff out black smoke, and instantly you felt your mind being probed. You try to force the intrusion away from your consciousness but he was too strong, and you continued to suffer from the haze he created in your head.

It took mere seconds for your short term memory to be erased, and as soon as it was, Huggin had swooped you up within his arms. In a flash you were gone—taken to Asgard to face Odin.

Munnin, now alone with Loki and Thor, glares at them both, "I do believe it is your turn mighty Thor. Come over to me, let me touch you once more, like the good old times"

With an enraged expression, Thor snapped, "You won't dare touch me, bird man"

"Oh you forget, but I already have. I've made you quake with fear. So much so, you had a little accident—right over there, in that very corner. I remember that memory well. Poor little Thor, Odins heir, sitting in his own urine." Munnin laughs menacingly at the recollection.

"Enough!" Loki yells. "I told you, should you ever hurt my brother again, I will wrap my icy hands around your throat!" Loki yells, suddenly morphing into his larger Jotun form, his red eyes glaring at Munnin.

Munnin stepped back, nervously, "My, my—haven't you got big," his eyes followed the towering form of Loki, "no longer are you a blue ice runt from Jotunheim. Such a shame it is not a more worthier realm. I may have offered my loyalty to you otherwise. For you are as ruthless, as Odin once was." Munnin declared, "I've seen the torture you carried out on Midguard, making the puny mortals to worship you. You've taken a few lessons from me, haven't you? You even branded your mortal whore with your name. I recall doing a similar trick."

"I'm nothing like you, or Odin. I do things with purposeful intentions. You do them for pure evil, for your own sick pleasure—enough with your words. I'm tired of hearing you"

Loki summoned two daggers and stepped forward, standing confident and ready to battle. However, Munnin had already fled to another part of the cave, making sure to keep a safe distance.

As Thor follows Loki's moves, he keeps constant watch to prevent Munnin from getting too near to his head.

Loki darts his eyes to where Munnin is, but as a result of his lightning-fast reflexes, he is extremely difficult to follow or capture.

"Watch for his claws, Thor, he can easily swoop in and rip your flesh apart" Loki issued Thor a warning, knowing he was more vulnerable than him.

"Oh, certainly, thanks for the optimistic mental picture you just painted, Loki." Thor sarcastically remarks, "As if I can't be any more nervous, then you chime in with that," he adds, while manoeuvring his body into a defensive stance.

Loki observes Munnin closely as he rapidly sprints around with no apparent intention of stopping. He anticipates that he will weaken after a while, forcing him to pause briefly so he can regain his stamina.

Loki seizes the moment and tosses his dagger at Munnin, who has remained still while suspended from the cave ceiling. The dagger pierces his shoulder with incredible accuracy and with a piercing cry of anguish, Munnin crashed to the floor.

Thor and Loki saw their opportunity and rushed over, but by the time they reached Munnin's wounded body, he had vanished into a thick cloud of smoke.

"Nooo!" Loki yelled in anger.

"What now, Loki?" Thor asks, panting out of breath.

"Huggin has taken her to Odin, we must go and confront Father and tell him everything, maybe he will show mercy and allow me to live in peace with my love."

"Unlikely Loki, he still believes the vision—the destruction of Asgard. Even if he knows that Munnin is treacherous, it is a completely separate issue. He will still focus on the main problem—his vision of you, bringing down his empire. Asgard is still deemed at stake."

"So Munnin torturing us and my beloved, as well as Asgardians over the years is something less severe. A crime that can be forgotten, because of an unsure vision. Who is to say this vision is right? I have no plan to cause problems for Asgard. I just wish to live with my love, I seek nothing from any realm, from Odin, or anyone!"

Loki thinks carefully, considering all options in an attempt to devise a successful strategy that would allow you both to remain together. Yet every scheme he replayed in his mind failed miserably.

"Loki, if the name matches that of Mina, he will feel compelled to do something. Maybe, as Munnin says, send her away out of your reach. Believing if he keeps you apart then the bleak future cannot happen"

Loki looks at Thor dumbstruck, "Does no one hear how absurd that sounds, if anything keeping us apart will cause me to outrage against Asgard! He will need to lock me away!" Loki yells infuriated.

"Perhaps that is his plan, brother, it seems something father would do out of desperation, and he does grow desperate."

"So that is it, I am to be separated from my love. She will grow old and perish after fifty years in some awful place Odin put her, all the while resenting me until the end of her days because it was me who caused her such cruelty." Loki sighed, becoming absorbed in grief once again. "I will be haunted by the agonising memories of her pain, not the sweet memories of our joyous life together, but tormenting images of not being able to save her"

Loki's shame and sorrow wreaked havoc on his mind and body. "I won't let that happen Thor! She will never suffer because of me again—I swear it"

As Loki's rage slowly abated, he was seized by a profound realisation. Because he always envisioned the two of you escaping together, he was incapable of conceiving a strategy that would actually succeed. He now realised that you had to go your own way if you ever wanted to be free from Odin's wrath and lead a happy life. 

Thor smiled as he glanced at Loki, assuming that the focused look on his face indicated that he had a plan, but he was blind to the sorrow that lurked beneath the surface.

"I'm with you brother! Whatever you decide I will follow you, your plan will work I know it!" Thor gives Loki a reassuring smile and puts a strong arm around his shoulder.

Loki did something he had never done willingly before: he turned and embraced his brother. Putting his arms around Thor and conveying all of his emotions in an embrace.

For the first time the two brothers reciprocated the hold. Comfort, love and affection equally given and welcomed.

"Thank you, Thor...brother..."