Rising up from a Nobleman to Intergalactic Warlord!!-Chapter 180

---3rd Person POV---

Sitting upon his throne, the All-Father Odin watched as his court began to bicker once again over returning to the mortal plane to seek answers and vengeance for their fallen comrades. While he sympathizes with their cries for retribution, he could not in good conscience send more of his people to the slaughter, especially after losing warriors like Beta-Ray Bill, Hela, and Sif. Glancing over at his two eldest children, Loki and Thor sat silently on the sidelines in a drunken stupor.

'I have allowed them to wallow long enough in their pain and misery. While I cannot imagine the pain of losing a daughter and wife, I cannot continue to watch my children wither away into oblivion.', Odin thought, pondering how to snap them out of their millennia-old funk.

(AN: Hela is Loki's adoptive daughter, and Sif is Thor's wife in this universe. Also, this universe's Loki is a female; you are welcome!)

Rising from his throne, Odin was about to put a stop to the drunken arguing when Heimdall threw open the doors of the Great Hall. Having run as fast as his legs could carry him, the All-Seer proclaimed that he had caught a glimpse of a shattered Stormbreaker with his eyes. Informing them that it was in the hands of the Aeldari smithing god Vaul and an unknown mortal, he insisted they send someone to investigate the situation further.

"Father, allow me to go and investigate the matter!", Thor spoke, casting aside his drink as he rose to his feet. "I am the strongest among us, save for you. If anyone is going to have a chance at reaching them safely, it is me!"

"No, you would get lost in the mortal-made labyrinth that is called the Webway. I am acquainted with someone that knows the realm like the back of their hand. If I ask him for his assistance, his followers can lead me straight there.", Loki argued, "Once I have reached the smithy, I will send Heimdall my location so he can bring more of you over."

Opening his mouth to shut their request down, Loki quickly cut her father off and insisted he listen to reason. Out of everyone in Asgard, only Amora and Loki had perfected the art of slipping between the realms unabated. Assuming this was a trap set by an unknown enemy, that ability would prove invaluable, as right now the Bifrost was only working in a single direction.

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"If sending me in alone is not an option, I can take Balder and Fandral with me. Between the three of us, we should be more than enough to get the job done.", Loki insisted.

"How much do you trust your acquaintance?", Odin questioned, wary of relying on a disgraced pantheon for assistance.

"The two of us are cut from the same cloth; we have played cards and drank together on numerous occasions in the past.", Loki remarked, fondly recalling the antics Cegorach and she got into long ago. "Given the precarious position his pantheon finds itself in, a handful of standard blades from our armory should be more than enough to secure his aid."

"Very well then, the three of you will set out at once to investigate this matter. If you encounter any amount of trouble, come back to Asgard immediately. This matter is not worth losing your lives over.", Odin commanded.

Bowing their heads, the three of them raced off to prepare, leaving an enraged Thor in their wake. Demanding to know why his father was not sending him with them, Odin told Thor to remain silent while he shared his plans with him.

"When your sister gives Heimdall the signal, you will lead a sizable force to their location to reinforce them. If the smithing god Vaul or this unknown mortal has something to do with the disappearance of our people, we need to be prepared to deal with them.", Odin said, placing a firm hand on his eldest son's shoulder, "I am far too old to lead our armies to war, Thor. You need to do so in my stead as the future king of Asgard."

"I understand... My apologies, Father.", Thor replied, regretting raising his voice at him. "By your will, it shall be done!"

Returning to his throne, Odin tasked Heimdall with keeping watch for Loki's signal. The moment he saw it, he wanted a Bifrost bridge open to their location immediately. Praying that his three children came back alive from this expedition, the All-Father could not bring himself to think of the gruesome alternative.

(AN: It is not consistent throughout Marvel Comics, but in this fanfic, Balder is Odin's thirdborn son.)

"Hermod, send a message to the other pantheons immediately. Let them know that we have received new information about what is happening in the mortal realm.", Odin commanded.

"By your order, my king!" Hermod acknowledged, hurrying off to draft the letters.

---Victor POV, Two Hours Later---

Pouring our blood and sweat into reforging Stormbreaker, Vaul and I were now on the last step of the process. Having imbued all the enchantments and spells I wanted into metal and installed the refined crystals, all that was left now was the final quench. Having the women vacate the room, Vaul told me to wait for him to step out as well before dunking it into the quenching oil.

"Hang on a damn second, is something dangerous about to happen?", I questioned, having never forged Uru before. "If so, I would like a heads-up in advance, please."

"To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea what is going to happen.", Vaul admitted, "I have only worked on three sentient weapons in the past, and each one reacted very differently to quenching. Given the violent history this Asgardian weapon has had, it very well could descend into a frenzied state."

Understanding the risks, I redeployed my armor and quickly dunked the battleaxe into the oil. As soon as the oil stopped bubbling, Stormbreaker began unleashing a torrent of lightning in every direction. Feeling intense waves of emotion from the weapon's spirit, it was mentally stuck in the last few traumatic moments against my uncle, Varrim Zephrim. Experiencing all its anger, despair, loneliness, and sadness at once, the struggle soon became a clash of wills.

"Stormbreaker, I know you are deeply scarred by your last fight, but I need you to pull yourself together.", I called out, telepathically. "With all the improvements Vaul and I made to you, there is no way in hell you will lose to the All-Black Sword a second time. When we go up against Varrim Zephrim and All-Black, I guarantee that we will bash their fucking faces in!"

(Stormbreaker)

"Of course, I have absolute faith in my craftsmanship and your endless potential.", I answered. "You chose me to be your next wielder for a reason. Trust that I know what I am doing and believe in yourself once again. Together, I know we can avenge Beta-Ray Bill and restore things to the way they are supposed to be."

(Stormbreaker)

Ceasing its rampage instantly, the crystals affixed to the weapon began to glow vibrantly one by one as Stormbreaker claimed their powers as its own. Sensing the bottomless pool of magical power within the divine weapon, my initial thought was to raise it above my head and gain the powers of Thor. Deciding against it, as the sudden release of that much power could collapse this section of the Webway, I released Stormbreaker and willed it to stay close to me.

"Alright everyone, I have made peace with the weapon's spirit.", I chuckled, surveying the damage Stormbreaker caused. "Oof... she did quite a lot of damage to your smithy, Vaul. Give me a second; I can restore everything to how it was for you."

"Do not waste your energy; I plan on leaving with the five of you now that I am free. That is, assuming the offer still stands, of course.", Vaul said, while Lileath gave me a pleading gaze.

"Haha, you do not have to give me the puppy dog eyes, Lileath. He is your family; of course he is welcome to tag along with us.", I assured her. "In that case, then, allow me to stow your setup away so it can be reinstalled somewhere else."

Thanking me for my help, Vaul set about packing his personal belongings while I threw the forge and all his tools into my inventory. Departing from the workshop once he was all set, the smithing god bid his cell farewell and embraced his restored freedom with open arms.

Retracing our steps back toward Commorragh, as we reached the halfway point, we came upon a large host of Harlequins armed to the teeth. Unsure if they were here to thwart my liberation plans or capture the two gods, I grabbed Stormbreaker and prepared for a bloody battle.

"Wait a moment, Victor. They are not here to harm us.", Lileath insisted, stepping forward as she stared into the sea of lookalike masks. "Uncle Cegorach, can you please spare us the theatrics for a moment and greet us properly? Great Uncle Vaul and I would like to see your face after so many long millennia."

"I suppose I can spare you a show this time, my dear niece.", Cegorach chuckled, stepping forward from within the crowd. "It has been a while, Lileath and Vaul. I hope the two of you have been well."

Removing his mask, the Laughing God gave them a warm smile as a tear escaped his eyes. Having believed that he would never see the people he called family again, he was truly happy to be made wrong in his assumptions. Hugging his niece tightly, Cegorach exchanged a firm handshake with Vaul before turning to me.

"So, you are the mortal who lopped the whore's head off. I wish I could have been there to witness the scene personally!", Cegorach cackled, eerily similar to the Joker, "You have my gratitude and respect for all that you have done for the Aeldari people. For the first time in eons, we can hold our heads above the waterline and see a path forward."

"Just to make sure, you are not here to stop us from the shitshow that is about to unfold in Commoragh, are you?", I questioned, observing him cautiously.

"No, we are here for two separate reasons. Firstly, the Harlequins and I are here to join forces with you. Now that the Aeldari pantheon is free of those four cretins, save for my sister Isha, it is time for me to take a more active role in restoring order to the chaos. I know it sounds like it goes against my nature, but I prefer orderly chaos, not whatever all this is called.", Cegorach laughed. "Secondly, three Aesir gods are looking for Vaul and Victor specifically. Isn't that right, Loki?"

Stepping out from amongst the numerous Harlequins, Balder, Fandral, and Loki stared at us intently. Knowing full well why they are here, I did not waste any time getting straight to the point. Sharing with them all I knew about their deceased comrades and fellow deities, their expressions soured as they came to terms with the fact their friends and loved ones were gone. Assuming they were lost to them for good, I interjected myself and informed them there was a way to reclaim their souls.

"All the souls slain by the All-Black Sword are trapped within the Headless Celestial. If you can convince him to let your friends and loved ones go, it should be possible to revive them. That said, I could not begin to tell you where to start looking for it.", I said.

"No, you have been extremely helpful, thank you.", Loki responded, having watched me closely to confirm the truthfulness of my words. "The All-Father will want to hear this information from you directly. Once you have completed your objective in Commorragh, the three of us will take you to Asgard."

"While I am happy to oblige, I do not think it will be that easy. From what I have come to understand, the divine realms in which your pantheons inhabit are out of sync with the mortal realm. While you may be able to seamlessly pass to our side, getting back over to theirs will be a tall order. That is likely why those that came before you were unable to call for reinforcements.", I remarked. "I lack the technology necessary to remedy the problem, but I know someone who does. You would not happen to know a man named The Doctor, would you?"