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Odin saw strange things when he looked into that realm tear.

His mind was torn from the cavern underneath his office, and in a second it was filled with visions of a boy- a giant -whom he had never seen before yet somehow knew exactly who they were.

He saw Asgard prospering with this boy on their side, using Aesir magic to protect those inside the walls of Asgard.

He saw the doom of his realm, as the boy mowed down gods using the Jotunn magic from his lineage.

He saw his own death if he could not control the giant.

And just as suddenly as he was pulled into the realm tear, he was ripped out of it, yearning for more knowlege but knowing he would lose more than just his eye if he dared peer back in.

Tearing his gaze away from the portal, Odin sorted through what he saw in those visions.

This giant can wield the mask... With the proper guidance, I can bend the boy to my will and gain all the wisdom my heart desires!

And so Odin called Thor to his side and traveled to the riverbank where he saw the child would be located, abandoned in a basket by whomever his giant parents were.

The boy was right where the visions said he would be.

Loki.

And upon picking up the basket by the handle, he breifly noticed a piece of paper on top of the baby which read:

His name is Atreus. Take care of him.

Odin handed Loki to Thor to carry and performed one of the more difficult spells in his arsenal, which would turn the boy into an Aesir god. Odin would be able to keep better watch over the gaint as an Aesir.

Leaving Thor to carry the child, Odin transported them back to his office and took the boy, quickly barking orders at lower-ranking Aesir to pepare accomodations for the boy.

If I can raise this giant to wear the mask, I can gain all the knowledge in the nine realms, and perhaps even beyond...

"Loki, do you know what this is?" Odin held the peices of the mask to Atreus, who looked curious yet confused.

Sheepishly looking down, he replied, "N- no sir... Did I miss a lesson? I'm sorry, I can make up for if you just-"

"No, you didn't miss a lesson," Odin answered, already irritated by the boy's nervous rambling. "Five winters have passed since I rescued you from those monsters, so I think you're old enough to try to fix this."

Atreus, still looking down at his shoes, asked,"But w- why me? What is it?"

"It is a mask that lets you see all of the knowlege in the nine realms! You, Loki, you have special magic which can put together the mask."

Odin neglected to tell Atreus that was how his eye was lost. I'm only trying to dumb it down for him, Odin thought to himself.

Atreus was not dumb. He notices Odin's fidgeting hands wanting to drop the mask peices, despite his calm and caring demeanor.

"You would make me so proud if you can look through this mask."

Despite his nervousness, Atreus wanted to please his father. So, he took the mask pieces and...

Snap!

The pieces sealed together, forming a wooden mask engraved with runes. Sparks of familiar magic ran through the grain and into the runes, but instead of beckoning him to wear the mask like he expected, it seemed to push him away.

"Go on Loki, put on the mask and tell me what you see!"

"But Father, the mask doesn't want me to wear it.." Atreus knew what was coming as he said that, his body stiffening as he turned his face away.

Odin closed his eyes and deeply sighed. "Loki, this better not be another one of your.. silly excuses."

His tone was inquisitive and light-hearted but the look on his face gave away his true feelings.

Odin looked like he might go into a rage and throw him off the Wall of Asgard so that he could never lie again.

"B- but Father it's the t- truth!"

Odin suddenly snatched the mask from his hand, "Don't be nonsensical boy, know that you will be punished for your lies later."

Atreus didn't have time to think before the mask was shoved in his face-

The blinding pain was all he could think about.

His screaming was so loud it seemed all of the Aesir could hear it. Atreus sank to his knees, clawing at the mask trying to peel it off. Tears streamed down his face and his right ear began to ring and it got louder and louder and louder until it finally exploded in pain. It felt as though his entire ear had been ripped off which only served to make the ringing and the migrain worse and worse. Blood dripped down the side of his face and down his neck but Atreus couldn't bring himself to care, his only want was to get the cursed mask off and make the pain go away. His nails began to bleed as he scratched and scratched and scratched-

The mask finally released its hold on Atreus. He could barely make out Odin's disappointed and furious face through the darkness creeping along the edge of his vision. The outside world was muffled in one ear and too loud in the other and he just wanted to sink into the floor and sleep until the pain went away.

Just as he was about to fall into darkness, Odin grabbed his chin and was yelling at him- something about disappointment and disgrace - when his hair was grabbed and he was surrounded by ravens and then the world was suddenly too bright. He squeezed his eyes shut but that made him fall asleep faster which earned him a sharp yank to his scalp.

He somehow gained more awareness when Odin forced him to clumsily walk behind him as Odin went at a too-fast pace with his hand still gripping his hair.

They stopped at a tree with a man tangled up in it.

His eyes flew wide open and he gasped, "Odin! What do you think yer doin?! That's a child for god's sakes!"

"Mimir, he is fine, I need you to-"

"Fine?! That poor boy is covered in blood and he's on the verge of passing out! He's missing his damn ear! You call that fine?"

Atreus had never seen someone so outspoken against his father, but he supposed that was why he had been trapped within the tree.

"Mimir, in my vision I saw that this child could use the mask but he's proven himself fucking useless because it rejected him! Tell me why, so-called Smartest Man in the World, or so help me I will strangle your brain for answers."

Mimir kept his sights on the boy, a look of worry working its way onto his face.

"Well, perhaps he must be of a certain age?" Mimir knew that Odin would catch on if he lied, so he tried to come up with an answer that would spell the least suffering for the boy.

Odin seemed dissatisfied at that answer, but he didn't pry for a better one.

"I'm leaving the boy here and returning home to collect myself. I will return for him. Don't try anything funny." Odin had a look of disgust on his face and dropped Atreus, disappearing in a swirl of ravens.

Atreus looked relieved, despite how he had been dropped on his injury.

"Lad, are you alright? Lad?"

Atreus didn't have the energy to respond to the muffled voice, and so he let the darkness overcome him.

Odin was mad.

At least he's not mad at me this time. Yet. Atreus thought as he reached his hiding spot up on the giant plateau in Asgard. It was a hollowed out tree on the edge of the wall. He has discovered it after the mask incident when he just wanted to get away from everybody. Now he was twelve years old and could barely fit inside anymore, but it still made him feel safe, as though Odin couldn't watch him here.

Apparantly the man who was imprisoned in the tree all those years ago had been killed and revived somehow. Although he had left his body behind, he was free now, and not under Odin's control. So of course he got pissed and broke everything in his path within The Great Lodge. Atreus ran away just to be sure he wouldn't anger his father any further.

And that led him here, as he peered over the wall to the outskirts of the village below.

I probbaly shouldn't be this close to the wall anyway.

And yet he stayed, because this was the closest he knew he would ever get to interacting with someone who wasn't Aesir.

I wish I could go and see the rest of the realms..

Atreus closed his eyes and let the wind blow through his face, taking him to an imaginary world where he could just leave his father and never come back to Asgard..

Shit.

Suddenly the wind was blowing too fast and the ground beneath his feet was gone-

Shitshitshithsitshit-

In a blind panic, a familiar yet new tingling sensation wafted over him as he felt bones crack and muscles stretch and organs shift, but it wasn't painful.

In fact, the sensation felt natural, like this should have happened a long time ago.

He threw his arms out perpendicular to his body and splayed his limbs to slow his fall, and he realized it worked too well..

Atreus looks to his arms, but he doesn't see arms.

Father is really going to kill me this time.

Just as that thought ended, he's startled by icy blue eyes lined with red feathers swooping down to catch him.

He's being carried back to the lodge in the beak of Huginn.

Or maybe the deafness will end me.

"Huginn, I-"

"Save your words for the Master."

"Yes, sir."

》《▪︎》《

"Help! Help! Huginn, Muginn! Thrúd! Help, please anyone!" Atreus rammed into the side of the compartment, banging loudly and making as much noise as possible to get the attention of any passerby's. Although Atreus knew in the sensible part of his mind that no one would free him, for fear of the wrath of Odin, in the moment he was in fight-or-flight mode, overcome with the animal instinct to just get out.

He kept screaming and hitting and crashing for what seemed like hours until, finally, a forceful -Bang!- abruptly made itself known outside of the trapdoor.

"Shut up, will you?! Less squawking, more getting out of that shitty bird form!" Odin yelled just loud enough to get through the floor planks.

At least Father isn't ignoring me this time. Atreus sighed softly.

Finally the inhuman fear left his mind, and he tried to pick up the keyring Odin had thrown down with him. It was a bit strange picking it up with only his mouth and absolutely no help from his hands, but he eventually managed to grab it.

Atreus looked to the keyhole and-

Ah, shit. Atreus thought as he realized his small success had been fruitless, as the keyhole was on the ceiling, and he had no muscle strength in his wings to fly up there.

I guess I have to do this the hard way.

The young giant dropped the keys and sat on the ground, closing his eyes. He tried to recapture the magic that got him stuck as a wretched bird.

》《▪︎》《

Atreus was hungry.

Nevermind that, he was ravenous.

It had been maybe four days since he had last eaten, judging by how many times he heard his father's footsteps enter and exit the study.

Atreus knew he would continue to starve unless he could go back to being human. But he knew he would not die. Odin wouldn't allow it.

Well, I have water at least. Atreus' face turned green as he turned to look at the muddy water dripping from the ceiling.

I just need to focus harder. Maybe Father will be proud of me for getting control of my magic. He closed his eyes and tried to reach into his soul and suddenly-

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Damn it.

》《▪︎》《

Large, booming footsteps broke Atreus' concentration. He looked up in the dark room as if he would be able to see anything, and tilted his left ear up to the ceiling.

"Yes, Thor?" Odin sounded annoyed already.

"Does the boy deserve that punishment?" Atreus' eyes widen.

Thor cares about me? No, no, he's just asking because he's curious, obviously. Father said Thor was just a brute. He shouldn't have any reason to care.

"Obviously, why else would I do this? The crime should always fit the punishment, Thor."

"But did he really commit a crime? He's just a kid, all kids make mistakes."

Even Atreus could feel the threatening atmosphere that suddenly filled the room.

"Fourteen is a reasonable age to know not to use the one magic he is forbidden to use. Now, I'll give you a reasonable 5 seconds to get out before I give you a torture worse than all of Loki's combined."

The booming footsteps left the room, slower than they had when they entered.

》《▪︎》《

Finally, on day six (or maybe seven? Atreus had lost count a couple hours ago.), Atreus felt he was about to pass out and die and be spared from the wrath of Odin, his instincts kicked in.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the same tingling sensation overcame him and he could feel feathers shedding, beak retracting, and finally he could see his own hands in front of his face as he lost his strength and fell into a fetus position.

He just hugged himself and quietly sobbed in the now too-small compartment.

》《▪︎》《

When he had composed himself, he grabbed the keyring from the corner of the compartment, trying every one of the two dozen-ish keys until he finally heard a click. Atreus dropped the keys in relief. He pushed the trapdoor open, climbing out of the cell and into the dark room, a rush of warmth running over him after so many days in the cold.

His stomach growled and reminded him of the emergency at hand. Stumbling to the double doors and pushing them out, he leaned against the wall as he wobbled to the front door of the Lodge. He briefly through about raiding the kitchen as he passed by the dining hall, but shut the idea down when he remembered the chefs had always locked the doors between hours.

The short walk felt like an eternity, but he finally made it to the doors and weakly pushed them open, holding his stomach and walking into the street. He leaned on buildings and fencing where he could find them so he wouldn't hit his head if he passed out.

The Moon was high in the sky, and the only business which offered food that would be open at this time was the bar.

It doesn't matter. I just need something to hold me over until breakfast.

So Atreus pushed off of the building he was leaning on and walked to the door, preparing himself to hide the sway in his step and his ever-drooping eyelids.

Pushing open ths door, the inside was quieter than usual.

Maybe it's a work night for the einherjar. They usually only come on their off days.

Focusing on his footsteps, he walked past the weapon deposit area, and up to a barstool.

Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot-

Yes. Atreus smiled slightly as he clumsily climbed onto the seat.

The bartender walked up to him, drying off a mead mug in his hands. "Well son, I can't get ya mead, but I can get ya anything else. On the house. What do ya want?"

Atreus figured that he must have seen his baggy eyelids and sunken cheeks, connecting the dots with the fact he had been gone for an entire week.

"Y-yes sir-" Atreus' eyes widened briefly at how hoarse his voice was. He stared at his fiddling hands on the table. "Erm- thank you. I just want- any food you can spare me- I would be thankful, sir."

The bartender just save him a pitying smile and walked into the kitchen in the back.

Atreus didn't hear the person walking up to his right side, before they seemed to realize their mistake and stepped over to his other side.

Rubbing away the tear tracks on his face, Atreus greeted the god, "Hi- um- hello, Thor."

Thor just stared him for a second, examining his facial expression, and then replied.

"I know it isn't okay, so that's not what I'm gonna tell you."

He sat down on the stool next to Atreus.

"I've been through that shit before, I know how it feels. And don't tell the All-father but," he leaned down to whisper to Atreus, "I don't think you deserved that, it was clearly an accident," He sat up straight again.

"And you're just a kid. I didn't start getting the torture stuff 'till I was seventeen."

There was a long silence before the batender came back, not bringing up the tears rolling down Atreus' face. He set a tray on the bar with herring, oatmeal, and two glasses of water.

"Eat up, son, looks like ya damn well need it."

"Thank you, sir," Atreus replied, voice waivering. His stomache growled again.

"No problem," the bartender said as he walked away.

Wiping away his tears, he took the fork and began scarfing down his food, only pausing to take gulps of his water.

Atreus flinched at the large hand that landed on his shoulder

"Don't eat fast at first, you gotta give your body time to adjust."

When Thor removed his hand, Atreus slowed his pace, trying not to make eye contact.

There was a pause. A sigh.

"You remind me of myself, kid. Except for the fact that I'm just a drunk fuck that isn't brave enough to apologize to his kids for wasting his life away in a bar," The god took a deep breath before uncontrolled electricity could crackle in the air. "Sorry for dropping that on you."

"It's okay. It''s bad to keep your feelings inside," Atreus finally galnced up at Thor. A determined face appeared on the thunder god's face, and he fully turned to look Atreus.

Putting his hands on the boy's shoulders and looking looking him in the eyes, Thor spoke in a low but serious tone, "You need to to leave this Helhole. As. Soon. As. Possible. When you see your chance, run like fucking Hermóðr. His eyes are everywhere, don't- do. not.- rush. Wait for the perfect moment and pull off that shapeshifting and leave. Before you ask, no, I can't help you. I need to stay and make sure Sif and Thrúd are safe. Do you have any questions?"

Atreus, wide eyed and mouth agape, took a second to register what Thor had said.

"I- where do I go if I escape?" Atreus asked, still shocked at the sudden turn of the conversation.

"Midgard. Run to a forest and find cover. Don't go in a cave unless the weather is going to kill you. Caves mean your enemies can corner you. Midgard should be safe, but people will try to take advantage of you. Don't trust anyone until they put their trust in you."

Atreus took a long pause to soak up the information and to think about who would attack him should he escape. Probably everyone, the pessimistic part of his mind told him. Then the positive side of his thoughts came back and he replied to the god.

"Thank you, Thor," the boy's eyes were red and he looked like he might cry again. Tears of happiness that someone was finally helping him.

Thor returned to a normal volume, "Sure, kid," he patted Atreus on the shoulder before letting go and stepping off of the barstool, walking to the door and presumably back to the Lodge. Atreus watched him as he was about to exit the door when Thor turned his head and called out, "Don't talk about this, ever. I mean it."

It seemed the god was about to leave for good when he added on, "Stay safe, kid."

Then the god walked out, closing the door behind him.

Atreus continued to eat until he was full.