Garfield floated effortlessly up to the balcony outside Frigga's private residence at the very top of Asgard.
Through the open doors, he saw them.
Frigga and Angela sat opposite each other, tea steaming gently between them, chatting like a perfectly harmonious mother and daughter.
"…Of course," Garfield muttered inwardly. "So this is how it is."
"Garfield." Frigga said warmly when she noticed him. "I didn't expect you to be the first to arrive. I thought it would be Thor or Loki."
Garfield landed lightly on the stool beside them. Frigga poured him a cup of tea with practiced elegance.
"Thank you, Mother." He accepted the cup but didn't drink.
Instead, Garfield studied Angela carefully.
The resemblance was undeniable.
Seven, no, eight parts like Frigga. The same calm contours, the same noble bone structure.
But her frame… broader shoulders, stronger silhouette clearly came from Odin and Thor.
A powerful blend… Amazonian grace tempered with barbarian strength. Beautiful, but dangerous.
Feigning ignorance, Garfield tilted his head and said casually, "Mother, this lady looks a lot like you."
"If I didn't know you only had three children, I'd think she was your daughter."
Daughter.
Frigga's smile never changed.
The DNA results had already confirmed it, Angela was Asgardian. Her name, age, and appearance left no room for doubt.
Yet outwardly, Frigga merely chuckled softly. "Yes. That's why I felt such affinity for her. So I invited her to sit and chat."
Perfect composure.
If Garfield hadn't already known the truth, he would have believed every word.
Angela, for her part, appeared serene and almost absent-minded.
In reality, her thoughts were sharp. If I seize Frigga now, she calculated coolly, will Odin come out?
Beasts sensed danger instinctively.
Garfield felt it immediately. The paw holding his teacup lifted a fraction.
Several layered composite spells flowed silently into place. If Angela made a single hostile move, Garfield would strike first.
Frigga's hand gently rested on Garfield's raised paw.
"The fluffy little cat and Loki were much cuter when they were young." She said fondly.
Garfield stiffened.
"I may be a cat." He protested, "But I am also a man. Please, some dignity."
"Of course." Frigga said, her hand did not move.
'…As expected,' Garfield thought darkly. 'Never trust beautiful women when they agree too quickly.'
This was no place for a cat to linger.
Just as Garfield prepared to slip away, footsteps approached. Loki entered from the balcony entrance.
"Mother. Brother." His gaze flicked briefly to Angela. "And… hello, my lady."
"Loki." Frigga said gently. "You're up rather late today."
"I drank too much last night," Loki replied smoothly. "Welcoming my younger brother."
Garfield smiled sweetly. Welcome?
More like 'avoiding another rival to the throne.'
"Brother," Garfield said warmly, "Your words move me deeply."
He leaned closer, eyes shining. "Why don't you come back to Earth with me for a few hundred years?"
"Eat well, drink freely, relax. We'll wait until Thor inherits the throne, then return to celebrate together."
Loki stared at him.
For a brief moment, he seriously considered flipping the table straight into Garfield's round orange face.
"No." Loki said flatly. "I think it's better if I stay in Asgard and assist Thor."
Assist, he thought bitterly. Before this cat ruins everything.
That nasty orange cat.
Angela glanced at Garfield with growing interest.
Half ally, half troublemaker, she judged. Yet he speaks like a mother arranging a future.
If Loki truly followed Garfield to Earth, then once Thor ascended the throne… Loki would still have a chance.
Angela's intuition picked up on it immediately.
There's something wrong between these brothers.
Frigga, of course, understood Garfield's meaning perfectly.
Sending Loki to Earth was not a bad idea. In fact, it was a very safe one.
The only concern was this… Loki might not stay Loki. If he darkened, if he became another Hela.
Thinking about it made Frigga's temples ache.
Before she could speak, heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance. Thor walked in, Mjolnir humming faintly at his side.
"Mother." He said brightly, "Good morning."
Then he turned, smiling openly. "Good morning, Loki. Good morning, Garfield."
Loki's lips curved into a polite smile.
"Thor." He said gently, "How much did you drink last night? You should take better care of your body."
Garfield heard the edge beneath the concern. Very subtle.
Thor scratched the back of his head, completely unaware. "I was happy to welcome my brother home. I drank a bit more than usual."
"Yes, yes. I drank a lot too. Asgard is wonderful." Garfield nodded solemnly.
He looked at Thor with bright eyes. "Thor, let's compare drinking capacity sometime."
"Alright! But no divine power." Thor's eyes lit up instantly.
"Deal."
"A word is settled."
Garfield smiled inwardly. You have no idea how deep this stomach goes.
Even if Thor filled a wine bottle the size of Earth, Garfield's stomach was linked to another universe.
Frigga knew exactly what kind of creature Garfield was.
She simply smiled and said nothing. Watching her son embarrass himself occasionally was not a bad thing.
Besides, Asgardians rarely got drunk anyway. Their bodies were practically designed to resist it, let alone demi-gods.
Garfield, however, couldn't help complaining inwardly. Ridiculous plot logic.
A god who could endure the core heat of a neutron star, yet was brought down by a tiny electric shocker.
Captured by a Valkyrie like a dead pig.
What was the screenwriter thinking?
Even steel hurled from the Bifrost could be crushed into dust by space-time forces and yet Thor fell to a toy.
Thor himself was flawless. It was the universe that betrayed him.
The private meeting was slowly turning into a family gathering.
Call Odin and Hela over, and it would become an early-morning Odinson reunion or a famous painting titled 'Breakfast of the Northern Gods.'
As Garfield sat quietly, he suddenly remembered something.
He had asked someone to summon Thor earlier. About Amenadiel.
Shouldn't that have happened already?
Unable to resist curiosity even with Angela present Garfield asked directly.
"Thor… are you done fighting Amenadiel?"
Thor blinked. "…What?"
"I just woke up." Thor continued honestly. "If Amenadiel is willing to fight me, that'd be great. I've tried before you arrived, but he refused."
Thor shrugged. "And Father doesn't want to watch us fight."
Garfield's pupils narrowed. Odin… doesn't want it.
Why?
Was it fear of Silver City?
Or…
Did Odin know something about Thor's fate? About breaking divine reincarnation?
The game, he realized, was far deeper than he'd expected.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream