Decisions

Erik looked over at Liam and Mia after hearing their words. He hesitated for a moment because he was unsure if he should break it but then the need to understand what they were thinking won out.

"So, uhm…" Erik began, his voice low and uncertain. "What are you guys thinking?"

Liam was the first to respond. He rubbed his hands over his face, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm thinking that this is all messed up, man. It's not fair. We were just kids who was supposed to be living our lives, worrying about normal things. And now… now we're in the middle of this cosmic war, dragged into something we never asked for."

His voice trembled slightly, but there was a resolve in it, too.

"I'm scared, man. I won't lie about that. But what other choice do we have? The gods wouldn't have brought us here if they had another option just like you said. And I hate that, I really do, but I can't pretend it's not true."

Erik listened, watching the emotions play across Liam's face. He knew Liam well enough to know that he wasn't one to hide how he felt. There was something admirable in that, a bravery that came from acknowledging his fears rather than ignoring them. He always wanted to be like him in that trait.

Liam glanced over at Mia and Liam.

"And I'm not just scared for myself. I'm scared for you guys, too. For our families. If we run from this, we're putting everyone we care about in even more danger. And that's something I can't do. No matter how terrified I am."

Mia nodded slowly with helpless expression. "I feel the same way," she said. "I'm scared, too. But we can't run. We can't pretend this isn't happening or hope it'll just go away if we close our eyes."

Erik watched his friends, feeling the gravity of their words settle deep in his chest. For a moment, Erik didn't say anything. He just looked at Liam and Mia, feeling a connection with them that went beyond mere friendship. They were even thinking about the same thing.

Finally, Erik spoke.

"I've been thinking the same thing. We can't run from this. It's not fair, but it's what happened."

Liam and Mia both nodded.

The door to their chamber suddenly creaked open. The soft light from the hallway spilled into the room and they all turned to see Thor standing in the doorway. His presence seemed different now—there was a heaviness in his eyes that none of them had seen before.

Thor stepped inside, the door closing softly behind him. He looked at each of them in turn, then, he offered them a sad smile that filled with regret.

"I'm sorry," Thor said. Those were his first words, and they hung in the air, echoing in the silence of the room. He took a few steps closer, his eyes never leaving them.

Erik, Liam, and Mia exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. Thor's apology felt out of place after everything they had just talked about.

Thor stopped in front of them, his expression softening even further.

"I know this has been difficult for you all. More than you should ever have had to bear. And I want you to know… that if you wish to go home, to return to Midgard, you can. The choice is yours," Thor said.

The room fell into a stunned silence. Erik, Liam, and Mia stared at Thor, trying to process what he had just said. After the conversation they had just had the offer to simply return home felt like a twist they hadn't anticipated.

Erik's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it. They had all accepted that there was no running from this, that they couldn't just go back to their normal lives. But now, Thor was offering them exactly that—a way out, a return to the life they had known before.

Erik was the first to break the silence. His brow furrowed in confusion as he asked, "But… what happens if we go home? What happens to all of this?"

Thor sighed deeply, his broad shoulders slumping slightly as he struggled to find the words.

"Well, If you return to Midgard," he began, but then paused, his gaze dropping to the floor. "The threat will not simply vanish."

He looked up at them.

"But don't worry. I and all of the gods of Asgard will try our best to stop it."

Erik, Liam, and Mia exchanged another glance. Then after taking a deep breath Erik looked back at Thor.

"We won't go home. We're not going to run from this problem," Erik said.

Thor blinked a few times, the surprise evident on his face.

"Are you… are you serious?" the God of Thunder asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "You're really choosing to stay?"

Liam, with a fierce glint in his eyes, nodded firmly.

"Yes, we're serious," he said. "But there's one thing we need from you. If we're going to stay and figh then our families need to be safe. They need good security here in Asgard. We can't do this if we're constantly worrying about them."

Thor's eyes widened slightly. He looked at each of them again as if trying to gauge the depth of their resolve.

Finally, he nodded.

"So you would stay here, fight this war to protect your families?"

"Yes. If staying here means we can do that, then that's what we'll do," Mia added.

Then Liam spoke up again. "But don't think for a second that I'm not still angry to you all. Angry that this is happening, that the gods couldn't stop it before it came to this."

Thor met Liam's gaze, his expression calm, unflinching. There was no anger in his response, only a quiet understanding.

"I don't blame you," Thor said softly. "Your anger is justified. We, the gods, have failed in many ways. I won't deny that. But I promise you this—we will do everything in our power to protect you, and your families."

Liam's expression remained hard, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—perhaps respect, perhaps a reluctant acceptance of Thor's words. He didn't reply, but his silence spoke volumes.

Thor, seeing that their decision was final, nodded once more. "Very well. Your families will be given the best protection Asgard can offer. You have my word."

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