This is my Third AU for Nightingale, and it is actually a rewrite of the end of Thor (I won't really go into Avengers here).
Three chapters long, there will be a scene in the second chapter written in Loki's POV. Hope you'll enjoy!
Absolution
(Alternative Universe to Nightingale)
By: Lalaith Quetzalli
She made a choice once: to always stand by him. When his breakdown after discovering his true origins threatens to destroy him from within, it is time to make another choice: to let things be as they may… or reveal herself and risk it all for a chance to save him. In the end, there was really no choice to make.
Decision
My choice was the same one it had always been: I would stand by my match.
"Today Father announced who will be taking over as King of Asgard while he goes into the Odinsleep." Loki informed me.
I kept my silence, knowing it was better to give him time to talk and just listen. Maybe that was all he truly needed, for someone to listen to him. And if not, when the moment came, I would try to do what was needed.
"It was Thor, obviously." Loki went on, his voice turning mocking briefly. "Thor Odinson, the man who can do no wrong…as if." He snorted, before talking normally once again. The Councilors, and other assorted high members of the Asgardian Court seemed to be of the belief that there was never any other option. Even the possibility of me ever ascending to the throne never so much as crossed their minds!"
"I thought you once told me you disliked the idea of being King…" I commented softly. "Something about considering it too boring…"
"Of course I do! All the pomp and circumstance…" He shook his head. "Not to my liking, I'm more the 'working behind the scene' kind of guy. Still, what angers me is that they never so much as considered the possibility that I might be as deserving of the throne as Thor. It's like… like I don't exist, maybe they think I shouldn't."
"Those who believe that are ignorant beings and you shouldn't bother with them Loki. If they cannot see your worth it's their loss. They're idiots."
"Wonder what they would think if a Midgardian ever told them that to their face." He snorted.
"I would if I could, not that I think it would mean much to them."
"No, it wouldn't. And that's yet another area where their ignorance shows. And in this case, not only the councilors', but also Thor's and Father's…"
We got off topic for a while, talking about the Asgardians' disregard for us Midgardians and our world, their apparent disapproval for any kind of connection between our worlds (which gave me an idea of just how hard a time we were gonna have when our connection was discovered; because I knew better than to think we could hide forever).
I tried to be patient, I really did, but eventually I had to push us both back to the original topic: Thor's upcoming coronation … and while I knew Loki never expected to get the throne, I still couldn't help but feel frustrated for him. He would be such an amazing King… I was sure of it. While he might not appear to be the 'nicest' person, he was kind, honorable, fair, he knew the political game like no one else I had ever known and had both the courage and the wits to do whatever it took to protect those he saw as deserving of his care and protection.
"So…if Thor being the heir isn't what's truly bothering you, what is it?" I tried to be kind even as I pushed for us to return to the main topic of conversation.
"First of all. I don't think Thor is ready. He's reckless, arrogant, temperamental, prone to acting before thinking. Who knows what kind of disasters he might bring upon Asgard if he becomes King as he is right now!"
"Have you shared your thoughts with your father, or Thor himself?"
"Ha!" Loki snorted. "Thor has little respect of my opinions whenever I'm not getting him and his friends out of mortal danger, even after I've just done so…" He shook his head. "And Father… if he trusted me in any way we wouldn't be in this situation, would we?"
I didn't say a word, waiting for him to go on, it seemed like we were finally reaching the crux of the matter, at last…
"I have no wish to be King, you know that. I always thought that one day Thor would ascend to the throne and I would be standing there to support him…maybe I could be his Head Advisor, or something like that."
"The position would fit you well." I agreed.
"Yeah well…seeing as he practically never listens to me, I'm not so sure…but that's not the point. When we were children, Father always said Thor and I were princes, both with equal right to the throne, both born to be Kings…why then does he disregard me so easily when the time comes for him to actually choose someone to take the throne? I don't wish to be King, I wish for my father to believe that I could do it if I had to!"
That, there it was, the core of everything: Loki wanted Odin to believe in him…
"Oh Loki…" I whispered, taking his hands in mine, trying to be as comforting as I could. "I'm no Asgardian, no one important who could possibly say anything to the Allfather to convince him to open his eyes and see what he's missing. He's blind if he doesn't realize the value you have. You might not be a warrior like Thor is, but your magic, and your cleverness, and your heart…you are a wonderful man Loki, and I truly believe your father will see it one day. Just give him time. A day will come when you will get the chance to prove yourself and your father will realize how amazing his second son is…"
Angels and Spirits above! If I had only know what would be happening in the following days, the way my words would be twisted and torn in the face of an impossible situation, a tragedy of immeasurable proportions…
xXx
I had finished my classes, handed in my last paper the night before Loki dropped in on my dorm room and we had the rather tense chat regarding Thor's future coronation. While I knew a few students chose to stay during the month before the proper graduation, either because it was easier for them or just so they could spend the time with friends and partying… truth was I had never made that many friends, that many attachments really. While I got along fairly well with a few students and a handful of professors I had no illusion about keeping in touch with them on the long run. While I didn't actually have a plan on what might be in my future, I still didn't believe it included staying much longer in or around Norwich University.
So I took a plane back to Maine and I waited… for six days I waited. My nights filled with dreams, with restlessness, with fear. Something was going on, I knew it with the same certainty I knew the sky was blue, with the same certainty I knew the deep feeling I had for Loki inside my heart would hold for the rest of my life…
I searched through the news, both on the TV and in the internet, trying to find something that would give me a clue as to what might be going on… though considering that Loki was supposed to be on another realm I wasn't sure what made me think there would be anything on Earth to signal what was going on… except there was. I found it on a blog, the news of a strange object, supposedly a broken piece of a satellite. It had crashed on the New Mexico desert, a few miles away from a small town called Puente Antiguo. For three days the object had attracted locals and tourists, all who competed, trying to lift the supposed piece of debris; except no one could. Not with their own physical strength, not even using cars, and trucks and all kind of machinery. And then the government had arrived, claimed something about radiation, danger, etcetera, and the whole area was cordoned off… Really, if that wasn't enough to let anyone know that something was going on… or maybe it was just all the information I had beforehand.
That night the dream was particularly perturbing… Loki was standing there, in his Asgardian garb, all dark green, dark leathers and golden armor, a helmet with horns long, curved horns. He looked imposing, powerful… lost. I had no way of knowing how I got that idea, but there was something in his eyes that made me feel like he was lost, like I was losing him…
I woke up screaming his name, arms extended, hands trying to grasp something so far out of my reach it was almost laughable…
It took me forever to calm down. To the point that I received the dawn while pacing from one side of my room to the other. And then I made a choice: I had to find Loki. I didn't know how, I wasn't even sure such a thing was possible, but I just had to try! Because if my dream came true, or worse yet, if it was already in the process of happening… I couldn't handle losing Loki, I just wasn't strong enough for that.
I was standing at the lobby of the mansion, dressed in simple jeans a blue blouse and a low leather boots. I couldn't help the stray thought that I looked even more my nineteen years of age when I was wearing that kind of clothes… At my feet I had a duffel bag, nothing extraordinary, enough clothes for about a week or so, my bag of toiletries, a smaller denim handbag with some essentials and a jacket. I was waiting for the taxi that would take me to the airport when the door opened and I came face to face with none other than my aunt Kathryn.
"Silbhé?" She asked, raising a brow at the bag at my feet.
My mouth felt dry, I hadn't the slightest idea of how to even begin to explain what I was doing, or why I was even doing it… and then she went and took me completely off-guard (even more than I already was) with her next words.
"So you're finally doing something about it." She stated, rather than asked.
"What…?" I really wasn't expecting that.
"You've been very restless all week darling, more than is healthy for any one person. I've been waiting for you to do something about it." She explained as if it were the most normal thing in the world… I still couldn't understand. "Where are you going?"
"New Mexico." I answered without much thought.
"Mmm…" she actually stopped to think about that. "What do you expect to find there?"
"I have no idea." I was dead honest. "I just know I have to do something, and New Mexico is the best idea I have right now."
"Because of the supposed satellite…"
I didn't even have a response for that.
"This is related to that young man, isn't it? The one who saved your life five years ago?"
I believe I might have begun resembling a koi fish right about then, because I hadn't the slightest idea of what to say, what to even think about that.
"Aunt Kathryn…" Really, there were no words.
"Oh darling… I might not seem as attentive as I should. But I know better than to believe anyone can be dying of cancer one day and then perfectly healthy a week later… I have no idea how he did it, and I don't care. He saved you, that's all I've ever needed to know."
I made a choice right then, to be absolutely honest with my aunt, she deserved that much, and she already knew more than I ever expected her to.
"His name is Loki, of Asgard." I told her quietly. "He is the God of Mischief and Lies, as hard as it might seem to believe. He's also a spellweaver, a sorcerer, very powerful." I willed my deamarkonian to show. "He created this, based from something we saw in a book. It's called a deamarkonian, and it's one half of a pair; he has the other half. This is what is keeping me alive despite the Cancer…"
"Yes…" She nodded, observing the bracelet carefully. "Dr. Gerard never could tell how all your tests could show the leukemia was as strong as ever and yet you lived as if you were in remission, or what's more, perfectly healthy…"
"I will never stop having the Cancer, this, the magic in it, just allows me to live with it." I admitted quietly, still as marveled by the whole thing as I'd been the first day.
"So… a god… Loki…"
"You believe me?"
"I heard, and saw, quite a few 'unbelievable' things when I worked for the government darling… Captain America wasn't the only thing lost in the sea, and certainly not what we found back then…" She shook her head. "But that's not important right now. What is important is for you to find your young man. Help him like he helped you…"
"I will Auntie." I smiled at her.
There really was so much she understood, and so much more she didn't, but she was supporting me, my crazy decision… I couldn't ask for anything more.
Right then we both heard the car outside. My taxi had arrived.
"Darling!" My aunt called right as I was about to leave. "I know that if your friend is from another world you might… fall off the radar at some point. Just please don't forget to let me know you're alright as soon as you can. And don't forget your graduation is next month. If you're not back by then I will get involved."
She probably still had quite a few connections from her days with MI5… and if she'd really been involved in the search for Captain America… at least she was giving me a chance to do things my way. I had four weeks more or less to find Loki and make things right.
The honk sounded again and with a last quick kiss to my aunt's cheek I grabbed the duffel bag at my feet and hurried outside.
The plane I took in Portland got me to Albuquerque; once there I had to get on a bus to Santa Fe, as there were no planes until a small one the next day; and then in Santa Fe I hired a taxi to get me to Puente Antiguo. It was a long, tedious journey, but very worth it if I managed to find my love, as far as I was concerned.
The taxi left me right outside of the town's only dinner, which had less than a dozen rooms for rent on the upper floors. It was a really small town.
"Hello." I greeted the waitress, whose tag read Isabel. "Any chance I could rent a room?"
"Well…" The girl seemed pretty embarrassed as she answered. "I actually don't have any available right now. What with the tourists visiting the place where that satellite crashed…"
Before I could say a single thing I heard a snort from a man, a trucker by his appearance, a couple of places down from me.
"That thing didn't look like no satellite." He stated as he drank his coffee.
"Really?" A woman, the cook by her clothes, asked testily. "And you would know how?"
The man didn't answer, just sneered at her.
"Well, whatever it was, it was very heavy." Another pointed out.
"I just hope we won't be affected by the radiation." A girl declared, unsure.
"It's all nothing more than a government conspiracy!" A teenager cried out from a corner.
That caused yet more snort and murmurs of denial.
"If you have no rooms, do you have any idea if someone around here might be renting?" I asked Isabel in a low voice.
"Well, some people around town have been renting out their spare rooms." She told me with a small smile. "Just walk down the street and you are sure to find someone."
I nodded gratefully, grabbing my bag and taking my leave. My bad luck held when I walked down a handful of blocks to find that practically everyone who rented rooms either wasn't renting them out anymore, or still had them occupied. I was beginning to wonder if my whole 'mission' had become absolutely impossible.
I was so lost pondering about impossibilities, because I just had to find Loki, I couldn't give up… I was no longer looking where I was going, not noticing anything at all until I found my walk interrupted quite abruptly. I crashed against what felt like a brick wall, except it was a person; and the impact was hard enough I ended up on the dusty sidewalk, my bag fallen beside me. An exclamation of pain left my lips before I could even think about stopping it.
"My lady!" The man I'd crashed against exclaimed in evident distress. "Are you alright?"
"Perfectly sir." I answered automatically.
I was still feeling the after-effects of the hit, to the point that I didn't pay much attention to anything until he had me back on my feet, and by then two, maybe three other people were calling to us as they approached. Then I looked up… and up. He was tall! Taller than Loki even. Wide-shouldered, blonde, with wide sky-blue eyes, some facial hair that gave him a look I imagine some girls would catalogue as 'ruggedly handsome' (I, personally, prefer my men wiry, with eyes as green as emeralds and hair as black as midnight).
"Are you sure you're alright, my lady?" He inquired, obviously worried.
"Yes, fine." I nodded, shaking my head to clear it a bit. "I was just a bit surprised…" I sighed. "My apologies sir, for crashing into you. I'm afraid I wasn't looking where I was going."
"It's perfectly alright, my lady." He assured me. "I was worried you might be hurt."
"Thor!" I heard three voices call.
I had to do a double-take at that.
"Thor?!" I blurted out in shock.
"Yes, that is my name, Thor Odinson." He introduced himself respectfully.
So lost I was still in my surprise at seeing him, Loki's brother! That I nearly introduced myself as Nightingale, until the oldest of the two women approaching us, reached us.
"Thor!" She called yet again, before turning to me. "Are you alright?"
"Yes fine, I was just distracted, didn't see Thor there…" I tried to appear as sheepish as possible. "I am Silbhé, by the way. Silbhé Salani."
"Jane Foster." She introduced herself, shaking my hand, before waving to those behind her. "That's Erik Selvig, a colleague of mine, and Darcy Lewis."
"A pleasure to meet you." I nodded at them.
"Hey! Are you new around here?" Darcy asked, very interested in me. "I mean, this town is so small I thought I knew everyone already, but I'd never seen you before."
"You could say that." I gave the first excuse I could think of. "I just finished school last week and decided to take some time to myself before graduation, real life… you know."
"Aren't you going to college?" Erik asked, surprised.
I just looked down at myself, deciding the clothes must really be making me look young… on the other hand, being nineteen, I suppose most girls my age would be on their way to college.
"Actually I just finished grad-school." I admitted with an embarrassed smile. "Master Degree."
That seemed to catch Jane and Erik by surprise though, surprisingly, not Darcy.
"You're the genius girl from Norwich!" She cried out in obvious delight.
"Do I know you?" I didn't believe I did.
"Probably not." She shrugged. "I'm from the University of Arizona, Poli-Sci major… but everyone has heard about you. The girl-genius who finished three undergrads at sixteen, and would be finishing those same degrees on master level soon… I suppose that's now."
"Yes." I really couldn't believe I was famous, it seemed so strange.
"What are your subjects of study, if you don't mind me asking?" Erik inquired, curious.
"European Mythology and Folklore, History and Literature." I enlisted, not being to help being quite proud of myself.
"European mythology…" Erik repeated. "Like the Norse…"
I nodded, wondering if they would be able to find me out… though I honestly did not know how they would be able to, just with that…
"That means you know who Thor is!" Darcy cried out with obvious delight.
"I know…" I answered seriously, maybe a bit too seriously.
Jane and Thor were the only ones who noticed my demeanor, and I could see that at least Jane was all for questioning me about it; however, they never got the chance, for we suddenly weren't alone anymore, four more people, three men and one woman, all in quite odd not-of-this-time clothing, had just arrived…
"Found you!" The one who seemed the biggest of all cried out as he slapped Thor in the arm hard enough to make him stumble a bit to the side.
All new-arrivals were decked in what I recognized as Asgardian-style clothes and armor. The biggest was a broad-shouldered redhead with a long beard; the next was a blonde, unlike his companion he was lean (though not as much as Loki), with clear eyes and an expression I didn't like in them, too much self-assurance, too big an ego… the last man looked to be of Asian roots (or he would be, if he were from Earth), with dark hair in a top-knot, he looked like what I imagined a Samurai must have, five hundred years ago… it was interesting though, how I could see each of them representing the best of warriors of quite different cultures: Celtic, Roman, Japanese… Quite interesting indeed… Then there was the woman, with her long dark hair and flashing eyes, her armor showing that despite being a warrior she was also a woman; the Goddess of War indeed!
"My friends!" Thor exclaimed happily, hurrying to greet them.
"I don't believe it…" Selvig muttered in shock.
"Who are they?" Darcy inquired, confused.
"If I had to guess?" I piped in. "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three…"
I shook my head, trying to push away the excess of information I had, way more than I could ever justify with my studies… all courtesy of Loki's stories of course! Wonder what those four, and Thor too! Would think if they knew just how well I knew all of them, how much I understood each of them, their interactions with each other… the way each of them had hurt the man I loved with all the strength my human heart was capable of… would they even care?
I came back to my full senses to hear Volstagg boasting about people a thousand years ago worshiping them all as gods…
"Yeah, well, it's well known that people either fear or worship what they don't understand, that doesn't mean you're necessarily anything special in the grand scheme." I couldn't help but quip.
They all turned to look at me right then, obvious surprise in their expression, probably at the way I was dismissing their 'greatness'; only one didn't look shocked, Darcy, she just laughed.
"You would know." She snickered.
"Oh… I know a great many things." I agreed, my eyes fixed straight on Thor.
I knew I was giving a lot too fast, but if I expected him to help me somehow, in anyway; if I expected to be able to help Loki… then I would need him to understand, at least enough to help me find Loki in time… and something told me we didn't have a lot of that.
"My friends, I've never been happier to see anyone, but you should not have come." Thor stated with a sort of sad joy, a pained happiness, that didn't seem to fit him at all.
"We're here to take you home." Fandral stated outright.
Jane's eyes widened considerably at those words, though I didn't think anyone noticed except I, and maybe Darcy; she seemed to be quite attached to the god of thunder…
"You know I can't." Thor said quietly, pained. "My father is dead because of me. I must remain in exile…"
"Thor…" Sif's voice was quiet but incredibly strong. "Your father still lives…"
Thor was obviously still reeling about the revelation, but I couldn't keep waiting, some instinct deep inside told me things were going to go to hell in a hand basket any second, and I needed to at least begin to understand what was going on if I expected to be able to help anyone.
"Excuse me…" I called as casually as I could in the situation. "Anyone mind telling me what exactly is going on. Being the new girl around and all…"
"You seem extraordinarily at ease with everything that's been said thus far… being the 'new girl' and all." It was Jane who called me on my bluff.
Selvig was obviously still too shocked by the whole thing, and Darcy in too much awe (either by the gods or still remembering my record) to say anything.
"I've been studying European mythology for years." I tried to justify my attitude. "The idea of there having been actual people with abilities of some kind, even if they deep down were perfectly normal, who were called gods just because their talents exceeded the average of the time is not a new theory Dr. Foster… Yes, I know your name. I know your theories. The fact that you're still standing here, in this company, when I can deduce it's been close to a week since Thor first arrived means you believe what he claims to be true, at least to an extent."
"You seem to be doing more than just believing the word of a stranger…" The doctor insisted, still very suspicious.
"Ah! But what qualifies a stranger?" I inquired. "How long do you have to know someone before they're considered a friend, or at least an acquaintance? A week, a day, an hour? Is it a matter of time, or the quantity of knowledge? Or something else entirely unrelated?"
I couldn't help the play of words, what can I say? Loki has been certainly a huge influence on me, and not always a good one…
"You know things, my lady." Thor stepped in. "I cannot tell how you do, or even what makes me think it, but there is something about your demeanor, about the ease with which you're handling everything, that tells me you know far more than you've revealed thus far."
"I do." I admitted straight out. "I will not deny that. But you might not believe me if I tell you how I know the things I do. Besides, why should I be the only one to reveal all my cards? Who tells me you won't take advantage of the things I don't know, once I've revealed what I do?"
"You speak in riddles, girl." Sif stated, with obvious distaste in her eyes. "Talking a lot, while saying very little… like a certain someone we all know."
Yes, I knew exactly who she was alluding to, yet I did not reveal that; I wasn't willing to give up that much about me without some kind of guarantee…
And yet, I never actually got that guarantee. For right then our tense convoluted conversation was interrupted by a strange storm forming in the distance. It looked almost like a mix of a sandstorm and a tornado, except localized, and it carried a power so strong it made the hairs on my arms stand on end even as I inhaled sharply… I could feel the power in that storm, so big, so bright, and with a tang of ice and something else that was entirely Loki… He had made his move, whatever it was… things were about to come to a head. And yet, when I had that thought I never factored a five floor tall robot in… it was insane!
We all reacted instinctively the moment we saw the huge metal thing begin its path of destruction, still a few miles away from the town. Coordinating an evacuation as well as we could. Darcy also did what she could to get the animals from the pet-store into one of the trucks taking people away.
At some point Thor and I found ourselves standing side by side. My first instinct had been for the people in the hospital, and most of the Asgardians had caught up quite quickly, helping with the patients who couldn't move on their own. I, while being quite small, managed to somehow help people keep cool heads and keep moving. It took a while, but everyone in the hospital was evacuated, just a few people who refused to just up and run arguing with Jane, Erik and Darcy, as well as the government agents I couldn't believe I'd missed earlier, apparently preparing for the evident arrival of the metal-monster.
"This isn't your fault, you know?" I told Thor as off-handedly as I possibly could.
"I cannot think what else could possibly bring the Destroyer to this world." Thor said in a heavily-guilt-ridden voice.
"Still doesn't make it your fault." I insisted, then took a deep breath before adding. "Look, I may not understand why the hell all of this is happening, but I do know one thing: we each make choices in our lives, each of those choices has a consequence, and we've got to live with them. I don't know what you did that made you end up here on Earth, particularly without your powers, or what choice made whoever it was that sent that monster-thing here…" I wasn't about to mention Loki, not yet, not unless I had to. "In the end we each can do nothing but worry about our own choices, about dealing with those consequences. You've chosen to stay and help, even knowing that you cannot really fight that thing; Jane and the others chose to stay and help too, each of their own reasons…"
"You chose to come here…" Thor finished for me. "Why? What could possibly bring you, right to this place, right this day?"
"You would never believe me if I told you…" I whispered dejectedly.
Really, when I saw him, I could imagine the reckless, wild, dangerous man Loki had told me about just a week before, the one who wasn't ready for any throne… and yet, in that moment, without the power of his birthright, without the power his name and position commanded, it was like he'd changed. I wondered if that had been the plan all along… whoever had sent him to Earth so vulnerable, no… human. Had they planned all along for him to change like that? Had it been Loki's plan, or Odin's? And what was Loki's involvement in the whole thing? I needed to know, I needed to understand if I hoped to be able to help my love.
My love… yes. That's what he was. I might have been avoiding like crazy to say it, or even think it; but I knew already that I loved him, that it wasn't a feeling that would be going away any time soon… now I just needed to stand up and own to it! And wasn't that what I'd decided on doing when I first took the plane to New Mexico? Maybe, maybe that had been my intention all along but I hadn't done it just yet, not until others knew…
The first explosion caught me by surprise. It wasn't close enough to hurt me, or Thor, but enough to get the adrenaline up and make us move. We rushed to where Jane, Darcy and Selvig were waiting. They had gotten everyone else out but since Jane refused to leave, the other two refused to leave her behind.
"You should leave." Thor told me as we ran to the others.
"No." I shook my head. "There's a reason I'm here, a choice I've made, and the consequences have yet to come."
"You truly know more about this, about us, than it seems, don't you?" He asked, seemingly out of the blue. "Who are you, my lady?"
"You would not believe it if I told you." I whispered.
I didn't get the chance to say anymore. Distracted as I was I tripped on some debris and would have fallen if he hadn't been there to pull me up. It took several seconds for me to realize his hand had stayed on my wrist longer than absolutely necessary. I realized why a moment later as he pulled my hand up, eyes fixed straight on the cuff-bracelet on it… I had no idea when I'd willed the deamarkonian to be seen, maybe when I felt the power and the Destroyer arrived, maybe before… in any case, Thor was seeing it right then, and his eyes were straight on a certain symbol on the inner side of it, something that, to most, would seem like a double rune of eternity, we both knew it to be a lot more…
"That's Loki's symbol…" He whispered.
We were interrupted, yet again. This time by the Destroyer blowing up Isabel's empty diner after Lady Sif and the Warriors Three failed to stop it.
"Go now!" Thor yelled at us. "Run!"
We tried to, really, we did. But the chaos was so great, the destruction so much. Another building blew up and the glass flew at us so fast…
Instincts took over. Darcy was the one closest to me and I pushed her to the ground, covering her with my body (I might be small, but was still capable of ensuring she wouldn't end up killed). The moment the volley of glass reached us I could only close my eyes and pray we would make it out of it alive.
I don't know how long I laid there, it might have been just a few seconds, it might have been minutes… I kept waiting for pain that never came and then…
"Ouch!" Darcy's exclamation made me react.
Still moving more on instinct that reasoning it I rolled to the side and off the older girl.
"Hey!" She called, alarmed. "Should you be doing that? What about the glass on your back?"
"I'm alright." I said almost automatically.
It took a couple more seconds for me to realize that I was, truly, alright. I was feeling the fall, as was Darcy, most likely, but that was all the pain I was feeling; and even as I carefully examined my arms I couldn't see any glass, no scratches or cuts caused by the flying glass. It was so strange… so… magical?
"Are you alright?" I asked then, turning to the brunette.
"Perfect, except for the part where I had the air knocked out of me, and how you somehow shocked me when I touched you a moment ago." She said with a half-nervous, half-confused air. "And how exactly did that happen?" She shook her head. "Anyway, you took the brunt of the glass, except, I don't see any cuts on you!"
She was obviously marveled by the whole thing, even if she didn't understand it; of course, she didn't have all the information I did; and I knew that if I were to tell her right then she would never believe me. After all, how could Loki possibly be protecting me, or his magic in any case, when he was the one who'd sent the Destroyer in the first place? Yep, not logical at all!
"Darcy! Silbhé!" We heard Jane call.
Apparently she and Selvig had doubled back when seeing we weren't with them.
I was still half lost in the implications of Loki's magic somehow protecting me even without him present (not even in the same world) when Lady Sif and the Warriors Three reached us. Volstagg was badly injured, and the other three weren't much better, but they still pulled Darcy and I to our feet before beginning to herd us away, saying something about retreating and Thor having a plan… I had a bad feeling about that plan…
"Wait!" Jane called, spinning around.
I obviously wasn't the only one with the bad feeling.
"What's he doing?" Jane asked, breathless.
I just stood there, watching as Thor approached the Destroyer slowly; I had a bad feeling I knew exactly the kind of 'plan' he had, and yet I still had a hard time believing it. Sacrifice… it was a part of my instinct, I knew that deep down, and I knew it was a commendable instinct in a King, to be willing to die to protect their Kingdom, their people… it still didn't fit what I'd known of Thor before that day…
What followed was the hardest, most breathtaking, heartbreaking, thing I've ever seen. From watching Thor walking to the huge metallic monster, whispering things to the wind we couldn't hear… to being hit hard enough to send him flying a few feet before crashing painfully on the ground… Jane's gut-punching wail as she saw him down, her cries as she rushed to him, wanting to save him yet not knowing how…
I felt a strong shiver as the breath left Thor, I knew what had happened for Jane's reaction, even as the rest of us remained frozen where we stood; yet I could somehow sense, instinctively, that it wasn't over just yet, there was some kind of anxiety, of anticipation in the air… whatever Loki's play had been, whatever his plan, it wasn't over just yet, there was something missing…
I could feel the storm even before it came, like the energy in the air was growing exponentially every second. I had no idea what it meant, just that it was how it was supposed to be.
"Jane!" I screamed without stopping to think about it. "You have to get back! Now!"
She refused to listen to me but, thankfully, Selvig did. He took hold of Jane and pulled her away from the unmoving Thor even as she kept crying her denials. And just in time; they hadn't even reached us again when a storm cloud appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the sky and then thunder struck down, straight on Thor!
I shivered, rubbing my arms as I wondered if it was normal to be so aware of the power of Asgard as I was, as I'd been since first setting foot in Puente Antiguo. Maybe it was just because it wasn't a power I was used to, not like Loki's…
The electricity of the thunder seemed to form some kind of cocoon around Thor; and when it finally dissipated he stood there, tall and strong, in what was obviously Asgardian garb and armor, so much like Loki's, yet also so different at the same time, his color red rather than green, his armor hard steel rather than flashy gold.
"Oh My God…" Jane gasped.
Better, truer, words were never spoken.
What followed was a rather one sided fight, on the opposite side than the first part of it. It took a few minutes, but eventually Thor managed to take the Destroyer down, and without a scratch on him! In fact, the wounds he'd gained before, particularly when the monster had pretty much thrown him away…
"So, is this how you normally look?" Jane asked, looking him up and down.
There was definitely something there between those two, even if they themselves hadn't realized it just yet, considering the way Thor was looking back at Jane.
"More or less." Thor admitted with a smile.
"It's a good look." Jane stated with an appreciative expression.
They smiled a bit more to each other before Thor turned to his companions.
"We must go to the Bifrost side." He told them calmly but full of authority. "I would have words with my brother."
I was wondering how exactly to convince him to take me along, when someone else interrupted.
"Excuse me!" It was one of the government agents. "Donald? I don't think you've been completely honest with me."
I couldn't help it, I snorted which, of course, called the agent's attention to me.
"Professor Salani…" He called with a nod. "It's a bit… unexpected, finding you here."
"Why am I not surprised you know my name?" I asked in turn, rolling my eyes.
"Considering the situation we've been keeping an eye on everyone who arrives to town; not that many people have, since tourists stopped coming to try and lift the alien object…" The agent admitted quiet easily. "Besides, you were already in our radar, considering your area of study…"
That surprised me. I didn't think a week to be long enough for them to realize how closely related mythology was to Asgard. Or maybe they'd known before that? After all, the Tesseract was connected to Asgard too, right? Maybe they'd been interested in the topic since back then, and it's not like there were many scholars who could boast the kind of combination of subjects I'd studied, and that's without considering the languages…
"Know this, Son of Coul." Thor called the agent's attention back to him. "You and I, we fight for the same cause, the protection of this world. From this day forward, you can count me as your ally, if you return the items you have taken from Jane."
"Stolen." Jane punctuated.
"Borrowed." Coulson corrected before sighing and moving on. "Of course, you can have your equipment back. You're gonna need it to continue your research." He turned to me. "We would be very interested in having you work us too, Professor Salani."
I didn't answer. If things went the way I hoped they did there was no guarantee I would be around to work for him.
"Would you like to see the bridge we spoke of?" Thor asked Jane suddenly.
"Sure." She didn't even need to think about it.
Thor pulled her against him, their bodies flushing together, and I could almost swear that for a fraction of a second I saw a ribbon of bright, colored light twisting around them.
"Wait!" Coulson called loudly. "I need to debrief you!"
It was too late, with a rush of wind the two were gone.
"Lets go!" Darcy called almost right away.
I turned to see her getting behind the wheel of a jeep; Selvig on the copilot seat, while the other Asgardians hurried to the back.
"Mind if I tag along?" I inquired as I rushed to them.
"Sure, hop on." The older woman declared with a thrill.
I wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline or the eagerness of discovering something new, something out of this world, but she sure was in a good mood; and Selvig seemed to finally be moving on from the shock. I knew the government agents would be following us sooner or later but I didn't much care about them at the moment. My priorities were quite different.
We arrived to the Bifrost site a few minutes later. Darcy and Selvig had told me the story of what had been happening during the week, beginning with them running over Thor one night while researching a possible Einstein-Rosen bridge; Sif and the Warriors filled in the blanks concerning Asgard and Loki's actions. And yet, with what I knew about them and their less than positive disposition concerning my beloved I knew better than to just take their word about it. It was quite obvious that something serious had been going on, that Loki was in the middle of it (which wasn't new, really) but I didn't quite believe that Loki had done everything just to spite his brother, to destroy him, that just wasn't him; besides, I could still remember the words I'd heard Loki pronounce in my dreams, that first night:
"You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you."
As we arrived to the place in the middle of the desert we found Thor standing over what looked like glyphs painted on the sand, calling to the sky the name of the Guardian of the Rainbow bridge: Heimdall.
"He doesn't answer." He announced as we all arrived.
"Then we are stranded." Volstagg sounded obviously unhappy as he said that.
"Heimdall!" Thor called to the sky again. "If you can hear me, we need you now!"
He kept calling, again and again, until, finally, I felt the power begin to grow again, the Bifrost was opening. As the strange twister began to form in the sky Sif and the Warriors rushed to stand over the markings in the sand. Thor looked back, obviously searching for Jane before leaving; however, in that very moment I decided that if I was going to make a move, it had to be then.
"Thor." I called quietly, approaching him.
"Yes, my lady?" He inquired, confused by my approach.
There was no easy way to say what needed to be said, so I just went and said it straight out.
"I know this is going to sound absolutely insane, but I need you to take me with you."
That definitely called everyone's attention. Everyone was looking me like I was crazy (and maybe I am, but that's not the point). Thor, instead of looking at me straight on, had his eyes fixed on the deamarkonian instead.
"There's a lot I cannot explain right now, we do not have the time." I said in a rush. "There are things I know, and it's not just because of the things I learnt in school…"
"You wear Loki's symbol." He stated.
"I do." I raised my arm so everyone could see the bracelet. "And that's part of the explanation-too-long-to-be-given. I know you have no reason to trust me, but Loki needs help…"
"Loki is an insane bastard who's been trying to kill Thor all week, ever since the ruined coronation party!" Fandral sneered.
"And I wouldn't be surprised to find out that was his fault as well!" Sif added scornfully.
I almost winced at that; to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it was like that either. But that didn't change the fact that I loved Loki and wanted to help him.
"Loki needs help." I insisted, looking straight at Thor, trying to convey the depth of my feelings in one look. "I need to help him…"
"What makes you think you could do any difference?" Jane inquired from a side.
It was obvious that she had no idea what was going on, except that I was somehow connected to Loki, the same person who had just sent the monster that nearly killed us all… it changed nothing for me, I would always be loyal to Loki.
I had no idea what to say, what reason to give, how to gain their trust. Only one thing came to mind, and there was no way to be sure it would be enough, yet it was all I had…
"I am Nightingale." I stated simply, directly.
By the way Thor's eyes widened considerably it was obvious he realized the implications of those words, at least to a point. He nodded then, signaling for me to join the others above the markings of the Bifrost before turning to say his goodbyes to Jane.
"Do you honestly believe you can save Loki?" Sif asked, a mix of condescension, anger and honest curiosity in her expression as she looked at me.
"I don't know." I admitted quietly. "But I've gotta try."
In no time at all Thor joined us. Placing one hand on my arm, probably to make sure I wouldn't get lost on the way. Then, in a flash of white light and colors, we were gone.
Next week we will see what Nightingale is actually prepared to do to save her match.
As always, full-sized poster and a set of wallpapers allusive to this fanfiction can be found in my DA page.
Also, as always, opinions and suggestions are very welcome.
