"Someone stole it!" Tony shouted. F.R.I.D.A.Y. sounded the alarm, announcing to all resident Avengers that a thief had stolen a control for one of the IronMan suits. "Someone broke into my tower and stole it!" He sounded more baffled than concerned. How did anyone sneak past the security he had wired and double knotted and made and paid? How did they get by F.R.I.D.A.Y., of all people and things?
"Do you know which way they went? What they looked like?" Steve asked. Tony shook his head, staring at the empty space in shock.
"It was a woman, I believe," F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered. "After tracking her by traffic cameras, it seems that she is headed towards Central Park."
"Central Park?" Tony asked. "Why there?"
"Enough talking - Avengers - !" Before Captain America finished speaking a silver-blue blur shot out of the room. He closed his eyes and bit back an exasperated sigh. "Let's go before he hurts himself again." Wanda didn't need a second command. Worry pooled in her stomach as Vision and she hurried out of Stark Tower. He hooked his arms under hers and lifted her into the skies; a minute later Captain America revved onto the street on his kick-ass motorcycle. But even as they geared themselves up, they saw the blur flash by the opposite way.
"He's returned," Vision stated, turning them around. Wanda let out a relieved laugh.
"So it would seem," Steve agreed. He spun his motorcycle around and sped back the short distance to Stark Tower.
"That was fast," Tony remarked as Pietro unceremoniously dumped a young woman on the floor. She wore nothing out of the ordinary, didn't look like some insane criminal. Short black hair, zip-up sweatshirt, jeans, tennis shoes. Just like any other person wandering through New York.
"Captain talks too much," he answered, pacing around the woman. "Who are you?" he asked, blue eyes cold on her form. The older twin tossed the suit control to Tony, who panicked at the flying object and barely caught it before it smashed on the ground. The woman looked up at Pietro and started to stand. She opened her mouth to speak, and then leaned over and vomited. Pietro smirked. "Too fast for you?"
"Fuckin' asshole," she muttered, wiping her mouth on her sweatshirt sleeve. Her eyes flashed gold in the cold lights of Stark Tower as she glared at Pietro. "I'm looking for Thor."
"Why?" Pietro asked.
"Not your concern, Roadrunner."
"Answer him!" Tony ordered.
Still on her knees, she tilted her head at Tony. "Mr. Stark?" Tony folded his arms and nodded. "Okay, let me explain myself..."
And then Wanda, Vision, and Captain America burst into the room. "Halt!" Captain shouted.
Pietro rolled his eyes and Tony had to stifle a mocking laugh at Captain's rather late and rather out of place order. "You are slow," the Maximoff boy stated. Wanda moved around the woman to stand close to her brother. She touched his hand, and he responded by giving hers a squeeze before releasing it and continuing his pacing. "You were explaining yourself, no?"
"Yes, yes..." She rubbed her eyes. "Damn, just a second..."
"What's wrong?" Vision asked, concern lacing his voice.
"I am too fast," Pietro repeated with his smug smile. Wanda let her exasperation flicker out and graze him. He winked at his sister and then turned a hard gaze onto the now-standing woman in the center of the room.
"Hope you're not that fast in bed," she retorted, and then turned to Tony. "I stole that to get your attention. Thor's attention, actually." She glanced around. "But obviously he's not here..."
"What do you need with Thor?" Steve asked.
The woman answered, "I have an Asgardian at home, and he's kind of... homesick. I don't know how to help him get back."
Pietro laughed. "You expect us to believe that?"
"She is telling the truth," Wanda cut in. Vision nodded. Tony and Steve looked between the two, and then to Pietro, whose brow knitted together. "I can see him in your mind. His name is...?"
She blinked. "Fandral. Or Robin Hood. He responds to either now." She touched her head and continued to stare at Wanda. "Should I feel violated?"
"Your name is Grey Potts."
The woman blanched at that, and Tony's mouth dropped. "Yeah," she admitted, "It is." She glance over to Tony and gave a little wave. "Hey, Uncle Stark."
"Hey," he responded, voice flat.
No one said anything more. Save for Pietro, they all just stared at her, not entirely sure how to proceed. He continued to pace in the silence. But when no one said anything for a solid thirty seconds, he finally turned to Tony and asked, "Well? Where is Thor?" Why wait around? Everything was said.
"I, uh... Give me a second." Shaking his head, Tony Stark exited the room and climbed the stairs.
Pietro glared at Stark's receding form. Then he turned his eyes upon the rest of the room and asked, "Well? We go now, yes?"
"Hold on, Pietro," Captain cautioned.
"Tony has gone to signal Thor," Vision supplied the impatient twin. "I suspect he will arrive shortly and then you all may go retrieve this... Fandral."
"The Dashing."
"What?" Steve asked.
Grey gave them an awkward smile. "Fandral the Dashing is his full title." Silence. Pietro began tapping his foot. The sound pattered on the floor, almost like sixteenth notes in some fast-paced metal song. Vision tilted his head and stared at the foot in wonder. Was it customary for humans to twitch so much? When the silence continued into an awkward phase Grey broke it. "So... how is everyone?"
"Fine," Pietro answered. Steve simply grunted. Wanda nodded.
"We are well. Can you stand?" Vision questioned.
"Oh, yeah." Grey got to her feet and clasped her hands in front of her, rocking on the balls of her feet. "Uh... So... you're fast," she began, returning Pietro's gaze.
The young man smirked. "You did not see that coming?"
She narrowed her eyes at his smug smirk. Just as she opened her mouth to insult his indecisive hair, they all felt the whoosh of the Bifrost striking the roof of Stark Tower. Her eyes lit up. "Is that him?" But even as Grey asked Wanda felt foreboding wisp around the woman.
"It sure is," Steve answered. He jerked his head towards the stairs. "Let's get going before the kid pops a circuit." Grey took her turn to smirk at Pietro, who simply returned the gesture. Wanda exchanged a glance with Captain, both wondering where this venture would take the loose family beginning to form at Stark Tower.
The house Grey lived in looked ready to retire. It dipped in one direction, towards the empty lot next door filled with flowers and knee-high weeds. A fire pit sunk in the ground, but judging by the soot streaked up the opposite side of the house was regularly ignored. Grey motioned them all to follow her. She jiggled the rusty doorknob and swung the door inwards to reveal a clean and inviting house, a stark contrast to the outside dump. From the entry way they could see the living room and a short hallway leading to the kitchen and stairs. As they looked around Grey called,
"Yo, Robin Hood, I found King Richard!"
"Grey? Who is King Richard?" Feet pounded down the stairs and they heard the sound of bare feet slapping on the tiled floor. A figure rounded the corner of the hall and then stopped in his tracks. Blond hair adorned his face and the top of his head in a sweeping, prince-like fashion, a green t-shirt hugged his chest, and he wore ragged old jeans that made him fit in with the rest of Midgard. But there was no mistaking the enormity of his figure, the corded muscles tensing for a fight, the light in his eyes that signaled a sense of humor and fun. There could be no doubt about the grin that graced his face the moment he saw Thor standing in the doorway. This man was Asgardian, through and through.
"Fandral!" Thor exclaimed, opening his arms and stepping over to his friend. "Have you been here this entire time?" The two embraced in the manliest bear hug ever witnessed on Earth. Grey folded her arms and leaned against the wall, a smile on her face. "Heimdall said he could not see you!" Thor said, releasing his friend but keeping his hands on Fandral's shoulders. "No one knew where you had gone. What happened?"
"Oh, I can explain that!" Grey spoke up, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.
Fandral scowled and turned on her. "Grey, I swear by the Nine Realms if you - ,"
"Prince Charming here bedded Heimdall's daughter, forgot her name, and then got himself temporarily exiled to Midgard!" Grey blurted out, edging away from the Asgardian warrior. She fixed innocent eyes on him. "What's that look for? Don't be mad, Robin Hood!" Fandral sprung forward, but she moved just a hair quicker and eluded his grasp. "Is that how you repay your host?"
"Get over here, you insolent -,"
"Insolent? Insolent what? Quick now - before the realms realign!"
He sputtered something unintelligible and launched himself after her. Pietro laughed, watching the two tear around the house. They reminded him of himself and Wanda. Thor looked a bit at a loss, not used to seeing Fandral act so...undignified. Wanda enjoyed the sheer joy and playfulness rolling off the two as Grey evaded Fandral's hands, glad that this woman wasn't the villain they originally thought. Steve, on the other hand, was a bit tired of these shenanigans. He reached out and grabbed Grey by the collar when the pair made another lap around the house.
Fandral tried to skid to a stop. Instead he bowled into Captain America and sent the three of them tumbling outside the front door onto the grass. "Sorry," the Asgardian warrior apologized, getting to his feet and offering the Captain a hand. "She gets the best of my nerves."
"I can see how," the Captain replied, taking the offer of help. He hoisted himself to his feet and brushed off his pants. Thor and the twins still stood in the battered old house, watching the three of them regain their posture.
Grey leaped to her feet and immediately his behind Fandral's broad torso. The blonde warrior glanced back and then widened his stance and folded his arms. When he looked at Thor, something darker lurked behind his eyes. "There may be a complication to returning home," he informed Thor. "See, there is another reason as to why I could not be seen that has to do with your brother... There is another Asgardian here that wishes to see her home for the first time." Thor's face darkened. He narrowed his eyes at Grey and placed his hand on his hammer. "I know this may come as a shock, but I assure you she has my trust. This," he said, placing his hand on Grey's back and urging her forward to stand beside him, "Is Grey Potts, Lokidotter."
Pietro and Wanda glanced at each other, the name lost on them. But Thor and Steve looked about ready to engage Ultron. "She cannot come to Asgard!" Thor rumbled.
"Like hell she can stay on Earth!" Steve snapped at the same time. United in their mistrust and hostility, the pair ignored their contradicting words and raised their hammer and shield respectively. Grey flinched and glanced at the ground. At that Wanda stepped forward and stood on her other side. The two furrowed their brows, but they kept their weapons raised. "Wanda, you don't know what her father did," Steve began.
"I know that children should not be blamed for what their parents did," she replied evenly. Pietro darted over to stand next to her. If anyone touched his sister, they were dead. Steve and Thor surveyed the twins. "Can we not talk about this?" she pleaded. Fandral wrapped his arm around Grey and pulled her close to his side, lifting his chin in challenge. Around this new woman the three stood like an impenetrable wall.
After a few seconds the weapons lowered. "Fine." Thor glanced around. "But perhaps we should talk at Stark Tower. I want to hear your tale, Fandral, before I hear hers."
Steve nodded. Pietro looked at them. Even this was getting a bit long. Too much talking. "Back to the Tower? Xopowo." He lifted Wanda into his arms and shot away without another word.
"Damn," Grey muttered. Fandral stared after them with wide eyes.
"Truly Midgardians are amazing."
Steve ducked his head and went to motorcycle. "You know the way, I trust?" he asked as he started the engine. "And you have transportation?" The last thing he wanted was Loki's daughter riding with him.
Grey and Fandral glanced at Thor. "Permission, sir?" she asked, voice small. Thor fixed her with a hard gaze. He knew the stories - Erik Selvig had shown him the stories Midgard had of Asgard. He knew about Ragnarok. He knew about Fenrir. But he relented. The stories did not have everything correct. Perhaps this was one of the mistakes.
At Thor's incline of his head, Grey jumped up in excitement. "Meet you there, Captain! Thor!"
Fandral stepped back, excitement gracing his features. Grey shook her head like a dog, and then suddenly her entire body burst open to give way to a giant black wolf. Its tongue lolled as it shook out its pelt. Then it looked back at Fandral, eyes shining and unmistakably Grey's. "Let's go!" he shouted, hoisting himself onto her back. She howled and bounded forward.
Steve watched them, mouth slightly ajar. Did he just see a werewolf? Thor smirked at him. "There are many Frost Wolves in Jotunheim. That is not an uncommon sight." He spun his hammer and shot away.
Steve rolled his eyes. "The toaster frightened you. Cut me some slack." He kicked the bike to life and sped away.
Naturally, Pietro and Wanda returned to Stark Tower first. Thor came at a close second. He landed on the top of the tower whereas Pietro shot straight through the front doors and up to where Tony waited in his lab with Pepper. She had a hand on his back, and judging by the slight panic in his eyes Tony had just gotten over another attack. "We are back," Pietro announced. Wanda set her feet on the floor and stood, shoulder brushing her brother's.
"I can see that, Sonic."
"You are not happy to see me, Eggman?"
Tony gave him a smirk. Finally, he understood the nickname, which meant his pop culture lessons were getting through to at least half of the twins. "Where's the rest of everyone? Back to Asgard already? Were you two not worthy enough?" Pepper gave him a glare. He smiled back, the panic in his eyes receding. "And dumb-bot, you missed a spot." The robot whirred and slunk over to where Grey had vomited. Its joints bent and it half heartedly wiped a wet rag on the floor before straightening. Then it uselessly dropped the rag and rolled away. Tony set his head in his hands and sighed. "That one certainly isn't worthy."
"You are all worthy of Asgard," came Thor's booming voice. The god stepped into the lab, his form dwarfing the science equipment. "And no, there seems to be a complication with returning to Asgard. My friend Fandral has stumbled in his honor in the sight of our Watcher, and the woman, Grey, may not be welcome there."
"Why not?" Pepper asked.
"She is Loki's daughter," Thor answered. Tony and Pepper stiffened.
"Who is Loki?" Wanda asked. "Everyone seems to know him."
Thor finally asked, "Why do they not know? I thought all of Earth knew about New York."
Tony rubbed his forehead. "Probably not all the details. They were in a HYDRA base, after all."
"All of Earth does not know Loki?"
Pepper left the two and stepped over to the twins. "You know about the New York attack, right?"
"Of course," Wanda answered.
"Thor's brother, Loki, the God of Mischief, was behind all of it. He was imprisoned in Asgard for a time, but he died helping Thor save the Nine Realms from Malekith the Dark Elf about two years ago. And I'm assuming you heard about that?" A nod from the twins. "Despite Loki's change of faith, I think you can see why we would mistrust anyone related to him."
"I can see why," Pietro agreed. "But has she ever even met her father? She seems to be close to that blonde man."
"Fandral," Wanda provided when Pepper looked confused. "The Asgardian warrior she is with."
Pepper nodded. She looked back at Thor, concern on her face. "I wonder how he's taking it. That must have been a shock, seeing something so close to his brother..." Wanda touched Pietro's hand. She knew what it felt like to be punch in the gut with a reminder of what you had lost. She knew the feeling too recently, too well. Pietro fixed her with a knowing, apologetic expression. She simply smiled and let her energy flicker out to comfort his guilt. Despite the grief, the shock, the entire turning of her world, above all the ecstatic joy still held of finding out he lived. In that sense, she knew herself far luckier than Thor.
When they heard a howl and the roar of Steve's bike, they all crowded to the window and looked down.
"Grey?" Pepper gasped.
Tony grimaced. "I may have forgotten a small detail..."
Like just about everyone who saw the Avengers, I got a soft spot for the twins. So for this story, obviously, I'm adopting the alternate ending where Quicksilver makes a miraculous recovery. I also love the side characters in Thor, so therefore Fandral's getting his own little plot in here... Anyway, feel free to tell what you think. Hope you enjoyed - have a nice day!