Post-Avengers. Continues the Thanos storyline, ignored Thor: The Dark World (although I may eventually tackle that with this 'verse.) I will be picking and choosing bits of Norse mythology to use - a prime example is Svadilfari. I will be changing the mythology though. Because while I accept that Loki can change shape, the biologist in me refuses to accept that someone with XY chromosomes can change them to XX and not only conceive a child with another species but also carry it to term. So Svadilfari is a mare (female horse.)
I don't own the Avengers.
"Sir, Director Fury has called an emergency meeting of the Avengers."
Tony looked up from his work on an arc reactor the size of a car engine and pushed his safety goggles up, smearing a bit of grease on his face in the process. "Tell him I'm busy."
JARVIS sighed in a way which suggested that, if he had eyes, they would be rolling. "Sir, he insists that this is a most urgent matter."
Tony, whose sarcastic manner could not be trumped even by a machine of his own creation, did roll his eyes and resumed work on the defunct reactor in front of him. "Tell him I hid his spare eye-patch in Bruce's lab." Even as Tony delicately applied flame to the machine in front of him the safety goggles remained forgotten on top of his head.
"He says Thor and Loki are in SHIELD Headquarters, sir."
The soldering iron in Tony's hand jerked up, ruining his careful work, and he swore profusely before turning it off. Taking a deep breath, he set it carefully next to the reactor and headed for the glass doors of his lab. "I'll be there in ten."
When Thor had appeared in the middle of SHIELD headquarters the well trained agents scattered throughout the room hadn't reacted other than to raise their eyebrows. One of them had calmly greeted the Asgardian and led him to Director Fury's office.
The director wasn't quite as calm as his underlings. His desire for some warning of unearthly visits was expressed more than once, in colorful terms. The news that Thor brought, though, was enough to shock the director into momentary silence. After a pause all he said was that he would call the team together and added that this was "the kind of shit he didn't need right now."
The Avengers who worked or resided in SHIELD headquarters – Agents Romanov and Barton, Bruce Banner, and Steve Rogers – were quickly gathered. Jane Foster, who was working on the base with Erik Selvig and Darcy, who had been promoted from intern to research assistant after she graduated, caught wind of the meeting and barged in, Darcy in tow, to see the man she had been waiting for since New Mexico.
No one who entered the room was prepared for the sight that greeted them. Wearily, Thor told each that all would be explained once the entire team was assembled. The room soon settled into an awkward silence. Jane murmured softly to Thor while Darcy fidgeted anxiously in the chair to her left.
Clint cleared his throat angrily and pointedly glared at the table in front of him. Natasha's eyes softened slightly when she looked at him and she reached out gently to touch his arm. Meeting her eyes, Clint sighed and shook his head.
The pall of discontent lifted soon enough, as Tony entered the room in his usual style – loudly.
"What's this I hear about He-Man and Bambi being here?" When his gaze fell to the far end of the room Tony froze. "No one said Secretariat would be here too. Why the fuck is there a horse in SHIELD?"
Thor looked mournfully at the corner of the room where Tony's gaze was fixed. There was indeed a horse there, although this one sported a light grey coat, not the bright chestnut of Secretariat. It stood protectively behind Loki, head resting on his shoulder. The large horse raised its head slightly to snort at Tony then quickly lowered it towards the god again.
Gesturing for Tony to take a seat, Thor began to explain. "She is the reason my brother and I are here today." Everyone in the room started to question him at once. "Silence yourselves and I will tell you the entire story."
The God of Thunder took a deep breath and launched into his tale. It started just after he had brought Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard.
Loki had spent a night in prison before he was brought in front of Odin to receive judgment. Odin, Thor explained, was known for being exceptionally cruel in the punishments he meted out. Thor tried to plead with Odin to give Loki a less harsh sentence but no one would side with him. Until something unexpected happened.
As guards prepared to lead the God of Mischief away they heard the sound of thunderous hooves approaching. From the far end of the hall came a large grey mare. She approached the throne at a gallop, pulling up sharply just in front of it.
"Svadilfari." Odin's voice was cold. The sour expression on his face made it clear that he was not happy with the appearance of this horse in his court. "Why have you come here?"
"I have come here, Odin, to defend Loki Silvertongue." Although the mare didn't speak with her mouth, her words were clear to everyone in the room. If the sneer in her tone when she spoke Odin's name – without his title of Allfather – wasn't enough to convince everyone present that she was unhappy, the way her ears were pinned back made it obvious.
"Loki has already received judgment." Odin banged his spear, Gungnir, on the floor in an attempt to intimidate the massive equine before him.
Svadilfari's tail swished in anger. "And this is how the mighty Allfather judges his prisoners? On the words of others, giving the accused no chance to speak? Even Midgardian courts allow those on trial to defend themselves." With those words she walked to Loki and gently touched the muzzle covering his face with her nose. "Remove this at once."
The guards, unsure of what to do, moved closer to Loki while glancing uncertainly at their king. Odin shook his head at them.
"I SAID REMOVE IT." The mare's voice roared in both the ears and mind of all those present, punctuated with the loud bang of her hoof on the floor.
Fearing her hard hooves and sharp teeth, the guards looked towards the king again. Resignedly, he nodded his head sharply. Quickly, the man closest to Loki removed the contraption from his face. Gently Svadilfari nuzzled the marks which had been left by the too-tight muzzle.
Suddenly she spun, facing the Allfather again. "You have grown complacent in the time I've been gone. Surely you have heard the whisperings, at least?" Though he didn't look confused, Odin said nothing. Sighing, the grey mare continued. "Thanos has returned."
Nearly everyone in the room collectively recoiled from her. Loki, however seemed to cower at the name. This did not go unnoticed by Odin, who suddenly seemed much more interested in what Svadilfari had to say. It was Thor, however, who spoke first. "Thanos was defeated long ago and cast into Hel! Surely he cannot escape from there."
Svadilfari said nothing, only glanced meaningfully at Odin. Wearily, he addressed Thor. "There is no prison which could hold Thanos the Titan indefinitely, especially if he had outside aid."
Here the horse interjected again. "Which he did. The Chitauri. If you would actually speak to the one you claim as son, look into his mind, then you would know the truth of my words and his actions."
Gracefully, Odin Allfather stepped down from his throne and came to stand in front of the man he had only just passed judgment on. Making eye contact, he asked permission to make contact with Loki's mind. Resting his hands on his adopted son's shoulders, Odin closed his eye and reached out with his mind. Long moments past as Odin mentally walked through Loki's recent memories, back to his fall from the Bifrost. When he finally stepped back and withdrew from Loki's memories his hands were shaking. Hesitating, he took a step forward and embraced the pale god.
"I am truly sorry, my son." Gathering his composure, Odin retreated to his throne. Facing the questioning looks from Thor and the guards he announced what he had discovered. "Loki's actions were not his own. Thanos has returned and used torture and magic to enslave my son's mind. Loki is absolved of the accusations brought against him."
Silence did not reign for long after Thor concluded his story. After only a moment's pause, the room erupted in questions.
"Who's Thanos? Will Earth be attacked again?"
"What exactly are you doing here?"
"The horse can talk?"
The horse in question left her position behind Loki and moved to the head of the table. Her hooves made solid thuds as they came down heavily on the floor. Stopping behind Thor, she swished her tail angrily and pinned her ears.
"Of course I can talk, I am not one of your mortal horses." Although everyone in attendance clearly heard her voice in the ears, her mouth did not move. "Thanos is the Mad Titan. He is obsessed with gaining the favor of Mistress Death. He believes that he can do so by destroying worlds in her name."
"Well fuck." Although the sarcastic lilt remained in Tony's voice, the business man looked decidedly unsettled, his mouth tightened at the corners and eyes slightly narrowed. "I take it that means we will be facing more attacks."
Thor and Svadilfari both nodded their heads solemnly.
"We came here so that I will be able to assist in the next attack." Thor was uncharacteristically solemn. "Svadilfari insisted that she could better help Loki on Earth rather than Asgard."
As one, every head in the room turned to look at the quiet god sitting at the far end of the table. Slowly, he raised his green eyes from their study of the wood's grain. His face was pale and his eyes, though a vibrant shade, looked empty. Slowly, as he met the gazes of the Avengers, they hardened, challenging the warriors to comment on his state.
It was, to everyone's surprise, Darcy who spoke first. "Where's he going to stay? You can't keep a horse on the helicarrier."
After a tediously long discussion weighing the pros and cons of various SHIELD safe houses it was decided that Loki, Thor, and Svadilfari would be moving to one about twenty miles north of the city. It sat on nearly twenty acres of fields and woods, and apparently was home to a horse barn that was currently being used to store vehicles.
Jane, of course, would live there with Thor. The team decided that someone else should live with them as well, as Loki and Thor had little knowledge on how to blend in with society and Jane, left to her own devices, would forget to buy groceries or do any number of mundane but necessary activities.
At that point Director Fury entered the room and bluntly put an end to the discussion. Darcy, he said, would be moving with them because she had experience both with taking care of Jane and with horses. He gave them one day to pack.
"Jaaaaaaane, what am I supposed to do? You'll be spending all your time with your hunky man-love, and Loki is obviously all sorts of messed up." Darcy, who had long ago perfected the puppy-dog eyes, was using their full power on Jane. "Promise me you'll tear yourself off of Thor at least occasionally, to save me from dying of boredom?"
The scientist was decidedly less than impressed with Darcy's display. "I'm sure the Director will still have work for you. Most of the PR work you've been doing can be done just as well from the house on your computer."
It was Darcy's turn to look unimpressed with her friend. "That's really not the point, Jane. I need real, human, interaction. When I wither away and die it will be all your fault." With that Darcy flounced out of her friend's room, leaving Jane sighing behind her.