And here we are! With the second and final part of this fic. I hope you'll all like it. I certainly enjoyed writing it, it was a new take on a lot of things.
The songs for this chapter are: Invincible as sung by Ruelle, and Rise as sung by Abigail Duhon (yes, in the main timeline I used Katy Perry's version, because I think that's how Skye would have sung it; this time, this time it's all Nightingale).
Also, IMPORTANT. I'm a bit ahead, though I'll continue taking my time with the posting. But one question, with a bit of background... I've become a bit of a fan of Teen Wolf recently; not so much the series, as the fanfics, particularly the Sterek fics (because, they're hugely different, the series from the fics themselves). I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in me writing a fic with a bit of a crossover with Teen Wolf. Again, it'd be very different from the series because a) like I said, the fics I've been reading divert a lot from canon; and b) two certain someones would drop in and change things enough that a lot from the series wouldn't happen. Still, I've enough doubts concerning the whole endeavour that if I don't get at least a bit of interest in that particular AU I won't write it (also, if you'd like me to do do anything specific for it, this is the time to ask for it).
So, that's that, now on with the story!
A Songstress, an Angel and a Queen
Chains are as strong as their weakest link, and links as strong as the whole chain.
xXx 3rd Person POV xXx
They were met by several pairs of eyes as they stepped out of the containment room. Coulson looked like he was about to snap at her, yet Skye's attention wasn't on him, but on the man just a step behind him: Garrett. Skye was waving a hand, sending the man flying back, his head banging hard against a wall, knocking him out, before anyone had the chance to say a word.
"What the hell…?!" Several of them cried out.
Though perhaps the one who surprised them all was Ward:
"You didn't have to do that, you know?" He asked her quietly. "You didn't have to test me."
"Actually I did have to do that, and testing you was only half the reason for it." The Inhuman announced evenly. "I needed to know that you wouldn't turn against me…"
"I told you I chose your side." The Specialist reminded her.
"You did, and I believe you." She nodded. "I believe you could choose me over an organization. Wasn't so sure if you'd choose me over him, over your family."
"You wouldn't choose me over yours." He nodded in understanding.
"No." It was nothing against him, just how things were, and he respected that.
"I understand." And he definitely did. "But see, the difference here is that you love your siblings. You'd do anything for them, as they would for you. John and I… we're not like that."
"No, you're not." She was beginning to understand that, and Skye wasn't sure if she was glad (it meant Grant was really on her side) or sad (because he didn't have someone in her corner, like she did with James and her sisters).
"What was the other half of the reason?" Grant asked next, curious.
"It is happening, now." Skye answered, looking straight at him.
The specialist blanched. He didn't need her to clarify, he knew exactly what she meant; he also didn't need to ask her if she was sure, had no doubt her sources must be good. Which meant that things were about to go nuts… or perhaps, judging by the way everyone was still staring at them, they already were.
"Skye!" Coulson called in his most authoritative voice. "I demand an explanation!"
"I will give it to you." The hacker nodded. "But I'm warning you AC, you're not going to like it."
He really didn't. A lot of it they already knew: about Skye's time in the system, that she'd been trained, even that she'd been in a Lab lead by someone called Kraken, been experimented on for being gifted, for being an inhuman… she'd even told them about meeting her siblings there. What they did not know was about her being actually the Queen of the Inhumans, about having met Ward in Singapore years prior (though even he hadn't known that one, hadn't recognized her) and more importantly: about HYDRA.
They didn't want to believe, they really didn't. And then Grant did the one thing Skye never expected him to… he revealed himself to prove them it was true.
May and Peterson moved fast, instinctively, drawing their guns and pointing them. Ward, clearly having expected that, simply raised both hands in resignation. Skye though, she was faster, and she wasn't up for any more stand-offs, with two flicks of her wrists the guns fell into pieces. It was a simple thing, but enough to show everyone just who had the most power in the room. It wasn't something Skye enjoyed for the most part, she never had. She didn't claim her Queenship for the power, but to help; it was exactly the same in that moment.
"I don't have time for us to fight." She stated in her most no-nonsense tone. "You can choose to trust us, or not. That's up to you. But we have things to do, places to be."
"Us…?" Fitz repeated. "Since when are you an 'us'?"
"He's a bloody traitor!" Simmons cried out, her British accent heavy in that moment.
"Because he chose me." Skye answered, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world… and, for her at least, it was.
"What are you planning?" AC inquired, curious.
"One of my sisters called me." Skye answered honestly. "HYDRA has decided to reveal itself. Which means that it's time for us to do the same." She paused, then clarified. "And with that I mean my siblings and I." She exhaled. "If HYDRA wins, actually wins, we will never be free. As long as it exists, we will never be able to truly be at peace so… they have to go. For good."
No one seemed to know quite what to say to that. May was the first to speak.
"Where? When?" She wanted more details.
"Washington D.C." Skye told her calmly. "I need to be at the Triskellion by tomorrow."
Which wasn't going to be easy, considering that the Bus was still being towed towards the Hub and she hadn't the slightest idea about they were going to change that. She could call Gordon… but they were so high in the air, and still moving, it would be dangerous, and she wasn't going to have him risk his life unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Then that's where we'll go." Coulson decided.
Skye froze. Much as she might not admit it, she had not seen that one coming. Yes, she cared for Coulson, saw him as family, the closest thing she'd ever had to a father… yet she'd been so sure that once he learned the truth he wouldn't forgive her.
"I've trusted you this far." AC elaborated, his voice turning very quiet as he added. "I'm on your side Skye."
"We're on your side." FitzSimmons confirmed in unison.
Clearly, they'd all heard Skye's song. And that reminded her of something else:
"Daisy." She murmured very, very softly. "My name is Daisy Xiuying Johnson."
It was Grant's idea to take the quinjet Garret had arrived on, and use it to fly to Washington, leaving the Bus to whoever was towing it. Garrett himself they iced several times over before leaving him trussed up in the containment room; along with a file detailing as many crimes as Ward was aware of.
As they flew towards their destination, Mike and Melinda in the cockpit, handling the flight itself, while the rest of them sat in the back, doing their best to rest for the battle they knew they would be dropping onto. And Daisy… she could only smile. She knew it wasn't over just yet; no, the worst was yet to come in fact and yet… and yet so much had happened already, and she still had everyone she cared for right by her side… in that moment she couldn't help but believe that, somehow, everything would turn out just perfect.
xXx
Ever since the whole thing had begun (with what was supposed to be a fairly normal mission to recover a ship from pirates) Steve Rogers had found himself in a position to be constantly surprised (and mostly not in a good way). First there was Natasha, not being where she needed to be during the mission, because instead she was fulfilling a secondary assignment from Fury, one Steve had known nothing about! Then there was that odd conversation with Fury, and the one with Pierce, and the man who'd then tried to kill him; who had then gone and killed Nick! Except of course Nick Fury somehow wasn't dead, as they found out when Hill got him, Natasha and their new ally (and his running partner) Sam Wilson to some old half-abandoned based; after almost being killed by the STRIKE Team (their own allies!) and a couple of men that Steve was quite sure were supersoldiers in their own right! And of course then there was HYDRA… that was one hit Steve hadn't yet been able to recover from (he wasn't sure he ever would). By the time Darcy Lewis made his appearance in that very secret base Steve couldn't gather the energy to even be surprised anymore. It's not like he was close to the woman or had ever been, but he'd seen her often enough back when he'd still been living in NY and spending a good amount of time in the Tower, with the Avengers. Darcy Lewis was as good as a sister to Jane Foster, the Asgardian brothers considered her as good as family as well, Tony had claimed her as a daughter at some point and she was first Phil's assistant and later on his partner. In fact, both of them had disappeared together, being declared dead shortly afterwards… Rogers wondered if Coulson would be making a re-appearance too. At that point, it wouldn't have surprised him…
It was Darcy who got them into the Triskellion the following morning. As he stood before the microphone, trying to choose the right words to get his message across, the man known as Captain America could only pray that, somehow, they'd make it to the other side, and that not too many innocent people would die for the mess he was about to start…
"Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."
In the Control Room Arianna tensed up the moment she sensed Brock Rumlow enter. For years she'd had to force herself not to cringe whenever the man was near. There was just such darkness in him, in his aura, she could barely stand it. But it wasn't time… not just yet. She waited, only half listening as the brave tech refused to launch the helicarriers, as Carter kicked off the stand-off they'd all known was coming and then…
"You picked the wrong side, Agent." Rumlow practically snarled as he pressed his gun against the back of the trembling tech's head.
"Depends on where you're standing." Carter… Sharon stated evenly, her own gun held steady.
That was the signal she was waiting for. Arianna had known what would happen, move by move, thanks to Raina. She'd chosen the best moment to intervene, and that was it. Before anyone knew what was going on the young woman jumped off her seat, flipped right over the table, to land just behind Rumlow, who was just about to drop his gun. It wouldn't have ended there, Aria knew that much, but she would never allow him to do what he'd planned. Before he could react to her presence right at his back Aria pressed a hand to the bare skin to the side of his neck, unleashing the full power of her Empathy on his, dropping him. A fraction of a second later she kicked the chair the techie was on hard enough to drop him to the floor, before throwing herself down, right in time for the bullet being shot by a random HYDRA Agent in her direction to miss her head.
The exchange of fire lasted no more than a minute. Then, as Carter began giving orders to get control of things Arianna jumped back onto her feet, pulling a flash-drive from a hidden pocket in her jacket. She connected it into the nearest computer, typing in a command before anyone could turn towards her.
"What did you just do?!" Carter demanded as she turned towards her.
"Special virus, made by a hacker I know." Aria told her honestly; she liked Sharon Carter, if it weren't for the mission they might have even become friends. "If anyone wants to launch those helicarriers they will have to do it in person."
It had taken months for Skye to create that program, a true piece of genius. That was part 1 of the plan taken care of. For the next she'd need to get outside, make sure the ones who might try to launch those helicarriers personally, would fail. She took just a moment to press a hand to the trembling techie's temple, just enough to help him calm down before he had a mental breakdown (the poor man, he'd been so brave, then couldn't handle it). She didn't wait for a reply from her former partner, leaving the Control Room swiftly. She certainly didn't expect Sharon to follow right behind her.
"Grayson… Grayson… Arianna!" The blonde cried out.
"I'm on the clock Sharon, cannot stop and chat." Arianna replied evenly.
"What are you doing?" Sharon demanded. "What did you do back there?"
"I did what needed to be done, to make sure innocents will be safe." Aria answered calmly. "As for how I did it, I'm gifted. An Empath, to be precise. No, SHIELD doesn't know it, I'm not a mutant, they don't have a way to detect what I am. Right now I'm going to the helicarriers, to make sure they really won't be launched."
"Why are you doing this?" Carter inquired, confused.
"Because someone needed to do it." The empath shrugged.
"You knew." Sharon breathed out and froze in shock. "About all this. HYDRA, Rumlow, all of it. You knew. How long?"
"Before I ever joined SHIELD." Arianna finally stopped, several feet ahead of her. "I'm sorry Sharon. You're a wonderful person and I honestly wish we could have been friends… though I know that's a hard thing to do when neither of us is fully honest about herself."
"It's the job." Carter tried to be dismissive, but Aria could tell it was failing.
"Maybe." The smaller woman let out a sigh. "For what it's worth, I do wish we could have met in different circumstances. I honestly think we could have been friends."
The sound of shooting somewhere nearby broke the moment. Sharon pulled out her gun in reflex, turning around to make sure it was safe. By the time she turned back, Arianna was gone.
Aria for her part had just made a decision. She activated the comm in her ear, knowing it'd go straight to whoever was in the Communications Room; she could only pray it'd be someone willing to work with her.
"Hello?" She called. "Anyone there?"
"Maria Hill…" The voice on the other end replied. "Who is this?"
"A friend." Arianna answered enigmatically. "Told you, you had friends in here, Agent."
"You're the sister who helped Nick." Maria realized.
"I am, and I'm willing to help you too." Aria replied evenly. "If you give me the chance."
"What kind of chance?" Hill wasn't willing to commit herself without knowing.
"Link me into the system, so everyone will hear me." The empath replied. "I know you might have a hard time trusting me Agent. But people are dying, innocent people."
"And you think you can stop it from happening?" Maria practically snorted.
"I can try." Arianna whispered. "If you give me the chance."
Thankfully the Deputy Director did not ask for details, Arianna was quite sure she would have thought her crazy. A short ring in her ear announced the moment she was linked. Aria sent a short prayer to the Higher Powers that Maria wouldn't cut her off before she was done. Through it all she never stopped moving, she still had to get to the helicarrier after all, a battle was waiting for her; but before, she would fight a very different one, in her very own special way. By singing:
"I see the look in your eyes,
I know you're thirstin' for blood
I feel it stirring inside,
But you got nothing on us"
"You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking for
You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking
You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking for
You want a war, you want a war"
"Bring on the fire and bring on the storm
We'll still be here when it's all said and done
Burn down the bridges and tear down the walls
We'll still be standing invincible
Invincible"
Aria knew many would snort at her singing, but that didn't matter, not if it worked… and it would work. She concentrated, putting all her power behind her voice, behind every word. It was important. People needed to understand what they were really doing, the consequences. And if at least some took what she was singing to heart, chose to step back, to give up the war… then it would be worth it. Then she and the others would deal with those that chose not to stand down.
"Thunder in my chest,
Adrenaline in my veins
You better bring your best,
If you wanna play my game"
"You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking for
You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking
You want a war,
You don't know what you're asking for
You want a war, you want a war"
"Bring on the fire and bring on the storm
We'll still be here when it's all said and done
Burn down the bridges and tear down the walls
We'll still be standing invincible
Invincible"
Eventually things seemed to calm down. There was no more shooting, no more people killing each other for stupid reasons. Yet it wasn't over, not yet. She could sense it, the Soldiers had arrived… and so had her siblings, and Captain Rogers. The true confrontation was about to begin. The time had come, for the battle to be fought, for HYDRA to burn down, for them to be free…
"Bring on the fire and bring on the storm
We'll still be here when it's all said and done
Burn down the bridges and tear down the walls
We'll still be standing invincible
Invincible
Invincible"
xXx
They'd once been called Winter Soldiers. The most proficient assassins HYDRA had been able to find, put together, trained by the very best, including the original Soldier, and then experimented on with the serum the First Soldier had stolen from Howard Stark before disposing of him and his wife (on orders from his 'handlers'). In recent years they'd come to be known simply as the Death Squad. Because HYDRA refused to call them Winter Soldiers when so many of the public were beginning to relate that name with heroism, all because of the original one. Because he'd somehow managed to slip his leash, to reclaim his identity… they'd tried by all means to recover him, to 'reclaim the asset', but it was useless. And that was without mentioning the girls who'd taken to following him, the Sisters of Winter…
After Aria's song pretty much put an end to most of the stand-offs in the Triskellion, and a few loyal SHIELD Agents dealt with the few HYDRA ones who refused to stand down; the Death Squad, STRIKE and Pierce himself were all that was left. Fury and Darcy were dealing with Pierce (Natasha had offered, but Darcy wanted to make sure Fury wouldn't do something stupid, like release all the top-secret info of both organizations into the internet). Sharon Carter had joined with Melinda May, Phil Coulson and Mike Peterson, and together they were dealing with the STRIKE team (those who hadn't made it to the Council Room, therefore becoming Darcy's and Nick's problem).
Outside, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff stood before one of the helicarriers, he in his old CA uniform, she in tactical clothes; waiting to see who would come at them to get the helicarriers into the air (they'd been informed of what one of the Agents had done to make sure it'd have to be done in person. Rogers had chosen to forego Fury's original plan of switching the targeting chips, not wanting to give control of such a weapon to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary (with all the secrecy going on he wasn't sure he trusted anyone at present). Above their heads Sam Wilson, code-named Falcon, was keeping watch, ready to make sure others wouldn't try and attack his new friends from behind.
They saw them arrive then: four men and one woman, all dressed in dark armored attires. Rogers was beginning to wonder if it had been a bad idea to tell Stark and the others to stay in NY rather than fly there to help, when he saw other people arrive. From his left came two individuals: a woman in a dark Chinese-style, long-sleeved, high-necked tunic with red lining and loose pants; the truly shocking part was the spikes that covered her head in place of hair. Beside her was a man who looked very much like the members of the Death Squad, with the dark tactical clothes, the googles and face mask; except he had a metal arm and his shaggy brown hair was loose (the girls had insisted on James covering himself like that, as they really did not have the time for Steve Rogers to lose it at the sight of his best friend… not until the battle was over).
"We're on your side." She spoke first, addressing him directly.
"Who are you?" Steve asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Raina Zabo, but you may call me Angel." She answered calmly. "And you may call him the Winter Soldier."
"The Winter…" His eyes widened even as he turned towards Natasha.
They both remembered the story the Black Widow had told him two days prior, about the almost mythical assassin, and how things seemed to have changed all of a sudden, almost twenty years earlier. The redhead for her part was looking more than a little shocked, a single word escaping her lips, seemingly without her even noticing:
"Yasha…" She breathed out.
Steve noticed she was rattled, and while he wanted to offer help, he knew it wasn't the time, so instead he focused on the matter at hand, and the newcomers:
"You are…" He began, addressing the odd-looking woman, not sure how to put it.
"I am one of the Sisters of Winter." Raina nodded, as serene as ever. "Like I said, call me Angel. My sisters are coming. Queen…"
As if on cue, a young woman, two years or so younger than the first one, in dark jeans, leather jacket, boots and gauntlets, honey brown hair in a tight ponytail, dropped from a higher level, somehow landing with the same ease as if she'd just walked down a simple step on a staircase. With her was a man, dark hair, also in tactical clothes but wearing a leather jacket, guns already in his hands.
"I am Daisy Johnson, this is Grant Ward." She spoke for the two of them. "Like Angel said, I am one of the Sisters, I am Queen, and Songstress…"
Again it seemed to be some kind of cue, as the final member of the group stepped out of a nearby door (one that lead into the Triskellion properly) to join them. Since she had been working at a desk for a while, Arianna was the only one not in fighting clothes of any kind, wearing instead a light-blue button-up blouse, with a navy skirt to just bellow her knees and sensible shoes. Not the best clothes to fight in, but she'd make do (at least they weren't heels). Anyway, it's not like she was planning on fighting freaking super-soldiers hand-to-hand, she wasn't that insane.
"Arianna Grayson, also known as Songstress." She handled her own introduction.
"You were the one singing a couple of minutes ago." Steve realized.
"I was." Aria nodded. "It's part of my power."
It was obvious Steve wished to ask questions, a lot of them, but there was no time.
"It's time." Raina announced, pulling back the sleeves of her tunic, allowing the thorns on her hands to rise.
And so the battle began.
xXx
The battle was like nothing Steve could have ever expected, even if he'd known beforehand the kind of people that would be involved in it. He didn't know most of those involved though, which was why he made such an effort to keep an eye on everyone at least for the first few minutes, to try and make sure no one found themselves in over their head. The first thing he noticed was that the Winter Soldier did not seem to be the slightest bit worried about the three ladies calling themselves his sisters. Either he didn't care, or he trusted them that much.
Rogers watched Angel pull a collapsible staff from her back, throwing it to Songstress, who caught it on one hand, spun it in place even as she clicked something, allowing it to reach its full length (almost her own height); at the same time she kicked her shoes off, leaving her standing barefoot on the cold cement floor, though that didn't seem to bother her at all. Unknown to the Captain (anyone outside of their little family, really) Aria's staff was actually made out of an alloy of steel, mithril (elven pure silver, which Helena had gotten for them) and a small amount of vibranium.
On this one, James, Raina and Gordon had worked together to find Klaue, capture him, track down where he kept the vibranium he'd stolen from Wakanda, get it; then they'd delivered criminal and cargo to King T'Chaka, who'd insisted on paying them back with one of the containers of the recovered vibranium. The amount of the metal hadn't been big, but still, they'd divided it, using it to reinforce James's metal arm, as well as the gauntlets Daisy wore in battle, line particular areas of Raina's tunic (as she was, objectively, the most vulnerable of them and needed the additional protection), and finally as part of Aria's battle-staff.
James, Steve and Natasha, being (objectively) the strongest and with the most experience, took on each one of the assassins. Skye could have dealt with one herself, thanks to her own gifts, but she decided to work together with Grant. Raina and Aria paired up, taking on the last one together while Falcon kept an eye on them all from the air.
James was the first to kill his opponent, which wasn't really surprising, considering he'd been one of those involved in their training. He also finished off the one Romanoff had been fighting, when bullets proved to not be enough, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't break his neck). Grant emptied both his guns (actual guns, not ICERs) on another before he'd to accept that it wasn't working. The assassin he was going against took advantage, the moment the agent ran out of ammo, to throw himself against him. Daisy's reaction was automatic. Until then she'd been holding back, while she might be willing to kill, it still wasn't her first instinct. But the moment the assassin threatened someone she cared for… then all bets were off. Rogers was the next to kill off his opponent, with help from his shield. Then turned in time to watch the last one fall, not to Songstress, who'd taken the lead throughout most of the fight; but instead to Angel, who'd pulled out a thorn (after a closer look Rogers decided they looked more like thorns than spikes) from her own body, using it to stab the side of the assassin's neck while her sister kept him distracted.
"You could have ended the fight a lot sooner if you had just killed him yourself." Romanoff stated evenly, looking straight at Songstress. "You had several opportunities. Why didn't you?"
"Because it goes against everything I am." Aria answered calmly.
"What?" Natasha practically spat. "You think you're better than us or something?"
Skye practically snarled, but Grant held her back; he might not know the smaller woman, but he had a feeling she could hold her own.
"Be careful how you speak, Miss Romanova." Aria stated, purposefully using the redhead's original surname. "And try not to twist my words to suit your own beliefs. I never said I believed myself to be any better, or worse, than you. We each are who we are, and we deserve respect. I respect that you might kill your enemies, respect that I don't unless I absolutely have to." Her expression softened as she added. "What you need to understand here, is that I am an Empath. I feel… everything. I felt their strength, their darkness, their desire to kill and destroy, I felt their anger, their pain, and even, to a certain degree, their release. I felt each of them die. I can handle that, because I know it's necessary. But I will not be the one to cause that, not unless the lives of me and mine depend on it."
It was quite evident that Romanoff did not know how to reply to that; but that was okay, Aria wasn't expecting an answer anyway.
"We need to go." Raina announced abruptly.
"What…? Why?" Steve wanted to know. "It's over."
"Exactly, you need us no more." Raina stated calmly. "It's time for us to take our leave."
"You should stay, let me thank you…" Rogers began.
"As nice as the sentiment is, Captain, you must know that most will not agree with you." Arianna told him calmly. "Which why it might be better if we just leave."
"What about your job?" Natasha wanted to know. "Aren't you an Agent of SHIELD?"
"I was." The Empath shrugged just a bit. "Sent my resignation early this morning. They might or might not have seen it yet. Cannot say I care that much at this point. From the moment I first arrived to the SHIELD Academy, this was the goal." She gesture to their surroundings. "To take down HYDRA, for good. It might not be over just yet, but we're closer than we've ever been to getting exactly that. To finally, finally being free…"
At a silent signal from Raina Aria gave a single step back, extending both hands in a somewhat dramatic fashion, in time for her sisters to each take hold of one, a fraction of a second before Gordon teleported in, then out, with all of them; leaving Steve, Natasha, and the just-landed Sam standing alone in the hangar.
"Did that… did…" Wilson couldn't seem to find the words to express himself.
"Yes, that just happened." Natasha answered anyway.
"Oh man… that was nuts! Just…" Sam began almost babbling.
Natasha made a comment every so often, only half noticing Steve's silence. She thought it was related to the sudden disappearance of the group of gifted; and while that was part of it, there was a lot more… she didn't realize that the Captain's eyes were fixed straight on an object on the ground: a pair of googles… at the same time as a corner of his brain yelled at him he'd most definitely seen those blue eyes before, a long time ago…
xXx
The doorbell rang, and when Aria opened the door to reveal Steve Rogers on the other side she wasn't surprised at all. Raina had warned them he'd find them. Not like it was that hard, she had been an Agent of SHIELD until the day before after all, anyone could find where she lived; she actually would have taken offense (in her brother's name) if the man hadn't gone find them. Daisy's team had gotten in touch the previous afternoon, the moment they had a few minutes free, and the only reason they weren't around in that moment was because they didn't want to risk drawing Fury's attention. Rogers either did not think about that, or he believed those at SHIELD to be busy enough with the mess in their hands to bother with the Winter Soldier and his sisters (he was probably mostly right about that, actually).
What Arianna definitely wasn't expecting was when she saw the person standing a couple of steps behind Rogers. Hazel eyes opened wide as the short woman practically eeped.
"Raina!" She cried out automatically, she really didn't like when her sister kept things from her.
"Like your surprise?" The seer asked in turn, with not an ounce of regret.
"Did you really think I wouldn't come?" Sharon half-asked, half-demanded, moving past Steve and into the room.
"SHIELD doesn't have the best track record where it comes to gifted, nor does your family." Arianna explained, very quietly.
"I'm not my grandmother, and I'm more than my SHIELD status." Sharon pointed out very seriously. "I have nothing against you being gifted. What I do have something against is you lying to me, since the day we met! I thought we were friends Ari!"
"We are!" The empath hurried to reassure her.
"Are we?" Sharon insisted. "How can we be friends if I'm not sure I know you at all?"
The auburn haired gifted had no idea what to say to that.
"Because you do know her..." Daisy offered quietly, stepping out of the kitchen. "Hello Agent Carter, my name is Daisy Johnson, one of Aria's sisters. Also, I'm technically part of SHIELD as well, under the name of Skye Zabo."
"You lied about yourself to get into SHIELD as well." Sharon's dark brown eyes narrowed.
"To be fair, I didn't go into things with the aim to join SHIELD." Daisy offered with a small smile. "For me… for all of us, this was about taking HYDRA down. I joined the Rising Tide, and eventually that brought me to the attention of a SHIELD team. And that's why I'm speaking up now, because I know what you're feeling. That you cannot know people. I myself spent more than a handful of nights wondering how true my bonds of friendship with my team were, when they didn't really know me… until I realized, they did. In the end, Daisy, Skye, Mary Sue… those are just names. Even my powers, they might be a part of me, but they do not define me. My actions, my choices, my beliefs, those are the things that define me. My team knows all that, they accept every piece of me; and yes, it was hard for them, to discover how much I'd kept hidden, but in the end they, if not understood it, at least accepted it. They accepted me. You may not have known Aria's other name, or that she was gifted, but you did know her. The question is, now that you've seen the pieces that were missing, can you accept her?"
"Of course I can!" Sharon didn't even hesitate.
That was all Aria needed to throw herself into Sharon's arms, embracing her tightly.
Eventually a male voice, coming from the small hall leading to the bathroom and two bedrooms, interrupted the moment:
"So punk, you here about the little misses, or about me?" James asked in a drawl.
Steve's eyes opened wide as his head snapped up, following the voice instinctively. He looked like a slight breeze could have knocked him down right then. The girls just let out a breath, James was never going to change…
"It is you…" The blonde super-soldier breathed out in a mix of disbelief, delight and what might almost be called fear. "But… how?"
"That, is a very long story." James stated, gruffly, "You're not going to like it."
If he was honest with himself, he'd expected that much. Even though, before that very moment, he couldn't have been sure that his suspicions were true; the mere thought of James being alive, having survived not just the fall off that train, but all the years since… it had seemed too crazy to be possible and yet, there it was. Yeah, Steve already knew he was not going to like that story. And judging by the tense looks James's self-proclaimed sisters sent each other, it was going to end up being worse than anything he could imagine.
It was beyond worse, it was beyond anything any sane person could have ever conceived. Steve just couldn't comprehend how any man could go through so much and remain sane… and then he looked at the people in the room: at the three women that at first glance looked like they were resting carelessly on various pieces on furniture and yet… on second glance he could pick up on it, the way each of them had oriented themselves towards Buc… James, they called him James, he preferred that name, he had to remember that. Aria, Daisy and Raina, they were all standing guard, even if they didn't make it obvious, showing their support in a passive way, and at the same time ready to jump to their brother's defense if he or Sharon (or anyone else) so much as gave them a reason.
"Thank you…" He whispered, very softly, looking at each of the ladies in turn.
He didn't elaborate, and they didn't ask him to. In that moment they all understood one another just fine.
xXx Skye's POV xXx
We were hoping for some peace, at least for a little while, but because the universe likes to fuck with us, it didn't last more than two weeks. The battle at the Triskellion had gone almost fully unnoticed by anyone not SHIELD (or HYDRA) thanks in no small part to us. Fury and those he'd confirmed were loyal (unknowingly with some help from my people) were consistently taking down the pockets of HYDRA Agents as they were revealed. The higher ups had already been taken down, by pursuing them for the crimes they had committed, which being HYDRA had protected them from. Not anymore.
AC and the team had agreed to help secure one of the toughest bases with the condition that, afterwards, they'd all be released from SHIELD to work as a separate team. We'd be joining them then. I had offered to help them with the mission, but even AC didn't fully trust Fury not to screw with us, so at his insistence I was staying away until it was all official. Ward, though, had to go (we somehow managed to keep the fact that he'd technically been HYDRA a secret from everyone). The few who knew were either imprisoned (and no one would trust their word) or dead, Garrett included.
In the meantime we were all staying together, in New York. The last part was at Captain Rogers's (Steve, he'd insisted we call him Steve) insistence. He wanted to spend time with James, get to know his old friend, almost brother again, and he'd known that we wouldn't be letting James go alone, not with someone we didn't trust yet. It didn't matter if he was a national icon, we didn't know him, had no reason to trust him with one of the most important people in our lives. Steve understood that, he'd apparently made some kind of arrangement with Tony Stark, and so we were living in NY, in a floor that had been assigned just to the four of us. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, though I knew some would have liked to make it more permanent; and not just because they wanted at least some of us to join their team.
James was, of course, spending a lot of time not just with Steve, but also with Natasha, it would seem the two of them had known each other in the past, he'd been one of her trainers back in Russia, in the Red Room. Raina was happy, being in a place where she could take off her choker, be herself and be sure people wouldn't flinch away from her (Tony had in fact gone straight to her and asked her all sorts of questions, infinitely curious about why she was how she was, what her thorns were made of, everything). Aria… she was officially considered to be on leave (someone somewhere refused to sign off on her resignation); and Sharon had followed us to NY, kept trying to talk her into taking AC's old place as liaison with the Avengers, and hopefully with our own future team: the Sentinels.
I missed Grant like hell. Wasn't sure when exactly it was that I decided I loved him, but I did, and the kiss he planted on me before leaving with the team certainly told me he loved me as well. I was planning on having a very serious talk with him when they returned, for leaving me like that. I looked like an idiot! How dare he just kiss me and run away?! In any case, I was having fun with Tony (who turned out to be IronSmith) we talked about everything, from computers and hacking, to his infinite curiosity about gifted. Apparently he'd known and supported mutants for a long time, considered Charles Xavier family in fact; but he'd never known there were other groups, like my own people, the inhumans.
That particular day we were in our private floor, having some time to ourselves, when JARVIS informed us that our presence was requested on the common floor. Apparently Asgardians had just arrived, there was some serious mess going on and they were requesting our help.
"Why us?" I asked straight out as soon as we arrived to the common floor.
"Because you're girls!" Tony announced with a cackle.
That confused me and I turned to see the one who'd delivered the message. It was a man, in armor, he looked to be of Asian descent… except I was quite sure he wasn't human at all.
"Hogun the Grim is who I am, my ladies." The man explained evenly. "The threat upon us is Aesir in origin, I'm afraid. A sorceress by the name of Lorelei has been causing havoc."
"She very powerful?" James wanted to know. "Why are you looking for girls to fight her? Is it some honor thing?"
"No, it's not a matter of honor." Hogun shook his head. "Lorelei isn't very powerful in war magicks, but her specialty lays elsewhere. She has the ability to enthrall men. She makes them serve her, turns them into her slaves. She has managed to turn some of the very best of us before fleeing Asgard to come here. Prince Thor told me to seek the Avengers, that they'd be able to help, though I fear what Lorelei might do with your skills, were she to take you over."
"Which is why you only want us girls." I finished for him.
It sounded logical.
What none of us were expecting was the moment someone else spoke up: Aria.
"Who?" She called, the tension in her body belying the softness of her question. "Who has she taken over?"
"Two of my closest companions: Fandral and Volstagg." The man admitted. "Many good Aesir soldiers and… and Prince Loki."
Aria seemed to go pale so fast I feared she might faint or something. But just a second later her whole body straightened up and I knew then she was more than ready to do war. My sister would make this Lorelei pay for taking what was hers… and I'd help her.
No one could have possibly missed the tension in my sister as we all got ready to fight. Raina and I were wearing the same thing we had during the confrontation at the Triskellion; Aria on the other hand had pulled on her own version of a fighting ensemble which consisted of an almost floor-length short-sleeved dress with a slit on the front, short-shorts underneath, a sheer long-sleeved undershirt, knee-high boots and fingerless gloves, all in shades of violet, topped with a metallic belt where she could secure her collapsible staff, some of her throwing knives (James had gotten her many of those, some which she strapped to different parts of her body, or slipped into her boots instead) and the ICER FitzSimmons had gifted her on my request. Yet it wasn't even that, it was the way she stood, the way she took the lead of our little group.
"What has got the little miss so fired up?" Tony asked me conversationally.
He'd insisted on tagging along, though he'd promised that once the battle started he'd focus on damage control and put all control of himself and the armor in FRIDAY's hands (with her being a female AI we hoped it'd be enough).
"It's complicated Tony." I sighed.
And really, how was I supposed to explain to him, to anyone who Loki was to my sister when the two of them had never so much as laid eyes on each other in their current lives and no one remembered what had happened in Aria's last incarnation?
Even with all the messiness, I could have snorted when we finally arrived to where the battle was taking place, on the southern half of Morningside Park, where Thor and some others were doing their best to keep things contained so as not to risk civilians. I couldn't help but wonder how it was that Thor hadn't been taken over, until I noticed Dr. Jane Foster standing on the background, eyes fixed straight on him, she was dressed in what were clearly Asgardian clothes, a turquoise blue gown and platinum armor, there was even a shield on her arm, though she wasn't actively part of the fight, just standing on the edges, acting as look-out. I wondered if that meant the two of them had sealed their match…
Aria had explained to me everything about matches, soulmates… I knew Lincoln was that for Raina, even if she refused to do anything about it, out of fear of him rejecting her, which had to be stupid, how can someone reject their own soulmate? Then again, I refused to so much as wonder about such topic where it came to Grant so… Loki was Aria's match, there was no doubt about that, but since they hadn't so much as met since she died and was reborn, apparently that meant their bond was dormant, and thus it couldn't protect him from Lorelei's dark tricks. I was sure she'd be taking care of that, and soon.
What made me snort, though, was the fact that everyone seemed to be expecting my sister to throw herself into battle guns blazing (or knives blazing, whatever), with the way she'd been acting since we were still in the tower. Only for them to almost drop in shock when instead she began humming…
It was not a song, in the strictest sense of the word; there were no words, only the humming. But those details mattered little; like Aria had explained once, her power did not lay in the songs themselves, but in her voice. Humming was easier when she was a child, back when she had trouble finding the right words to express herself (aside from that one song she'd used to free our brother, though she was convinced her past-self had intervened for that one, before she knew it, and herself enough to unify all the sides of her); there was a reason why James had always called her 'hummingbird' (which was ridiculous, considering that particular bird wasn't a songbird, as the reason for its name came from the sound its wings made, rather than it singing… but again, those were just details).
It took less than a minute. I could sense it through the vibrations in the world, the moment some dark energy that had been choke-holding so many suddenly snapped, releasing them. Around us all dozens of men swayed where they stood, some went as far as dropping to the ground. In the distance, a female voice (so high it almost sounded like nails on a blackboard) screeched her denial. I could only laugh.
Of course, even Aria's prodigious gift couldn't be enough to release them all, that would have been too easy. There were those Lorelei had a tighter hold on, which regretfully included several Aesir, Loki most notably among them.
"Sisters…" Arianna called, very softly.
"We've got this." I nodded right away. "You focus on him."
Aria directed one quick, dazzling smile at me, and then took off. Raina and I went after Lorelei directly, trusting that the others would be able to handle the few she still had on her side.
On the way I saw several of the fights taking place: there was a blonde woman dressed in the lightest blue, standing before a huge black wolf; the creature was whining, a deep wound on its flank, close to its right back paw. The woman kept an eye over it (him?) even as she fought the blonde Asgardian with a sword; her own weapons of choice being a set of long stiletto daggers held in between her fingers, as if to simulate claws.
A black-haired woman in dark brown and red had just knocked out one of the other Aesir still being controlled by Lorelei; and judging by the unconscious forms strewn around her she had been responsible for taking many more out of the fight even before our arrival. Thor himself was fighting what looked more like a creature than a man: with bulging muscles, armor and strength that far surpassed that of any mortal.
After a couple of minutes we finally reached Lorelei. She was a redhead, with lightly tanned skin, in a dark green dress with golden accents. After Hogun's brief explanation about her and her capabilities I thought we were ready to handle her… I was wrong.
I thought my powers would be enough to deal with her, with Raina to give a hand, give me a warning when necessary. It never occurred to me that not being strong in war-magicks, didn't mean she didn't know any, and certainly enough to counter anything I could throw at her with my own powers; and I especially forgot to consider the fact that during a fight everything changes so quickly… it was to be expected that Raina wouldn't be able to warn me about everything.
Lorelei managed to get a few licks in, nothing too serious. No, in the end I wasn't the one to pay for my pride, my sister was. When Lorelei sent that energy wave at me I didn't see it coming, Raina did, except not soon enough to warn me about it. So instead she threw me out of the way, and got hit by it instead.
"Sister!" I screeched.
I was horrified, terrified for the life of one of the people I loved most; also, I hadn't the slightest idea what to do…
xXx Nightingale's POV xXx
As I walked through Morningside Park, pieces of my old memories, Tinúviel's memories came forth, helping me understand who I was looking at. Like Ylva, who stood protectively over the beast form of her mate: the skinchanger Fenrir, blades in hands as she fought Fandral who, still under Lorelei's allure, had been the one to injure him in the first place. Sif had just knocked out Volstagg, and clearly she had been responsible for knocking down many of the Aesir who'd been taken over by Lorelei. Meanwhile, Thor himself was fighting the Executioner (a part of me wondered how he/it came to be there at all, he'd served Amora, but the Enchantress was dead, had been for centuries!).
I reached Loki soon enough, he was fighting Black Widow, Iron Man and Rescue (whom I'd later learn was in fact Pepper Potts-Stark in a suit made just for her by her husband). The part that surprised me was that he was using his knives, and very little magic. If he'd used any of the battle magic I knew him to be capable of he'd have been able to kill, or at least take them all out in a matter of seconds and yet… he didn't seem to even be trying. A part of me actually wondered if that meant a part of him was actually fighting against Lorelei's thrall… only one way to find out.
I pulled one of my smaller throwing knives from my belt, throwing it in a smooth motion. Just like I expected, Loki caught it deftly in one hand, without even looking at it; still, it was enough to put a sudden stop to the battle.
Loki didn't say a word, he just stared at me, through me… he wasn't really looking at me, even as he cocked his head to a side as if contemplating something. His eyes were glassy and there was no recognition in them. He wasn't himself… I refused to let that stop me. Pitching my voice in such a way that I was almost, but not quite, singing (all elves did it) I called for the stars to bear witness. It was a fairly standard elven prayer, the kind of thing that was said when one was about to do something important, something that deserved to be witnessed.
That made him react. It was just for a fraction of a second before his green eyes turned glassy again, but that was all I needed, Pulling the staff from my back, shaking it twice into its full length, I threw myself at Loki.
A staff wasn't my weapon of choice, not really. My main weapon were a bow and arrows, they'd been since my previous life. My second choice, the knives. I knew how to use the staff, but the only reason I'd made it my weapon in my current life was because it was practical; especially when dealing with people who tended to pull out the kind of weapons that couldn't be fought off with just small blades or hand-to-hand.
It took no time at all for Loki's and my fight to become something that could almost be called a dance. It wasn't surprising. We each knew the other's every move; to be expected seeing how we'd trained together and fought side by side for decades. Even with all the changes my current life had brought, I still tended to fall back into the old patterns, and it showed.
I could almost be said to be having fun… almost, except for the part where my match still hadn't recognized me, my heart, my soul, our bond… It didn't matter if my body was different, if I was no longer a she-elf but human, our souls were calling to each other, I could feel it, and the only reason he couldn't was because of the freaking Lorelei Enchantress!
I tried talking to him in the same almost-sung tone of voice I'd used before, tried humming, and even pieces of old songs (songs created by me a lifetime prior), but nothing worked; nothing pulled him out of the thrall for more than a fraction of a second.
And then I felt something off. Had no idea what it was… until I heard one of my sister's scream. For just a moment, the space of a heartbeat I felt pain, Raina's pain, Daisy's pain, one physical, the other purely emotional, but both equally strong. From the corner of my eye I could see the Black Widow take a step forward, she was about to join the battle again. It was then that I decided to risk it all, once and for all. I dropped my staff, pulled the medium length blades from my boots, holding each in one hand, and threw myself straight at Loki.
I threw the knives a few steps away from him, knowing exactly how he was going to react at that. And I was right. He deflected one with a knife in his left hand, pushing it to fall to his side, before extending his right one to catch the other blade. He did exactly as I knew he would, and in the process left himself completely open. It was just for a moment, and I wasn't even planning to use it for fighting purposes. No, instead I threw myself against him, winding my legs around his hips and my arms around his shoulders to hold myself at just the right height to steal his mouth (which looked like he was about to say something cutting, either an insult or a spell) in a kiss.
I could vaguely hear Iron Man's muffled exclamation behind me but I paid it, and him, no attention at all. All my focus was on the body I was holding onto, on the man I refused to let go. I closed my eyes and poured my heart, my very soul into that kiss… For almost a handful of seconds it seemed like my bet had been off, like I had failed and then… the body beneath me didn't sag, not at all, but it did shift somewhat and then… a second later he wasn't just responding to the kiss, he took control, owned it (and me) in such a way that I soon was the one feeling practically boneless in his arms.
We only broke off when my lungs were practically burning with the lack of oxygen, and I had no doubt he must be feeling the same. Even then, he didn't let me go (it was until that moment that I realized he'd wound his own arms around my waist and back at some point).
"A'maelamin…" He practically gasped the moment we separated our lips.
"Fintalëharyon…" I replied in the same tone.
His jade green eyes were practically sparking, and I knew he recognized me even if I looked nothing like I had nine centuries earlier (except maybe my eyes, from what I've been told). He also looked like he really wanted to kiss me again. Only it was right in that moment that I picked up on Raina's pain again and, like a rush of iced water I remembered exactly where we were in that moment, and why. The battle wasn't over just yet.
Almost as if he were reading my mind Loki set me down on my feet, intertwining one of my hands with one of his before we both teleported.
We made it just in time, Daisy was flying through the air and Loki managed to catch her before she could get hurt. Then he put her down before winking at me once and rushing at Lorelei, one blade in each hand.
"No!" Hogun practically cried out as he hurried to us. "Why did you let him do that? Lorelei will just take him over again."
"No, she won't." I told him, very confident.
"How are you so sure?" Fandral (whom apparently the knock-out had managed to free from the Enchantress's control) wanted to know.
"Because Lorelei cannot enthrall a matched man." Ylva informed them as she approached calmly, a limping Fenrir at her side.
Seeing Fenrir made me react, and while I really wanted to go to him, I knew someone else needed me more, so I spun around and rushed to were Daisy was hovering over Raina, trying to find something she could do to help. She wasn't alone either. There was a man there, in blue scrubs and a white coat. I did a double-take when I realized that not only had I seen him before, but I knew exactly who he was: Lincoln Campbell… well, that was certainly the kind of spin I was sure not even Raina could have seen coming!
I pushed that silly thought aside for the time being, dropping to my knees on the other side of the young doctor.
"Are you a doctor?" He asked immediately, even as he kept checking Raina. "She has internal injuries and at least one broken bone. And I have no idea how to even begin treating her, how to make sure I won't end up hurting her further."
"I'm not a doctor." I told him calmly. "But I am a healer. You tell me what needs to be healed and I'll deal with it."
It wasn't quite that simple, of course, but the last thing I wanted to do was overwhelm him. He then began reciting all of Raina's injuries, waiting until I'd place my hands on that spot and they glowed, before saying the next one. I didn't need him for most of them, my powers could have picked them up. But there were a couple, particularly the internal bleeding low in her abdomen, which I had to admit I might not have picked up on, on my own. So I was thankful for his assistance in saving my sister.
Raina recovered consciousness right as I was working on her broken arm (the one she'd fallen on), probably the pain as the bone set. She smiled slightly at me, sending me quiet thanks, before turning to the other side. I could see the exact moment when her mind fully woke up and she realized just who was kneeling beside her, seeing to her injuries. She went so red her face seemed to almost glow beneath her half-broken thorns. And if she hadn't been so badly injured just ten minutes earlier I could have laughed right then. It would seem that even a Seer like Raina could not flee from her destiny… Then again, I'd always known that matches cannot be apart for long, not with their very souls calling to one another…
A smile formed on my face without my planning for it as I sensed the exact moment when Loki appeared behind me, dropping to one knee in time to catch me as I sagged back. Raina's injuries hadn't been a minor thing, she could have died if I hadn't treated her in time, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping in, I hadn't felt so tired since about six months or so after truly beginning my training with James!
"I've got you…" My beloved whispered into my ears.
Yeah, he had me. Everything would be alright, somehow…
xXx
Lorelei was dead. There was just no way Loki was allowing her to live, to risk her getting free (again) and doing something even worse next time. Also, no one could fail to notice that Loki and I hadn't let go of each other since the end of the battle.
We were all back in Stark Tower, where Dr. Campbell was overseeing the injured. He'd insisted on staying with Raina until he was sure she'd be alright, and I was sure I'd heard Tony muttering something about poaching the guy since he evidently was a competent doctor and didn't seem to have a problem treating individuals who were… different. My suspicions were confirmed when I vaguely heard Pepper suggesting that they make him a better offer, only for Campbell (who apparently had heard the whole thing) to snort and say that anyone could make him a better offer than what a hospital ER paid a third-year resident. I almost giggled at the thought of what my older sister (Raina) must be thinking…
"Okay spill." Tony demanded once we were all sitting in the common floor. "What's the sitch?"
Loki turned to look at me, silently asking if I wished to handle introductions myself, or let him do it; of course I did it myself.
"Currently my name is Aria Johnson, former Agent of SHIELD, empath, and known across the world as Songstress, one of the Sisters of Winter." I announced calmly.
There were various reactions from the people on the room, depending on what piece of that intro they chose to focus on. Most were apparently most shocked by the whole 'Sister of Winter' thing; either because with my size they weren't expecting me to have that kind of reputation (as one of the sisters of a legendary assassin) or it was just the fact that I wasn't currently blonde… however there was one person who focused on a different detail.
"You were SHIELD?" It was Agent Barton doing the asking.
"I was, for about four years, not counting the time spent in the Academy." I nodded calmly. "I did that under the name of Arianna Grayson, though. And before that… before my father was killed under HYDRA's orders, for reasons we could never fathom, I had yet another name, one that doesn't matter anymore, hasn't for almost twenty years now."
"So… you knew about HYDRA all this time?" Natasha wanted to know. "Why not tell us?"
"Tell who exactly?" Daisy demanded, defensive. "How were we supposed to know who we could trust? How were we supposed to even begin to believe that you weren't all exactly the same? My parents were experimented on and murdered by HYDRA, I was hunted down by them as well, not to mention the ones who actually got me, Raina, and eventually Aria; oh and they actually told us they were SHIELD!"
"You were experimented on?" Jane was horrified by that.
"It's how Raina's and my abilities manifested." Daisy nodded seriously. "They got us from the orphanage, along with a bunch of others. Only three of us survived. Aria came later, they got her while trying to get the Winter Soldier back. It's how we met. James was the one who got us all out. JT took off, but Raina and I chose to stay, we chose to be family…"
"We never wanted any trouble, yet trouble just kept finding us." James stated bluntly. "After a while we were all forced to accept that HYDRA would never leave us alone, not by their own will. So we began planning… I actually didn't want them to get involved, but it was their choice. So they changed their names, and following Raina's visions each went to where they needed to be. Raina got the attention of one of the smaller groups vying for HYDRA's attention, Aria joined SHIELD as an Agent, while Daisy went around as a hacktivist until the right moment came and she was picked by Coulson's team. Then, when it all came down, we met again in the Triskellion to put an end to things once and for all."
"As interesting as all that is, that doesn't explain what the little lady's connection with Reindeer Games is." Tony called in a drawl, making it seem like he was less interested in the whole thing than I knew him (sensed him) to be.
"It's not easy to explain." I admitted softly. "The simplest way to put it is to say that a lifetime ago, and I mean that literally and not just in paper, I was Princess Tinúviel of Alfheim and Asgard. I was Loki's wife…"
"That's impossible!" Several of the Aesir present.
"We'd know." Thor stated, very solemnly.
"No, you wouldn't." No one, not even I, expected it when Ylva came on our defense.
All eyes turned to her, and to the dark-haired man in dark hunting clothes standing next to her, his right flank and all the way to his thigh were bandaged. He was the humanoid form of Fenrir.
"Lady Ylva?" Thor called, hesitant, seemingly not knowing how to ask for an explanation.
"You wouldn't remember because the Allfather erased Her Highness from all minds in an attempt to protect his son from the insanity of the broken bond after her passing." Ylva explained very quietly. "The only reason I remember is because the enchantment did not affect Fenrir, who is my own match. It took a while but eventually our bond allowed my own memories to re-establish themselves. And I know as much as I do in the first place, because there was a time when I was more than just a Valkyrie. I was Princess Tinúviel's head handmaiden, and proud of it."
"You were also my friend Ylva, my family, you and Fenrir both." I assured them kindly.
Ylva nodded with the same grace as ever, while Fenrir showed a toothy grin. I wasn't sure which he was most delighted about: the fact that the man he saw as his father (Loki) was happy again, that I was back, that he was with his match, that he was free… it was probably a mix of them all.
"Sif was also a very dear friend." Loki offered with a very provocative tone.
I rolled my eyes, knowing he'd said it like that in order to provoke her, then turned to the black-haired warrior-lady and nodded seriously so she would know that no, Loki wasn't lying.
"I don't remember." Sif stated quietly.
"I know." I nodded. "I don't expect you to. Same as I don't expect Thor or anyone else to know me. Loki has remembered me, and that's enough for me."
"The Allfather is not going to give you an easy time." Jane offered hesitantly, playing with the bracelet (the betrothal gift!) around her wrist.
I knew there was a story there. Could only imagine how Odin Allfather had reacted to his first-born, his heir, choosing a mortal woman as his intended. Considering how hard it had been to get him to accept me, and being a she-elf I already had the same lifespan, and was even technically royalty! Yeah, it couldn't have been easy; but true love hardly ever is, and it tends to be worth it, so I wasn't going to lose my mind over that.
I was not going to Asgard though, or at least, not anytime soon. I'd already had a hushed talk on the matter with Loki, and knew I'd probably be having a rather long argument with Thor. But my mind was made up. It wasn't even because of Odin, or at least not just him. Yeah, I knew he was unlikely to like me, or accept me; and regardless of how Jane might have managed to make them bend the whole 'no mortals in Asgard' rule for her, they were unlikely to do so for me; and gifted or not, I was very much mortal still… I thought. (Wasn't 100% sure, Helena could never be certain, because I was still aging, but I had the gifts of my elven life so… it was complicated). In the end it wasn't about that, it was about family, my family. Daisy, Raina and even (especially) James, they needed me; they'd been there for me when I had needed them, and I wasn't about to abandon them, not even for the love of my existence. And I didn't need to. Loki loved me and he understood me and he was willing to accept my decision.
Tony insisted on ordering enough food for all of us, then there were drinks and… we just got talking. Each of us taking turns to say something about us, about our lives. We were… bonding, strange as it might have seemed. By the end of the night I knew I'd be taking the job as liaison for SHIELD (Sharon would be delighted); I was also willing to fight though, with the threat of HYDRA gone, I was beginning to remember why I'd never been much of a warrior in the past. Much is said about necessity, and adapting… but it wasn't needed anymore. I'd been a warrior when it was necessary, but if it wasn't anymore… maybe it was time I discovered what I really wanted to do with this new life of mine.
One thing was for sure though, and Loki certainly knew to exploit it:
"Sing for me my Nightingale..." It was the first time he called me that, but it was fitting, and not only because it was the English version of the elven name he'd once given me. "I haven't heard you sing in a lifetime and I miss it."
I didn't point out he couldn't have missed anything of me when, until earlier that same day, he hadn't even remembered I so much as existed. I understood the sentiment anyway. So I did as asked. After stopping for a handful of seconds to contemplate I took a deep breath and began:
"I won't just survive
Oh, you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype"
"I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots—they run deep, oh"
"Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in my veins
I know it, I know it
And I will not negotiate
I'll fight it, I'll fight it
I will transform"
I didn't exactly plan the song, aside from deciding that it wouldn't be one of my old ones; those songs belonged to the past, to a life that was no longer my own. In my current life I'd composed very few songs, and they all belonged to specific people, like my brother, my sisters; then there was what I'd sung in the Triskellion when trying to stop the battle. Yet that moment merited a different kind of song. Also, with everything that happened, I felt the need to let go, so I did…
"When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, 'You're out of time,'
But still I rise"
"This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise"
HYDRA had fallen (well, it was still the process of… but it's not like they had any hope of truly winning what was going on so…), SHIELD… I actually had no idea what was going to happen to SHIELD, and it was none of my business, beyond my job as liaison, and even if that didn't work out, it's not like I didn't have a standing offer to join two separate superhero teams. My match was willing to stay on Earth with me until I was ready to let my family go (which wouldn't be any time soon, we knew that). And the rest… any other things we would deal with as they came.
"I must stay conscious
Through the madness and chaos
So I call on my angels
They say"
"Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in your veins
You know it, you know it
And you will not negotiate
Just fight it, just fight it
And be transformed"
My life had given such turns, from the day the original Winter Soldier made my dad into his last victim, because I followed my instincts and found a way to free him. Everything we went through together; first just the two of us, then we were four; all the good and the bad, it was insane, but I wouldn't change anything, at all, because just standing where I was in that moment, surrounded by my friends my chosen family, and the love of my existence, I knew everything was worth it.
"'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, 'You're out of time,'
But still I rise"
"This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise"
"Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You know it, you know it
Still rise
Just fight it, just fight it
Don't be surprised
I will still rise"
So... did you like it? Hate it? Please let me know! Also, let me know about the whole Teen Wolf thing won't you? Or if you'd rather I focus on another fandom for one of the AUs, I'm open to suggestions (for those who want X-Men, I already have plans for at least two of those, worry not... though specific ideas are still welcome, we could add to that number).
In three weeks, the beginning of the second AU of this set: meet the protectors of Kings, they're the Daughters of the Sky...