Avengers: The King of Hearts.
Summary: "There's no "I" in "team" … and that's probably for a really good reason." It seems that nothing's been sitting well with the Avengers these days. After a year without Thor since his disastrous fight-n'-flight in London, Rodgers and his new birdman pal out looking for a ghost that may very well just be that, Banner's abrupt disappearance, Barton and Natasha AWOL, and Stark still reeling from S.H.E.I.L.D's unprecedented ("but still totally expected") betrayal, none of them are prepared for what's coming… or for what's already here. HYDRA, in all its dying glory, isn't quite ready to call it quits yet, and they're about to get up close and personal (again) when Cap accidentally brings more than a ghost story home – starting with a very literal "bang" that just might catch everyone's attention. But with the clock still ticking, and with a dark and very personal secret looming over their heads; it's going to take a whole lot more than plain old "teamwork" to save the world this time... in fact, when it's all said and done, they may just turn around and find it had already ended while their backs were turned.
Warning: This story is part of a main three-part series called "The Kings Trilogy," and while it is highly recommended that you go and read those first, it's not absolutely necessary to understand what's happening. You can read all three on Fanfiction or AO3 – whatever floats your boat – under the name "NothingSoSpecial" … or not. Anyway, this story will be Rated "T" for: Violence, language, depression, suicidal thoughts/actions, and references to mental/emotional/physical torture, PTSD, mild sexual themes and alcohol use, and other mature themes. Also: keep in mind that this story takes place one year after "Thor: The Dark World," and "The King of Nothing," during the events of "The King of Everything," and one year before "The King of Kings." It also takes place roughly two years after "Avengers," a year and a half after "Iron Man 3," and six months after "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" … and before of "Age of Ultron," obviously.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or any supporting characters. Don't ruin my day and think I do.
Author's Note: This story is dedicated to TheFGnat. Congratulations!
N._.s._.S
Chapter Three: God of What Now?
"It's so hard to leave– until you leave. And then it's the easiest goddamned thing in the world."
- John Green.
Friday, November 8, 2013.
Somewhere Over the Atlantic Ocean.
The Quinjet – 4:02:12 P.M.
414 Days, 8 Hours, 58 Minutes, and 48 Seconds Until the Black Hunt Arrives.
Less than an hour after Cap saw the news in London, he was on the Quinjet and headed there himself.
"What the hell do you mean portals, kid?" Stark was shouting into his cell, impatiently, "Get out there, now! And no, I don't give a damn what that plane just did! And find Thor while you're at it!"
Stark stood next to the carrier door, one hand over his cell and the other drumming impatiently against the wall behind him. Banner sat next to him on the floor, hands in his lap, tense and watchful. Cap was in the pilot's seat, having taken over when Stark's cell had gone off.
"What did he say?" Banner asked, patiently, when Stark shoved had been quiet for a little while, "And what portal?"
"I'm on hold for Thor's girlfriend's girlfriend's boyfriend's dad or some crap like that," Stark swore, "Erik Selvig? Apparently there are portals of doom opening all around London and eating things. Thor and some evil alien or whatever are fighting it out near them and keep disappearing into wherever "world" they lead. No one's got a clear shot at what's going on."
"Erik Selvig?" Banner's brows knotted together, "Wait a sec, Tony. We know who Selvig-"
"– Yeah, no kidding. I know he's the one Loki–" Stark interrupted, "Hold on, Banner– Wait, he's gone now? What the hell?"
"Tony, stop shouting," Cap commanded from his seat, "You're not helping anything."
Stark ignored him completely as he looked down at Banner, looking frustrated.
"Thor and the alien just vanished again and the moron on the other end is freaking out," He said in a clipped, though still rightly uncomfortable tone, "You talk to him, will you? You're better at this than me."
Without a word, Banner got up off the floor and took the cell when Stark offered it.
"Hello, this is Dr. Bruce Banner, speaking. I am aboard a jet heading for London right now, with the rest of the team," Banner said into the cell, politely, as calm as ever, "May I ask who this is?"
Banner listened intently for a few beats, and then smiled.
"All right… I see, Ian Boothby, right? Is Dr. Selvig available...? Thank you." Banner's face suddenly brightened and he gave a short nod to tell them he'd gotten through– with Tony swearing mutinously under his breath and throwing his hands up in clear exasperation, "Oh, Dr. Selvig, I'm glad to know you're safe. This is Bruce Banner… We're heading to your position now, and were wondering if you could tell us what happened to Thor–"
Banner stopped and his face darkened again. He leaned against the metal wall of the Quinjet and his brows furrowed again as he listened, holding up a hand for silence when Stark tried to say something.
"Did he?" Banner paused, "… But is he leaving again now? Right this second?"
This time, Cap and Stark traded quick, concerned glances.
"Tell him we need to speak with him before he leaves for Asgard, Dr. Selvig… yes, it's very important," Banner said, before lowering the cell, "Cap, what's our ETA right now?"
"Twenty minutes," Cap answered, as he put the jet on autopilot, "Maybe thirty."
"What happened, Banner?" Stark asked, suddenly uncharacteristically serious now.
"Thor won," Banner replied, quietly, "Fighting's over."
"Isn't that good news for once?"
"Yes, but Thor's not exactly keen on sticking around at the moment."
"What?" Now even Cap looked concerned. He got up and joined them by the carrier door, "Why not?"
"Selvig said Thor needs to leave as soon as possible," Banner paused, "… He said someone was just killed."
"But is Thor with Selvig right now?" Cap asked, after stricken silence had permeated the jet for a couple of tense moments, brows furrowing in renewed concern as he took the cell from Banner, "– Hello, Dr. Selvig? This is Steve Rogers, with the Avengers. Is Thor there with you? … May I speak with him?"
Stark snorted. "Goldilocks doesn't know how to use a–"
"– Thor?" Cap shot Stark a surprisingly venomous look, though his tone remained cordial, "… Yes, I know. It's all over the news… yes, word does travel quickly here… listen, we just need to know what happened, then you can–"
Cap paused then, and Stark could hear Thor's booming voice on the other line, but he knew that by the grim, disturbed look on the soldier's face that Thor probably didn't even realize he was shouting. This time, when Banner moved to speak, Cap was the one who silenced him with a quick shake of his head.
"… Okay," Cap finally spoke up, "All right… thank you, Thor. We'll be there as soon as we can."
Thor must have retorted with something a little less–than–accommodating, because Cap grimaced as he tossed the cell back to Stark and headed down toward the armory for his shield.
"What happened?" Stark demanded as he passed.
"Thor said he's willing to wait for us, but he hasn't got a lot of time. We need to hurry."
"Well, that's a start," Banner said, kindly, "… But did he mention what exactly we're walking into?"
N._.s._.S
Friday, November 8, 2013.
Somewhere Over the Atlantic Ocean.
The Quinjet – 5:22:11 P.M.
414 Days, 7 Hours, 38 Minutes, and 49 Seconds Until the Black Hunt Arrives.
Thor was already at the landing zone, waiting when they arrived thirty minutes later. He was sitting quietly next to Jane, with Selvig, Darcy, and Ian Boothby hovering near. Cap couldn't quite see the God of Thunder's face from where they were, but he certainly looked like he'd just warded off an alien attack – his trademark red cape was missing and he had a fresh, bad–looking, bloodied wound on the side of his head along with other, smaller injuries.
Mjolnir was sitting on the ground at his feet.
"Hey!" Stark called out, waving as they approached. Thor started to stand to greet them, but Jane stopped him with a kind hand on his shoulder, and he sat down again without saying anything, looking a little wearier than he had seconds ago, "Rude! You having a party without us on our own planet, Goldilocks?"
"I would have sent for your aid had there been time. I will tell you all what has happened here, but then Jane and I must return to Asgard. There are…" Thor answered, quite tersely and completely ignoring Stark's jab and the nickname, and a lengthy, tense pause followed before the God cleared his throat and moved on, voice loosening a little, "… Other matters that demand my attention."
"We understand," Cap said quickly, as Banner and Stark traded glances, "Just tell us what's going on."
"It's a long story, but…" Jane said, glancing at Thor, nervously, "Is it okay?"
"Yes," Thor stated, calmly, taking Mjolnir from the ground as he finally stood up, pushing his long golden blonde hair out of his face with his free hand, "We have time, Jane. Let me walk with them."
Jane stayed back as Thor joined them.
"The damage should not be extensive," Thor began, as the little group moved away, "I made sure of that–"
"Nope, don't even worry about it. Not your job," Stark gallantly interrupted, "Just tell us what happened. We haven't seen you since Rock of Age's little invasion, and now you come back warding off another one all by yourself."
"The Dark Elf Malekith of Svartalfheim attacked Asgard looking for an ancient, powerful artifact known as the Aether," Thor began, ignoring the mention of his wayward brother without a hitch as they circled around the Quinjet; leaving Jane and the rest of her group behind as they talked, "Jane happened to find it here on Earth. I returned for her and took her to Asgard to protect her. Malekith was going to use the Aether to destroy the Nine Realms, but it was thanks to the Convergence– a rare event that connects the Nine Realms together– and Loki that we were able to draw Malekith and the Aether out in the Svartalfheim and defeat him before he could."
"Thanks to Loki?" Cap questioned, looking around, brows furrowing in obvious concern, "Is he here?"
"No. Loki was… he has been taken back to Asgard," Thor paused, then shook his head, "He sacrificed himself to stop Malekith in the Svartalfheim. It is one of the many reasons I am needed in Asgard now."
"Sacrificed himself?" Stark mouthed, incredulously, to Banner, who shook his head behind Thor's back with a small shrug, though his own heavy brows noticeably flared in intense interest, "What the hell?"
Luckily, Thor missed both reactions as Cap drew his attention away again.
"You look pretty beaten up," Cap said, reaching out for Thor's shoulder, "You sure you can't stick around to get those cleaned up? I'm sure Banner could have it done in a few minutes."
"My friend, I think you underestimate the power of Asgardian healers, and greatly overestimate your own," Thor answered, with a glance at Jane, who was standing up by this time and had moved to join Selvig and the others, though she kept sneaking glances at them, "Besides, I received word from Heimdall just before your arrival that my father may have been able to save Loki. I need to be there if he is successful. I owe my brother that much, at least."
With that, Thor turned on his heel and started walking back. Cap and Banner were able to keep up with his stride, but Stark noticeably had trouble, and by the time he caught up with the others, he was grimacing and noticeably redder in the face, having pulled out his tie to keep it from strangling him as he moved.
"Having trouble there?" Cap asked, him with a good–natured smile, "And I'm the old man, right?"
"Shut up," The genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist grumbled, shooting Cap a dirty look, "You were already on ice before I was even born, remember? So don't be lecturing me about getting old. If it weren't for that serum, you wouldn't be making it out of a nursing home anytime soon."
Cap snorted, but before he could actually reply, Thor spoke up.
"Dr. Selvig, Darcy, Ian, thank you for your help," He said to the other three, as he bade Jane to take his hand, "You have aided the Nine Realms today by fighting a great foe."
Selvig gave a smile and a little wave and Darcy fist–bumped him.
"And you, my friends," He turned back to Cap, Stark, and Banner, "I will return as soon as I can."
"I hope so," Stark answered with a smile, "Let us know if there's another evil alien first, though. That way I know whether I'm breaking out the suit or the beer first."
"I think we can manage that." Thor grinned and he turned to Jane, "But for now, stand back everyone."
Selvig's little group all scrambled back at the same time Stark and the others did as Thor looked up into the bright sky to call down the Bifrost, wrapping an arm securely around Jane's waist as he did so.
"Heimdall, open the gate!"
There was brilliant flash of gold light, which burned the usual, large rune into the blacktop, and once again, the God of Thunder and his girlfriend had vanished again.
"Wow," Selvig said, still looking up at the sky, as silence suddenly reigned over the others, "That will never get old."
The silence went on for a couple beats after that, then–
"So did you just not notice how he insulted you back there?" Stark asked, turning to Banner and patting the good doctor's broad shoulder with a grin as Ian and Darcy gawked at them, as if just now realizing who they were standing with, "You get no respect around here, Bruce. I mean seriously."
"For the last time, Tony, I'm not that kind of doctor, either."
N._.s._.S
So, how's it so far?
Don't worry, we'll see some real action soon, I promise.
XD