The Law of Three
Chapter 2
As Neo walked out of his tent, he was greeted by the calm woods around Camp Half-Blood. He could almost taste the strawberries in the fields, as he caught their sent in the breeze. Everything was beautiful that morning as he basked in the peaceful serenity, but the calm atmosphere was at odds with his mood. Today was the day he would be heading to Asgard. He was excited about his next adventure; which was like the ones he had been on before, except he had never travel to another planet. In fact, Neo was so excited that small bursts of magical energy were slipping past his control in the form of electric sparks shooting from his body.
Elric observed his master from the entrance of the tent. The part of him that still remembered being human admired Neo's love of life, something that had waned in Elric over time. Since a spirit does not need food, sleep or comfort it is no wonder they can become apathetic towards the living, but even after millennia of being a spirit Elric was still capable of feeling and he was glad for it. Whether it was because a spirit fighting to protect the innocent needs to feel for his charges or because of his own stubborn heart that fueled his commitment to be a Guardian, Elric was proud of the fact he could still feel happy for Neo and loyalty towards his master. But there was a downside to retaining his human emotions, because he felt the emotions that came through the bond with his master more acutely than any other spirit would have. Feelings of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety were stirring around in his chest.
"Perhaps some chamomile and lavender tea before you go, my lord?" Elric asked finally stepping out of the tent with a tray in his hands.
Neo spun around with a look of surprise, "Oh Elric, it's you…Did you say tea? No, but thank you for asking."
"Right, just one for me then," the spirit said quietly as he turned and walking back to the kitchen.
It wasn't long before Loki and his two sons came out of the tent. The other three gods noticed how blissful the morning seemed, and when Fenrir's nose caught the smell of the strawberries his stomach growled loud enough for the others to hear. Reminded of his hunger the wolf god gave a small whine. The four gods had decided to skip breakfast to make sure their first meal of the day didn't make a re-appearance from traveling between worlds.
Loki placed a comforting hand on Fenrir's shoulder and said, "Do not sound so pitiful, my son. No doubt the servants of Asgard are in the middle of preparing the Coronation Feast, and you should be able to sneak a morsel before the Heir of Asgard is crowned. If I did not know better I would say you are the Son of Volstagg the Voluminous," Loki let his handsome features contort into a smirk.
"Hey! That is so not cool, I've met him before. It's like he just keeps eating," Fenrir's face had taken on a look of utter revulsion, "If I had an appetite like his I would be larger than all of Asgard."
"Then not only Odin would have to fear you, but the entire realm of the gods would be afraid of you swallowing them whole," Jormungandr joked.
"Where did that prophesy even come from? It's not like I'm actually going to eat Odin; he would probably taste like boot leather on a stick, because we all know that he's had one lodged so far up his butt these last centuries that it has become surgically implanted." Everyone laughed and as the snickers quieted down Loki felt that they should hasten their departure.
Loki turned to Neo to inform him of the hurry, "We are behind schedule, and the others should have been here by now. If they take much longer we will have to leave without saying farewell."
Of course, that is when his godfathers decides to show up, with Remus dragging Sirius behind him. The spectacle was added to when Luke helped a stumbling and half-asleep Percy Jackson walk through the trees to meet everyone. It was sad that Chiron couldn't be their but the centaur had already wished them a safe journey the previous night, knowing that his morning duties would keep him from seeing the Son of Hermes off.
The goodbyes were rushed, but Sirius was able to wake up enough to tell his godson to keep a keen eye out for the "Asgardian Talent" (translation: any moderately good-looking woman with a pulse). When Sirius noticed the death glare Remus was giving him, he quickly tried to retract his statement but it was too late. Sirius had to chase after the wolf shape-shifter as he walked away, which was faster than usual due to Remus no longer having a limp since Death made the two wizards young again.
The last thing that Neo heard Sirius say was, "…I swear I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that Neo's a young man and he needs to realize that he will have…urges. I'm not saying he should recklessly pursue women, but the poor lad should at least be allowed a girlfriend. Wait, why are you walking faster? Remus please, just slow down and talk to me!"
Neo knew what Remus was concerned about but Sirius just didn't realize, that like any parent raising an independent young adult, Remus was worried that Neo was growing up too fast and wouldn't have time for his family any longer. The shape-shifter, who acted like a mother hen, seemed to be going through the stages of Empty Nest Syndrome already.
The youngest god gave his half-brother a put upon look, "Could you keep an eye on them for me? Remus' mood won't change until I comeback, but hopefully you can stop him from killing Sirius while I'm gone."
"Sure but I think that's easier said than done, just make sure you comeback in one piece so no one dies from a heart attack," Luke gave Neo a hug before the god turned to the Son of Poseidon.
"You know what? You're the one I'm going to worry about the most. You seem to have as much luck as I do, when it comes to getting into trouble."
"Hey, I totally resent that. I don't "get into trouble" it goes out of its way to find me," Percy chuckled uneasily as he remembered Mrs. Dodds trying to rip out his heart, "But look, uh…just be careful, okay?"
Neo held out his hand, "Always," he said as they clasped hands and pulled each other in for a brief hug. As he pulled away Neo reached into his pocket to pull out a small box. "Here, I made this for you. I realized I won't be around to watch your back, so I thought you could use it."
Percy opened the box and looked inside, on a sturdy-looking silver chain was a silver ring. It didn't have any markings and looked like any ordinary silver band, so Percy gave Neo a questioning look, "What is it?"
"It's a Ring of Invisibility, like Annabeth's hat it can turn the wearer invisible. This link here," Neo said pointing to the piece of metal attaching the ring to the chain, "will break when you want to remove the ring from the chain and it will repair itself when you want to put it back. You're the only one who can remove the chain and ring so you don't have to worry about them being stolen. But you still have to be careful, because it only makes you invisible. It doesn't stop someone, or something, from hearing or smelling you and you're still solid, so you have to make sure you don't bump into anything. I used to have a cloak that did the same thing and it got me out of a lot of trouble."
"You made this?"
Neo rubbed the ring on his hand absently, "It wasn't hard, and I already had an idea of how to make one." Well, that wasn't completely true. It took two hours of studying the invisibility property of the Death Ring, and was only thanks to his Mage Sight, large magic reserves, and link to Death (who was happy to help), that Neo was able to make it at all. But all considered, Neo felt better that he had something to give Percy to help the demigod while he was gone. Now that Neo thought about it, Tony could have probably used one too, but then again, the man was too flashy to hide from danger even when his life depended on it.
"Thanks," Percy said as he took the gift out of the box and draped the chain around his neck. "It's warm," he said in surprise.
"Yeah that's because of the magic in it, I spelled the chain to be unbreakable except for that one link, and that one will only break when you want it to. But I added another charm; I made sure that you can't misplace it by accident, and that when you're in the water it won't slip off," Neo explained, "All of the power used for the spells makes it warm to the touch. And with that last charm it should be harder for you to lose it, but you are a teenager so I'm not holding my breath."
"Ha ha," Percy voiced sarcastically as he gave Neo an annoyed look, "Now get out of here, so I can start missing you already," he finished as he gave the god a good natured shove to his shoulder.
"I always knew you cared," Neo quipped before he turned toward Loki.
The Asgardian Prince let his magic enfold the three younger gods in his power as he pulled them into the old passages between worlds. And just like that, the four gods were gone. Luke guided a slightly solemn Son of Poseidon back to camp for breakfast. He may have been a little concerned for his half-brother, but Luke was pretty sure that, out of everyone who could have volunteered to save Asgard, Neo was probably the most likely to make it back.
*Break*
Traveling the old passages left the group feeling disoriented. The relevance of time was different, as the universe around them seemed to move at light speed but it felt like it took forever to get anywhere. A shift in course left them spiraling through the Universe, and the gods started to panic. They seemed to spin faster and faster through the Cosmos, but their journey was abruptly halted when they came crashing down on something soft.
Sitting up, Loki was the first one to realize where they were. The dimly lit room they were in seemed to be a bedroom, which had all of the usual furniture (bed, dresser, vanity and chair, dressing screen, etc.) that would have appeared normal in their mostly black coloring had it not been for the larger than normal size. The bed that they had landed on was so large in fact that all four of them fit on it comfortably without touching the sides.
"This is new," a voice commented from beside them. It was Hela, who had just walked out of what looked like an adjoining bathroom. Her large figure, which was twice as tall as Loki, was clothed in a dark green dressing gown. Her completely white gaze fell heavily on them, "I do not usually receive visitors in this part of my palace. What has brought you here so suddenly?"
"We were traveling the old paths to Asgard when I sensed a detection spell placed around the realm. I could sense that it was Odin's power. No doubt he is wary after the release of my sons, but it is strange that he only recently took such precautions. I have traveled to Asgard after Jormungandr was released and they had not been present. Our presence on Asgard was supposed to go unnoticed, so I was forced to steer us away or be found. It was reckless of me, we could have ended up anywhere in the Universe."
Hela walked behind the dressing screen and the soft movement of cloth could be heard as she spoke, "Odin may be a paranoid old-fool, but I am almost certain his wariness is due to the Coronation and not the freeing of my brothers. If you were to take the normal paths to Asgard you would easily slip past the All-Father's eye. So, Fate must have brought you here, for I know how to get you in."
Hela came back into sight dressed in a beautiful gown, it was fit for a Queen and was black and emerald green with gold accents. She wore her long black tresses in an up-do that was pinned into place by gold hairpins. And the jewelry she wore was also gold with large emeralds inlaid into the metal.
"Of course, when I say you, I mean you, Loki, and the Son of Thor. It would be too easy for the All-Father to sense Fenrir and Jormungandr as soon as they entered his realm, but your magic has learned to disguise itself well from Odin. Neo is another option simply because his natural association to Death which Odin is not familiar with, and because he has already been using his magic to hide since he was a child. You two are the only ones among us in this room who could possibly sneak past Odin and Heimdall's ever watchful eyes."
Loki caught the subtle meaning of her words, and with the way she was dressed he had to ask, "Are you going to the Coronation?"
"Naturally, as the ruler of Helheim I was asked to bear witness to the Crowning of Odin's Heir, and it just so happens that a Queen is allowed to be accompanied by her hand-maidens," Hela's smile was ominous.
'This isn't going to be good,' Neo thought when he saw how Loki had gone slightly pale at his daughter's words.
A few minutes later Neo found out how right he was. Hela had convinced Loki that it would be easy for him and Neo to go as women, and unfortunately with their godly power they had little excuse not to.
However, Neo was confused, "If we use an illusion won't they notice that we are using magic?"
Hela was the one who answered, "Who said anything about using illusions? In ancient times the gods had no forms. As beings of conscious thought, gods simply existed without a tangible form. When they chose to interact with mortals, the gods took on visible appearances making it possible for mortals to perceive them. Some chose a masculine appearance and others chose a feminine appearance based on their nature and preference. You may not have started out your existence as a god, Neo, but you do have the powers of a god and the ability to change your form."
Jormungandr gave Neo a questioning look, "Haven't you noticed that Fenrir and I have different appearances from the first time you met us?"
"Yeah, but I just figured you guys were shape-shifters, or using some kind of godly form of the animagus spell," Neo admitted.
"Wow, who knew he was so slow," Fenrir teased.
Neo glared at Fenrir while retaliating, by sending a stinging hex that hit the wolf god on the tip of his ear. Fenrir yelped in pain and was quick to seek payback, but before he could Loki interrupted the small fight.
"Enough, there is no time for silly squabbles, we need to hurry before we are too late to stop the Frost Giants," Loki declared.
It took a while for Neo to understand the basics of changing form. When they were done Neo and Loki had transformed into women of godly beauty. It was probably due to Loki's sense of pride and vanity, but his female form was a gorgeous black haired and green eyed woman that put many Asgardians to shame. So it was no different for Neo's female form. Since he decided to shape his form in a similar way to Hela and Loki, Neo's female figure was tall, voluptuous, and had defined feminine strength (think gorgeous Amazon). Neo's normally dark hair had become a beautiful dark chocolate waterfall that cascaded wave over wave to mid-back with highlights the color of cinnamon, and the dark tresses seemed as soft as silk. Emerald eyes the same color as Death's had become more enchanting, due to the eyelids being more almond-shaped with long fanning lashes. Neo's skin was still slightly olive colored, and his face was youthful, making him look somewhere between 17 to 24 years old. All three "goddesses" standing together were a breathtaking sight. (At this point Loki and Neo will be referred to as she/her)
Then Hela gifted Loki and Neo with two gowns that had knee length skirts and were easy to move in if they needed to fight. There was a forest green dress with gold embroidery for Loki, and a deep red with gold embroidery for Neo. And when Neo put on her jacket to cover her exposed arms, the jacket changed into armor that was fit for a female warrior. Golden armor had appeared around Neo's torso like a corset, chainmail covered her exposed chest, light and strong metal gauntlets covered her hands and forearms, and Neo's boots were now high heeled with gold metal plates and shin guards. Her now matching red cape was in place and completed a look that was appropriate for a Queen's handmaiden/bodyguard. Loki donned a similar golden armor with green cape.
Neo was fidgeting, because Hela had made her dress just like any other woman. It was different wearing women's clothes, and Neo was having the strange thought to ask how she looked. It wasn't like she had a problem with the clothes, but Neo knew that she had never had good fashion sense.
"I thought the idea of a disguise was to not be noticed." Fenrir stated with a confused frown.
"Well that's true," Jormungandr agreed, "but if the disguise is distracting enough to draw attention were you want it then it will also work. Just think; Odin is wary of an attack correct? So it is better to take on the form of a woman, because the warriors of Asgard do not view them as a threat. A beautiful woman is seen as even less of a threat, since they appear so delicate. And when a man is too busy looking at your chest to see the weapon in your hand, he is easy prey."
Neo raised an eyebrow, "It sounds like you've done this before," she stated.
Jormungandr had a suspicious twinkle in his eyes as he gave a noncommittal shrug, "How could I? I've been stuck in the Midgard Seas, remember?"
"Come," Hela said, but she did not give the other two time to understand her meaning. She grabbed Loki and Neo before appearing in the entrance hall of Asgard's royal palace.
The sudden arrival was noticed by the guard who had reached for their weapons on instinct before they saw it was the Queen of Helheim. It was obvious when Hela's presence became known; guests and guards alike seemed to all take a step back. Neo didn't know wither to chuckle or sneer at their lack of tact. At that moment it was obvious why Hela held no love for Asgard or its people.
"Leave me," Hela dismissed Loki and Neo as if they were really her servants, "I will call if I have need of you," and then she walked away without giving them time to answer.
"What now?" Neo asked quietly.
"I must find Amora and see if she has made her move yet. You will stay her and keep your eyes open, but if you see her, stay far away," Loki ordered sternly before she wondered off into the crowd and was out of sight.
Neo looked around her. Biting her lip Neo muttered to herself, "But what am I supposed to do here?"
A voice speaking from behind Neo startled her, "Don't you look like a little lost lamb? Tell me fair maiden, what has put such a troubled expression on your lovely visage?"
Neo caught sight of the man behind her as she turned. He was dressed in decorative armor over his green ensemble. The man's golden hair was expertly coiffed, and he had a well groomed goatee. His charming smile almost reminded Neo of that fake, Lockhart, but he also seemed to be a gentleman in his manners as he gave Neo a polite bow.
"I am hardly fair and your flattery is unnecessary, but if you must know I am here acting as Queen's guard." Neo said a little icily, trying to communicate her wish for the man to leave by acting cold.
It looked like it would take more than a cold tone to get rid of the man, when he spoke again to Neo in his charming voice, "A Queen's guard, truly? I have not seen you in Asgard before. Is it possible that you serve another kingdom? Then surly a beauty such as you must come from the realm of the elves, Alfheim. I beg you tell me your name, my lady, for I Fandral have met many fair maidens but all pale in comparison to thy beauty."
"You are wrong on both accounts," Neo said while giving Fandral a frosty look.
"My lady?" he questioned.
Neo saw two other warriors approaching and they arrived before she spoke, "You are wrong to assume that I care whom you find beautiful, and again you are wrong to assume I am from Alfheim."
The large man with an impressive red beard who had come to join them decided to interrupt, "Well of course you're not! You have a sturdier build than an elf, and I have not seen a light elf with such dark hair. That could only mean that you are from Vanaheim, am I right?"
The man's jovial voice had a booming tone but he was so much like the gentle giant Hagrid that Neo instantly liked him. The memory of her first wizard friend made Neo smile and when she spoke again her tone was friendly and her voice carried her happy feelings, "Wrong again, but I think I will allow you a third try."
This time the dark haired and somber looking man spoke, "Valkyrie," he said with a slight accent and grumbling voice.
Fandral snickered, "Hogan, do not be ridiculous, she is too sweet to be a Valkyrie. I am more inclined to agree with Volstagg."
"It seems that today is not your lucky day," Neo's smile turned into a smirk as she thought about their reactions to what she was about to say, "I am here as guard to lady Hela, Queen of Helheim."
Neo was right; the three warriors' reactions were priceless. Fandral almost swallowed his tongue in disbelief and Volstagg's bushy eyebrows had made a valiant effort to touch his hairline, even the stone-faced Hogan seemed a little surprised (even if his face didn't move) as he stared at the woman in front of him.
"I thought only the dead served her?" questioned a voice from behind Volstagg, who moved to reveal a black haired woman in red and silver warrior's garb. The new arrival was shorter than Neo, but that didn't stop the woman from trying to intimidate the Heir of Thor.
Neo gave the woman a glare for her rudeness, "And yet I am not; that is the point you are trying to make. Does that concern you, the fact that I am not a ghost or likewise deceased?"
"No, what concerns me is the fact that you are trying to lie to my friends," the woman declared.
"If I am going to be accused of lying, l believe I have a right to know my accusers name," Neo countered.
The woman seemed to straighten even more in a show of superiority, "I am Sif, goddess of War, and friend of the Warriors Three," she said gesturing to the three men, "and we are friends to Thor Odinson. Who are you, besides someone who lies as easily as Loki?"
Neo's anger almost made her lash out at the snobbish woman, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Hela's voice came from high above Neo's shoulder, "You seem to have made new friends, Thyra. You should introduce us," Hela commanded.
Neo felt her anger simmering under the surface of her skin, but she complied with the request, "Queen Hela, allow me to introduce you to the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. Warriors, Lady Sif, I present to you her highness Queen Hela, Ruler of Helheim." Neo knew the customary old-time speech, but it still felt forced and she could not wait to get back to Earth so she could start talking like a modern person again.
"Pleasure," Hela greeted the four, "Thyra, try not to let your new friends keep you from your duties, but since I do not have need of you at present, you may speak to them for awhile longer." Then Hela was gone as quickly as she had arrived.
Neo accepted Hela's appearance for the save that it was, and apparently Hela had even thought of an alias. Thyra, Neo pondered and in her head thoughts of what it meant surfaced; Thyra means "like thunder", and was derived from Thor, which fit one of the ways of traditionally naming children. It was a big hint, but Neo also doubted that anyone from Asgard would understand the significance, since they all thought that Thor did not have a child at this moment.
"That proves you work for Hela," Sif admitted, "but the fact that she could touch you means you are likely a well preserved corpse. So, perhaps your beauty is a mere illusion, little Liar?"
Sif's words would not have mattered any other day, because Neo had been called a liar before and she was able to handle it; but when Sif insulted her looks, it set off a switch in Neo's mind and she felt exactly like any other girl, slightly self-conscious and completely offended.
Neo was again ready to strike Sif and as she swung her fist at the Asgardians face Fandral and Volstagg intervened. Fandral backed Sif away and saved her nose from being broken by the force Neo put behind her punch. With the first blow going harmlessly through the air Neo struck out with the other hand.
Volstagg tried to block Neo's fist with an open palm, and being almost as strong as Thor it would have been easy to stop a woman. Unfortunately the warrior misjudging the power of his opponent, but he was able to save his hand from injury by deflecting the force out of his palm and down. Volstagg's temporary shock, at the girl's strength, left him unable to stop Neo as she attacked again.
The last failed attack put Neo in a position where a spinning kick was the only thing that would reach Sif. Neo pivoted then spun and aimed her heal. Fandral and Sif moved farther back when they saw the graceful (and deceptively powerful) attack coming. Hogun moved and blocked the blow with his forearm guards, and he too was taken by surprise when the strong kick impacted with the metal on his arms and sent him stumbling back and falling to the ground.
Neo stopped when she realized she had hurt two unintentional targets and it seemed that Fandral was still blocking Sif from her. Neo glared heatedly at Sif, "Do not call me a liar again, or no one will be able to stand in my way."
"You are a fool to threaten me, little girl," Sif said with a sneer.
"I am not threatening you," Neo paused and offered a hand to Hogun. When he accepted Neo helped him up before she turned toward Sif again, "It was a simple promise."
"Do you have a quarrel with my friend, young one?" a new voice asked. It seemed that Neo was doomed to a day of people popping up out of nowhere; Neo was starting to think "Nowhere" existed as a parallel dimension that acted like a one way mirror, and allowed people to perfectly time when to sneak-up behind someone.
"Not until the second time she insulted me," Neo replied angrily.
"I did no such thing, Thor," Sif denied, "This girl is a liar and should be taken to the dungeons for attacking a member of Asgard."
Neo turned around to look at the man behind her, and sure enough, it was her father. Thor too recognized the person in front of him. Neo's female form looked slightly like Thor's own female form, with the red streaks in her hair and a face that had taken on features resembling Lilly Potter.
"I am Thyra, Lord Odinson, and I am no liar, I swear," Neo said, and hoped Thor would realize what she was calling herself, "I admit to raising my hand, but I did so to defend my honor. I realize it was a foolish action, but I am known for such foolishness due to my temper. I would also like to apologize for not hitting my target and instead hitting Volstagg and Hogun."
Neo turned and lowered her head gravely, "Please forgive me."
"That's not necessary," Volstagg said.
"No need to apologize," stated Hogun.
"Do you see how her silver tongue does not offer amends for attacking me, Thor?" Sif accused.
Neo twitched and almost advanced toward Sif, but Thor had stopped Neo with a firm grasp on her shoulder, "I did apologize…to the people who matter. If you expect me to make amends to you, you will die waiting."
Thor was tired of being confused, and was ready to get to the bottom of things, "What lies do you speak of, Sif?"
Sif faltered enough that Neo caught it before the Asgardian woman spoke, "She claims to be one of the Guards accompanying Hela," Sif spat out the goddess of Death's name like a curse, "since she is not dead then she is obviously lying, because none who exist in Helheim are among the living. When this insufferable girl refused to admit she was lying I pointed out the truth, if she is not a liar then she is obviously a corpse in disguise."
'Oh I'm in disguise alright, you two-faced wench,' Neo thought as she pulled away from Thor.
"Perhaps I can help in finding answers," Fandral said with a charming smile, "Out of all of us, I do have the most experience with the fairer sex. I'm willing to use that knowledge to get to the bottom of this."
"Why, do you prefer the bottom?" Neo asked. In the pause that followed, she too realized what had come out of her mouth, and smirked.
Volstagg's booming laugh was quickly joined by Thor's and even Hogun (acting as grim as usual) let out a cough as he found humor in what the young woman said.
The laughter of his friends did not offend Fandral. He laughed along with his friends before replying, "I am a gentleman, my lady, and it is my duty to accommodate all of the fair maidens of this realm. So, if that is what you prefer, I will oblige you."
The obvious innuendo did not escape the notice of the rest of the group, and while Neo blushed uncontrollably Thor had tightened his fist. As a Father it was Thor's right to protect his child's innocence even from his own friends and he would have confronted Fandral, blowing Neo's disguise, but he was stopped when the ceremonial bell rang and signaled everyone to take their positions.
After everyone left, Neo found Hela again and moved with her to the audience area. Hela stood in the back like she did at many of the gatherings that took place of Asgard. The sour look on her face, showed Neo what she thought about this arrangement. Neo was very impressed with this room just like the rest of Agard, but the vast space made anyone standing in the back unable to see what was happening closer to the Throne. Neo's godly eyesight could just make out Odin sitting on his golden Throne.
The Coronation started out like any other official gathering; real and fake cheers, mostly fake smiles, some bowing and a bunch of official mumbo-jumbo that made Neo want to invest in ear plugs. Then the ceremony was interrupted when Odin felt a disturbance in his weapon's vault. It didn't take long after Odin suddenly left, for the Coronation to be dismissed and most of the guests left with disappointed looks on their faces.
"I will be leaving now," Hela announced when Loki had rejoined her and Neo, "I have things to take care of in my own kingdom, and I can't waste my time here. I feel I should warn you that some of the Frost Giants are close to Death's Door, but you still have time to change that. Good luck," she said before disappearing.
Neo turned to Loki, "What now?" he asked.
Loki pulled Neo into an almost abandoned dining hall before he responded, "We need to stop Thor from attacking Jotunheim, as Amora plans. If she succeeds in driving him into a blind rage we won't be able to stop a War between the Nine Realms."
"But, how are we…" Neo started to question, but he was interrupted by Thor who came storming in. (pun intended)
Neo and the real Loki watched from the other side of the room as the fake Loki/Amora tried to charm Thor into committing genocide. When Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun showed-up Thor tried to convince them to join him, but Loki knew how to stop them.
"I have to tell Odin, he is the only one who can stop Thor now. I'm counting on you to make sure they do not leave Asgard," Loki said before turned invisible and leaving.
Thor had just finished asking his friends to follow him into battle again when everyone heard a voice from the far corner, "You're joking, right?" Neo said as she stepped from the shadows.
The fake Loki looked at the new person in annoyance. Amora felt that her plan was working well, but she had made the mistake of thinking the room was completely clear.
"They attacked first," Thor reasoned.
"So you're going to start a War, just because someone ruined your party. Maybe Odin chose the wrong day to crown you as heir, because you still sound like a child," Neo said cruelly.
"Have care what you say, I do not take insult lightly!"
"It's only insulting if it's true," Neo said while giving her Father a stony look. "But if it takes you proving my point before you listen to reason, then by your leave continue. We will all see what comes of your actions."
Hogun was the first to understand what Neo meant, "You will come with us?"
"It would seem I have to, because this is a fool's errand and the only one who is making sense is being ignored," Neo said nodding to the fake Loki, even thought he knew this whole thing was Amora's fault, "Hopefully, with two people willing to explain the folly of this mission, someone will be able to stop this insanity."
"Then we have another to join us in battle," Thor stated before the lead the company out to the horses.
Neo stood next to Thor, who was out of earshot of the others, "You have the power to fly, right? Why don't you just fly to the Bifrost?" Neo asked.
The large Asgardian looked at his child before he spoke, "That is because I wish to start out every quest side-by-side with my friends. While I am happy that you would join me, even after your words in the hall, I must ask why you are here."
"It will be easier to explain it to you later," is all Neo said as the stable boy walked-up with the horses, "and safer," Neo said to herself when she saw the fake Loki mount the real Loki's horse. The only good thing about spending time around the fake god of Mischief was that Neo could now sense Amora's magic and tell it apart from Loki's.
"It seems you are without horse, Lady Thyra. May I offer my assistance, it would be my pleasure to ride into battle with a beautiful maiden such as you," Fandral offered in his usual charming way.
Neo was tempted to accept the offer, but she was distracted by a familiar whiney. Looking up Neo saw the white shape coming towards them. The Guards became alert as the form came closer but none of them were able to stop the creature from landing next to the riders. Dust was thrown into the air as gray wings stirred the air and hoof beats sounded on the ground.
The dust settled to reveal one of Neo's new friends, whom Neo greeted happily, "Hello Constance, now how did you get here?"
"I flew, of course," the Pegasus brayed haughtily as if that explained everything.
Neo chuckled then raised herself into Constance's saddle, before she finally spoke to Fandral, "It appears I will not need your assistance after all."
Fandral looked over at his friends curiously and the only answer he got came from Hogun, "Valkyrie," the unexpressive man grumbled.
The horses and riders where soon traveling across the Bifrost to the Gate. They quickly arrived at the Gate where the Gatekeeper stood, and Neo tried hard to hide his own signature from the powerful being. The Asgardians dismounted and left their horses on the Bifrost, but Constance would not leave Neo's side.
"I know what you are here for Odinson, and I will not allow you to pass," Heimdall said after they walked through the archway of the Gate.
"Do you seek to stop me?" Thor asked with anger in his voice.
"No, because the All-Father will," Heimdall answered at the same time that Odin entered behind them.
Odin rebuked Thor for his childishness, and almost instantly Thor was stripped of his powers and banished to Midgard. Neo watched as her father was thrown back into the Bifrost and fear stabbed her heart, she had to look on as the now spelled weapon went flying through the portal after Thor. The new god didn't even think before she was reacting.
The "Daughter" of Thor jumped onto the back of the Pegasus beside her and rode after her Father. No one was able to stop her and even Odin was curious about the young woman who had followed Thor into exile.
In the chaos of the Rainbow Bridge transporting them to Midgard Neo followed the magic signature of the hammer. When Constance landed next to the battle hammer Neo realized that Thor was nowhere around. That was when Neo finally let her curiosity get the best of her. Wondering exactly what Odin had done, Neo looked at the enchantment on Mjolnir.
"Just great," Neo said in annoyance. Odin was trying to enchant the Hammer with a spell that had a major loophole, like the rest of his spells. The spell had to be altered before it became permanent, or it would cause major trouble in the future. The only problem was Neo had no idea what to do, "Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not above asking for help, Mom!"
A laugh came from beside Neo as Hecate stepped from the shadows. "No need to shout I was already here, sweetheart. It's not easy to miss the power of the Bifrost, especially since Asgard makes it a point to avoid contact with Earth."
"Sorry, I just figured you would still be in the Underworld," Neo admitted sheepishly.
"I do not have to stay there like Persephone. I am a ruler of the Underworld so I can come and go as I please. But enough with the technicalities, why did you try to call me?" Hecate asked.
"Odin has placed an enchantment on Mjolnir, but it's got a big loophole. It says that anyone worthy would have the power of Thor. Doesn't that mean if Thor ever felt that he was unworthy the hammer wouldn't work for him? Something as stupid as a stray thought could get him killed!" Neo exclaimed. It was too easy for someone to feel "unworthy" and it was dangerous to enchant a god's weapon with anything but a loyalty enchantment.
"You're right," Hecate frowned before she continued, "I'm afraid my power will be of little help, however; the powers of the gods of Asgard may be magic but it is unlike the magic of Earth. Æsir magic has evolved separately from Earth magic, meaning I have no power over their magic. Our Pantheons are different and the closet Asgard and Olympus could get to affecting each other's powers are to fight against each other, but still some spells would be nullified or ineffective. There is nothing I can do, but that doesn't mean I will not help; my magic may not work against this enchantment, but I am still knowledgeable in the ways of magic and as the Child of Thor you posses the ability to use Æsir magic, so I can teach you how to remove the spell."
Neo knew she would have to work all night to fix Odin's mess, again, and would not have time to look for her father. So, she set up a ward around the area to keep out everyone else mortal, immortal, or otherwise. Then Hecate and her Chosen Child got to work.
The first thing to do was remove the enchantment that Odin cast. It wasn't easy and took most of the night. Neo had to transfer the enchantment to another object, which Hecate said was "a simple trick that has worked for millennia" but it was time consuming. Choosing a hand sized stone off of the ground Neo used it to hold Odin's spell. Once the enchantment was removed from the battle hammer both women breathed a sigh. They were not finished yet because Neo thought that Odin was right about one thing; Thor needed to learn a little humility again, so Neo did a little enchanting of her own. Just like Marvápn, Mjolnir would now be loyal to its true Master, Thor, forever. But, so that Odin's lesson could be learned, Neo didn't leave the weapon for Thor to find she left the enchanted rock in the shape of Mjolnir.
Hecate gave Neo a hug after their little Mother-"Daughter" bonding time. "You did so well. I am very proud of you, and look at how beautiful you are," Hecate said as she held Neo at arm's length, "I was worried about all the girls that would want a piece of you, now I have to worry about all of the boys too!"
"About boy's…"Neo paused (it was a little strange finally having the chance to talk about who Neo liked with her parent), "I actually found a soulmate."
"Oh, I know that," Hecate said unfazed.
That was a surprise to Neo, "What? How did you find out?"
"I'm a god, we spend most of our time watching our children because we honestly have nothing better to do," the goddess admitted. "We could run this world in our sleep, which Apollo has actually done before, and as you know the scandals and gossip on Olympus is old news. If anything new happens in our monotonous lives now it involves our children."
Neo laughed, "You make being a god sound boring."
Hecate shrugged before she guided Neo down to the ground, and had Neo sit in front while Hecate sat down behind her. Neo felt a comb being pulled through her hair. Hecate started speaking while she brushed Neo's hair, "Well, it wouldn't be if Zeus had not restricted contact between the gods and their children. I mean the world is constantly changing and that can be interesting, but we are immortal so to us time can go by in the blink of an eye, and at a snail's pace, at the same time. There is little to improve around Olympus due to its "perfection", so nothing is new. The only joy some gods find in the mortal world are their relationships with mortals and watching their children grow, but Zeus had to take the joy out of that by denying the gods that experience firsthand. It is torture for some of the gods and goddesses, who can't comfort their children when they have nightmares, or see the bright smiles of their children directed at them."
"Then why am I an exception? I've talked to you and Dad before," Neo wondered aloud.
"There are some gods whose duties involve contact with their children, such as Dionysis and Hermes, and others who are sneaky about their meetings with their children. While the rest fear Zeus' wrath too much to even try. I am the only god who blatantly disregards that law without fear of repercussions, because when it comes to Zeus and I, HE is the one who fears ME and for good reason." Hecate said as she braided Neo's hair. When the brown locks were secured with a tied ribbon Hecate stood. "And remember you are not a demigod anymore, you are the first god of Eternia and one day ruler of your own Pantheon."
"You should rest, I have a feeling you will have an interesting day tomorrow. Goodnight," the goddess of Magic placed a kiss on Neo's forehead before she left.
After Hecate left, Neo decided to text her family to tell them she was fine; so first Neo texted Luke, who was in charge of telling everyone at Camp Half-Blood, then she texted Hermes and Tony.
"Get some sleep, young one, there is no telling what an Asgardian can get up to. You will need your strength for tomorrow," Constance said when Neo was finally done. Constance may not say it, but Neo knew that the winged-horse was actually worried about her well being. So she figured a few hours of sleep before sunrise wouldn't hurt, and when that thought crossed her mind Neo was asleep on a patch of dirt in the middle of New Mexico.
*Break*
As her Asgardian Father woke up in a Midgard hospital, Neo awoke with the Sun in her eyes and desert sand up her nose and covering her from head to toe (so it was debatable who was having the worse morning).
Neo cast some cleaning charms and freshening charms on her and her clothes before she did the same to Constance who was complaining about dirt in her feathers. With the hammer Mjolnir tucked safely into her locket, Neo changed the armor she wore back into black leather boots, and her black leather jacket with a red strip going up one sleeve across the shoulders and down the other arm. The deep red silk dress that Hela gave her was the same as before, with a sweeping neckline that exposed two inches of cleavage but covered the rest of her ample chest, and ended at her knee.
Finally ready to face a new day, Neo took down the ward she had constructed last night, and cast a tracking charm to find her Father. Once the young god was in the Pegasus' saddle, Constance took off in the direction Neo had pointed.
They were just in time to see two women and a man put Thor in the back of their van. Neo spoke when Constance landed on the ground next to the three mortals, "What are you doing with my Father?"
The three jumped and turned around when they heard a voice, to see a young woman riding a horse. Neo raised an eyebrow when she noticed that the dark brunette had pulled out a taser gun.
"Who are you?" the man asked. He reminded Neo of a college professor.
"I'm the bloody President," Neo looked at their shocked faces before she rolled her eyes, "I just told you who I am, that's my father, so obviously that makes me his daughter. But just to be polite my name is Neo. Now, I believe I asked my question first; what are you doing with my Father? And just for giggles, who are you?"
"I'm Dr. Jane Foster, this is Dr. Eric Selvig and my assistant Darcy Lewis. We wanted to ask your Father what he was doing in that wormhole we saw last night. Your Father wouldn't happen to be a diagnosed delusional patient by chance, would he? It's just he was saying some pretty weird things last night before Darcy tased him," Jane asked.
Neo's right eyebrow raised in question, "Not the last time I checked, but my Grandfather is a whole different bag of cats," Neo said to Jane, then looking at Darcy asked, "You tased him?"
"Yes, I did," the brunette admitted smugly.
Neo laughed "Oh, I'm never going to let him live this down."
"Well the guy totally went "screaming maniac" on us, I wasn't going to let that turn into "crazy killer", you know?" Darcy replied.
"Wait, seriously, you tased him because you thought he was acting crazy?" Neo said letting her bubbling laughter escape after she was done speaking.
Eric interrupted their banter, "Excuse me ladies, I think now would be a good time to leave," and that was when hospital security came out the front doors.
Seeing the orderlies, Jane nodded and looked at Neo, "Right. Look your Dad's not hurt, we checked, so why don't you come with us and we can talk back at the lab?"
Shrugging, Neo waved a finger in a circle as she said, "Sure, just point me in the right direction."
Jane showed her the way to go and gave her some directions before she got into the van and pulled out. Neo followed above them since Constance preferred traveling long distances in the air, and thanks to the mist no one on the ground realized there was a Pegasus flying over their heads.
Neo made it to the lab before Jane's van, which made the scientists wonder how the horse and rider had made it to their research building first.
The group decided to make the new comers comfortable until Thor woke up, so Darcy was told to grab a bucket full of water for Constance, while Eric and Neo helped to bring Thor into the building and lay him down in Jane's room.
"You certainly are stronger than you look, young lady. I couldn't have moved him by myself, and I have a feeling I wasn't much help anyway," Eric stated as he slumped against the wall breathing hard.
The elderly man was right, Neo had done most of the lifting by grabbing Thor under the arms and taking the weight of his upper body, but Eric had made a valiant effort in carrying Thor's legs (which had been difficult for the mortal to carry).
"Don't worry, you helped, I'm just stronger than I look," she replied calmly, "So what kind of research do you guys do here?"
Darcy spoke before Eric could reply, "All of the boring kind. I'm honestly convinced they were so bored they decided to conduct a side experiment on interns. Something like, "How long will it take before the intern dies of boredom", because misery loves company," the brunette said while playing on her cell phone.
"I told you before, Darcy, you can always drop the intern credit and go home," Jane told the whining woman.
"Jane , Darcy, not that again please," Eric pleaded.
The young god just shook her head with a smile on her face, the three people in front of her may look like they were arguing but they reminded her of Remus and Sirius, who would always be friends.
They all heard the loud groan come from Jane's room.
"Looks like Father's awake," Neo said before waltzing into the bedroom. The sight of Thor sitting in a bed that was almost two feet shorter than him in a paper hospital gown was priceless, and before Neo was fully conscious of what she was doing, she had pulled out her phone and taken a picture. "I'm as bad as Loki and Hermes," she told herself before putting the phone away and walking up to the bed.
Thor saw her approach and relaxed at the familiar face, "Why have you come here? Did Odin banish you as well, my child?"
"No I chose to tag along, to make sure you don't cause a major intergalactic incident. I say this with love and respect, but as is stands you've already been run over twice, and tased by a mortal half your size because she thought you were crazy. The best we can hope for now is that your social awkwardness doesn't get you killed," Neo smile sweetly.
"I do believe you have insulted me," Thor said sternly, "But I am aware that your words ring true, for you have been on Midgard longer and more recently than I."
"I love you, so I'm not going to lie to you, but I'm sorry if I seem harsh. It's just that things have changed and Midgard is not how you remember it," Neo told her Father.
"Verily, but tell me, why have you taken this form?"
"Just a disguise to get into Asgard without fuss, It was Loki's idea. Loki came to me and asked for help to stop an imposter who was disguised as him on Asgard. The same imposter who tried to kill Loki more than two weeks ago, and was planning to have you start a War with Jotunheim. You where about to do exactly what the imposter wanted before Odin banished you. So far Asgard has not made a move against Jotunheim for the thieves that were found, which shows both leniency and arrogance and is an expected move from Asgard," Neo quickly explained.
A look of concern showed on Thor's face as he asked, "Who is this imposter that would attack a Prince of Asgard, and how does my brother fare?"
"Loki is fine. The attack happened after he left for Jotunheim. The Frost Giants had set up an ambush but Loki was expecting it. What he wasn't expecting was to return to Asgard and find the double he left in his place dead. When Loki went to see why the guards had not raised the alarm he found an imposter speaking with Odin. Later he found out that Amora, the Enchantress, had taken his place. She wanted to have the Frost Giants ruin your Coronation so that you would attack. She hopes that a War with Jotunheim would end in their destruction and Asgard's victory, so when you take over as King of Asgard you will have already defeated your enemies. What is even stranger is the fact that her plans will cost the lives of many Asgardians but I do not know if she can be called a traitor, because Amora has deluded herself into believing that what she does is out of love for you."
Thor had gone silent after Neo's explanation, so he could think about what he had been told, "I know of who you speak, but I hold no affection for that woman. I do not know why she has concocted such fantasies," Thor told his child solemnly.
"Look, it will take time for you to wrap your head around what I said and our gracious hosts are waiting for us. Why don't you think about it while you change into something a little more suited for a human?" Neo looked in the closet for the clothes Jane had mentioned and pulled out some that she thought might fit her father. "Here try these on, I'll wait outside."
"What do you believe should be done about Amora's treachery?" Thor asked suddenly.
"Amora believes that everything she is doing, she does for the good of Asgard and you. That being said "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" and she still understands that her actions are wrong. She is aware of the price for her misdeeds (the punishments that she will suffer if she is found out). Amora has already chosen her path, now she will live with the consequences…But you asked what I think should be done;" she took in a deep breath and let it out in a huff, "Amora is ready to start a War that would take the lives of many innocents, and end in the annihilation of one or more worlds. So I say; let the gods of Asgard punish her, because I would leave her to the mercy of Death," were Neo's final words before she turned and left the room.
*Break*
After Thor said he was hungry (well his exact words were something like "I need sustenance", but it translated easily enough). They found themselves at Rosa's Diner. The scientists had chosen a four seat table so Neo was forced to pull up a chair at the corner between Thor and Darcy. It was a blessing that the food was good and Neo felt less twitchy with a full stomach, of course that meant she had already ordered four full breakfasts and was on her sixth cup of tea. Neo hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation but she saw Thor raise something in his hand and send it hurling down to the ground. Her Seeker reflexes kicked in and Neo was able to save the poor mug from its untimely demise.
"Remember what I said about the times changing? People stopped smashing the earthenware in this country a long time ago; it's more polite to speak your compliments to the chief and ask for seconds," Neo informed the Prince.
"I meant no disrespect. Servant!" Thor yelled across the dining area, "More food for my friends and I."
Neo face palmed as she mumbled into her hand, "And we don't call the working class "servants", she's the waitress, but that's okay because you'll get it eventually. If you don't one of the women are going to slap you."
Blocking out the rest of the conversation, Neo focused on wolfing down her food and trying to get the waitress' attention so she could have her tea re-filled. Darcy had raised her phone up to take a picture of Neo (apparently Darcy thought it was a novelty for a girl to eat as much as Neo) but the new god had placed her finger over the lens before the picture was taken leaving Darcy with a black photo. That was when Thor decided to leave and Neo pulled out some money from her jacket pocket to cover all of the food that had been ordered for all five of them, leaving a large tip for the waitress.
Hours later Neo decided that choosing to follow Thor around town had proven to be a good idea, because the hilarious look on the pet shop attendant's face when the god asked for a horse was priceless. Neo was just about to say they could ride Constance, who would come if she was called, but Jane suddenly pulled up in her van saying something about knowing where Mjolnir was and Thor hopped in before Neo could say anything.
Jane and Thor had been carrying on a conversation for the whole ride uninterrupted by Neo, because she was distracted by the name of the town. Puente Antiguo translated to Ancient Bridge. Was that a coincidence or did that mean the Bifrost had appeared in New Mexico before and the place was like a default destination? Neo's thoughts then strayed to the reason Dr. Foster suddenly chose to help. The young god knew that the mortal woman was more upset about losing her research, than she was about the loss of Thor's precious weapon, but Neo didn't blame Jane; it's hard to watch someone take away your life's work.
The Sun had gone down when they finally pulled up to an overhang that gave a clear view of the containment area. A look of curiosity crossed Neo's face when she noticed Agent Coulson. The Agent made good time from Malibu to New Mexico, but why had Phil been called?
Whatever else she was thinking was forgotten when Neo noticed Thor heading down the slope to the fenced area.
As Neo started to move Jane questioned her, "Where are you going?"
"To make sure no one shoots my culturally inept father. You should head out of here, they're not going to let him go once they capture him," Neo replied before she took off after the Asgardian.
Instead of heading toward the fake hammer, Neo used the ring to turn herself invisible and went to find Coulson. She had just found the head agent when the alarms activated. Listening to Coulson Neo found out that they had no idea what was really going on, which was completely understandable.
As she was following Coulson around a corner another agent came running from the opposite direction. They crashed into each other, and the agent seemed to go from urgent hurry to alert paranoia as he pulled out a weapon and started waving it around.
"Who's there?" the agent said in a firm authoritative tone.
'Okay, this is not good,' Neo thought, 'What am I going to do? Man I feel so stupid. Maybe I can make him forget something he didn't see, wait…," A funny thought occurred to her when she remembered something she had seen on a movie. Molding her magic into a spell similar to the Imperius curse, mixed with legilimancy, Neo raised her hand and stared into the agents eyes.
"Peace, you turned into the hall and did not run into anything. Nothing happened here, and you will carry on with your duties," Neo said gently waving her hand through the air. She knew it was stupid to talk that way but it was similar to the movie so maybe it meant something.
"Nothing happened, I'm going to carry on with my duties," the agent said in a monotone voice with glazed eyes. He seemed to come out of the haze as he passed Neo and shook his head before he started running down the hall again.
"Yes! I'm a total Jedi," she exclaimed quietly before she took off after the head agent again.
When Neo caught up to him, she heard Phil order a sniper to target Thor. It was a surprise when she ran outside to find said sniper in a metal basket with a bow.
When the sniper said something about "slowing him down", Neo chose to interfere. She summoned the arrow, making it look like it disappeared.
"Something strange is going on here, Sir," Hawkeye said when his arrow suddenly vanished. He pulled another arrow and aimed only for that one to disappear too, "Correction, something very strange."
"What's going on, Barton?" Phil asked over the comms.
"I'm not really sure, and I don't want to say anything that might lead to me seeing a department shrink later," the archer replied.
There was a sigh before Phil spoke, "Have you still got eyes on the target?"
"Yes, sir," Clint said before he reached for another arrow, only to have his hand pass through air.
Neo chuckled from her position on the ground under the basket, "Not today my friend," she said as she held up the pack of arrows that should have been on the agents back. She dropped the arrows on the ground for the man to find and followed Thor over to the fake hammer.
As Thor reached for the fake Mjolnir his fingers had barely touched the handle sticking up from the rock when the power of the enchantment pulsed one last time before it broke, as the rock it was cast on dissolved into sand, making Thor think that Mjolnir had turned to dust.
All of the agents surrounding the area watched as Thor collapsed onto the ground, before they picked him up and lead him to an interrogation room.
Phil stopped next to the monitoring equipment and looked at the agent he had spoken to before, "What just happened?"
The agent shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea. The object spiked in radiation and then it just…disintegrated."
"That's not the strangest thing that's happened," Clint said while he wiped off mud from his quiver of arrows that he found when he got out of the lift.
"What are you talking about, Barton?" Phil questioned.
Clint shook his head, "Like I said I don't really know what happened, sir. I had the target in my sights when my arrow just disappeared, and when I pulled another one it disappeared too. I went to pull another arrow and my quiver had vanished."
"Could it have been the target?" the older agent asked in confusion.
"No, the target was completely unaware that I was there, and preoccupied. I doubt it was him but if he tells you that he's a magician, I might be willing to believe him."
"I'll ask him later," Phil says with his normally dry sarcasm, "Go ahead and stow your weapon, Clint."
Clint walked off to his temporary room to clean his gear before he put it away. It didn't take long for him to notice the two arrows that sat on his bed when his eyes traveled around the room searching for uninvited guests per usual. Keeping an eye open Clint walked over to the arrows and picked them up, both were clean and dry. He felt like someone was having a laugh at his expense, and he was right, Neo caught the look on the agents face and smiled before she teleported to where SHIELD was keeping her father.
Neo stood under the one camera in the room before she deactivated the power of the ring. Then she cast an illusion on herself that would only let Thor see her before she shorted out the camera and other equipment in the room with her electrokinesis.
"So, what happened?" she asked.
"I tried to reclaim the hammer, but I failed," Thor said quietly, and it was the quietest Neo had ever heard him speak.
Neo hated to see the mighty Asgardian so defeated, but she didn't know what had happened. One minute Thor was going to take the hammer and the next it was gone. Neo had felt the enchantment break, and she thought it was because the spell had put too much strain on the rock. Finally she asked a question she already knew the answer to hoping it would make Thor talk to her, "Were you able to find it before they captured you?"
"Yes, but as I reached for the hammer is turned to dust in my hand."
"That happens when people hold onto things too tightly. Maybe you were holding on to your pride as the mightiest Asgardian so tight that the hammer was turned to dust under the strain? Or maybe it found you unworthy?" Neo said.
"I grow weary of these vague questions. What do you mean I am unworthy?"
"Well, I was speaking metaphorically but I could always go for blunt. Mjolnir isn't gone, I took it so that it would be safe, but when you tried to reclaim it the hammer didn't head your call. When Odin sealed your godly power he must have interfered with how Mjolnir recognizes you as its master. Before Odin sent Mjolnir he cast an enchantment on it, I heard him, Odin said, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of…Thor." Your father sent you hear to teach you a lesson, did you honestly think it would be that easy? Even if I do question his methods, I can't blame Odin for deciding to do something after you almost started a War. If he hadn't stopped you, you would have been responsible for the deaths of countless innocents and caused genocide. You wouldn't want that," Neo wrapped her arms around Thor's neck, "because I know in my heart, that the person who gave birth to me would never want that."
Thor looked grieved as he hugged her back, "Odin spoke of such short comings before my banishment. Have I been so blind to my weaknesses?" Thor paused to think for a moment, "Odin does have his reasons for what he does, and if that is true, then you are perceptive in seeing his plans. There is truth in your words. I reacted in a way unbecoming of a ruler of Asgard. I vow to you, I will work hard to become worthy in the eyes of Odin, and I will strive even harder to become a parent worthy enough to have you for a child."
Neo choked and couldn't reply, so she curled up in Thor's lap and they sat in silence.
When Thor's stomach growled Neo couldn't stop from giggling, which surprised her for a moment (having been a man until then even when using the Poly-juice potion, Neo wasn't used to girly sounds coming from his mouth unless it was a prank by Fred or George). Then Neo's cheeks turned pink when her stomach growled loud enough she thought the agents outside might have heard. She left Thor sitting as she went to find something in the facility to eat.
There was a cafeteria type room that had been setup with quick and easy equipment that ran off of a generator. Military type rations of freeze-dried foods took up most of the supplies, but Neo found almost 50 pounds of refrigerated ground beef, seasonings, buns, and some fresh vegetables for a salad. Some more searching revealed individual bags of chips and other snacks. Then for desert she found packs of Jello in another large refrigerator.
After checking the room for cameras, which surprisingly hadn't been installed in that area, Neo dropped the illusion she had been using so she didn't scare anyone. It may seem backwards but she knew from experience that people react better when they find an intruder, then when they see an object floating in the air. She got to work on setting up the portable grill and started preparing seasoned patties and setting out condiments that had been stored away. Who knew secret agents kept the supplies to make burgers?
The meat sizzled and produced a delicious aroma that wasn't missed by Agent Clint Barton as he passed by the door. He opened the door and found a beautiful brunette in a leather jacket leaning over an electric grill. Her emerald eyes widened when he walked in, and Clint wondered what that was about.
"So burgers for dinner? That's new," he commented as he walked over to the containers that held the disposable plates and cutlery, "But you're not the usual cook."
Neo kept her eyes on the grill as she responded, "Actually, I was only making something for myself and a friend."
"All that food is for two people? Your friend must know how to put it away, but that's fine, I can make my own."
"Well uhm…how about you help me and we can both eat sooner," Neo suggested, "If you don't mind manning the grill I can make more patties for you too." Neo pinched off a piece of cooked meat and held it out to Clint, "Try it and see if you like it."
Neo was surprised when instead of taking it with his hand the man leaned forward and took it into his mouth, kissing Neo's fingertips at the same time.
"Mmhmm," Clint moaned in satisfaction. The blush that appeared on the mystery girl's face was cute, and Clint smiled as he took the spatula out of her hand. "Tastes great, you have yourself a deal, agent…"
Neo thought of what to say because SHEILD already knew about Neo Thorson, finally she said, "Thyra."
"Thyra?" Clint said slowly, letting the name roll off his tongue, "Is that a code name?"
Neo smirked, "That's classified, agent. Strictly need to know."
"Well you can call me Clint, and I'll just have to get the right clearance," he whispered into her ear.
The shiver that went down Neo's spine made her move over to her prep station, "You'll just have to do that, Clint," she said before she bit her lip and got to work.
It didn't take too long to get the meal plated as Neo cleaned up, and Clint's mouth was watering as he held two plates in his hands, "It smells amazing. I may have to corner you in the kitchen again."
"I actually like cooking, so it wouldn't be too hard, but I think next time is your turn," she said shyly. Neo gave a smile to Clint before she left the room.
"You can count on it," Clint said as he walked down the hall in the opposite direction of the girl. Hawkeye was able to find out many things about the other agent, one thing being that she was a very skilled actress, able to act naive and shy. If it hadn't been for the obvious way that her body moved like a trained fighter and her constant awareness Clint would have mistaken her for another intruder. He headed to Coulson's temporary office to offer him the other plate.
Phil looked at his agent when Hawkeye walked through his door, "Something I can do for you Barton?"
"Thought you could use some food, sir," Clint sat the plate for Phil down as he took a seat in front of Phil's desk. He grabbed his burger and finally took a bite. The mouthwatering flavor touched his tongue and sent off a tasty explosion in his mouth.
"This doesn't look like our usual fair. Did you go into town for this, Barton," Phil questioned.
"No, I actually walked in on another agent who offered to make some extra for me if I helped her cook."
Phil furrowed his brow in thought, he didn't remember having any female agent on this assignment, but Clint was cautious enough to have not let their food be poisoned so he decided to set his paperwork aside and eat. When he took his first bite the head agent's eyes widened at the fabulous taste. Phil would have to get the recipe for the seasoning.
While the head agent and archer where enjoying their meal, Thor was also appreciating Neo's cooking, but the Asgardian Prince was interrupted when his brother appeared in the room.
The new god could tell that it was the real Loki, but he did look different in his suit and coat. 'Oh wait,' Neo thought as she finally realized that Loki was a he again. It was at that moment Neo started to wonder why she was still a woman, but she just shrugged to herself.
"I see you have gotten yourself into trouble without me to help you, again." Loki teased his brother, "But things are even worse on Asgard. Amora tried to take the Casket of Winters and deliver it to the Jotuns, but she was stopped by Odin."
"How is that not good news, brother?" Thor asked.
"Because it gets worse. Odin has been putting off the Odin sleep for too long, and he has finally succumbed. With you banished and Odin recuperating, the task of ruling the kingdom would fall to me until you or Odin could take over…" Loki's words were drowned out when he was interrupted.
"And because Amora is pretending to be you, she is the temporary ruler of Asgard," Neo concluded.
Loki nodded, "She has Gungnir and power over all of Asgard with its mightiest weapons at her disposal."
Thor was starting to understand what Loki meant, "She has the power to start her war," he finished.
"So how do we stop her from doing that?" Neo asked, "I mean it's not like we have a reason for her to suddenly changer her plans, right? She wanted to destroy Jotunheim so Thor wouldn't have any enemies as King, so if he's banished is she just going to destroy the Frost Giants and rule Asgard?"
Loki seemed deep in thought before he said, "You're right…be ready for a fight. I know how to stop Amora."
Those where his final words before Loki disappeared from sight. The two gods left in the room looked at each other with matching expressions of curiosity.
"If I know my brother, Loki has come up with a plan, but has forgotten to enlighten the rest of us…again," Thor said.
"So, he does that pretty often?"
"Aye."
*Break*
Amora sat on the Throne of Asgard, a smirk graced the face of her disguise. Her plan was working so far, despite some minor hiccups. A War with Jotunheim would be easily influenced by her, as the one with the ruling power no one would question her commands or actions. Once Jotunheim became a threat she would have a reason to resend the order for Thor's banishment, and once the Frost Giants were destroyed the All-Father was the only thing standing in Thor's path to being crowned King. After all of the messy details had been worked out, Amora would dispose of her disguise and sweep in to comfort Thor and win his affection. She had no doubt that her charms would easily have Thor begging her to be his Queen.
Her train of thought was de-railed when the doors to the throne room opened. One of the royal guards rushed across the room to the foot of the stairs leading to the throne. With her focus on the guard Amora missed the Warrior's Three and Sif entering the room through the still open door.
When the guard kneeled at her feet, Amora felt a surge of superiority and she knew at that moment that she would enjoy being the Queen of Asgard.
"Lord Loki, I have an urgent message from Heimdall."
At those words everyone in the room was alert and listening.
"What news does he send?" Amora questioned.
"It seems that your brother has become enthralled by a mortal woman, and may be in danger of not wanting to return to Asgard. This is only one concern, however, as it seems that Thor has also been imprisoned by the Midgardians," the guard said.
Amora clinched her fist in anger, what Midgard filth would dare try to claim the heart of Thor? Amora was also uneasy, because as much as she wanted to, it was too soon to return Thor, "Thank you for delivering the message, now return to you duties."
As the guards left the four warriors followed through the door, all of them contemplating the distressing news. The guard had disappeared from sight before they could catch up to him, but as the group passed a dark alcove the guard leaned out to watch them leave. Slowly the face of the guard changed in a swirl of gold light and Loki stood watching his brother's friends.
*Break*
Neo had started to really like Agent Coulson in the short time she had known him, but his impeccable timing was starting to get on her nerves. She sat in a chair next to Thor and was snuggled in to his side, when Phil walked in. It was a good thing she had disillusioned herself after her run-in with the archer. Phil couldn't see her but she had been enjoying spending time with her family, so she was understandably a little miffed by his game of twenty questions. Thanking the stars that it only took him a few minutes to leave, Neo stood up and decided to take a look around. Banishing the conjured chair as she stood up Neo left her father with a quiet "be back in a minute," and was gone.
Bright screens illuminated the other room beyond the one-way mirrors. Agent Coulson was standing at the edge of the room while having a conversation on his phone, but e was also conveniently blocking the exit door. Neo stood out of the way and watched the other agents working. One screen caught her eye, it was a replay of the fake hammer, just before and slightly after it disintegrated, set on a loop.
'Wow, government agents really love their camera footage,' she thought sarcastically. Neo was finally able to leave the room when Phil hung up his phone and went back into the interrogation room.
The tables that contained all of Jane and Eric's research sat outside of the room. Neo wondered if she could get away with taking all of the research and destroying the copies SHIELD had made, after all the two scientists had been nice to her and Thor, but it would also be very mean to Phil..decisions, decisions.
Neo wasn't able to make up her mind before Eric Selvig showed up. She tried not to laugh, as Eric spoke with Coulson. Thor was not a doctor and Phil knew that, but he also wasn't a mercenary like Phil suspected so that left the agent questioning things. She finally had to cast a silencing spell on herself so she wouldn't bust-a-gut when Eric called Thor crazy. As she bent over consumed by silent peals of laughter, Phil had been convinced to let Thor go, or "Dr. Donald Blake" as Eric called him.
Thor was escorted outside and Eric breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the blonde man, but it didn't last long, "Where's the girl?"
'Uh-oh,' said girl thought. Slightly panicked, Neo moved back into the building.
Phil seemed slightly more alert, "What girl?"
Suddenly a feminine laugh came from the doorway behind Coulson, and everyone watched as Neo walked out beside an armed agent.
"…I woke up with a hang-over I will never forget, but the best part was when Sanchez found out about his new tattoo," the agent said as he wiggled his eyebrows at the girl that had bumped into him in the hall.
"No!" Neo exclaimed.
"Yup, it was the most beautiful butterfly tramp-stamp you've ever seen, and when our C.O. found out he had Sanchez doing drills in his underwear, so everyone could see it!" the agent started laughing but when he realized how silent it was he took a look around.
The look on Coulson's face had the agent quickly smothering his laughter, "Agent Hansen, why are you escorting an unauthorized guest around the base?"
"Excuse me, sir?" Hansen asked with a voice that had raised a few octaves.
Before Coulson had the chance Neo spoke in a shy voice, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't actually know if I was uninvited. I came with my father, and since you made him stay I couldn't just leave."
Coulson's face was still neutral but he stood slightly more ridged, "I'm sorry miss, are you saying you've been here this whole time?"
"Uh-huh, you guys were pretty busy when we got her, so I've tried to stay out of the way. I guess that you just didn't notice me." Neo blushed, "But I did get hungry. I found your cafeteria and no one was there, so I helped myself. But I will pay you back! I wasn't trying to steal it, I promise. I even made some for everyone else, after Clint showed up."
"Clint?" Phil questioned, not really sure if he wanted to know.
"Yeah, he came in and helped me cook. He must have been famished, I saw him walk away with two plates."
With that last statement Coulson's face appeared stony but his voice was the same when he spoke, "Well, I have to thank you for waiting so long, Ms. Blake. You and your father are free to go, now."
The shy look left Neo as she looked at Agent Hansen and smiled (unknowingly using magic to charm the agents that saw it), "Thank you for helping me. I didn't get you in trouble, did I?"
It was the agents turn to blush lightly, "Oh no need to thank me, ma'am, it's been a pleasure."
"Good night," she responded before she joined her father and Eric, who had started to walk away. She caught Thor taking the book off of one of the tables before they left the base.
Coulson turned and gave his agents a stern look after the three left, "I want the footage for the last two hours, search the cafeteria, and any agent who might have come into contact with that girl is to report to me. I want to know how we missed her. Where is Agent Barton?!" Phil barked out his question and walked back into the monitor room.
Half an hour later, Phil had almost nothing on the mystery girl, and he was even more frustrated because what he did have was probably false. He knew three things about her, the first was she was a talented cook, second she was supposed to be the daughter of the man that broke into their base, and the third came from Clint when he remembered that her name was Thyra; which may or may not have been a nickname.
That night the SHEILD Agents stationed outside of Puente Antiguo felt the wrath of Agent Phil Coulson. None of the agents got any sleep, and they were sure that this was just the beginning.