A/N: I by no means own any of the Avengers...If I did I would have Tony fix my internet so I could watch netflix without buffering.
Wanda shook her head again, the feeling tickling at the back of her mind almost like whatever was moving around in here was attempting to figure out who she was. It was annoying, like an itch she could not reach to scratch. If this is what it felt like to have somebody invade her mind she vowed then and there to never do so to another of her team mates without permission. Looking up and around to the hall they were traveling down she noticed the look on Thor's face, it was filled with fear and nerves with a hint of sadness. A hint of understanding crossed over her own face as she thought about what he must be going through at this point. There he was trying to find the child of his missing brother that, until a week before, he had no idea actually existed in more than just some old stories told by an old man at family functions. Devistated didn't even amount to what she knew she would feel if she were in his shoes and it were Pietro's child.
Placing a hand on his arm and giving a gentle squeeze for comfort Wanda bent her head to get within Thor's gaze. "We will find her, and ensure that so long as she lives she is never forced to be in the dark alone again."
The ghost of a smile did little to show any comfort the girl was trying to convey to the blonde god, and it caused her own hopeful look to falter. Just as she was about to speak again she heard the voice of Tony sarcasticly speaking words of excitement.
"Goody! Look at this! An old fashioned show down of wit and speed!" Motioning forward with on hand he kept Clint from stepping any further with the other. "Step any further and I am pretty sure you will be swiss cheese there Robin Hood. Thor, come here and tell us what trick number one consists of before I see just how fast speedy really is."
"Careful Uncle Rusty, I may just take you with me for a jog across that thing and use you as a sheild to see how indestructable that suit of yours really is."
Thor stepped forward and touched the wall to the left of them feeling the stone just beyond where Tony had stopped them. "These marks, they are Asgardian lettering. 'The frost in your veins will melt with one shot, to cross be like that which attacks you and travel at the speed of light.' Well that narrows the objects being shot at us down. Figures he would be a part of this, anything to be the most powerful on all fours." He spoke mainly to himself before giving a soft sigh and stepping back. "They are beams of light that burn as hot as the sun, placed by Sol. He rules over that of the sun and He and his twin are forever being chased by the other's wolf. So unless you think Pietro can run at the speed of light we are going to have to think this one through.
Vision tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Do Asgardians often hover?" It was a simple question but one barely heard by any of the group who were currently arguing. Wanda was upset that Pietro would even considering attempting to speed across the floor, yelling at him "I just had to face you being just about dead, I will not stand for it again Pietro!" Tony telling Thor there is no possible way that something as powerful as the sun was in the small holes across from the markings on the opposite wall while Thor reminded Tony that Asgardians possessed skills beyond the comprehension of normal mortals. The only one paying attention was Clint and in an exasperated sigh he took an arrow, aimed it at the floor, released it, and watched as all became silent when the bright beams shot across the hall and burned bright enough that they all felt the heat on their skin. When it had gone dim once more he looked back to Vision.
"You were asking a legitly good question?" He asked with a slight smirk at the fact that none of the team had looked back from the hall where the bright light had been moments before.
With a slight nod of appreciation to the archer Vision once more voiced his question, albeit a bit louder this time round "Thor Odin-son, Do Asgardians possess the ability to hover, or float?"
Sitting for a moment he thought and then shook his head. "Some mages do but it is a power only held with certain weapons. Such as I can fly when I summon such power from mjolnir." Holding up the hammer he tilted his head. "Why do you ask honorable one?"
Vision simply began to hover a foot off the ground, moving passed Tony, Clint, and Thor. "Because the traps are then set for a person who would constantly be on foot would they not?" Without allowing for a second oppinion he moved down the hall with ease, only for a moment sparing a glances towards the glowing holes to his right. "There seems to be a lever down here, shall I pull it?"
Knocking another arrow Clint pointed to the floor "Let me know when you do I will see if it does anything on this end."
Waiting to hear Vision exclaim that he had in fact pulled the worn wooden lever he then let the arrow loose, a defeated groan sounding when the hall lit up once more. "Well whats the plan now?"
Vision had once again returned and Pietro spoke up. "He could carry us across, no? I do know Wanda would enjoy the notion far more than the rest of us, but it seems a necissary evil in the end." The smirk on his face was as apparent as ever, it had not escaped his notice that in the past few months durring his recovery that his twin had saught the conversational comfort with the android. He was glad to see somebody could keep her smiling when he could not.
The red on the witch's face could be seen even passed the eery red glow of the lanterns, as well as the glare sent her brother's way. If looks could kill he wouldn't be smirking right now.
"Not a bad idea. I will take Speedy. Lighting McQueen can fly with his hammer that is pickier than a valley girl and take Robin Hood with him, Vision you can take Miss Scarlet. Preferably before she makes it to the library to find the candle stick and act out what she is picturing in her head." Tony picked up the light haired young man and began flying down the hall not even waiting for the others to protest.
When they reached the other side of the trap they looked to the lever in ponderment and began to wonder what it had activated...or de-activated. Why was it here? It was just before the other two landed and let their passangers go that Pietro spoke up. "There are more of those strange symbols over here, care to translate?"
Nodding he walked up and read aloud the words. "Each lever releases that which is held just a little more, the final lock is not one of iron or stone." Standing up straight he looked the words over again. "Not iron or stone...what lock is not made of iron or stone?"
The group shook their heads collectively with shrugs all around and continued down the hall until they came to yet another fork in the path, this time only two arches were ahead of them. Clint turned to Vision and Wanda. "Any idea which way to go from our lovely host?"
Closing her eyes Wanda focused on the itch in her mind for a moment. Which way do we go to get to you?
Her eyes opened wide when the thoughts in her head started to sound desperate, as if it were Pietro trapped at the end of this maze. Left. We need to go left, please just don't let it be too late...
Looking to Vision she tilted her head in confusion and scrunched her face. "Is it odd for you too?"
The nod was followed by Tony asking "What do you mean odd?"
"If I am correct in understanding, the feeling that is coming off of these thoughts do not strike as one who is trapped, but as if they are attempting to get to one that is trapped. It feels as if I am trying to get to the end to free Wanda, not as if I am trying to tell Wanda which way to go in order to free me."
"What would it matter?" Tony sighed and threw his arms up. "Maybe making it seem urgent to you is her way of trying to trick the people who guard her into getting to her and getting her out. Maybe its one of the tricks trying to get you to hurry and slip up and get yourself killed in the process. We don't have time to figure it out, its already been almost two hours and we have only gotten through one of the road blocks and have two more to go at least and the fun bit of possibly being ripped to shreds by a giant mutt. I would like to do this in a way I can assume I will be home in time for lunch tomorrow. Which way is it telling you to go?"
"Left." Wanda spoke gently, still mulling over the thoughts. "We go left."
The look on his sister's face caused a bit of concern as Pietro held her arm to let the group go ahead a bit to give privacy as he asked "Are you alright?" Concern lacing his words.
"I am fine, its just...if I didn't know any better it would be like I was reading your mind with you trying to get to me. Its more like a worry for whom ever is at the end, instead of a worry from...and I know if it was you down there and I couldn't get to you...I would push those that could in the right direction to make sure they got you out."
"Are you saying you think it is Loki in your head, and not the girl?" Pietro had taken to calling her 'the girl' after hearing the entry that stated that her name had been taken from her, and was not Fenrir at all. The name meant little more than "Little Wolf" Thor had told them.
"I don't know who it is, I just hope once we get there that it will help me calm her down." Giving a last glance she walked quickly to catch up with the group that had gathered at the second block just in time to hear Thor read the symbols.
"Step once and stand, step twice and fall, fall once and see, fall twice and lock. Miss none and pass." Looking to the room ahead they saw a path like pattern that crossed and turned within itself, metal spikes filling between each one seperating them by a foot. This was not going to be easy.
Mulling over the words Clint spoke up on this one. "My boy plays this video game it has a challenge that looks like this. Everybody, on three jump onto that first square...One...two...Three!"
As directed they all jumped and waited for something to happen. Soon a small clicking noise could be heard as they looked to the door at the end of the path opened a quarter of an inch.
"Thats what I was afraid of. We have a genuine puzzle on our hands. We have to step on each step on the path or the door will not open fully. I am guessing if you step on any stone more than once it will fall below us and I really do not want to see what is down there given how far under ground we are. And it sounds like if more than one piece falls the door locks and we are stuck on the other side. We need to be careful and take our time with this."
They all nodded in agreement though Tony and Vision stuck to hovering, the later holding the female twin, just to minimize the chance of double stepping on a square. A half hour and half a path later though, they found out that careful might not be enough as Thor's foot slipped back on the square behind them and it fell to reveal a lake of multen rock that was fed by a waterfall of fire and stone. Sheepishly they all stared for a few moments at the fate that awaited if they failed this task.
"Does the game lava tag come to anybody else's minds at this point? Or the game where the furniture was rocks and the floor was lava? I think that one is more fitting right about now." Tony's humor could not hide the nerves that shook on end at the thought of somebody falling into the lake below.
With the added stress of knowing one more miss step and the door would shut they took an extra amount of time with the final stretch to the path, landing on the last square with a laugh filled with relief as there were no spikes to jump over to get to the other side of the door. Tony and Vision landed with ease, Wanda putting her feet on the ground happily knowing it was solid and not at risk to fall out from under her.
"Well that was time consuming. What do your heads say now?" Clint looked between the two as they stepped into the door way.
Vision spoke before Wanda could even think to look into her own mind. "That the final test is the only one 'he' couldn't get passed. Further questioning if it really is Fenrir or somebody else."
"The final lock is not of iron or stone, another link undone." Thor read the words as he pulled the lever. "Whatever the final lock is, if Loki was not able to get through it, I fear we may not either."
"We won't find out standing around here. Lets move." Clint pushed passed them and began walking through to the next block.
There were no splits in the path this time round, instead they came to a circular room with a pedistal in the center. Walking up to it the Norse God read out loud once more. "The final lock is that of proof that those who wish to release the wolf of hell and bringer of the end of days is not biased and blinded by the heart of kin, instead being of kin to the one who ordered the sentence be carried out."
"That...makes no sense. What do they want a birth cirtificate? DNA test? What?" Tony at this point was frustrated. As it was there was little chance leaving the way they came and to top it all off these riddles were starting to get to him.
With sighs all around they sat down around the room, Wanda closing her eyes for a moment to relax only to be bombarded with images. The screams that came from her lips due to the sudden startling in the intrusion to her mind caused Pietro to be at her side within a second trying to rouse his sister from the images in her mind. Vision was holding his own head and looking around for a source to it all.
"Wanda? Wanda, come on open your eyes." When she did he felt relief flow through his body that lasted but a moment as she stood up and walked to Thor grabbing his hand.
When she spoke her voice was off, it held her normal tone and accent to it but there was another voice whispering with it. Both were only at a level the two could hear. However it was loud enough to freeze Thor in his tracks.
"Come now brother I thought you were smarter than that." The smirk on her lips was not one of her own as she pulled out her knife she kept on her incase her powers were not enough of a deffence and cut his hand open. Holding it palm down to allow the blood to drip on the floor her head tilted and she spoke again. "Blood lock, to ensure that it was the ruler of Asgard that made the choice to release her, to release my Skye, and not a father blinded by the love and want of his daughter. Keep her safe." with that the floor started to shake enough that rocks fell from the ceiling and crashed into the ground.
Wanda had passed out and Thor caught her before she hit the ground and everybody fell back to the walls to help keep themselves safe from the falling stones. After a minute or so the shaking stopped, and a few seconds more the stones joined it in the halting of activity.
Clint spoke out first "Alright, sound off...who isn't dead?"
The group collectively groaned for a moment before Pietro's voice could be heard. "Wanda? Wanda where are you!?"
"I have her here, young Maximoff. She is fine, she is breathing." Thor did his best to calm the worried tone in the brother's voice but he himself was still shaken over what he had heard. Everybody made their way back to the center only to find that Tony was missing.
"Give that there is no body sparking on the floor I am going to guess he found the door that got opened in the unlocking of the last gate. Blood locks. Go figure. It was made in the time of blood, gore, and battle. Why not. Just a slice of the hand and a few drops and then kill anybody who is in the room with falling rocks. Thor, if I ever meet any of the people who made this place...I will help your neice kill them." Clint was officially exhausted and wanted to just go home, it was very clear in his voice as he spoke.
When Wanda began to stir she looked around and gave a small smile to Pietro. "What happened? I remember getting flashes of a cold place and a black puppy and a baby and that is it."
Thor understood his brother wanting to keep it a secret of his help from the team, after all he was very much disliked among them. "You opened the last lock. Tony is missing, probably went ahead while the ceiling caved in on us."
She nodded "If he did we should do our best to catch up. I know what to do now I think."
Tony stopped flying and landed, the cave in had opened the door and it seemed to be the only real safe place to head to. Once in he decided to keep going to make sure it was the last lock and was about to head back when he heard it.
Something was breathing.
Turning on his scanners he looked around trying to find the source, the only thing he could make out in the darkness was a giant statue of a wolf, a sword lodged into its open mouth as it stood with a chain wrapped around its body. Huh...The fuzzball was supposed to be...wrapped...in a chain...oh boy.
Stepping forward Tony touched the chain and in turn the body of the canine..."So you are the one that is breathing." At that Tony jumped back, his actions and words causing the beast to wake up it seemed as he looked and saw glowing blue eyes that seemed tainted with white ice staring at him, followed by a deep growl that shook him to the very core. "Good doggy, stay calm. I'm going to get you out of here. Your Uncle Thor is on his way to get you and I would appreciate this going as swiftly as possible."
Flying around Fenrir Tony looked for a spot that the chain came together to undo them and get the show on the road. He was so busy with his musings he didn't know the change in attitude from the being he was working to free. She had gone from curious to seemingly murderous in a split second. Thor was a Norse name, it was the Norse who had locked her away.
"Aha! It really is as easy as giving a tug. Now I am no dentist, dear, but I am pretty sure you want to remove this from your mouth." Grabbing onto the sword Tony gave a swift tug and listened as the chains rattled and creaked in response to his actions and their age. With another tug the hilt began to slide forward. "Third time is the charm fluff ball, lets do this."
With one final tug the sword was free and the chains fell to the ground, in an instant the wolf was free. Doing his victory dance...or joust as the case may be with the sword...he was too distracted to notice the jaws behind him until they gripped at his legs and began to pull him from the air and shake him from side to side.
When the others finally caught up they first noticed the loose chains on the ground, then they noticed what was happening. The scene that appeared before them was something akin to a puppy getting a new chew toy, and Tony was the toy.
His annoyed voice broke through to them though. "I bet you all are enjoying this but can we please get her to stop? This suit can only take so much and I would hate to see what she is going to do once blood gets into the mix."
Wanda ran to the wolf and put a hand on her leg, voice shaky as she began to softly sing the lullably in Norse, Thor quietly translating for Vision, Clint, And Pietro.
In silence they wait
In darkness they take
In moonlight they dance
So grab my hand and take a chance
The shadows will play
As will we one day
For my heart is yours you know
My Darling of shadow and snow.
She stopped. Shaking her head she dropped the man in her mouth and looked to the girl of red before stepping forward and allowing for the first time in what felt like a life time the shadows to fall across her body shrinking her in size and changing her form. Dark fur became raven black hair, glowing blue eyes were set now on a pale face instead of a muzzle, and skin as white as snow was now hidden behind a black asgardian gown that had a slit up the front to make it easier to fight if she needed to deffend herself. Tilting her head she stepped to the girl and began speaking in a voice that could match the snow outside as the full moon gleamed upon it.
"Hvor er min far? Hvor lenge har jeg vært her? Hvordan vet du at sangen?" The confusion from the first question held fear of what might have happened. How would a girl such as this, a mortal, know her father's lulaby? Who was she to sing it?
Wanda looked back to Thor and he translated for them all. "She is asking for her father, how long she has been here, and how you know that song."
Looking back to the scared girl Wanda held out the journal to her and watched as she took it with a cautious hand. Opening it her face scrunched in frustration at the unfamiliar symbols and proceeded to step swiftly to Wanda grabbing her face. Pietro stepped in swiftly placing himself between the raven haired girl and his sister in fear of retaliaton, and instead of an attack was met with a kiss.
It was not romantic, nor did it have the feel of a lover's kiss. Pietro had known those once or twice in his past, and this was not it. It felt more like what being carried by Stark had been, a necissary evil. Pushing him away the girl looked again at the book and began to read, this time the look of confusion never crossing her face.
When she spoke this time it was directed towards Tony. "I apologise, Sir. When I heard Thor's name I thought that grandfather had finally sent for me to be killed as he promised so long ago." Her words were met with surprise and shock as she turned to look at him. "I am afraid I do not know enough of the world now to repair that which I have ruined, I will have to find another way to repay you." Turning now to the rest of the group she bowed her head. "I was given the name Skye at birth, and I ask again. Where is my father, and why is he not with you?"
Thor stepped forward as most of the group was in shock still from her being able to speak so fluently, or in Pietro's case the kiss. "He is currently missing. I found his journal telling of you and his wantings for you to be free while attempting to find him and answers."
"And my brothers?" Her body had straightened up, watching him carefuly.
"Their minds fell to the beasts of burden they were treated as. Loki held the most hope for you." He handed her the sketch of the two and watched as a flicker of emotion crossed her face, faster than he could read it to tell what it was she felt.
"And how do you know that releasing me will not cause your precious end of days?" At this the venom dripped from every word.
Thor sighed, so instead Clint spoke up. "Some woman got upset your mom got your dad's heart. Killed your mom, paid a seer to tell the big head hanchos that you were going to end the world one day. Says it all in the journals, we can take you to them. Your uncle promised your father to keep you safe. So lets get back to base to figure out how we are going to do that."
Pietro finally shook his head long enough to hear the tale end of Clint's words before storming up to her. "What is the big idea? Why did you kiss me? Why were you going to kiss my sister? What you wake up and the first thing you want is to be a sappy teenager and thank your saviors with your heart on your sleave?"
Her eyes began to glow a bit more as she slowly stepped forward to him. While her human form was shorter than he was the image of the wolf just moments ago was still fresh in his mind, so once she got close enough he began stepping back.
"Why do you mortals always think things happen because you cause arousal? Shadows learn languages by touching that which needs to learn to speak to that which already does. By touching our lips I learned how to communicate with you to get the answers I need. If anybody in here is wearing anything on their sleave its you." At this she smirked, he was against a wall and couldn't go any further back so she began circling him like he was her prey, taking a giant whiff of the air around him before her tone changed to a mocking one. "After all, I can practically smell the fear dripping off of you. And that is not all I smell coming from you."
With a smirk on her face and a wink to Pietro she turned away and walked to Thor, leaving Pietro very frustrated that she was able to tell so easily that he was scared. With a sigh her eyes turned to the door the man in metal had come through earlier. Her mind mulled over the book she held as well as what she had been told by them. If they had been here to kill her they would not have removed the sword, instead they would have left her bound so she could not fight. They also wouldn't know the lullaby. With a deep breath and closed eyes she spoke to Thor. "I wish to find my father and I will need his books to do so, there for I will allow you to take me to this 'base' for now as you are acting under my father's orders."
With that they began the treck to the jet, the path changed to remove the obsticles and give a straight line to th entrance. As they left Wanda could swear she heard a faint voice whisper greatfully to her two words.
Thank You...
A/N: ...hehehe...bad Tony... So there you go we have finally met Skye and she is...well she doesn't know how to people. Its a bit rough and I really don't know if I am happy with it but I have a feeling that if I don't stop now and publish I will sit here for days and days perfecting her introduction. Rate and review people! Or just read :P I don't mind either
