AN: I'm not too sure if I like this chapter... it's a little jumpy but I needed some filler stuff before the next big part... I hope you enjoy. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed... I know I haven't been updating this very often but it's so awesome that people keep finding my story and reading it! I'm not sure when I can update again. I had an idea for another Avengers story. Nothing serious, just a parody sort of thing that I'd update randomly just for fun. The idea is that during a battle, one of Loki's spells go haywire and turns himself and the Avengers (minus Fury) into little kids. Then Fury has to babysit the baby Avengers till the spell wears off... If you guys would be interested in reading something like that, let me know in a review and I might right that too!
I own nothing!
Chapter Four:
He hungered for her. It still irritated him that a mortal could make him feel this way, but she was no ordinary mortal. Even before she became Ice Hawk, she was unlike all the others. Her tongue was sharp and her wits rivaled his own. How had she put it? She had wanted to make him squirm. She had done far more than that.
He wanted her. It had been so long since he had been with her. He had hoped that by now, he would have figured out a way for them to be together without the bars of a prison cell separating them. At first, he simply wanted to rule her realm; defeat those who would imprison him. But she would not like that. Asgard would be his second choice; but that was out of the question. He had since abandoned his quest for the realm he grew up in. If he truly loved anyone beside Waverly, it was his mother. He would not rule over her; he couldn't. That left Jotunheim. He could easily overtake his lesser skilled brethren. However, his race hated him almost as much as he despised them. Ruling over them would be a challenge; much more work that he would have liked. Four other realms were available to him; but Waverly was human. He wasn't sure if she could survive in some of the other realms.
Plan B would be to have the girl fake her death as well. They could venture off together; to another universe. The Tesseract had shown him numerous worlds beside the nine realms originally known. Surely they would find a suitable planet to rule over. This was the most appealing plan, though it too would never work. She loved her adoptive brother far too much to fake her death.
He was frustrated with himself. Ever since the day he staged his death, he had thought about her; every day and every night. It pained him to be away from her. His hunger for power and revenge died down to an annoying ache. Right now, he just wanted to be back with the girl who made him feel like he once was.
He needed a plan. He was not about to make his presence known, just to be locked up in a cell. He needed to reveal himself, but only to her. He needed to do something fast. She was getting suspicious. The longer he watched her, the riskier his situation became. He would need to do it soon; not just because she was on to him, but because he needed her.
"They call themselves Cinder and Ash. Everywhere they've been has been reduced to ashes." Director Fury gestured at the screen behind him. A newsreel was showing a terrible scene. Two men wearing flame resistant jumpsuits were atop a building in Chicago. They were masked but they didn't need to be. Flames obscured their entire body but they remained unharmed. Fire erupted from their hands and anything in their path was destroyed. Cinder seemed to be the leader of the two; the typical melodramatic villain, the one who addressed the crowd.
"What do they want?"
Fury looked away from the burning city to the person who had spoken. His team was assembled before him, at the wooden oval table, a mission folder before each of them. It was Natasha who had spoken. Fury shut off the screen and sat at the head of the table. "We don't know."
"They just attack and then leave?" Steve Rogers asked.
Fury nodded. His eye scanned the papers before him. "Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis. They just show up and torch the place. The military has been unable to touch them. They haven't given any demands, haven't taken any hostages."
"So destruction for destruction's sake?" Dr. Banner suggested.
Fury nodded.
Waverly shuffled through her debriefing packet. She looked at the pictures of Cinder and Ash. A shiver ran through her body. Fire. They were pyrokenetics. She had never fought anyone like that. How could she fight when fire melted ice?
"So what do you want us to do?" Clint said from her left side. Waverly slid the pictures back into the folder and looked up at her brother. The archer was looking at Fury. "Are we taking them out or neutralizing them?"
Fury sighed and steepled his fingers, placing them on his chin. The SHIELD director looked around the table. "The goal is to capture them. Something doesn't add up here. I want to figure out who these guys are, where they came from, and what they're doing."
"What's the plan, sir?" Agent Hill asked.
Fury turned to the left side of the table, where the Avengers sat in a line. "Tomorrow morning, you all will be deployed to Nashville. Our intelligence believes that is Cinder and Ash's next target."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Tony rose from his seat and strode confidently over to Fury's side; a glass of rum in his hand. "No can do, Patchy. I've got a date."
Waverly stood as well. "I'm supposed to have time off, sir. We discussed this. I'm going to Asgard with Thor."
The aforementioned god of thunder rose as well. "With all due respect, Director Fury, I must be present at the memorial feast for my father and brother."
Fury sighed and leaned back in his chair. With one hand, he swatted Tony away from him, with the other he massaged his temple. After a tense silence, he made up his mind. "All right. Steve, Natasha, and Clint will be deployed to Nashville. They will stakeout the city; set up a headquarters. Thor, I have no control over you, do as you wish. Waverly, you can go with Thor but I need to be able to reach you at a moment's notice. If we need you, you will need to be back here at once. Stark," Fury sighed. "You and Banner will stay here."
Tony patted Fury on the back. "Hey, thanks man. You wanna come with Pepper and me? I'm sure we could find you a girl."
Fury glared at Tony with his one eye. "No. You and Banner will be staying here so that you can analyze the news footage of these two. I want to know what we're up against."
Tony huffed like an angry teenager and slumped back to his seat. "Yeah, all right, dad."
Turning to the other side of the table, Fury addressed his SHIELD agents, assigning them duties as well. When he was finished, he dismissed the meeting and strode out of the room.
The second he was gone, Waverly turned to Clint. "I don't like this. I can't fight these guys."
"I must agree with the young one," Thor said. "This situation seems odd. There are pieces of this puzzle we are missing."
"Aren't there always?" Steve sighed.
Clint sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like this either. Waverly, go with Thor to Asgard. We can handle these pyros on our own."
Waverly nodded.
The god of thunder placed a massive hand on Waverly's shoulder. "I will watch over your young sister, Clint."
Waverly rolled her eyes and shrugged Thor's hand off her shoulder. Though her voice was layered with sarcasm, she smiled. Thor was like an older brother to her; albeit an older brother who was an other worldly god. "I can take care of myself, Thor. It's just the fire thing I don't like. I can't fight against that."
"So you say," Thor chuckled, winking a blue eye.
Waverly laughed and dismissed herself from the group. She still had to prepare for her trip to Asgard. Waverly enjoyed Thor's company and even though he was the total opposite of his adoptive brother, he reminded her of Loki. The two Asgardian princes always spoke so properly. Going to the realm that had been her home for a short time was bittersweet. Waverly had half hoped that Fury would deny her request for time off. But he didn't. So now, she was preparing to leave with Thor. Maybe this trip would provide her with closure. She could move on.
Waverly was packed. She was standing on the roof with Thor. Clint, Steve, and Natasha were boarding one of SHIELD's jets. The Barton siblings bid each other farewell. Waverly stepped back, a gym bag slung over her shoulder stuffed full of a week's worth of clothing. Odin's and Loki's memorial dinner only lasted one evening, but due to, as Thor explained it, the toll teleportation caused on the mortal body, it would be unsafe for Waverly to take two tips via the Bifrost in one day. Therefore, the human girl would be staying on Asgard for a week. Waverly wasn't too thrilled with this. On Asgard, Waverly spent most of her time alone. Last time she was in the realm, it was Loki who had kept her company; well, she had kept him company. What had started out as pure hatred morphed into something neither of them could explain, but Waverly knew she loved the god of mischief. She knew a part of her always would.
Clint prepared the jet for takeoff. The massive hunk of high tech metal slowly raised into the sky, leaving the roof of Avengers Tower behind. Waverly waved before the jet accelerated in the air and took off for Nashville.
Thor's hand was on Waverly's shoulder once more. "Ready Lady Barton?"
Waverly nodded. She tightened her grip on her bag and squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how many times she traveled by Bifrost or how many times she had teleported with Loki, the trip still made her stomach churn. Thor called to Hemidall and with a gut wrenching jolt, the pair was thrust into the magical bridge.
Just as Waverly was wishing she hadn't had that fifth pancake at breakfast, she felt her feet hit solid ground. Thor's grip on her shoulder loosened. Waverly no longer felt weak kneed after traveling by Bifrost but she still swayed slightly until she adjusted. Thor had already taken off, greeting the bridge's guard.
Waverly trotted after the god, nodding to Hemidall as she passed. The guard bore into Waverly with his eerie golden eyes but the corner of his mouth twitched up ever so slightly as he inclined his head in greeting.
It hadn't dawned on Waverly during her last visit, but now she fully realized the beauty of Asgard. It was just the grand palaces, large buildings, and magnificent waterfalls; the air here smelled cleaner; more pure. Waverly breathed deeply and smiled. She felt rejuvenated here.
Waverly followed Thor into the palace. Though it had been nearly a year since the realm was overrun by Loki's brethren; the Frost Giants, the palace still showed scars from the battle. The main entry doors were still broken in a few places and craters from Thor's hammer could still be seen in corners of the halls. The god led Waverly to her old room via the usual path.
After seeing that Waverly was settled in, Thor grasped Waverly by the shoulders. "Lady Barton, I am very pleased that you agreed to come. I know this must still be painful."
Waverly nodded. "It is. I can't imagine what it's like for you." Emotions began bubbling in Waverly's stomach. She dropped her eyes but still felt Thor's blue eyed gaze on her. She shifted under his grip. "Thor, I'm so sorry. I don't know how you don't hate me. I killed him. I – "
Thor put a hand under Waverly's chin and tilted her face up so that she was looking at him once more. "Do not do this to yourself. I have forgiven you. It needed to be done."
"But – "
Thor held up his other hand. "My father's time had come. I would have done the same to save my brother.'
Waverly sniffed and blinked the tears out of her eyes. She nodded.
"The feast is tomorrow at sundown. I will have someone fetch you." The god kissed Waverly on the top of her head, as an older brother would do to a younger sister. The god then dismissed himself.
Waverly's room was nearly as she had left it. The outfits she had brought on her first trip were still hanging in the wardrobe. Waverly's small makeup bag was still on the marble counter in the washroom. It was as if she had never left. Waverly unpacked her bag and then flopped on her oversized bed. She heaved a sigh. She knew her visit on Asgard was going to be hard but she was glad she was here.
She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there, but at some point, Waverly fell asleep. That wasn't the odd part. The odd part was what had woken her up. She was just on the verge of naturally waking when a rush of adrenaline surged through her veins. Bolting up in bed, Waverly's eyes scanned the room. Her heart was racing. She was alone in the massive room but she had sworn she felt like she was being watched. She felt the same feeling she'd been experiencing all summer. Waverly had almost convinced herself that Clint was right and she was just overly stressed. But, now that she was here, on Asgard she thought that feeling would go away. Yet still, here it was. Waverly rolled out of bed and scanned the room once more. She was alone, but it didn't feel like it. She would swear on her life that someone had been in this room, watching her as she slept. She shivered and shook her head.
I' m just worked up. I haven't unwound yet. Waverly sighed. She needed to get out of her room. Without giving her mind time to object, she exited her room, her destination already in mind.
Even though she hadn't been on Asgard for almost a year, she still knew the path to Loki's bedroom. Waverly wasn't sure why she wanted to visit the god's bedroom but her feet walked the familiar path. The door was close but not locked. She let herself in. Loki's room had remained untouched for quite some time. It was just as Waverly remembered; green and dark, like the god himself. Hanging on the wall opposite her was the tapestry of the royal family. Thor was obviously the center of the image, but Loki's figure was what caught Waverly's eye, just as it did when she first stumbled upon it.
Waverly's finger gently traced the outline of Loki's face. Now that she knew the god, she could see the pain expressed in the portrait's eyes. Loki was the younger brother, the adopted son. He had felt like he lived in Thor's shadow his whole life. Loki was such a troubled person. Yet, he had given his life to save them all. Waverly tore her eyes away from the tapestry. She crossed Loki's bedroom and sat on the edge of the massive bed. The bedclothes were a deep forest green and made of expensive silk. Still tired from the trip, Waverly curled up on Loki's bed. It was comforting, laying there. It was as if she was wrapped in Loki's arms. Waverly smiled and drifted once more into sleep.
Time always confused her on Asgard. It wasn't the same as it was on Earth. If Waverly had to guess, it was probably what would have been one or two in the morning when she awoke on Loki's bed. She felt more rested than she had in weeks. She stretched, slid off the bed, and though she knew it didn't matter, she straightened up the blankets. It was while she was hunched over the bed that she felt it again. Waverly bolted upright and spun around.
She wasn't sure what made her do it, but she spoke into the darkness. "Look, I don't know what you are or what's going on but stop it."
The darkness responded with silence. Waverly's eyes darted back and forth, taking in the dark shapes of Loki's furniture. There was nothing there. "I'm freakin' losing it," Waverly mumbled to herself. "There's nothing here. I am NOT being followed." Though she spoke with conviction, she wasn't reassured.
Waverly left Loki's room and returned to her own. As she walked, the back of her neck prickled as if someone was watching her. Her pace quickened until eventually, she was jogging back to her room. Once she reached her door, she flung it open and shut it tightly behind her.
"I need to freaking get a grip." Waverly spoke to herself. Not feeling tired, she lit the fire place in her room. Once the light overtook the darkness, she opened her wardrobe. She didn't have anything nearly as elegant as the garments Asgardians wore. She would look terribly out of place at the memorial feast. It was better to comb through her options now and be prepared with a decent outfit than throw something together tomorrow evening, last minute.
Waverly's lips twisted into a thoughtful frown as she shifted through her clothes. She pulled out a pair of jet black dress pants. Sure, it wasn't a dress but it was one of the nicer articles of clothing she owned. Now, to find a top. Waverly began pulling out shirts and random. She tossed aside a bright pink blouse, a white, fleece sweater, and a sparkly tank top.
"Jeeze, I need new clothes," she muttered. She then pulled out an emerald green, long sleeved shirt. She had worn this during one of her first meetings with Loki. She slipped the top off the hanger and held it over her chest. She smiled to herself. This was Loki's memorial dinner. A green shirt, one reminiscent of the god's unique eye color was perfect to wear. Waverly had made up her mind. She slung the shirt over her arm and then picked up her dress pants. She was just about to shut her wardrobe when she heard it.
"You always did look quite fetching in green."
