Chapter Four: The most damaged people are always the wisest.
POV Lady Astrid
"Astrid?" Loki asked, entering the room.
"He hasn't even moved," I said, fighting the tears. It pained me so to see Tony like that, just laying there.
"Hows Pepper taking it?" I finally asked, getting up.
"Not well. Lady Romanov has been consoling her," he told me, as we walked over to the elevator. When we got in, I punched the button for the 6th floor. "What is on the 6th floor?" Loki asked.
"They're interrogating Nick Fury on that floor," I said.
"Oh, Astrid please, don't do this," he pleaded.
"Loki, I've made up my mind."
Getting off the elevator, I easily found the interrogation room. Storming in, I punched Fury in the face.
"OWW!" he yelled in pain. "That's for Tony!" I snarled.
"Really?" I heard Clint ask Loki.
"I couldn't stop her," he said; I could hear the shrug in his voice. I smirked, and aimed another punch at Nick Fury.
"What the hell was THAT one for?!" he asked. I grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled his face closer to mine.
"For everything else," I growled, and let go. I noticed his eyes seemed strangely glazed over, but as I had other things occupying me at the moment, I ignored it. Smiling, Loki & I walked out of the room.
"Feel better?" Loki asked me.
"Much," I said, still smiling.
We headed back downstairs to see Dr. Banner and Tony. "How is he?" I asked the bespectacled geneticist.
"He's actually doing well at the moment," he replied with some relief. Loki was just outside of the room, talking to Thor. I sighed, and sat down on the couch next to Tony's bed. Bruce went into full Doctor mode: clipboard, stethoscope, and white coat. I smiled, and decided to move into the next room to see Loki.
"How is the patient?" Loki asked.
"Tony seems good," I said, hugging him.
It was quiet for a good few minutes. But it was a calm quiet; one that we hadn't had in a while.
I looked up at him and smiled. I quickly leaned in to kiss him, and he didn't protest. Instead, he gently kissed me back. I stood on my toes, and wrapped my arms around his neck, as he wrapped his long arms around my waist.
"By the Nine, Brother - W-What?" Thor stuttered as he reentered the room and saw us.
I broke the kiss, and pulled Loki's cape in front of my face as the flush of blood filled my cheeks.
"Brother? Astrid?" Thor said with a teasing edge to his voice, having quickly recovered his good humor.
"Hello, Thor," I said, my voice cracking the way it always did when I was flustered.
"Thor," Loki said, almost as flustered as I, but he hid it very well.
"I am sorry, Brother, but I just remembered that Lady Romanov wanted to speak with Astrid and I. See you later, Thor!" Loki said, as he pulled me along with him out of the room. "You're welcome," he said, with a love chuckle. "Oh, thank you so much! I was about to die of embarrassment!" I laughed. We turned into the next hallway, and came to a stop, leaning on each other as our laughter died down. We stared at each other for a long moment...and I again leaned in towards Loki, intending to kiss him.
"This way, Pepper, " I heard Nat say, as she led Pepper to see Tony. I could tell she'd seen us by her abrupt change of pace and direction. "OK, NOT this way - THAT way!" Natasha said, grabbing Pepper's arm and pulling her down a different hallway. "What the...?" Pepper asked. "I have no idea," Nat said, her voice getting softer as she got further away.
I couldn't help it. I started to laugh again, and so did Loki. "That was really funny!" I chuckled.
"I think it would have been funnier if we had seen their faces!" he answered. I responded by miming a shocked face, the same I imagined we would've glimpsed on Nat, had she not done an abrupt about-face in the hall. Loki fell against the wall, shaking with barely-contained mirth. I heard shoes coming down the hall, but the sound was muted by my snorts of laughter.
"OK, what the HELL is going on?!" Nat demanded, hands on hips, feet firmly planted right in front of Loki & I. We froze, and stared at her.
"Umm...," I started.
"Well. Err..." Loki tried.
"I was just walking Pepper down to see Tony, when I see you two, kissing IN THE HALLWAY!" She said, throwing her hands in the hair in frustration.
"Yeah...umm," I said, furiously blushing again.
Nat shrewdly looked from Loki, to me, and back again. "I really don't want to know, do I?" she asked.
"Not really, no," Loki and I managed, simultaneously.
"Fine by me," she said, turning around, and that seemingly settled - in her mind, anyway - walked back down the hall from whence she'd come.
"Guys!" Steve called and ran down the hall towards us.
"Yes?"
"We got Fury to talk! We decided it'd be best if we had everyone together now," he excitedly explained. I helped Loki smooth his coat, and we both ran with Steve upstairs to the boardroom. When we arrived we saw that Thor looked worried, which was unusual for him, and therefore made me very nervous.
"What has he told you?" I asked Steve. He looked pained, and said, "We didn't understand it, so we thought perhaps one of you might."
"And?" Demanded Loki.
"Fury said that he was working for 'The Other'. That mean ANYthing to you guys?" he asked, scanning our faces for a hint of recognition.
Loki and I stared at each other, fear paralyzing us.
"IS FURY INSANE?!" I shrieked, not able to control my reaction as a Lady should. Loki rested his hand on my shoulder, reassuring me with his touch.
"The Other is the definition of evil!" Loki spit out, looking as though the words both tasted bad, and actually pained him to utter. I suddenly knew - without a doubt - that The Other was responsible for much of Loki's recent pain and suffering. From the look on Thor's face, he had suprisingly come to the same conclusion. A look passed between the two of us, agreeing to discuss this privately, later. Thor turned to Loki. "Why would Fury be working The Other? Is not Fury the architect behind The Avengers?" Thor asked.
"That, we don't know just yet," Steve said, sounding a little scared now. I held Loki's hand tight.
"I think the Other wants Loki," I said, my voice shaking.
"Why would It want Loki?" Dr. Banner asked, confused. By the looks that went around the room, he wasn't the only one.
"Because, I did not finish my job here on Midgard," Loki answered for me in a grim tone. I looked at him reassuringly.
"We must go to Asgard, and tell Father!" Thor said.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" We all asked together.
"So I am led to believe, of late," Thor chuckled.
"I suppose we could give it a try," said Loki.
"I am half Asgardian, like Loki, so Odin would bear to have me there," I added, and Loki nodded.
"But, what about the rest of us?" Natasha asked.
"Oh, I'm sure we could come to an - agreement - on the rest of the Merry Band," I said, allowing a small smile.
"Well. I guess we're going to Asgard, then," Steve said.
"Wait - what about Tony? What if he wakes up while we're gone?" I pointed out.
"The Lady is right. We should take him with us," Dr. Banner said, standing up & removing his glasses to absent-mindedly polish...for the hundredth time since the meeting had started.
"Wait, what?!" Steve asked.
"Captain, I know you and Tony aren't on the best of terms, but this is a matter of safety," Dr. Banner reasoned. Rogers sighed, and nodded curtly.
"I guess that just leaves the HOW. As in, HOW do we get to Asgard? I don't think the crosstown bus has added that stop yet," Nat asked in a sarcastic tone. Loki, Thor and I simply smiled at each other.
"Heimdall," we said.
"Who?" everyone else asked.
"The Gatekeeper of The Nine Realms," I explained. Loki smirked, held his hand out, and his scepter flew directly into his grip. Almost as fast, an arrow appeared in The Hawk's bow, ready to be loosed - and it was aimed directly at Loki's throat. The Assassin looked as though someone had just stomped on his puppy, and he was ready to render his justice. One thing that has never been said of Loki is that he is slow to grasp an idea; so it was that he noticed Hawk's discomfort and battle stance immediately. Loki deliberately caught Barton's eye, held it, and said, "While there may be better places for an apology, Agent Barton, there will never be a better time. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard and Jotunheim, do apologize for my thoughtless and cruel treatement of you at our first meeting," he paused, and after a thought, continued. "I will never harm you or yours again, I swear on all you hold sacred."
The Avengers held their breath as one.
After a moment that seemed an eternity, Clint nodded, and sheathed his arrow. I noticed Loki had held his breath as well, and he let it out in a small puff.
"Ah, Where'd that come from?" Nat asked, gesturing to the Scepter.
Loki laughed, and pulled me over to him. I knew what he was about to do, so I held on to him tightly, and squeezed my eyes shut. Loki pounded the scepter on the ground, and the boardroom immediately disappeared from around us. It got very cold and I started to shiver; when I felt it warm up again, I relaxed my grip and opened my eyes on the Glory that was Asgard's Rainbow Bridge. In spite of the grimness of the situation, I smiled.
"Hello, Heimdall," Loki said, with genuine warmth in his voice.
"Hi Heimdall," I said over my shoulder. My back was to the Gatekeeper, as I was facing Loki when we were transported from Stark Tower. Heimdall raised a golden eyebrow at me, and looked confused.
"Lady Astrid...I did not expect to see you here," he said.
I chuckled a little. "Believe me, it was not in my plans either, Gatekeeper. I -"
"Oh Lord, I think I'm gonna be sick!" Steve said in a strained voice. Loki and I turned around, and saw the rest of the team show up behind us.
"If you keep your eyes closed for a minute it helps," Dr. Banner chuckled. He had Tony slung over his back in a fireman's carry, but it seemed for a moment that he might need to do the same for Captain America. This time, I succeeded in keeping the inappropriate smirk OFF of my face.
After we took care of Steve, we started to walk to the palace.
"I am not ashamed to say that I am not looking forward to this," Loki said uneasily.
"Neither am I," I replied.
Thor carried himself with pride and ease as we walked into the throne room.
"We wish to see Odin All-Father," Thor announced to the guards. One scurried through the ornate double doors to announce our party. He almost twisted his head off looking back over his shoulder at the "Traitor Prince", as I'd heard Loki called in whispers along the hallway.
"Is he a nice guy?" Nat whispered.
"To a degree," Loki whispered back.
The doors swung open, and we walked in. Thor greeted his Father first, and introduced the rest of our group.
"Hello, All-Father," Loki said, hiding the unease in his voice.
"Loki," His Father greeted him, and smiled. I hid myself mostly behind Loki, my heart pounding nearly out of my chest. "And, who is behind you, Loki?" Odin asked with a small smile.
I took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind Loki.
"Greetings, All-father," I said, curtsying deeply. Odin nodded, and his wife Freya leaned over and whispered into his ear.
"What is your name, Lady?" he asked, though his face said he knew the answer - just didn't fully believe it.
"Astrid Svensdottir, All-father" I told him.
"Indeed, you are. You may rise, Lady Astrid, and be welcome back to Asgard," he said, a surprised smile on his face. Freya just beamed. I smiled quickly at my father figure, rose and went back behind Loki. He held my hand tightly, and drew me out, to stand next to him, rather than behind him. Right at this moment, I was very glad that Loki couldn't read my mind. There were so many things going through my head right now, but I knew that sorting the thoughts could wait till later. Odin wanted to speak with Thor and Loki alone, regarding their stunning news about The Other.
Loki told me that he would find me after his council with his father. I uneasily parted with him, and was shown to my room.
It was beautiful. ```````````
The bed was huge, and the curtains were linen, and had beautiful, elaborate designs on them. I sighed heavily and flopped down on my bed. I moaned, as it was even softer than it looked.
I started to think about how I felt. I was very confused, and I could tell that Loki was, too. He was my best friend, but I also had different feelings for him. I had started to remember more about my life with Loki before; now I was getting another memory.
"Loki, please...do you have to do this?" I had asked him, a pleading tone to my voice. He had hugged me close and looked at me with a sad look on his face.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Astrid. I promise you, I will be back." he told me, and kissed me. My feelings in the memory were not shocked, they were just happy. The idea that came to my mind at that moment, was that Loki and I - were actually...together. Once Loki had left the memory, it all went black, and a new memory began.
I felt happy in this memory, too. I was sitting in the dining hall, speaking with Sif.
"My Lady Astrid!" a servant called, running through the hall.
"Helga? Helga, what is wrong?" I asked, running to meet her. She looked at me, a sorry look to her face.
"No," I said, stumbling backwards. "What happened?" I asked.
"He fell into space...I am so sorry," she said, tears running down her face. I nodded, and started towards the gates.
"W-where are you going, My Lady?" Helga asked, becoming worried for me.
"Dear Helga, you will not see me again," I said, grimly, and kept walking.
I had gotten to the edge of the bridge...and jumped. It all went black again...but then the light came back.
"WHAT IN THE NINE REALMS?!"
"Ah, good, I see you're up," The next memory started, but finished just then.
I gasped. That was the day I had woken up.
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"Astrid?" Nat asked, knocking on my door.
"Come on in, Nat!" I said, shaking my head, trying to clear it.
She came in, wearing a new dress.
"Nice!" I said.
"Really?" she asked, chuckling a bit.
"Yes, you really look nice!" I said.
"Oh, thanks! Now, lets see you," she said, sitting down on my couch.
I sighed, and got up, spinning to give the full effect of the dress. It was white and floor length, with long sleeves that ended in a point, with a loop that went around my index finger.
As I say, it was white, and just for my amusement, had snowflake designs on it. And, I had a white crystal headpiece, placed on top of my spiky hair.
"You look beautiful!" she said, smiling.
"Yes, you do," Loki said, leaning up against the door frame, smiling.
I sighed, and all of the stress left my body. I knew I had to talk to him about my memory...but I didn't really know how.
"I'll give you two some privacy," Natasha smiled, quickly leaving the room. Loki walked in, closing the door after him.
"How did the council go?" I asked, sitting down on the couch with him.
"It went well. Thor and the Guard are going out in the morning to try and locate The Other," Loki informed me. I nodded, understanding the urgency of the matter.
"Now, there is something I need to tell you...", I said, trailing off.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I remembered something while you were gone," I said, and touched my fingers to his temples. I saw the memories flash before his eyes, as well as mine. He nodded when the memory was over. He held my face in his hands, and kissed me - but, this time, it felt different. I tingled all over, and all of my hair stood on end. Every inch of my body felt warm. I finally realized that I did truly love Loki.
He slowly pulled away and stared at me.
"How did that feel?" he asked.
"Amazing," I said with a silly chuckle.
He smiled.
"How did it feel to you?" I asked.
"Too amazing for words," he said, chuckling as well.
I smiled wide, and hugged him.
"I love you," I said, resting my head on his shoulder.
"I love you ,too," he said, and he smiled.
