Chapter 2: Waiting and Fighting

Anora slammed the door of her room in a fury. Thor was taking forever to get down to Midgard! At this rate she would never be able to avenge her father! Frost crawled up the walls of her room as she paced and, without knowing it, she began to change into her Frost Giant form. As she stalked around the room, Anora failed to notice Clint in the airvent, watching with amazement. Only when he began to creep back down the pipes did she see him. Anora created a tendril of ice that curled around Clint's ankles and hauled him down onto her bed. "Please don't tell anyone," she begged. Clint winced and rubbed his ankles while he thought. "Sorry," whispered Anora and healed him with a quick incantation. Clint eyed her suspiciously.

"Can you tell me the whole story of what you are and stuff?" Anora grimaced. Her skin began to pale, and her red eyes turned back to their usual violet.

"Only if you swear never to tell the others unless you have my permission." Clint shrugged and said he wouldn't. "Ok, have you heard Thor talk about the Frost Giants?" Clint nodded. "Well, that's what I am. My father, King Laughey of Jotunheim, was slain in Asgard. I was forbidden from going to Asgard by him and cannot discover the truth about his death. I decided to come here and speak to Thor about my father's demise." Clint nodded.

"And what did you ride to get here?"

"An ice dragon."

"A what?"

"An ice dragon. They live in caves in the cliffs of Jotunheim. They're extremely hard to tame and can go to other realms, but rarely do. The one that you saw me riding was my mother's gift to me before she died. Her name is Azura." Clint rose off of the bed.

"So basically, you're from another world."

"Aye."

"Typical. We always get the aliens. Why can't the Fantastic Four get them for once? Or the X-men? Why the Avengers?" Anora shrugged and was about to answer when a blast shook the building. "I gotta go," Clint said and ran out of the room. Anora followed after another blast struck the tower. She saw Clint, Steve, Natasha, and Bruce clamber into a Quinjet and take off. Tony ran by her in his suit. Anora watched as he flew out of sight. After grabbing one of their intercom things and placing it in her ear, she listened and watched. Mortals were streaming away from the Tower, screaming.

"What the heck?" Tony cried. "It can't be!"

"What can't be?" Steve cried.

"These are Justin Hammer's copies of my Iron Man suit, only more advanced!"

"What?!" Natasha screamed. She was silently beginning to panic, remembering how hard it had been to beat these things last time.

"You heard me Natalie Rushman!"

"Hawkeye, drop me down there! You two stay up here and get as many as you can! Bruce…" An unearthly yell from Iron Man drowned out Steve's words and a ripping sound followed.

"Clint, open the door!"

"On it!" A roar sounded and Anora watched the Hulk leap out of their Quinjet. She watched as at least two dozen Iron Man copies swarmed towards the Avengers. For a while they held their own, but more and more robots came and soon they showed signs of being overrun and out teched. Finally Anora couldn't stand watching anymore. She made the elevator go as fast as it possibly could and ran out the door.

"Anora!" she heard Steve cry. "You can't…" He was cut short by a robot leaping on him. He knocked it off easily but was leapt on by three more. Anora swiftly ran towards him, changing forms as she went. Her fist clenched an ice sword and she decapitated the three machines with one swipe. Steve gaped at her as she helped him up. In her Frost Giant form, she was now slightly taller than him by, maybe, an inch. Her red eyes gleamed with intensity as she glanced behind him.

"Duck," she said. As he knelt, she shot a barrage of ice shards towards several robots and then leapt forwards over him. She swung her sword easily and was soon joined by Steve.

"This normal?" he called.

"Quite!"

"What are you?"

"Jotun, from Jotunheim!"

"Figures! You have a com right?" Steve shoved back a robot that knocked several others over. Anora crouched, then leaped at least twenty five feet in the air. When she landed, a tendril of ice ran through the ground and popped back up about ten feet away, impaling two Hammeroids in the chest with razor sharp spikes.

"Aye!"

"Good! Now you can communicate with everyone!" Steve said. He and Anora went back to back and Clint had come out of the Quinjet and was shooting from a rooftop.

"I guess that my promise is null and void?" he said sarcastically. Anora laughed and sliced a robots leg off.

"Only to the Avengers!" Bullets flew everywhere and it was chaos. Anora realized that her joining the fray had helped, but not by much. A helicopter landed on the helipad and Justin Hammer stepped out. He pressed a button and all of the robots activated thrusters and hovered around him. Tony hovered in front of him, arms outstretched and prepared to shoot him with repulsors.

"C'mon, why don't you shoot, Tony?" Steve muttered. Anora wondered the same thing. She squinted and could make out Justin holding Pepper Potts by the arm. Her arms were bound behind her back and she was gagged. Justin held a 22 mm pistol to Pepper's head and he and Tony were speaking to each other. Tony slowly lowered his arms. Anora glanced at Steve and saw on his face what was going to happen. Tony would surrender, the Avengers would follow suit, and Justin Hammer would have complete access to all of Stark Industries weapons, equipment and all of Tony's projects and Iron Man suits. It would be a disaster. Anora slowly shrank and her skin lost its blue hue. Natasha landed the Quinjet and joined them. The Hulk slowly morphed into Bruce, who ducked into the Quinjet. As Anora looked up, she realized that a gray cloud was forming. It struck her what that meant. She sped into the Tower and made Jarvis make the elevator go as fast as it possibly could. She arrived at the helipad floor just as Tony landed and his suit came off. Justin Hammer laughed and said something that Anora couldn't hear. Five robots swooped off and reappeared, holding Steve, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint. They were disarmed and swiftly bound. The fifth robot was empty handed. Justin Hammer frowned and said something. Anora strained to hear.

"Where's that girl that was with you? My Hammeroid didn't find her."

"She was just there." Clint said. "Just some random civilian."

"No, she wasn't and you know it. Have you brought another monster to the party?" Hammer sneered at Bruce and cocked the pistol. "You know Tony, you basically ruined me, so now I'll ruin you. Say goodbye, Pepper." Anora couldn't stand by any longer. She leapt out of hiding and knocked the gun out of Hammer's hands right before he could pull the trigger.

"You know," she said. "I don't tend to like folks who kidnap people and try to kill them." Anora pushed Pepper towards Tony and moved towards the helicopter. Hammer backed out of her way. Anora knelt next to the helicopter and placed her right hand on the ground. No one could see the ice forming under their feet. Anora kept talking and keeping the attention on her so no one would notice the sharp spikes coming up behind the Avengers to cut their bonds. Natasha could feel the ice and struggled to break off a piece, but that wasn't needed. Anora made it expand enough to the slice the ropes easily. As soon as her icy tendril had done its work, she rose and spoke authoritatively. "Hammer, you wish to control this world, but there are many others. In fact, one will come your way in about five seconds." Anora moved away from the helicopter and watched as a beam of rainbow light engulfed the craft. While everyone else was distracted, Steve and Natasha grabbed their weapons that were lying in a heap on the floor beside them. The light vanished and Anora saw two flying boats hovering there. One of the pilots she recognized as Thor, and the other one looked familiar, though she could not place him. Anora grabbed the front of Thor's boat and hauled herself in. Thor's hammer was ready and he was scowling. Anora held up her hands.

"I can control this boat while you help them, Thor," she said, gesturing at the Avengers who were once again pitted against the machines. The god eyed her. "I won't betray you," she promised.

"I will put manacles on you in order to make sure. Betray me, and I will take you to Asgard for justice." Anora nodded and held out her hands. She felt cold steel around her wrists, but didn't look down. Thor leaped off the boat and into the fray. Anora took the stick and swerved to the side experimentally. She nearly crashed into a wall and heard a quiet chuckle. Angrily, she glared at the other pilot. He was slender, with shoulder length black hair and green and black clothing. He wore no armor.

"Be quiet," she snapped. "I've only read about how to do this!" The god smirked.

"Well, since you're doing such a brilliant job, I will leave you to it."

"Thanks," Anora said, returning his sarcasm. The god shrugged and turned away. Anora noticed that he was also handcuffed. A stray bullet flew towards her and she ducked with inhuman speed. Her movement caused a robot to come her way. Frantically, she looked around for a button that fired the guns. Frantically, she swerved to the side, and went down the side of the tower. The god that was in the second boat followed. Several more Hammeroids followed the first. Anora frantically pulled up and flew down a street. She wanted to scream for help, but there was no one who could help her. She swerved around a building so fast that two machines crashed into it. The other four robots closed in. Anora waited until they were right behind her, and then leapt straight up, grabbing the guns of the other boat. She hung there, the manacles preventing her from climbing into the boat. They flew back to the Tower, Anora's grip weakening with every second.

Hang on, we're almost there, came a thought beam. Anora thought back.

Well, go faster! I'm about to die! There was a grim acknowledgement and they sped up. As they passed over the helipad, Anora dropped, simply unable to hang on any longer. She fell, and was caught by Clint. Anora slumped against the archer, exhausted. Steve approached her. She straightened, ashamed to have shown any weakness in front of the mortals. Clint glanced at her hands.

"Thor, what's this?" Clint knelt and began trying to pry the handcuffs apart. Anora looked around. Natasha was standing guard over Justin Hammer and talking to S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony was hugging Pepper, and Thor was speaking with the raven haired god who had saved her. She beamed a thought towards him.

Thanks.

Be more careful next time mortal! I am getting scolding by this bumbling oaf and it is humiliating!

Well, sorry. I'll get out of your head now. I backed out of his mind and went back into my own body. Thor approached and easily took the cuffs off of her hands.

"My apologies, but I cannot be too careful. Many have betrayed me."

"Anora saved my life," Steve said. "I don't think she'd betray you." Thor shrugged. He turned to the Avengers. "My friends, I cannot be here for very long. I have only come to bring you the news of Loki's punishment." Everyone else was looking at him. No one had noticed the other god yet. Anora felt like she should know him. She closed her eyes and concentrated, zooming back through her memories. Growing up in Jotunheim…playing games with her father…her mother's death…visitors from Asgard asking about the trio of Frost Giants that had broken into the weapons vault…the fight that had followed…That's it! She realized. He's one of those! Anora remembered watching from the top of a cliff while the warriors fought. She remembered wanting to join in the fray, but wasn't allowed to. At the time, it had made no sense to her why she had been trained as a warrior and couldn't fight. As she had watched, she realized that the Asgardians were more skilled than legend said. She watched as a warrior charged towards a man with green and black clothing and gold armor. The man was trapped at the edge of a pit and Anora knew there was no way out. She had watched as the man stood perfectly still…and the Frost Giant warrior fell over the edge of the pit. The man still stood. Anora had stared in amazement, wondering if he had ducked, when the real man dismissed the illusion. After he had done that, he stood there for a minute. Anora had sprung down the short cliff, jumping from ledge to ledge and had landed in front of him.

Her green cape and gold beads and stands in her hair had proclaimed her as royalty. The two had regarded each other, the noise of the battle fading away. Anora had felt like she should know him and he felt the same way. She had slowly lowered her dagger and conjured up an ice wall to carry her up to her former position. She had paused at the edge and looked back, meeting in his clear green eyes. Then, after a few seconds of staring into each other's eyes (No, it was not romantic like at all), she had left. Now, Anora realized that this was the same man, but with much more bitterness and hate. She knew he wouldn't recognize her, and she didn't care to turn Frost Giant in front of Thor. Speaking of Thor…

"And Loki has been banished to Midgard. He has had wards placed around him to contain his magic. You are the only people who can contain him and," he glanced at Anora as if he could sense her giant blood, "You already have a tenant."

"I'm here because I need to speak with you!" Anora said.

"Is it a matter of some length?"

"Aye…"

"Then it shall have to wait until my next visit. Friends, these ships are a present from the king of Asgard. They are well suited for battle. Loki can help you fly them. Good day." With a call of, "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!" Thor was sucked away by a rainbow beam, leaving the Avengers with a very dangerous criminal and a Frost Giant that no one knew what to expect from.

So, Anora and Loki are basically stuck in the same Tower whether they like it or not. Neither of them has any idea that they are related and...yeah. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, it's been kinda hectic. Also the internet was being weird. The story pic is my idea of Anora's Frost Giant form, and I would love it if you would review! Please? Anyways, see ya when I next update!

- Lokisawesome