Disclaimer - I do not own Marvel, Thor and anything else related to the two. I only own my original character Arabella as well as anything else that seems out of place.

Thank you to those that have reviewed, favorited and followed this story and myself I do greatly appreciate it.


Thor, Selvig, Darcy, and Jane sit at a table in the local diner. Selvig and Darcy watch as Thor eats ravenously from a huge mound of steak and eggs. A couple other full plates – pancakes and biscuits and gravy – are piled high before him.

Jane's eager, her notebook at the ready. "Now tell us exactly what happened to you last night."

Thor looks her in the eyes, staring, intrigued. Jane gets flustered, looks away.

"Maybe start with how you got inside that cloud."

"And how you could eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts and still be this hungry?"

Jane shoots Darcy a withering look.

Thor downs a cup of coffee. "This drink, I like it."

Darcy smiles at him, "I know. It's great, right? Isabela makes the best coffee in town."

Thor hurls the empty mug at the ground, shattering it. "Another!"

Isabela Alvarez, a woman in her 60's and the diner's proprietor, glares at Thor from behind the counter.

"Sorry, Izzy. Little accident."

"Yo voy a pagar la taza." Isabela turns to a waitress and starts venting quickly in Spanish. "Did you see that? The first time she brings a man in here, and he's a lunatic!"

"What was that?"

He doesn't understand. The other patrons stare at him. "It was delicious. I want another."

"Well, you could have just said so."

"I just did."

"No, I mean, ask for it. Nicely."

"I meant no disrespect."

"All right. Well, no more smashing, deal?"

"You have my word."

"Good."

A few townies, looking bedraggled, enter and take a seat at the counter. They are two of them men from the crater. Among them is the Drunk Townie Jake, who is not presently drunk.

Isabela smiles at them, "Morning, Pete. Jake."

Pete smiles back at her, "The usual, please, Izzy."

Isabela pours them a couple cups of coffee.

"You missed all the excitement out at the crater." Jake tells her.

"What crater?"

Jane and Selvig overhear this, exchange a look, turn to the Townies with interest.

"They're saying some kind of satellite landed out in the desert."

"We were having a good time with it till the Feds showed up, chased us out."

Jane quickly turns to the men, "Excuse me, did you say there was a satellite crash?"

"Yep. They said it was radioactive. And I had my hands all over it. I'm probably sterile now."

Thor, unconcerned, prepares to dig into the giant pile of pancakes.

Darcy is amazed by the sight. "Oh, my God. This is going on Facebook." Darcy whips out her cellphone. "Smile!"

Thor gives her the biggest closed mouth smile he can muster with his mouth full of food.

Selvig urges the men, "What did the satellite look like?"

"I don't know nothing about satellites. But it was heavy. Real heavy. Nobody could lift it."

This gets Thor's attention. Thor springs to his feet, heading over to Drunk Townie Jake, and pulls the man around to face him.

"Where?!"

"Fifty miles west of here."

Thor grins, his spirits soaring, as he quickly strides out of the diner.

"I wouldn't bother! Looked like the whole Army was coming in when we left!"


Outside in the street, Thor studies the position of the sun, gauging his bearings. Jane, Darcy, and Selvig catch up to him.

"Where are you going?"

"Fifty miles west of here." He starts to stride determinedly down the street.

Jane walks with him. "Why?"

"To get what belongs to me."

"So now you own a satellite?"

Thor turns to her smiling, "It's not what they say it is."

"Whatever it is, the government seems to think it's theirs. You intend to just walk in there and take it?"

"Yes." He stops walking. "If you take me there now, I'll tell you everything you wish to know."

"Everything?"

"All the answers you seek will be yours, once I reclaim Mjolnir."

Darcy looks to the others. "Myeu-muh? What's "Myeu-muh?"

Jane studies Thor. He looks sincere. She's nearly swayed when Selvig jumps in. "Can I have a word, Jane." He pulls her aside. Thor can tell that Selvig doesn't much care for him. "Please don't do this."

"You know what we saw last night. This can't be a coincidence. I want to know what's in that crater."

"I'm not talking about the crater. I'm talking about him."

"He's promised us answers."

"He's delusional! Listen to what he's saying! "Thor." "Bifrost." "Mjolnir." These are the stories I grew up with as a child!"

"I'd just be driving him out there, that's all."

"It's dangerous. He's dangerous."

After a moment, she nods. They head back over to Thor.

"I'm sorry. I can't take you."

"I understand. Then this is where we say goodbye." He takes her hand and kisses it.

"That's... thank you."

Thor bows slightly to each of them. "Jane Foster... Erik Selvig... Darcy. Farewell." He gives them a slight final bow then turns and heads off down the street.


Selvig looks relieved. "Now... let's get back to the lab. We have work to do."

Selvig and Darcy turn and start to go. Jane looks after Thor as he walks away down the street.

Jane, Selvig, and Darcy head up the street. They're by Arturo's, when a pick-up truck pulls up before them, stopped by traffic. In the back of the vehicle, Jane notices, partially covered by a tarp, the dark matter analysis machine from her lab.

"Hey! That's my stuff!"

Jane, Selvig, and Darcy reach the lab, where government vehicles are parked. SHIELD Agents haul equipment out of the lab and load it into waiting vans. Other Agents strip all the equipment from inside the Pinzgauer and cart it away. Still others emerge from her trailer, arms loaded with scientific instruments and documents.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

The Agents ignore her as Agent Coulson approaches. "Ms. Foster, I'm Agent Coulson, with SHIELD."

Selvig, recognizing the name of the organization, grows wary.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me? I don't care who you work for, you can't do this!"

Selvig takes her arm, "Jane. This is more serious than you realize. Let it go."

"Let it go?! This is my life!"

"We're here investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your equipment and all your atmospheric data."

"By "appropriate" do you mean "steal?"

Instead of answering, Coulson gives her a check. "This should more than compensate you for your trouble."

She throws the check to the ground without looking at it. "I can't just pick up replacements from RadioShack! I made most of this equipment myself!"

"Then I'm sure you can do it again."

"And I'm sure I can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!"

"We're the good guys, Ms. Foster."

He tries to walk away, but Jane blocks his path. She is fully herself, fueled by outrage.

"So are we! I'm on the verge of understanding something extraordinary." Jane holds up her notebook. "And everything I know about this phenomenon is either in this lab and in this book, and no one has the right to take it from me… Hey!"

Coulson gestures to a nearby Agent, who promptly plucks the notebook out of Jane's hands and adds it to the pile he's carrying. Jane is stunned.

"Thank you for your cooperation." He gets into a car. The cars and trucks pull away.


Jane, Selvig, and Darcy sit up on the roof, staring in shock at the now-empty space.

"Years of research, gone."

"They even took my iPod." Darcy says glumly.

"And your back-ups?"

"Look around! They took our back- ups. They took the back-ups of our back-ups. They were extremely thorough."

"I just downloaded, like, thirty songs on there."

"Will you please stop talking about your iPod?!" She turns to Erik, "Who are these people?"

"No one knows much about them. But I knew a scientist – a pioneer in gamma radiation. SHIELD showed up, and he was never heard from again."

"I'm not going to let them do this. I'm getting everything back."

"Please, let me contact one of my colleagues. Dr. Pym has had some dealings with these people. I'll e-mail him and see if he can help."

"They took your laptop, too."

Selvig gives Darcy an annoyed look before thinking…


Arabella strides into the throne room, kneeling down at the bottom of the stairs, she bows her head. "My Lord, may I speak with you."

Loki smiles at his friend, "Bella you need not bow to me, ever. Nor do I wish you to address me so formally."

She lifts her head, a small smile gracing her face but it is quickly replaced with a look of concern. Loki watches a flurry of emotions flit across her face as she stands before him.

"I need answers Loki, and I very much hope you will honor me with the truth."

Loki nods his head, sitting patiently, awaiting her concerns.

"Now that I know what you are, I want you to know that I understand everything you have been through in your life."

Loki nods, he knew if anyone would understand it would be Arabella.

"However, I know you very well. So I know that if anyone had a motive and the means to bring the Frost-Giants here, it would be you."

Arabella searches his eyes for any indication she is wrong, but his face is a mask of stone. "You are the God of Lies, but I believe there is more to you than that. I know you are a good man, and would make a great King."

His pride swells with her admonition.

"But this is not the way a King gets his throne."

"I see where you are coming from Bella, but I hear no questions being asked, only your thoughts being spoken."

Arabella's temper flares, "Did you bring the Frost-Giants here?"

"Yes."

"You betrayed your family?"

"Yes."

"You betrayed me."

Loki finds he doesn't have an answer for her, this was not a question, it was a statement. Truthfully, Arabella was the last person Loki ever wanted to hurt and now he had done the worst thing imaginable. She had stood by him every day for the last two years she had been there. She had taken to him more quickly than she had Thor and the two had been nigh inseparable.

She was his best friend. He knew he could never lie to her and he hadn't. Even though he knew what could happen if he told her the truth. And yet… Here she was still standing before him. She wasn't calling for the guards, she wasn't berating him or worse beating him to a pulp, which she could. She was simply standing there regarding him with a look of… understanding.

He had betrayed his home, his family and her. And she understood. That floored Loki. He had no idea what to say, and before he could say anything, the guards announced the oncoming presence of the warriors.

"We will finish this later." Arabella warns him, finality in her tone as she moves up standing beside him on the throne.

"I look forward to it." He is surprised to see her standing next to him, just as his mother would for Odin. Perhaps he could finally have everything he wanted.


Two Einherjar guards enter, admitting Sif and the Warriors Three, who burst through the entrance, heads bowed.

Lady Sif steps forward first, "Allfather, we must speak with you urgently—"

But as they raise their heads, they stop short to see – Loki. Sitting sprawled upon his father's throne. He wears his horned ceremonial headdress and holds Gungnir in his hand, Arabella standing beside him. Sif and the others look up, shocked at the sight before them.

Loki smirks, "My friends... you haven't heard? I am now Ruler of Asgard."

Fandral looks around, "Where is Odin?"

"Father has fallen into the Odinsleep. Mother fears he may never awaken again."

Again Sif speaks first, "We would speak with her."

Loki notices as the four exchange glances.. "She has refused to leave my father's bedside. You can bring your "urgent" matter to me." He sits up slowly, then stands. "Your King."

Sif covers quickly as the four kneel to their King. "My King, we would ask that you end Thor's banishment."

Loki scoffs as he descends the steps towards them. "My first command cannot be to undo the Allfather's last. We're on the brink of war with Jotunheim. Our people need a sense of continuity, in order to feel safe in these difficult times. All of us must stand together, for the good of Asgard."

Sif stands up taking a step towards Loki, but she is stopped by Fandral who looks to his King. "Of course."

"Good. Then you will wait for my word."

Volstagg clears his throat, "If I may… beg the indulgence of Your Majesty to perhaps reconsider…"

"We're done!"

Sif and the Warriors Three bow their heads and exit. Loki stares after them.


…Selvig and Jane in the Pinzgauer drive up in front of the town's rinky-dink library. A sign in the window reads, "FREE INTERNET."

"I'll just be a minute." He climbs out and heads inside.

It's story time in the library, as a Librarian reads a book – "THE SECRET HISTORY OF GIANTS" – to a group of kids.

"And though they're large, giants can be quiet. You have to listen carefully for the sound of their footsteps – because they may be closer than you think."

Nearby, Selvig sits at a computer terminal, finishing up his e-mail. Beside him, a kid flips through a book with interest. The Librarian stops mid-story and calls to the Kid pleasantly.

"Joshua, come sit down. It's story time." The Kid closes his book and joins the others.

Selvig looks over, notices the title of the book the Kid was reading – "MYTHS AND LEGENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD." He picks it up, flips through it, stops at the section on Scandinavian Mythology. It's a picture of a rainbow bridge coming down from Asgard to earth. Asgardians walk upon it, among them Odin, Loki, and Thor, who wields Mjolnir. On the ground below them, a group of Vikings kneel reverently. He eyes the illustration, pondering.


Jane looks down the street and sees something that intrigues her.

Thor enters a pet store and approaches the clerk. "I need a horse!"

"Sorry, we don't sell horses. Just dogs, cats, birds..."

"Then give me one of those large enough to ride."

The Pet Store Clerk looks confused. Just then, Thor hears a car horn. He turns to the open door. Across the street, Jane calls to him from the Pinzgauer.

"You still want a lift?"

Jane's Pinzgauer cuts off the road, heads over the rugged terrain. Storm clouds roll in over the desert sky. Jane drives, pumped with adrenaline, nervous and excited, as Thor sits beside her, upbeat and eager for battle.

"I've never done anything like this before. Have you ever done anything like this before?"

Thor looks amused by her excitement. "Many times. You're brave to do it."

"They just stole my entire life's work. I really don't have much left to lose."

"But you're clever. Far more clever than anyone else in this Realm."

"Realm?" "Realm?" Why do you talk like that?"

"You think me strange?"

Jane laughs but catches herself. "Yeah. Just a little."

"Good strange or bad strange?"

"I'm not quite sure yet."

She looks at him, sees him staring at her. She's lost in his gaze, distracted, when the Pinzgauer lurches. She quickly turns her eyes forward, regains control of the car.

"Sorry." She glances back at him. He's confident, determined. "Who are you? Really?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"You promised me answers."

Thor looks at her, charmed by her persistence. "What you seek – it's a bridge."

"A bridge? Like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?"

"More like a Rainbow Bridge."

A beat passes. "God, I hope you're not crazy."

As the Pinzgauer heads away having no idea what awaits them over the hillside. A light illuminating the valley beyond, a massive SHIELD base. Now set up around the crater – vehicles, trailers, barricades. Armed guards man a gate in the razor wire fence that runs fifty yards from the crater's edge, enclosing the complex. Clear, plastic access tubes with junction boxes lead to a translucent cube structure erected in the middle of the crater. Through the glass walls of the base's command trailer, we see Coulson directing technicians, busy at work. Within the cube structure itself, a team of SHIELD scientists work with high-tech machinery, analyzing the object at the center of it all – Mjolnir.