Chapter 10

"Miss Swan, we are ready for you."

Morning came all too soon. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and slept for hours, but it all seemed like seconds. After dressing up, I was lead to breakfast. It wasn't a special occasion, just my last meal on Earth and they gave me scrambled eggs with cheese. It was nowhere as memorable as last supper Jesus had and there was no DA Vinci in sight painting me. I didn't want to think and I didn't want to talk so I left the tablet on the bed. It will be of no use in Asgard and there is nothing left to discuss with mortals.

When it was time to leave, I was ready. Steve and Dr. Banner approached me and escorted me to starting point to Asgard. Being true patriot Steve thanked and praised me for my sacrifice. It was my brilliant idea to get to Asgard and I don't know why I thought it will be so hard to convince them sending me off is what they should do. They couldn't wait to jump on the opportunity to get rid of big threat I represented for the rest of them. It is maybe the thing about humans, they don't have loyalty to their own kind.

"Brilliant Thor, just brilliant. You are foolish enough to bring both the Tesseract and her to Asgard?"

"Lady Swan is coming with me. As time goes, I am growing less convinced that I should bring you back too."

They bickered and bickered... I was invisible in their company, at least to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who saw me as no threat and rather had their eyes on Loki. It seemed that only Loki looked at me, but he was insulting me and no one shut him up. Thor was for some reason, gentle towards him I would say, scolding him like he would a child rather than firmly putting an end to the criminal's nonsense. Agent Romanoff who was annoyed as I was, stopped the march to the promised land and handed me a taser.

"You can't be serious." Loki mocked.

Agent Romanoff thought this is a good idea, I didn't. Staring at the weapon in my sweaty hands, I only thought how Loki will get back at me if I do this. Even if he is to be killed off tomorrow he will find a way, I am positive. The teaser can not hurt him much because he is a god though. God, but also an incredible pain in the ass who continues to throw insults regarding my mortality and calling me incompetent. The Taser felt like a gun in my hand, like one Charlie had.

"The mortal will only hurt herself with it."

I raised the Taser as I looked at Loki, right in the eyes. Chained man was daring me to do it, but expecting I won't. He was wrong and when I pulled the trigger, he fell on his ass from the surprise instead of the pain the high voltage electric shock causes. The agents jumped at him blocking my view and when they moved and pulled him back on his feet, Loki had a muzzle on his mouth. They shut him up and though I wanted to do the same many times myself, it was beyond cruel.

"Hold tightly my hand and grab... Erm, Loki's with another." Thor instructed.

I looked at Loki when I wrapped a hand around his wrist. He had a look in his eyes that told me exactly how much he would like to throw me to the void. I tried not to think of anything, but I was leaving my planet to possibly more hostile one. Every third word that Thor spoke of Asgard was warriors or battles so my anxiety is I feel justified. I closed my eyes when light from the Tesseract embraced us. Distinctly I felt a hand squeezing my wrist harder.

Then we were spinning or at least my head was. I was told the journey wouldn't be long, but it lasted forever. For all that is holy, I swear I opened my eyes and it was darker than with closed eyes. Thor and Loki were gone and I was floating in nothingness. My body burned, wanted to toss the stone out. I felt it move left and right. And there was the odor, it was hard to breathe without suffocation in air reeking worse than peeled corpse.

"How did you get here, girl?" There was no point of turning in darkness when I couldn't perceive from which direction the voice comes.

What are you? I spoke inside my head hoping I'll be heard.

"Who sent you here?"

No one.

"Someone did. Who killed you?"

Killed me? I am not dead. Right?

"Fearless child. Your manners insult me."

Something went through me, it didn't last long, but it felt as if it sat under my skin and then I was falling. My feet touched the ground, I saw golden city and I knew I was in Asgard. Pain. Something I have not had to deal with since Volterra, decided to pay a visit. More severe than all vampire bites, I was put through combined. I was blinking tears away when I noticed my hands were blue. I rolled my sleeves up, met with more blue and burning.

I was in Asgard with Thor and Loki. I was at the safest place imaginable, but that nothingness from seconds ago wasn't part of the journey. And though I admit what happened to me, changed me greatly, I wasn't that mad to imagine the female voice I never heard before. She, if she is even she... Did something to me. I forgot what pain was and look at me now, sprawled on the floor, my muscles twitching, shrieks coming from my throat.

The pain didn't stop for days, in delirium, I vomited blood. All was blur, all but the realization that I can hide all I want, but the real danger is within me.

I didn't mention before, but I am grateful for incredible support this story gets.