And we're back! Astrid may or may not have a new ally - guess you'll just have to read on to find out. :) Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks!
-Rose
Karine blinked. There was No. Fucking. Way.
It was all on the table. Astrid had told Karine everything…answered every question she'd asked, kept her composure. If ANYONE would believe her, it was Karine.
"So, wait...let me get this straight. You're telling me that Loki - the ACTUAL GOD, LOKI - RAPED you at the Stuttgart Museum before ATTACKING Dr. Schaefer, and then got captured by Captain America, Iron Man, and a jet!?"
Astrid sat there, twisting the bottom of her shirt nervously between her hands. "Well, that's- "
"And THEN," Karine interrupted, "He ESCAPED from an advanced military airship, set up a secure base in the United States, PLANS TO CONQUER THE WORLD, and he came BACK here to talk to YOU, and NOW YOU WANT TO HELP HIM?!"
Astrid's heart was beating so hard she could hear it. "That's about the gist of it."
Karine stuttered. "I'm...just...Astrid, what are you thinking?! How is this even a question for you? You CAN'T do this!"
It was the reaction Astrid had expected, but even so, it was hard. She was still exhausted, her mind fuzzy from the stress.
"Karine," Astrid's voice shook as she spoke. "I AM going to do this...I'm not asking your permission. I told you what was bothering me. It's a lot, I know...but the game has changed, the WORLD is going to change. Millions of lives are at stake...I can't let that go."
Karine slumped back in her chair, head spinning. Had Astrid lost her mind?
"Look," said Astrid, "I'm leaving tonight and flying to New York. I have six hours - from here to there - to code the nanobots for enhancement. And...I don't know if I can do it...by myself..."
Karine's eyes snapped up and her breath caught in her throat, panic rising in her chest. "NO! No, no, no, no, no - for God's sake, Astrid, are you kidding me? You want my HELP!?"
Astrid swallowed hard, pleading. "Karine, please, we both know you're a genius coder, and this is too important to mess up. Don't shoot this down right away. Think about it."
Karine stuttered, unable to find the words. She couldn't. "Astrid, this is...this is nuts. There is absolutely no way. I'm not going to help start a WAR-"
"THE WAR IS HERE!" Astrid shouted over her. Karine went silent, surprised by the sudden outburst.
"I KNOW this sounds crazy!" Astrid said. "I KNOW it's hard to believe! But EVEN IF we do nothing, this war is going to happen. THIS IS STARTING IN A MATTER OF HOURS, AND I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!" Astrid's eyes filled with tears, but she never broke eye contact. She wanted Karine to see how debilitating this was for her, how she had to keep pushing down her doubt and guilt and disbelief.
For what felt like minutes, the tension between Astrid and Karine hung thick in the air. Finally, Astrid spoke quietly, her breath ragged. "I wouldn't ever ask something like this if it wasn't important. You know that. I've been tearing myself apart trying to deal with what's about to happen...I didn't ask for this, I don't know why or how I got caught up in it, but I had to pick a side, and I did. Be on this side with me, Karine, please…"
Karine's head felt like it was going to explode. This was crazy. Super crazy. She knew Astrid was going, whether she came along or not. But the thought of Astrid doing this by herself, doing something so stupid and dangerous...Karine knew she couldn't let her go alone.
And, in the back of her mind, another truth nagged her. For as long as she'd known her, Astrid had NEVER been wrong. Every major decision Astrid had ever made ended up being the right one. Whether that was because of her judgement, or if it was because once she decided something needed to happen she put every bit of herself into it until it became reality, the future that Astrid imagined always came to be. If Astrid really believed in this, she was going to make it happen.
Astrid was going to help a sociopath launch an invasion on New York. And Karine couldn't stop her. But at the very least, she could protect her.
"OK. I'll come with you"
Tears rolled down Astrid's cheeks, and she hugged Karine tight, sobbing. Karine hugged her back, tightly, nervously. What was she getting herself into?
Astrid felt Karine's hesitation, but It didn't matter. She was just grateful, finally, to not be alone.
That evening, after finishing their day at work as normally as possible, they drove Karine's Mini Cooper to the Frankfurt-Hahn airport near Kirchberg. It was a long drive, and they didn't talk until finally, Karine broke the silence.
"Astrid, what is happening to you?"
"I told you, Karine. The world is about to change- "
"That's not it though, is it?" Karine pushed back.
Astrid stared straight ahead, feeling a heat swell in her stomach. "...it's not, huh?"
"I think...you are letting whatever feelings you have for...LOKI," Karine shuddered when she said his name, and had to start her thought over. "You're letting it affect your better judgement." Astrid's angry silence was all the confirmation Karine needed to know that there was at least some uncertainty in Astrid's mind. With that small indication, she kept pushing...
"Did you ever stop and think that maybe, MAYBE, he's taking advantage of you? You and I both know what this tech can do, and I'm still trying to figure out WHY you're risking everything we've done - everything we've built together - to help him. How are you so sure he's being honest with you? How do you know-"
"I KNOW, OK!?" Astrid yelled so loudly it made Karine jump. Karine stopped talking and held her breath. Astrid wasn't normally one to have outbursts, and she'd just had two over the course of a day. Karine honestly didn't know how to react. For a long time they sat in silence again, nothing but the hum of the tires on the road, and music from the radio.
Astrid sat seething. Her exhaustion and desperation had shifted into fiery rage. Not the same as the stone, not the dark feeling - no, it was anger AT Karine. Anger at having to keep defending herself, at having to fight her own misgivings as well as Karine's. But it was deeper than that - an anger at the situation, at having found herself in this position, at uprooting her whole life - and now her FRIEND'S life - due to circumstances outside of her control.
No, she wasn't angry at Karine, she was angry at how dubious everything seemed when she wasn't with Loki. She had always relied on Karine to support her in times of doubt, but now Karine was the one doubting her. When Astrid made her decision to take this path, she had been absolutely certain of her choice; now, faced with exhaustion, fear, anger...the only reason she didn't leave all this behind was the expectation...the hope…of what was to come.
"Astrid," Karine said after several minutes, softer. "I'm sticking with you, I'm here. But I'm worried for you."
Astrid responded, her voice low and serious, though the anger had subsided. "You DO know me, Karine. Better than anyone. And I know how nuts this is...it's all I think about lately. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be doing ANY of this. But...this is different. Nothing like this has EVER happened before. And when you see what's going on for yourself, I think you'll realize that, too."
Karine bit her tongue and kept driving. She had seen just how single-minded Astrid could be. She remembered when they first started working on the nanobot anatomy mapping; Karine watched her lock into that project, spend hours upon hours obsessively grinding through the tedious observations that formed the backbone of their work. When Karine swore she couldn't do another minute, Astrid pushed even harder. That level of drive, that unbending focus...if Astrid pointed that at anything, it would happen. Karine deeply, truly hoped that this WAS the right direction, for her friend...and for the rest of the world.
Her anxiety escalated when they pulled into the airport and grabbed their bags.
Each of them had taken enough nanobots to enhance more than 500 people, and they rolled their loaded suitcases hurriedly toward the building. Once they entered the terminal, they saw an older gentleman in a suit holding up a sign that said "Astrid." They walked over to him.
"Hi, I'm Astrid."
"You're going to see Loki?"
"Yes."
He nodded, took her bag, and began walking to the tarmac, Astrid and Karine following close behind. As they reached the doors, the man stopped and turned to Karine, eyeing her suspiciously. "He didn't say there would be another passenger."
"It's ok, she's with me." Astrid said confidently, locking eyes with him.
The man hesitated for a moment. "You know I'm going to have to tell him when we get on the plane..."
"That's fine." said Astrid. There was an edge of menace in her voice, and as she glared him down, Karine's eyes widened and she stared at Astrid. Every time she thought she saw the Astrid she knew, this different side of her would appear...how deep WAS this change?
Nervously, the man nodded, and they followed him outside. On the tarmac, a beautiful silver Learjet 75 was parked nearby. The man opened the stairs for them to enter.
Karine let out a quiet "wow" as they boarded the plane. Astrid smiled. Leather seats, crystal glassware hanging in the shake-proof cabinet, and plenty of room (and outlets) to work. It was downright luxurious. Karine and Astrid shared a look before they settled into their seats and set up their laptops.
"You ready?" Astrid asked, and Karine looked at her seriously. One last chance to try and stop this...
"I swear to god, Astrid, you'd better be right about this."
Astrid looked at her friend resolutely. "Trust me. I am"
Karine let out a VERY heavy sigh and opened her laptop. "OK. I'll work on the primary programming and adjust it for muscular and neural enhancement. You work out the details of what you want the bots to actually do. If we keep up a good pace, hopefully we'll have this locked down by the time we arrive."
Astrid smiled, her heart bursting with gratitude. "Thank you, Karine. For everything."
The look that Astrid gave Karine at that moment melted her heart. Astrid was her best friend, but she was so much more. She was her roommate, her research partner, her mentor. They had spent so much time together over the last four years, and she had always imagined the two of them spending the rest of their lives together, at the frontier of medical science, making discoveries and saving lives. Now, if this worked, they would still be changing the world...but in a different way. With one last sigh, Karine put in her earbuds and went to work. As the plane took off, the only sound in the cabin was the ticking of keyboards as Astrid and Karine prepared the nanobot program to create super soldiers.
The sun was just setting on New York as the Learjet 75 glided down to JFK Airport, landing smoothly on the tarmac and taxiing over to a quiet, private terminal. As the plane came to a stop, Astrid looked up, bags under her eyes, her neck and back aching from the constant typing over the course of the last six hours. She looked over at Karine, who was still zoned into her work. Astrid watched her, seeing her eyes flick back and forth as she checked and double-checked her coding. That had always impressed Astrid - the way Karine could just dive into something and perfect it. She couldn't imagine having done all this by herself - Karine was a genius, her code was beautiful. With Karine at the helm, Astrid knew the bots would work.
They hadn't spoken the entire time. When she finally looked up from her computer, Karine didn't look much better - her eyes were watering, and she had to stretch her arms over her head to get her back to straighten. "Done," she sighed, and pulled out her earbuds out. "The bots are programed to go into the muscular system and the the neural connectors. Please tell me you've got the code done for what they do once they get there."
"Muscular strength enhancement, reflex enhancement, and fine motor skill enhancement," Astrid responded. "Also, karate."
Karine looked stunned. "Astrid, did you seriously…"
"No! God no, Karine!" Astrid laughed. "How would I even DO that? But I did create one extra program...I think it will come in handy, if Loki's information is correct…"
Karine closed her eyes and rubbed her temples...the eye fatigue was hitting her, and a headache was spreading across her forehead. "Ugh, damnit, I hate it when this happens…" Karine complained. "I mean, not the first time, but still…"
They stood, packed their laptops, and brought their bags to the door. As the pilot opened the door, they saw, on the tarmac in front of them, a long black limo. And standing outside of the limo…
Astrid's heart jumped into her throat. It felt like years since she seen him - she'd spent so much time imagining him, longing for him...and now here he was.
Loki leaned against the vehicle, wearing a fitted black suit, black undershirt, black tie, black hair slicked back...and then he looked up with those crystal blue eyes. The way he looked at Astrid as she stepped out of the jet made her weak in the knees - a genuine smile, though not over-the-top; a look that instantly communicated he had been looking forward to their reunion as much as she had. She could practically see his heart start beating faster. It was electric.
She walked down to him, smiling brightly, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "God, I missed you…"
He looked into her eyes. "I missed you too," he said quietly, and he kissed her softly. It had been less than 24 hours, but it felt like it had been a lifetime….for both of them. For a moment, everything else faded as they held each other tightly.
Slowly, Loki's gaze turned up to Karine. "Is this Karine?" he asked, and that insanely charming smile broke across his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" He released Astrid and walked toward Karine, his hand extended to her. "I've heard so many good things."
"How much could you have heard in three days?" Karine asked skeptically, shaking his hand slowly and stepping off the last stair onto the tarmac.
He chuckled and gave Astrid a knowing look. "More than I think you would believe," he said.
Karine approached him straight on, locking eyes with him. "I'm here for Astrid." she said seriously, threateningly. "I trust her, not you."
Loki stopped for a moment of surprised hesitation, then sighed, seemingly expecting the reaction despite hoping for a different one. Though they had never met face-to-face, the connection he shared with Astrid had made him feel especially excited to meet Karine. "I understand," he said. "And it's a testament of your loyalty to Astrid that you've done so much to help her," he looked back to Astrid with another heart-melting gaze. "I should say, to help us." He smiled again before opening the door of the waiting vehicle. "Well, excuse the rush, but we are on a rather tight schedule." He gestured to the open door of the car, and Astrid lowered herself into the vehicle.
Once Astrid was inside, Loki looked up again at Karine, a disarmingly genuine expression of appreciation spread across his face. "Astrid does have excellent taste in the company she keeps...I'm glad you decided to come." he said, and with that, he climbed inside. Karine followed carefully. She still wasn't entirely convinced that this wasn't some Scientology bullshit that her friend had been Stockholm Syndrome-d into.
As they drove through the rural areas of upstate New York toward the bunker, the movement of the limo made Astrid nauseous, especially after all that time coding. Karine didn't look much better. Loki looked at the two sympathetically, "Can I...get you something? You two look miserable…"
"Water...and some pain killers" Astrid requested.
Loki opened his hand, materializing two small red pills, and poured a glass of water for Astrid from a carafe that sat on a shelf next to him. She popped the ibuprofen in her mouth and chugged the water relishingly. "Oh, thank God," she said, sitting back. "That helps."
Both Loki and Astrid looked at Karine expectantly. Karine rolled her eyes. "OK, fine, I'll have some water."
They chuckled as Loki poured her a glass as well, and she took it from him carefully, though it appeared she was starting to relax.
"Well, Karine," Loki started after she had finished her drink. "I'm sure you have some questions-"
"Abso-fucking-lutely, I have some questions," Karine cut him off, leaning forward. Her bullshit meter was in the red. For her, the charm was a smokescreen. "Like what the FUCK is going on? Why are you here, why are you doing this, and what do you need super soldiers for? Astrid explained it to me, but I want to hear it from YOU."
Loki took a deep breath and and adjusted himself on the seat.
"Let me start by answering an obvious unspoken questions...I'm not human. I'm from Asgard, another realm, and I'm here because I was exiled from my home. Family problems...long story. But there is something called the tesseract here, and there is a very powerful being that wants it. I'm going to give it to him, and in exchange, he will give me the Earth. Or I should say...he'll spare the Earth and let me do what I want with it."
His bluntness surprised Karine. There was no hint of doubt in his voice, and he had answered honestly, as far as she could tell. But she was still skeptical - If he really was the God of Lies...of course he would come of as sincere if he wanted to. But when Karine looked at Astrid, her face was as serious as his.
"At noon tomorrow," he continued, "A portal will open and my army will arrive, and we'll begin the invasion. I need the super soldiers to help ensure that my plan will succeed."
"You know how insane that sounds, right?" Karine scoffed.
Astrid's heartfelt expression made Karine start to lose her resolve. She had coded all night and flown to New York because Astrid was going to do it anyway, but now that she was here, it felt tangible. The world was really going to change. Karine sat back, processing the information, staring out the window lost in thought. They drove into a small, sleepy town, and the limo slowed as it headed down the main road.
Astrid leaned in to Loki. "She's been great about this." she said quietly, making sure Karine couldn't hear. "But I need to tell you something. Don't react. I didn't tell her about the stone."
Loki raised his eyebrow, but that was the only indication that he was honestly shocked. This was a level of deception that he hadn't expected from her. Karine trusted Astrid more than anyone, and though she hadn't exactly LIED to her, the stone was a crucial part of the plan. When she learned the truth - IF she learned the truth - if she saw it used on Astrid...
"Astrid...really?" Loki whispered.
"Really…" she sighed. "We needed her. If I told her, she wouldn't have come. But it doesn't matter if she freaks out now; we have the code and the nanobots. Also, she's the only other person who could stop this. Better to have her here, with us...just in case."
This time, Loki felt the chill run down his spine. He knew her, intimately, but he thought that ruthlessness, that drive, was only free when she was enhanced by the stone. She really was just as devious as him, just as willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted.
The limo pulled down into what looked like an abandoned parking garage. They came to a stop in front of a stone wall, and Loki waved his hand. The mirage faded, and Astrid and Karine's eyes went wide. Behind the wall, there was an absolutely massive military bunker. Soldiers ran through the facilities, guns at the ready. Dozens of people hurried around in white lab coats, checking on some very complicated looking equipment. And there, next to a huge mechanical tower, was Dr. Selvig, the world's leading astrophysicist, and the pre-eminent expert on wormholes. Karine saw him too, and Astrid saw her connect the dots - THAT'S how Loki was making the portal.
The limousine stopped near the back of the facility. Loki exhaled, his face hardening. As he exited, the black suit shimmered and transformed into his Asgardian clothing, the cane stretching and taking on the shape of the scepter.
Karine's eyes went wide. "How did he do that?!" Karine whispered loudly as she moved to exit.
"It was magic…" Astrid said sympathetically, though even as the words were coming out of her mouth, she had a hard time believing them.
They followed Loki down a series of winding. dark corridors. The way he walked here, the way he moved...it was a strut, a threatening swagger. He acted so differently, eyes darting back and forth, monitoring all the activity with a careful focus while moving quickly past the busy workers. No one tried to stop him, to ask him questions or to clarify what they should be doing. But soon Astrid saw why.
As they continued through the bunker, occasionally she would see a golden shimmer in the corner of her eye, and when she looked over, one of Loki's illusions appeared and handled whatever detail of the operation needed his attention. Sometimes Astrid saw 3, 4, 5 illusions at a time. She touched Karine's shoulder to let her know she'd be right back, and caught up to Loki.
"So, this is how you got so much done in just few days. You can be in multiple places at once."
"That's right," he said, still laser focused on the path ahead of him.
"How many can you do at a time?"
"As many as necessary," he said curtly. Astrid saw the look on his face...the look he had at Stuttgart. The monster.
Hesitantly, Astrid fell back and walked next to Karine, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. When he was like this, Loki genuinely scared her.
Finally, they entered a room with very familiar equipment - the same instruments they had at their lab in Heidelberg, but better. Astrid and Karine looked around, identifying the machines...then saw the iridium in the specialized containment vessel, and all the tools they needed to extract and manipulate it at the ready.
Karine's face dropped when she saw the iridium. She knew who's it was, and where it came from. Everything became more real.
"We need most of the iridium to stabilize the portal, but there should be plenty here for what you need." Loki said flatly.
Astrid turned to him. "I'll let you know when we're ready to administer the nanobots. It should only take a few hours to load the program." Loki nodded, took one more sincere look at Karine. "Thank you, again," he said seriously, and he left them in the room.