Can you tell I have a paper due soon? That I haven't started on….that's due in ten days. The only thing to lift me from my fanfic writing procrastination, is grad school writing procrastination. It also helps that we are in old content now, and all I have to do is edit and retype. I have 40 more pages of content already written...it's the new stuff that gets me. Anyways, this will sound pretty similar to my old school readers, but it has some new twists. Enjoy!
With all questions answered, all worries allayed and all fears relieved, the Tower settled into a more familiar routine. Missions continued. Everyone kissed and cuddled Cara, and in the evenings they tried to have a meal together. Fury tried to claim it built trust and teamwork, but they all knew he enjoyed the home-cooked food.
It was one such evening when Emory and Clint entered the living quarters, fresh from a mission. Still in full gear, Clint gushed about Emory's still so new to him. He waved his arms while he talked, unable to contain the wonder to his voice. "And when you used those roots to wrap around that guy, and the fire in your hands, I wish I had known…"
He trailed off as he realized Emory's attention wasn't on him. He followed her gaze to Cara, who in the months away had learned to crawl, making her a terror throughout the tower. If it weren't for the cats sticking to the kid wherever she wandered, there was no telling the trouble she might get into.
The child's bright green eyes lit up at the sight of her mother, and she gurgled and cooed as Emory leaned down to pick her up. "Well hello little elska, have you been good the past few days?"
Tony snorted and answered for the mute infant, "Oh sure, she only fried two circuits this time. And I worried about the cats screwing shit up." He rolled his eyes as he stood to take Cara, "But yeah, you know. Super spoiled, super loved, all that good stuff."
He reached out his arms. "You really shouldn't pick her up still in your gear. Who knows whose blood and guts is all over her now? Go on, get a shower. Dinner is almost ready."
A call came from the kitchen, "Fifteen more minutes!"
"Well you heard the lady. Nat says fifteen more minutes. Shoo." Emory stuck her tongue out before flashing him a grateful smile and hurried off. A quick shower and a change of clothes later, she stepped out the door to find Thor waiting. She didn't pander. "What news?"
Ever since Russia, she remained on edge about information from Asgard. He sighed and looked at her with pained eyes. "Emory, I have failed you."
She stopped breathing. "I was wrong, and I have caused much pain with my mistakes." He hesitated. "He is alive."
She took in a deep breath, jolted back into breathing by the shock. A small flit of joy, not enough to count, passed through her. Soon after joy, though, came anger. How dare he not tell her before now? She had suffered so much for his constant trickery.
"Are you sure?" They continued to walk down the hallway as they spoke, making their way towards the kitchen.
As Thor and Em got to the living room together, heads close together, Clint watched from the rafters. He couldn't hear anything other than the occasional sharp syllable, but he watched as Emory's arms slashed through the air. Something was wrong.
What were they discussing? What had her so upset? He shook his head, knowing if they wanted the rest of the team to know, they would them them. It had been hard to forgive and let Emory have her secrets, but it was easier to accept now.
Natasha glanced up from the kitchen, knowing his thoughts as always. He smiled down, reassuring her that all was well with him, before looking down at the two deities again. He heard a harsh, "Later," from Emory, ending the conversation.
She moved forward to take Cara, bending down to kiss her head. A jolting crash sent her veering into a wall, the tower shaking. A wail rose up from the baby as the alarms started up, and then stopped. Everyone went on battle defensive, ready to confront the unknown attacker.
"Jarvis, what the hell was that? Who interrupts dinner?" Tony's suit was already assembling around his body as the AI answered. "An unknown force has landed on the roof, sir. I have already shut down the elevators and locked the stairwells."
Mjolnir met Thor's palm with a decisive slap, Cap was already fitting his shield onto his arm, and Nat had two guns trained at the door. Emory passed Cara to Bruce, freeing up her hands. With luck, holding the baby would keep the doctor's green counterpart from showing up. The tower was no place to Hulk out. Soon black and purple swirled around her, dangerous energy crackling throught the air. Her hair swayed in an unseen breeze, and her dark eyes gleamed with an unnatural light.
Clint himself stayed up in the shadows of the rafters, nocking an arrow and waiting. The rest of the team was on mission. It would be up to them to defend their home. A long quiet filled the room. Had it been a false alarm?
The tension eased up after a minute. "Sir, it seems that all indications of invasion have disappeared. Whoever it was, they are gone now." They all relaxed that final bit. It was at that moment that a being materialized in the center of the room, exuding anger and power.
Long black hair swept over a lean figure, green eyes sparking with rage as he focused on one person. Oh joy. His least favorite god of trickery and deception, swept through the room towards Emory. Before anyone could react, he was right in front of her, glowering down into her angry face.
His voice was harsh with unidentifiable emotion. "How dare you? How dare you run away, and then try to keep all this secret from me?"
Emory looked right back up at him, undaunted, matching him glare for glare. Her voice rang out harsh and angry as she shouted back, "How dare I? How dare I what? Try and pick up the pieces of the life you shattered with your foolish choices and need for power? Not just once, but twice!"
She pushed her finger into his chest. While he flinched, he made no move to fight back. By now, the team was back on alert, every weapon trained on Loki.
"I thought you were dead...twice I mourned you, and neither time did you think to inform me that you were alive. Not once did you think to save me from my suffering, from my grief. How dare I? No, how dare you, sweeping in here as though you deserve an explanation!" She slapped him hard, causing Loki's eyes to darken as he felt the red welt come up on his right cheek.
He sneered down at her. "Mourn me, did you? Are you sure it wasn't celebration, wife?"
The entire room took a sharp breath in. What the hell was going on here? At the sound, Loki's gaze swept the room, settling on Cara. He got one step in before a black and purple fist caused him to halt. Instead, he looked across the room, drinking the child in from a distance.
"Is this Cara?" His voice was more gentle, though still thick with that emotion Clint couldn't put his finger on.
Emory's voice was soft as she put her hand back down. "Yes, that's Cara." An unspoken question lit Loki's face, and whatever answer Emory gave brought his rage back ten-fold. "And you didn't think I should know about this?!"
She laughed in his face, a harsh barking sound that caused his face to tighten and his fists to clench. "You were dead! How in the Nine Hells was I supposed to tell you?"
The god breathed in, trying to control himself, before shaking his head. He rushed forward, grasping Emory by the throat and pushing her against the wall. They shared a long silent look, a battle of wills, before he glanced around the room, noticing the others for the first time.
"We need to sort this out. Alone." With that, he looked back at Emory and they disappeared. Everyone stared at the wall, in shock. Clint jumped down from the rafters and looked towards Thor. He leaned against the counter musing to himself, unconcerned that one of his comrades was now missing.
Tony looked around and asked the question they were all thinking. "What the fuck was that all about?"
The team remained silent, still getting their bearings. Everyone but Thor, who still seemed unconcerned. So much in fact, that he moved to the kitchen and helped himself to the pasta on the stove. After gaining a plateful, he moved to the bar and sat facing the living room. Still not saying a word, he began to eat.
Tony spoke up again. "How are you so calm right now?! One of our comrades was kidnapped right in front of us, by your brother, and you have the state of mind to eat stroganoff?" His face grew redder and redder with every word he shouted, ending up a deep burgundy.
Thor finished chewing, calm and poised, and swallowed before lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "They are quite evenly matched, I doubt one will hurt the other too much. As it is, you should be grateful, Man of Iron." If it were possible, Tony grew even darker. If this kept on much longer, he was bound to have an aneurysm.
"Grateful? Why the hell should I be grateful?!"
The god smirked at him before going back to his meal. Natasha stepped between them, desperate to interject before Tony keeled over dead. "Thor, why should Tony be grateful? Loki just kidnapped Emory! Shouldn't we worry?"
She asked gently, hiding her nervousness. The same turmoil that she knew everyone else would be feeling. They had just learned to trust their friend again, even accepting her as an unofficial Avenger. To lose her again was devastating to say the least.
Thor shrugged again before answering. "I should not say. All will be well. Trust me, if Emory did not wish to leave with Loki, they would still be here." He grinned, a large rueful smile that lit up his whole face. "As for Tony being grateful, their arguments are the stuff of legend. I only hope they went somewhere deserted, where there is little to break. If they stayed here, the damage would have been comparable to his green beast appearing."
He nodded over at Bruce, still holding Cara. She was sound asleep, her head resting in the crook of his neck as he cradled her to his chest. He gave a wry smile before disagreeing, "I don't know...the big guy can be pretty...destructive."
Thor leveled a look at him, flat and solemn, before phrasing a question to the group. "Has Emory ever been angry with any of you? Truly angry?" Everyone, including Natasha, considered before shaking their heads. No, she had never seen the other woman any more than irritated.
Until tonight, with Loki. He nodded, satisfied. "She can also be quite...destructive. And her aim is as true as any warrior's. Her thrown missile has caught many a victim unawares." Steve scoffed before leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his well-muscled body. "I've never seen Emory angry. Her self control is admired throughout SHIELD. Cold, ruthless, dispassionate, sure. But angry? No, never."
Natasha chimed back in, "Newsflash, Cap. What we just saw, that was angry." She looked over at Clint, still brooding in the shadows. He looked up, meeting her gaze, his emotions indeterminate in the darkness surrounding him.
Walking into the light, he entered the conversation for the first time. "Shouldn't we be more worried about what the argument was about? In my opinion, it sounded an awful lot like a lover's spat. And he called her wife. We all heard that. Even more secrets."
Everyone looked back to Thor, now on his third helping. "It is not my place to tell their story, other than to assure you that once they have settled their differences, they will return and make things clear." He licked his lips appreciatively. "This sauce is quite good! Do you think it would pair well with that iced cream you have shown me?" Natasha shuddered at the thought.
"Return here? Who said we would be letting him back on Earth? Last time he was here, he tried to take over the world and almost destroyed Manhattan! And he sure as hell isn't welcome back in MY tower!" Tony raged on, color increasing once again.
A bemused look crossed over Thor's face, before understanding dawned clear. "You do not know then?"
Natasha decided to answer, to allow everyone else time to calm themselves. Right now, Bruce seemed to do the best job, though Cara might have something to do with that. "Know what, Thor?"
He nodded to himself, as if in affirmation. "It is as I fear. Midgard either did not receive or ignored our announcement. Loki resurfaced a few weeks ago, offering himself up for supplication. Hence the reason for my absence this past month. He received fair trial in Asgard, and the courts found him innocent of his crimes against Midgard. He was under control of the Mindstone, not making decisions of his own accord."
A shocked silence met this announcement as everyone processed the new information. "If this is true...it changes everything." This revelation came from Steve, now on the ground.
If Loki wasn't in charge, who was? Natasha felt a hard knot in the pit of her stomach, thinking that if someone even more powerful could be pulling strings, they were in for one hell of a war. She glanced at Clint, who's shell-shocked face spoke volumes. He had the most reason to hate Loki, and now he faced the possibility that Loki was as much a victim as he.
"There's more." Thor cleared his throat, not wanting to divulge this next bit of information. "The Allfather is preparing to fall back into Odinsleep, this time permanently. After the loss of Frigga, our mother, he can no longer bear to exist. As such, he has passed the mantle of King on."
"So you're King of Asgard now, that's great!" Tony's enthusiasm matched the anger and frustration from moments before. We really ought to get him in with a psychiatrist soon.
The taller man tinged green with discomfort. "Well...no. I gave up my claim to the throne last year. I know now I would never be comfortable ruling. With this in mind, the Allfather passed his mantle down to his other son, Loki. My brother is now King of Asgard."
"Shit."