A/N Here's one last chapter before I leave for a while. I got a review, so I guess people are still reading this. YAY!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Marvel. I wish I did...
Chapter eleven.
Rose eventually found the rest of the avengers in the living room. Loki was trying to ignore the comments of Darcy and Tony. Steve was reading something, and Nat adn Clint where talking silently in a language Rose vaguely recognizes as Russian.
"I figured it out." She shouted when she stopped running, nearly crashing into Bruce. "I found out how we can get in and out unnoticed. I may have one slight problem, bit that'll fix itself." She said with a hand-gesture. Everyone in the room stared at her blankly, thinking on what to do.
"Tell us the plan." Steve said eventually.
"Yeah, uhm Jarvis pull up that hologram in the conference room." Rose said to them. A large 3D image of Dooms castle appeared above the small table in the room. Vents still purple and guards still red.
"The doors are blue and the windows green. Guards are red, and the vents purple." Rose explained to them. "The plan is easy. This is where Victor sleeps. One of the vents go through the roof above it. We can get in from the roof here. But then we'd be discovered by this guard." She pointed at a few highlighted points.
"There is however, an entrance which isn't protected. Mostly because it's a pipe under water. We can get in through there."
"Wait, how can we get in when it's under water?" Natasha interrupted.
"Because it won't be. This time of year, the water will most likely be high, before you say that won't help at all. It will. The water for the canal comes from a river, and eventually a lake. The tides allow more water to flow through it, and there for will drain the canal. The faster the water goes, the emptier the canal will be. Doom is not stupid, or at least he thinks he isn't. But he's cocky, and ignorant to mistakes because he thinks there aren't any. Because of the low water, the pipe will be drained twice a day, before it fills itself again. The water would be needed for the canal around his cliché castle. And that's how we get in." Rose proudly said.
"From there, we can sneak into the castle. There aren't many guards here, so we can trick them. Go around that corner and get in the vents. From there on it will be easy. As long as we're silent, nothing can go wrong. We'll go from here to here, leaving the vents in Doom's bedroom. Knock him unconscious and get out with him. Stark do you think you can design a hacking device, in case he won't talk. There's a computer down in that room, and I believe there is some valuable information in it." She finished.
"I already have something like that. I'll give it to you, all you have to do, is put it on the computer where no one sees it, and press the button." Tony answered. "How are you going to get there?"
"Easy. When we have Doom. He and Natasha will leave through the window. It isn't very far down, and if… uhm Thor and Loki can be down there to help her and Doom out of the water you should be fine."
"Should?" Clint asked Rose with a worried look.
"Yes. Don't worry Barton, I'll get your girlfriend back safely." Rose responded with a grin.
"She's not-"
"He's not my-"
"My girlfriend."
"Boyfriend." Natasha and Clint both say at the same time.
"Yeah right, and I'm a bilgesnipe." Rose answered.
"How do you know what those are?" Thor asked. "They are not known on Midgard."
"My uncle proudly told me he and his friends once fought one." Rose shrugged it off. Loki and Thor shared a look, but no one seemed to notice it.
"Okay, I think we've heard enough about Bilgesnipe. How are you going to get down there?" Steve asked while he pointed at the room at the other side of the castle, where the soon to be hacked computer is.
"Easy, I walk." Rose shrugged again. "I've been training myself long enough to sneak past sleepy guards. Even awake guards are no problem. And should I be seen, I'll take care of it."
"Okay, and how are you going out. Not through the pipe. It will be under water again by the time you're back." Bruce points out.
"Yeah, that's the problem that should fix itself. I'm going to need to fly." Rose said while rubbing her neck.
"Can't you jump after Nat and metal face?" Tony asks. Rose shakes her head.
"I can't do that." She simply said. "Loki is there any kind of healing spell. Even one that temporary heals my wing?"
"Hold on, why can't you?" Tony says again.
"Not important. Loki?" Rose avoided again.
"No don't answer that Loks." Tony said when Loki opened his mouth to answer. "I'd like to know why you keep avoiding questions. You've been here for three months? And how much do we know of you? Almost nothing. You don't count" Tony said when Loki was about to say something again.
"That's true." Steve eventually said. "Every time we ask a question about you, or your past, you avoid them, jump to another subject, or give a vague answer. All we know for sure is your name. And I'm not even sure if it's your real name." Everyone stared at Steve with a questioning look after that last sentence.
"I might have googled her, and searched France history for her. I couldn't find one single royal named Roselia Coulisses." He shrugged.
Rose looked like she'd seen a ghost. She was trembling, and desperately trying to control her shaking fingers. She took a step back. Away from the avengers.
"I- I-" She stammered. Another step back. "I should-"
"Stop running. Not this time." Steve finished for her. He moved to stand behind her, blocking the exit.
"I- I can- I can't-" She kept stammering. "I- I'm sorry." She eventually said. With a wisp of blue smoke she was gone.
"Great. Remind me why we tolerate magic users?" Tony said to no one in particular.
"Because you once said magic was, to use your words sir, The best thing in the nine freaking tree word things." Jarvis' dry reply came from the ceiling.
"He's got a point. Magic is the best thing in the nine realms." Loki said with a smirk.
"Jarvis where is she?" Steve asked the AI.
"On the roof sir." Jarvis said. Steve nodded and looked at Natasha, silently asking her to go. The redhead nodded and stood up. She walked away and the room went silent once again.
-Rooftop-
Rose was pacing on the roof. Still shaking, and still trying to stop that.
"They can't. I can't. I should've never. Maybe. No. I. They. I should go ba- No that would be the worst thing to. Or not. maybe I should. No they. I. them. DAMN THIS!" She eventually shouted at the sky. She fell to her knees and grabbed her head.
"No this can not be happening now." She said.
"What can't be happening right now?" Natasha asked her from behind.
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." Rose answered. She started to hyperventilate. Her hands moved from her head to her chest. clutching her shirt tightly.
"Jarvis, send Bruce up here. Tell him Rose is having a panic attack." Natasha said. She moved closer to the other woman on the roof. Trying not to startle her.
"It'll be okay, Rose. Do you hear me. There's nothing to be affraid of. We're not here to hurt you." The last sentence seemed to cause a response. Rose's head snapped up, and she clumsily stood up.
"Not here to hurt. Harm. Hurt me. Heard that one before." She manages to get out.
"Listen to me. Rose you're going to be alright. There's no need to worry." Natasha said. Rose stood three meters away, hunched over, clutching her head again.
"No. no. no. no. NO!" She shouted.
Bruce stepped outside, into the cold air. He saw Rose and Natasha and walked to her. He put his hand on Natasha's shoulder signalling her to go inside. She nods and leaves without a word.
"Rose? I'm going to get closer, is that okay?" He asked as soon as the Shield agent was gone.
"No, no. Let no one get close to you." She ranted. Bruce didn't think she was talking about the physical type.
"There's nothing wrong with that Rosie." He said using her nickname. "I used to think that aswell. Because of the other guy, I shouldn't be close to others. I would only hurt them."
"Yes. Yes I would hurt others around me. Then they would hurt me, and I would be alone, alone alona again. Then I would kill the bad man. And the bad man would be gone gone gone out the window." Rose started to sound like someone who escaped an asylum. Bruce was almost close enough to touch her.
"But I learned something. Rose look at me." He went around her, so Rose could look at him. She did and what Bruce saw, worried him. He expected empty eyes. Those who are far away and not in this world. Instead he say a whirlpool of emotions.
Fear.
Anger.
Hurt.
Madness.
They flashed bright red and yellow. Something strange it hadn't been doing before. The yellow mixed with the red worried him the most.
"Rose, I learned that others around you. Who care about you. Makes you stronger. It helps you through bad times. The avengers? We're like a family. Yes we get angry at each other sometimes, but we will always forgive each other in the end. We help and we're there for each other. Everyone here has done bad things.
Tony used to make weapons to destroy everything in it's range.
Clint and Natasha are assassins. That says pretty much everything.
Loki tried to take over the earth and enslave mankind. And nearly killed Coulson.
Thor used to be a vain prince who thought he could do what he wanted.
I even broke Harlem once.
What I'm saying is, everyone makes mistakes. Well everyone except Steve, because Steve is as close to perfect as it gets. But when when we look back at those mistakes, we learn from it. To be a better person. But you've got to let us help." This seemed to calm her down. Rose's eyes stopped flashing between Yellow and Red. She slowly released her head from her grasp. Bruce opened his arms, and Rose took the offer. She stood up and hugged him. Tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry Bruce. I got scared. Everyone I had trusted before with my past, betrayed me and tried to kill me. I was afraid that would happen again, and I really like it here. I wanted this to work, and thought if you didn't know, you wouldn't use it." She muttered in a fast tempo.
"Apology accepted. Now let's go inside, tell the rest a little about your past. We won't judge, and you get to decide how much you get to tell. You can tell us something every once in a while. And we'll give you something back. Okay?" Rose nodded and they both got inside.
Just before the doors of the elevators closed Rose asked Bruce: "You broke Harlem?"
-Living room-
Natasha just finished explaining what she saw at the rooftop when Bruce and Rose entered the room. Bruce sat down again and Rose kept standing, a bit awkwardly. Bruce gave her a look and she nodded.
"I am sorry for running off again. I should not have done that and I will not do that again." She said.
"And?" Bruce asked.
"I am also sorry for avoiding every question you ask me about my past. I should have trusted you at least with my real name. It's Roselia Loreley Zenon. I was royal, but I was disowned and removed from the family tree. That's why you couldn't find me." Rose said.
"And…?" Bruce repeated himself.
"And I will share something of my past with you every day, until you think it is enough." Rose said. Bruce nodded, signaling that was everything she needed to say.
"Good with me." Tony said. "I want to know why you can't jump into the water like Nat and Vic."
"I can't swim." Rose said ashamed of herself. "I learned how to, but I didn't have wings then. Mother used to send me to an enchantress to seal them away beneath my skin, and if I didn't come back in time, they'd rip through my flesh. I can't swim because wet feathers are heavy, so they would drag me down." Rose explains the others.
"That seems painful." Tony said after a long silence.
"It was, so I learned to go to my appointments in time. I would have three to four months. When I got banished, I couldn't see the enchantress anymore. So I lived through that about a month after I left home." Rose said with a sad expression. "I am sorry but that's all I wish to share today. Can we get back to the plan?"
"Of course." Steve said. "Loki?"
"Yes, we talked about your plan earlier. It's a good plan. Only you can't fly yet. I can't heal your wings. Only because the anatomy is foreign to me. There is one healer in Asgard who is familiar with it, but she can't do it before the next week. And we would have to go to Asgard." Loki explained. Rose nodded and smiled.
"That would be great. Who is it? The healer." She asked. Thor and Loki grinned at each other.
"Our mother." They said together. (A/N I wanted to stop here. But I'm bored and I'm leaving you guys for two weeks.)
"I thought she was dead." Darcy bluntly said. Jane smacked her in the head for it and Darcy looked at her offended.
"She was, yet she isn't. I made a deal with Hela. While she rules Hellheim, and Frigga went to Valhalla, Hela still had connections there. I gave her something she wanted in return for my mother." Loki explained.
"Well what did you give her?" Jane asked.
"Well… we might have given her the aether." Thor said.
"THE AETHER. Are you out of your mind!?" Darcy shouted. "The last thing we need is a third power obsessed alien trying to destroy the earth. No offence Romeo."
"I know Hela, and she only wants items to show off. She's not allowed to leave her realm, so that won't be a problem either." Loki answers. Now Jane and Darcy both respond with a silent 'Oh'
"Am I even allowed into Asgard?" Rose asked eventually.
"Well yes. You're not mortal, and ever since that case with Jane some mortals are allowed to go there." Thor explained. "We can leave after the new years feast. All of us. I am sure mother would like to meet all of you."
"Wait, you've been a team for eight years but you've never visited Asgard before?" Rose asked surprised.
"Nope. We haven't. What's the matter? Ashamed to be part of our little team?" Tony asked with a mock hurt expression.
At the same time, Thor said 'No.' And Loki 'Yes.' The brothers looked at each other, then bursted into laughter.
"I am, he isn't." Loki eventually said.
"Okay great, I think. Who's up for some shawarma?" Tony randomly asked. Nine hands where raised together with one eyebrow.
"What on earth is shawarma?" Rose asked.
"You've never had shawarma before?" Tony asked. Rose slowly shook her head, and Tony made an over the top dramatic gesture. "You are going to taste the best food in your life! Jarvis. Order the usual please."
"Already done sir." Jarvis said.
Twenty minutes later Rose was picking at something that appeared to be food in front of her. She was looking, but wasn't eating.
"Come on birdie, it's great." Tony said with a mouth full.
"Tony! Manners." Pepper scolded him.
"Ha! Your girlfriend corrects your manners. This is too good to be true." Clint laughed. "Ow! Tasha, why'd you do that for?" He asked after Nat kicked him under the table. She grinned and looked at him.
"Manners." was all she said with a grin.
-Time skip because I am lazy and nothing fun happens anyway.-
"Can't I just go in a hoodie and jeans?" Rose whined. All the girls where at Natasha's floor, getting ready for the new years party. Betty was there too, because she was going with Bruce.
"No you can't. Now go change." Pepper said in a strict voice. Rose huffed in annoyance but turned around to change into her dress. Everyone else was already changed and ready, or still doing their make up.
In a few minutes Rose was back, with her dress on. The floor length blue dress still fitted as it did before. She was turning around herself to grab the back of her dress for some reason. She looked like a puppy trying to grab it's tail. Eventually she got the part she was looking for and she picked something off of it. Probably a hair. She dropped the back again and faced the others in front of her.
"That's better. What are you going to do with your hair?" Pepper asked.
"Keep it like this?" Rose asked more than answered. The electric blue color was dyed black a few hours ago. They couldn't find white dye anywhere, so Rose eventually settled in black, considering that would be the best color for her. Now it's black with a blue hue. It was actually sort of pretty.
"No you're not." Pepper said, she poited at a chair. "Sit." Rose raised her hands in defeat and sat down in front of Pepper.
"Close your eyes and don't peek. Nat I need your help. I usually don't have to deal with curls." Rose did as she was told and closed her eyes.
Jane, Betty and Darcy both watched the three with huge grins. The two redheads where fighting to keep Rose from running and fighting. Pepper held her down, while Natasha pulled her hair back into whatever they had in mind. Being held down however, did not stop Rose from swearing like a sailor. Some new and colorful words where learned by the three who where watching. In different languages. 'Merde' And 'Idiote klootzakken.' Seemed to be her favorites.
Fifteen difficult, yet funny minutes later Pepper and Natasha let Rose go.
"Does this mean I'm done?" Rose asked, who still had her eyes closed.
"Not yet." Darcy said holding up her make up. "It's my turn to make you pretty." She sat in front of Rose and started to apply some make up. It didn't take her very long, and Rose also seemed to be co operative.
"Why where you swearing like you've been living with fifty sailors in a war when they where doing your hair? And why aren't you saying anything now?" Darcy asked when she was putting lipstick on.
"Because my hair is everything to me." Rose simply answered.
"Okay you're done." Darcy said. Rose opened her eyes and Natasha pointed where she could find a mirror. Rose stood up and looked in it.
Her hair was half up, half down. Half of it was pulled into a small braid at the back of her head. and the other half hanged loosely on her back. Her wings where unbandaged, only for this special occasion, and it took a long time to convince Bruce she would be alright. She had smokey eyes in a blue color sceme, and blood red lips. A vague blush on her cheeks and nothing more. Rose gasped and turned around.
"I am so sorry I gave you such a hard time, this looks beautiul. Thank you." She said. "Now all that's missing is, let's see. Ah this." She waved her hand and on the skirt of her dress a few black lines apppeared. They took the shape of a staff with musical notes on it. She took a spin, and as the skirt moved around her, the notes seemed to move on it. Creating the illusion it was actually playing the music.
"Okay, how did you do that, and where can I learn how to do that." Darcy said to her.
"The power of magic." Rose mused with a grin. "I can do you too, if you want."
"Hell yes I want that." Darcy responded. Rose waved her hand again.
On darcy's dress White fluffy clouds appeared and it seemed as if her dress was the summer sky. The clouds moved with her movement and when she stood still, they would slowly move a little.
Jane's dress looked like the nightsky. With stars shining and moving slowly as the normal nightsky would. A small moon was on the side and shining just as the real moon would.
Pepper's dress had flowers and grass at the bottom, swaying in the non existend wind. On her left shoulder a lovely sun shone.
Betty's dress, A deep purlpe, knee length with one shoulder, had small green sparks on it, that flashed with each movement. It didn't flash obviously, but just enough to be there.
Natasha's dress didn't seem to change, untill Rose signalled her to take a spin. She did, and the dress seemed to light up like a flame. When she stopped, so did the flame.
"Wow this is…" Jane breathed.
"Amazing." Pepper finished for her.
"Thanks Rose." Natahsa said with an actual smile.
"No problem, it's the least I could do after everything I did to you." Rose responded. "Should we go up? I think our dates are waiting for us, and they're in for a surprise."
"You're right. Let's go." Pepper said. All six women went upstairs to see their dates.
The guys hadn't been waiting long. They've just gotten ready themselves. They where all waiting for the women when the elvator doors opened. Revealing the six who they where waiting for. When they walked to the men, their dresses seemed to come alive. Each had a different pattern to reflect who they are. Music for Rose, Stars for Jane, Fire for Natasha, Happiness for Darcy, Kindness for Pepper and sparks for Betty.
Steve, Thor, Tony, Clint, Bruce and Loki where all speechless. All they could do is stare. Stare at the women who went to stand near their dates. Surprisingly Steve, of all people, was the one to break the silence.
"You look wonderful." He said to Darcy, who giggled and poked him in the chest.
"Not so bad yourself." She grinned. All the man where wearing suits.
Bruce had a black one with a green tie. Tony's was grey with a red tie. Steve's was black with a blue bowtie. Clint's was dark grey with a purple tie. Loki's suit was black, and he was wearing a green and gold scarf. Thor had a black suit with a gold tie.
"Maybe we should… erhm go?" Clint eventually asked after another silence.
"Yeah, probably a good idea." Tony said. "Let's go everybody. There's a boring party somewhere and it needs to be brought to life."
A/N So it's new years eve, and they're going to Asgard! How about that!
Please review? It would make me happy!