Sword and Council

Later that same evening, Elliot sat with her back against the curved wall of the round room Thor had chosen specifically for the meeting that night. She pressed her toes against the floor and continued to balance herself on the chair, looking around at the others. Sif sat with alertness, her eyes wide and focused on Thor, who stood alone amongst the others. The others wore different faces; contemplative, disgruntled. Volstagg took a long gulp of mead, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked to the locked door of the room.

"Where is Loki?" he barked, irritated that he had kept them waiting so long. "Has he murdered the guard you sent for him?"

Thor's glowering expression quieted him and he relaxed against his chair, raising his hands in apology.

"If Loki chooses not to attend, then so be it," declared Thor, his eyes moving to the door. "There are more pressing matters at hand."

"Indeed," agreed Fandral, leaning forward to clasp his hands on the table. "Enlighten us, Thor. For what reason does Thanos hurl himself toward Midgard?" He raised both of his eyebrows, eager for a response.

Thor clenched and unclenched his fists before speaking. "We have reason to believe that Thanos means to create chaos amongst the Nine Realms. He flings himself across the cosmos to avoid responsibility for what he has done-"

Elliot stifled a yawn, bored. She had half a mind to interrupt Thor and disclose the true reason for his actions, but at the same time, what was the point? All it would do is create disagreement and cause everyone to point fingers at the other. She turned her gaze to the ceiling, admiring the brickwork.

Her eyes fell to the open window not too far from the door and she stilled, noticing a black crow perched on the ledge and Elliot's lips quirked upwards in amusement, as she'd seen his form once before, when she left Asgard for the first time to return home. At the same time, the crow turned and fixated one of its green eyes on Elliot and she met its gaze without blinking.

The crow hopped from the ledge and entered the room, drawing a yell of surprise from Sif, who sat closest to the window. Elliot followed the crow with her eyes, tensing when he finally came to settle on her right shoulder. She shifted, the feeling of talons digging in her shoulder unfamiliar to her.

There was silence in the room and Elliot realized that the others were watching her. Her cheeks quickly turned pink and she lowered her eyes from Thor's, crinkled with amusement.

"We have reason to believe he flung himself across the cosmos to avoid responsibility for the damage he has caused."

"Thanos would not do such a thing in response to creating chaos," protested Fandral. "He has created Thanos in the past and never has he left for another realm. It is for a greater reason, than that. It does bring one to wonder what chaos he has created."

"Which is why we must hasten the process of rebuilding the Bifrost," agreed Sif, nodding at him. "The quicker it is finished, the quicker we can assess the damage Thanos has caused. It's the best way." Next to her, Hogun nodded in silent acquiescence. Elliot glanced at Langley out of the corner of her eye; he was rubbing his chin with an absent expression on his face.

"His plan could have greater consequences, which is why we must be ready," Thor added, his eyes on the table now. "We must inform our soldiers. They might be needed. We will need to send scouts to assess the situation before we deploy too many men."

On Elliot's shoulder, the crow gave a quiet squawk and the others turned to look at it. Sif's dark eyebrows rose until they disappeared beneath her hair. "Does the crow wish to add anything? I would have you speak up, if you can."

"What could he possibly have to add?" chuckled Volstagg, leaning back in his chair, which creaked underneath his weight. He patted his protruding belly with one hand. "Speak, crow."

The crow butted Elliot's head gently, the smooth feeling of its feathers ghosting against the skin of her forehead. She turned her head a fraction to meet its eye, raising an eyebrow. "What?" It's not like I can understand you when you're a crow. The crow continued to butt its head against hers, until she realized that he wanted her to speak up about something. Something important.

Oh.

Elliot swallowed, the lump visible against the skin of her throat. "I was thinking that I could be the scout. For Midgard. Someone has to go." She rubbed the palm of her head against her breeches several times as she spoke, trying to meet the eyes of everyone around her. "In case you forgot, I'm from Earth, and Thanos is probably creating his own special brand of chaos down there."

Thor gave a quiet chuckle, one that sounded reproachful. "Have you forgotten the last time you returned to Earth?"

"Last time I wasn't prepared."

He met her steady gaze, surprised. Elliot leaned forward a little, her elbows on the edge of the smooth wooden table. "It's my responsibility. Together, Loki and I wanted to take Thanos down, but I slipped up and threw off our plans, and now he gets to throw himself across the universe freely because of me."

It was a lie, and a bold-faced one at that. The fact that she needed to speak the words with conviction, to make it sound like she was sure in her decision – made it all that much easier to lie. She felt no real responsibility for what had happened in Muspelheim, knowing now that the outcome was beyond their control. Although she kept her expression steady, her heart was racing as she waited for Thor's decision. The weight of the crowd on her shoulder reminded her of what they had discussed only minutes after Eira left her quarters.

Earlier that day

Elliot had to wonder if Loki had been hiding around the corner, just waiting until after Eira left to approach her. No sooner had she stood up and begun removing the belt from her breeches, he entered swiftly and closed the door in one movement. Elliot stilled, her fingers still on the metal buckle of her belt and raised her eyes to look at him.

"You should knock," she said, dropping her hands as he approached. She relaxed her shoulders, taking in his tired appearance. "What is it?"

"I anticipate that Thor is going to request several representatives to travel to the other realms and ensure that no harm has come to them. Undoubtedly, Midgard will be one of them."

"What makes you think that?" she asked him, sitting down on the edge of her bed with a heavy sigh.

Loki's lips curled into a wry smile. "Odinson is going to be king one day. I anticipate that he will think like a king and send warriors to protect the other realms, as a king rightly should do. And if you value the life of your Midgardian people, you will volunteer to go."

Elliot let out a chuckle, rubbing her forehead. "The last time I was on Earth, the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D. came looking for me. I'm not one hundred percent sure that's the best route for me to go. It would probably-"

"Would you prefer that Thanos unleashes havoc on your people?" inquired Loki, arching one dark eyebrow.

"They're not my people. I'm just one of them. Thor is the protector of Earth, anyway." She crossed her arms and shrugged noncommittally.

Loki licked his lips and smiled, tilting his head. "You have more reason to have that title, not Odinson. There is more to returning to Earth than simply playing protector, you know." The suggestive tone in her voice caught her attention and she sat up a little straighter, noticing how he kept his eyebrow arched, how the corner of his lips tugged up into that familiar smirk of his, the one that let her know he was up to something.

"You know, I don't appreciate you hiding key information from me. You seem to do this thing where you try to keep me in the dark and let me in at the last minute. So whatever it is you're up to, either let me in, or don't bother baiting me with little pieces of information. So what is it?" Elliot snapped, her words clipped.

Loki let out a chuckle, amused by her irritation with him. "It is a refreshing change, speaking to someone on your intellectual level. I've missed it." It didn't take much a genius to catch on to his game. How she managed to even surpass Thor's intellectual level surprised him. He was smart, no doubt, in battle. But how many times had Loki tricked him, played his games, and how many times had Thor fallen for them?

"And yet here you are, catching on so quickly. If you must know, I have reason to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. has resources that can assist in the translation of the books. It is how I was able to summon the Chitauri to Midgard."

"You want me to go to Midgard to translate the books." Her voice was disbelieving. "Why? You have that resource here, you have scribes and magicians who are properly versed in the language. That'd be like throwing myself to the wolves. They want me."

"The Asgardians do not understand the gravity of the situation. Furthermore I do not believe the scribes would be open to translating a book of Dark Elvish about Thanos, of all creatures. It is a lost cause. And I believe S.H.I.E.L.D. would be much more useful," he continued. A corner of his mouth quirked up at the hesitant expression on her face. "I understand you are fearful but I assure you, no harm will come to you, if you agree. When Thor calls his meeting tonight you will offer to visit Midgard to assess the damage. As long as you play your part, he will accept and then our plan can move forward. Yes?"

Elliot narrowed her eyes. How can he be so calm about this? Running back to Earth after the stunt she pulled? She pulled a fast one over the entire organization and escaped right underneath their noses. The moment they pick up energy readings, it'll start all over again.

She closed her eyes, sighing. What would be the worst part about saying no? Staying here on Asgard, learning how to properly use a sword, as Sif promised her some time ago. Learning languages, learning about the other realms. Staying out of harm's way.

A cold touch on her chin and then a gentle tug upwards made her open her eyes and she craned her neck to look up at him. He arched an eyebrow, waiting.

"Fine."

Sif's eyes softened, the lines around the corners of her eyes disappearing, and she leaned in Elliot's expression, a sad smile on her lips. "You should not blame yourself. You were only doing what you could for the good of Asgard, and it will always be appreciated." Elliot resisted the urge to look up at the crow, to see if Loki was listening and wondered if he took the words for himself.

"This is what you wish?" asked Thor, his voice sadder than before. He raised his eyes from the table and the sadness was reflected in them, the hard lines erased from his face. "Truly?"

The crow butted Elliot's head once more, rubbing its smooth, round head against her temple.

"Yes," she said. "I would."

New York

Steve remained quiet as he sat in the hangar of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fastest aircrafts, his head bowed in contemplation. He stared at his red gloves, his eyes roaming each finger absentmindedly. From across the hangar Natasha watched him from time to time, her eyes flicking up from beneath her dark, thick eyelashes. She toyed with the idea of asking him what was wrong, as he hadn't spoken a word since departing from S.H.I.E.L.D. to head for the crash site.

"Are you happy to be out again?" she tried, raising her voice a little over the quiet, gentle hum of the engines beneath. "We kept track of you after New York but you barely showed your face other than to run outside for a hot pocket."

Steve looked up at her and raised his eyebrows. "You watched me get a…hot pocket."

She smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "It's our job." They shared a tiny smile together, at the ridiculousness of it all. Then Natasha sighed, sitting upright and leaning against the curved wall of the plane. "This will be quick and easy. You'll be out before you know it."

"You and everyone else sounds like you think I'm not the man for the job," said Steve, his eyebrows coming together. "As if I'm going to emotionally compromise the mission." He sat upright as well, and all at once he looked more impressive, more sure of himself.

Natasha quickly backtracked. "There's a difference between emotionally compromising a mission and simply wanting you to complete your orders to return you to civilian life. You liked it. You spend time with your neighbors, you're learning more of the world."

Steve looked from Natasha to the assortment of parachutes arranged on shelves, a frown line creasing across his forehead. "I appreciate the concern from both yourself and Director Fury, but I'm more than capable of providing backup and assessing the situation, Miss Romanov."

Just then a voice came over the P.A. system on the aircraft. "Miss Romanov, we will be landing in approximately three minutes at the crash site." Steve felt the plane begin to make its descent towards the ground and he sighed quietly to himself, standing upright. For good measure, he grabbed his shield, slipping his arm through the leather strap custom tailored to the width of his arm. Lying next to him, dejected and forgotten, was the blue mask.

As expected, Fury had sealed off the crash site to any visitors without clearance. And apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to take control of the situation, because there were no other cars of staff members belonging to other organizations. Agents dressed in protective blue gear with their logo printed on the front, computer equipment, and yellow tape surrounded a pocket of the earth about as wide as a baseball stadium. Dark purple smoke still radiated from deep within the crater, seeping through the soil of the earth.

Steve walked until he reached the edge of the crater, wide-eyed. "This crashed into Albany and the FBI has no information about this?" He nodded. "Impressive." Then he shivered, feeling the effects of the November chill seeping through his skin.

"When you have status like Directory Fury's, no task is too impossible," responded Natasha, her lips curling up into a wry grin. "So? What do you think?"

Steve chuckled. "I think it's alien."

"That's a good start, Cap'n," came Fury's voice from not too far away. "But a little bit more specific than that would be helpful." Natasha and Steve straightened up as he approached, his hands clasped behind his back. "I'm going to need something a little better."

He focused his one eye on Steve, his brows coming together. "Like a name."

"Sir, I didn't even know aliens like this truly existed until six months ago. What exactly do you want me to assess?" Steve protested, pointing at the crater. "Purple smoke? The length of a baseball field? Other than a meteor, I have no idea."

"What alarms me the most," Fury said, almost as if he didn't hear Steve, "Is that there is nothing here." Pointedly, he looked around, surveying the area. "Something crashed here, and then just walked up and left." Natasha's eyes narrowed as she peered into the crater.

"So what are they surveying for, sir?" she asked him.

"Traces of residual energy. Any kind of indication as to what it left behind. That might give us a better chance to pinpoint exactly what he is."

"And have you had something like this happen before?" inquired Steve.

Even though he wore an eyepatch, Steve felt Fury's glare from beneath his hidden eye. "If I had, don't you think I wouldn't have sent for my entire lab of technicians, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and a 100 year old World War vet?"

Natasha fought a smile. "Of course not, sir. Cap'n Rogers is just trying to…" she turned to him, looking for answers. "Assess the situation. Are there any more signs of our visitor in the surrounding area? The woods, maybe?"

"We have people out there now. But tell me, Cap'n," Fury said, turning his attention to Steve, who looked at the crater. "What do you make of this?"

Steve sighed loudly, tilting his head to the sky to look at the overcast clouds. "I…I'm thinking either Chitauri. Or Asgardian."

Natasha crossed her arms, her nostrils flaring in alarm. "And what makes you think that?"

"The last time we saw energy spikes like this was when…Elle and Loki returned to Earth. But before that, we saw similar spikes appear during the Chitauri attack on New York. It could be either. There's no real way to tell, no from this information. If anything all your people can do is figure out what to smoke is made up of."

Fury seemed to approve of his diagnosis. "Okay, then. Agent Romanov, I would like you to act as a liaison between myself and the lab technicians. If they find anything worth mentioning I expect to hear it from you, not them."

"Yes sir."

"And Cap'n."

"Sir."

"I would like you to return to New York and consult with Mr. Stark. Discuss further possibilities and create a plan of action, regardless of what alien is walking around on my Earth." Fury nodded to them both and left abruptly, headed in the direction of the set of computers and technicians who manned them.

There were a few moments of silence before Steve said, "Elle is human. It's Loki who's not."

"You don't know that." Natasha roamed her gaze over Steve's face, trying to get a read on what he was thinking. "You think she came back here with him and caused all this and she's still human?" She exhaled, looking away from him. "Why would she be back here, anyway? It's not like she was keen to stay the first time. I still can't believe you helped her out of there."

Steve ignored the latter part of her question, not in the mood to discuss the verbal thrashing he was subjected to under Fury. Thankfully, he agreed that Steve was too useful to dismiss, so they agreed to bury the whole incident. Instead, he shrugged. "I don't know why she would come back here. Maybe besides her family."

Natasha's eyes lit up with realization. "That's a good point. I'll look into that." She strode past him, her brow furrowed in thought. Steve felt his stomach clench as he watched her walk away. He remembered her family fairly well; when he arrived to take her to what he believed to be a simple sending-off procedure, he caught a glimpse of the littlest one. And her sister. They looked perfectly alike.