Ignorance is Bliss

Steve waited silently while Tony flipped through the images one by one, letting out noncommittal grunts every now and then. Tony leaned back in his chair, and ran one hand through his spiky dark hair. "Well."

"Well?" demanded Steve, irritated that Tony had kept him waiting for so long. They sat in the command center of S.H.I.E.L.D. back in New York, placed in one of the secure conference rooms available to agents at Fury's order. Through the window blinds, Steve was able to see other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and operatives racing around the command center, carrying folders and tablets.

He looked back at Tony. "What do you think?"

"I think it's nothing to be too concerned about." He flashed Steve a cocky smile, setting the tablet back down on the table. "It's a huge meteor. Ask NASA about it or something, you got me."

"The crash site is the size of Central Park, Stark," implored Steve, leaning forward in his seat. "Now…Fury wants us to come up with a plan of attack. I don't even know what he means by that. A plan of attack to do what? Whatever landed here escaped pretty quickly and is probably walking around undetected."

"Which is exactly why I don't think it's anything for us to be concerned about until after something major happens," replied Tony, raising an eyebrow. "I don't see a reason for getting our panties in a pinch when nothing's even happened yet."

Steve clenched his jaw, put off by Stark's nonchalant attitude. "You mean, you want to wait until after something major happens, like until after another major city is nearly brought to ruins." Last time they'd waited until it was too late to make any moves, and they barely managed to save what was left of New York City. Even six months from now, some parts were still undergoing construction work. He felt it his responsibility to assist with the reconstruction. Well, he felt guilty. Guilty that they hadn't been able to save more people, more of the city.

Bucky had often mentioned that guilt was one of Steve's flaws; it was what made him run after his friends to save them in the midst of war even when the odds were stacked against him.

"What if it's Asgardians?"

"I doubt it."

"And why's that?"

"Because I worked with these idiots to exclusively develop a detection program in case they decide to come back, which they shouldn't," Tony added, raising a finger. "The Asgardians, they have a special brand of magic, a special brand of energy that emit when they crash land here. And if that wasn't set off, it's not Asgardians. So." He clapped his hands together. "Our plan of attack? Wait and see." With a smirk, he stood upright. "Simple."

"Fury isn't going to be happy with this," muttered Steve, staring at the images again.

"Furious will take what he can get," said Tony, waving his hands. "He needs me. And he needs you."

Steve stood upright, twisting his lips into a frown and looked blatantly at the center of Tony's chest, where his arc reactor used to be, and raised an eyebrow. Tony followed his line of sight, and when he lifted his head, the playful expression in his eyes had disappeared.

"Well, I'll come up with something a little bit…better," continued Steve, side-stepping him to the door. "And we'll see what he says."

Varan, Elliot's favorite guard, allowed her to leave the palace that evening after she promised to bring him a plate of pastries once she returned. She felt restless, or maybe nervous, at the prospect of returning back home to Midgard, if only for a day or two. And after talking with the others, curiosity got the best of her.

She took a leisurely walk through the city, making sure to keep her hood drawn up while she strolled along the cobblestone streets. Night had fallen over Asgard and the citizens had already retreated to their homes for the evening. At best, she saw children running in the streets, their mothers not far behind. As she reached the edge of the city, the only sounds she could hear were the sounds of her boots clacking on the ground.

To her surprise, the reconstruction of the Bifrost wasn't taking nearly as long as she thought it would. Thor had only informed them of the plans to rebuild the Bifrost that night, but the rainbow bridge had already been repaired, and the beginnings of the familiar golden orb were visible to the naked eye. And standing on the bridge, as she expected, was Heimdall.

Elliot took one cautious step onto the bridge, eyeing the reflective material with raised eyebrows. It looks so delicate, I could probably crush it if I tried hard enough.

After a few slow steps, she made her way towards him, pulling back her hood. The steady wind blew her hair around her face and she coughed quietly, brushing some strands out of way.

"Yes?"

Elliot smiled, and stood next to him. "Hello."

"You won't be leaving for Midgard today, if that's what you believe."

She frowned, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "No, I'm not…that wasn't what I wanted. I'm not ready, anyway."

"When do you think you'll be ready?" asked Heimdall, turning his eyes on her then. "In two days? Ten?"

Elliot shrugged, eyeing the unfinished bridge. "Whenever they finish this, I suppose." Then she noticed exactly how far away from the city she was, how the bridge extended over the sea. The reflective lights of Asgard were gone, replaced by the darkness of space not much farther ahead. It was such a strange sight, and it took some time for her to grasp what she was seeing. Space, the final frontier.

"Do you think it's a good idea for me to go?"

"You did not seem to disagree with Loki when he proposed the idea to you," answered Heimdall, disdain barely concealed in his voice. She bit her lip, looking away from his face and at the sword in his hands. She forgot, sometimes, how much Heimdall disliked Loki, no matter if he was the adopted son of the Allfather.

Big Brother Heimdall, thought Elliot, a wry grin on her lips.

"So, what don't you see?"

"Midgard."

The unexpected response caught her off guard, and she looked at him once more. "What do you mean?"

Heimdall lifted his chin, his gaze faraway. "I see all, but sometimes Midgard's existence is hidden from me, and other times I can clearly see. It flickers." He pursed his lips. "It is as if-"

"Something is blocking you," finished Elliot, looking out into space again. Her voice hardened for a moment. "So there is someone down there, and I'm expected to sit here and wait until the construction workers come back from dinner to finish rebuilding the only thing that would get me there." Then, in a more relaxed tone, she said, "Maybe they're just testing things out. Maybe they'll wait."

Heimdall hesitated, then dipped his head with a sigh. "You and I are well aware that there exists more than one way into Midgard than the Bifrost, Elliot."

If Heimdall was proposing that she go to Loki for help, then that only meant that the danger on Midgard was real.

Abruptly, she threw back on her hood, saying, "I have to go."

"Be careful." With a quick nod, she left him, heading back for the city.

There were plenty things to be considered if she planned to leave for Midgard in the middle of the night, without a word. What would Thor and the others say? And what about Loki?

She would have to leave a note, telling them that she was the one who came to him, it was her idea, not his; anything to keep him from being the scapegoat in all this. She knew they would find any reason they could to blame her disappearance on him. He already had too many strikes as it is; leaving her behind after Muspelheim and then putting her in harm's way on Svartalfheim was enough.

She would have to leave a note for Eira, apologizing for leaving her again when they had only been reunited a few hours ago. Elliot wondered how often Eira would keep waiting for her to return until she decided to leave her service and tend to another lady, one who never broke her promises.

Elliot stopped on the outskirts of the city, staring at the palace with a blank expression. Too many thoughts raced through her mind. I have to worry about Loki. I have to worry about Eira. Thanos is blocking Heimdall, which means it's a real problem. And my family is still down there somewhere.

She snorted softly to herself. I should just ignore everything and hide away in the city. I'm sure Asgardians are attractive. I could find myself a nice one and forget about all of this.

"Sneer all you want, it's not going to get you out of this, Elliot," said Loki's voice from not too far away. She groaned out loud and rotated, searching for him in the darkness. She found him sitting on a bench not too far from the palace walls, his head bent. Elliot approached him, her eyes searching for any of the palace guards.

"I sent them away for now," said Loki, his voice quiet. "You may speak freely." How he even knew she was thinking about him, or that she had something to tell him she didn't know, and she didn't have the time to care.

"He's trying to hide Midgard, so Heimdall can't see whatever it is he's doing. If Heimdall can't see, we'll never know," she whispered in the darkness, trying to catch his eye. "That's why he fell. It makes perfect sense. And whatever magic he's using – it's not strong enough, not yet. But it will be. We can't wait until the Bifrost is completed."

"You would leave now? Against Thor's orders?" asked Loki, sitting upright and placing his palms on his knees. "That seems rather bold, wouldn't you say?"

Elliot's expression, already strained, became more severe. "This is not a time to play word games, Loki. If you want to avoid any more trouble, we need to tell Thor. Now. He'll understand. You can finally be in his good graces again."

"What makes you think I want to be? For what reason could I possibly want to become the favorite of the prince, who left me slip between the abyss and damned me to Thanos' servitude?" he growled beneath his teeth. "This is not about good graces, in any way, shape or form, and you should remember-"

"What I remember is that my family is still down there, completely unaware that some alien being is lurking around on Earth, hellbent on destroying the Nine Realms. And if you're going to sit here and act like a child, that's fine with me, but do not waste my time!" She hesitated for a minute, watching his appalled expression. "And in case you've forgotten, the longer you sit around here sulking like a child, the more likely it is that Thanos will win, and your soul will be damned whether you like it or not."

The word games were cute back on Earth, when Elliot didn't know the first thing about dealing with a Norse God, but after endless weeks with one, his attempts to confuse her were easily ignored. Sometimes he needs a good verbal smacking, she thought, waiting for him to speak.

"I must go with you," decided Loki, after some time. His voice had quieted, and he avoided Elliot's eyes. "You are mortal, and ill-informed of the danger he poses. While you search for a way to decipher the books, I will survey Midgard for traces of his presence and determine his true plan."

Finally, some sense. "Are you going to tell Thor?"

"No."

"Loki-"

"This is for me, and me alone. He is far more concerned with the affairs of the Nine Realms than of Thanos himself. If you wish to inform your handmaiden you may do so, but you must swear her to secrecy. And if you wish to leave tonight – now – we must do so." He lifted his head to look at her, eyes burning. "Move quickly."

a/n:

happy christmas everyone, and happy new year! late update, but finals happened, and then holidays. =_=

IncognitoSharky: you're too kind! and that's really impressive if you read them in three days. i hope you enjoy!