AUTHOR'S NOTE: I must confess, this story has become a top priority in my life. I finished writing the chapter Friday night but was unable to post it then because I had to pack and travel to Philadelphia. Yet here I am, miles from home and on shaky WiFi just to make sure I post a new chapter for you guys! I am sitting here in a convention center listening to brokers and bank representatives blabbering on about real estate but all I'm thinking of is the next chapter! Oh my! Also, I must apologize in advance to all UK readers for what's about to happen in this chapter. I am so sorry! ;-)
I hope you enjoy! And thank you so much (again!) for taking this journey with me. I love you all! Almost 300 reviews! YAY! *does a little happy dance in the middle of convention center*
Of Madness and Mayhem
Chapter 19
She walked unrepentant as she and her entourage made their way through the underground tunnels of the SIS Building. Agents and soldiers stopped and looked as the prisoner was led to the top security cells 150 feet underground, deeper even than the Kingsway tunnels. They passed through three sets of thick, steel metal doors that opened up to a hallway lined with cells that were currently vacant. They walked the length of the corridor until they reached the end, where the largest, futuristic-looking cubicle was located. The cell was suspended by four heavy beams that carried its weight. The walls, ceiling and floor were made out of glass. Barbara looked around the dark walls around it and realized that they were tinted windows that led to the control room. She smiled. Her cell was a display case suspended on top of an abyss. Barbara closed her eyes and walked to the doors, where Maria Hill waited.
Rattle. Clickety-clack.
Her shackles rustled and the sound of her heels on the metal floor of the bridge resounded in the sepulchral facility. She kept her eyes closed and turned upon reaching Agent Hill, giving her access to her bound wrists.
"Don't try anything Ms. Contreras. You pull something here, not only us but you will die and I really don't think dying is part of your plan" she heard the voice of Nick Fury float towards her as he made his way down the corridor towards the cell.
Snap. Hiss.
"That is no longer my name" she replied calmly as she heard the shackles unlock and give way, freeing her arms. She turned and walked into the cell, coming to stop in the middle, her head lowered and eyes still closed.
"One night, Director. I give you one night only. I want her gone and out of England by tomorrow" Barbara heard the voice of the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service whisper into Fury's ear as the door began sliding shut.
Click.
The locks snapped into place and she finally opened her eyes. She raised her head and looked to the sides, observing the obscure walls around the cell. Even in the darkness around the shaft where her cubicle was suspended, she could see the dark panels of glass that lined the circular walls. One way mirrors. She turned and faced her captors, but came to stand only in the presence of Director Fury. Behind him, Maria Hill and the MI6 Chief were retreating and exiting the corridor accompanied by soldiers.
"And pray tell, what is your name now? I wouldn't want us to get off on the wrong foot due to formalities" he said, walking to the beginning of the bridge and stopping.
"My name now is Sigyn Lokifrija" she replied "Queen of Asgard"
"Lokifria, Norse for 'wife of Loki'" Fury mused "Sigyn, that's a good name. Also Norse for 'Victorious' and name of the ancient goddess of loyalty if I'm not mistaken. A very fitting name for you, I must say. But that is not what I came to know you as, nor was it the name given to you at your birth. Your human birth. You may be one of them now, but you were born and you will always be a human, Barbara Contreras"
"That woman is dead, Director" her voice was soft as velvet "I no longer stand as such, nor do I remember her life as my own"
Director Fury turned his head slightly to the side, sizing her up. The woman was mad.
"You're telling me that you don't remember helping Dr. Selvig build a device to open the portal to bring Loki's army here?" he asked incredulous. She simply smiled at him through the glass.
"Ah, so you do remember. Do you also remember sitting in an interrogation room after you were rescued? Do you also remember confronting Loki and telling him of the horrors he had brought upon your people?"
Her smile disappeared and a scowl replaced it. The left corner of Fury's mouth quirked upwards as he continued and he began to slowly walk the length of the bridge, inching his way towards her cell.
"At that time, I did not fully understand the magnitude of his interest in you, nor did I begin to fathom the extent of your connection to him" he finally reached the doors and stood face to face with her "now I do"
She said nothing.
"Pray tell me, why did you help him willingly, even after being kidnapped? He didn't exactly put the sharp end of his scepter against your jugular, did he?"
He noticed her clench her palms slightly and for a quick second he thought he saw her pupils dilate.
"You betrayed your race and surrendered yourself of your own will to the villain"
"You know NOTHING of what happened" he heard her growl through a clenched jaw. She gritted her teeth and her eyes burned into his, her irises slowly taking a golden shimmer.
"Oh, but I do know what happened to you. At that time I suspected it, and when you disappeared months later I proved it. You fell in love with the enemy, Barbara. Now look at what you've become"
"A goddess in my own right" she answered with vehemence "I rose above the pathetic mortal state I was born into and became equal to the gods, Director. Do you not wish you could do the same? Don't tell me you don't dream of become something greater, to reach a state that was denied to our species. Mortality is the curse placed upon us for our avarice. Humanity chose the path of selfishness and was doomed to be nothing but meaningless leaves blown about by the winds of circumstance. Defenseless in the face of death. Do you not see? Humans are the joke of the universe"
"Defenseless?" he asked "defenseless enough to be unable to stop an entire alien invasion? Or do you also not remember what happened to the army of gremlins your husband brought to our door?"
Barbara laughed and began to pace her rectangular cell. "One nuke blew up a ship. One ship out of many in an armada of thousands. Oh, and by the way, did you not program all your warheads to be powered by Loki's scepter in absence of the Tesseract's energy, Director? The same nuclear warheads that were taken from your base only a week ago?"
Now it was Fury's turn to be silent. Barbara smiled once again and walked towards the glass doors that separated her from the leader of the Avengers.
"Then indeed you are defenseless" she said, staring deep into his eyes "war is coming, Director Fury. It is not me you should worry about, nor should you concentrate your efforts in neutralizing me. The end of your world as you know it is upon you. Not by my doing, not by Loki, but by a force that is greater than any you could ever imagine. And not you, or your military might, nor your Avenger boy band will be enough to stop it. This world will fall along with its invader, and when Earth is desolate and humanity tithed, a new era will begin and this planet will be ruled by one who is one of you, yet stands above you as a god"
"Victor Von Doom" he said, realization dawning on him. He gave her one last look before retracing his steps and exiting the bridge "Your husband was only offered magazines to keep him entertained when he was in our custody, but in your case I will be nice. I will let you have a TV"
The sound of a monitor coming on gathered her attention. A screen mounted high up on the wall of her cell turned on, and her image materialized as the BBC broadcasted the breaking news of her attempt to steal the Crown Jewels and her subsequent apprehension.
'The Phoenix Taken into Custody at Tower of London' read the caption. The volume was turned up, and she was left alone with the live newsfeed of the events she had brought about that night and how the Avengers had finally managed to subdue and apprehend her.
"It is reported that the MI6 received a tip this afternoon from a London citizen who saw a suspicious woman in the Jewel House, and he came to recognize her as she made her way through the crowd. Officials immediately contacted the intelligence organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. and in a joint mission, moved in as the alien criminal broke into the Tower..."
"Fucking liars!" Barbara screamed as she stared at the screen in disbelief. She jumped and tore the monitor off its mount. Then she threw it at the glass wall, smashing it to pieces. Even through her anger, she noticed that the impact had not even scratched the thick glass. She let out a dry laugh as she walked backwards till she hit the opposite wall. She slid down until she came to sit on the floor, then she slumped back and let her eyes wander.
Now we wait, she thought.
All except for one turned as their leader walked somberly through the doors, his shoulders hunched and a grim look in his one eye. When he crossed the threshold, his eyes instantly settled on Thor, who was still watching the large monitors that showed the feed from the cameras installed in Barbara's cell.
"Could you please tell me what the hell happened to the Barbara Contreras we rescued? She now has powers unknown to any human. She is hell-bent on destruction and enjoys killing millions of people. She has already done away with hundreds of my agents, and injured two of my top fighters. What did he do to her?"
Everyone looked at Natasha Romanoff, who sat in front of a computer station. The gash above her left brow was caked with blood, the bruise to her cheek blue and swollen, her bottom lip busted, and she had her right arm in a sling. Her bodysuit was torn, and she rested her weight on her right foot to prevent further injury to her left knee.
"Please tell me you got that on surveillance feed" Tony Stark interjected "sorry Tash, nothing personal. I just want to see you getting your ass handed to you by another girl" he laughed, unable to contain the giggles that escaped him. Natasha fixed him with a threatening glare.
"Loki turned her into one of us, an Asgardian by nature" Thor answered "she is no longer human and by what we have seen, she remembers not who she used to be"
"She remembers what happened here with Loki well enough" Fury said.
"Loki is a master of magic and unmatched in the dark arts. My only guess is he made sure her memories of him remained untouched when he did away with her humanity. Were it in my power I would take her back to Asgard immediately. Her powers cannot be matched. She laid waste to an entire realm, much larger than your own. Loki has left her behind to execute his vengeance upon Earth for his defeat. She cannot remain in your world, she is no longer a part of it"
"Bastard. I knew he wasn't all flowers and chocolates and love songs. He's still using her, just like the first time" Tony said, all traces of jest and sarcasm now gone from his voice.
At his words, all present turned once again to the large glass panels on the walls that displayed the live footage of the woman sitting on the floor inside a glass cell. At the sight of her, Natasha Romanoff groaned. Bruce Banner stood to the side, quiet and pensive as he watched the woman Loki had used secretly during his visit to Earth to further his plans. Barbara had her head resting back against the glass, her knees up to her chest and her arms hugging her ankles.
"What happened to her?" Agent Barton whispered to himself, his gaze fixed on the image of the woman he himself had rescued from Loki's grasp three years prior.
"Loki happened to her" Thor answered him, the grievance in his voice matching that of the master archer.
"She may be a crazy, deranged, sexy creature of the night, Catwoman-like fiend, but by god she is hot as all hell. If it's not much to ask, could you put me in there for a few minutes, cameras off? I'm sure her angry Norse god husband won't mind. Oh, and give her a whip" Tony quipped, looking expectantly at all in the room.
Fury whipped his head to look at Stark, a look of disbelief and a glare that clearly read 'I-fucking-dare-you-to-try-me-now' visible in his single, brown eye.
"It was worth a try" Tony said with a shrug.
Fury turned from his most difficult Avenger and spoke to Thor once more. "You think she'll talk to you?"
"We may hope"
Fury signaled the agents at the control panels, and the tinted glass mounted onto the concrete cleared up, revealing to the prisoner the control room that encircled the enclosure, and everyone in it.
At the sight of Thor, Barbara jumped to her feet and ran to the other side of the glass, slamming her palms against it. The entire cell shook with the force exerted by her hands. Her eyes were set upon Thor, pleading and pitiful, two large pools of tears forming in them.
"Thor... Arik... please... help me... my son..." she begged looking terrified. She let her tears spill and run unrestrained down her cheeks.
Everyone in the room stood stunned, and a new sense of dread filled Director Fury.
"Who's Arik?" Tony Stark asked astonished.
"Did she say 'my son'?" Natasha looked gravely at Thor.
Said god simply stood there, transfixed, his blood running cold.
"Please..." Barbara's voice was now so strained that she could barely speak "he took my son with him... help me... take me back to Asgard"
"Barbara" Thor found his voice and walked to the glass panel "I can't"
"My son needs me!" she begged, hitting her hands repeatedly against the glass. It was a pitiful sight to behold for the god of thunder as he watched her fall to her knees sobbing uncontrollably.
Suddenly, there was a soft tremor. All looked at each other before turning their eyes back to Barbara, but it was clear it was not her doing. Then the sirens and alarms went off.
"We are under attack. All agents report..."
Inside the glass cell, the prisoner's tears instantly dried up. There was a rumble beneath her feet and she felt the smallest trace of quaking in the beams that kept her cage suspended. She slowly rose and turned towards the glass panel where the Avengers were all huddled inside. There was a wicked, deranged grimace playing on her lips. Her eyes were fixed on Thor.
"I made you a promise" he heard her say as her eyes slowly began to burn amber gold "and I intend to keep it. Now watch me"
Instantly, the glass of her enclosure shattered, along with the floor. She leaped just in time and held on to the edge of the bridge with one hand, her body dangling over the abyss. Bringing her other hand up to grasp the edge, she flipped upwards and landed on her feet.
"NO!" she heard Thor scream behind her. She turned her head and smiled at him before sprinting down the corridor and out of sight.
The entire underground citadel that lay hidden under the foundations of the SIS Building exploded as the lone figure exited the hold and walked through the debris unharmed. She sheathed the swords she had reclaimed when suddenly, she stopped. On lower levels beneath her, she could hear the roars of the Hulk, and she raced to the elevators. On ground level, the entire edifice was being destroyed as military jets dropped bombs upon it. When she reached the sub-basement, she was met with doombots that were shooting down and killing all agents that fought to protect their headquarters.
"Took you long enough" Barbara said as she emerged onto the surface. The SIS Building was no more, lying in a pile of rubble with debris littering the waters of the Thames and the area around it. She walked to the figure in a dark green cloak that stood facing the river, waiting for her. He turned and she stopped in her tracks.
"Victor" she whispered "your face... I thought..."
He laughed. "It's only a mask. I must keep up appearances, as you know"
"Always a taste for the theatrical' she mocked.
"I hope your temporary accommodations while you waited for my arrival were not meager at best?"
"The best I've ever had" she laughed "now if you'll excuse me, I have a city to destroy"
He smiled behind the metal mask. "Do your worst, my little warrior goddess"
She turned and began walking away, when suddenly she halted and retraced her steps. She stopped in front of Doom, looking up at him. She reached up and removed the mask, revealing the incredibly handsome man beneath. She searched his eyes, unsure of what to say.
"Thank you" she finally spoke in a soft voice "for everything. I will never forget it"
He became lost in her eyes, two deep brown precipices into which he felt himself falling. In the soft glow that came from the lights of the city he studied her exquisite features, his eyes finally coming to rest on her two plump lips. The sounds of sirens and aircraft approaching disappeared as he bent down and softly touched her lips with his. She did not resist or push him way. Then he wrapped his arms around her and claimed her lips in a kiss that finally released all he had failed to express.
Barbara was stunned. She did not really know why she had returned to thank him, but a strong desire to look into his eyes once more had caused her to retrace her steps. There was something about Victor Von Doom that was magnetic, energizing, and though she did not return the ardor of his kiss, she did not push him away. She did not welcome it, yet she did not fight it. She let him take what little he could from she who was not only unreachable, but unattainable. Deep down, she wished it had not been so. As she let his lips claim hers and his arms wrap around her in an almost crushing embrace, she suddenly had the strong desire to have met him in her human life, and it was then that a faraway part of her subconscious she though long lost told her that she had.
She knew him.
Instantly, she wrung away, struggling to catch her breath.
"I knew you" she panted "I knew you! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"You didn't..." he struggled to speak "it was only in passing... but you knew of me"
"What?!" she said, desperately searching the floor as her mind raced, trying to come up with memories she could no longer bring to the forefront of her recollections.
"It was two weeks before that bastard husband of yours showed up in our planet and..."
The time for explanations was over. The sound of roaring and a large explosion as the Hulk tore through the debris of the building ended the moment. Helicopter searchlights beamed down upon them and military vehicles began to surround them. She knew the Avengers were not far behind.
Doom pulled out an electronic tracking device from his cloak and held it in his hand. Immediately, a small fleet of stealth aircrafts emerged from the clouds that covered the cold, autumn night sky. Barbara smiled.
"Go" he said, his mask now back in place "it is time to play"
She gave him one last, long look before she took off, taking one big leap and disappearing into the hustle and bustle of London, helicopters and military vehicles setting off after her.
The trail of destruction that she left in her wake was the crumbs left for one specific person to follow. She leaped off the edge of The Queen's Walk onto one of the towers on Tower Bridge. She landed on the very top, right on the edge of the golden balustrade that adorned the peak. She walked deftly on the ledge, admiring the city and drinking in the sounds of chaos that surrounded her. Screams, sirens and cries of panic rose in the air as buildings lay in ruins from Tower Bridge to Vauxhall Cross. Doombots and their leader had descended upon the jewel of Europe and were now engaged in full combat with the Avengers. Helicopters were no longer searching the city for her; they lay in broken heaps scattered in the destruction.
Barbara looked down at the black void that was the River Thames in the night. Ferries and private boats hurriedly tried to reach the safety of the harbors, and she smiled at the thought of what awaited them. To her surprise, the words of an old human nursery rhyme came to her memory, the same words she had sung as a child:
"London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down" she sung loudly as she walked the edge of the tower peak back and forth "London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady"
She stopped singing and looked up at the sky. To her surprise, the cloud coverage had somewhat dispersed, revealing parts of the clear sky that were clustered with stars. The twinkling celestial bodies seemed to be beckoning her. She began to sing again:
"Take a key and lock her up, lock her up... lock... her... up" her voice broke as she stifled a sob. She closed her eyes and a single tear trickled down.
"My... fair... lady"
Suddenly, she opened her arms and a huge wall of water rose from the river, capsizing boats and inundating the banks. The wall of water rose high above her and she turned to face what remained of downtown London. She opened her eyes and clashed her hands together, sending the huge wave in the direction of the historic landmarks that had adorned the center of the city for centuries. Fast and with force greater than a tsunami, the gigantic wall of water swept away everything and everyone in its path. Big Ben would ring no more. The London Eye came crashing down into the Thames. Westminster Abbey was collapsing into itself. Chaos and panic reigned over Buckingham Palace as the royal family was escorted into safety underground, the majestic residence of the queen shaking to its foundations. Wave after wave came crashing into the city, the effects of each more destructive than the last. The body of water than had been the source of communication, connection, history, lore and tourist attractions had turned on the city upon whose banks it had thrived.
Then, a figure flew through the water wall and came to land on one of the pathways that connected the two towers of the bridge. Barbara turned to see Thor standing there, his face an open book of anger and despair.
"Enough of this, Barbara. You force my hand!"
"I made you a promise. Until I return to Asgard, one major city after another will fall. Tonight, it is London's turn. Tomorrow it may be Paris, or Tokyo, or Mexico City, or Rio de Janeiro. Perhaps I shall let you pick" she threw her head back and let out of a maniacal laugh. She now stood wet, the high wall of water drenching her to the bone.
"I shall prove to you that your efforts are futile!" Thor roared, and before she could react, he lifted off the ground in her direction. Landing next to her, he scooped her under one arm and flew away into the night.
Behind then, a gigantic wall of water came crashing down onto Tower Bridge, weakening its structure and causing its two towers to come crashing down into the Thames.
A set of amber, crimson eyes watched the events that unfolded on a small island on planet Earth. The gatekeeper of Asgard watched with great interest as Odin's firstborn seemed to talk through clear glass walls to a person he could not see. Ragnar knew who it was. Then he watched with a heavy heart as another city succumbed to an unseen power and thousands of innocent lives were lost. He saw Thor again, coming face to face with the same veiled individual.
"I shall prove to you that your efforts are futile!" Odin's oldest son was saying desperately.
Ragnar held his breath. Could it be?
His grip on the magical sword tightened. He looked back at the palace behind him. Tonight the royal residence was void of the king's presence. He was not in Asgard, nor was he on Earth. He was in Nornheim, and though he was currently veiled from his view, Ragnar knew he lay in Karnilla's bed.
I have made a blood oath to my king. I must always obey him, he thought.
He lowered his eyes to the floor as the cries to open the bridge rose towards him. He closed his eyes and tried to block them out of his mind, but he could not, no matter how hard he tried.
I cannot. I am so truly sorry, oldest son of Odin.
Yet it was the next words he heard that caused him to open his eyes. He paused and waited for his ears to hear those words once more; the words he had been waiting to hear for a long time. Then he heard them again.
I have sworn to protect this realm, even from within.
Grasping his sword, he turned and walked in the direction of the platform...
Thor placed Barbara gently on the grass. Coming to rest on her knees, she looked around her and gasped upon seeing what surrounded her. With wide eyes, she observed the megaliths that were placed in a perfectly circular formation. There was only one place on the planet with such a structure.
Stonehenge.
"Ragnar, open the bifrost!"
She turned to see Thor standing just outside the circle, looking up into the sky.
"Ragnar, if you can hear me, open the bridge!"
"Ragnar! I know you can hear me!" Thor called "I have the queen!"
Barbara looked at Thor in astonishment. He was pacing around the open plain, looking up for any signs.
"Ragnar, I have the queen! She needs you! Open the bifrost!"
"Thor!" she called out to him. A small trace of light began to form behind the clouds, flashing almost like thunder in the sky.
"You must promise me" Thor walked up to her and took hold of her shoulders "that you will help me save Asgard. It is your home now. Turn from this path and together we can also save my brother"
Barbara had no chance to respond as the huge burst of rainbow light broke through the clouds and engulfed them. Then in a flash, they were gone.
Barbara and Thor had finally left Earth.
End of Chapter 19
Responses to guest reviews:
Guest: Thank you so much! :-)
RisDOLL: Wow that's so awesome that you got to meet him and he was able to sign something for you! You now have a great story to tell your son one day! So cool! He seems like such an amazing guy! I hope that he stays as great and down to earth now that his star is surely skyrocketing. You know, I had the same thought when I saw Loki at Comic Con. I even imagined Barbara coming out as well LOL. Man, this story is really taking up all my imagination! Don't worry, the mother of all showdowns is coming. Jerry Springer will die wishing it had taken place in his show! Lol
Vermillion: Ay m'ija te perdiste el Lokipocalypse! Yo lo vivi en Tumblr mientras estaba pasando. En vivo! Unos empleados de Marvel tuvieron un live blog y le contaban a los fans que no pudieron estar presents de todo lo que estaba pasando. Cuando Loki salio, Tumblr crashed. En serio. Fue algo inolvidable. En minutos fans pusieron fotos y estallo el caos. Es una experiencia que nunca olvidare. Verdaderamente que unio a todo el fandom esa noche y conquisto todo el Internet! Jajajaja Me gusta que entendiste la referencia que hice a una de las frases mas famosas de Loki ;-) Espero que hayas gozado este ultimo capitulo! Y acerca de tu situacion universitaria: Es triste ver que gobiernos no quieren apoyar a los estudiantes. Ustedes son el future del pais, y el gobierno deberia de hacer hasta lo imposible por asegurar el future de todos ustedes y tomar todas las acciones necesarias para que terminen sus carreras. Espero tu update sobre la situacion. Hasta la proxima, chica!
Theo98xoxo: Oh my goodness, I would have been mad as hell too if I were you! I am already making plans to go to the New York Comic Con, just in case ;-) Yes, I saw the video of NerdHQ he is such a cool cat! The way he talked about staying positive and seeing the beauty of life, man he is all kinds of awesome! VelocirapTOM! ;-) Someone made a gif picture set from his impression and blended it into the kitchen scene in Jurassic Park. It is epic! I reblogged it and posted it on my Tumblr, you should check it out!