As we raced across the desert, I stared up at the sky, the tiny blister becoming a maelstrom of Bifrost and clouds. "The stars- they are of Asgard," Thor murmured, his face looking abnormally pale.
"Jane, what is this? Some sort of magnetic storm," Darcy questioned as we joined the SHIELD agents.
"No, its my Einstein-Rosen bridge," Jane said, jumping out of the car. "The Bifrost!"
As soon as Thor and I had shown our faces, guns were drawn, Agent Coulson coming over to us. "What is going on," he asked, eyeing Thor. When we did not speak, he turned to Jane, showing his badge. "You are Jane Foster, the scientist working on the Einstein-Rosen bridge. Can you tell me what this is? We got massive energy readings out of nowhere-"
"I do not believe it," I whispered, racing forward as four bodies landed on the runes.
I bent down beside Sif, cupping her cheek in my hand, taking in her bruised face and scraped knuckles. I clapped her cheek gently, Thor coming to my side, "Sif?"
"Is it me, or has Midgard changed," she asked weakly, the Warriors Three beginning to stir as well.
Thor laughed once, relieved as he stroked her hair back from her face. "It has been a thousand years since we have last visited," he said, Sif sitting up before taking to her feet shakily. Volstagg and the others did the same, his bearded face turning towards us, "Thor is right. You leave for a millennium, and it is as if the whole country has gone."
"What are you three doing here," I questioned, Hogun smiling. "And why do you look like you have been to Hel and back?"
"Because we have. You did not think we would miss your wedding day, did you," Fandral asked before immediately taking the defensive at the sight of the SHIELD agents. "Who are you and from where did you come," Agent Coulson asked, Volstagg eyeing Thor. "We are Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Surely you have heard tales of Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and I, Volstagg the Svelte? Well… perhaps I have put on a little more muscle since I was here last."
Erik smiled wryly and shook his head, "Over a thousand years ago. In Northern Europe, to be exact."
Thor smiled almost sadly as he looked at his friends, clapping Fandral's shoulder, "My friends, I have never been happier to see anyone- especially on this day of wondrous days- but still, you should not have come."
"We have come to take you home," Hogun replied in his soft voice, his tone almost confused.
"You know that I cannot. My father is dead because of me- I must remain in exile."
I watched as Fandral, Volstagg, Sif and Hogun exchanged tortured, perplexed looks, Sif turning to her old friend. "Thor, your father lives."
His hands tightened into fists as his face became stony, my husband staring without seeing. "I need you to tell me the truth of the happenings in Asgard- from the beginning," he demanded quietly, all eyes on the newcomers.
"It first started with us trying to get the both of you back home and after many days spent debating, we decided to speak to Odin All-Father. When we went to the throne room… we saw Loki upon the throne, with Odin-King's headdress and Gungnir. When I asked him what happened, he told us that your father had fallen into the Odin-sleep," Sif explained, Thor's eyes tightening around the edges. I reached out and took one of his hands in both of mine, trying to comfort him as best I could. "After a few days, Fandral discovered that it was Loki and his obsession with the Casket of Winters that had driven the King into his sleep… And all the while, we were drawing closer and closer to war with Jotunheim. We knew what we must do, but we were just too damned afraid to do it."
"And so we committed treason- Loki after all, had banned everyone from using the Bifrost- by going to Heimdall. He asked us if we would defy the commands of Loki, break every oath we had taken as warriors and risk death to bring you and Halea back. And when we said yes, he gave Sif his sword and left us to open the portal," Hogun finished, his dark eyes watching Thor's.
I smiled at the thought of how much they cared for us- how much they had risked to bring us back to Asgard, my hand pressing over Thor's heart.
"We never should have let you go- either of you," Volstagg admitted, Thor finally moving at his words.
He took the fragile tulip off of his vest and crushed it in his palm, shaking his head, his blonde locks blowing in the gentle breeze. "There was no stopping me, and certainly not Halea. I was arrogant, reckless, dangerous… I am not what Asgard needs in its king," Thor murmured, Fandral's eyes widening at his best friend.
"And so you would leave Loki on the throne? Laufey himself said that there were traitors in the House of Odin-King; there was an attempt on your father's life not a day after he had fallen into his Odin-sleep and it was Loki who 'defended' him. You know as well as I do Thor that a master of magic could easily bring three Jotuns into Asgard. Brother or not, you know that Loki is not right," the handsome one said, my husband taking one menacing step towards him. I touched his arm lightly, Thor looking at me when our skin had finally met, "You know that Fandral speaks the truth- Loki has always been jealous of you and it was your ceremony that was interrupted before you were named heir to the throne. Thor, who else could elude Heimdall's gaze with tricks of light and shadow?
"My love, it is our duty to defend Asgard. And if any of their suspicions prove true, then all of Asgard is in mortal danger."
We all turned to the rumbling overhead, backing away from the runes on the desert floor as the Bifrost began to roar above. Dread began to grow inside of me like a disease, my hand pulling in Thor's. "We must leave," I whispered, my hand pressing to my stomach. The car windows around us began to shatter, Thor wrapping his arms around me as the sky opened up.
We ran to Jane's car, all of us crowding in to escape the growing winds.
Erik began to drive back through the desert, Thor holding onto me as I stared out of the back window at the death we would never escape.
The Destroyer.