So this took me awhile due to sheer procrastination mixed with writer's block and I also watch Sherlock and yea... sorry for the wait.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers. Though you all know that, I have to say it for legal reasons.
Jessie
I frowned against my will as we finally prepared to leave for Asgard. Dressed in a simple pair of black pants with one of Tony's ACDC shirts, because I had been too lazy to put effort into my appearance when I awoke this morning, I was silently wishing I hadn't agreed to this. Anxiety built up inside me, curling into a knot in my stomach that only loosened when Loki grasped my hand in his own. He was in full Asgardian armor, a horned helm upon his head that looked like it would cause him to topple over at any moment. With my other hand, I reached over to toy with his dark green cape. He smiled softly at me and I squeezed his hand lightly.
"Isn't eleven o'clock in the morning a little early for interdimensional travel?" Tony groaned as he quite literally trudged into the room with four suitcases and Bruce following behind with four more. As Tony dropped the luggage, I moved forward and handed him a cup of coffee.
"What's with all the luggage, boys?" I asked, looking at the suitcases suspiciously. Tony looked to me, his lips still pressed lightly against the rim of the mug.
"Science," Tony replied simply, taking a sip of the coffee before downing a large gulp of the steaming liquid. Rolling my eyes, I kicked one of the suitcases nearest to me. "You can't expect me to go to their home without bringing some equipment. I mean look at them. Fucking Shakespeare meets Dragon Age."
My eyes glided over to the two Norse gods. Looking at their complicated armor, I had to choke back a laugh that bubbled in my throat. I lightly shoved Tony, both of us holding back laughs as Loki quirked an eyebrow at us and Thor's face did that scrunchy confused-looking thing. I walked over to Loki and pressed a light kiss to the side of his helmet, "It's okay Rudolph."
Loki glared lightly at me as I pulled away with a smirk on my face.
"Where's Captain Spangle-Bottoms?"
Asgard.
My first view of it was the interior to a very large observatory-looking room. The yanking sensation that had been pulling us here during transporting melted away, leaving me weak at my knees. Loki went to catch me but I waved him off, thinking I could just straighten myself up and the nausea would pass. Tony and I managed to lock dazed eyes just before we both toppled over and onto our backs. The hard floor made a loud smacking sound as we hit and sent a shock of pain dancing across my spine.
Loki moved to give me a hand up but I declined, preferring to just let the nausea pass while staring up at the tiny stars that were dancing in front of my eyes. The stars faded and I pulled myself up into a sitting position.
"The one time I would have like a bunch of shadowy tentacles to reach out around me and keep me from getting hurt and I get nothing," I moaned, glaring at a speck of dust that was twinkling right above my face.
"The All Father has placed wards against the powers of the umbra TORTOR here," an authorative voice informed me. I turned my head and spotted a tall, dark man with bright eyes that seemed to look everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Despite that, I still felt as if his eyes were burning a path into my very soul. "Welcome, Princes of Asgard, Heroes of Midgard, and umbra TORTOR."
I couldn't help but feel as if there had been venom in his words as he addressed me. Loki solidified that assumption as he moved his body between the tall man ad myself. Frowning, I pulled myself off the ground and turned to help Tony up. He mumbled under his breath, rubbing his lower back as he straightened out. We both moved to retrieve our luggage, me not taking my eyes off of the man in complicated armor with a helmet more comedic than Loki's.
"Jessie is of no threat to Asgard, Heimdall," Loki was tensed, like a cobra waiting to strike. His eyes were cold daggers, meeting Heimdall's limitless gaze. I wondered why the two would have such palpable tension, before remembering that they were meant to fight to the death during Ragnarok, the apocalypse. Suitcase in hand, I moved to Loki's side and entwined out fingers together. He looked down at me, his stance softening.
"You were also once perceived as not a threat to Asgard by the All Father," Heimdall's words were almost mocking, causing Loki's hand to tighten around my own as he tensed.
"The whole back and forth between you and Donner here has been amusing and all but I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that I really just want to crash on a bed and sleep," Tony interrupted the two, running a hand through his messed up brown locks.
"Tony's right. We are not here as a threat, Heimdall. However, we will respect your leader's wishes. Now, if you would kindly let us pass...?" Steve moved forward a few steps and I watched as he spoke with both hands clasped behind his back and his eyes emotionless as he looked at Heimdall. 'Looking' at Steve, Heimdall moved to the side. We took that as a sign that we could pass and began moving. As I passed Heimdall, however, he gripped my elbow. Seeing a certain look in his eyes that clearly read 'I have something to say to you', I let my hand slide out of Loki's and told my friends I would catch up.
Now I was face to face with Heimdall. The Gatekeeper.
"You complement Loki. You make the Prince see the error in his ways and strive to do better. Do be careful during your visit, however. Very few in Asgard hold tolerance for the umbra TORTOR," he informed me. I looked into his eyes and nodded, a feeling of dread beginning to curl around my stomach and squeeze it like a boa constrictor finishing off its prey. He looked away from me, eyes growing even more distant, if that was even possible. My hand on my stomach, I tried to calm myself as I approached Loki and the others. Emerald eyes met my sapphire irises and I wished I could convey in that one moment the turmoil of emotions whirling around in my head.
Odin.
He was a hulking mass of a man with a golden eye patch and crisp white hair. He was seated upon a throne, not standing until we had fully entered the large chamber/room. Does everything here have to look so golden? Squinting, I wished for just a little bit of darkness in this bright city of sunshine and burly men in capes. I didn't like it here. It felt as if I was a specimen, a weak little experiment. Odin had wards placed up against my abilities, I was powerless. No, I have my friends. They won't let Odin lay a finger on me.
"I must apologize for the wards. They have been placed upon Asgard for many years," Odin's booming voice seemed to crackle slightly with age, barely changing from the voice I heard in my memory of him. My body stiffened, as if naturally, at the sight of him and the sound of his voice. "I did not expect for you to bring so many... guests, Thor."
"Lady Jessica would not come without the company of her allies. I did not think that it would be an issue. After all, they are my companions as well as three of the Heroes of Midgard, Father," Thor took a step forward, his back straightened and eyes locked with Odin's one eye. I felt a strange tingle run across my spine, goosebumps spreading across my skin like wildfire as I stared up at the All Father. His demeanor had changed from one of practiced hospitality to one of carefully calculated politeness. The sudden change set me on edge and I felt like a rabid wolf being stared down by the barrel of a shotgun as a foot shoved into my back and pinned me to the ground.
"If you do not wish for my friends to be here, say the word All Father and we will leave your... humble domain," I found my mouth opening and words falling off of my lips without much thought. Odin turned is gaze to me and I stared back at him, trying to keep my gaze from wavering. Looking into his eye, I felt an uncomfortable fire spread across my skin. All I could smell was blood, my mom's blood, and I could hear my own sobs and suddenly the air wasn't there and I was choking- no drowning - and-
"Jessie," Loki's voice was a soothing anchor, yanking me out of the memory and back into reality. I looked to him and saw concern in his eyes. His eyes, however, were on my hands. Blood ran down the pale palms where my nails had been digging into them. I shook my hands, looking back to the All Father to see curiosity glittering in his one eye.
"Of course I do not mind, shadow child. Someone will come to escort you to your rooms. For now, I must go. However, there will be a feast tonight to celebrate the arrival of my returned son and the visitors from Midgard. Dress accordingly," with those words, he exited the room and I released a breath I had not realized I was holding.
"He isn't much for idle chit chat, is he?" Tony was suddenly beside me and I nearly punched him for sneaking up on me like that even though he was hardly being sneaky.
Loki
I could see it in her eyes, a striking fear that chilled even me. She was powerless here, Odin had made sure of that. My eyes trailed down to her palms. They weren't healing, a side effect of having lost her slightly quickened healing abilities. Gently, I took her hands in my own and allowed a green glow to pass over them as I healed the tiny cuts.
Odin had prepared a separate room for Jessie, but I did not object when she asked to instead sleep in my old bedroom with me. It took all of my willpower not to smite Stark when he warned us to 'try not to make any reinguin babies while we were alone'. I had no idea what a renguin was, but by the way Jessica glared at him it had to be some type of abomination. (thanks to Waffelen for coming up with reinguin)
Jessie was sitting on the edge of my bed, knees tucked up against her chest as she stared at the flickering green flames that crackled in the fireplace across from her. I was dressing myself in my formal attire, which mostly consisted of a very complicated tunic with buckles and straps in many random places. My magic easily assisted me in putting on the complicated garb.
Once I was dressed for Odin's little 'celebration' I turned to see that Jessie was now lying on her back, staring up at slowly rotating chandelier of mirrors I had hanging from my ceiling. Thousands of Jessicas reflected in the shards, looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
"Are you going to get dressed, love?" I moved to her side and took a seat at the edge of the bed, looking down at her and trying to read her emotions but she was a closed book.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Loks," she muttered, her palms moving up to rub her eyes tiredly.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Jessica," I assured her. She sighed, pulling herself up into a sitting position beside me and looking over to glare at the ensemble of red and black that had been brought for her to change into. The red was like rubies, reminding me of her eyes whenever she used her shadow skin. It was easy to tell Odin had chosen the color on purpose, a way to show the people what she was without blatantly saying it. Her eyes burned holes into the fabric and I waved my hand, turning the ruby red to a sapphire blue. "Better?"
"Much better," a small smile pulled at her lips as she took my hand and squeezed it before getting up and moving over to the now sapphire and black ensemble. Her eyes scanned over the various buckles and straps as her fingers ghosted over it. "Now how on earth do you put this stuff on?"
It's a longer chapter! Yay? o.o I take so long with these things sometimes and I am so sorry for that you guys. You have the right to pelt me with seashells for the long waits I put you through.