The Elven ship hovered over the palace of Asgard, looming as an unseen threat, awaiting the time to attack once more. Physicians and healers tended to the left side of Malekith's face, now painfully scarred and partially disfigured from the wrath of Thor's lightening. Algrim approached, no longer his normal self, but transformed into an unstoppable force of pure dark magic and energy, he was now Kurse, possessed with power.
"Fret not my Lord, the Aether shall come to us." Algrim uttered as the healers addressed the burnt skin, but Malekith felt a tinge of recognition surge through his veins. It was calling for him once more. He snapped away, waving off those tending to his wounds, a gentleness surrounding his voice that could put just about make anyone feel uneasy. "The Aether is no longer on Asgard."
"My Lord?" Algrim questioned, confusion apparent, but unlike Malekith he and the other Elves could not sense the power that called out to their leader. Malekith's voice was almost hopeful as he turned to Algrim, "The Aether has found its way home."
The atmosphere was stained a murky green, the sunlight permanently blackened, only fragments of light pierced through the heavy air, the air reeked of despair and uncertainty, and yet I felt as if I belonged here. I sat next to Loki, looking blankly as the landscape passed by, the land desolated by the numerous aircrafts that consumed by the blackened earth that dominated the land.
"What's next?" Jane inquired, recapturing my attention, sitting on the opposite side of the skiff, Thor standing by her side.
"I…I don't know. There has to be some way to expose the Aether and destroy it, or allow me to draw it away from Malekith. My blood's Elven, I should be able to withstand the power." I lowered my gaze to the bottom of the boat, the wind blowing the long brown strands of hair into my face, as I squeezed my eyes shut. "We wait now, they will come to us, because they are after me." I blinked away the few tears forming in the corner of my eyes and looked back up at three concerned faces.
"I need you three to promise me something, if there is a way to stop Malekith from destroying everything then do it no matter what happens to me." I turned to look at Loki, his jaw clenched tightly and hands balled into fists. "And if I can do something to stop him, then let me, no matter the cost. I need you to promise me that." I pleaded. Thor frowned and Jane sadly nodded, but they agreed. Turning to face Loki, I dropped to my knees before him, taking his hands into mine, intertwining our fingers. "Promise me Loki."
"Eira, please don't make me." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jane and Thor turning, adverting their eyes from Loki and me. "Loki." His eyes snapped up to meet mine, the hurt clearly visible.
"You expect me to stand by and watch? While you could be hurt? Or dying? Eira, I cannot promise you that, not when it was my promise to you that I would protect you with every last breath within me." I felt the corner of my lips tug up into a small smile when Loki slid from the side bench and to his knees before me, withdrawing his hands from mine and placing each hand on my cheek. "We're going to get through this, together, okay? No absurd promises, just you and me, Loki and Eira, together forever. Remember?"
His eyes were brimmed with tears, any previous hurt had disappeared, and I couldn't make him promise me that, because I would be the same way if it were him. Leaning forward I wrapped my arms around his neck, hold him close to me, the metal of our armor clinking together as I pressed myself closer. I love you Loki. In my ear it was a whisper, "And I am catastrophically in love with you."
And that's what our love was, a catastrophe, he slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart, yet repaired my damaged life; and look where it had gotten us. Running, running from a race that until today was thought dead, and they were after me. My life, my love, it was a catastrophe, admittedly at times it was a beautiful disaster. The skiff floated through the air effortlessly and for several long minutes we stayed just like that, holding each other close, never wanting to let go, so when Thor spoke it broke my heart, because I knew that in the end, it would be I who had to let go.
"They are here." And after those words, silence encroached and loomed above us as the metallic frame of the ship descended, and we edged closer to a cliff side, overlooking a flat plane of barren soil. Bringing the small vessel to a halt, the four of us exchanged knowing glances, it was all downhill from here, literally and figuratively.
I was the last to have my feet touch the powdery and rubble scattered surface of Svartalfheim. Thor kept a confronting arm draped around Jane's shoulder, and Loki fingers fumbled to grasp onto mine as we closed in on the edge of the cliff. Following Loki's lead we crouched down behind the small piles of debris and continued to observe the ship as it landed; seconds later Malekith exited followed by a task force of Elves.
"We're going to die." Jane whispered, further diminishing my hopes of possibly escaping with my life. My head lowered, but Loki tilted my chine back up and then glanced behind me at Jane.
"You're right, we're all going to die, I'm going to die, you're going to die; we're all going to die, just not today." Loki faintly smiled and stood to his full height, which to others while dressed in his leathers would have been intimidating, slowly I followed, as did Jane and Thor. Malekith searched the surroundings, his eyes landing on us at the hill top. It was strange though, the disfigured elf Algrim, the one they called Kurse, which I had the pleasure of encountering the previous day, was missing; but he wasn't missing, and that apparent when there was a grunt of pain from behind. Instantly my palms were engulfed in flames as I whipped around, Thor had taken a swift punch to the gut that left him winded and now I was the target as he marched on towards Loki and me.
Loki jumped before me, pushing me behind him as if I were a small child, incapable of protecting myself, the flames in my hands were glowing blue as Loki withdrew a dagger holding with an icepick grip and advanced in smooth and calculated moves, each one though Kurse blocked and in a moment of recovery he backhand Loki, the impact sending him wayward, and his back landed with an audible crack, leaving me to face him. Raising my hand, the blast of fire emitted would have been enough to kill a regular person but it didn't faze him, instead he gipped my fist, extinguishing the flame and then I was falling.
Rolling and flipping down the mountain side, knocking into the rocks and rubble of the path until my back landed flat on the ground, weakly gaining footing on my hands in knees. "Eira!" Loki bellowed, descending the hill at a paid pace, Thor and Jane following. I whimpered in pain when I took an unforeseen blow to my side, the left side, the side I always favored, and the one that had stitches. Mjolnir flew through the air, knocking two Elves away, but not hindering their approach towards me. As I gathered the means to stand I couldn't help but wince and grab my side. Loki advanced on Kurse, but was brought down to his knees, writhing in discomfort, an Elven blade positioned at his neck. Thor stopped dead in his tracks, shielding Jane.
"Svana, look upon your home and the wasteland it has become because of the Asgardians," He paused and glanced at Thor, and revealed sharpened teeth in a sneer as he turned to look at Loki, before turned back to me, raising his hand, controlling and calling out to the Aether within me. "Your world, your loved ones and you will all be extinguished; and the attempts to stop this will be in vain."
My feet lifted off the ground, my arms spreading out as my vision blurred and the pain within my head was searing as the Aether, which had been housed so long within my body, was ripped away, the particles leaving trails of darkness in their wake, the universe consumed in an eternally night, the power it possessed, and I had possessed from so long become evident.
Malekith's target was revealed, he wasn't going to unleashed the Aether just anywhere, he was going to make a show out of it; by destroying Earth first, the vision ended and then I was crumpling to the ground, weak, as the Aether hovered above in the chilled air. Loki pulled away from his captor, rushing over to me as I lie weakened on the hard and dead earth; and shielded me with his body as Thor summoned a plethora of lighting, throwing it into the air, where chaos erupted.
The explosion was deafening as pieces of the Aether rained down to the blackened soil, the ruby red shards contrasting against the dull earth. Jane and I peered around our protectors, looking on its destruction. Had it worked? Was it really that simple? No, it was never that simple or easy, the fragments rattled and began their ascent into the air once more; a sadistic and foreboding smirk was plastered on Malektih's ashy face. Something was wrong; it was all going terribly wrong. Loki pulled me to my feet and rejoined Thor, weapons poised and ready to strike, standing beside him as I rushed over to Jane.
Rising from the dust the pieces recollected, merging into the fluid form where Malekith extended a welcoming hand, drawing the Aether closer. Thor and Loki shifted uncomfortably as it was too late; Malekith had welcomed the power source like a hospitable parent. His skin black, and eyes burgundy as the power flowed through him. We had failed. He glanced at the Elves surrounding us and nodded, before turning to retreat back to his ship. Thor chased after him, smashing Mjolnir through two of the Elves, Loki following a few steps behind. We couldn't let him get away. Algrim turned and with a self-satisfied smirk he looked upon mine and Jane's vulnerable state, and tossed a grenade shell towards us. I quickly pushed Jane back and away, the explosive sound rung throughout the air, but I joined Jane on the ground and when I turned, it was Loki being sucked into the vortex created. "Loki!" His eyes were full of pain and regret as I could do nothing but watch him being sucked into a void again.
There was a flash of red, nothing but a blur, but my eyes followed the billowing cape that belonged to Thor as he flew into Loki's side, knocking him back down to the ground. Loki and Thor idly stood and gaped at each other, the impulsiveness of their actions seeping in. An angered Algrim reproached Thor, knocking him away, while six elves surrounded Loki, he stood nervously clutching the small dagger in his hand. I turned to Jane and pushed her behind the protection of a large boulder, withdrawing my sword to aid Loki.
"Eira!" It was Jane's voice that called my name; quickly I turned and saw a string of outlying elves approaching her petite and unarmed form. Groaning, I raised my blade and drove it through the back of one of the elves, now gaining the other's attention as one fell to the ground lifeless. I didn't allow either of them to take a step forward, but with a swift spin I lashed out, a second elf falling to its knees as the head rolled of its shoulders. Reaching out I grasped the last elf by the neck, hoisting him off the ground and searing his skin until I felt the blood under my palm and then dropped the body to the dirt.
Jane smiled gratefully at me, before looking in the direction of Thor and quickly frowned the sight of him being pummeled into the ground over and over by Algrim sobering, with a quickly glance at Loki he had plowed through the elves that surrounded him, methodically and gracefully moving, air gushed through his disheveled hair, as he swiftly brought down the last elf. Not thinking clearly I juggled a ball of flames in my hands, aiming at the back of Algrim's head to distract him enough for Thor to regain his footing.
The first left him unfazed, but the next caught his attention, and when he finally stood and faced me I threw a final blast his direction, hitting him square in the face. Thor was wobbling as he stood, shaking his head before realizing that I was a damsel in distress. With no other brilliant ideas I thrust my sword into his chest, glancing down he looked at where the blade was lodged and in a sick display of strength he ripped it from his chest and bent it in half tossing it aside, as I stood wide-eyed, unable to focus and think clearly. And then his hand made contact with my face, sending me flying backwards until my back met, a rock, the stitches in my side tearing back open with a sickening rip.
My breath was ragged as I slumped to the ground, looking onwards as Thor and Algrim continued to battle, Jane ran over to me pulling me back to my feet and steadying my shoulders. I shook off the dizziness, and pressed my hand to my side, pulling it away confirmed that the stitches had been torn open, my hand slick with blackened blood.
"Eira? Are you okay?" My brain barely recognized her question as the pain that throbbed within took over, but weakly I nodded and withdrew a small dagger that was concealed in my boot, prepared to fight once more. My attention snapped back to the raging battle when Thor screamed. "NOOOOOO!" Thor, screaming. And instantly I wished the sight playing out before me was some sick part of my imagination, and that I could blink away the pain and open my eyes to end this nightmare. But it wasn't just a nightmare, it wasn't a dream that I could wake up from, it was reality and it was playing out right before my eyes.
My feet couldn't carry me fast enough and with a strangled sob I broke down to my knees. "No, no, no. no." I whispered frustrated, why does this always happen to me?
Loki had plunged an Elven blade through Algrim's chest, but he went unfazed. Loki's brows furrowed in confusion as the beast turned. Loki had saved Thor. Then it happened, so quickly, so unexpectedly that I could do nothing but watch. With an unquestionable anger Alrgrim roughly gripped Loki by the arm and pulled him onto the blade that jutted out from his chest. I rose to my feet and stumbled over as Loki groaned in pain, and I felt the pain in my own chest, ripping and tearing, like I was dying myself.
Algrim pushed his limp body from the blade, before realizing Loki had activated one of the grenades clipped to his belt. "See you in hell, monster." He was clumsily clutching at his wounds, the disbelief apparent in his actions; I stopped dead in my tracks, not risking being sucked into the void as he imploded into a burning embers and smoke. And then he was gone, destroyed, and Loki was lying on the ground writhing in pain. And I was at his side in a blink. Bringing his head to rest on my chest as I applied pressure to the place where blood stained the leather.
"Can you hear my heartbeat?" I choked on the words, as Loki clung to me, his breathing forced and painful, he nodded, relaxing as much as he could into my arms. Strong, you must be strong for the both of us. I repeatedly told myself, holding back the tears that stung in my eyes. "Just focus on that, focus on my heart Loki." His body was growing colder in my arms, hands shaking as Thor cautiously knelt down beside me. "We're going to get you out of here Loki, you're going to be okay. I promise." I cooed, just trying to comfort him in the slightest bit.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't ke-keep." He whispered, threading his fingers through mine. I looked at Thor with pleading eyes, and he simply shook his head, it was too late, these moments, they would be his last. "Lay down, rest here in peace in my arms now." I murmured to him, gently pushing the clumps of hair from his face.
"You fool, you didn't listen." Thor worryingly confessed this wasn't part of the plan; none of this was part of the plan. Loki craned his neck, stuttering out apologies. "I know, I'm a fool." He gasped in agony, writhing in my arms. "I'm a fool." He declared, his heart nearly stopping as his skin faded from alabaster to a lifeless gray.
"You have to stay with me, stay with me Loki!" I ordered, knowing how he felt about the way I bossed him around, as his breaths grew shallower I carefully laid his back to the ground and clutched his hands in mine. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He coarsely uttered under his breath. Wet trails streamed down my face, the tears I fought so hard to retain spilled down my cheeks like a raging river, untamed.
"Eira." My name still sounded so sweet rolling off his tongue; it was a whisper though, filled with pain. "Smile. I-I want to see you sm-smile one last ti-time." He half asked, smiling himself, and even that small gesture brought a tremendous amount of pain. Wiping away the tears, I tried my best to look happy, and smiled down at him as he slowly slipped away. He whispered something under his breath that I could not distinguish, and I knew that this was it. He was losing –losing the battle he was fighting with his own body, his wounds. The light squeezing of my fingers stopped and his hand fell away, the energy and life dissipating.
"I…I love you." He murmured, and it used the rest of his strength, his body gave up. The color drained, his brilliant and mesmerizing green eyes were now covered by his eyelids. I placed my hand to his chest, waiting to feel the rising and falling motion, but there was nothing it had stopped. His were shut, chest unmoving. I gripped his wrist, and then moved my fingers to his neck, frantically searching for a pulse. But there was nothing. He was gone.
I reached down and touched his freezing cold face, and closed my eyes. He wasn't going to wake up from this. My body shook violently as tears continued to flow down my face, stinging any cuts that crossed their path. I screamed to the heavens, out of pain, out of remorse, out of regret. Thor sadly rose to his feet and walked to Jane.
I slammed my fist down on Loki's shoulder, half expecting a response, but there was nothing. "Don't do this to me you asshole. Together forever remember?" Life was so fragile, like a candle, and at any moment wind could blow it out, and it would be over. I buried my face under his chin, gripping his shoulder tightly. "Come back Loki, please, you've done this before. I love you so much, Loki; but I need you to open your eyes."
Around me a storm was beginning to rage, the wind picked up, the sky grew darker as if it were mourning as well and only the silence remained. "Please don't leave me." A strong hand fell on my shoulder, and slowly Thor pulled me to my feet, wrapping his cape around me as I stared at the lifeless body that lay on the ground. He was gone, and this time I couldn't get him back.
"Eira, we must move on."
I nodded, the tears stopping up in my eyes, the sadness replaced by rage, and by god would Malekith feel the full wrath of it. Thor led in the direction of a cave, where Jane was waiting, and one last time I turned around, but there was nothing to be seen, his body was hidden by the dust that hung heavy in the air. The cave was dark, the air was dry in my lungs but moisture hung in the air as water dripped down the sides. I closed my eyes, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened.
"He's going to unleash it on Earth. The convergence, it's what draws him there. Earth, not Asgard, not a star, but Earth. And now we're stranded." I stumbled further into the cave, leaving Jane and Thor at the mouth, in each other's arms, and I wanted to wrench my heart from my body. I kicked a rock back, and moved to kick the next, but it jingled upon impact with the cave wall, like car keys.
"Thor. Jane. I found our way out." I called out, echoing footfalls bringing them closer. "Why are there so many shoes in here?" Thor confusingly inquired. I rolled my eyes and continued walking.
"The convergence, the weak spots between realms, it creates a passage directly into another realm, and by the looks of it this will lead us to Earth." I stated, and when with another step I was no longer shrouded by rock and darkness, but instead an abandoned warehouse in…London.
I turned to both Thor and Jane, already formulating a new plan, one that couldn't fail. "Jane, I need you to get in touch with Selvig, he was studying the Convergence, try and pinpoint the epicenter of this all. Thor, I need you to get me to Stark Tower, and then come back to Jane, and I'll join you two as soon as I have my suit."
Stark Tower, now the headquarters of the Avengers, was lit brightly, shining out like a beacon in the night sky. Somehow Thor had managed to get us to the balcony of the tower all the way from London in record timing, the landing, though, was much worse than anticipated, as my knees buckled to the concrete and steel, weakened by the day's traumatic events. Thor's heavy form dropped down gracefully as he extended a hand pulling me to my feet, the touch so foreign.
"Go back to Jane; keep her safe, you'll be seeing me soon again." I assured him that I would be fine, even though internally I wanted to die, a piece of my felt dead, that shared connection that I and Loki had gone, and it was killing me.
Sadly he nodded and lifted Mjolnir to the sky once more, taking off with the rumble of thunder in the distance and a streak of lightening flashing across the sky. The living area and bar were empty, the only sign that anyone had been there that evening was the half empty glass of scotch sitting on the coffee table and the lights that had been left on as well as the television.
I was thankful to not run into anyone, because I didn't feel like I had the strength to confess the reality of what had happened, because I had not yet completely accepted the fact that he was gone. I took the stairs down three floors to the shop level, not risking the noise that the elevator would make. Punching my access code in the keypad the glass door slid open, JARVIS immediately acknowledged my presence and nearly scared me to death in the process.
"Mrs. Taylor, this is a surprise. Should I inform the others of your arrival?"
"No, they don't need to know I was here. But I do need you to prep my suit for combat, I gotta jet within the next thirty minutes." I responded in a whisper even though JARVIS was incapable of responding in a hushed manner.
"Anything for you Mrs. Taylor."
I sighed and slumped down next to one of the work benches, bringing my knees up to my chest and tucking them beneath my chin and securely wrapping my arms around them. Silent tears trailed down my cheeks until no more would come and my body shook with dry heaves of agony. How was I going to move on? I was expected to become queen, we had adopted Aria, our life was so well put together, and now, not even a month after being happily married this is where it got us. Me a widow. The beeps of the keypad caught my attention and I shriveled up smaller as the door slid open.
"Is anyone in here?" I was Steve's gentle voice that sounded, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, it would be easier to face him than Tony in a time like this. His footsteps echoed and his shadow loomed overhead as he moved closer to place where I was crumpled to the cool floor. Whether I spoke or not he was going to see me, so I decided just to keep my head tucked low, fidgeting with my wedding band that sat uneasily on my finger.
"Eira? Is that you?" Sheepishly I raised my head to see baby blue eyes staring down at me, I knew I looked like hell, my hair was falling from its braid, my armor was covered in Elven blood, as well as Loki's, and my eyes, by now they had to be bloodshot as my body shook. "Hi Steve." I whispered, my voiced failing me.
He knelt down in front of me and rested a hand on my shoulder, and then pulled me to into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around me and my eyes stung as new tears tried to form. "Eira, what happened? What's wrong?"
I swallowed. "I came for my suit." It was the truth, a partial one, Steve sighed and held my shoulders at an arm's length away. "I don't think you would look like this if you were here for just your suit."
I diverted my eyes to the electric blue suit that was being pieced together. "He's gone Steve. Loki, he's…he's dead. And it's all my fault." He pulled me back into his arms, smashing me into his chest like a protective big brother, and I the little sister, scared and confused.
"I know what it's like to lose the people you love, but you cannot let that defeat you Eira, you're strong… the strongest person I've ever met." His voice grew quieter as he added the last part, I lifted my head and weakly pulled the sides of my lips up into a forced and weak smile, wiping my eyes and leaning back against the table. "Can you do something for me Steve?"
"Anything." He answered gently.
"Tell Tony, I'm sorry, and I love him." I looked at the heels of my boots and then back up to the suit as the reactor lit up, glowing blue, signaling that it was ready. Unsteadily I rose to my feet and Steve grabbed my elbow steadying my balance. He nodded, and pulled me into a hug, my arms hung limp at my sides, not because I didn't want to return the embrace but because he held me so tightly. "Make it back and you can tell Stark yourself."
The suit opened up and I backed into the metallic body, huffing a smiling weakly. The metal encased my arms, and legs, wrapping around my chest, and before the helmet clicked shut I nodded. "Rodger that Cap." With a sloppy salute I walked to the small balcony out of the shop window, readjusting myself to the feel of the suit and familiarizing myself with the commands. The power adverted to the thrusters and I took to the skies, my pace furious as I made my way back to London, revenge was on my tongue and deeply rooted into my shattered heart. I was going to fix this. I was going to make this right again. No matter what.
"JARVIS, how much longer we got before we hit London?" The clouds would engulf me and then spit me out once more, the moon reflected off the wispy and air puffs of water vapor and the sky was clear, every star shining brightly. But even on the clearest nights the sky here on Earth was dull compared to the one I looked upon on Asgard. Though there was a beauty and serenity that it held, the canvas so dark, so black, but then the stars shone bright like tiny diamonds littering the sky, concealing the dangers that lie past the abyss, keeping their minds at ease in blissful ignorance.
"If my calculations are correct we should be arriving in London in another forty minutes Mrs. Taylor."
I breathed in heavily, and exhaled slowly; trying to find peace and serenity, my own Midgardian sky, but it was stained red. "JARVIS I need you to record a message for Tony, and if the worse happens, well; play it for him."
"Of course, Mrs. Taylor." I looked around at the holographic streams of information displaying my vitals and the oncoming flocks of seagulls, and the deep blue of the ocean below, concealing a whole other world.
"Tony, if you're hearing this, well, it's because we won't be seeing each other again. Perhaps you knew, maybe Steve told you, but there are some things that I feel obligated to do, to make things right again, to save you and Pepper and everyone else in this world good or bad, and the ones I love. You taught me first hand that everyone is worthy of a second chance, I got mine, and now is the time to prove myself, I've lost so much today, the one person I loved like no other. It's a sobering reminder that nothing ever last forever. Cherish Pepper, love her every day, and never take her for granted. You're the closest thing I had to a dad, and you were a hell of a one to; and thank you for everything, the things you taught me, did for me, you changed my life and I love you and Pepper so much, never change Tony…
Bruce, I haven't much to tell you, but thank you, for everything you've ever done for me, the valuable lessons you taught me along the way, and no matter what anyone tells you, you're one of a kind, a gem of a person in the dirt that is humanity. To Clint and Natasha, I know you two have feelings for each other, and if you try to deny it both of you are idiots and I will come back from the grave and slap both of you. Live in the now, don't overthink anything, be happy, be together, because it hurts so much when you lose the one most dear to you…
And Steve, you have been a brother to me, a brother I never had, we have both felt loss and I really wish I could have been the one to get you up to date in the modern times because I can't help but feel and wish that we had more time together because you're genuinely a great person and to that I say never ever change, because the times may shift and grow stranger with each passing day but we will always need Captain America, always.
Now I ask of all of you, please don't come looking for me, my decisions may be rash and impulsive but the security of the universe is at stake, I have to power and ability to help stop what is coming. My loss today was Loki, I know you all have mixed feelings about him, but please understand that he loved me and I him, and his death was to save me, and you. If fate allows it be the end of tomorrow please then just let it happen.
I love you all more than I ever told any of you, never forget me, and never stop fighting. You changed my life, so now I want to change yours."
I couldn't cry anymore, my tears had been exhausted, eyes bloodshot and dry; I no longer wanted to cry either, because if I did, I would never stop; because this wasn't something that healed with medical attention. It took time, and I had an unlimited amount of time, and I had lost my other half. "Could you play Three Days Grace?" My voice still betrayed the emotions inside of me, and I couldn't control it, the rasp and croakiness that made it sound as if I was on the verge of a breakdown. The album artwork of One-X flashed up in the corner of the helmet and softly the music began playing.
On the ground I lay motionless in pain,
I can see my life flashing before my eyes.
Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream?
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
I will not die,
I will survive.
I will not die; I'll wait here for you. I feel alive, when you're beside me.
I will not die; I'll wait here for you, in my time of dying.
I cringed at the brutal reality disguised in the lyrics that I loved so much. The course was dead on, and in the distance the small flecks of light that marks a small coastal town came into sight, undisturbed and peaceful and in the next minutes the brighter and more numerous lights of London came into view. Buckingham Palace, The Tower Bridge, and even Big Ben, my heart clenched; the last time I was here was with Loki.
"Mrs. Taylor, you are experiencing several signs a panic attack, elevated heart rate, increased perspiration and shallow breaths." JARVIS warned me. I shook my head. "No, no I'm fine; I'm just remembering that's all."
It wasn't difficult to locate the place where Jane and Thor were, landing on the roof with a dull thud I used the fire hatch and entered in through the front door, the suit in the form of a briefcase. Jane's head shot up, with a weak smile as she continued to look over the charts and maps splayed out over the tables and to the sofa where Darcy was. I honestly didn't feel up to facing Darcy in a time like this, quietly I sat down my suit and joined Jane's side.
The large hand that settled on my shoulder undoubtedly belonged to Thor, sighing I turned to face him, trying to conceal my bloodshot and tired eyes, the limp I had and the cuts and bruises on my face. "Eira. May I have a few words with you?" His voice no longer held any hope, it had been killed, or maybe it was disguised under the event that had taken place.
One of the bedroom doors clicked shut, and before I could refrain Thor had pulled me into a bone crushing hug. A warm tear hit my shoulder, and that when I lost it, new tears stung my eyes as they trailed down my cheeks.
"My brother, he's…he's gone Eira; this isn't like any of the other times is it?" To see Thor broken like this hurt me like nothing else, expected to maintain a strong composure, put others before himself and be unbreakable, a warrior, and yet he was just as distraught over Loki's death as I was. Begrudgingly I pulled back, cringing at the feeling in my side as I still hadn't tended to the stitches that had been torn earlier. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, sniffling a bit as he released me.
"It's not you, it's my side; the stitches tore again." I sighed and ran my hand through knotty hair, keeping my eyes glued to my feet. "It wasn't supposed to end like this. This isn't what we planned." It was a whisper. "Everything's going to change tomorrow Thor, what if we don't succeed? What if he died in vain?"
"Then we fight, we do not give up. His death will not be in vain." His blue eyes watered but somehow appeared to be duller than ever, halfheartedly I attempted to wrap my arms around him again, this time he was mindful of my wounds, lightly his hand pressed into my side and the same tingling feeling I had experienced before crept over my skin. He was healing me.
"H –how did you do that?" I questioned genuinely curious with wide eyes, I had only known Vör and Loki to be skilled in sorcery, and Ava at healing. He chuckled softly and began walking to the door to rejoin the others once more.
"I have spent many years with Loki; and along the way I picked up a few of his tricks that I thought would be beneficial; that was one of them. And as you can see it worked." He smiled, though it was forced and shut the door behind him. Leaving me to my own thoughts and memories.
Once I was alone, I pushed my way into the cramped bathroom and flicked on the light, lifting my shirt to see nothing more than a light pink scar that was now in the exact same place that the one I had received in the Helicarrier attack that Loki had taken away. The skin was smooth and then heated and roughed as it met the scar.
"Eira!" Jane called my name and in a hurry I jumped over the bed and to the door, straight to the living room, where Thor, Darcy, Selvig (who for some odd reason wasn't wearing pants), Jane and Ian, I believe that what Jane had called him earlier.
"His target is Greenwich." I muttered out, partially confused by a place in England as I half expected it to occur in Norway or Iceland. Jane's eyes widened, the gears in her mind turning rapidly. "The walls between worlds will be almost non-existant. Physics is going to go ballistic. Increase and decrease of gravity, spatial extrusions. The very fabric of reality is going to be torn apart."
Mjolnir flew off of the coat hanger in the foyer and into Thor's hand, and I hit the activation code for my suit on the bracelet that on my bruised wrist. I glanced around at everyone and gave a small nod, "The plan?" I asked.
"Gravimetric spikes to reverse the polarity of the weaker spot between realms, and brute force, which is what you and Thor bring." I looked at Thor and he back at me, simultaneously we nodded in agreement. The sun had already began coming up once more, and we would make sure it continued to do so, tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. I would make sure that darkness did not prevail, and I would to whatever it takes, whatever it would take to make sure that my love, my Loki, did not die in vain.
With our backs to the wall, darkness will fall; we never quite thought we could lose it all. Ready, aim, fire, ready, aim, fire; and empires fall in just one day, you close your eyes and the glory fades, ready, aim, fire, ready, aim, fire.
"My liege, we have returned with news from the Dark World. There was no sign of the weapon, but we found a body." One of the Einherjar knelt before the throne of Asgard. Odin worryingly stood from his throne, and looked down, upon the soldier, he had ordered a thorough search of Svartalfheim, and hours later the news had returned to him. "But we found a body."
"Eira?" Odin questioned, half expecting that she would be slain in an attempt to pry the remaining piece from her body. The guard shook his head in disagreement and lower his gaze, and the Odin knew. It was one of his sons, it had to be.
"Loki?" Odin's voice remained relatively monotonous giving away none of his thought or emotions, but then the Einherjar began speaking once more. "He suffered a blade through the chest; the other's must have left him behind, but we recovered his body, the Prince lies in the healing chambers." Odin's eyes harshened, his grip on Gungnir tightening tenfold. And in a fit of anger, maybe remorse, or even gratitude he stormed off the dais and marched towards the healing rooms.
"Take these, help Darcy and Ian hammer them into the ground and then stand by." Jane shoved two of the gravimetric spikes into my arms and pointed in the direction that we needed to go. Ian carried the brief case that contained my suit. We were had gone to the center of Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval Academy, the antiquated buildings surrounded us were imposing in their marble and granite structure. The three of us rushed to the waters' edger where I grabbed the hammer from Darcy and began pounding the spike into the ground.
Delving in the water was undoubtedly Makekith's ship, I stopped hammering for only a moment as the ship descended the darkened and otherworldly metal revealing itself, and it steered right for land, right towards us. The tourists and pedestrians looked on with shocked expressions before panic set in and they began running, into the buildings, away from the city, to safety, where anyone with common sense would have went.
I shook my head and continued hammering the stakes with renewed urgency, watching as the ship drew closer.
"Eira." Darcy tugged on my arm, pulling me away from the stakes and further into the courtyard. "Eira! We need to move!" The impact of the Elven ship crashing into land was enough to make my knees buckle beneath me, Ian tugged me back to my feet and we retreated further into the compound of buildings as Malekith's ship plowed through the land, and with an awful skidding noise, halted.
"Ian, I'm going to need my suit now." I reached my hand back, still gawking at the alien ship in front of me and grasped nothing but air and then the cool metal was pressed into my hand. Quickly I sat the briefcase to the ground and ran my fingers over the scanner, which ejected an earpiece that I would wear, and then I twisted the handle and the suit sprung to life. First encasing my hands, and my arms, I looked back at Darcy who had an impressed look and Ian who looked like a fanboy on the verge of hyperventilating.
"JARVIS get the systems up and running, we go into attack mode immediately, I need areal scans of the area. Set up a perimeter with a one mile radius from the ships current position and alert me if anything that is not human crosses that line." I commanded, watching as the helmet lit up with holographic displays of information once again. "Darcy, Ian, watch for any stray elves, and try not to get in the way. I can't afford to lose anyone else that's close to me." They nodded and Darcy withdrew her cell phone dialing Jane and Erik while moving behind a pillar.
I walked towards the ship, watching as the capsule lowered itself to the ground. "Perimeter boundaries set; areal scans are loading as we speak now Mrs. Taylor." The ground still shuttered from the vibrations the ship emitted. "Great, now where the hell is Thor."
A ramp extended to the ground, emerging from the darkened ship was Malekith, one side of his hideous face terribly scared and his skin was not a dark grey, poisonous red eyes landed on me as I confronted him. Momentarily I raised my face mask, more so to spite him that his own daughter was no longer on his side, but rather fought against him. Rearing back I threw my fist towards his face, and in a swift block he gripped my fist, and pushed me backwards, taking me by utter surprise. A powerful surge of energy was release from the Aether and I was sent back, colliding with a marble pillar hard enough to crack the delicate structure.
I pushed myself up, shaking off the damage, Malekith was advancing on me once more, but Thor dropped down from the sky, the cobblestone sidewalk cracking under his feet upon landing. And that's when he no longer paid mind to me, but instead turned to Thor. "You needn't have come so far to die Asgardian; death would have come to you."
"Not by your hand." Thor stated, gripping Mjolnir tighter as he noticed that I was approaching from the backside. Raising my hand I charged the repulsor, the muon beam gaining power, and I aimed it at Malekith. The red letters flashed across the screen target locked. "Mahalo motherf-.." I whipped around to see the legion of Dark Elves streaming out of the ship, one had gained my attention be, the energy blast knocked the breath from me, their weapons similar to the ones the Chitauri had used. I groaned and looked around as they circled me, slowly creeping in. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." I groaned. "Hey JARVIS, did Tony give me laser beams?"
"He did Mrs. Taylor; though I should inform you that it may only be used…" Clicking the cartridge on the stop of hand I dropped to my knees and spun around, the red beam of light slicing through the elves with the greatest of ease, and the cartridges smoked as I detached them from the suit and dropping them to the ground. "One time use, I got it." But the Elves kept coming in endless waves.
"Holy shit that was awesome!" Darcy's voice rang out in my earpiece, nearly scaring me half to death at the surprise. "Glad you think so because it's a onetime thing."
Above our heads in the sky portals opened, like gaping holes in the sky, the Convergence was beginning. "Jane, how many minutes do we have until the Convergence it at its peak?" I grumbled as two more Elves stood in my path, "Retract." The suit lifted from my hands and lunging forward I grabbed the two Elves by their necks, searing their ugly and darkened skin with my hands and after a moment their flailing limbs ceased and I dropped two lifeless bodies to the ground. "Seven minutes."
I scanned around for Thor just in time to see him fly back into a column busting through it and flipping over, Malekith purposefully walking towards him. Mjolnir was a few feet away from me and without much thought I ran over to the hammer before Thor could summon it and lifted it, and threw it as hard as I could, knocking Malekith square in the back and into a marble pillar and the hammer flew into Thor's hand before he charged towards Malekith and then the two of them disappeared.
Three more portals were growing in the sky, opening up three more realms to possible destruction. "Time, Jane."
"Six minutes and nine seconds." She replied, shock in her voice, though I could not place what it was caused by. Great, that means we have to keep my sadistic father and his deranged teletubbies busy for a least seven more minutes. Looking around at the mess we were making out of such a beautiful place I sighed and charged for a small group of Elves that were running out into the streets. I flew into the back of one elf, and flew directly toward a brick wall, but there was no impact, instead I rolled on the ground of Alfheim? Right, portals between the realms. Not waiting for the elf to regain his footing I reached down and pulled him to his knees by the braid hanging down his back and with a swift twist his neck snapped and I turned back, running towards the portal that spat me back out in Greenwich.
Walking towards his ship was Malekith, Thor was nowhere in sight, and the Aether began swirling around him in a red and black cloud. We were failing. "Jane, time."
"Three minutes." Shaking my head I sprinted towards Malekith and lowered my shoulder, ramming into his side and causing the Aether to recede. Wasting no time I drew back my fist and threw it at his face, but missed and was kicked back.
"It is not too late to join me Svana." He persuaded, promising me my life if I joined him, I sneered back and shot my repulsor so the that pulse of energy hit the still healing side of his face, and as I prepare for my next move he lunged forward and gripped me by the neck, even though the metal armor was in place I could feel his fingers pressing into my throat as my feet strained to remain on the ground. I swallowed and composed my thoughts, but the holographic screen began to fizzle out. "This time you will die."
Malekith pulled out a blade and flashed it in front of my face, "The strongest metal, forged from our homeland, it will pierce right through this pathetic excuse of armor." I squirmed but his grip only tightened as he drew the blade back. "Eject JARVIS, EJECT!" The suit opened up, and I fell to the ground just in time as the blade stuck all the way through my suit. Quickly I scrambled to my feet and backed away, but my back hit a pillar and in a blink Malekith was before me, I was trapped, no armor, no sword, and my powers weakened exponentially with the absence of the Aether, and I blinked in pain.
I looked down in disbelief, the blade was sheathed in my stomach, and as he pressed it harder into my body I felt the point tear through the skin of my back. My vision blurred and I bent my head down and almost tenderly Malekith brought it to rest on his shoulder, stroking back the hair that had fallen in my face, and then I screamed as he twisted his hand, turning the knife. "Shhh, it will all be over soon my daughter, I only wished you could have seen the rise of your own people, but this is the path you chose, and you will suffer a traitor's death." He cooed in my ear, pushing the blade so the hilt met my skin.
Slowly he backed away, reaching out and caressing my bruised and bloodied cheek, before he gripped me by the neck once more and tossed me aside. And it felt as if my body was falling into oblivion, but I hit asphalt, falling through one of the realms weak spots and to the streets of Greenwich, blocks away from where Malekith was. I turned to my hands and knees, coughing violently, blood sputtering on the concrete side walk as the metallic taste filled my mouth and lungs. Gingerly I rolled back so I was leant up against the side of a building.
I pressed my hand to around the handle of the blade and pulled my hand back, examining the blackened blood, and reaching to my back I felt the point sticking out, covered in blood as well. Throwing back my head I looked up at the sky, at the open portals that were converging as it reached its peak and then the poisonous streams of Aether reached into them, the sun already dulling in the sky and the clouds darkening. I heaved, my breaths pained, blood blooming around the blade, and I knew that this was it. This was going to be my end and I had failed.
Tears caused by physical pain stung as they slipped down my cheeks, I looked on as the Convergence raged before my eyes. Looking down I tugged at the blade and screamed out in agony. "Mrs. Taylor, to remove the blade now will cause you to bleed to death; I suggest you wait until medical assistance arrives."
I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the blade. "I know JARVIS, I know." My voice was already weakening into a whisper, and with a strangled cry I wrenched the blade from my stomach, tossing it aside and relaxing back into the wall as much as I could, ready to welcome my eternal sleep. I pressed my hand to my stomach, and felt the blood trickling down between my fingers, and down my back. It's okay, it's all going to be okay, I'll get to see Loki again. I whispered to myself. "Eira your heart rate and blood pressure are dropping quickly, blood loss is at thirty percent." I coughed, struggles against my wounds to choke out my words.
"Hey JARVIS, you can play that recording for Tony now."
"Mr. Stark, per request by Eira she would like for you to gather the others." If by sheer coincidence all of the Avengers, aside from Thor, were gathered at the tower, spread out among their favorite floors. Tony and Bruce in the Research and Development Levels, Natasha and Clint were on the training floor, and Steve, who had recently met a new friend, Sam Wilson, was sitting on the balcony with him, talking about war experiences and their lost friends.
And then JARVIS made the call, announcing throughout the building for them to meet in one place on behalf of Eira, and instantly Steve felt the pang in his chest, he didn't tell Tony she had come because he was certain she would be back, or so he convinced himself. Clint and Nat were the last to walk into the room, toweling off their sweaty brows, looking at the others in confusion. Confusion it was something they were all feeling. Then JARVIS began the recording. "Tony, if you're hearing this, well, it's because we won't be seeing each other again. Perhaps you knew, maybe Steve told you, but there are some things that I feel obligated to do, to make things right again, to save you and Pepper and everyone else in this world good or bad, and the ones I love. You taught me first hand that everyone is worthy of a second chance, I got mine, and now is the time to prove myself…" Immediately Tony stood, his fists clenched and jaw taut as he looked on at the others who had taken on a somber expression, the rest went by as a blur. "I love you and Pepper so much, never change Tony…" Her voice on the recording cracked, Tony's eyes grew glassy as he walked to the vast window and stared blankly out, into the clear skies of New York City.
Bruce's attention snapped away from Tony when his name was spoken, "but thank you, for everything you've ever done for me, the valuable lessons you taught me along the way, and no matter what anyone tells you, you're one of a kind, a gem of a person." And next was Eira's address to Clint and Natasha, heartfelt and sincere about screwing protocols and being happy together with each other. Nat shook her head and stormed out the room, slumping down in the hallway wiping way the tears she never cried.
And Steve lowered his head, as warm tears dropped to his khaki pants when she said his name with such an utterly broken voice. "And Steve, you have been a brother to me…genuinely a great person …we will always need Captain America, always." He should have told Tony that she came.
Then Eira closed with her main request, that they let her go. And no one could keep themselves composed. "Now I ask of all of you, please don't come looking for me…If fate allows it be the end of tomorrow please then just let it happen…I love you all more than I ever told any of you, never forget me, and never stop fighting. You changed my life, so now I want to change yours."
Tony gritted his teeth together, before turning and rushing down to the shop floor, but Steve grabbed his arm. "Where are you going Tony?"
"I'm going to save my little girl." He snapped bitterly, pressing the button that brought one of his suits to life and ripping his arm away from the soldier. "Stark, you heard what she said; she doesn't want to be saved. And we should accommodate those wishes." Steve tried his best to convince him to allow Eira's wish to come true, that it could be her end, but Tony would have none of it. Sam crossed his arms and looked at Steve, remorse in his eye, remorse for someone he had never known. "The girl, who was she?"
The captain sadly smiled and looked up at his new friend, "Eira?" He sadly smiled dropping his gaze to the floor where just last night she was curled up, and in his arms seeking comfort. Same nodded. "She was amazing, brave, strong, she had a heart like no other…she was perfect, selfless, a soldier, words can't describe her Sam."
"Sounds like you loved her Cap." He added, dropping his hand onto Steve's shoulder, maybe convincing him that Stark had the right plan. "It doesn't matter, her heart was never mine, and you'll do anything to see the ones you love happy, even if that means they're with someone else." He looked up sadly and then treaded back through the tower.
Tony was already over the Atlantic, one hundred miles from Stark Tower. "Can we break the sound barrier?" Across the holographic screen JARVIS ran a series of algorithms and equations, determining the probability and possibility of what he was asking.
"The chances of the suit begin able to withstand going supersonic are slim to none, but it is not impossible." Stark took the slim chance and hope that it was in his favor.
"Then do it." And with a sonic boom, Tony Stark was on his way to England, the rest of the group following in a Quinjet, whether to stop Stark or help him; they weren't quite sure.
"Mrs. Taylor, your blood loss it at sixty percent." I was cold, I was so cold, my body shivered and in the rim of a parked car I could see that my lips had begun to turn blue, my skin growing paler, and I was tired, not sleepy, but tired. The portals began to close up, the Aether no longer invading the sky and I knew that Thor had done it; he had won, even though I was losing. It was a battle to keep my eyes open and it felt like I was suffocating.
One last time I looked down at the front of my shirt, soaked with blackened blood, a puddle forming around me. There was screaming in the distance, it almost sounded like my name that was being called out, but I couldn't focus on that. I focused on regulating the short and shallow breaths that were ragged, that way I could slowly slips away, and I was working. JARVIS's voice was an echo, I wasn't even sure if I had heard it, or if I imagined it. "Your heart is failing you, blood loss is at sixty-five percent and still rising." I pulled out the earpiece and tossed it aside, no longer wishing to hear how quickly I was dying. And then it sounded like a heard Loki's voice in my mind, pleading with me not to give up, but what reason did I have left?
My pulse slowed even more, and I couldn't fight it any longer, I simply closed my eyes and waited. Waited for death, waited to be called to the afterlife, waited to see Loki standing in front of me in the halls of Valhalla with open arms, whispering that now we could be together forever, and that we were safe, but there was nothing, there was silence, and darkness. The world was lost to me, and everything was numb, I felt nothing, but peace and serenity, and rest. That's what I need, rest, not sleep but rest. And I let myself slip away because my body had neither the will nor strength to fight and stay and finally I found peace.
Frantically Thor and Jane along with the others searched the streets for Eira, their search coming up fruitless until Jane saw her body slumped against a building. "Thor!" She screamed as if it was her that was in pain, and then she ran to Eira, at full speed until the ghastly sight before her own eyes became clear. Jane panicked, tear pricked at her eyes, and her hands shook violently as she knelt down and took one of Eira's wrists searching for a pulse. Nothing.
Heavy booted footfalls raced towards their spot, Thor stopped, eyes wide in disbelief. Jane placed moved her fingers to Eira's neck, which was bruised and bloodied and after a long second of waiting she felt the weak and fading pulse beneath her fingertips. "Hospital Thor, NOW! It's not too late yet." Jane stood by idly as he picked her limp body up, gently cradling her in his arms, her head lulled back on his shoulder. Throwing Mjolnir into the sky they took flight, leaving Jane yelling for Erik, Darcy and Ian, the promise they had made to let her go if need be long forgotten. Scrambling for the keys to their beaten car Jane cranked it up, cursing when it took three more tries for the engine to remain running.
"She needs attention from the healers immediately." Thor bellowed knocking through the sliding glass doors, drawing the attention from everyone in the emergency room, staff or patient. In a blurred haste doctors swarmed around the two. The shouts of nurses and doctors surreal, Thor backed away watching as the rushed Eira into surgery.
"Thor." Jane breathlessly called, tripping and falling face first into his chest as he turned, the others blankly staring at the floor, numb to the situation. A nurse stepped forward and motioned for the two to follow behind. The glass pane separated them from the urgent procedure. The faint beep of the heart monitor could barely be heard above the shouts, calling for blood transfusions and a suture to close the gaping wound, internally and externally. "I think I'm going to be sick." Jane weakly whispered, her face contorting in nausea before she turned and rushed from the room and to the nearest bathroom.
The steps that Thor heard approaching beside him were far from feminine, in fact the sound of metal clanking on the floor slow retracted as they grew closer to him. Stark appeared at Thor's side, looking on with a blank expression, or was it too many emotions that combined gave the sense of bleakness and numbness to everything. The heart monitor's beeps were growing less frequent. "Quick we need at least three more pints of blood." The surgeon's smock was covered in blackened Elven blood and the fresh red blood of donors; she's not going to make it. Then there was a long and solitary beep that echoed through the ears of everyone in the operating room, and the digital screen no longer peaked with the beat of her heart, rather it had turned into a constant flat line. "Don't do this to me Eira, please don't do this to me."
Eira's body jointed when the defibrillator sent electric shocks through her body, but that wasn't working, if anything were to work it had to be a strong power source, one that her body was accustomed too. Once more, her body jerked and the monitor spiked before returning to a steady slop. "You can pull through this you're a fighter Eira, don't give up now." Thor whipped around, his cape flailing behind him as he rushed through the halls. "Where are you going Thor?" Jane called, after him, running into the parking lot of the hospital.
"She needs the Aether back."
Finally a slow beating returned, and hours later they wheeled her unconscious form from the operating room and to an intensive care unit. Absentmindedly Tony followed first, and slipped into the room as they hung up a bag of blood and steady flow of morphine through an IV. The Doctor wiped his hands with a paper towel and turned to face Tony, pulled down the surgical mask. The chipper British accent hypocritical to the news he would give. "I know you want to hear that she will pull through this, but I swore to the Hippocratic oath, her chances of waking from the coma are slim to none, and if my some miracle she does wake, we're not sure how much damage her brain has sustained, she won't be the same person you knew." He extended his hand and Tony nodded, returning the firm handshake before the doctor left the room.
Jane feebly walked in, standing next to chair that Tony had moved beside her bed. "How is she?"
"She's in a coma, but she's stable." The loud and steady beeps of the heart monitor confirmed his words. Thor had finally returned, in a small cube was a fragment of Aether; somehow he slipped it past security and right into her hospital room. Abruptly Tony stood, blocking him from Eira. "Okay big guy, what is that?" He eyed the ominous glowing substance in the god's hand.
"This is the Aether in its fluid state, I believe it may aid in her healing." Reluctantly he stepped aside and Thor reached to take her hand, her cold and fragile hand, wrapping her fingers around the small box. Sluggishly the Aether seeped back into her system, her veins, now blue, surged with red power as it crawled up her arms and spread across her chest, the warmth returning to her skin, though she still did not awaken. Thor smiled to himself, thinking back to the times when he and Loki were younger, when his little brother would wake from a nightmare and he would wrap his cape around him as a security blanket, telling him it would fight off the mares.
Detaching his cape Thor draped it over her bed, hoping it would keep Eira safe as it did Loki. Turning he clapped his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Keep watch over her, we must not give up hope that she will return to us." Steve was next to come into the small room, he weakly smiled at seeing her once more and his heart undoubtedly skipped a beat. He silently pulled up a chair to the opposite side of the bed and took her hand in his and with the free hand brushed the knots of hair from her face before he brought her hand next to his lips whispering words that if heard could have exposed his feelings. "Eira, when you wake up I want you to teach me everything you can about the new age that I live, I want to hear the tales of Asgard, how the hell you work an iPhone, and what the big deal about YouTube is, and I can teach you how we danced in the forties, and say how much moxie you got trapped inside you…"
"Jane I must return to Asgard and make amends with my father, but I will return very soon, and I shall bring our children back as well." Jane nodded in understanding and settled for a small peck on the cheek before the Bifrost engulfed Thor and brought him back to Asgard.
