Chapter 10: Fighting The Princess of Mischief
Kory's levels of fears were rather limited as she focused on the Other while her friends were struggling in their bonds that caused electric agony. Her grip on her mambele tightened. "You're wasting your time, Other. I have no association with my paternal and lashing your anger at me will not solve your vengeance against him."
"Is it not the matchless cruelty of the matter?" The Other took patient steps towards her. "It was already laughable to witness the Asgardian's mental shattering as a result of discovering that the All-Father lied to him. Discovering that he was a Frost Giant, monsters in the eyes of Asgard, and powdered with the naïve belief that he was born to be king, led to him crawling to my master's feet. A simple task and a simple exchange, none of which your childish father could accomplish. And he's slowly starting to crack at his greatest shattering: discovering that Odin lied about his only child. The smallest needles have already given him immense pain. Imagine the agonizing torture he will endure when I break you."
Kory snorted. "Good luck with that. I've met five hundreds worth of mortals, demigods, and immortals who have bragged that they would become history by shattering. I sent home crying into the arms of asylum wardens."
"Oh, I know. So, I don't expect you to go nice on me. Put away your sword and hold back that truthful tongue of yours. Demonstrate that you are the destructive force everyone fears. The Princess of Mischief, the Universe's Most Dangerous Demigoddess, Earth's Most Powerful Sorceress… titles that you earned without even seeking to earn them or to appease somebody! Fight me with all that power in you, from the ice in your bones to the magic that fuels your spirit!"
"You want me to go all sorceress on you? Fine." Kory sheathed her mambele and had her pendant aspirate it the same way it did with her coat. "Visitors get the first move!"
The Other summoned a damaged car to lift up, crumble into shards that formed into giant daggers, and fly right at Kory. She stomped her foot on the ground, causing the road to glow blue and a giant hand to lift out of the ground. The hand column kept Kory up and blocked the daggers, only for them to transform into metallic spiders that climbed their way up. Kory inhaled to the point where the air in her lungs went cold enough to unleash a blizzard's wind the moment she exhaled, freezing and destroying the spiders. The Other waved his hand, causing the column to slice itself off, but Kory turned into a gust of icy wind that flew away from the road until she landed and materialized herself on one of the bridges hanging above the Georgetown Canal. The Other hissed something and the bricks on the sidewalks ripped themselves off the ground to form a giant boulder. Kory briefly closed her eyes before opening them in their hybrid form. She held out her hands glowing in a blue aura, causing the canal to shake and for the dirty colored water to levitate and transform into a watery arm that batted away the boulder.
"Is that all you can do?" The Other mocked. "The stories about you say that you were trained by your world's historical sorceress, favored by a death god, and sired by an assortment of unruly divinities. Some have rumored that you descended from legends… You hold yourself back!"
"Unlike Loki, I have nothing to prove. I don't waste my energy for morons who don't get the message," Kory said.
"So I have heard. But do tell me. How was it wasted on Abimbola?"
Then the ice cracked.
At the National Mall
Anubis had called off the Frost Giants chasing Loki (to the latter's relief). Nobody got killed, but Loki did suffer some injuries when one of the leaders threw him at a statue. There hadn't been that many Chitauri in the first place, but it was obvious that Angerboda's forces were advantaged by brute force and ice so many Chitauri lives were taken. More carnage would have occurred until some portals popped open and the Chitauri suddenly ran out.
"What, did they just run off?" Iron Man landed next to Thor. After killing a Leviathan, he watched as the last one he wounded flew off into a portal.
"I don't understand…" Thor shook his head. Some shouts got their attention, and when they turned, they saw that the conflicting shouts had now gone between the two different factions of Frost Giants.
"You aren't welcome on Midgard! Get out!"
"Not until the princess is on the throne!"
"She doesn't even want the throne!"
"Yeah! Besides, we know how you barbarians are! You do not seek unity but division!"
"A suicidal legacy!"
"Join us! You are Jotun like us!"
"We are nothing like the cold-hearted snobs you are!"
"ENOUGH!" A clanging sound was heard; the one of Anubis clanging his ankh scepter on the ground. Surprisingly, all Frost Giants obeyed and stood silently as Anubis, with Maui and Bacchus at his sides, stood their ground on the snow-covered grass. Thor and Iron Man flew down to reach them, resulting in Thor seeing Anubis' golden eyes.
"It was you?" Thor nearly choked. "You…"
"We'll talk later." Anubis turned to face the crossed-armed Angerboda. "What an immature performance of loyalty to the monarchy, Angerboda. Waltzing your way to Earth, deliberately harm mortal and immortal lives with your tavern fights against the enemies, betraying the newfound truce between Asgard and Jotunheim, and creating a war in the name of your princess who doesn't even want to be your queen."
"It is a challenging career, to serve and advise the House of Laufey," Angerboda said quietly. "If you would kindly give the princess back to her people, we will leave Midgard immediately."
"Kory has no people besides herself." Anubis' demeanor remained intact but his grip on the ankh tightened. "Your former king and his bastard son didn't even know she existed, the All-Father preferred to have me to kill her than consider her as his granddaughter, neither the mortals nor the immortals like her, and your loyalists on Earth would give you reasons as to why they'd rather die than have a hybrid on the throne. Wouldn't it be preferrable to have a preferred, fully-blooded Frost Giant from the royal court as your new ruler?"
"You are ancient enough to know the traditions of our monarchy, Anubis Sethson." Angerboda continued, though her teeth seemed to grit. "We Frost Giants will only be ruled by one connected to the blood family of Laufey. Between the patricidal dwarf and the chaotic hybrid, you can imagine that we are very selective."
"A rather hypocritical follow-up to tradition." Anubis shrugged. "Besides, you've said it yourself. My pupil is chaotic. She goes by the personal motto to never rule or be ruled. Never be one's ruler nor someone's slave."
"That's actually a good trick," Gerd remarked. Utgard-Loki merely nodded in agreement while Angerboda gave Gerd an irritated look.
"Fancy speeches or war, whatever the means, we will have our queen," Angerboda persisted. Hundreds of Frost Giants grunted in agreement behind her.
"If you think Kory will even go by force, you got another thing coming!" Bacchus shouted. "The Amazons learned that the hard way back in 1985!"
"What happened in 1985?" Hawkeye couldn't resist asking. Just then, the sky darkened. Even Thor looked up in confusion since he hadn't summoned any lighting or storm. Then, out of nowhere, violent winds and showering comets rained in the distance, followed by violent explosions. Though they couldn't feel it here, anyone in the National Mall could hear the rumbling sounds of earthquakes and people screaming in fear at Ward 2. A tornado of hail rose above the buildings, clashing with rising pillars of bricks and metals.
"The Other…" Loki paled up. "He's here."
"And fancy that, he made the Princess of Mischief angry." Angerboda let out a sadistic grin. "You know, I think I'll send my forces back to Jotunheim for now. I won't have any Jotun casualties when the princess destroys this city. Utgard-Loki, Gerd, we will stick around to watch her work."
"Are you sure?" Gerd actually shuddered. "I doubt I want to be nearby…"
And just when she said that, a massive wintery explosion occurred in Ward 2. The hail tornado had disappeared to be replaced by twelve massive kaiju-sized animals made of perfectly carved ice and building debris placed onto the ice like armor. One of them, a giant Chinese dragon, breathed a blast of ice.
"SHE HIT CHINATOWN!" The Chinese and American Frost Giant leaders screamed.
At Chinatown
Steve and Aaricia had left Marion back in Georgetown to protect her children while they went after Kory and the Other. Aaricia was unfrazzled after being released from the electric coils, but Steve had been a bit shaken. Thinking that it would be unsafe for him to drive, Aaricia had grabbed him and ran faster than a racecar to the destruction rising in Chinatown. They almost got run over my screaming civilians and tourists. The mess was horrible: shattered roads, cracked sidewalks, water flooding out of broken pipes, broken windows, and what seemed to be a scramble of Chinese zodiac ice monsters scrambling to pick on the Other. The Other was floating around, dodging the ice monsters while the beasts wound up destroying buildings with mere claw swipes. Kory was standing on top of the Chinatown gate, only her Jotun form was more terrifying than ever. Her frizzy brown locks were moving despite the lack of wind and her magenta streak let out a light blue aura. Her veins were popping all over her exposed blue skin and her tattoos glowed in the same coloring as her streak's aura, making them stand out like neon lights at a disco party, her nails were darker and were closer to actual claws, and all her clothing had its material replaced by a material forming a scaled chainmail. (It was pretty scary to see her DOWN TO EARTH T-Shirt in scales). She slouched, as if she were expecting to get pounced on, her teeth gritted and her hybrid eyes bared a more murderous shade of red.
"Uh… the fact that my sister goes a tad scarier than the Hulk isn't going to put a damper on your relationship, is it?" Aaricia asked Steve.
"Really? Now?" Steve stared at the teenager in disbelief just when they witnessed the Other shattering the ice ox monster. They ran for cover behind a discarded truck to avoid the shower of ice pieces.
"Yes, now!" Aaricia cautiously looked at where Kory was. "She's very emotional and it takes some serious triggers for her to go into an assortment of bonkers modes! You've seen how she is when she's sad or frustrated; she becomes a wreck! But when she gets all monstrous Jotun sorceress, that means the freakshow knew where to push her most violent triggers! She needs someone to calm her down!"
Just then, the ice monsters were obliterated by the blasts of Iron Man. When the ice tiger monster began falling down, Kory floated away to avoid getting crushed. Just then, the Hulk started smashing his way towards her, roaring with all his might.
"NO! DON'T DO IT!" Aaricia ran out from her hiding spot, with Steve in pursuit. The Hulk roared at Kory's face, hoping to scare her off, but the demigoddess suddenly grew to be double of Hulk's size, her monstrous features sharpening, and her teeth morphing into fangs as she unleashed an unholy shriek at the Hulk, destroying many windows in the process. The Hulk grunted and smashed his way into the escalators leading into the metro.
"Son of a gun…" Steve muttered.
"Eh!" Aaricia waved it off in dismissal. "I heard she could resist a Gorgon's stare and I saw her send some monsters screaming for their mommies. Her scaring the Hulk doesn't surprise me." Just then, Iron Man began flying towards Kory, who shot a blue beam at him and suddenly caused his armor to fall apart. Steve ran in and caught Tony before he could crash.
"She just dismantled my armor!" Tony exclaimed.
"Kory!" Aaricia ditched the men and walked to Kory. "Kory, please stop."
"Tilbake, Aaricia!" Kory barked, causing a cold wind to blow through Aaricia's blonde locks just as the other Avengers and the sisters' allies came in. (Back off, Aaricia!)
"Jeg vil ikke." Aaricia took part in the Norwegian exchange. "Jeg vet ikke hva han sa for å utløse deg, men det er ikke slik." (I don't want to. I don't know what he said to trigger you, but it's not the way.) Kory angrily pulled out the mambele from her wolf pendant.
"Shit," Aaricia bit her lip. "Jeg vet at du har vondt. Jeg vet at du savner Abimbola, men du kan ikke gi etter for triksene hans på grunn av din skyld." (I know you're in pain. I know you miss Abimbola, but you can't give in to his tricks because of your guilt.)
The demigoddess's grip on her weapon loosened a bit, but her scorned expression did not. "Jeg vil at han skal blø." (I want him to bleed.)
"Og jeg vil ha søsteren min. Den som tok meg inn når ingen andre gjorde det. Den som aldri sluttet å bry meg om til tross for mine dumme øyeblikk. Den jeg delte en ed med. Den som er min eneste familie." The teenagers' blue eyes didn't do so well at restraining tears. (And I want my sister. The one who took me in when no one else did. The one who never stopped caring about me despite my stupid moments. The one I shared an oath with. The one who is my only family.)
The demigoddess stared at her blade, her expression turning from scorn to shame. Her weapon disappeared back into her pendant, leading Aaricia to run and give Kory a tight hug. The latter went on to change from her monstrous sorceress form to her human appearance. Kory shook and sobbed as she placed her hand over Aaricia's head during the hug.
"I'm so sorry…" Kory choked.
"You will be."
The Other had appeared out of nowhere. Fearing the worst, Kory shoved Aaricia away and the teenager fell back first on a broken car. The Other held out his six-fingered hand and shot six blue bolts at Kory, who was too worn out to evade them. She screamed as the bolts nearly burned from within the cells of her already exhausted muscles. Many feet away, Loki suddenly collapsed on the ground and started screaming.
"Loki!" Thor struggled to hold Loki up as the God of Mischief twisted like an agonized worm. Up above, the Other smiled in sadistic pleasure.
"LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!" Aaricia got up from the ground.
"Why should I? This is only a mere fraction to the Asgardian's punishment," the Other sneered. Hawkeye and Black Widow shot their arrows and bullets at him, but the Other merely waved his spare hand and the firepower deviated their courses towards Aaricia. Steve blocked the attacks with his shield and tossed it at the bolts. The bolts reflected and struck back at the Other, who let out a groan after the bolts hit him in the guts. Kory frantically breathed for air while Loki coughed out some blood. A gesture Steve did not fail to notice when Thor used his cape to wipe off Loki's mouth.
"The attack on the tower… The ice rink…" He looked up at the Other. "Loki got injured while Kory had a panic attack that got her into the hospital. You're torturing her because he'll feel her pain!"
"A century's worth of pain," the Other spat. "A pathetic mortal human cannot fathom the cruelties, the horrors, the heartbreaks, and the shame that this demigoddess endured. Her handling is pitiful. Compared to the others like her, her link with her divine parent is of pathetic fragility and her immortality childish. Only her years of experience and the river in her veins keep her standing but makes the slow torturing process ever so delightful. I'll have fun watching her dissecting her from within and watch her paternal fall into a deadly, but beautiful agony when I have his only child executed!"
Mjolnir was tossed towards the Other, who dodged the flying hammer and opened a portal. "The Chitauri have done their work in locating her. I will retreat for the time being… That is, if Angerboda has any of you live."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony asked. He got his answer the moment the Other disappeared with the portal and Maui swung his fishhook to slice the ice spear that nearly struck him. Steve rushed to pick up Kory and lift her in his arms when the dust cleared and Angerboda, Utgard-Loki, and Gerd stood out.
"We'll be taking the princess, thank y…" Angerboda's red eyes flashed in fury when she spotted Aaricia. "YOU!" She pointed a cold finger towards the teenager.
"Moi?" Aaricia feigned ignorance.
"You pesky little brat!" Angerboda hissed. "Dyed hair or not, I'd recognize that round chin of yours!"
"I failed a spot check here." Aaricia couldn't help herself and rubbed her own chin. "Any reason why you're so pissed?"
Angerboda bit her lip, but the angry groans still came out.
"Is that the mortal thief who slammed you?" Utgard-Loki suddenly let out. This caused everyone to realize they failed to notice that Angerboda's left cheek had a massive bruise, its dark hue sticking out on her skin. A perfectly straight angle, like the edge of a book, formed the bruise's edges closest to the nose, and pressed onto her cheek were leftover 'prints' of a wolf head biting down a serpent.
"You can't be serious!" Aaricia had a mixture of exasperation and entertainment as she laughed. "You're pissed because I damaged your face? Wow, you're crazy!"
"Hold on… YOU'RE THE TEENAGER WHO TRASHED MY TOWER?" Tony exclaimed.
"Oh, you're looted with money since you were in diapers! Pay for your own housekeeping and fix your own security snafus!" Aaricia snapped. "I got to deal with an old Jotun shrew whose biggest priority is her facial reputation!" Anyone who wasn't human or the still unconscious Kory gasped in shock, with Angerboda looking like she was ready to destroy everything. She skated through, leaving a trail of ice behind her, as she held her arms out, ready to reach for Aaricia's neck. Steve and Thor pulled the smart move of throwing the shield and hammer at Angerboda's direction, creating large vibrations that propelled her away. Gerd helped her up while Utgard-Loki cast an ice spell that forced Thor to crash into a restaurant.
"Utgard-Loki?" Maui hung up his fishhook and crossed his hands behind his back. "A temporary call of truce?"
"Fancy that, a demigod who seeks diplomacy after violence." Utgard-Loki summoned an ice spear from his arm as Maui walked forward.
"Yeah, I tend to go for kill first and questions later, but now's not really the time," Maui nodded and stopped fifteen feet away from Utgard-Loki. "I can understand your devotion to Jotunheim and to assist Angerboda in rebuilding the monarchy, but the latest performances isn't doing any wonders. You trash Kory's home planet, your boss steals pages belonging to Kory's family records…"
"And they stole SHIELD files!" Hawkeye pointed out.
"What he said." Maui waved his hand toward Steve. "You then try to deep freeze her friend, encourage a false campaign in her name, and you kind of let your boss take Kory against her will and nearly kill her adoptive sister."
Utgard-Loki widened his eyes in fear. "Adoptive… sister?"
"Yeah, don't get me started. Anyway, you've seen the damages. I can't really vouch for Kory, she's her own independent Frost Giantess, but you honestly think she'd want to rule a people who don't even take into account her opinions and basically kidnap her? Is she even capable of coming to Jotunheim? Will the people even like her? There's already some Frost Giants, the more traditional, who dislike her just because she's half-human."
"To be fair, we didn't really think much about the genetics being a problem," Utgard-Loki admitted.
"Yeah, and what the ceremonies? The parades? Is Laufey's castle even fit for her? How much are you going to deposit to celebrate what's supposed to be the unification of all Frost Giants?"
"The cake and ice cream?" Aaricia offered.
"My god, the buffet!" Maui dramatically raised his arms up. "Have you even thought of that? A hybrid demigoddess like Kory almost has the same appetite as ten humans and five Asgardians! Did you even check to see if she has allergies!" Maui stared at Bacchus. "Back me up, Bacchus! They didn't even think about the possibility that they might accidentally poison Kory if she had food allergies?"
Utgard-Loki and Gerd looked outright horrified, Angerboda stared at her fellow Frost Giants in disbelief, and the Avengers couldn't believe they were watching two demigods practically conning two giants while Anubis watched like he was enjoying a sitcom.
"Yeah, what will be the refreshments? Do you need to commission my specialty wine? Spanish rosé? Asgardian mead? Kvasir Mead? Ambrosia?" Bacchus dramatically cupped his cheeks. "Goodness, some morons out there just don't know how to handle the spoiled demands of a ninety-two-year old brat with daddy and self-esteem issues! Must they learn the hard way through a public flyting?"
"Ooh, a flyting!" Maui chuckled as he and Bacchus gave cruel smirks. "Hey, what if we wake up Kory? Sure, she's injured, but I think she'd have enough energy for a little flyting. Send these morons crying to their mommies because they don't have any of their so-called respect to her!"
Utgard-Loki turned to Angerboda with a panicked look. "Didn't the Jotun in Alaska mention that she was an expert at flyting?"
"Yes, worse than Ratastok. So?"
"So, do you wish us to approach things delicately or be sent crying home? Because after the Bifrost ray, I cannot deal with Jotunheim flooding if she makes us cry!"
"You can't be serious!" Angerboda jumped on her feet.
"Look, a few weeks will not kill anyone," Gerd agreed with Utgard-Loki. "It isn't like Jotunheim will collapse if there's a delay. The demigods do bring up some points, and we know nothing about medically attending a hybrid demigoddess."
"Some time for recuperation, consultation, and preparation won't kill anyone." Utgard-Loki nodded.
"Ugh! Fine!" Out of nowhere, a portal appeared behind the Frost Giants. "Three weeks! That's all I'm giving for the princess! Gerd and Utgard-Loki will stop by here and then to check on her well-being. Do NOT see this as a sign of potential friendliness! AND I STILL DON'T LIKE YOU!" Angerboda shouted that last line at Aaricia.
"GO FREEZE YOUR OWN BRAINS OUT!" Aaricia shouted back. Utgard-Loki and Gerd had to restrain Angerboda as the portal closed. Anubis waved his ankh scepter and the debris around Chinatown picked, floated, and fixed itself up to its original appearance, as if there hadn't been a single alien confrontation.
"Well, that should clear up the mess…" Anubis commented.
Tony marched up to Aaricia, who was busy counting with her fingers. "You got a lot of explaining to do on how you managed to trash my tower, steal some tech, beat up Loki, and anger Angerboda! Or why you even did. Are you even paying attention?"
"23, 24, 25… Oh shit. Guys!" Aaricia pushed Tony aside and rushed to Anubis and the demigods. "Three weeks? That's when Passover comes up!"
"Way to go, Hook Brains!" Bacchus swatted Maui on the head. "You could have thought of the time limit possibility when you played the verbal con artist on those frozen aisle idiots!"
"Excuse me, which one of us is the Polynesian trickster and the other some Greco-Roman drunk douchebag?" Maui slapped Bacchus on the cheek. "You didn't even lift a finger!"
"I did when you asked for backup! You purposely hinted that you needed backup from the theatrical god!"
"Yeah, the god of booze, madness, and drama, and overall the hypocritical demigod who thinks primarily for himself!" Maui gripped Bacchus by the collar. "You would have stayed in Tuscany, probably partying with your wife in a cabernet filled pool if the Big Guy hadn't called you!"
"And you would have snuck your way into the All Blacks' games if the Big Guy hadn't called you!"
The two male demigods argued, causing the waters from the pipes and sewers and the nearby plants to agitate with their fury. Banner came up from the metro station just in time to see Anubis slap them back to their senses.
"Are you idiots done?" Anubis demanded.
"Yes." The two demigods grumbled.
"Good." Anubis turned to Aaricia. "Yeah, Passover is gonna be a problem. I know Kory makes it a mandatory tradition for you two to go to Oslo, but looks like you'll both have it for the first time in the U.S."
Nobody had time to quickly catch on until Steve used his shield to block a bullet. His right hand held on to his shield while his left arm cautiously held Kory. The Avengers and immortals finally saw the sniper standing on top of a restaurant. As he restrained his gun, it was made evident that the sniper had intended to shoot Kory on the head. A SHIELD helicopter came flying down, with Nick Fury and Maria Hill rushing out.
"Stand down!" Nick Fury demanded to the sniper.
"I'm under orders of the World Security Council!" The sniper shouted. "They demanded that I terminate the one responsible for the invasions!"
"How dare you?" Thor snapped while Loki was still unconscious. "She's my niece!"
"Further reasons why the World Security Council has demanded to have her killed on sight!"
"You realize that it's stupid, right?" Aaricia rolled her eyes as if this was among the stupidest things she heard. "She's a demigoddess! They can't be killed by conventional means! She's even more physically invulnerable than Bacchus and Maui combined! Even poisons, drugs, and human medication have no effect on her! She even survived the insane power of nine nuclear missiles!"
"She did?" Nick Fury shouted.
"Well, it was back in the 60s and she made a run before they could send missile #10."
"Who the fuck sends ten missiles at one person?"
"I still have orders to terminate her!" The sniper insisted. "If it isn't done the direct way, they'll demand vivisection!" The sniper suddenly started choking and dropped his gun. His body levitated down the street and in front of Anubis, who had been clenching his fist in a golden aura. Anubis indifferently stared at the sniper and forced his clenching fist into the mortal's chest, pulling out his heart. Black Widow actually covered her mouth in horror.
"Let me explain something to you," Anubis used the same tone he had used after he melted the rude Frost Giantess into oblivion. "I care very little for most mortals because you're a bunch of cisgender, heterosexual white male monotheist with massive hit lists, and thanks to your endless list of ridiculous prejudices, I can't even find a nice private school for my kids. I have a habit of just dismissing every single conflict because watching people fight, get hurt, or die entertains me. I should know, I am the god of mummification. I feed the souls of the unworthy to my pet. But if I catch a single of your mortal peers or leaders make a prejudiced attempt on my prized pupil's life, I WILL MUMMIFY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND STUFF YOUR ORGANS IN CANOPIC JARS UNTIL I DECIDE TO EAT THEM!" Anubis shoved the heart back in the sniper, who almost had a stroke. "THAT ALSO GOES TO ANYONE WHO'S MORTAL! ONE MERE MISHAP, ANY SINGLE ATTEMPT TO PURPOSELY ENDANGER MY PUPIL, THE DEMIGODDESS, OR OUR CLOSEST ASSOCIATIONS, AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THE HARD WAY THAT I CAN KILL HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE JUST BY TIGHTENING MY FIST!" Anubis' yelling reached a point where his human face nearly distorted to more jackal-like traits. Bacchus and Maui quickly shielded Aaricia, as if expecting Anubis to self-combust.
"Fine!" Nick Fury exclaimed. "As long as you don't kill anyone, we don't kill you. But I still got some questions for you five."
"We won't do it on your flying Lego contraption." Anubis turned back to his human face.
"I just agreed that we won't kill you!"
"And your Lego contraption is full of cells, labs, and weapons that are threatening us. Besides, these semi-divine stooges get easily cranky on planes. You'll be dealing with severe damages if these three get caught arguing."
"Yeah, we've seen the damage." Tony waved at the plant overgrowth and water floods that Bacchus and Maui had caused. "SHIELD's definitely out of the question, but the little ice princess isn't going to be safe in DC with the aliens and Frost Giants looking for her. So what if, we all go back to the Avengers Tower? Private space for you guys to mend her up, comfy for all of you, civilized communication to discuss what happens next, and also negotiate the amount of money that the blonde Carmen Sandiego owes me?"
Anubis gave Tony a suspicious look. "Your tower's security got breached by Loki, Frost Giants, and a teenage girl."
"The main floor with all the fancy equipment, yes, but not the floors occupied per Avenger. If it will make you feel any better, Cap can keep an eye on the sisters on his floor."
Anubis' golden eyes darted around the Avengers. "Very well. But no experiments, no harassment, and no stupid comments. I'll be keeping my hands to myself if Kory retaliates should you pick on her. And until things are figured out, I don't want Loki anywhere near her."
"He's her father!" Thor walked up to Anubis. "I will not refuse to him what the All-Father has denied to him! She is from my family!"
"Koryanna doesn't consider you barbarians as family," Anubis retorted. "Your father made it pretty clear that he'd never have a hybrid for a granddaughter. Your mother only ensured that the Ikolson mother and child survived and that Koryanna's heritage was never discovered and look how that failed majorly. Your brother, despite the superficial love most of you barbarians have for mortals that he also had for his brother, didn't even lift his pinkie at defying Odin or even bothering to discover his lover's pregnancy. You would have never considered it imaginable to have a demigoddess for a niece until Odin had you banished. Loki didn't even go mourn at his lover's grave, too occupied by his fantasies to satisfy Odin." Anubis confronted Thor, revealing himself to be actually taller than the Thunder God by an inch. "You and the House of Odin have no familial claim on Koryanna. She has never, doesn't, and never will consider you her uncle. Odin is a monster to her and Loki is the foul root that grew the thorny nest of all her problems and trauma. So, a tip of advice, barbarian. The distance rule between father and daughter also applies to you." Anubis stared at all the Avengers. "Honestly, come to think of it, anyone who isn't the Hulk or Captain America is a walking hazard."
"That hurts," Black Widow said drily.
"It was intended. Are we all in agreement?"