"So this is Asgard," Tessa singsongs dreamily as she spins in a slow circle, wide eyes taking in the wholly other realm. The air itself seems to be tinged with gold, bright enough to breed clarity but not so intense as to make her squint. Clouds ripple through the sky, sitting low against the horizon, butting up against the brilliant spires of the palace. Her eyes continue sweeping across the land as she spins, stopping when lighting onto the mountain peaks in the distance. "Pretty damn nice."
"Yes, yes," Thor breathes out distractedly as he struggles to fit a flowing swath of fabric around her while she lazily twirls. The makeshift robes are deep blue in color so as to both blend with the maids' typical wardrobe and to effectively cover her shiny, new time-travel suit. The god's hands are deft and certain, despite the anxious scowl on his face. He tugs her back in place as he tucks the fabric in here and ties it off there, and it's just a matter of moments before he has her dressed and ready to go.
She smirks as she pulls one of the knots a bit tighter and wiggles her brows at him. "Had to dress a lot handmaids in a hurry, have you?"
He gives a tight nod in response, expression never changing – "Yes, of course. Quite often." – before breaking away to begin the short trek up to the rear entrance of the palace.
Beside Tessa, Rocket issues out a scoff, shaking his head slowly as he watches Thor meander away. "Bad news bears," he mutters almost to himself.
A wide smirk pulls at her face, eyes rolling but gleaming all the same as she hears her daughter's new favorite phrase slip out of the mouth of the alien racoon hybrid by her side. "You've got to stop spending so much time with four-year-olds."
He cocks his head up at her, beady eyes narrowing for just a fraction of a second before his expression softens. "You've got a halfway decent kid there, ya know?"
She nods, smirk fading into a genuine, if crooked, grin. "Yeah, I know."
Rocket turns back to face forward, heaving a giant sigh as he watches the blond god before them halt every few steps, muttering to himself and nervously shaking out his fists before reluctantly inching forward again. "This is gonna be trouble."
Tessa doesn't respond, instead turning to stare ahead at Thor as well, her brow scrunching and twisting as she sees him stop again, his head dropping heavily as his shoulders shake with a thick shudder. She doesn't have to sense his energy to know what he's feeling right now, what he's going through. He's returned to a home that no longer exists. In search of a woman who no longer loves him. In a palace filled with family and friends who no longer live.
She looks down at Rocket and sees his tiny paw curled tight around the extraction contraption that Tony had built – just in case – and she rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you brought that thing," she mutters under her breath, knowing full well that he did it because both Tony and Steve said it was a good idea. In case she couldn't get close enough to pull the aether from Jane herself. Or in case she couldn't handle it.
He peers up at her with wide, dark eyes. "I don't know why you'd wanna suck that stuff inside you, Doc. Thor said the whole reason he brought his pretty little girlfriend here in the first place was because that goo made her sick."
"Yeah, well, I'm a little better equipped to handle it than she was," Tessa smarts, her tone all too cocky.
"Alright, alright," he capitulates, shaking his head once again. He steps forward, heading for the painfully hesitant man in front of them – who's now pacing in a wide, awkward circle – and tosses back at her, "Let's move it, Supernova."
Once inside the palace, Thor's demeanor collapses even further. As they arrive outside of the suite where Jane is staying, he begins spinning into an even more frenzied state, begging for a drink, doubting that he can perform his part of distracting his former love. The moment he sees his mother – whom was doomed to be murdered in mere hours – his fragile façade shatters completely.
It's in that moment that Tessa realizes he won't be taking part in the actual extraction, not as a distraction for Jane nor as a lookout for her nor as anything in between. He's done. Out. And frankly, she thought that might end up being the case before they even climbed up onto that scientific marvel of a platform that shot them back to 2013. To a whole other world. So she's able to pivot fairly quickly, merely shaking her head for a moment as she watches Rocket smack the man in the face and begin to give him a pep talk – or a scolding speech, she isn't quite sure – before slinking off to the room down the corridor to finish the job on her own.
A handmaid dressed similarly to her, with long, blue robes wrapped about her body – though her attire, even for a maid, is much more ornate – leaves the room just as she arrives. Tessa keeps her head bowed, hoping not to be noticed. Her palm absently rises and sweeps along her hair – done up in several less-than-perfect braids, a hairstyle meant to help her blend at least a bit with the palace staff – before she sets her shoulders, determinedly juts her chin forward, and slips through the slightly open door.
Inside, all is quiet. No other maids linger, and Jane herself appears to be passed out atop a lush velvet settee. Tessa creeps forward, her senses slowly opening so as to begin the process of letting the peculiar energy in. But even just that first, tiny inkling from the aether hits her like sharp jab to the gut.
The overwhelming power that she senses – the sheer intensity of that thing occupying the room, occupying the woman laying in front of her – nearly knocks the wind from her lungs. It takes a moment for her to catch her breath and bearings, her feet cemented to the floor, mouth hanging agape, hands slowly fisting and unclenching in an attempt to fortify her own power and stir it up should she need some cover. And in that single, breathless moment, Jane begins to stir.
The smallest gasp slips from Tessa's lips – in part because she's still trying to come to terms with the force that she's now sensing, and in part because, well, this would've been a hell of a lot easier if she could've just snuck in and pulled the aether from Jane while she slept – and it's just enough to cause the woman on the sofa to bolt upright and turn.
Jane's brow crinkles in confusion. Tessa's mouth slams shut, her teeth clanking loudly as she forces a tight, clumsy smile. "I… don't think we've met," Jane murmurs as she begins assessing this new handmaid.
Tessa nods and takes a too-large step forward, the awkward and abrasive movement causing the other woman to rear back in surprise. "Sorry," she sputters out, trying for a smaller stride but making everything worse when her toe catches on the long robes, causing her to trip forward.
This time, instead of retreating, Jane leaps up to help catch her, steadying her at the shoulders. "Are you alright?" she asks, her expression a mix of worry and confusion.
Again, Tessa nods, a long sigh tumbling out of her as she does so. "Yeah, I mean… yes." She tugs at the caught fabric and rights herself – "Sorry. Yes." – before reaching up and lightly grasping at the hand on her shoulder. And the moment she does so, she's hit with something completely new, something different, something brilliant.
She's felt power before. Extreme, absolute power. Hell, she's felt the power of the stones before, back when fighting Thanos, when contending with the strength of all of the stones as it coursed through him. But at that time, the power was contained in him. It was where it felt it needed to be. Right now, the aether – the reality stone – is lost inside of a mere mortal, spinning and flailing and slowly tearing its host apart in a desperate need to get out. To get somewhere… safe.
It calls to her. In a way that no other power ever has. When the Phoenix Force sought her out it was through a distinct, molded connection. It was through the bond she had already formed with Jean. And with the energy of the universe. But this… this is just… desperation. The stone seems to sense her the moment her flesh makes contact with Jane. It senses that she's strong, capable… that unlike this human, she's a safe place. And it lunges for her, reaches frantically out for her, like an exhausted man caught in the swells of the sea. It's drowning inside of Jane.
A sudden crack resounds through Tessa's head, like a clap of thunder. And beneath the deafening echo rolls a steady trail of, no, no, no, no… in an all-too-familiar tenor. In her periphery, a flash of bright red hair swings past and a warm, soothing touch lands on her shoulder. No, tumbles into her ear as a ghostly breath huffs a wet heat around the shell.
As quickly as it all comes – the attention-grabbing crash, the softly uttered words, the shadow of Jean looming near – it all disappears. But Tessa knows. She's left with more than just an ominous warning echoing in her ears. Jean – or perhaps the Phoenix… or an amalgam of the two – embeds a new and undeniable understanding within her. She knows now that if she isn't careful, if she doesn't maintain strict control, in its desperation to get to her, to be saved from drowning, the aether might just end up pulling her down into the depths right along with it.
She lets go of Jane's hand, a ragged, gasping breath blowing out of her as she doubles over. Jane helps her to the sofa, sits her down and moves to go for the door, undoubtably to get help. But Tessa reaches for her again, grabs tight to her wrist and ekes out simply, in a voice to match the one still ghosting in her ear, "No."
The other woman's eyes darken, her initial worry and confusion now being replaced by fear. "Who…" she begins, but stops the moment that Tessa releases her and – pulling in a giant gulp of air – sits upright with her hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she says, her voice small as the breath slowly returns to her body. She swallows thickly, steeling herself as best she can, the distressed calling of the aether – and the warning from those within – still thrumming and echoing through her. "I'm here to help."
"Help," Jane repeats, the word sounding neither quite like a question nor a fact.
She nods. "Thor sent me. To help."
Again, Jane's brow pulls tight, both confusion and apprehension reigning as she tosses a glance towards the door. "Where… where is he? He just… sent you?"
"He's… busy," Tessa tries, knowing full well that the excuse sounds, well, like an excuse. She rises slowly, steps forward on shaky legs, and holds out her hands, palms up. She lets the smallest bit of energy through, allowing thin tendrils of blue light to dance along her fingertips, to show her power – her prowess – not just to the woman in front of her but to the stone struggling to break out of that woman. "I can help," she says again, noting the way that Jane's eyes blow wide at her little show. "If you'll let me, I can get the aether out."
A look akin to panic flashes over the woman's face as she watches the sparks bounce along Tessa's hands. "You… what…?" she metes out, so lost in confusion and fear that she doesn't even notice the door creak open behind her.
But Tessa does. She sees the heavy pane of wood push forward, watches as the tiny racoon – decked out in a state-of-the-art suit built for time travel of all things – slips into the room. Now it's her eyes that blow wide, a swift utterance of, "No, don't!" jolting out of her as Rocket wastes no time at all, swiftly racing forward and stabbing Jane in the leg with the odd little aether-capturing device.
The red sludge seeps into the container as Jane's leg begins to buckle. She turns, all color leaving her face and stares down in open-mouthed horror for a beat of a moment, taking in the fact that a racoon has just stabbed her with something, before she lets out a terrible shriek filled with both pain – because, yeah, that thing really does look like it would hurt – and absolute terror.
Rocket lunges forward, wrapping his legs around her calf, clinging to her with three paws as he continues to hold the stabby apparatus with the other, waiting for it to fill and click. Jane throws her leg backwards, collapsing headlong onto the couch as she frantically kicks and flails in an attempt to shake the animal loose. Another scream leaves her, this one more angry than frightened, and Tessa watches in shock as the woman's face shifts into a mask of fury.
"I… it's…" Tessa stutters out as she reaches over to take hold of the thrashing woman, keep her steady so that they might finish the job. "It's okay. He… we… we're helping."
Jane cocks her head and looks her straight in the eye, a sense of absolute fuck you emanating from the woman and right into her. But before Tessa can fully process that energy, recognize and react to it, a small but mighty fist collides with her face, the impact causing both her and Jane to cry out in pain at the same time.
The gadget clicks, signaling its job is complete, and Rocket releases his claws, hopping down from her leg and laughing out a, "Nice shot!" at the same time.
Jane turns, cradling her crunched fist to her chest, and punts the obnoxious rodent across the room.
From the hall, they can hear the clamor of guards approaching, the first one arriving and slamming the door open just as Rocket's body slides to a stop by his boot. The small beast leaps up, still clinging tight to the aether-filled contraption, and ducks under the guard's legs before bounding down the hall.
To Tessa's surprise, the two guards who remain – all others giving chase in an attempt to catch the fleeing animal – pay her no attention at all, undoubtably believing that she's a mere handmaid who was very clearly attacked along with her charge. They close in on Jane, catching her as she falls, the loss of the aether causing a sudden woozy spell to hit. And Tessa takes the opportunity to slowly back away from the small group and escape out the door.
Once in the corridor, she runs. Runs like she hasn't run in years. Runs like she did the first few times with Steve, pride forcing her to try to keep up even if meant her lungs might explode. Runs like the biggest bad to ever be is hot on her heels… despite the fact that no one is actually chasing her at all. Runs like the lives of everyone she loves depend on it.
She follows the sounds of clanging armor, using the echoing trail left by the guards to guide her to that damn, impetuous, infuriating animal. But she skids dramatically to a stop upon hearing – just as she passes by a small alcove – Rocket shouting out to her, "Here, Doc!" She turns, her chest heaving and vision swimming, and she sees the tiny thing wave her back, a wide smile painted on his face at realizing he managed to effectively lose the throng of royal protectors, all of whom are continuing to clang loudly down the passageway ahead of them.
She retreats to him and ducks around the corner, panting heavily, her eyes alight with a fury to match what she had seen on Jane's face just before the woman tried to break her jaw. From the corner of her eye, she sees Thor's large body blocking out the light from a tall window. But she doesn't spare him a second glance. "You," she metes out, the single word falling from her lips in a low roar as she advances on Rocket.
The racoon holds up his paws in surrender, "Hey, hey," coming out of him in an out-of-breath shout. "I get it. You thought you had it. Be pissed at me later. Those guards are gonna come back. Now, we gotta go."
"Oh, my," sounds then in a softly accented voice. Looking up, Tessa sees a tall, light-haired woman standing next to Thor, her blue eyes homing in on her, looking straight into her. "You are…" A smile pulls at the corners of the woman's mouth, her gaze never straying, not even as a giant hammer shatters the window behind her and slams into the waiting hand of the man by her side. She takes a single swift step forward and reaches out, her palms stopping mere inches from Tessa's shoulders, hovering as if hesitant to touch.
"Let's go!" Rocket shouts from behind.
"Everything inside of you… all of them… and, and that… that power that burns brighter than any other …" The woman cocks her head at Tessa, her grin brightening as she leans forward and says simply, barely a whisper, "You are energy." Then she pulls back and leans over to press a kiss to Thor's cheek before telling the peculiar trio to, "Go."
Tessa doesn't even realize that she's pressed the button, activated the device designed to bring them all home, back to their correct time and place. Even as her body whips through space and time, her mind is stuck on one thing… the feeling of hearing those words slip past that woman's lips. The feeling of… being seen. Being seen for what she truly is. Not powerful. Not dangerous. Not different or special or any other adjective that could hold a host connotations. Just energy. Just what she's always known herself to be.
What is energy? Jean had asked her once, so long ago, back when she was not all that much older than her own daughter is now.
Energy is me.
The feeling settles into her gut, warm and heavy and prickly with pleasure. It remains tucked away there even as all her parts and particles are torn apart and pieced back together by the time machine. Even as she lands with a dull thud on the platform back at the compound. Even as her fingers rise to trace along the steadily blooming bruise left by Thor's ex-girlfriend. The wonderful feeling – of being truly seen and known and understood, even if only for a moment, even if by a veritable stranger – sticks with her right up until she hears someone ask, in a voice low and painfully hesitant, "Where's Nat?"