Part 25
A/N: If you're going to ask, this is still day three. This story is not like the MCU where when characters are not needed for movies (or Disney Plus series), they seem to just not do anything. This is more like the real world, where it's a race. It's called the human race for a reason, although it's not just humans here. Everyone tries to accomplish what they want done, as fast as they possibly can, and it's no board game, there are no turns. Everyone's doing everything at once, which is why you have about 70k words of text (about the most common length of modern pleasure reading novels) over a three day span.
In which Thor conquers Peru with three plastic yellow soldiers.
Rose Potter was with the rest of the Avengers team, relaxing with chilled beer and a good game of Risk, and she suspected she knew why Tony had suggested the game, although she was genuinely surprised to see Thor excelling at the strategy game. They were joined by Carol Danvers, who had decided to see how Earth had changed in the decade since she had last been there.
When Thor moved in a few of his plastic yellow soldiers to conquer Peru, Rose was suddenly very still, and the group noticed, looking up. Her jaw was clenched, and she was taking deep breaths in and out. Her hands curled into fists, the knuckles popping out from the force in which she was digging her fingers into her palms. She took a long deep breath in and out and then her eyes flew open, blazing in a raging inferno of cold, furious emerald green that had them all press themselves a bit further into their seats in fear. Magic that burned the same as her eyes flashed in little bits around her fists, and they felt the waves of fury and rage and hatred and somehow, amongst all those negative emotions, comfort and healing and a soothing lullaby, all rolling off of her in waves of magic.
"What's happening?" Steve Rogers finally croaked out.
All the emotions flowed off of Rose's face as it returned to a calm and pleasant expression, as all the tightness left her body and her muscles unclenched, and Clint and Natasha noticed her hands had stopped itching to reach across her chest to get to hidden blades in sheaths along her arms. "I'm sorry, I have to make sure my sister does not eradicate Vanaheim without my support."
"Eradicate Vanaheim?!" Thor exclaimed.
"Your uncle, through the direct interference of your mother, just betrayed and mentally and emotionally shattered my sister in the worst way possible, knowing exactly what he was doing. I feel no sympathy for what he has unleashed."
"What could…" Steve began, before he shut his mouth again.
Seeing the expression on Rose's face, Natasha simply said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
Thor was going to say something, when the bifrost beam slammed through the tower, sucking up Thor, and within its radius also Rose, Natasha, and Tony, who managed to, before getting cuked upm grab the suitcase with the newest Iron Man suit, as it formed around him while he traversed the bifrost.
Thor walked casually out to the bifrost's platform, Natasha looking pleasant, her weapons hidden, but she knew they were there. Tony hovered a little in his iron Man suit, to make an impression, but then he set down, with the goals of conserving both the suit's battery energy and his own magical one.
Rose walked out of the bifrost beam last, an innocent expression on her face, but nothing could hide the fury inside her eyes.
"Father," Thor started, noting his father standing by Heimdall, "Why did you transport me here now?"
"Your return home is long overdue. Especially when you start consorting so closely with enemies of Asgard." Odin said.
Rose and Natasha shared a look, during which Natasha opened that spot in the back of her mind where she used to receive ISA orders, but now could use for undetectable communication with Rose. How much could he know, and what is the course of action? Natasha asked.
I didn't plan for this. We're winging it, but let me open the connection with Tony first. Rose said, and Natasha gave a mental nodm while Rose made a few seconds of eye contact with Tony to establish the link in the back of his mind.
"Father, who of my friends could be our enemy?"
"That is what worries me." Heimdalll said. "Of the ones who are here with you, my attention is not able to take hold of any of them, I know it is one of them, but I cannot tell who."
Tony's visor folded away to reveal his face. "Excuse me, weird staring dude? Those people are right here and would prefer to have such things said to their faces."
"Have your midgardian friends always lacked manners to such a degree?" Odin asked Thor.
"Midgardian manners are simply different, father."
"Thor, has your father always kidnapped your friends because of his gatekeeper's inadequacies?" Rose asked. "Or has he just put up the strongest magic-nullifying wards he could possibly manage for every person to come to Asgard?"
"You came to sense magic?" Heimdall asked through narrowed eyes
"I can sense when someone tries to imprison my magic, which may I note, everywhere with magic but Asagard, is extremely illegal."
"But you are on Asgard, and you will obey my laws." Odin stated imperiously.
"I'm not a citizen of Asgard, nor did I come willingly. As of the moment, you have somewhere about ten or twenty minutes until you're arrested."
"I'm the King of Asgard. I will not get arrested."
Rose laughed. She laughed with genuine mirth, barely catching a breath. Natasha and Tony, hearing her inner mental commentary that she sent to them as well, also gave a chuckle. When she finally calmed, a smile stayed on her face. "Thor, you never told us your father was a jokester."
"I do not jest." Odin said seriously, while Thor looked like a deer in headlights.
Rose's smile slipped off her face. "Then you are a fool, to think there is no power greater than your own."
"Who are you to threaten the King of Asgard?"
"Not a coward, bending over backwards at the slightest threat. Lower these magic nullification wards, and I'll leave Asgard in peace."
"Guards, take them in." Odin ordered the two dozen Eiherjar waiting behind him.
"Nobody's taking us anywhere." Tony stated forcefully, as his suit folded fully around him, his gauntlets firing up. Two pistols were in Natasha's hands, and Rose toyed with balls of green magic in her hands, as she lowered the magic hiding the bumps of daggers along her arms.
Rose simply told Natasha and Tony, "Sixteen minutes."
"What are you doing?" Thor asked.
"Your father seems to want to imprison three people he has absolutely no jurisdiction over. We have sixteen minute until backup arrives. Until then, it seems you have three options. You stand with your father's soldiers and get apited with the same brush, gain the same enemies, you stand with us and I have no idea what happens with your father, or you step to the side and don't get involved like a coward." Natasha said, knowing the third was the only sensible option for Thor, but phrasing it so that he would not even consider it.
"Are you an Avenger or are you not? Choose your priorities." Tony demanded.
Thor's hammer was unclipped from his belt and flew into his hand. He turned to face the group he hated to have to fight but must. "You're right, Tony. I know my priorities here."
A/N: Yes, the subtitle gives you the feeling the chapter will be completely different than it will be. I have no regrets, neither for the purposefully misleading subtitle, nor for the cliffhanger at the end. After all, who did Thor choose? You have a week of painful cliffhanger on your mind until you get to find out.